Elen Vasilina is Executive Director of European Affairs in the field of strategy, leadership and sustainable management. She has extensive experience in managing projects in public, private and non-profit organizations in France and Europe.
She built her career in France. Over the years, she has worked as director of the Environment Department of a French city, president of the Paris-based think tank International Geostrategic Maritime Observatory (IGMO), editor-in-chief of their flagship Geostrategic Maritime Review, senior expert at EUROPEAID and lecturer at several Paris business schools.
After a short stint in Washington, where she worked as a sustainable development consultant, she returned to France and founded her own boutique consulting firm, Transatlantic Global Advisory (TAGA), where she developed and delivered corporate training for the Center of Excellence in Public Leadership ( CEPL) at George Washington University, as well as for many large companies. She was a member of the Franco-American Chamber of Commerce, where she founded the first Green Economy Committee, and a member of the Women's Foreign Policy Group, where she has been a mentor since 2015.
He is the author of several books and essays, and since 2013 he has been on the international stage with commentary and analysis in English and French in French and international media.
During the pandemic, Ellen created a podcast entitled "Mediterranean Partners for Sustainable Development", which is currently listened to in 76 countries, in English and French.
See what Ellen Wasilina shared before ESGnews.bg for sustainable leadership. She will be a keynote speaker in the fourth edition of the forum ESG&FRIENDS 2025, which will be held on February 18 at the Hilton Sofia:
Ellen, what inspired you to focus on European issues and sustainability?
The journey to founding the Trocadéro Forum Institute has been a journey of a lifetime. It will be my achievement that will help me pass on and train a new generation of resilient leaders, teaching them a new kind of diplomacy. I grew up during the Cold War, and my Eastern European partners offered me my life's work, the foresight and ability to resolve conflicts, to apply a paradigm to conflict resolution between those countries that have the resources, the personnel, and the technology to make the green transition.
What does sustainability mean to you and how does it fit into Trocadéro Forum's mission?
Sustainability means being able to continue over time to use the resources you have in an efficient way. This is the key to success and our mission at Trocadéro Forum. We want to put sustainability at the heart of our decisions, in the management and leadership of people and resources with the least possible impact on our surroundings.
As a respected leader in European affairs, what qualities do you think sustainable leaders should possess today?
The qualities we look for are caring and emotional intelligence. Sustainable leaders must be in harmony with our surroundings. They are aware of the people around them and know how to influence them and the people around them.
What is your definition of a sustainable leader and what skills or qualities do leaders need to be successful in this area?
This is a very good question. A resilient leader must understand the geopolitical and geoeconomic landscape. He knows what the current risks are and can predict future ones. Our program at Trocadéro Forum does just that - teaches leaders to think in a new and different way that offers them to anticipate upcoming risks, identify actors, resources, challenges with a new look at geoeconomics, geopolitics, diplomacy, intercultural communication, ESG investments, the use of technology and communications to effect the necessary changes through a robust research process. Only then can a leader lead sustainably.
What challenges do you see facing new sustainable leaders? in Europe and the world?
I would describe the challenges in three short words - security, stability and solidarity. First, we must have security to build our economies: energy security, national security, national sovereignty.
Second, we need to have political, economic and social stability: how to make the cities we live in more livable, how to make sure we have the resources to run them and keep them competitive.
Finally, solidarity, which means having allies, not only militarily, but politically and economically. The world is fragmenting into various regional blocs, with rising regional powers challenging the status quo established after World War II.
You have been a teacher and mentor throughout your career. How important is education in creating the next generation of sustainable leaders?
From my long career and as a mother, education is the key to training the next generation of sustainable leaders. It is up to us to prepare young people, to aspire and inspire them for what lies ahead.
What is the most significant contribution of the Trocadéro Forum to the development of sustainable leaders in Europe?
The Trocadéro Forum is one of the first, if not the first in Europe, certainly in France, to train a new generation of sustainable leaders. We want to train everyone, not only in Europe, but anywhere else. The new generation of leaders must be prepared for the challenges of the future.
Looking ahead, what trends do you foresee in sustainable leadership, especially in the European context?
Leadership means being able to lead with new ideas based on science, facts, figures. To be able to create a new alternative to a sustainable business model that includes reducing environmental damage, improving the well-being and mental health of employees, using resources in the most efficient way.
What advice would you give to young professionals and students who are inspired to be sustainable leaders?
I would advise them to come to the fourth edition of the forum ESG&FRIENDS 2025, to understand and be inspired!
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