Maria Orejas-Chantelot is the Director of Policy & Programmes and a member of the Leadership Team at the European Foundation Centre. The EFC is a Brussels-based international platform representing over 200 institutional foundations and corporate funders with a focus on Europe and an eye towards improving the global philanthropic landscape. Maria has held senior positions at international associations for more than a decade. At the EFC she currently manages a team of 10 and leads policies and programmes helping to increase the impact of member foundations and institutional funders through networking, best practice sharing and the provision of expert input into EU public policy-making. Maria has designed and implemented programmes addressing a variety of pressing social needs and societal issues, from vulnerable populations such as disabled people or Roma to environmental issues and scientific research. Maria is currently Board Member of Social Economy Europe, the voice of social business in the EU, Member of the Steering Committee of Community Living for Europe: Structural Funds Watch and Advisory Board Member of Belgium Play 4 Peace, an award-winning NGO. Maria started her career as a practising lawyer and is a Member of Madrid’s Bar. She graduated with a Law degree from the University of Oviedo (Spain) and the University of Aberystwyth (UK) in 1997, and she completed post graduate studies in European business law at the University of Paris – Assas II (France) in 1999. She is fluent in French, English and Spanish.