Aftercare Forum Seville
Speakers 2025.
We are excited that so many experts will take the stage in our Aftercare Forum 2025 in Seville
Laith Altimime
SEMI Europe
KEY NOTE SPEAKER
As President of SEMI Europe, Laith Altimime leads SEMI’s activities in Europe and the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). Altimime has P&L responsibility as well as ownership of all Europe region programs and events, including SEMICON Europa. He is responsible for establishing industry Standards, advocacy, community development, expositions, and programs. He provides support and services to SEMI members worldwide that have supply chain interests in Europe. He manages and nurtures relationships with SEMI members in the region and globally as well as with local association and constituents in industry, government, and academia.
Altimime has more than 30 years of international experience in the semiconductor industry. Prior to joining SEMI in 2015, he held senior leadership positions at NEC, KLA-Tencor, Infineon, Qimonda and Imec.
Altimime holds an MSc from Heriot-Watt University, Scotland.
Carolina Arriagada Peters
Cities & Collaboration
fdiCampus
CONVENER
Carolina Arriagada Peters is the main convener of the Aftercare Forum.
A prior FDI practitioner attracting investment to London, she is a senior FDI consultant who advises Investment Promotion Agencies across the world on how to leverage trade and investment as drivers for economic growth, with a focus on sustainable investment. She is the Managing Director of Cities & Collaboration where she works with many international organisations such as the IADB, UNDP, IFC, World Bank and UNIDO. She is the lead co-author of the only book about Aftercare titled “Investment Aftercare Explained, A Guide for FDI Practitioners and Policymakers on How to Grow and Retain Investors;” content which she shares in courses, workshops and executive coaching via the online portal fdiCampus. She is a recognized Aftercare thought leader and a driving force when it comes to advancing the frontiers of Aftercare at a global scale. In addition, she brings over a decade of working with the impact sector, mentoring impact makers.
Michael Charlton
Sure Summit Solutions
Michael Charlton was until October 2021, Managing Director & Chief Investment Officer at the UK Department for International Trade, responsible for promoting the UK and attracting foreign direct investment (FDI). Prior to that he was the CEO of Think London, the Investment Promotion Agency for London. Michael now runs a boutique advisory firm specialising in helping companies expand and invest internationally, together with advising governments and Investment Promotion Agencies on promoting their jurisdiction and attracting and retaining FDI. In addition, he is a Senior Advisor for FDI with a leading global management consultancy firm, sits on the advisory panel supporting the portfolio companies funded by Oxford Science Enterprises, and is a member of the international network of one of the world’s leading global strategic advisory and corporate intelligence firms.
Michael is a Chartered Accountant having trained with KPMG and was also Director-General, Trade & Investment at the British Embassy in Beijing, China,
Elena Gallego Cañabate
Andalucia TRADE
HOST Seville 2025
Elena Gallego Cañabate is the Head of Invest in Andalucía within the Regional Agency for Transformation &Economic Development of Andalusia (TRADE). She developed her professional career in the field of international trade and investment. Prior to this, she worked for the Economy and Trade Office of the Spanish Embassies in Chile, South Africa and Mozambique, supporting exports and investments by Spanish companies in those countries.
Elena is a member of the Aftercare Forum 2025’s Organising Committee.
Marc Sanderson
Malaga Open for Business
Partner Forum 2025
Marc Sanderson is Advisor to the Mayor of Malaga for City Promotion & Investment Attraction, and the first Director of the Malaga Open For Business office since joining the City of Malaga in 2009. His responsibilities are to attract foreign direct investments, promote Malaga as a business and technology hub, assist companies arriving, connect the international business community, and support overall economic development. He was the Chief of Staff to the Ambassador at the U.S. Embassy in Madrid. He worked for the Department of Homeland Security in Washington, D.C. Began career in Dallas with Deloitte Consulting.
Marc is a member of the Aftercare Forum 2025’s Organising Committee and a partner of this year’s Forum.
Elisa Garcia Grande
ICEX
Partner Forum 2025
Elisa Garcia Grande is the Executive Director of Invest in Spain. Elisa is a state economist and has served as a senior civil servant with the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness since 1992. She has been on many international missions for Spain.
In December 2010, she was appointed Head of the Export Initiation Programs and Training Division at ICEX, the Spanish Trade and Investment Promotion Agency, where she developed programs to facilitate the internationalization of small and medium-sized companies.
In 2013, she was appointed General Director of ICEX, a position she held until 2015, when she moved to Washington D.C. and took up her position as the Head of the Economic and Commercial Office at the Spanish Embassy in Washington, D.C. After five years in Washington, D.C., in September 2019 she was appointed Project Manager at ICEX-Invest in Spain, and in September 2020 she was promoted to Executive Director at Invest in Spain.
Elisa is a member of the Aftercare Forum 2025’s Organising Committee and a partner of this year’s Forum.
Margarina González
ICEX
Partner Forum 2025
Margarita González is responsible for Aftercare services at ICEX-Invest in Spain, the Spanish Investment Promotion Agency. She holds a degree in International Economics from the Complutense University of Madrid and completed PhD courses at the same university.
Among other additional studies, she has a Master’s Degree in Marketing from ESADE Business School. In 2016, she was awarded the Officer’s Cross of the Order of the Civil Merit, which recognizes the merits acquired by public administration personnel. She has over 25 years of experience collaborating with different industries and companies in their international expansion.
Margarita joined the Organising Committee and is a partner of this year’s Forum.
Mariëlle Balk
Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA)
Marielle Balk has been with the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA) for over 12 years, specializing in aftercare. After earning her degree in European Studies in 1997, she began her career at a training institute affiliated with the Dutch employers’ association VNO-NCW. She later helped Dutch companies expand into the American market and engage with the United Nations while working at the Dutch Consulate in New York (2000-2003). Upon returning to the Netherlands, she held various coordinating roles at the Netherlands Enterprise Agency in The Hague.
Marielle currently leads the Investor Relations program for the Invest in Holland network. Since its launch in 2006, this initiative has facilitated visits to foreign companies operating in the Netherlands and their parent organizations, with the goal of strengthening their ties to the Dutch business ecosystem. Collaboration within the Invest in Holland network is essential, as is gathering and analyzing insights on the business climate and stakeholder dynamics.
A hands-on professional, Marielle leverages her extensive business and government network to continuously enhance the Investor Relations program.
Yago Aranda-Larrey
World Bank Group
Yago Aranda-Larrey is a Private Sector Specialist at the World Bank Group, based in Washington, D.C. He focuses on Investment Policy and Promotion within the Finance, Competitiveness, and Investment Global Practice. Since joining the World Bank in 2014, Yago has worked on foreign direct investment (FDI) related issues in over 40 countries, assisting national and subnational governments and their investment promotion agencies (IPAs) in their efforts to attract and retain FDI.
Before joining the World Bank, Yago served as an Investment Advisor for ICEX, the Spanish agency for trade and investment, at the Economic and Commercial Office in New Delhi, India. He brings extensive experience in providing advisory services to both private and public stakeholders.
Yago holds an MBA from CECO (Centro de Estudios Económicos y Comerciales), Spain, and a degree in Business and Economics from Madrid Complutense University, Spain.
Filippo Giabbani
Invest in Tuscany
Host Florence 2024
Filippo Giabbani has been active in foreign direct investment (FDI) and trade promotion for more than 20 years. He is the Executive Director of Invest in Tuscany, a network of public partners promoted by the Region of Tuscany in collaboration with local municipalities whose aim is to promote Tuscany as a key investment destination. He has extensive expertise in international trade and investment policy, both on the strategic and operational levels. Filippo previously spent 14 years with Toscana Promozione, the Tuscan regional government agency entrusted with the promotion of trade, business opportunities and industrial co-operation between Tuscan and foreign companies. During his time in Toscana Promozione, Filippo assisted many companies in developing export and international marketing strategies. Filippo holds a BA (Hons, 1st Class) in Political Science and International Relations from the LUISS-Guido Carli University in Rome, a Master in International Trade from ITA, the Italian Trade Agency, and an Executive MBA from Bologna Business School – University of Bologna.
Filippo is a member of the Aftercare Forum 2025’s Organising Committee.
Marco Perrone
Invest in Tuscany
Host Florence 2024
With a Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Florence, Marco Perrone has worked for more than 10 years in technology transfer and internationalisation for Tuscan high-tech companies. He joined Invest in Tuscany in 2016 to promote the region as an ideal business destination for technology-based foreign companies in a number of target countries. Since 2022 his daily focus has been to contribute to a longer and more prosperous stay for already established foreign companies, to help them solve their needs and to encourage a deeper connection with the local production and innovation ecosystem.
Marco Perrone is also a member of the Aftercare Forum 2025’s Organising Committee.
Lucía García Callealta
Lee Hecht Harrison (LHH)
Lucía García Callealta is Director of Territorial Reindustrialization and Revitalization, LHH Spain. Sheis an engineer with extensive professional experience in reindustrialization projects, foreign investment attraction, M&A, and economic development. She has over 25 years of experience in consulting, where she has led teams and worked for clients across nearly all sectors of activity, primarily in restructuring and reindustrialization processes with high social impact.
Currently, she serves as the Director of Reindustrialization at LHH and is responsible for the success of recent projects for Ardo Foods, Danone, Endesa, Siemens Gamesa, Mahle, and Vesuvius, which have generated significant investments and new employment opportunities in areas beyond major industrial hubs.
Andres García
SIFDI
Andrés García is Managing Partner at Sifdi, a consulting firm specialized in foreign investment advisory services. Previously, as Technology Director and Head of Investor Services at Invest in Spain, he managed ICT investments and technological developments. His career includes roles as technology consultant at IBM, IT head at the Spanish Commercial Office in Düsseldorf, and a position at the University of Valladolid’s International Relations Office. A Telecommunications Engineer from the University of Valladolid, he completed his final year at Dresden’s Institute of Biomedical Technologies.
María Rosa Rotondo
Political Intelligence
María Rosa Rotondo is the Managing Partner of Political Intelligence Spain and Portugal. She founded and led the Spanish Association of Institutional Relations Professionals (2007-2024) and the Public Affairs Community of Europe (2018-2024). With over 21 years of experience in strategic consulting and lobbying, she has advised leading multinationals. María Rosa holds a law degree and an LL.M in European Law from the University of Leiden. She is a strong advocate for transparency, equality, work-life balance, and the circular economy. She speaks Spanish, English, and French.
José Luis Romo
MexStrategy
José Luis Romo is the Founder and CEO of MexStrategy LLC, a consultancy focused on attracting global investment to Mexico. With a presence in over 30 countries and involvement in the establishment of nearly 500 international companies, he has advised global corporations and organizations such as the OECD on FDI strategy and ecosystem development. His expertise lies in transforming traditional aftercare into proactive, intelligence-driven partnerships that bolster investor resilience and ecosystem sustainability. Romo bridges public and private sector perspectives to help investors navigate uncertainty. He holds degrees from Harvard (MPP), Warwick (MSc Economics), and ITAM (BA Economics).
Daniel Swanko
Shipshape.vc
Daniel Sawko is the CEO and co-founder of Shipshape, a free-to-use investment search engine that connects emerging technology companies with targeted capital sources. Companies using the search engine also provide information on international expansion plans.
Before launching the start-up, Daniel built his expertise through senior roles in Fintech and Financial Services Management Consulting in London.
Ivi Anne Buce
Highly accomplished senior executive with over 20 years of experience in strategic leadership, operational excellence, and business development. With advanced degrees in economics, business administration, and law, Ivi Anne Buce has a proven track record in driving foreign direct investment, managing large-scale projects, and optimizing business processes.
Currently a freelance business consultant, she specializes in capital allocation, crisis management, and providing strategic insights to enterprises in the Baltics, Europe, and beyond. Leveraging her extensive managerial experience and a robust network of contacts in governmental institutions, investment agencies, and the private sector, her consultancy services are designed to help clients identify high-potential opportunities, enhance efficiency, and achieve sustainable growth.
Ivi Anne is also a member of the Aftercare Forum 2025’s Organising Committee.
Dhaval Gore
Shipshape.vc
Dhaval Gore is a seasoned investment professional with extensive experience in fostering global business connections. As Director of FDI Partnerships at Shipshape, Dhaval helps Investment Promotion Agencies leverage AI-powered insights to attract investment and support domestic companies in their international growth journeys. Formerly leading investment and business development initiatives at public and private organisations, Dhaval has a strong track record of facilitating impactful cross-border partnerships. Passionate about strengthening economic ecosystems, Dhaval’s expertise empowers IPAs to build strategic connections that drive innovation and regional growth.
You will also have the opportunity to mingle with other members of the Organising Committee
Anne Have Kjærholm
Copenhagen Capacity
Anne Have Kjærholm has been with Copenhagen Capacity for 25 years and has since 2008 been working within the field of aftercare. She holds a Master of Business Laws and Economics from Copenhagen Business School and has gained experience within sales, marketing and management from her years in the tech industry back in the ’90es where she worked for NCR/AT&T
Anne has built up the structure for working with the foreign-owned companies in the Greater Copenhagen Region and is an expert in assisting the companies in building a strong and convincing business case to attract more business units like regional functions, R&D, production, CoE, Innovations hubs etc.
Anne is a practitioner and make use of her extensive business network to reach out to the CEOs of the companies and thereby inspire them to take the discussion with HQ to expand their footprint in Denmark. Over the years Anne has assisted more than 80 companies in expanding their presence in Denmark.
Anne Have Kjærholm is also a member of the Aftercare Forum 2024’s Organising Committee.
Romain Erny
Choose Paris Region
Host Paris 2023
Romain Erny leads the Business Sectors and Aftercare team at Choose Paris Region. He has over 15+ years of experience advising companies looking to expand and plug into the regional ecosystem. He specializes in growth strategy, go-to-market and public-private partnerships.
Before joining Choose Paris Region, Romain worked in an economic development agency of Eastern France and the Ministry of Economy, Science and Innovation of Quebec, Canada.
He holds a master’s degree in marketing from Grenoble IAE Graduate School of Management.
Romain regularly participates in conferences about the future of transportation, innovation, entrepreneurship and French business practices.
Romain Erny is also a member of the Aftercare Forum 2025’s Organising Committee.
Vanessa Gibson
CINDE
Vanessa Gibson has worked at CINDE Costa Rica for over 20 years; she started out as an economics researcher, three years later she assumed the position of manager for the Services Sector. Since 2009, she has led l the Aftercare area and is now the Investment Climate Director managing the strategy of competitiveness of Costa Rica for the attraction of foreign direct investment.
Vanessa is an Economist and holds her licentiate degree in Economics and a Master’s in Development Program and Project Evaluation from the University of Costa Rica, where she graduated in 2006.
Prior to her time at CINDE, she worked at the Central Bank of Costa Rica as an economic assistant to the Agricultural Economics Department.
Vanessa Gibson is also a member of the Aftercare Forum 2025’s Organising Committee.
We are thankful for everybody who contributes to making this year’s forum an unparallel gathering centered in growing FDI Aftercare.
