ESTA 50th Anniversary Conference

Caroline de Gruyter is a journalist and lecturer based in Brussels. She is a European Affairs correspondent and columnist for the leading Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad and a regular contributor to Foreign Policy, EUobserver and De Standaard. She spent more than twenty years covering Europe, from different corners of the continent.

Between 2008 and 2013 she covered the euro crisis and European politics from Brussels. In 2013 she was awarded the prestigious Anne Vondeling Prize for her political reporting. The jury called her ,,exceptionally well-informed’’. In 2015 she received the Heldring Prize for best Dutch columnist. The jury found her weekly columns of ,,exceptional quality”. In 2016 she was awarded the Prix du Mérite Européen, and in 2017 the ‘EuroNederlander’ award.

Caroline has previously lived in the Gaza strip, Jerusalem, Brussels, Geneva, Vienna and Oslo. She also writes regular columns for Foreign Policy, EUobserver and De Standaard, and is a member of the European Council on Foreign Relations. She has written six books – all dealing, in one way or another, with globalization, democracy and the political quicksands of sovereignty. Book number five (March 2021) is a best-selling comparison between the EU and the Habsburg Empire.

Prof. Eleonora Bottani is Full Professor of Mechanical Industrial Systems at the University of Parma’s Department of Engineering for Industrial Systems and Technologies, a position she has held since 2019. She holds a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering and teaches logistics, supply chain management and automatic identification technologies. Her research focuses on logistics and supply chain management, and has been published in nearly 300 journals and conference papers. Since 2021, she has been included in Stanford University’s ranking of the world’s top 2% most-cited scientists. She is also Vice Director of the Future Technology Lab and Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Supply Chain and Inventory Management.

Dr. Laura Monferdini Laura Monferdini holds Bachelor’s, Master’s (cum laude) and PhD degrees in Management Engineering from the University of Parma. In 2026, she received her PhD in Industrial Engineering with the Doctor Europaeus distinction. She is currently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow and Adjunct Professor of Lean Management at the University of Parma. Her research focuses on industrial and management engineering, particularly logistics processes and green, resilient, agile and lean performance. She is the author of 46 scientific publications.

Andreas Kahl is an economist, entrepreneur and CEO of the KAHL Unternehmensgruppe. He combines entrepreneurial thinking with extensive practical experience in the heavy transport industry and is committed to its future development. His focus is on reliable framework conditions, safety, innovation and competitiveness, as well as on finding practical, collaborative solutions to the specific challenges facing heavy transport across Europe.

Margareta Przybyła is an EU affairs expert with over 20 years of experience across the European Parliament, diplomatic services and EU public affairs. She combines strong knowledge of EU legislative processes with practical experience in interinstitutional negotiations, stakeholder engagement, advocacy and wide network in Brussels. Since 2019 she is running her own advisory practice.

Stijn joined Sarens in 2007 as a planner for the Lattice Boom Cranes department, dispatching crawler cranes, riggers, and operators globally. He was Key Account Manager for Onshore Wind between 2012 and 2014, and was appointed Managing Director of the Sarens Business Unit in Belgium from 2014 through 2017. Since then, he has been a Global Key Account Manager for the Power markets. Stijn has served since 2017 as Board Member & Secretary of the prestigious ESTA, the European association of abnormal road transport and mobile cranes. He has also been President of the Belgian Crane Federation since 2018.

Aurora Garcia de Sandoval is a senior traffic technician with professional experience in European transport policy. She has extensive experience in road transport, road safety, digitalisation and enforcement, gained initially at the Spanish Road Traffic Administration and, more recently, as a Policy Officer at the European Commission, in DG MOVE. She is currently responsible for the revision of the Weights and Dimensions Directive.

The Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE) is responsible for developing mobility and transport policies within the European Union. DG MOVE aims to make the transport sector sustainable, efficient, safe, affordable, and accessible through innovation, clear regulations, and reliable funding.

Iffet Türken is President of ESTA’s Transport Section, a position she has held for three years, and an Executive Board Member of Kässbohrer – one of Europe’s largest semi-trailer producers. An alumna of the Executive Masters Programme at INSEAD business school in France, she also sits on the supervisory board of the German Automotive Industry Association (VDA) and is a Vice President of Turkey’s Heavy Commercial Vehicles Association (TAID). She is the first woman to be elected to one of ESTA’s most senior positions.

Blanca Claeyssens has built her career around safety, gaining experience in aviation, transport, and heavy lifting. A former airline captain, she moved into management, founding ASA France, helping organisations apply proven aviation safety practices to other high-risk industries. As an active member of ESTA’s Health, Safety and Environment Commission, she contributes her cross-sector expertise to strengthening safety culture and effective risk management.

Sebastian Steul serves as the Technology and Innovation Advisor for the VDMA Power Systems Division. After completing an apprenticeship as a mechatronics technician and subsequently earning a degree from Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences, the graduate electrical engineer (FH) began his professional career as a planning and project manager at a grid operator in Frankfurt before joining the VDMA in 2018.

In addition to advocating for the energy policy interests of the plant engineering sector, his core areas of focus include technical standardization, grid connection requirements, and the digitization of plants. As part of his work, he is a member of the VI-GST steering committee and represents the association on various boards, including the BDI, BSK, FNN, BMU, BMWK, DKE, and DIN.

Ludo Mous has been active in heavy transport for Mammoet since 1992. In his career as a project engineer, project manager, and operational director, he has contributed to numerous transport projects, critical loadouts, and world-record operations. He now oversees Mammoet’s global SPMT fleet, using his extensive expertise in transport operations, technology innovation, and training.

With 16 years of experience at Sarens, Peter Huygebaert is Engineering Manager of Sarens Projects. He holds a Master’s degree in Engineering with a minor in Naval Architecture and leads concept and detailed engineering for key projects, from early bid stages through execution. His responsibilities also include engineering standardization, competence management and contributing to the design and development of specialised equipment.

Alessandro Giordano is an experienced professional in the heavy transport industry, with over 25 years of experience at Cometto. His expertise combines product management, technical and commercial coordination, project development and customer relations. He is involved in the development of modular transport solutions and special vehicles, working closely with engineering teams, customers and international partners. His experience covers complex industrial projects, technical documentation, training and worldwide customer support.

Michael Flecker is General Manager Sales for crawler cranes at Liebherr in Nenzing and brings more than 20 years of international experience in the crane industry. He began his career with Liebherr in 2005 as a field service engineer and has remained closely connected to crawler cranes ever since. Over the course of his career, he has held various international positions, including several years as Customer Service Manager at Liebherr USA in Houston, where he played a key role in building and further developing the crawler crane business. Through close collaboration with customers, he gained valuable insights into market requirements and industry innovations and was directly involved in the introduction of the first battery-powered crawler cranes in 2020. Since 2022, he has been responsible for the global sales of Liebherr crawler cranes with lifting capacities of up to 400 tonnes, driving the development of modern lifting solutions worldwide.

Andrew Lloyd is Lead Engineer for Select Plant Hire crawler cranes & heavy lifting, part of Laing O’Rourke. He works with project teams to develop practical and cost-effective lifting strategies that support the safe and efficient delivery of complex construction projects.

Andrew has worked on a range of major UK projects including Hinkley Point C, Battersea Power Station, Canary Wharf developments and significant highway and bridge schemes. His work focuses on crane selection, lifting methodology and engineering assurance for complex lifting operations.

He is the author of the NOCN Crawler Crane Appointed Person Course and is actively involved in European and UK standards development, including EN 13000 and BS7121 British Standards relating to the safe use of cranes.

Klaus Meissner is one of Europe’s leading crane industry experts. A graduate in mechanical engineering, he led the Demag research and development team in Zweibruecken, Germany, and worked as Director, Product Safety Cranes responsible for all Terex Cranes products. He is also a former president of the FEM product group for mobile cranes – part of the European Materials Handling Federation. Today he runs his own consulting business and is part of the ESTA Management Team.

Hermen Kamp is a technical and asset management professional with extensive experience in heavy lifting, transport, and equipment lifecycle management. At Mammoet, he focuses on asset strategy, maintenance optimization, digitalization and operational excellence. Hermen combines technical expertise with business insight to improve equipment reliability, safety, performance, and long-term value across global operations.

Gerrit Van Hove is a technical expert with extensive experience in cranes, heavy lift and transport who has worked at Sarens for 30 years. Currently, he focuses on larger crane repair or renovation projects and supports the workshop manager and the global technical support team with his considerable and wide-ranging experience.

Joel Russell specialises in workforce solutions for the heavy lift, transport and crane industry. Working with many of Europe’s leading crane and heavy transport organisations, he supports the delivery of major infrastructure, energy and industrial projects by connecting businesses with specialist talent. His work provides a unique perspective on the labour market challenges affecting the sector, including skills shortages, workforce succession, talent attraction and retention. Joel is passionate about helping the industry develop sustainable workforce strategies and ensuring the next generation is equipped to support the future growth of heavy lifting and transport across Europe.

Davide Andreani, Managing Director of Europe Projects at Mammoet, has been with the company for over 30 years. During his career, he has developed extensive expertise in the heavy lifting and transport industry, combining strong operational knowledge with commercial leadership. He began his career in sales and has since held a wide range of senior roles, gaining international experience.

Mario Aguado has been connected to the family company since he was born, but officially joined in 2010, after completing his university degree. He also gained a PDG from IESE Business School in Madrid and in 2013, he launched the company’s Wind Division, starting as an onsite technician, learning how to manage Wind Farm installations. He was appointed Head of the Wind Division in 2016, and shares the responsibility of leading the company as Co-CEO alongside his brother Alberto. Today, AGUADO operates in 25 countries with more than 700 employees and a turnover of approximately €100 million euros.

Nadine Dereza is an award-winning journalist and experienced conference chair. She recently hosted a technology programme on CNBC and has presented for numerous other networks including the BBC and CNN. A former Financial Journalist of the Year, she has hosted and facilitated over 1,000 international conferences, panel discussions and live events, including the World Crane and Transport Summit.