About us

Established in 1975, the European Consulting Company (ECCO) is a Brussels-based independent consultancy specialised in EU food policy and association management, providing services to corporate clients and trade associations in the food/food ingredient sector.

ECCO’s reputation is based on a highly professional, tailored service and long-standing relationships with our clients.

Whether you are a trade association in the food sector looking for value-added management services, or a food ingredient business seeking advice on the optimum regulatory approach to get a product to the market, ECCO has a solution to support your strategic goals.

ECCO team

The ECCO team is comprised of experts in food law, food science, nutrition, international trade, public affairs and communications.

Maryse Hervé

Co-owner & Managing Director

As co-owner and Managing Director, Maryse has helped build ECCO into the leading European consultancy specialised in food regulatory affairs and the management of associations in the food ingredient sector.

Since joining ECCO in 2004, Maryse has served the interests of a variety of trade associations and food companies, notably as Secretary General of a leading European umbrella association in the food ingredient sector. Maryse has advised clients on food ingredient regulations and food policy in Europe and has provided guidance on regulatory processes for technical developments in food science within the EU framework, including engagement with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Maryse was appointed to the European Commission’s stakeholder dialogue group in the areas of public health and consumer protection (2009-2013) and has served on the Executive Advisory Board of Vitafoods.

Having graduated as a food microbiologist engineer, Maryse started her career in the R&D department of a French food company developing innovative ingredients . Maryse then held various leadership roles in a number of companies in the food sector within the departments of marketing, communications and crisis management, before moving to the field of food regulatory affairs.

Frances Hunt-Wood

Co-owner & Managing Director

As co-owner and Managing Director, Frances has helped build ECCO into the leading European consultancy specialised in food regulatory affairs and the management of associations in the food ingredient sector.

Since joining ECCO in 2004, Frances has worked with senior leadership teams in the food and food ingredient sectors, providing advice on European food regulation and food policy as well as guidance on strategies to devise and deliver trade association goals, issues management plans and governance frameworks. Frances has served as Secretary General to a number of leading European and global trade associations in the food ingredient and food law sectors and has also been appointed to the boards of directors of professional associations within these fields.

Frances has a Bachelor’s Degree in Law and French (LLB) and a Master’s degree in European Public Affairs. She started her career in the public affairs team of a global food retailer where she was responsible for food and consumer policy and engagement with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

Laurent Reverdy

Senior Manager, EU Affairs

Laurent has over fifteen years’ government affairs experience. Previously, he worked for the European Commission in the framework of its evaluation policy and for the European Parliament at the Institutional Affairs Committee. He also completed a traineeship at the Internal Audit unit of Eurocontrol. Laurent provides EU advocacy and communications support to a range of clients in the fields of industry, trade, consumers and environment policies. He has experience in setting up & coordinating activity for industry trade associations and provides strategic counsel on their management & policy direction. After a Prep Course for HEC enrolment, Laurent mastered in Management and also holds a postgraduate degree in International Public Law from the University of Paris Panthéon-Assas. He is fluent in English, French (mother tongue) and has a good knowledge of Spanish & German.

Caroline Rey

Senior Manager, EU Affairs

Caroline first graduated from the Institute of Political Studies of Lille (“Sciences Po Lille”), where she specialised in EU affairs. She also holds a Master’s degree in European Politics from the “Institut d’Etudes Européennes” of the “Université Libre de Bruxelles”, with a specific focus on the EU’s food safety policy. Before joining ECCO, Caroline worked for three and a half years for a Public Affairs and Press Relations consultancy based in Brussels. Caroline’s working languages are French (mother tongue), English and Spanish. She is currently Secretary General for several industry associations in the food ingredients sector.

Petr Menšík

Senior Manager, Scientific and Regulatory Affairs

After completing an engineer’s degree in quality assurance and food technology from the Czech Agricultural University in Prague, Petr worked for several years at a large multi-national food and drink company in the fields of nutrition, consumer communication, regulatory affairs and quality assurance. Before joining ECCO, Petr also worked as an advisor and nutrition consultant to the food industry and educational institutions. He is currently Secretary General for two industry associations in the food ingredients sector. He is fluent in English and Czech (mother tongue), has a working knowledge of Slovak and basic knowledge of French.

Joanna Jaskólska

Senior Regulatory Affairs Manager

Joanna is currently the Secretary General of a European non-for profit association and the Regulatory Affairs Manager for an international food ingredient association and for a European food ingredient association. Before joining ECCO, Joanna held the position of Regulatory Affairs Associate at a well-known Belgian-based food company, having previously spent five years at a leading food law firm as a Regulatory Affairs Specialist advising both corporate and association clients in the area of EU food and drug law. With a Masters in European Studies with a special focus on European and International Law including Food Law, Joanna has an in-depth knowledge of the functioning of the EU and its decision-making process. She is fluent in English, German, Polish (mother tongue) and has a good knowledge of Spanish.

Laurent Oger

Senior Director

A seasoned EU professional with over 15 years of experience in trade associations in the food industry-related sectors in Brussels, Laurent joined the ECCO team in February 2024, where he is currently Director General of an international food ingredient association.

Before joining ECCO, Laurent was the Deputy Director General of the leading association for crop protection and plant biotech industry in Europe where he contributed to the strategic direction of the organisation, led regulatory and policy teams and delivered advocacy and stakeholder engagement programmes including relationship building with food chain partners, engagement with policy makers and regulators and media outreach. Prior to this last position, he also held a number of technical, regulatory and advocacy roles.

Laurent has a Bachelor’s degree in law and a Master’s degree in EU and agricultural law. He is fluent in English, French (mother tongue) and has a good knowledge of Spanish.

Marina Valverde

Senior Public Affairs Manager - Food Policy

Marina is Director for Policy & Public Affairs for a global association in the food ingredient sector. Before joining ECCO, Marina held a number of food policy and advocacy engagement roles within industry associations in Brussels, including leading a European confectionary association and several years as food policy advisor at a European retail association, where she was responsible for advocacy and stakeholder engagement and advising on the impact of EU food policy and regulation. Prior to that, Marina worked as a legal officer for the European Commission’s Legal Service, having started her professional career in a global public affairs consultancy. A Spanish national and fluent in English and French, Marina has an academic background in law, including a Masters in EU law.

Agnese Litti

Senior EU Food Regulatory Affairs Manager

Agnese is Secretary General of a European association and an international association in the food ingredient sector. Before joining ECCO, Agnese spent five years as a policy advisor at a European association in the agrifood sector in Brussels, engaging with EU institutions on matters of trade, agriculture, sustainability and EU food policy, as well as advising on the development of advocacy strategies. Previously, Agnese held a number of different roles in agrifood trade associations providing technical expertise and advising on EU regulatory framework and international standards related to agrifood. An Italian national and fluent in English and French, Agnese has an academic background in political science, EU law and business sustainability management.

Tsvetozara Dayarska

Senior Association Manager

Tsvetozara is currently Secretary General of a global trade association in the pet food sector. In addition to implementing the strategic objectives of the association and representing the organisation in meetings with stakeholders, she also supports the working group on trade. Tsvetozara is also Trade Manager for a European food ingredient association. Before joining ECCO, and having completed a traineeship at the European Commission in DG Agriculture and Rural Development, Tsvetozara worked for an association of traders in agricultural raw materials, with particular responsibilities for monitoring the good trading practices for safe and reliable food and feed supply. Tsvetozara has a Master in Agricultural Bioengineering (UCL, Belgium), a Master of Science in Rural Development and Agribusiness Engineering (Corvinus University, Budapest, Hungary) and a graduate degree in international economic relations (Plovdiv University, Bulgaria). She is fluent in French, English and Bulgarian (mother tongue)

Federica Femia

Senior Communications Manager

Federica studied political science and communications at the LUISS Guido Carli University in Rome then completed a Master in International Relations. Before joining ECCO, Federica worked as a Communications and Events Officer for two European trade associations in the energy sector, in Brussels. Federica is currently Senior Communications Manager for an international trade association in the food ingredient sector. She speaks fluent English, Italian (mother tongue), French.

Alessia Angiulli

Communications Manager

Alessia is an experienced EU communications professional, having spent several years leading the communications programme of the European association of the hospitality industry, including developing social media strategies and defining branding, digital and visual identity for the association to enhance visibility and engagement. She joined the ECCO team in February 2024, where she is currently the Communications Manager for several European and global food ingredient associations managed by ECCO. Alessia holds a Master’s degree in International Relations (Rome, Italy) and a Bachelor’s degree in literature and Linguistics . A native Italian speaker, she is also fluent in English and French.

Nicoleta Diaconu

Communications Associate

With a background in European Public Affairs and content creation for social media platforms, Nicoleta is an experienced communications professional, having spent the past three years as Communications Officer at the European Public Health Alliance, where her responsibilities included managing editorial output, public relations and media requests. She joined the ECCO team in April 2024 as Communications Associate, where she is currently supporting several European and global food ingredient associations managed by ECCO. Nicoleta has a degree in European studies, a Masters in European Public Affairs (Maastricht), and an MSc in Communications (Brussels). A native Romanian speaker, she is also fluent in English, Portuguese, and Spanish.

Francesco Pesce

Food Science & Regulatory Associate

Francesco joined ECCO as Food Science & Regulatory Associate in October 2023. Prior to joining ECCO, Francesco worked in the Food Ingredients and Packaging Unit of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), dealing with food enzymes and contributing to the development of the Food Enzyme Intake Model (FEIM). Previously, Francesco worked in the product development team of an Italian food company and in the research and development department of a global confectionery company. Francesco holds master’s degrees in Agriculture and Food Science and is fluent in English and Italian.

Maria Estebanez

Manager, ECCO Office, Finance & Administration

Having joined ECCO in 1985, Maria has several decades of experience in financial management and the administration of trade associations and has worked with a number of European and international trade association clients at ECCO. As Manager for the ECCO office, Maria oversees the financial and administration team and is also responsible for daily office management and supporting a smooth running of the company. Maria has a background in administration and is fluent in English, Spanish and French(mother tongue).

Diana Davidescu Buch

Senior Finance & Administration Officer

Diana Davidescu Buch has over twenty years of experience in administration and finance roles in various US and European companies. Having joined ECCO in 2022, Diana is Senior Finance & Administration Officer, responsible for managing the financial accounts of several associations managed by ECCO as well as providing administrative support. Diana holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics (Bucharest) and is fluent in English, French and Romanian (mother tongue).

Haido Sotiriou

Finance & Administration Officer

Haido has over ten years experience in financial and administrative roles in companies and associations in Belgium and Switzerland including the role of Treasury Coordinator within the financial team of the international football federation FIFA. Haido joined the ECCO team in March 2024 as Financial and Administration officer, where she is responsible for managing the accounts of several associations managed by ECCO as well as providing administrative support. Haido has a bachelor’s degree in French language and literature (Athens). She is fluent in English, French and Greek (mother tongue).