6th W@Competition Conference

The 6th edition of the W@Competition Annual Conference will explore the theme of competitiveness – a strategic priority that has been one of the key pillars underpinning EU policies pursued by the outgoing European Commission. The conference will explore which role this strategic priority has played for EU competition policy as well as the role that competition enforcement has played in supporting the strategic direction towards a more competitive Europe. 

09:30 Co-Chairs’ Welcome Remarks

• Evelina Kurgonaite, Founder & Chair, W@
• Ethel Fonseca, W@Competition Board Member

09:40 Is Bigger Always Better? Competitiveness & Merger Control

• Céline Darrigade, Head of Antitrust & Regulation, Thales
• Beatriz Sanz Fernández-Vega, Director – Competition, Telefónica
• Giuliana Galbiati, Adviser, Office of the President, French Autorité de la concurrence
• Strati Sakellariou-Witt, Partner, White & Case
• Carrie Holt, Corporate Development Director, Private Equity
• Kirsten Edwards-Warren, Co-Head of Compass Lexecon EMEA Practice (Chair)

11:00 Coffee Break

11:20 Innovative Economics of Contemporary Competition Enforcement

• Ana Sofia Rodrigues, Executive Board Member, Portuguese Autoridade da Concorrência 
• Jenny Haydock, Deputy Chief Economic Adviser, UK Competition and Markets Authority
• Elisabetta Iossa, Commissioner, Italian Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato
• Griet Jans, Chief Economist, Belgian Competition Authority
• Ethel Fonseca, Partner, RBB (Chair)

12:40 Lunch

14:00 Fireside Chat | Competition Enforcement & Competitiveness

• Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice President, European Commission
• Evelina Kurgonaite, Founder & Chair, W@Competition

14:45 The Perspective from the Helm: Navigating Towards Competitive Markets

• Sarah Cardell, CEO UK Competition and Markets Authority
• Natalie Harsdorf-Borsch, Director General, Austrian Bundeswettbewerbsbehörde
• Martijn Snoep, Chairman, the Netherlands Autoriteit Consument & Markt
• Iona McCall, W@CompetitionUK Executive Committee Member (Chair)

16:00 Double Espresso Talk | Is Green the New Black?

• Marceline Tournier, Global Head of Antitrust & Associate General Counsel EMENA, Nestlé
• Anna Lyle-Smythe, Partner, Slaughter & May

16:30 Coffee Break

16:50 Double Espresso Talk | Europe's Digital Agility: Under the DMA Sun

• Lucia Bonova, Head of Unit responsible for implementing and enforcing the DMA, European Commission's DG COMP
• Mette Alfter, Head of Brussels Office, Frontier Economics

17:20 Regulation, Industrial Strategy and Competitiveness – Getting the Balance Right

• Rita Wezenbeek, Director of Platforms Policy and Enforcement, European Commission’s DG CONNECT
• Marisa Tierno Centella, Director General for Competition, Spanish Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia
• Janine Dobelmann, Head of Government Affairs EU, NXP Semiconductors
• Fiona Carlin, Partner, Baker & McKenzie
• Nicole Robins, Partner, Oxera

18:35 Co-Chairs’ Closing Remarks & Drinks