Nicole Clobes

Consultant – WAPES

Mrs. Nicole Clobes has been a consultant with the World Association of Public Employment Services in Brussels since 2023, following her secondment from the German Federal Public Employment Agency. In her role at WAPES, she focuses on crucial advocacy efforts, including promoting the ratification of ILO Convention 88, which underscores the ongoing partnership between WAPES and the International Labour Organization in improving global employment standards. Nicole’s career in public employment services began in 2016, where she initially counselled diverse customer groups and managed a team of placement officers and employer advisors. Her professional journey also included a position within the EU Representation of the German Federal Employment Agency in Belgium. Educationally, Nicole holds a bachelor’s degree in Communication and a master’s degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology, complemented by her background in early childhood education. This diverse educational foundation supports her broad expertise in her current advisory role.

Denis Pennel

Managing Director·World Employment Confederation

Managing Director of the World Employment Confederation since 2005, Denis Pennel is a well-respected analyst of labour market at European and global level. Work futurist and author of several books (including “The Ego Revolution at Work”), he is regularly invited to act as speaker and lecturer for forums, hearings or conferences. He has been ranked as one of the Top 100 most influential HR professionals at global level. As a former Corporate Communications Director of Manpower France (1998-2005), Denis Pennel brings to the World Employment Confederation broad knowledge and experience in the employment sector. Born in 1966, he graduated from the French Institute of Political Studies (“Sciences Po Paris”) and subsequently started his career in Paris in 1989 within the Communication Group BDDP/TBWA as PR manager. In 1991, he moved to London to work as a consultant for Financial Dynamics, one of the largest communications consultancies in the UK. In 1993, he came back to Paris to join the accounting and consulting firm Deloitte, as Head of Information and was recruited five years later by Manpower.

Charles Cameron

Chief Executive Officer – RCSA

With 25 years’ of experience in the workforce solutions industry, Charles experience spans across labour law, economics, public policy, advocacy, risk management and professional standards. Before commencing as CEO for RCSA Australia & New Zealand, in 2016, Charles was a consulting partner in Australia’s largest dedicated workplace consulting and law firm. Prior to this, Charles ran his own consulting firm, worked within a recruitment and staffing firm and, prior to that, was a consultant with the Australian Industry Group, Australia’s most influential industry association. In addition to his successful professional services career Charles founded a tech start up in 2006, which continues to successfully service the staffing market, and beyond, today. As CEO of RCSA Australia & New Zealand, Charles has proudly led numerous campaigns to promote and protect the staffing market, which has relied upon his extensive stakeholder management skills. Charles has also significantly increased the commercial success of RCSA by ensuring strong advocacy, compelling member services and unwavering good governance. Charles is the current Vice President of The World Employment Confederation and a very proud advocate of how labour market intermediaries deliver incredible value to people, communities and economies. Charles holds a Bachelor of Economics and a Graduate Diploma in Labour Law. Born in regional Victoria, Charles lives in Melbourne and can be found running, playing cricket and listening to soul music.

Laura Spangenberg

Program Manager – ABU

Program manager labour market ABU, working with specialized private employment agencies to bring people with a distance to the labour market to work through public-private cooperation, skilling and sustainable employability. Has been working for ABU for almost 25 years, part of de WEC family since 2007. Large network. Strong background in Legal (Collective Labour Agreements), negotiations with unions, developing quality label.

Niels Lieman

Head of International Relations – UWV

Niels Lieman is a versatile professional with extensive experience in the fields of hotel management, employment services and pensions. He studied hotel management in Amsterdam, online marketing in Den Bosch, and change management in Groningen. Niels started his career at the Pulitzer Hotel in Amsterdam, then transitioned to counselling in a private employment service, where he worked from 2007 to 2009 as a consultant for Start People. For the past 14 years, he has been with the Dutch Public Employment Service, UWV, holding various roles in employer services, online service development, HR, objection and appeal departments and the division of social medical affairs. Additionally, Niels has taken on ancillary positions as Secretary General and Chair of the Audit Finance and Risk Commission for the UWV Pension Fund. Since 2020, Niels has been responsible for international relations, where he eagerly learns from other countries’ practices to enhance employment services.

His commitment to making a positive impact, combined with his leadership and financial expertise within the UWV Pension Fund, drives his contributions to both the public and private sectors.

Anna-Karin Palm Olsson

Technical Specialist – ILO

Anna-Karin Palm Olsson has been at the ILO for since 2022 working as a Technical Specialist on Labour market services. Her work include capacity building country support, promotion of International Labour standards within employment services such as Convention 88 and Convention 181 as well as a range of other tasks. She comes from Arbetsförmedlingen (Swedish Public Employment Services) where she worked for over 17 years mostly as an Operations Controller of international affairs including EU commitments and international development cooperation. She has worked with the free movement of workers within the EU and mobility of workers globally. Anna-Karin holds a Masters Degree in International Legal Sciences, specializing in European Union Law and Human Rights. She believes that employment is the strongest poverty reductor we have today and in an inherent right for all persons to move freely across borders.

Thierry Huort

Consultant – WAPES

Thierry HUORT has been seconded by France Travail to WAPES since January 2020. For more than 40 years within the French public employment service, he has held various positions ranging from employment advice to management, including project management at different levels (local, regional, national). Since 1997, he has also been very active in the field of international cooperation, again on behalf of France Travail. In this capacity, he has worked in various countries and regions, including Albania, Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, New Caledonia and Morocco; These experiences in these different contexts have enabled him to develop knowledge and practical skills in the different areas of organisation and intervention of public employment services. Born in Algeria, he lived in Côte d’Ivoire until the age of 18. After initial technical studies (electronics), and resuming his studies on the job, he holds a university degree in education sciences (DUPHA ‘Human Potential and Learning’).

Sofía Lisboa

Departamento de Emprego – Instituto do Emprego e Formaçao Profissional

Ms Sofia Lisboa has degree in Sociology of Work, specializing in Personnel Planning, from the Higher Institute of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Lisbon (1998), she has built a solid career in public employment services. Since 2018, she has been part of the employment department team at the Central Services of the Portuguese Public Employment Service (PES). Currently working in both internal and external (international relations) areas.
From 2016 to 2018, she served as the coordinator of the Employment Market Unit at the Lisbon Employment and Training Center. Prior to that, between 2012 and 2016, she worked as a Senior Employment Officer at the Directorate of Employment and Vocational Training Services in the Lisbon and Tagus Valley Regional Delegation, where her responsibilities included providing internal training, and supporting employment centers in the Lisbon region.
From 2000 to 2012, she held various roles at a local employment center, initially focusing on employment programs and application processing, and later on job offer analysis and management.
Before joining the public employment service, she worked as a trainer in a health-focused IT company from 1997 to 1999.
Enjoys communicating, learning, and collaborating to add value.