KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Dr. Petteri Taalas

Professor Petteri Taalas, a leading expert in climate change, disasters, and water management, currently serves as the Director General of the Finnish Meteorological Institute, a position he resumed on January 1, 2024. 

He holds a PhD in Meteorology from the University of Helsinki and has an extensive career in both scientific and leadership roles within atmospheric science. Previously, he completed an 8-year term as Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in Geneva, where he led significant reforms to modernize the organization's structure and enhance its global role in climate and disaster science. 

Professor Taalas is actively involved in various national and international organizations, including the Climate Core Group of the UN Secretary-General and the IPCC. His accolades include being named European of the Year in 2021, Ex-pat of the Year in 2019, and Friend of the UN in 2022, reflecting his impactful contributions to the field.

Dr. Steffen Thirstrup

Steffen Thirstrup is the Chief Medical Officer at the European Medicines Agency in Amsterdam, a position he has held since June 2022. He is a medical doctor and board-certified specialist in clinical pharmacology and therapeutics, holding a PhD in pharmacology. He has a strong background in clinical internal medicine, particularly adult respiratory medicine. 

In 2012, he was appointed adjunct professor in pharmacotherapy at the University of Copenhagen. From 2004 to 2009, Dr. Thirstrup served at the Danish Medicines Agency as the Danish member of the CHMP at the EMA and later as the Head of Division for Medicines Assessment and Clinical Trials. In March 2013, he joined NDA Group AB as a medical advisor and was appointed director of the Regulatory Advisory Board in 2014. 

Professor Thirstrup has authored over 40 scientific papers and co-edited a Danish pharmacology textbook. He divides his time between Amsterdam and Værløse, Denmark.