Dr Simona Neumann is CEO/ Executive Director for Timisoara 2021 – European Capital of Culture (Romania) since January 2013. She has successfully led the bidding process of the city of Timisoara during the multi-year competition among 14 Romanian cities for the European Capital of Culture title in 2021. Currently she is overseeing the implementation phase.

She has 20 years of professional experience in managing multi-stakeholder programmes in Romanian and international context in the fields of culture, education, public diplomacy, people-to-people contacts and development of civil society.

She worked at the European Commission in Brussels and on mission in Cyprus, at the Task Force Turkish Cypriot Community, in the sensitive context of Cyprus; at the United Nations Development Programme in Bucharest; at Veb Academia Europaea in Florence (Italy); at the Institute for International Education in Washington, DC (USA); at the West University of Timisoara; and at the Intercultural Institute of Timisoara.

She holds a Ph.D. in Public Diplomacy from the Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj (2011); an MA in European Affairs from the West University of Timisoara (2000); specialized in strategic management of non-profit organisations at Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government; and since 2016 she is an Aspen Leadership programme alumni.

simona.neumann@timisoara2021.ro

cell tel: +40.765.56.99.47