Maria Helena de Felipe

Maria Helena de Felipe Lehtonen is a prominent expert in international business development, particularly focused on fostering economic ties across Europe and the Mediterranean region. With over two decades of experience, she has dedicated her career to promoting business internationalisation and building strategic commercial and institutional relationships. Her independent position enables her to offer objective guidance to companies seeking to expand internationally, especially into European and MENA markets.

Ms. de Felipe holds several key institutional roles. Since 2014, she has been the Vice-President of the Board of Foment del Treball, the Employers’ Federation of Catalonia, and, since 2022, she also serves as the President of its International Commission. She is a long-standing Board Member of the Spanish Confederation of Employers (CEOE) and serves as Vice-President of SMEunited, the European association representing 12 million small and medium-sized enterprises. At SMEunited, she also chairs the Social Affairs Committee.

At the European level, Maria Helena is a member of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), where she currently serves as Vice-President of External Relations. Her involvement includes work on the Fundamental Rights and Rule of Law Group, the Equality Group, the Micro and Small Enterprises Group, and the Euro-Mediterranean Follow-up Committee. She is also a member of the Economic and Social Labor Council of Catalonia (CTESC).

Throughout her career, Maria Helena has played a crucial role in facilitating agreements, saving time and resources for companies through her strategic mindset, extensive network, and passion for meaningful international cooperation.