Working closely together in the daily management of the EIT, the EIT Management Team consists of the EIT Director and the Heads of the following Operations and Units at the EIT:
EIT Director
Administration Unit
Operations 1 - Knowledge and Innovation Communities
Adam Rottenbacher is the Head of Operations, Knowledge and Innovation Communities at the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). He is in charge of managing the operational activities of the EIT and overseeing its core business units in order to achieve the objectives of the EIT. He also supports the EIT Governing Board in their strategic decision-making and supervision role, and he deputises the EIT Director in his absence. He works for the EIT since 2012, first as Finance Officer and then as Head of Director’s Office as from 2015.
Before joining the EIT, Adam worked as a Financial Auditor in the European Commission at the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy, where he was responsible for the audit and financial control of EU-funded operational programmes aimed at regional development and capacity building in several EU Member States. While working for the European Commission, he gained 7 years of experience in the field of EU finances and grant management as well as an in-depth knowledge of the functioning of EU institutions.
Prior to becoming an EU official, Adam worked in the private sector in corporate banking as a Project Finance Manager and in one of the Big Four firms as auditor. He has almost 20 years of experience implementing EU innovation and regional policies as well as hands-on experience in public and private sector finances and auditing.
Adam holds an MSc in Business Administration/Finance from Corvinus University in Budapest and he is a qualified member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants in the UK.
Supervision and Monitoring Unit
Dávid Tas is the Head of Supervision and Monitoring Unit at the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), leading the strategic supervision and monitoring of Knowledge Innovation Communities (KICs) in order to achieve the objectives laid down in the EIT’s Strategic Innovation Agenda, and support the EIT Governing Board and EIT Director in decision making. He joined the EIT in 2012 as Finance Officer, then became Head of Grant Assurance Section until being appointed Head of Unit in 2019, overseeing grant implementation, operational processes and simplifications in interactions with the Knowledge and Innovation Communities.
Dávid began his career in the private sector as an Auditor at one of the Big Four firms, working on assignments at different clients in various business sectors. Prior to joining the EIT, he had 10 years of experience managing projects funded by the EU and other international organisations. Firstly, he worked as an Auditor in DG Agriculture and Rural Development at the European Commission, verifying compliance of expenditure with EU legislation and sound financial management in the Member States. Afterwards, he worked in different functions, among others, Head of Finance at the Financial Mechanism Office (part of the European Free Trade Association) in Brussels, developing operational processes and overseeing projects funded by the EEA and Norway Grants, a multi-billion euro programme supporting different policy areas and a large variety of public and private stakeholders.
Dávid holds an MSc in Business Administration from Corvinus University in Budapest and qualified as a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants in the UK.
Grant Implementation Unit
Alessandra is the Head of the Grant Implementation Unit at the European Institute of Innovation and Technology. Her main responsibilities cover the management and coordination of the grant implementation and assurance, operational processes and programme simplifications in collaboration with the Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs). She joined EIT in 2024.
Alessandra started her career in the non-profit sector, by managing EU projects for international NGOs, initially in the field of development cooperation.
Her passion for environmental issues led her to work for an intergovernmental organisation in Hungary, as well as in the Interreg programmes Southeast-Europe and Danube, where she was responsible for the monitoring of the performance of the supported environmental projects.
She led the Interreg Danube programme as Head of Joint Secretariat for six years, where she was responsible for the programme implementation of over 270 million EUR of ERDF, IPA II and ENI funds. She was also responsible for the compliant achievement of the programme objectives by launching calls, selecting projects, monitoring their results and ensuring the correct verification of the related expenditures. This led her to acquire extensive experience in European structural and investment funds (ESIF).
Alessandra entered the EIT KIC community as Head of the Programme Office of a KIC (EIT Urban Mobility), where she actively contributed to create operational processes, procedures and synergic approaches.
Alessandra holds a master’s degree in development cooperation and EU project management from the University La Sapienza of Rome.
Operations 2 - Innovation, Education and Communication
Ilaria manages the units in charge of Innovation, Education, and Communication at the seat of the EIT in Budapest.
She began her career at Whirlpool Corporation, where she held different managerial positions in Customer Service and Marketing and led the EMEA Innovation Team. She then worked as Head of Business Development and Grants Management for an Engineering Consulting firm, building her experience in European Grants strategies and submissions, with proven successes.
She was then Senior Partner at Great Product Ventures Inc, a US based venture development firm. Ilaria is a Startup’s business developer, mentor, and advisor and has put together an extensive network of relations with major crowdfunding entities, VC players, Accelerators & Incubators, and many valuable startups at international level.
In the last 10 years, Ilaria is also a Lecturer at LIUC University (Italy), teaching Innovation Management at the Faculty of Economics and Innovation & Industrial Design at the Faculty of Engineering.
Ilaria holds an Msc in Economics from Università Cattolica di Milano.
Innovation Ecosystem Unit
Dr. Márton Herczeg is the Head of the Innovation Ecosystem Unit at the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). In this role, he leads strategic initiatives and actions that strengthen the impact of the EIT Innovation Ecosystem. His unit focuses on innovation, business creation, and entrepreneurial education, and also manages the EIT Regional Innovation Schemes and Global Outreach programmes.
Márton joined the EIT in 2016 to manage the partnership between EIT Headquarters and EIT RawMaterials. In 2018, he became Head of the Strategy and Impact Unit, providing strategic advice and support to the EIT Director in relation to the EIT Governing Board. He assumed his current position in 2022.
Prior to joining the EIT, he gained over 15 years of experience advising EU and national policymakers on sustainable resource management, eco-innovation, resource efficiency, and productivity. He also spent eight years as a university lecturer in environmental management, economics, and sustainable resource management.
Márton served for more than eight years as Head of EU and International Consulting at the Copenhagen Resource Institute (now part of NIRAS Gruppen A/S), where he led teams delivering strategic planning and policy solutions for major clients, including the European Commission.
He began his career as a researcher and lecturer at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME), where he also managed projects for non-governmental and private organisations.
Márton has authored or co-authored more than 70 publications, including analytical papers, policy reports, research studies, books, and journal articles. He holds an MSc in Bioengineering and a PhD in Economics and Management from BME.
Communication & Engagement Unit
Caroline is the Acting Head of Communication & Engagement Unit at the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) since January 2023. With 15 years’ experience in corporate communications, she oversees public affairs and public relations, managing the EIT’s engagement with its stakeholders and all external communications. Before this, she was Head of the Communications Section at the EIT, leading the Institute’s corporate communications and responsible for the organisation’s media, social media and web presence.
Caroline began her career in the private sector with stints in the banking sector and in the fast-moving consumer goods industry. Prior to joining the EIT, she worked at the European Commission in various roles.
Caroline holds a MSc in International Marketing from the University of Strathclyde Business School and a BSc in International Business and German from the University of Warwick.
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