Open Markets Institute Announces Its Expansion in Europe
As part of a major expansion, Open Markets Institute Unveils Advisory Council and New Hires to Counter Corporate Concentration and Defend European Democracy
The Open Markets Institute is significantly expanding its European operations with new staff and the launch of a European Advisory Council, bringing together leading experts, technologists and former policymakers to defend fair markets and democratic accountability.
Members of the Advisory Council include former MEP Marietje Schaake – once described by the Wall Street Journal as Europe’s “most wired” politician – and Tommaso Valletti, former Chief Competition Economist at the European Commission.
“Open Markets' voice is urgently needed in Europe and I'm thrilled to be a part of this critical mission,” said Marietje Schaake. “AI is accelerating the concentration of power into the hands of unaccountable big tech companies that already dominate our markets and our politics. Together we need to wrest back control.”
The major expansion will be overseen by OMI Europe Director Max von Thun. "Big Tech and other monopolists are coordinating their lobbying, legal strategies and political influence campaigns across borders, and our movement to defend open markets and democratic accountability has to be international as well,” von Thun said. "Our expanded presence in Brussels will deliver strategic analysis and practical recommendations to policymakers and regulators, offering unique insight into both European and transatlantic dynamics."
New hires include Giorgos Verdi, who has joined as Policy & Advocacy Lead for Europe, with a focus on reinforcing Open Markets’ efforts to inform policy debates, shape legislative and enforcement initiatives, and rally a broad coalition of actors to support a fair, open and democratic European economy. George Colville has also taken on a new role in our European team as Policy Analyst, following a placement under the Talos Fellowship. OMI Executive Director Barry Lynn and Director of OMI’s Center for Journalism and Liberty, Courtney Radish, will continue to support OMI’s work in Europe.
The Members of the Council include:
Alan Riley – Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council & Visiting Professor, College of Europe
Alberto Alemanno – Jean Monnet Professor of European Union Law & Policy, HEC Paris
Marietje Schaake – Tech Policy Expert & Author, 'The Tech Coup'
Tommaso Valletti – Professor of Economics, Imperial College Business School
Georg Riekeles – Associate Director, European Policy Centre
Dr. K.J. (Kati) Cseres – Associate Professor of Law, University of Amsterdam & Co-Director, The Good Lobby Profs
Cori Crider – Executive Director, Future of Tech Institute
Robin Berjon – Principal, Supramundane Agency
Dr. Liza Lovdahl Gormsen – Director of the Competition Law Forum at the British Institute of International and Comparative Law
José Ignacio Torreblanca – Professor, UNED University & Distinguished Policy Fellow, European Council on Foreign Relations