- Managing Director
Gabriel RISSOLA brings to Telecentre-Europe 24 years of extensive international experience in digital inclusion projects.
With a long-lasting interest in the development of telecentres as engines of learning, empowerment and social change, Gabriel always looked for the opportunities to put technology at the service of people. After a decade devoted to the Internet industry (where he was an entrepreneur both in the online media and learning sub-industries) Gabriel started to run action-research projects with a policy perspective, becoming expert in fund-raising and project management of transnational initiatives, always around the topic of ICT for learning and empowerment.
One relevant result of that was the book “Suturing the Digital Gash” (2007) which opened the doors to a permanent collaboration with the European Commission culminated in his previous position as Senior Researcher at JRC-IPTS; that book (contemporary to the formation of Telecentre-Europe) was already claiming at that time for the recognition of telecentres as education and inclusion actors, and it opened the way to a set of projects to build capacities and resources for telecentre networks (Employability Toolkit, vocational training for e-Facilitators, intergenerational learning, impact measurement of eInclusion intermediaries interventions).
- Operations Manager
Laurentiu BUNESCU has been involved in the European telecentres movement since 2005.
He joined Telecentre-Europe as Project Manager in early 2008, and now oversees operations & focuses on supporting network members and developing a forward-looking strategy. He also manages a number of projects including the annual Get Online Week campaign and Telecentre-Europe’s annual Summits.
Before Telecentre-Europe, Laurentiu started one of the first telecentres in Romania, and became a facilitator and supporter of the Romanian national network of telecentres. With a strong background in the non-profit sector, Laurentiu’s early experience in Eastern European grassroots community development provides a major insight in understanding the network of community telecentres across the whole of Europe.
- Financial Officer
Peter PALVOLGYI is a former member of the Telecentre-Europe’s Board, stepping down from this role when he applied for a part-time staff position within the organization.
Peter has a solid background in administrative and financial issues related to telecentre networks.
He has been connected to telecentres since 2000, taking active part in the implementation of the Hungarian telecentre program.
From 2001 to 2002, then between 2004 and 2006 he was the Executive Director of the Telecottage Public Service Non-profit Company, a programme management body of the Hungarian Telecottage Association. Since 2005 Peter has been working as a Financial Manager and Executive Director for the non-profit organization called DemNet Foundation (Hungary), a Telecentre-Europe member organization.
