Brussels, 27/07/2016 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 27 July, the European Commission reinforced its senior management team by appointing four deputy Directors General, who will take up their positions on 1 September 2016.
Charlina Vitcheva has been appointed deputy Director General of the Joint Research Centre (DG JRC); Ruxandra Draghia-Akli goes to DG Research and Innovation (DG RTD); Mario Campolargo will be deputy Director General in DG Informatics (DG DIGIT) and Carlos Alegria has been appointed to the Directorate General for Interpreting (DG SCIC).
Charlina Vitcheva, a Bulgarian national, joined the Commission in 2009 as Director within the Directorate General for Regional and Urban Policy. Vitcheva is currently a Director for DG 'smart and sustainable growth and southern Europe', where she oversees the management of EU funds in several member states of the EU.
Ruxandra Draghia-Akli of Romania also joined the Commission in 2009, to work at the Directorate General for Research and Innovation. She holds the post of Director for 'Health' within the DG for Research and Innovation.
Portugal's Mario Campolargo joined the Commission in 1990 after spending 12 years in research in the field of telecommunications. He currently holds the post of Director with responsibility for 'Future of Networks' within the Directorate General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG CONNECT).
Carlos Alegria, also of Portuguese nationality, has been with the Commission since 1985. He worked as an interpreter for eight and a half years before moving into a management position in the field of interpreting. He has been a Director within DG SCIC since 2004, has held responsibility for resources and support since 2011 and was acting Director General until Florika Fink Hooijer was appointed to the post of Director General in June 2016.
The Commission has also decided on the following appointments: Austria's Michaela Di Bucci as Director for Resources in its department for Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN); John F. Ryan of Ireland as Director for Public Health and Crisis Management in DG Health and Food Safety (SANTÉ); the German Marcel Haag to the position of Director for Policy Coordination; Italy's Enrico Forti as Director for Relations with other Institutions within the Secretariat General (SG). The date on which Di Bucci will move to her new role will be decided upon later. The three other positions will take effect on 1 September 2016. The Commission has also decided to reappoint Pablo Amor to the post of Director of the European Research Council Executive Agency (ERCEA) for a term of four years, to take effect on 1 August 2016. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)