Burnout in the Brussels Bubble: From Boundaries to Systemic Responsibility

Burnout in Brussels public affairs tends to get treated as a personal problem, something to manage through resilience and better coping. This event takes a different angle, looking at burnout as a systemic issue rooted in how work is designed, planned and executed.

Our speakers will explore client pressure and workload expectations, planning practices that reduce constant firefighting, professional boundaries as a genuine skill, and what it would take for the public affairs profession to set more sustainable standards.

The evening will combine a panellist discussion with an open Q&A, so please prepare your questions.

Our experts:

Olivya Canakci is a clinical psychologist and CBT psychotherapist with a special interest in workplace mental health, burnout prevention, and evidence-based psychological interventions.

Nicola Del Valle works for McDonald’s Corporation. He oversees McDonald’s relations with the European Union ecosystem and represents the company in Serving Europe, the American Chamber of Commerce, and the European Paper Packaging Alliance. Nicola is a Board member of SEAP.

Dr. Alan Hardacre is the co-founder of Advocacy Strategy. He works with large corporates, multinationals, and trade associations to build and transform the structures, processes, and workflows that make Public Affairs functions genuinely effective.

Shweta Kulkarni Van Biesen is the founder of A Better Brussels, a passion project exploring how we work, lead and build healthier workplace cultures in Europe’s policy capital. By day, she is a communications and public affairs strategist working at the intersection of policy, people and societal impact.

Moderator:

Dr. Kim Watts is Policy Director at AmCham EU. Kim is responsible for supporting and overseeing coordination on digital policy issues as well as leading on selected horizontal strategic policy priorities. She is a Board member of SEAP.

Register now on Eventbrite and join us for an engaging discussion, followed by a networking reception!