5) Heritage Champions

Ole Rikard Høisæther is a seasoned leader in Norway’s arts, heritage, and publishing sectors, known for his extensive experience, diplomatic skills, and strong network across cultural, public, and media circles. With a PhD in Art History and Classical Archaeology from the University of Oslo, he combines a deep scholarly background with decades of practical leadership in high-impact roles.

Currently, Ole Rikard serves as General Manager of The Foundation Militærhospitalet at Grev Wedels Plass and Secretary General of The Oslo Society (Selskabet for Oslo Byes Vel), where he champions Oslo’s cultural legacy. His career also includes leadership roles at prestigious publishing houses, such as Head of Publishing at Cappelen Damm and CEO of Orfeus Publishing, where he managed large-scale projects including significant works on Norwegian art, cultural heritage, and biographies. His professional focus includes managing mergers, acquisitions, and high-profile publications like the Edvard Munch Catalogue Raisonné.

In 2026, he was appointed Chairman of the Foundation of the Museum for Design and Applied Arts, and he also chairs the Foundation of the Military Academy.

He is Chairman of Europa Nostra Norway and a Member of the Council of Europa Nostra.

He has held governing roles, such as Vice Chair of The Foundation of Edvard Munch’s Studio and Chair of the Norwegian Archaeological Association. Ole Rikard’s literary contributions include authoring over ten books on Norwegian art and history, alongside numerous articles in national publications.
His honours include being named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in London and receiving multiple awards from the Norwegian Non-fiction Writers and Translators Association.

Marine Mizandari has co-chaired and chaired the National Trust of Georgia since 2017. With 35 years of professional experience, her career spans scientific research, senior management, and heritage project implementation across Georgia and Europe.

She served as First Deputy Minister of Culture and Monument Protection of Georgia (2012–2014). Marine combines academic expertise with extensive policy experience to strengthen cultural heritage management and public engagement. She has designed and led numerous projects focused on cultural heritage and youth, and has conducted several advocacy campaigns to protect and promote Georgia’s cultural heritage sites and monuments.

Ettie Castenskiold is a Danish cultural heritage advocate and estate manager. She is Chairman of Europa Nostra Denmark and Musica Ficta Renaissance Ensemble. She serves on the boards of Sankt Petri Church and Vemmetofte Estate and works with the administration of 3 forest and agricultural properties.

Her professional involvement spans cultural, educational, and philanthropic organisations, with a focus on heritage preservation and community service. From 2003 to 2022, she was Chairman of the Grethe Foss Foundation for Nurses and has held board positions at Sankt Petri School and Herlufsholm School and Estate.

She holds a master’s degree in economics from Aarhus University and has international experience from an internship at the United Nations in New York and volunteer work in Berlin. She speaks Danish, English, and German.

Ines Francisco is an EU project management and cultural innovation professional specialising in European funding programmes, collaborative research initiatives and the application of innovation to cultural heritage. With extensive experience across Horizon Europe and Horizon 2020 projects, she combines expertise in grant writing, proposal development, consortium coordination and strategic implementation to support impactful European initiatives.

She has delivered 10 EU-funded projects and contributed to programmes supported by the European Commission, the United Nations and the Gates Foundation. Her experience spans work package leadership, cascade funding mechanisms (FSTP), stakeholder coordination and the management of complex projects involving academia, cultural institutions, industry partners and public-sector organisations.

Ines contributes to the European Collaborative Cloud for Cultural Heritage (ECCCH), supporting communication, dissemination, knowledge exchange and the development of synergies across European heritage innovation initiatives. Her work includes the implementation of use-case pilots, planning the validation of digital tools in real-world cultural heritage contexts, and developing training and capacity-building resources for heritage professionals and stakeholders.

Ines serves on the Selection Committee as a representative of young heritage professionals.

Agni Petridou–Skordi is an architect, urban planner and heritage conservation expert with extensive experience in the preservation, regeneration and sustainable management of historic urban environments. With a career spanning more than four decades, she has played a leading role in shaping heritage-led urban development in Cyprus, particularly through her work on the historic centre of Nicosia.

She studied architecture at the University of Florence . She holds a Specialization Diploma in the Conservation of Monuments and Sites from ICCROM and the University of Rome, as well as a Master’s degree in Town Planning from UWE Bristol. For 37 years, Agni worked for the Municipality of Nicosia, where she led the Nicosia Master Plan (NMP) and later served as Director of the Technical Services. Through the NMP bi-communal office, supported by international institutions, she contributed to the preservation and rehabilitation of the cultural heritage of the historic center of the divided city, developing significant expertise in large-scale conservation projects and urban regeneration as a peacebuilding process.

Throughout her career, Agni has coordinated and contributed to major urban heritage initiatives recognised internationally, including five projects awarded by Europa Nostra and the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2007. She also coordinated the Zaha Hadid project for Eleftheria Square, a landmark urban design intervention integrating contemporary architecture with the historic Venetian walls of Nicosia.

Agni serves as a Council Member of Europa Nostra, having previously been a member of its Scientific Council, and is actively involved in the Europa Nostra Heritage Hub in Nicosia. She has participated in international architectural award juries and carried out expert assessments for projects nominated for UNESCO World Heritage List consideration.

Lesia Voroniuk is the Founder of World Vyshyvanka Day, a renowned Ukrainian cultural curator, and has a Ph.D. in Political Science. An expert in Ukrainian cultural heritage and head of the NGO World Vyshyvanka Day, Lesia has implemented over 70 projects in Ukraine and abroad, including documentaries, books and art albums, exhibitions, workshops, fashion shows, diplomatic receptions, large-scale educational campaigns, festivals, and reconstruction initiatives.

She is a 2022 European Heritage Awards/Europa Nostra Awards laureate (winner in the category “Citizens Engagement & Awareness-raising” and the Public Choice Award).

Marc Wingens is a Dutch cultural historian, heritage strategist and cultural leader specialising in community-based heritage, heritage networks and the strengthening of cultural organisations. As Director of Erfgoed Gelderland (Heritage Gelderland), he has dedicated his career to supporting heritage institutions, promoting collaboration and enhancing the social value of cultural heritage.

He studied Cultural History at Utrecht University and obtained his PhD from Erasmus University Rotterdam in 1994. After holding academic and research positions, including at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, he became Director of the Foundation and Cooperative Erfgoed Gelderland in 2006. The organisation serves as both a consultancy and cooperative network for approximately 260 heritage organisations in the province of Gelderland, including museums, archives, historical societies, intangible heritage groups and organisations working with archaeology, monuments and cultural landscapes.

Through his leadership at Erfgoed Gelderland, Marc has supported volunteer-driven heritage organisations through advocacy, knowledge exchange, capacity building and collaborative projects. He has also contributed to national and international heritage cooperation, including Dutch-German Interreg initiatives and current work related to the Lower Germanic Limes, strengthening cross-border approaches to heritage preservation and interpretation.

Marc serves as a Council Member of Europa Nostra and contributes to numerous heritage boards and advisory bodies, including OPEN, the national organisation for provincial heritage institutions, and the heritage platform of Kunsten ’92. He has extensive experience in heritage evaluation and recognition programmes, having served as secretary of the Gelderse Roos Prize for heritage volunteers since 2017, as a jury member for the Brabant Heritage Award and as advisor to the Mondriaan Fund (2019–2022).

Together with his husband Rudolf Burggraaf, he is also committed to raising heritage awareness among students of Dutch UNESCO schools, fostering a new generation of heritage-minded citizens.