PRESIDENT
ADHD liitto ry  
Finland

Nina Hovén is the Executive Director for the ADHD Finland located in Vantaa, Kuopio, Jyväskylä and Oulu. She is an occupational therapist,she has been studying also marketing and selling. Her last degree is Master of Health Promotion. Nina has been working in this organization nearly 11 years. These11 years in ADHD Organization in Finland has been successful. The organization has strengthened its position thru this11 year in the Finnish society a lot.

Earlier Nina has been working some years with elderly people, several years with child protection and she has also a long experience of human resource management and rehabilitation.

Nina thinks that it´s very import to raise awareness and better understanding of adhd. One good way to do this is to create places where we share information and support health professionals and public service who work with adhd people. Better understanding and management of adhd also improve quality of life. Together we make the change!

Nina is married and has 3 children and 6 grandchildren.

CONTACT DETAILS
Email: nina.hoven@adhdeurope.eu

VICE PRESIDENT
ADHD Samtökin 🇮🇸

Hrannar Björn Arnarsson is the Executive Director for the Icelandic ADHD Association – the only ADHD organisation in Iceland, consisting of 3000 members out of population of 350.000. He is also chairman of the board in the Nordic Association and a member of the board in the Nordic ADHD group, Nordic Associations Network and The Icelandic Network of National Civil Society Associations.

Earlier, Hrannar worked as Secretary-General for a parliamentary group in the Nordic council,  as an personal and political advisor to the PM of Iceland and as a member of the City Counsel of Reykjavík, so he has great experience in public and political field, both in Iceland, the Nordic countries and in Europe.

Hrannar have also, for over twenty years worked as managing director for his own sales and marketing company and as director of sales and marketing for some of the biggest media and publishing companies in Iceland.

Hrannar is married and has four children, at least one of them with ADHD.

CONTACT DETAILS
Email: hrannar.arnasson@adhdeurope.eu

SECRETARY
ADHD Hellas 

Christina Georgiadou is President and co-founder of ADHD Hellas located in Greece, Athens. Christina joined the movement to raise awareness for ADHD after her sons were diagnosed. She has been a member of the ADHD Hellas board since 2009, its’ General Secretary since 2010, and President since 2015.

Along with other board members, she organises several awareness events and activities for spreading the knowledge on ADHD to individuals with ADHD and their parents, school teachers of primary and secondary education and mental health care personnel in Greece.

She joined ADHD Europe in 2012 with the mission of providing a strong and united patient voice and put the patients with chronic diseases at the centre of Greek and European Union healthcare policy and programmes.

Christina has also completed the Patient Expert Training Course of EUPATI. She sees partnering with patients, their families and advocacy groups essential to improving the quality, safety and sustainability of healthcare.

CONTACT DETAILS
Email: secretary@adhdeurope.eu

TREASURER
United Kingdom 

Sharon O’Dell is the parent of children with ADHD and ASD – They are both adults now and have children of their own. She is diagnosed as ADHD. 

Sharon has built the excellent reputation of ADHD Lincs Charity to what it is today and supporting families at hundreds of school, children’s services and paediatric meetings.

 She has delivered creative and meaningful sessions for children, families, parents and adults with ADHD and have organised family activities and outward-bound weekends for families. 

She has made change in Lincolnshire by sitting on several boards including Parent Carer Council, Lincoln Disability Forum, Carers Work streams, NHS Stakeholders meetings and Children’s services work streams.

She has created effective training content and have prepared engaging, useful course resources and materials, enhancing participant understanding and competence.

She has delivered training to diverse audiences of parents/carers, individuals with ADHD, schools, police officers and PCSO’s, prison officers, teachers, social workers, council staff and many other professionals. 

 She has partnered with schools, social service agencies and healthcare providers on individual support plans and has led individual, family, and group sessions to explore concerns and build positive interventions and coping skills.

BOARD MEMBER
In My World

Silvana Markovska-Simoska, Professor, MD, PhD, Child and adolescent psychiatrist, Skopje, North Macedonia. 

She is a Full Professor at the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Head of Laboratory of Neurophysiology. Her research interests are focused in the field of QEEG, Cognitive Event Related Potentials (ERPs), brain mapping, biofeedback and neurofeedback applications in many psychiatric disorders, especially ADHD. Implementation of neuromarkers in the clinical context to evaluate brain function and information flow, and use of neuromodulation techniques in clinical practice are her main professional goals. She has been a team member in several international projects related to these topics and she has published more than 140 peer reviewed papers in the international and national journals and conferences proceedings.

She also has Neuroscience Visiting Chairs at European University and International Balkan University in Skopje. She is also a clinical consultant at Center for applied neuroscience “BrainARC – Skopje”.

She serves in several International boards and scientific societies. Currently, she is a board member of ADHD Europe.

See here for a list of publications 

BOARD MEMBER
FEAADAH

Vicente Pineda is currently employed as a data engineer at Amazon in Barcelona (Spain). He holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from the University of Granada and the University of Edinburgh. Since 2015, he has been actively involved in working, volunteering, and collaborating with various NGOs across Europe.

He has served as a member of the board at the ADHD Association of Granada, Ampachico, since 2019. Additionally, he has been working with the Inclusion Department of the University of Granada since 2017, delivering workshops and lectures to university staff and professors on inclusion and accessibility, with a focus on ADHD.

Furthermore, he has collaborated with Fundación ONCE since 2016, participating in their events and sharing his expertise on inclusion and ADHD in various workshops, roundtables, and congresses.

In his professional career, he has been dedicated to promoting inclusion from the outset. At his previous company, Glovo, he co-founded the Employee Resource Group (ERG) called Abilities, aimed at providing support to people with special needs and disabilities across the company. At Amazon, he is part of the ERG People with Disabilities (PWD) and serves as a mentor for students with ADHD while organizing events to raise awareness about ADHD.

At the European level, he has collaborated with the AP University of Antwerp (Belgium) on a project funded by the EU, encouraging individuals with special needs and disabilities to participate in international exchange programs such as Erasmus. He has also acted as a role model in a program organized by the Italian government department for Erasmus and international education in Florence (Italy), representing the community of people with special needs and disabilities as an example of best practices in promoting international inclusive education across Europe.

BOARD MEMBER
AIFA Onlus

I am presently vice-president for the Italian non-profit ADHD organization, AIFA Aps – Associazione Italiana Famiglie ADHD, although since 2015 I am also the representative in the Ligurian Region where I live.

I also work in Monaco – Principalty of Montecarlo – as a part-time executive assistant for a company which organizes events including really for prestige brand cars.

I decided to reach out to Aifa Aps when I found out my eldest son, who is now eighteen years old, had ADHD. At that time, I wondered why parents couldn’t find an immediate answer to such a problem and above all this why other children before him didn’t get the diagnosis: it seemed ADHD was a unknown Deficit.

AIFA Aps members from other Italian regions gave me a lot of information at that time. I had the chance to attend a lot of conferences all around Italy and meet experts. By the time I began to organize national and regional events to disseminate awarness about ADHD.

Nowadays I can count on a regional network with governmental contacts including Health System Executives and Political decision makers. I am part of the main institutional committees for health promotion and prevention diseases and the importance of my Organization has grown also thanks to my commitment over the years.

Parents of Adhd children and diagnosed adults can count on our help-line and support team.

BOARD MEMBER
ADD-ADHD Cyprus

Marina Georgiou has completed a BSc in Economics, from University of Cyprus and an MSc in Real Estates, from the Neapolis University, in Cyprus. She has a teenage daughter who was diagnosed with ADHD.  In 2018 she became an active member of the ADHD Cyprus, where she is involved in the support of parents concerning their children’s rights in education, organization of educational seminars for parents and teachers and in the general running of the organization. Moreover, for the past 2 years she has participated in the reformation of the special education law in Cyprus and the improvement of procedures for the inclusion in schools in Cyprus.  Lastly, she participated in a group advocating for government funds to be allocated for the reimbursement of the therapy costs for ADHD children, which was achieved.  From May 2021 until today, is the President of ADHD Cyprus Organisation.

BOARD MEMBER

ADHD liitto ry  🇫🇮
Finland

Nina Hovén is the Executive Director for the ADHD Finland located in Vantaa, Kuopio, Jyväskylä and Oulu. She is an occupational therapist,she has been studying also marketing and selling. Her last degree is Master of Health Promotion. Nina has been working in this organization nearly 11 years. These11 years in ADHD Organization in Finland has been successful. The organization has strengthened its position thru this11 year in the Finnish society a lot.

Earlier Nina has been working some years with elderly people, several years with child protection and she has also a long experience of human resource management and rehabilitation.

Nina thinks that it´s very import to raise awareness and better understanding of adhd. One good way to do this is to create places where we share information and support health professionals and public service who work with adhd people. Better understanding and management of adhd also improve quality of life. Together we make the change!

Nina is married and has 3 children and 6 grandchildren.

CONTACT DETAILS
Email: nina.hoven@adhdeurope.eu

Updated 17 April 2023

BOARD MEMBER
ADHD samtökin 🇮🇸

Hrannar Björn Arnarsson is the Executive Director for the Icelandic ADHD Association – the only ADHD organisation in Iceland, consisting of 3000 members out of population of 350.000. He is also chairman of the board in the Nordic Association and a member of the board in the Nordic ADHD group, Nordic Associations Network and The Icelandic Network of National Civil Society Associations.

Earlier, Hrannar worked as Secretary-General for a parliamentary group in the Nordic council,  as an personal and political advisor to the PM of Iceland and as a member of the City Counsel of Reykjavík, so he has great experience in public and political field, both in Iceland, the Nordic countries and in Europe.

Hrannar have also, for over twenty years worked as managing director for his own sales and marketing company and as director of sales and marketing for some of the biggest media and publishing companies in Iceland.

Hrannar is married and has four children, at least one of them with ADHD.

CONTACT DETAILS
Email: hrannar.arnasson@adhdeurope.eu

SECRETARY
ADHD Hellas 🇬🇷

Christina Georgiadou is President and co-founder of ADHD Hellas located in Greece, Athens. Christina joined the movement to raise awareness for ADHD after her sons were diagnosed. She has been a member of the ADHD Hellas board since 2009, its’ General Secretary since 2010, and President since 2015.

Along with other board members, she organises several awareness events and activities for spreading the knowledge on ADHD to individuals with ADHD and their parents, school teachers of primary and secondary education and mental health care personnel in Greece.

She joined ADHD Europe in 2012 with the mission of providing a strong and united patient voice and put the patients with chronic diseases at the centre of Greek and European Union healthcare policy and programmes.

Christina has also completed the Patient Expert Training Course of EUPATI. She sees partnering with patients, their families and advocacy groups essential to improving the quality, safety and sustainability of healthcare.

CONTACT DETAILS
Email: secretary@adhdeurope.eu

TREASURER
ADHD, ASC & LD Belgium 🇧🇪

Born in South Africa, lived in France for 7 years, and now in Belgium since 2017. I am mother of mother/carer of an adult son who lives with ADHD, diagnosed at age 7, as well as having a young toddler.

My passion lies in

– advocating for the rights of people living with ADHD

– empowering individuals living with ADHD, especially the undiagnosed women

– creating global awareness of ADHD for all genders

I volunteer my time

– supporting people living with ADHD by sharing experiences of what it is like to have ADHD

– giving presentations share information and to reduce the stigma and discrimination that exists today

– mobilizing countries with best practices and sharing experiences to help those who need access to diagnosis/treatment of ADHD

– attending high-level meetings with European stakeholders within these groups (Brain Health, Mental Health, Neurology), also including European Parliament, Research Consortia, World Health Organization to communicate the work we do and the work that still needs to be done with the aim of a better quality of life for people

My hope is to create more of a media buzz (newspapers, TV, radio, webinars, social media etc) with society to come together as ‘one voice’ to raising awareness, have the education tools/information and to advocate for better quality of life.

As Treasurer of ADHD Europe, I have professional experience with debtors, creditors, budgets and following through with administrative tasks related to the role. I have 14 year’s high level executive administration experience, and was a business owner in France for five years. I have contributed to the growth of ADHD Europe and shall continue to offer support to the Executive board for ADHD Europe’s aims & objectives.  I am a member of the ADHD Awareness and Communications working groups for ADHD Europe.

Since 2017, I am the Secretary General of ADHD, ASC & LD Belgium, one of ADHD advocacy groups for people with ADHD, parents, teachers and their families in Belgium. We provide support, and education for ADHD and many neurodiverse conditions. We are actively involved in advocating for the patient’s voice at the European capital of Europe in Brussels with various awareness and activity events for the dissemination of knowledge about ADHD. I gave my first patient testimonial on World Brain Day (WBD) on 22 July 2019 talking about ADHD.  We organised WBD in partnership with EFNA, and the European Brain Council.  For WBD on 22 July 2020, our organisation hosted the event focusing on brain and mental health, with many endorsements from organisations on European level. I look forward to working with the Board to help professionalise lobbying for ADHD Europe at European Parliament and within the EU.

I am currently actively working on the ADHD and Women project.  This project between ADHS (Deutschland) and ADHD, ASC & LD Belgium was awarded a grant by the European Federation of Neurological Associations www.adhd-women.eu

I am a mother of two boys, of which my oldest, was diagnosed in 2007 with ADHD in South Africa where diagnosis, treatment and educational support knowledge contributes to the advocacy and awareness efforts that is much needed for ADHD in Europe.

CONTACT DETAILS
Email: chantel.fouche@adhdeurope.eu

BOARD MEMBER
ADHD Malta 🇲🇹

Carola Stivala, (maiden name Falzon), was born in Malta however raised and educated in the Netherlands. She completed her Master of Arts Degree in Anthropology at the University of Amsterdam in 1999. Her specialisation was in “sustainable economic development and non-governmental organisations” in Latin-America. Her publication “Veldwerk in uitvoering” (IBSN: 90-5260-007-4) was published in 2001, and used in 6 Dutch universities for the last 10 years during the preparation for research study module.

Carola is married and has two teenage children, a Labrador dog, two cats and a bird.

In 2013, whilst living in Malta, Carola became involved with the local voluntary organisation, ADHD Malta, when she found that her son and other family members were diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and dyslexia. To raise awareness and combat stigma about ADHD, Carola became active as honorary secretary of the group: writing funding proposals and executing projects, organising educational seminars for educators and parental skills courses for parents, introducing the national accredited course:  “the ‘ADHD adult coaching approach’ in 2017, updating the website and publications and organising the monthly meetings for the group members, together with the committee.

Carola Stivala has joined the board of ADHD-Europe to help combat stigma and improve treatment options for any individual with ADHD within the EU, irrespective of age and their country of origin.

CONTACT DETAILS
Email: carola.stivala@adhdeurope.eu

Due to real life committments, Rubén  stepped down from the board. 

I am presently vice-president for the Italian non-profit ADHD organization, AIFA Aps – Associazione Italiana Famiglie ADHD, although since 2015 I am also the representative in the Ligurian Region where I live.

I also work in Monaco – Principalty of Montecarlo – as a part-time executive assistant for a company which organizes events including really for prestige brand cars.

I decided to reach out to Aifa Aps when I found out my eldest son, who is now eighteen years old, had ADHD. At that time, I wondered why parents couldn’t find an immediate answer to such a problem and above all this why other children before him didn’t get the diagnosis: it seemed ADHD was a unknown Deficit.

AIFA Aps members from other Italian regions gave me a lot of information at that time. I had the chance to attend a lot of conferences all around Italy and meet experts. By the time I began to organize national and regional events to disseminate awarness about ADHD.

Nowadays I can count on a regional network with governmental contacts including Health System Executives and Political decision makers. I am part of the main institutional committees for health promotion and prevention diseases and the importance of my Organization has grown also thanks to my commitment over the years.

Parents of Adhd children and diagnosed adults can count on our help-line and support team.