Nicola Lightner is the director of GMF’s strategic convening and operations. In this position, she is responsible for the conceptualization and implementation of GMF’s flagship event, Brussels Forum and the coordination of GMF convening activities across different offices and programs. In addition, she manages GMF’s Visiting and Resident Fellows Programs. Prior to joining the Strategic Convening team, Lightner served as the deputy director of GMF’s Economic Policy Program, where her work focused mainly on U.S.-EU trade policies. Lightner holds a master’s in education from the University of Dortmund, Germany, and has studied at the University of Leeds in England and the University of Virginia in the United States.