Podcast Guests

Alba Mullen, our first podcast guest, is a Blue Book trainee with the European Commission. She studied studied Politics, Philosophy, Economics and Sociology at Trinity College Dublin and got her start working in Europe by securing an internship position in Bioenergy Europe. Having secured a communications assistant role with an organisation outside the institutions, she found her experience helped prepare her for the traineeship application process. She is now working in the cabinet of Mairead McGuinness, European Commissioner for Financial Stability, Financial Services, and the Capital Markets Union.

Noelle O’ Connell is the CEO of the European Movement Ireland and Vice President of the European Movement International. After graduating. she began working at an EU-funded business development programme. She has worked in the Press and Cultural Section of the Irish Embassy in Paris. She worked overseas for a few years, travelling across South East Asia and South America. In many of her roles, Noelle has developed Irish links with the EU’s institutions and promoted Irish people working in Europe.

Tom is a Communications Advisor at the European Commission. He first became engaged with EU and International affairs through his volunteer work during his undergraduate degree. After teaching English as a foreign language he did a Masters in International relations and secured a Stage in the communications department of an EU directorate. Tom has since worked as a social media specialist, a speechwriter, and in policy before coming to his current position at the European Commission.

Sally Ann studied Civil Law in NUI Galway and did a Masters in Public Policy at UCD before securing a place as a Schuman trainee in the European Parliament. She worked at the Directorate General for Finance in the MEP finance unit. After finishing her traineeship she became an assistant to then MEP Mairead McGuinness. She now works as an accredited parliamentary assistant to Deirdre Clune MEP.

James did his undergraduate degree in Modern History and Politics at Queen’s University Belfast. During his Masters in Political Lobbying and Public Affairs at the University of Ulster he gained an interest in EU politics and policy making. This inspired him to move to Brussels where he has worked as a Policy Coordinator for Eurocities and a Policy Officer for Employment and Social Affairs at the European Youth Forum. He is currently working as a Promotions Officer at EUROFOUND in Dublin.

Assita is a Member of the European Parliament for Belgium and is currently Vice-Chairperson of the Conservatives and Reformists Group. She was born, and grew up, in Burkina Faso before moving to the Netherlands to study journalism and later came to live in Brussels. She sits on the Civil Liberties, Justice, and Home Affairs, Foreign Affairs, and Security and Defence Committees. She is a women’s and human rights activist, and has spoken on issues such as responsible immigration policies and better integration of immigrants into European society.