Chair, ELNET-Germany

Hans Thomas Kessler is a commercial lawyer specializing in the real estate transactions and finance, as well as infrastructure projects. He has advised numerous real estate investors, owners, financial institutions, construction and engineering firms. Mr. Kessler has worked for several leading International law firms. He studied law and political science at the Universities of Frankfurt, Lausanne, Geneva and Strasbourg, earned the LL.M. at the London School of Economics and Political Science and was a Visiting Scholar at Georgetown University in Washington D.C.

CEO, ELNET-Germany

Carsten Ovens is the Executive Director of ELNET Germany since March 2019. With almost two decades of experience in politics, i.a. as a Member of the Hamburg State Parliament, he devoted his work to the German-Israeli relations with a focus on innovation and startups for many years. Beforehand, Carsten worked in business development and management consulting throughout Europe, as a lecturer on marketing and communications at several leading universities, and as a researcher on social media communication effects on politics and society.

Deputy Director, ELNET-Germany

Janika Bratvogel has been working in the field of foreign and security politics in Berlin, Washington D.C., and Bonn for over a decade and has extensive experience in bringing together high-level politicians and officials. She has been Deputy Director at ELNET-Germany since its founding in 2014. Prior to that, she worked on transatlantic security issues for the German Atlantic Association in Berlin and the Hanns-Seidel Foundation in Washington D.C. Janika earned her MA degree in North American Studies, Political Science, and Anglo-American History at the Universities of Bonn, Cologne, and Oviedo, Spain.

Program Manager, ELNET-Germany

Marius Strubenhoff has been involved in politics in Germany as well as the United Kingdom and has gained work experience with several German political organisations. He has particular expertise on German politics and history and specialised in the history of the Holocaust while working as a Lecturer at the University of Sheffield before joining ELNET. He has also worked with the British deradicalisation programme "Prevent" in relation to antisemitism and Holocaust denial. After reading history at the University of Cambridge and the London School of Economics and Political Science, Marius completed a PhD on Ralf Dahrendorf at Cambridge.

Program Manager of the GIHF-AI

Lea Ledwon has extensive experience in the German healthcare sector. Before joinig ELNET, she was responsible for the communication work of several clinics, she managed the office of the Freundeskreis der Charité e.V. She also lived in Israel for several years and worked at the Peres Center for Peace. She has a B.A. in Government, Diplomacy and Strategy from the Reichman University IDC Herzliya and a M.A. in Peace & Conflict Management Studies from the University of Haifa. At ELNET, she is the Program Manager of the German Israeli Health Forum for Artificial Intelligence (GIHF-AI).

Team Manager

Elisabeth Spiegel is Team Manager at ELNET-Germany and primarily responsible for financial accounting and controlling. She acts as the central contact for all ELNET offices as well as external partners and supports the strategic development of ELNET-Germany. Previously, she worked as a Customer Success Manager at a FinTech company and for several years as an office manager as well as in human resources. She holds a double bachelor degree BA/B.Sc. in Public Administration and European Studies as well as a M.A in Administrative Sciences.

Project Coordinator

Francesca Fassbender joined ELNET in August 2023 as a Project Coordinator for Foreign and Security Policy. She earned her undergraduate degree in Economics from Humboldt University Berlin and continued her academic journey with a Master's in Public Policy and Conflict Resolution in Tel Aviv. Francesca's professional background includes valuable experience in Israeli NGOs and Think Tanks, complemented by her extensive academic research. Her expertise lies in the dynamics of the Abraham Accords and the strategic application of environmental and economic cooperation for peacebuilding.

Project Coordinator

John-William Boer is Project Coordinator at ELNET-Germany. He focuses on foreign and security policy. Previously, he worked at the political communications agency 365 Sherpas, where he supported clients in the digital, health, and public sector. Boer also worked as a freelancer for the German magazine “International Politics”. He studied political science and economics in Lüneburg and completed a master’s degree in Politics and Contemporary History at King’s College London.

Project Coordinator

Linda-Charlotte Liedel has been working at ELNET in Berlin since January 2024 as a project coordinator in the area of ​​combating anti-Semitism. She completed her bachelor's degree in Psychology with a minor in Ethnicity, Migration, Rights cum laude from Harvard University in 2022. During her studies, she completed a semester abroad at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. After graduating, she worked for a year as a volunteer in an Israeli women's shelter and with Jewish seniors of German origin. She speaks Hebrew fluently and is enthusiastically learning Yiddish.

Program Manager

Sven Tobias Eck joined ELNET Germany in April 2024 as Program Manager for Partnerships and Organizational Development. Previously, he worked as a fundraising manager for several NGOs in the German cultural sector. He holds an M.A. in History and a B.A. in Ancillary and Basic Historical Sciences from the Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg. During his studies, he specialized in Jewish history, the history of European state-building and the preservation of cultural heritage.

Program Manager

Stefan Raguse has been the Program Manager at ELNET since July 2024, focusing on anti-Semitism and Jewish life. After a two-year stay in Israel, he studied Jewish and Arabic Studies, earning a Master's degree in Jewish Studies. His academic journey included international experiences, such as studies abroad in Sweden and Tel Aviv University. Prior to joining ELNET, Stefan worked at the Research and Information Center on Anti-Semitism (RIAS) and the Jewish Museum in Frankfurt am Main.