Maria is currently the Director of Operations at the Evens Foundation. Before joining the Evens Foundation, she was the Director of Policy & Programmes and a member of the Leadership Team at the European Foundation Centre. The EFC is a Brussels-based international platform representing over 300 institutional foundations and corporate funders focusing on Europe and an eye towards improving the global philanthropic landscape. She has held senior positions at international associations for more than a decade.

Maria is currently a Board Member of The Learning for Well-being Foundation and also of Social Economy Europe, the voice of social business in the EU. She is a member of the Steering Committee of Community Living for Europe: Structural Funds Watch created by the Lumos Foundation and Co-Chair of GAP, UN-Habitat III philanthropy group. She also dedicates time to help as an Advisory Board Member of Belgium Play 4 Peace and as a correspondent in Belgium for the Olbios Network.

Maria started her career as a practising lawyer and is a Member of Madrid’s Bar. She graduated with a Law degree from the University of Oviedo (Spain) and the University of Aberystwyth (UK) in 1997, and she completed post-graduate studies in European Affairs Law at the University of Paris – Assas II (France) in 1999.