EHMC 2026 | Opening Ceremony

Health systems across Europe are facing profound transformation driven by demographic change, technological advances, environmental pressures and evolving societal expectations. Ensuring that health systems remain resilient, equitable and sustainable requires more than strategic vision. It requires the capacity to translate long-term priorities into concrete action within organisations, regions and national systems. Health management therefore plays a critical role in navigating complexity and enabling system transformation. Leaders across policy, healthcare organisations and education systems are increasingly called upon to connect long-term strategic priorities with practical implementation, ensuring that reforms translate into tangible improvements in care delivery, workforce capacity and system performance. This discussion brings together perspectives from health workforce research, European policy and regional governance to explore how strategies can be effectively implemented across different levels of the health system. Particular attention is given to the role of leadership, workforce development, governance and cross-sector collaboration in translating policy ambitions into operational change. By examining both strategic frameworks and real-world implementation experiences, the discussion highlights how health managers can strengthen system resilience and adaptability, ensuring that European health systems are prepared for the challenges and opportunities of a rapidly changing world. Speakers Antoni Peris-Grao, MD, President, European Health Management Association (EHMA); CEO, Consorci Castelldefels Agents de Salut (CASAP), Spain Prof Dr Franz Heukamp, Dean, IESE Business School, Spain Ms Elena Puigdevall, Deputy Secretary, La Unió; CEO, Fundació Aspace Catalunya, Spain Ms Laure Yvenou, Head of Public Affairs, Sanofi, Spain Mr Jordi Vilana, Director General for Health Professionals, Department of Health, Generalitat de Catalunya, Spain Ms Marta Villanueva Cendán, Councillor for Health, People with Disabilities and Strategy against Loneliness, Barcelona City Council, Spain Master of Ceremonies Ms Federica Margheri, Executive Director, European Health Management Association (EHMA), Belgium Visit the conference website: https://ehmaconference.org/ Become an EHMA member: https://ehma.org/join-us/ Sign up for our newsletter: http://bit.ly/EHMA_newsletter Follow EHMA on X (Twitter) : https://x.com/EHMAinfo Follow us on LinkedIn:   / the-european-health-management-association...   #healthmanagement #healthsystem #innovativehealthcare