Bennett Caplan has served as the Head of Secretariat of FIVS and as the Executive Director of FIVS-Abridge since 2003. An attorney and government affairs specialist with extensive experience in public policy and regulatory matters regarding the alcohol beverage industry, Bennett was previously Senior Director of International and Government Affairs at Allied Domecq, Director of Policy Development at Seagram, and a partner at McDermott, Will & Emery. He has served as President of the Washington Foreign Law Society, as Vice President of the Washington Fletcher Alumni Association, and as a member of the board of directors of the International Wine Law Association. He has taught graduate-level courses on international trade policy at the University of Maryland and Syracuse University. Bennett is a graduate of Columbia University, the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and Boston College Law School.

Laura Gelezuinas is the Deputy Head of Secretariat of FIVS. Laura’s responsibilities include the management of FIVS’s Scientific and Technical Committee, Environmental and Economic Sustainability Working Groups, Fire Impact Subgroup and Codex Alimentarius Task Force. She has extensive expertise in international affairs and diplomacy, having previously worked at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) as Associate Programme Specialist. Laura has a Master’s in European Affairs from Sciences Po Paris and a Master’s in Political Science and Government from the London School of Economics, as well as a Diploma of European Wine Law from the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne. She is fluent in French, English, and Polish.

Karen Geronimo is the Office Manager of FIVS. Karen’s responsibilities include the management of FIVS’s Social Sustainability Working Group, the administration of the Federation, as well as communications. She has worked for ten years at UNESCO as Associate Project Officer with its Global Education Monitoring Report team and Education for Sustainable Development Section. She has solid expertise in project implementation and communication. Fluent in English, French, Spanish, Catalan, Italian, and Tagalog, Karen has a Master’s in English Language and Affairs from Université Paris-Sorbonne.