Irena Kregar Šegota, Director for Development and Strategic Partnerships at “Rijeka 2020”, the Agency responsible for the implementation of the “Rijeka European Capital of Culture” project, is a cultural manager with expertise in international relations, project management and cultural policies. Her previous professional experiences include the position of the executive coordinator and international relations manager for “Rijeka ECOC 2020” bid, as well as the position of the senior advisor for international cooperation in culture at the Rijeka City Hall. She also worked for the Rijeka City Puppet Theatre as coordinator of Rijeka International Puppet Festival and for the Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Diplomatic Mission to the UN in Geneva). She was the president of the “Alliance Française” in Rijeka from 2003 to 2018 and is the vice-president of the European cultural network “Les Rencontres – LIKE” since 2015.