Who We Are
The European Strategic Transitions & Reskilling Institute (ESTRI) ASBL is a permanent, Brussels‑based organisation dedicated to strengthening Europe’s capacity to manage structural transitions. We work at the intersection of education, labour markets, and mobility, building coordinated pathways that help young people, adults, and workers navigate change with fairness and opportunity.
Donald Cuñado. Head of Programmes
Donald has spent twenty years at the centre of European adult education and training - working directly with teachers, students, workers, and professional adults across three continents and multiple EU member states.
As Director of Programmes at institutions spanning the UK, Oman, Tanzania, and Belgium, he designed and delivered structured learning for over thirty international staff and thousands of adult learners - building academic programmes from scratch, leading multilingual professional development, and delivering European Commission-funded training to working practitioners across the EU27. His research at Vrije Universiteit Brussel and KU Leuven investigates how adults learn in online and cross-border environments.
At ESTRI ASBL, the teachers preparing the next workforce, the students navigating cross-border employment, and the workers making their first move across borders - these are the people Donald has worked with throughout his career. His experience designing and delivering EU-funded training programmes, combined with his own lived experience of labour mobility across four countries, anchors ESTRI's education and training pillar.
Ian Mears. Director of Operations & Industry Partnerships
Ian has spent over two decades managing cross-border operations across Europe coordinating logistics, transport, and supply chains for one of the continent's leading building materials companies across more than forty countries.
As Business Process Manager for Transport and Warehousing at a leading European building materials group operating across more than forty countries , he has worked directly with carriers, hauliers, employer networks, and operational teams across Italy, France, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Spain, the Netherlands, and the UK. He manages the practical realities of moving goods, people, and processes across borders in real time. His work sits at the intersection of employer needs, workforce coordination, and the operational complexity of pan-European business.
At ESTRI ASBL, he works with the employers struggling to find skilled workers across borders, sector bodies navigating workforce shortages, and industries that need practical solutions rather than policy documents. His experience managing complex cross-border operations anchors ESTRI's industry partnerships and operational delivery pillar.