
Meet the team
Just as we believe it’s important for us to know who you are and how you appreciate everything we do here, we also believe it’s important for you to know who we are and how we do things.
Here you’ll learn about the people behind expatsHaarlem. We have the really important ones, several writers to fill up all that web space and a small team of very enthusiastic event organizers.
Is there anything you’d like to know about expatsHaarlem or one of the team members? Let us know via our contact form or contact us directly using the contact methods listed in our profiles.
Once you take the time to find out what we’re all about, we’re confident you’ll like what you see. So here goes:
Managers
AriannaPublisher / Community / Marketing Manager at expatsHaarlem Arianna was born in Rome, Italy and grew up mostly in Florence. When she was 18 years old she came to the Netherlands, where she remained till today. Arianna likes to make trips, discover Haarlem, taste good food, meet internationals and share experiences. Currently she is living with her hubby and 3 toddlers in one of the cutest little neighborhoods of Haarlem, de Vijfhoek. Latest posts by Arianna (see all)
|
Katie JoyJewellery Designer at Uniquely You Jewellery Katie Joy was born and raised in London and now lives in Haarlem with her partner and their two cats. Katie Joy runs her own handmade jewelry business from home and is the Editor in Chief for ExpatsHaarlem. She enjoys exploring Haarlem, trying new places to eat and drink and likes to immerse herself in the Dutch lifestyle. Latest posts by Katie Joy (see all)
|
Writers and Vloggers
Fiona McGeeverEditor in Chief at expatsHaarlem Fiona McGeever is originally from Mayo in the west of Ireland, she has spent the last few years living and working in the UK as a print and broadcast journalist. In September she moved to lovely Haarlem with her partner and now it is very much her home! Fiona is a huge foodie and in her spare time you are most likely to find her in one of Haarlem’s many restaurants or reading a book and enjoying a glass of red along the Spaarne. Latest posts by Fiona McGeever (see all)
Anikó Alma SzörényiI am a 28-year-old gamification professional from Budapest, Hungary with a passion for writing! As a child, my family and I have been moving around due to my father's job and since then I love to travel, to meet new people and to explore new places. My all time dream as a teenager was to become an investigative journalist, so I did my diploma in journalism. Even though my professional life has taken me to different paths after university, I never gave up on writing. I have a blog and I have been working for a Hungarian art magazine as well. Besides writing and traveling I am very much into culinary arts. I love to cook and experiment with new things. Latest posts by Anikó Alma Szörényi (see all)
Vivian ChionaFounder and director at Expat Nest Vivian Chiona, founder and director of Expat Nest, is a psychologist specialized in both Child & Adolescent Psychology and Health Psychology. As a bi-cultural, multilingual expat with family all over the world, she is familiar with the blessings and challenges of a mobile life and offers quality professional assistance to clients with expat-specific challenges. Latest posts by Vivian Chiona (see all)
Gala Lázaro MurWriter at Notes By Gala Blogger at notesbygala.com and first-time mum, I love sharing my experiences with other parents and writing about it. I was born in Madrid, the city I love the most. After a short period in London, I moved to the Netherlands, where I have been living with my husband for several years. An avid reader, traveler, writer and art lover, my curious spirit is always searching for something to learn. Master’s Degree in Art History and Publishing, I worked in a National Museum for several years and I started my own Publishing House in Spain. Last years I worked as Content Manager for a Marketing company in Amsterdam. After becoming a mum I decided to follow my passion and start my own blog. Notes by Gala is a Spanish and English travel and maternity blog, where I share tips with mums/dads and world explorers. Don´t miss it if you are visiting Madrid! Latest posts by Gala Lázaro Mur (see all)
Anna BilenkaAnna is a freelance writer/copywriter from Ukraine. Anna is passionate about writing and reading, she gives workshops in writing techniques and hosts a book club every first Sunday of the month. She can't live without good salsa dance, open and independent people to talk to, an enjoyable book to read and tasty wine to drink. Follow her on: Blog Latest posts by Anna Bilenka (see all)
|
Rachel SmetsBreakthrough Coach, 2xTEDx speaker, Author, YouTuber, Online course creator and Culture Trainer. at RachelSmets.com Rachel helps ambitious professionals feeling STUCK and unfulfilled to create a meaningful and FREEDOM lifestyle. Find Clarity within overwhelm and build Confidence to Create your next step to the life you're meant to live and not expected to.🌼 Having lived and worked in many different countries, she has learned to turn every challenge into a new opportunity. Latest posts by Rachel Smets (see all)
Edna KuipersWriter at foreignpointers.com Edna Kuipers is an International Human Rights and International Crimes lawyer. After studying law in Botswana she went on to work as a civil litigator and family lawyer. Although she is of Tanzanian origin, she has spent most of her life in Botswana where she met her Dutch husband. Together they moved to the Netherlands where she obtained a Masters in International Crimes and Criminology. She then went on to work for Africa Legal Aid in The Hague. Edna Kuipers considers herself a world citizen having lived and worked in several countries and associating herself with people from all continents. She is founder, manager, writer and editor at foreignpointers.com. She is also a wife, mother of two boys, businesswoman, freelancer and juggles this with travel, reading, networking and volunteer work when possible. You can follow her experiences, knowledge and opinions on the blog/magazine foreignpointers.com. Latest posts by Edna Kuipers (see all)
BR PicturesFilmmaker at BR Pictures Beci and Reni are full-time visual storytellers. They help people, couples, families, and businesses to tell their stories through photography and video. Their passion is their profession. They moved here from Hungary in 2017 accompanied by their lovely beagle, Rocco. They are really enthusiasts about playing and listening to music, meeting like-minded people, and doing passion projects. They love dogs, guitars, cameras, good movies and exploring their new homeland! Latest posts by BR Pictures (see all)
Karin BrötznerKarin was born and raised in Austria and is currently living in the Netherlands, where she is working as a communications manager. Karin is passionate about sustainability, theatre, movies and writing. When she isn't at a dance class, yoga practice or out for a run, she is probably enjoying a cup of coffee – or a glass of beer – in good company. You can also find me on Instagram; @k.brtzner Latest posts by Karin Brötzner (see all)
Lucas Amaro GarcíaLucas was born in Granada, Spain. After studying Translation and Interpreting and living in Italy and Ireland, he met his Dutch partner in Malaga and decided to move to Haarlem, where he has been living since 2013. Lucas is interested in all kinds of literature and loves travelling and getting to know new cultures.If you want to know more about him you can find him on Instagram: @lucasamaro84 Latest posts by Lucas Amaro García (see all)
|
Events
Mirjam Mainwaring-BurtonEvent Manager at expatsHaarlem Mirjam was born and raised in Heemskerk. She moved to Geneva after her study, met her husband there and later on moved with him to Dubai. Now she is back in the Netherlandsworking as a primary school teacher. Used to organizing many events for the kids and parents at her school, she is ready to take on a new challenge. Mirjam’s aim is to create memorable new events for everybody here at expatsHaarlem. Latest posts by Mirjam Mainwaring-Burton (see all)
|
Nick FerraraNetwork Analyst at PPG Europe B.V. Nick is an American from Pittsburgh, PA who has been living in Haarlem since 2010. He loves that laid back European lifestyle and is always looking for new things to explore both in the area and beyond. Latest posts by Nick Ferrara (see all)
|