Rome, 20 April 2026 – Hermes – European Research Center is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Giovanni Kessler as President of its Scientific Committee.
The Committee, which will be formally established in the coming weeks, will be composed of highly distinguished figures from academia, institutions, and the professional world, with proven European experience. Its role will be to guide and enrich the Center’s research and policy activities, ensuring the highest standards of scientific rigor and independence.
Hermes – European Research Center is an independent private institution bringing together academics, professionals, and university lecturers from various European countries. For years, it has promoted public debate and the development of concrete solutions to the political, economic, and regulatory challenges of the European Union, actively contributing to the process of European integration and multilateral cooperation. The Center’s activities – particularly those coordinated by the new Scientific Committee – will focus on developing in-depth analyses and operational proposals on European policies in general, and regulatory policies in particular, with special attention to governance, anti-fraud measures, protection of financial interests, defense of the Union, and the competitiveness of the European system.
“We are honored to count on the leadership of Giovanni Kessler,” said the President of Hermes – European Research Center, Tiziana Demma. “His outstanding institutional experience and deep knowledge of European dynamics represent a unique asset for our Center and for the work ahead.”
Giovanni Kessler, born in Trento in 1956, is a magistrate with a long and distinguished career in service of the State and European institutions. He graduated in Law from the University of Bologna and served for fifteen years as a Public Prosecutor, including in anti-mafia cases. He has been a member of the Italian Parliament, President of the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Province of Trento, and the Italian Government’s High Commissioner for the fight against counterfeiting and piracy. From 2011 to 2017, he served with distinction as Director-General of OLAF (the European Anti-Fraud Office), the independent body of the European Commission responsible for investigating fraud, corruption, and illegal activities affecting the financial interests of the Union. He subsequently served as Director of the Italian Customs and Monopolies Agency.
His appointment further strengthens Hermes’ position as a leading reference point in the European think tank landscape, committed to providing concrete, high-level contributions to the debate on EU policies.
President Tiziana Demma thanks Giovanni Kessler for accepting this role and looks forward with confidence to the joint work that will begin in the coming weeks.
