Irena Kregar Šegota

Contact: irena.kregar-segota@rijeka2020.eu

Irena Kregar Šegota is a cultural manager specialising in international cooperation and fundraising, who has been working on the ECoC project since its very beginning. After being the executive coordinator and in charge of international relations for Rijeka ECOC 2020 bid and the Acting CEO of Rijeka 2020in 2016, she presently holds the position of the Director for Partnership and Communications at Rijeka 2020. The  portfolio of the sector she is responsible for includes capacity building, audience development, volunteering programme, RiHUb programme, civil initiatives, ECoC diplomacy, international fundraising, ECoC business club, partnerships and evaluation.

Irena graduated in English and French Language and Literature at the Faculty of Philosophy in Zagreb and Maritime Economy at the Maritime Faculty in Rijeka. She studied cultural management, cultural policies and cultural relations at Zadar University (European Studies: Languages and Cultures in Contact), at the Chambre de commerce de Paris, Observatoire des politiques culturelles de Grenoble and Ecole Nationale d’Administration in Paris.

Her previous professional experiences include the position of advisor for international cooperation in culture at the Rijeka City Hall, work for the Rijeka City Puppet Theatre (marketing and PR department, and as coordinator of Rijeka International Puppet Festival), work for the Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Diplomatic Mission to the UN in Geneva).  She has been the president of the Alliance Française in Rijeka from  2003  – 2018 and the vice-president of the European cultural network Les Rencontres – LIKE 2015 – 2018.  Fluently speaks English, French and Italian.