Governance of EAPSPI

Claudia Wegner-Wahnschaffe

Head of International Affairs

Ms. Wegner-Wahnschaffe studied law in Hannover and Heidelberg. After graduating as a fully qualified lawyer in 1995 she started her career in the litigation department of the Supplementary Pension Institution of the German Federation and the States, VBL. In 2003 she was appointed to the VBL Board Department as an adviser on strategical, associational and European matters.

As of 2009 she has been working as Head of Association Activities, and consequently International Affairs of the VBL. Main subjects of the division are international cooperation and cross border portability. One field of collaboration is the www.FindyourPension.eu website and network which has been managed by her department since 2011. In the area of comprehensible customer communication, Ms Wegner-Wahnschaffe has also managed some projects (e.g. VBL communication guidelines), as well as gained specific experience in communicating to mobile clients.

In addition to her ongoing work on European associations Ms Wegner-Wahnschaffe is also responsible for the VBL engagement in German stakeholder groups. She is a member and spokeswoman of several workgroups, e.g. in the German Association on Occupational Pension Provision and the GVG, Society for Insurance- Design and- Science.

Languages: German, English

Sophie Barbier holds a position as Head of the Europe Department at Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations (CDC) since 2016, where she oversees a team responsible for European institutional relations, policy monitoring, and the coordination of EU funding for CDC projects. Prior to this role, she served at CDC as Head of Balance Sheet Risk and Data Management (2011–2016), focusing on liquidity risk, data quality control, and cash flow forecasting. Between 2007 and 2011, she worked at the Fonds de Réserve pour les Retraites (FRR) as a Senior Responsible Investment Analyst. Earlier in her career (2003–2007), she held positions at the French Treasury Directorate, including Deputy Head of Macroeconomic Forecasting and Fiscal Studies. Her academic background includes graduation from the École Nationale d’Administration (ENA, 2003), the École Normale Supérieure (2000), and additional certifications such as the Administrator of Companies Certificate (IFA-SCPO, 2024) and the Cycle des Hautes Études Européennes (CHEE, 2014). 

Piia Laaksonen from Keva, Finland, has 25 years of experience in the insurance industry and especially in pension insurance.

She worked for more than 10 years as a responsible actuary in various TyEL and supplementary pension foundations and funds as well as in a life and non-life insurance company.

She has an in-depth knowledge of actuarial mathematics and actuarial issues, as well as a thorough knowledge of the IAS 19 standard. In addition to her actuarial work, Piia has extensive experience in business and business development.

Piia holds a Master of Science degree (Applied Mathematics) from the University of Turku and an SHV - actuary approved by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.

Wolfgang Lehner studied law in Vienna. He joined the Association of Austrian Pension Funds in 2000, where he also gained experience at the European level. 

In 2005, he switched to ÖPAG Pensionskassen AG / Valida Pension AG, where he was responsible for various projects, including risk management since 2006. 

He also completed various courses alongside his job, including the Certified European Financial Analyst.

Senior finance executive with 25+ years of leadership experience spanning banking, insurance, asset management and corporate restructuring. Currently President of the Management Board of Modra zavarovalnica, overseeing asset management, risk, compliance, ESG, legal and HR functions. Career includes executive and board-level roles at Abanka, Nova KBM, Kapitalska družba and PDP, along with extensive supervisory board experience across banking, insurance, telecom and industrial sectors.

Bsc Business Administration 1995, Blekinge Institute of Technology

CEO KPA Tjänstepension, 2017

Business Unit Director, 2016, KPA

Head of Communications, KPA 2011

Ms. Schüller-Radic holds a Magister degree in Language and Literary Studies from Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich. She further complemented her academic education with additional qualifications in Business Administration, Marketing, Public Relations, and Project Management at Ludwig-Maximilians-University and TAFE Southbank Institute Brisbane, Australia.

She began her professional career at a boutique public relations agency before gaining many years of experience in corporate communications and marketing. Throughout her career, she has held a variety of roles in both mid-sized and international IT consulting companies as well as in professional associations.

As a result, she has developed extensive expertise in strategic communications, corporate positioning, and the successful planning and execution of marketing and communications initiatives.