Diane Dodd is President of IGCAT (International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism) and co-founder of the European Region of Gastronomy Award that has grown into a World Region of Gastronomy Platform. She is also Regional Adviser for the global network IFACCA (International Federation of Arts Councils and Cultural Agencies). She has been an independent evaluator for the Cultural Routes programme of the Council of Europe and editor of a number of Cultural Policy and Cultural Management publications for the European Cultural Foundation (ECF). She provided expert advice to Plovdiv and Valletta in the preparation for their respective bids to be European Capital of Culture. Diane has worked in the cultural policy and management field for over 20 years and maintains relations with a number of important Global and European Institutions including UNWTO, UNESCO, European Commission, OEI, Commonwealth, Asia-Europe Foundation and many others. She obtained her PhD from the University of Girona in 2010.