We are pleased to announce that Leena Whittaker, Director of Competitiveness at EuroCommerce, will speak at the upcoming in-person event:
Local retail, global trends: How digital, green and skills shifts are reshaping SMEs in towns and cities.
Date: 14 January 2026 | Time: 10:00 – 13:00 CET | Location: Tour Madou, Brussels
Hosted by the OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities (CFE) and the European Commission’s DG GROW, the event will launch the final report of their joint project on The Twin Transition and the Future of Retail SMEs in Urban and Rural Areas. The report explores how small and medium-sized retailers across the EU are adapting to digital and green transitions and provides policy recommendations to support their competitiveness and workforce development.
Leena Whittaker will contribute EuroCommerce’s perspective on SME competitiveness, workforce upskilling, and the evolving retail landscape in the EU.
REGISTER HERE to join policymakers, business leaders, and experts in discussing the future of retail SMEs and the policy tools needed to support their transformation.
Leena Whittaker
Director, Competitiveness
Leena is EuroCommerce’s Director of Competitiveness coordinating advocacy on retail and wholesale ecosystem competitiveness. She is British and has a practical knowledge of EU policy-making from her experience as a legal and policy officer in the European Commission (DG GROW) and is a qualified UK lawyer.