Jury

Françoise Gaasch was born in Luxembourg, Françoise began her career in 2007 at the National Credit and Investment Corporation, where she took over as Head of the SME Department in 2016. In 2021, she joined the Ministry of the Economy, where she currently serves as Director General for State Aid and Business Financing.

Françoise holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management and Economic Sciences, obtained in 2005 from the Louis Pasteur University in Strasbourg, and a Master’s degree in Financial Economics, earned in 2007 at the University of Luxembourg.

Almin Hrkic for the past five years has been hosting and producing content on his Mood Luxembourg platform, which is broadcast on TikTok and Instagram. His videos showcase life in Luxembourg: restaurants, events and, above all, the national football team.

He reaches an average of between 60,000 and 70,000 people in Luxembourg and has nearly 70,000 followers on his two channels.

Almin has already tried over 100 restaurants across the country and continues to seek out the most exciting places to share with visitors.

Sandra Leidner discovered her passion for hospitality at a very early age. In 1997, she was appointed catering manager at Luxexpo, where she organised prestigious events such as the Tour de France, European summits and receptions for the Grand Ducal family.

In 2005, she developed the gastronomic concept for the Philharmonie, before founding SL Conceptstudio. Her agency creates tailor-made venues dedicated to well-being in the hospitality sector, with attention to every detail.

A firm believer in the importance of respect and recognition within the profession, she is currently working on her book, Time For Respect.

Steve Martellini was born on 25 July 1986 in Luxembourg, Steve began his career in the public sector before joining the family business in 2010. After several years as a restaurant manager, he took over the establishment Beim Bertchen in 2018. An active figure in the industry, Steve joined the Board of Directors of HORESCA in 2015, where he also works as a trainer. He was appointed Vice-President in 2020 and became Secretary General in 2025.

Filipa Mendes, assistant in the promotion of Luxembourg’s national brand image

Born in Portugal, Filipa moved to Luxembourg at the age of 8. After studying management at the University of Strasbourg, she began her career in the financial sector, first with a local bank, then at Luxembourg’s Financial Sector Supervisory Commission (CSSF), where she spent 12 years building solid expertise in financial regulation and compliance.

In 2022, she joined the Luxembourg – Let’s Make it Happen team, which promotes the country’s image and values internationally. Filipa manages the LuXembourg brand, oversees the legal and financial aspects of the department, and coordinates the Partnerships team, responsible for high-profile projects and events. She also oversees the development of the LuXembourg Collection, a range of sustainable, local and carefully curated items, as well as Luxembourg House, a showcase for national expertise in the heart of the capital.

Sebastian Reddeker studied Romance languages, media sciences and economics at the universities of Paderborn and Le Mans. He holds a PhD in communication from the University of Luxembourg, with a thesis on advertising discourse in the Grand Duchy and its impact on national identity.

He began his career at the Luxembourg Confederation of Commerce (now Luxembourg Confederation), first in the ‘Luxembourg, commercial hub of the Greater Region’ programme, then as a project manager for ‘Cities & Commerce’, working on digitisation, e-commerce, urban development, consumer trends and retail marketing.

In 2018, he joined Luxembourg for Tourism as Content and Innovation Manager, before taking on the role of interim managing director and then being appointed CEO.