NORTH is the outcome of Maria Kristin´s long lasting affair with European history, politics and the European Union, starting already with her studies at Georgetown University´s School of Foreign Service where she did a Masters´ degree in German and European Studies. There she studied under many Professors who later became directly involved in European and American politics, such as Madeline Albright, the Secretary of State under Bill Clinton, and Joao Barosso ,who later became the President of the European Commission.
Maria is a co-founder and the CEO of NORTH Consulting. She is the heartbeat of the company but refuses to do the work exclusively by herself: instead, she is a master in delegating projects to her team and beyond. She has extensive knowledge and expertise of European funding programmes having worked with them every day for the last 15 years. She is also seasoned in advising on funding opportunities within the EEA/Norway Grants as well as Nordic and national funding schemes, particularly for SMEs and start-ups. Maria is a public speaker, project manager, project evaluator, and an expert in product development, strategic management and team-building.