The Ombuds Blog: European Ombuds & Mediators Gather in Salzburg

September 25, 2026

European Ombuds & Mediators Gather in Salzburg

The European Ombuds and Mediators Group, IOA's Regional Advancement Community, met September 16–17 in Salzburg, Austria, hosted by Salzburg Global. Ombuds participants included: Jan Galkowski, Ombuds with MWI and former Ombuds at Uniwersytet Rzeszowski; Tuba Bilecik, Ombudsperson at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory; Carsten Pöschl, Global Corporate Ombudsperson at SAP; Spyridon (“Spyros”) Antonelos, Head of the Mediation & Ombuds Function at the European Central Bank; and Ion (“Ninel”) Anghel, Director of the PetrOmbudsman Department at OMV Petrom. The meeting provided an opportunity for European Organizational Ombuds to exchange experiences and discuss developments in the profession. (LinkedIn Galkowski, Poschl, Antonelos.)

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Organizational Ombuds

Organizational Ombuds serve as a confidential, independent, neutral and informal dispute resolution resource for a specific entity. They are accessible to a defined population and can advocate for fairness. These unique characteristics distinguish Organizational Ombuds from Classical Ombuds, mediators, arbitrators, and other alternative dispute resolution professionals. The term "Ombuds" is shorthand for "Ombudsman," "Ombudsperson" and "Ombuds Officer," which also are used widely.

Some other variants include:

Brazil -- Ouvidor

Croatia -- pravobranitelji

France -- médiateur/defénseur

Germany/Austria -- Ombudspersonen and Ombudsleute

Italy -- difensore

Netherlands -- ombudspersoon

Norway -- ombudet

Poland -- Rzecznik

Portugal -- provedor

Russia -- омбудсмен

Spain -- ombudsman organizacional

Sweden -- studentombud

Switzerland -- ombudsmann

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September 25, 2026

European Ombuds & Mediators Gather in Salzburg

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