Chairwoman of the European Parliament's Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

Member of the European Parliament, Member of the Parliament of Finland (2015-2024), Minister of Education in the governments of Antti Rinny and Sanna Marin (2019-2023), Chair of the Left Alliance (since 2016), Chair of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs in the European Parliament, Deputy Member in the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety in the European Parliament.

PhD Member of the European Parliament, Chairman of the Honorary Committee of the 12th European Congress of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises

Polish politician, professor of technical sciences, former Prime Minister of Poland and long-time Member of the European Parliament. He was President of the European Parliament from 2009 to 2012 and previously served as Prime Minister of Poland from 1997 to 2001. He has been associated with the Solidarity opposition and involved in environmental issues, especially energy and energy transition.

CEO of PAHOMAS

Entrepreneur, workaholic, visionary, social activist. In his career, he has co-founded and led more than a dozen service and commercial companies. He is currently co-founder and CEO of brands such as Disinfector®, Pahomas and Mande Institute, among others. He is looking for big challenges.

Director of the Energy and Technology Industry Office

Graduate of the Warsaw School of Economics. He worked in the financial areas for, among others, Gaz-System, PGNIG, KGHM, and at the consulting firms EY and Deloitte in advisory teams for the energy sector. From 2014 he worked at PGE, where he was responsible for directional recommendations for the implementation of large development investments and acquisitions. He is currently Director of the Energy and Technology Industry Office at Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego, where, among other things, he is responsible for supporting financing-related processes for clients in the energy, TMT and commercial sectors.
He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts (CFA).
 

Co-founder and President of Ecoloop Foundation

Expert with many years of experience in ESG reporting, environmental project management, creation and implementation of sustainability strategies, eco-design and transformation of companies towards a circular economy. She has worked for listed companies, universities and the public sector. She works with key stakeholders, boards of directors and organizations, including UNIDO and UN.

Vice President of the Management Board of the Employers of Poland

Lawyer and expert with many years of experience, related to public economic law and administrative and judicial-administrative procedure. He cooperated with representative employers' organizations, participating in the process of drafting and public consultation of legal acts concerning the economy and entrepreneurship. He gained professional experience working with leading law firms in Poland. In 2018-2021, he held the position of Deputy Ombudsman for Small and Medium-sized Entrepreneurs. Advisor to the President of the Supreme Bar Council. Permanent mediator of the Arbitration Court at the General Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Poland. Represents the Employers of the Republic of Poland in the Social Dialogue Council. Author of numerous speeches and publications. 

Mayor of the City of Sosnowiec

A graduate of public administration. Before entering politics, he ran his own business. In 2010 he became chairman of the Sosnowiec City Council and the following year first deputy mayor of Sosnowiec. 
Since 2013 he has been elected Member of the Board of Directors of the Silesian Voivodeship.
On November 30, 2014, he won the presidential election in Sosnowiec. Since then, he has won successive presidential elections and has held the office of Mayor of Sosnowiec until now. 
In June 2024, he was elected vice president of the Association of Polish Cities. He represents Sosnowiec in the Silesian Union of Municipalities and Districts as well as the Upper Silesian and Zagłębie Metropolis. He is a representative of the Union of Polish Cities in the Joint Commission of the Government and Local Government.
 

PhD student in the Department of Economic Law at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow UJ

Graduated summa cum laude with a law degree from the Jagiellonian University and a Fulbright Junior Research Award 2022-23. Ambassador of the Fulbright Program in 2023-25. Manager of a National Science Center grant at the University of Warsaw. Graduated with honors from the UJ School of American Law (Columbus School of Law in Washington, DC). Founder and board member of the Semper Augustus Foundation- an educational think tank in the field of corporate law. He pursued a Fulbright Scholarship in 2023 at Columbia Law School in New York. He was also previously a recipient of an international SYLFF grant. He has completed foreign fellowships at the University of Cambridge, Melbourne Law School in Australia, Bucerius Law School in Hamburg, and the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, among others.
 

Ministry of Development and Technology

Head of the Department of International Organizations and Procurement at the Ministry of Development and Technology, associated for years with economic promotion and activities to support the internationalization of enterprises. Employee and manager of the foreign missions of the former Ministry of Economy (BRH, WEH, WPHI) operating in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, East Timor and the Philippines. Co-founder of the Malaysian-Polish Business Council. Participated in the work of the Steering Committee of the EU-Malaysia Chamber of Commerce in Kuala Lumpur and the Advisory Committee of the European Chamber of Commerce in Manila. Polish representative in the EU Council Working Groups on Raw Materials and also in the International Research Groups on Non-Ferrous Metals (Copper, Lead, Zinc), where he serves as Chairman of the Copper Study Group (ICSG) and Vice Chairman of the Statistical and Program Committee of the Lead and Zinc Study Group (ILZSG), Orientalist. Collaborates with academic institutions (e.g. Jagiellonian University, University of Warsaw and the Academy of Military Art) on the topics of economic promotion, cross-cultural business, internationalization of enterprises and expansion into non-European markets.
Author of publications on Asian markets. Graduate of the Executive MBA program of the Institute of Economics of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Provides training in the field of foreign expansion of enterprises through cooperation with international organizations.

Plant geneticist, Prof. of the University of Silesia, Associate Dean for Science Promotion and Internationalization

Leader of the Plant Genetics and Functional Genomics Team at the Faculty of Life Sciences of the University of Silesia. Together with her team, she conducts research on the identification of key genetic regulators of plant responses to drought using translational and functional genomics. She developed her research interests during fellowships and scientific visits to France, Germany, Scotland, the United States, among others. A graduate of the Fulbright STEM Impact Award 2023-24, she directs scientific projects funded by the National Science Center and from EU funds such as the SusCrop Horizon2020 program. Her commitment to the dissemination of science includes publications and prestigious scientific symposia, but she attaches equal importance to the popularization of science. She actively mentors master's and doctoral students. Scientific work is her passion. 

Associate Partner at Tias, CEO at KAD Consulting, business advisor

Associate Partner at Tias, CEO at KAD Consulting, business advisor, former President of the Polish Investment and Trade Agency, advisor to ministers of economy. He worked as a department director at the Ministry of Development, Labor and Technology. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Walbrzych Special Economic Zone “Invest-Park” Sp. z o.o.. As President of PAIH, he was responsible for preparing the Polish presence at the World Expo 2020 in Dubai. He deals with foreign investment and exports. He supports Polish companies in their foreign expansion, in particular to the markets of the Middle East, Africa and Asia. He has worked on the largest foreign investments in Poland. Awarded an honorary badge for his contribution to the development of the Polish economy.

Founder and President of the Management Board of BetaMed S.A.

University of Economics in Katowice

Since 1996, an employee of the Department of International Economic Relations at the University of Economics in Katowice. Author of dozens of publications related to international economic relations, especially to the issues of Poland's foreign trade and international trade. Reviewer of articles in scientific journals and reports of public institutions, among others: two studies of PARP, on the analysis of value chains in the areas of National Intelligent Specialization and suppliers of goods and services in innovation projects of POIR (2023). Expert, among others: in the evaluation of the Ministry of Economy project “Center for Investor and Exporter Assistance (COIE)” (2013) and in a panel session at the 13th Meeting of the Consultative Group on National Smart Specialization, organized by the Ministry of Development and Technology (2023). 

Proxy of the Mayor for economic development, City Hall in Dąbrowa Górnicza

More than 20 years working for local government. 
Coordinator of the implementation of comprehensive investor and entrepreneur services in the city. Directly involved in the handling of international and Polish investment projects, which between 2014 and 2023 brought more than 9 billion in capital expenditures and nearly 3,500 new jobs.   
Responsible for strategic documents, including the City Development Stretaegies, Economic Development and Revitalization Programs. Coordinator of the PPP pilot project for the construction of a road to investment areas; participant in many interdisciplinary teams, including the Team for the Full Life Factory in Dabrowa Górnicza, the District Labor Market Council and the Partnership Initiative of Cities (PPP group). Involved in ongoing cooperation and projects with representatives of the Polish Investment and Trade Agency, the Katowice Special Economic Zone SA, the Regional Chamber of Commerce in Katowice, the Zagłębie Chamber of Commerce and the Silesian Investor and Exporter Service Center. Initiator of the Dabrowa Business Incubator and many projects aimed at supporting and developing economic activity in the city and region.  
Graduate of Law at the University of Silesia in Katowice, Master of Public Administration at the Cracow University of Economics & Copenhagen Business School, International Business Development at the Rev. Józef Tischner School of Europe in Cracow and Project Management at the WSB Academy in Dąbrowa Górnicza.  In the process of MBA Energy and Digital Transformation, Silesian University of Technology in Gliwice.
 

Member of the Polish Parliament

Member of the 8th, 9th, 10th parliamentary term, Vice-Chairman of the Committee on Education and Science, Chairman of the Polish-Indian parliamentary bilateral group

Undersecretary of State in Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy

He was born in 1988 and raised in Warsaw. He is a Doctor of Laws, university professor, and legal adviser at the District Chamber of Legal Advisers in Warsaw. He graduated from the Faculty of Law and Administration at the University of Warsaw. He deals with administrative law and proceedings, judicial control of administration, constitutional law and social security law. He has authored nearly 90 publications in this field: monographs, commentaries, articles and glosses.

He obtained his postdoctoral degree based on his "Proceedings on Pension Benefits" thesis.

He has been a member of numerous expert teams dealing with social security: Committee for Interpretations, Positions and Clarifications at the President of the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS), Inter-Ministerial Team for the Development of a Disability and Incapacity Judgement System, Team for Optimisation of Pension Decisions at the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS), Team for Comprehensive Rehabilitation. He also cooperated with the Institute of Labour and Social Affairs.

He prepared dozens of bills submitted by the Coalition Parliamentary Club of the Left in the 9th term of the Polish Sejm, including the flagship projects of the 'Safe Senior Citizen' (Bezpieczny senior) package: a law introducing a widow's pension, changes to the funeral allowance or a project facilitating the acquisition of a minimum pension by those working under junk contracts.

On the recommendation of the Left from 2019 to 2023, a judge of the State Court. Since 2016, he has co-led the social democratic think-tank Ignacy Daszyński Centre.

Mentor, Business Coach, Author of the book "#Bez Kija w Tyłku”

Mentor with 18 years of experience in connecting emotions to business, specializing in supporting people with DDD/DDA syndrome in professional settings. She works on removing so-called “emotional anchors,” helping to understand and transform emotions into a tool for empathetic leadership.

Her approach supports the development of harmonious working relationships, enables the change of limiting beliefs and prevents the escalation of conflicts. She teaches Empathic Confrontation and boundary-setting, both with oneself and others. Reaches out to unmet needs in conflict situations, making it easier to find inclusive solutions.

Recognized as a “LinkedIn Champion” by Forbes Woman Poland, she has her own story of business transformation. She believes that emotions can be a catalyst for effective and conscious leadership.

HR specialist and trainer

Professionally, she has been observing labor market trends for 15 years and helping companies better communicate with job candidates and employees. She conducts trainings and workshops for employers. Speaker and author of HR publications and books:
“Candidate experience. Still a candidate or already a customer?” and ”Onboarding. How to implement employees so they don't leave?”

She believes that employers should treat their job candidates and employees at least as well as they treat their customers. 

CEO of DPM Doradztwo Personal Menedżer sp. z o.o.

Specialist in the field of Human Capital Management. For more than 26 years, she has run a family company, DPM Doradztwo Personalne sp. z o.o., with a specialization in recruitment of middle and senior management. He advises on HR aspects to many organizations.
For 15 years, he has been sharing his practical knowledge as a lecturer and co-founder of postgraduate courses in Human Capital Management and at the MBA level at the Academy of Business School. 
Member of the board of the Family Business Initiative and, since 2014, Women's Entrepreneurship Ambassador on behalf of the Polish Network of Women's Entrepreneurial Ambassadors. Vice president of the board of the Józef Pieter Foundation. 
Eagerly involved in initiatives aimed at improving the functioning of small and medium-sized businesses. Mentor in international startup projects.  
 
Lover of different cultures, travel and literature.

Manager of the Trade Finance Sales Team, Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego

Graduate of the Simultaneous Economic and Managerial Studies at the Faculty of Economic Sciences and the Faculty of Management at the University of Warsaw. He has more than 10 years of experience in the banking sector. Before joining Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego, he worked at Bank Citi Handlowy and Bank Pekao S.A. He has been at BGK since 2015, and currently heads the Trade Finance Sales Team.

CEO and founder of consulting and training company Empify Social Impact

Corporate and social communications expert with more than 20 years of experience gained in international communications consulting and public relations firms; specializes in developing communications strategies, building leaders' images and supporting companies in their transformation towards sustainability, especially in the social area.

Science promoter, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Innovation at WSB Merito Warsaw University.

Appointed by the European Commission as Digital EU Ambassador. President of the Lem Institute. Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Innovation at the Warsaw School of Banking. Dean of the Faculty of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Warsaw School of Banking from 2019 to 2021. From 2017 to 2019, Director of the Data Management Department at the Ministry of Digitization responsible for the innovation sector and implementation of Personal Data Protection Regulation (RODO) into the Polish legal order. He graduated from the Faculty of Law and Administration at Jagiellonian University in Krakow.  He also studied at Stockholm University and J.W. Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main. He graduated with honors from the European Academy of Diplomacy. In 2017, he won a special award for his contribution to data protection reform in the Lawyers Leaders of Tomorrow competition of Dziennik Gazeta Prawna and Wolters Kluwer Publishing House. In 2018, he was ranked 23rd in the ranking of the 50 most influential lawyers in Poland by Dziennik Gazeta Prawna, and in 2019 he moved up to 15th in the same ranking, becoming recognized as the “face of RODO in Poland.” He is the author of the technology series on the Good Morning TVN program, Onet's editorial podcast and Komputer Świat's “Technicznie Rzecz Biorąc.”

Director of the Department of Human Resources and Office Management, City Hall in Dąbrowa Górnicza

She has many years of practical experience in managerial positions in the private and local government sectors, an expert and practitioner in the field of HR&Payroll, an expert witness in the field of labor relations and salaries, a graduate in local government administration, business administration and an MBA for local government leaders.

She is responsible in the city for HR&Payroll policy, horizontal implementation of good practices, human resource management solutions. She strives to optimize and streamline daily work by implementing and managing the change of processes in the office and supporting such activities in other organizational units of the city. She is a proponent of implementing new technologies and automating processes within the organization.
She directly manages the Human Resources and Payroll Department at the Office, and on a daily basis supervises the work of the Office Service Department and the Organizational Office.
Her motto is dialogue, partnership, constant search for new solutions, implementation of innovations according to the principle that the most important is the human being located at the beginning and end of each process.
Group person according to Belbine's analysis and yellow-red-blue color according to Ensize Disc.
Privately, she is a mother of the now grown-up Susanna, in her free time she escapes to the mountains or organizes open music events on behalf of the Association For Meeting! She is passionate about photography, music and personal development.
 

Consul at the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Toronto, Canada

PhD in economics, consul at the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Toronto, Canada, and assistant professor at the Institute of Markets and Competition in the College of Business Administration at the Warsaw School of Economics, and vice president of the North-East Polish-American Chamber of Commerce, based in New York. She is a former consul and trade counselor in Istanbul and New York. Previously, she was a journalist for the foreign editorial department of the Polsat News channel, a reporter for the Panorama daily on TVP2, as well as a negotiator of international trade agreements working with companies in the Middle East, and a trainer and coach - specializing in training in negotiations, marketing, sales techniques and business communication.
She is a graduate of the doctoral studies of the College of Social and Economic Sciences at the Warsaw School of Economics, the Academy of Economics in Katowice, Mikkeli University of Technology in Finland and the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. Co-founder and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the European Institute “Pro Futuro Europae”, member of the Business Forum and the Food Forum at the European Commission, expert of the NORMAPME standardization organization at the European Commission. Author of many scientific publications in the field of entrepreneurship, including books: “Women's entrepreneurship in Poland and its impact on the economic development of the country” and ‘Entrepreneurship without secrets’. Recognized by Dziennik Zachodni as Leader of the Year 2014 of the Bieruńsko-Lędziński district, where she comes from. Awarded the “Crown of Silesia” award by the Diametor Foundation for her work on behalf of the region, as well as the Platinum Medal of Craftsmanship by the Polish Crafts Association, for her activities supporting the development of Polish crafts, and the Ring of Independence for her work on behalf of the development of the SME sector in Poland. 
 

Manager of strategic partnerships at Smart Solutions HR

An expert with more than 25 years of experience in the field of human resources management. She is the founder of the “Human Face” HR community, which aims to connect HR professionals from around the world, share knowledge and shape new standards in the industry. She currently serves as manager of strategic partnerships at Smart Solutions HR, where she is responsible for developing key business relationships and anticipating upcoming labor market trends.

Dean of the Faculty of Organization and Management, Silesian University of Technology

Professor Aleksandra Kuzior is a postdoctoral fellow, professor at the Silesian University of Technology, also honored with an honorary doctorate. Academically, she works on issues of sustainable development, business ethics, corporate social responsibility, technology assessment, artificial intelligence and education for sustainable development. She serves as Dean of the Faculty of Organization and Management at the Silesian University of Technology and Head of the Department of Applied Social Sciences. She also served as Plenipotentiary of the Rector for Social Responsibility of the University, is President of the Silesian Center for Business Ethics and Sustainable Development, and Vice President of the Polish Society for Technology Assessment. She also served as Chairwoman of the Commission for Corporate Social Responsibility and Social Communication at the Regional Chamber of Commerce in Katowice. She was the manager of 12 completed projects funded by the European Social Fund, the National Center for Research and Development and the National Agency for Academic Exchange. She is the author of almost 300 scientific publications. She has won awards: 1) First Degree Award of the Minister of Education and Science (2021); 2) Zabrze Athena, awarded by the President of the City of Zabrze (2021); 3) Polish Intelligent Development Award (2020); 4) Polish Intelligent Development Award in the “Scientist of the Future” Category (2023).  5) Special Prize “Black Diamond” awarded by the Regional Chamber of Industry and Commerce of Rybnik Industrial District (2018); 6) Silesian Science Award (2017); 7) Medal of the National Education Commission (2015); 8) Medal of Merit for Sustainable Development of the Polish Chamber of Ecology (2023).

Chief Specialist at the Department of Trade and International Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Graduate of the University of Gdansk in foreign trade, with many years of experience in the public and private sectors, including leadership positions in regional economic organizations. He has held positions as trade counselor in Chile, consul and chargé d'affaires in Peru and Nigeria. Since 2018, he has been the chief specialist in the Department of Trade and International Cooperation of the Ministry of Development and Technology, responsible for Poland's economic cooperation with Latin American and Caribbean countries.

Director of the NCP for Financial Instruments of European Union Programs.

Lawyer, financier, Europeanist, Executive MBA graduate. Initiator and director of the National Contact Point for EU Financial Instruments. Director of the ZBP Public Programs Team and member of the Business Finance Committee of the European Banking Federation. Member of the monitoring committees of the Cohesion Policy and Rural Development Program programs, coordinator of agribusiness and infrastructure financing teams. Representative of the banking sector in the Steering Committee to the Minister of Finance, member of the Council of the PPP Center Foundation. Legislative expert, lecturer, author of publications, repeatedly awarded by business and state circles.

Vice-Rector for Student Affairs and Cooperation with the Environment at WSB University

Vice Rector for Student Affairs and Cooperation with the Environment at WSB Academy., Director of the Center for Postgraduate Studies and Recruitment and Director of the Center for Regional Development at WSB Academy creating, among other things, development strategies, revitalization policies and Smart City strategies. Certified PM: PRINCE2, IPMA, Agile, PMI, SIX SIGMA.
He has extensive corporate experience gained in multinational service companies, was employed in key management positions related to the creation of customer relationship management systems, quality and process management, project management, Executive level manager at Orange S.A. for many years. MBA graduate.
President of the Delegation (Dabrowa Górnicza) of the Regional Chamber of Commerce in Katowice, member of the international association The European Academy of Management (EURAM c/o EIASM - European Institute for Advanced Studiesin Management), Vice President of the Board of the Scientific Society of Organization and Management, Dabrowa Górnicza branch, Vice President of the Board of the Polish Economic Society in Katowice, Vice President of the Board of the Silesian Union of Employers Lewiatan, member of the Program Council of the National Key Cluster “Silesia Automotive & Advanced Manufacturing” of the Katowice Special Economic Zone.
For his activity in shaping relations between science and business, he was awarded the Silver and Gold Cross of Merit, the Medal of the Commission of National Education and the Gold Honorary Badge for his contribution to the Silesian Voivodeship.

Director of the Labor Department at the Confederation of Lewiatan

Responsible for the area of labor law, labor market, social security. Member of the Labor Market Council to the Minister of Family, Labor and Social Policy and the Platform on Undeclared Work to the European Labor Office. Participates in the work of the labor law team, the social security team and the international team of the Social Dialogue Council.

Vice-President of the All-Poland Alliance of Trade Unions

PhD in law, graduate of the Faculty of Law and Administration of the University of Silesia in Katowice. Since 2009 he has been associated with the Department of Labor Law and Social Policy at this Faculty. Member of the Labor Law and Social Policy Research Team of the Faculty of Law and Administration of the University of Silesia, mediator cooperating with the Silesian Arbitration and Mediation Center of the Faculty of Law and Administration of the University of Silesia. Author of publications on labor law and editor-in-chief of the scientific journal “Z Problematyki Prawa Pracy i Polityki Socjalnej”. Vice President of the University Council of the Polish National Association of Teachers of Science and Technology (ZNP) at the University of Silesia in Katowice and spokesperson and coordinator for legal affairs of the Council for Higher Education and Science of the Polish National Association of Teachers of Science and Technology (ZNP).

Mayor of the City of Chorzów

Economist, specialist in financial management, community activist and local government. Studied at the specialization of Finance and Investment at the Academy of Economics in Katowice (today's University of Economics) and at the postgraduate international MBA management studies at the Chorzow School of Banking. For 15 years he worked in the financial departments of multinational corporations, dealing with management, reporting and financial analysis. For many years he was socially active in activating the youngest and supporting Ruch Chorzów football club. In 2024, he won the presidential election in Chorzow.

CEO and Co-founder of ICEYE

Rafal Modrzewski is CEO and co-founder of ICEYE, which operates the world's largest constellation of SAR satellites. The company provides reliable Earth observation data in a timely manner to customers, offering natural disaster solutions to companies and governments, among others. ICEYE is the first company to successfully miniaturize a SAR satellite, making it possible to launch more of them and reliably image any location on Earth - every few hours, every day. With its growing constellation of SAR satellites, ICEYE offers its partners a set of unprecedented capabilities for collecting satellite imagery, enabling faster, more frequent and cheaper access to any area of interest.

European Commission, Director General of the Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion

Director General of DG EMPL (Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion) at the European Commission, former Director General of DG REFORM (Directorate General for Structural Reform Support) at the European Commission. He was also Director and Head of Unit at the Directorate General for Financial Services at the European Commission. He also previously served as President of the Italian Financial Market Supervisory Authority (CONSOB). He is a lecturer at Bocconi University and Solvay Business School. He was named Bocconi University's Graduate of the Year in 2023.

Director of Corporate Banking Office, PKO Bank Polski

Manager with over 25 years of experience in the financial sector, specializing in cooperation with entrepreneurs. For years associated with PKO Bank Polski, she currently serves as Director of the Corporate Banking Office, where she is responsible for comprehensive services to businesses, offering them strategic financial support and innovative banking solutions.
During her career, she has supported the implementation of growth strategies for companies of all sizes - from startups to corporations.
Her experience covers a wide range of issues related to investment financing, risk management and the creation of banking products to support business innovation. She is known for her ability to build lasting relationships with clients and her strategic approach to business development.

 “Small and medium-sized enterprises are the foundation of our economy. They drive innovation, create jobs and shape local markets. Congresses like this one are an excellent opportunity to exchange experiences, build relationships and jointly seek solutions that will allow SMEs not only to survive in a changing environment, but also to grow dynamically. Supporting this sector is an investment in the future of us all.”

University of Silesia in Katowice

From 2016 to 2018, member of the Labor Law Codification Commission; from 2006 to 2020, head of the Postgraduate Program (Labor Law) at the University of Warsaw; from 2019 to 2021, member of the LLRN Steering Committee; in 2020, researcher at Lyon 2 University; member of the editorial and advisory boards of Labor Law Monitor, Italian Labour Law E-Journal and Hungarian Labour Law E-Journal. Author of numerous scientific publications, legal advisor.

President of the Vancouver branch of the Canadian Polish Business Association Inc. (CPBA)

Mark Rabinski serves as the President of the Vancouver branch of the Canadian Polish Business Association Inc. (CPBA). The CPBA facilitates the expansion of companies into the Canadian market while also supporting Canadian businesses seeking to enter the Polish market. In addition to his leadership role, Mr. Rabinski is an accomplished international commodities trader, specializing in agricultural products, metals, and oil, with extensive experience working with global buyers and suppliers.

Mr.Rabinski excels in connecting businesses and is a thriving networker who has a keen interest and understanding of trade dynamics. With his vast network he is able to connect businesses in need of expansion, advising, and tailored financing arrangements to help businesses grow and thrive. 

Director of the Center for Environmental Protection in the Łukasiewicz Research Network - Institute of Non-Ferrous Metals

He completed his master's and doctoral studies at the Silesian University of Technology, Faculty of Environmental and Energy Engineering. During his Ph.D. studies and subsequent academic work, he held a research internship and worked as a Visiting Researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. A graduate of the 2017-18 Fulbright Junior Research Award, he also honed his experience and skills at Curtin University (Perh, Australia), where he carried out his research project under the SONATINA competition. He has authored and co-authored 21 publications of national and international scope as well as development and implementation papers. In his research, he focuses on environmental problems, especially in the context of the activities of the mining industry and metal processing. Since 2024, he has also been a member of the State Water Management Council, which performs advisory functions to the Ministry of Infrastructure.

Director of Banking Markets Department at Pekao Leasing

Graduate of the University of Silesia in Katowice with several years of experience in the leasing industry. An expert in finance and law effectively supporting companies in financing solutions for new investments. Since 2023, Director of the Banking Markets Department at Pekao Leasing sp. z o.o. responsible for sales in the Micro, SME and Corpo segments. 

Chairman of the Convention of Directors of District Labor Offices of the Silesian Voivodeship, Director of the District Labor Office in Raciborz

Graduate of the University of Szczecin with a major in Political Science and Social Sciences, where he also completed postgraduate studies in leadership and human resource management. He has held managerial positions in public administration for more than a dozen years. He currently serves as Director of the District Labor Office in Raciborz and Chairman of the Convention of Directors of District Labor Offices of the Silesian Voivodeship, and in previous years held the position of Deputy Director of the Voivodeship Labor Office in Katowice. For his activities in the labor market, he received the Gold Medal for Merits to the Silesian Voivodeship, the Primus in Agendo Honorary Badge of the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, and Honorary Membership of the Regional Chamber of Commerce in Katowice.

Managing Director, Energy Solution sp. z o. o.

Managing Director of Energy Solution, an energy consulting services company, operating in the market since 2008. 
He has experience in companies in the areas of RES, cogeneration, telemetry, reactive power compensation and energy efficiency improvement. Since 2010, he has implemented new models of energy trading for end users, including with a particular focus on free market mechanisms based on contracting at the Polish Power Exchange. He currently manages a team of energy experts who provide services in 16 markets in Central, Eastern and Southern Europe.

Legal advisor, managing partner at Wielkopolska Law Group

He specializes in several areas of law: public procurement (including procurement of international organizations), public finance discipline, proper disbursement of funds from the European Union, investment process, as well as implementation of sustainable development strategies. He is involved in the process of reconstruction of Ukraine using funds from international organizations. On behalf of, among others: Ministry of Funds and Regional Policy, Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego, National Funds for Environmental Protection and Water Management, and the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, he has led the control of public procurement proceedings financed with external funds. He conducts trainings on: public procurement law, procurement of international organizations, sustainable development, among others. 
He is chairman of the Economic Area Development Council at the Słubicko-Kostrzyn Special Economic Zone. Member of the Supervisory Board of H. Cegielski - Fabryka Pojazdów Szynowych sp. z o.o. Creator of the portal for handling public procurement proceedings “Procedure Assistant”. 
 

Director of the Regional Labor Office in Katowice,

Director of the Provincial Labor Office in Katowice, academic lecturer, trainer, career counselor with many years of experience. Labor market expert, constantly cooperating with European universities, especially the Hochschule der Bundesagentur für Arbeit. During the pandemic, he implemented aid packages for entrepreneurs in the form of Pillar II of the Silesian Package for the Economy and the government's “Anti-Crisis Shield” for a total of more than PLN 2 billion. Laureate of the Golden Badge of Honor for Services to the Silesian Voivodeship. 

Counsellor at the Department of Trade and International Cooperation, the Ministry of Development and Technology

Civil servant with many years of experience in government work. A long-time employee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, dealing with EU and WTO trade policy issues. At the European Union level, he deals with issues related to the elimination of barriers to trade and investment in Polish exports to non-EU markets. Within the framework of the European Union's trade policy, as Poland's delegate, he participates in meetings of the Market Access Committee (MAAC) in Brussels, where he coordinates Poland's position, presents and cooperates with the European Commission, EU countries and EU business in taking action to remove unjustified trade barriers for Polish entrepreneurs. 
At the level of the World Trade Organization (WTO), in the framework of the work of the Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) in Geneva, he is Poland's representative and coordinates work on eliminating technical barriers to trade for Polish exports.
He also represents Poland at meetings of the TBR (Trade Barrier Regulation) Committee. He is a participant in the work of the inter-ministerial Team on Barriers to Access to Third Country Markets identifying barriers to access to non-EU countries relevant to Polish entrepreneurs. He is responsible for managing the process on Poland's notification to the WTO on the issue of working out national legislation to eliminate potential technical barriers to trade (TBT Committee).
 

Chairman of the Board of Directors of Zagłębie Sports Park sp z o.o.

Chairman of the Board of Directors of Zagłębie Sports Park sp. z o.o., managing the multidisciplinary sports and recreation complex ArcelorMittal Park in Sosnowiec, which includes three sports units: Football Stadium, Winter Stadium and Sports Hall, which are the arena for numerous events of national and European rank. Managing the Company during the entire period of construction of the largest municipal investment of the City of Sosnowiec implemented in 2019 - 2023. Speaker of numerous conferences devoted to the implementation of municipal investments and the management of facilities using the contract of entrustment of the Municipality's own task based on financing through compensation, as well as devoted to the construction and implementation of partnerships in the naming rights formula. Initiator of a number of CSR activities including the cyclical Mega Paka for Kids campaign, business meetings. In the preceding years, Organizational Director of the Upper Silesian Fund S.A. in Katowice supervising properties and subsidiaries of the Fund, also responsible for the work of the Management Office. For many years an accredited business advisor to the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (PARP), Chairwoman of the Council of KSU Consultation Points in Poland constituting an advisory and opinion-giving body for PARP in the scope of provided advisory services within the KSU system, expert of numerous opinion-giving teams in the scope of implementation of European Funds (PARP, Silesian Marshal's Office, GARR SA). Coordinator of projects financed by European Union funds, managing a team of advisors providing entrepreneurship support services. Financial analyst of the loan fund of the Upper Silesian Regional Development Agency S.A., academic teacher at the Rev. Emil Szramek Higher School of Management and Social Sciences in Tychy, lecturer at the Silesian Training Center in Katowice. Member of the supervisory body of BBC Authorized Advisor for companies listed on the NewConnect market. Graduate of numerous postgraduate economic studies, including MBA managerial studies at the School of Business - National Louis University.

Lieutenant General of the Polish Army

Lieutenant General of the Polish Army, certified officer of armored and mechanized troops. He began his service in the Polish Army in 1976. From 2006-09 he served as commander of the Land Forces.

From 1976-1980 he graduated from the Higher School of Armored Forces Officers in Poznan. Graduate of the Polish Army General Staff Academy and Postgraduate Operational-Strategic Studies at the National Defense Academy in Warsaw.Completed the 2006 Survey of Topics in Strategic-Level Defense Resources Management at the Defense Resources Management Institute at the Naval Postgraduate School,Monterey,California(USA).

He took his first duty position - commander of a tank platoon - in the 16th Dnow-Lusitanian Medium Tank Regiment in Slupsk. In 1982 he became commander of a tank company in this military unit, and two years later he was sent to the General Staff Academy. After graduating from it in 1987, he remained in Warsaw, where he was an aspirant in the Operational Board of the Main Board of Combat Training of the Polish Army. He then served in the 20th Armored Division in the positions of Chief of Staff of the 68th Tank Regiment in Budowa and Chief of Staff of the 33rd Mechanized Regiment in Zlocieniec. In 1991, he took command of the 32 Bautzen Mechanized Regiment in Kolobrzeg. From 1993 to 1996 he held the position of Chief of Staff of the 1st Warsaw Mechanized Division in Legionowo, after which he was assigned to the Land Forces Command in Warsaw, where he was Deputy Chief of Combat Training. In 1997 he completed Postgraduate Operational and Strategic Studies at the National Defense Academy.

From 1998 to 2001, he commanded the 16th Pomeranian Mechanized Division in Elblag. Subsequently, he held the following positions: chief of the Headquarters of Armored and Mechanized Forces - deputy chief of Land Forces Training, chief of the Board of Doctrine and Training of the Armed Forces General Operations Board P3 at the General Staff, Polish Army in Warsaw, and chief of the G3 Land Operations Board - deputy chief of the Land Forces Staff. In 2003, he was appointed commander of the 11th Lubuska Armored Cavalry Division in Żagań. From February to July 2005, he commanded the Multinational Division Center-South as part of the 4th shift of the Polish Military Contingent Iraq. On October 3, 2006, he became commander of the Land Forces, which he commanded until September 2009.

CEO of WorkerService Sp. z o.o.

Entrepreneur with experience gained in Poland and the United States. Current operations include five ice cream shops, more than a hundred workforce housing units, a construction and renovation company, and temporary employment agencies WorkerService, Workersolution and Hiringsolution.
 

Institute of Social Sciences, University of Warsaw

expert on labor law, labor market and social dialogue of the Federation of Polish Entrepreneurs, lecturer at Warsaw University

LinkedIn Poland Women Leader

Co-founder and Leader of LinkedIn Poland Women. Passionate about foreign languages and a lover of the Dutch language and culture.

She promotes the topics of mental health, resilience and well-being by hosting the podcast “Stawiam na Naturę”, where you can hear conversations with authorities from the world of psychology, psychodietetics and neuroscience.

For years she has been associated with the editorial board of Nature Magazine. As a self-advocate for ADHD and an ambassador for neurodiverse people in the workplace, she conducts training in neuroinclusive communication.

For years she has specialized in establishing international business partnerships. She is currently involved in the HR industry. Close to her thinking are the words: “Diversity opens the human imagination to what is possible.”

Chief Labor Inspector

Graduate of the Faculty of Law and Administration at the University of Łódź and Postgraduate Studies in European Law at the University of Łódź.

He is qualified as an occupational health and safety specialist and holds pedagogical qualifications. He completed postgraduate studies in occupational safety and health at the Technical University of Łódź and postgraduate pedagogical studies at the Higher School of Economics and Humanities in Łódź.

For many years he has specialized in practical issues of labor law. This is fostered by his nearly 20 years of work experience in the State Labor Inspectorate, where - in addition to performing supervisory and control functions as a first-level adm. authority - he carried out activities as a public prosecutor and attorney for employees before courts of first and second instance. He was a practicing legal counsel for many years.

He taught postgraduate courses in occupational health and safety at the Higher School of Economics and Humanities in Skierniewice. He also served as a municipal consumer ombudsman in Skierniewice. He is the author of articles on labor law and occupational health and safety published in Dziennik Gazeta Prawna, Rzeczpospolita and INFOR.pl.
As director of the Labor Law Department at the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy, a position he held from 2021 to 2024, he was among the most influential lawyers in Poland - in the prestigious ranking organized by “Dziennik Gazeta Prawna” in 2022 he was ranked 23rd, and a year later he was promoted to 16th place. 
As of June 15, 2024, he was appointed by the Speaker of the Sejm, Szymon Hołownia, to the position of Chief Labor Inspector.
 

Manager for ESG at EFL

A manager with many years of experience in product marketing, he is an expert in implementing strategies for the B2B services sector. He has been involved in the leasing industry since 2002, and his main areas of responsibility are product development and developing new markets. Since 2022, at EFL (Credit Agricole Group), he has been the business leader of the Greenify project, developing the financing offer for the energy transformation of companies. As part of strengthening the sustainability area at EFL Group, he took on the role of ESG manager, supporting one of the pillars of the French CA Group's global strategy.
Expert in the areas of product management and market strategies.

Member of the BGK Management Board

Master's degree in management from the Warsaw School of Economics, scholarship holder at Mannheim Universitat. He has continuously held top management positions in Polish multinationals for 20 years, co-creating strategies and supervising subsidiaries in Europe, the Middle East in China and India, among others. He also served as chairman of the board of a public company listed on the WSE. He served as an independent expert on the supervisory boards of the listed companies Rank Progress S.A. and Kino Polska TV S.A. (member of the audit committee). Since 2002, he has been qualified to sit on the supervisory boards of state-owned companies (state exam, diploma number 235/2002). He has been scientifically engaged in developing innovative solutions for the public sector for 12 years. He is one of the architects of the POL-on system, a comprehensive digital model of the national science and higher education ecosystem, awarded the EUNIS Elite Award for Excellence Europe. Co-founder of the Social Contract Incubator, which brings together Polish scientists, intellectuals and entrepreneurs seeking agreement to strengthen the democratic system in Poland. Co-author of the book Let's Make a Deal for Poland, a Polish concept of systemic innovation.
For a decade, she has served on the jury of the “Businesswoman of the Year” competition organized by the “Sukces pisany szminką” foundation.
 

Deputy Chancellor for Education, Wojciech Korfanty Upper Silesian Academy in Katowice

Professor of Computer Science and Chair of the Department of Computer Science at Trinity College (Hartford, Connecticut)

Currently, she is stationed as a Fulbright U.S. Scholar at NASK - National Research Institute in Warsaw. Previously, she was a lecturer and researcher at Yale University, where she earned a PhD in computer science. She earned her bachelor's and master's degrees from the Military University of Technology in Poland. Her research focuses on computer security and distributed systems, with a particular emphasis on user privacy and building secure systems. She is currently researching blockchain technology, public key infrastructure and formal proofs of security protocols. She has co-authored publications at prestigious conferences such as ACM CCS, IEEE S&P, IACR CRYPTO. She actively collaborates with academic institutions in Europe and the US. Her research is funded by the US National Science Foundation. Honored for her teaching and mentoring achievements, she actively supports increasing women's participation in computer science and works with Trinity College's Center for Entrepreneurship to develop academic and leadership programs for women. 

President of the “ Śląskie Anioły” Foundation

Doctor of Medical Sciences, Prof. ŚUM, FEBO

Born in Upper Silesia, he comes from Upper Silesia. He completed his medical studies at the Medical University of Wrocław and the E.K. Universität in Tübingen. His research on the blood-brain barrier at the University of Kentucky earned him a PhD defended at the Silesian Medical University in 2015. A year later, he began ophthalmology training, graduating in 2020. The following year, he received a postdoctoral degree and passed the European Ophthalmological Society (EBO) exam. Since 2011, he has been an investigator in a number of Phase I to IV clinical trials. He received a Kosciuszko Foundation Fellowship and was a research fellow at Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School. He was the recipient of the 2020-21 Fulbright Senior Award at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and the EuRetina Fellowship at Ghent University. Prof. Wylęgała's main area of research is ophthalmic imaging, both anterior and posterior. He has co-authored, several books, dozens of articles and one patent application.

President of the Board of Directors of the Company National Institute for Energy Efficiency

Has been involved in energy efficiency for 10 years. Experienced auditor, advisor and expert in widely understood energy efficiency and public procurement procedures.
Conducted and coordinated more than 300 audits for various entities, prepared the implementation of more than 100 projects, most of them with the provision of external financing in various formulas and the possibility of repayment of investments from the obtained savings.

Director of the Enterprise Banking Center, PKO Bank Polski

A manager with many years of experience in international financial companies. During her professional path, she has had the opportunity to observe German, Dutch and Japanese corporate cultures, among others. Her key competence is building teams that achieve their goals on the basis of mutual trust and cooperation, and her unique experience is working in both insurance companies, investment funds and banking. Currently at PKO BP she is responsible for the Enterprises segment. Trained as a lawyer, political scientist and mediator, she also holds an MBA. Privately, she is a mother of two daughters and a fan of detective stories, fantasy literature and culinary travel. 

Manager for foreign investment Invest Region Leipzig GmbH

She has lived in the north of Germany in Bremen (Land Bremen) for more than thirty years. 
After completing her master's degree at the Universität Bremen (Direction: Cultural History of Central and Eastern Europe, Sociology), she went into business for herself. 
Before that, from 1981 to 1989, she stayed in the former Yugoslavia in Zagreb, where she completed her studies (Direction: South Slavic Languages and Literatures at Filozofskom Fakultetu 
Zagreb).  After becoming a graduate, she began working as a translator and tourist guide. This time period became a unique opportunity for her to confront not only the 
with Balkan multiculturalism.
Since 2005, as the founder of a consulting company in Germany (Urszula Wöltjen. Deutsch - Polnisches Consulting), she has taken action in the sphere of Polish-German economic and business contacts. At the same time, from 2011 to 2016, she served as a plenipotentiary of the Łódź Special Economic Zone S.A. for attracting investors 
from the German-speaking region of Europe. 
Since 2017, she has served as an official representative of the German company Invest Region Leipzig GmbH in Poland.
As an advisor with many years of experience in the German market as well as the Polish market in the field of foreign investment, he supports the internationalization of entrepreneurship on both sides of the Oder River.  
Her knowledge of Polish, German, Serbian and Croatian are the instruments that enable her to operate professionally in the international arena.

People Country Lead – Poland and CEE w SD Worx Poland

She has been professionally involved in the field of human resource management for nearly 20 years. She has built international HR shared service teams, supporting employees of global organizations. She has had the pleasure of implementing and training teams and leaders of various levels.

She has been working with SD Worx since the brand appeared on the Polish market in 2021. Enthusiast of digitalization and modern technologies in HR and beyond.

Mayor of the City of Łódź, Member of the European Committee of the Regions

She was born in Łódź. She is a graduate of XXVI High School. She graduated in environmental engineering from the Faculty of Construction and Architecture at the Technical University of Lodz. After graduation she built Łódź housing estates - Retkinia and Radogoszcz - and ran a clothing company. For six years she served as director of the office of the Lodz Chamber of Industry and Commerce. In 2006, she became a councilor of the City Council, later becoming vice mayor of Lodz. Education, sports and EU funds were under her authority. In autumn 2007, she was elected deputy to the Sejm of the Republic of Poland from the Civic Platform list. She served as deputy chairman of the Special Committee “Friendly State” for matters related to the reduction of bureaucracy.
On December 13, 2010, Hanna Zdanowska was sworn in as Mayor of Łódź after winning the local elections. She was elected for a second term by Lodz residents already in the first round of elections on November 16, 2014. She took the oath of office again on December 1, 2014. 
On October 21, 2018, the citizens of Łódź entrusted her with the post of Mayor of Łódź for the third time. Hanna Zdanowska received more than 215,000 votes (more than 70 percent) in the first round. She was sworn in for another term on November 21, 2018, during the first session of the eighth term of the City Council of Lodz.
On April 7, 2024, Hanna Zdanowska was elected Mayor of Lodz for the fourth time, receiving more than 143,000 votes (more than 59 percent) in the first round. 
Mayor Hanna Zdanowska has been a member of the European Committee of the Regions (ECR) since December 2019. In the current term of the EKR, she sits on the ENVE Committee - Environment, Climate Change and Energy, the SEDEC Committee - Social Policy, Education, Employment, Research and Culture. He is also a member of the EKR Green Deal Going Local Working Group, an EKR Climate Pact Ambassador and a National Ambassador for the Covenant of Mayors.
 

CEO, Przedsiebiorstwospoleczne.pl nonprofit limited liability company.

An economist by training, since 2006 he has been working on combining entrepreneurship with the realization of social goals, he has very extensive consulting and coaching experience and more than 6 years of experience in running a social cooperative and a nonprofit limited liability company with social enterprise status; he is happy to share his knowledge through his blog www.przedsiebiorstwospoleczne.pl