Coordinator of activities for refugees from Ukraine Representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in the Republic of Poland

Kevin J. Allen is currently serving as Coordinator of Refugee Action for Ukraine and Representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in the Republic of Poland.

In recent years, Mr. Allen has held managerial and diplomatic positions at UNHCR headquarters in Geneva, led UNHCR's response to the Rohingya refugee exodus from Myanmar to Bangladesh, and served as UNHCR Representative in the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal and in the Republic of Tajikistan.

Previous UNHCR assignments in which Mr. Allen was involved included work in refugee camps 
refugees on the border of Kenya and Somalia, managing refugee protection operations in Afghanistan,
managing the emergency response to the floods in Pakistan, and leading the legal, advocacy and refugee protection efforts in Mexico, Cuba, Guatemala, el Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Belize. In addition, Mr. Allen has coordinated from Japan on projects of emergency preparedness with national governments, UN partners and non-governmental organizations  in the Asia-Pacific region. He began his service with the United Nations in the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations in Kosovo.

Before joining the UN, Mr. Allen served in the United States Marine Corps, and then worked as a volunteer in the U.S. Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic. He later worked as an attorney with the law firm of Williams & Connolly LLP in Washington, DC. Mr. Allen holds a doctorate in law from Georgetown University, completed postgraduate studies in international relations at the University of Chile and a bachelor's degree in the history of diplomacy at the University of Boulder, Colorado

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 at CEZATECH (IZTECH Group)

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 Economic Analysis Department, Santander Bank Poland

CEO of the Silesian Park

Graduate of the University of Economics in Katowice, the Warsaw School of Economics, and the MBA Postgraduate Studies conducted by GFKM Gdańsk and the University of Silesia.

Manager with many years of experience in the industrial and training sectors, specializing in the development of sales markets in Poland and abroad. He gained experience, among others, in supervisory bodies of companies in the water and sewage industry. Since November 2021, he has been responsible for managing Park Slaski S.A.. Within the scope of his position, he implements, among others, the process of revitalization of the Silesian Park, investment processes related to the development of the offer directed to park users and financial processes that increase stability and enable further development of the company in the future.

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).
 

Managing Director WUNDERTEAM Agency

Head of the Cybersecurity Standards Team, CERT ORLEN

A graduate of Wroclaw University of Technology, he completed postgraduate studies at the Military University of Technology. Holder of CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional), CISM (Certified Information Security Manager) and CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker) certifications, with several years of experience in information security and cyber security. He is responsible for cyber security standards
at ORLEN S.A., where he currently serves as Team Manager. Prior to joining ORLEN S.A., he served as Department Director in the financial sector, both in government administration and in Banks

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.

Dyrektor Biura Finansowania Handlu Klienta Premium, Departament Finansowania Handlu, Santander Bank Polska S.A.

Co-founder and CEO, CleverHive #Anti-shock.

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.
 

Fulbright Program Ambassador to Kraków

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. 

President of the Board of the Association of Employers of Innovative, Consulting and Development Companies “INDORO”

President of the Board of the Association of Employers of Innovative, Consulting and Development Companies “INDORO” and Vice Chairman of the Council of the Polish Chamber of Training Companies. Expert in competence development, with 25 years of experience in the development services sector, in Polish and international organizations, with a long list of completed training and consulting projects and social activities for the sector.

Director of Business and Corporate Client Products and Services Area, Santander Bank Polska

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.

President Poland-U.S. Operations

A graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, in 2012 Ron was selected as the Air Force Programs Officer at the U.S. Embassy in the Office of Defense Cooperation in Warsaw. His responsibilities included managing and coordinating the disbursement of more than $4 billion in Foreign Military Equipment Sales programs between the United States and the Republic of Poland. Ron was also a Security Cooperation Instructor at the Defense Institute of Security Cooperation Studies (DISCS) at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. There he was responsible for training U.S. Department of Defense Security Cooperation staff, industry representatives and foreign partners. Training included programs such as Foreign Military Sales, International Arms Cooperation, Partnership Capacity Building, Excess Defense Subjects, International Agreements, Acquisition, Security Cooperation Office operations, and other authorizations and appropriations under Article 10 and Article 22 of the U.S. Code. Through PLUS Ops, Ron has provided training and consulting services to dozens of Polish companies, resulting in the award of contracts worth more than $10 million. Ron was also the author of “The Guide: Become a Supplier to the U.S. Army Stationed in Poland,” commissioned by the Ministry of Development, Labor and Technology (MRPiT) in 2020

Deputy Ombudsman for Small and Medium Enterprises

Deputy Ombudsman for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, doctor of legal sciences, legal counsel, researcher at the Department of Administrative Procedure at Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin. He was President of the Union of Employers of Lublin Region and a member of the Council of Employers of the Republic, a member of the Team for Certification of Contractors in Public Procurement and State Procurement Policy at the Minister of Development and Technology, a member of the Advisory Team of the Chief Inspector of Construction Supervision, He was a researcher at the Chair and Department of Public Health at the Medical University of Lublin, On January 31, 2024, he was appointed Plenipotentiary of the Minister of Development and Technology for Deregulation and Economic Dialogue. Winner of the award - Lawyer PRO BONO 2017.

Director of the Labor Market Department at the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy

PhD in political science and administration, assistant professor at the Department of Labor System and Labor Market at the University of Warsaw, long-time employee of government and local administration. Director of the Labor Market Department at the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy, member of the Supervisory Board of the Social Insurance Institution, Scientific Councils of NASK and the Central Institute for Labor Protection, member of the Board of the Network of Heads of Public Employment Services of the European Union.

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). 

Secretary of the City of Sosnowiec

Secretary of the City of Sosnowiec since 2013, and began working in local government in 2004. So far, he has professionally represented the environment by being the chairman and board member of the National Council of Secretaries' Forums and the Silesian Secretaries' Forum. He graduated from the University of Economics in Katowice (formerly the Academy of Economics), Ecole française de modernisation industrielle, reconversion et développement régional (Katowice University of Technology/Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Nancy , MBA (WSB), and is currently a student of the second edition of the Postgraduate Studies “Artificial Intelligence in Business and the Public Sector” at the Warsaw School of Economics.
Before joining local government, he worked in commercial companies in the banking, construction and automotive sectors.

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.
 

CFO & Deputy Country Head, CTP Polska

Manadżer w wieloletnim doświadczeniem w nieruchomościach w międzynarodowych strukturach. Ostatnie doświadczenie to strategiczne zarządzanie firmą, budowanie marki CTP w Polsce oraz rozwój portfela nieruchomościowego spółki obejmującego obecnie ponad 2,8 mln mkw. gruntów w polskim banku ziemi. Swoje działania koncentruje na ekspansji lokalnego biznesu, a także ścisłej współpracy z interesariuszami biznesowymi z różnorodnych branż i krajów z celem rozwoju w krajach CEE. Jej zdolność do ustalania priorytetów inwestycyjnych oraz umiejętności przywódcze przyczyniły się do zdecydowanego ugruntowania pozycji CTP na polskim rynku.  
Bogi ma ponad 25-letnie doświadczenie w ocenie inwestycji, pozyskiwaniu kapitału, jak również w zarządzaniu aktywami, ryzykiem i funduszami we wszystkich klasach nieruchomości komercyjnych, które zdobywała, pracując między innymi dla międzynarodowych organizacji w USA oraz w Europie. Jako lider wyróżnia się wysokim poziomem przedsiębiorczości i rozwiniętymi zdolnościami przywódczymi uzyskanymi podczas prowadzenia własnej działalności gospodarczej w USA. W swojej karierze wielokrotnie przeprowadzała firmy przez złożone transakcje ekspansji, reorganizacji i rozwoju kapitałowego. Przed dołączeniem do CTP Polska była związana z takimi markami, jak Golub Co, White Star Real Estate/AIG-Lincoln czy PWC.

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.

CEO at Dig in Vision

Radoslaw Galka is a well-respected entrepreneur and engineer with more than 15 years of experience in cross-border recruitment in Europe. His innovative approach to business has resulted in the creation of several leading companies in the HR industry.
His business achievements include founding and managing three staffing agencies: Poland Workforce, Lucrez In Europa and EU Workers. In 2014, he created the europa.jobs portal, which attracts more than 2 million users a year. His latest project, Dig in Vision, focuses on VR technology.
Dig in Vision is a technology company that specializes in creating proprietary virtual reality training solutions. The resulting simulators use artificial intelligence and proprietary algorithms to enable learning in a virtual environment. Integration of simulation with cloud computing is a response to modern needs - access to the results of training from anywhere in the world, the ability to confirm competence and the absence of language barriers. The company responds to the needs of the modern training and education market, with a strong focus on improving quality, safety and low emissions in the training process.

University of Economics in Katowice

Employee of the Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovative Management. Specializes in research in the area of enterprise competitiveness, management in the public sector and managerial tools, including in particular controlling with the use of IT solutions. He has practical experience in consulting and management in health care units. Superintendent of the course of study of the first and second degree with a practical profile “Entrepreneurship and Finance”.

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 Netrix Ventures

Creator of the Wyzwoleni.org podcast, marketing consultant

Mayor of the City of Tychy

Since May 7, 2024, he has been president of the City of Tychy. Previously, he was deputy mayor in charge of education, education, culture, health promotion and prevention, and broadly defined social assistance. In his work he also dealt with topics related to employment, unemployment and vocational activation of Tychy residents.

He graduated in sociology from the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Silesia (specialization: social work). He began his professional career as a radio journalist at Radio Flash. He spent more than 20 years in radio and was the winner of many competitions for journalists. He won the title of Medical Journalist of the Year in 2012 and has been a member of the Program Council of Radio Katowice since 2016.

In 2014, he swapped the radio microphone for the desk of the spokesperson for the Provincial Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management in Katowice. After two years at the Fund, he became Director of the Department of Social Communication and spokesperson for the Office of the Marshal of the Silesian Voivodeship. He worked there until 2018. At the same time, from 2010 to 2018, he was a councilman for the City of Tychy, serving as Chairman of the City Council, among other positions.

He likes to spend his free time actively in the mountains, cycling or running, but also in the concert hall and theater. A lover of good cinema and good food. He enjoys traveling and discovering new places. Privately a husband and father of a teenager.

Secretary of State in the Ministry of Digital Affairs

Legal advisor, social activist, long-time local government official, Member of Parliament and passionate about new technologies.

Doctor of law, expert witness, and author and co-author of numerous legal publications in the field of criminology. Legal knowledge and management experience were his entry point into business. In a large Polish corporation, he was responsible, among other things, for organizing the company's legal services. He built shared service centers. He was an expert in one of the renowned consulting firms.

During his dozen years of working for his hometown of Tychy, he was, among other things, a councilman and vice-mayor for land use. He also served as Deputy Marshal of the Silesian Voivodeship from 2016 to 2018.

He is a member of the Sejm of the Polish Republic for the ninth and tenth terms.

In his spare time, he sails. He is passionate about new technologies and good books.

Privately - a father of two sons.

Brand Marketing Director, Bluerank

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.

Co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer at Booksy

Co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer at “Booksy,” one of the fastest growing startups internationally. The Booksy app operates in more than 25 countries around the world including the US, Europe including France, Spain, England and Poland, as well as Brazil and South Africa. It is used by more than 40 million users and currently ranks No. 1 in the lifestyle category in 11 countries worldwide. Previously, he co-founded “iTaxi,” Poland's first cab ordering app, and software house “SensiSoft.”

Awarded “Most Innovative Web Site Of All Time” by the Huffington Post USA, winner of the American Design Awards and Golden Drum. Winner of the International Center for Biocybernetics competition for work in the area of artificial intelligence and robotics.

He supports projects that have a positive social impact, including, as a business angel, investing in Smartschool, an adaptive AI tutor that equalizes educational opportunities for young people in the US, and ForActive, an app for the sports & wellness industry that supports users in personal development and healthy living.

President of the Indian Economic Trade Organization (IETO)

Leader responsible for developing trade relations between India and Africa. Trained as an architect, he holds a doctorate in social behavior management. As president of IETO and the India-Africa Trade Council, he leads business delegations, promotes bilateral trade and supports economic development between the regions.

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.

Deputy Director of Technology Transfer, WSB Academy

Karol Jędrasiak, Ph.D., academician, teacher and manager, author of 88 scientific publications, including three scientific monographs, cited a total of more than 700 times according to Google Scholar. His H-index according to Google Scholar is 19. His scientific experience includes participation in 26 research and development projects, including 24 with NCBiR, in five as project manager, in four as project manager within the unit, and participation in more than 30 conferences and symposia of national or international character. Karol Jedrasiak is also an RPO WSL/POIR Expert, a member of the Steering Committee of the GameINN Sector Program, and a member of the Society for Image Processing. As a result of his work to date and cooperation with industry, 32 claims of intellectual property rights (6 granted patents, 8 patent applications, 18 rights of registration of industrial design) have been created. For his scientific and organizational achievements, he has been honored in recent years with more than 10 awards from national and international institutions. He is a specialist in computer vision, virtual reality, artificial intelligence tools, computer, database and sensory systems manufacturing. He has held management positions in private companies since 2008. For 8 years he was CEO of VRTechnology, a company developing algorithms in the field of data analysis and commercializing innovative solutions in the field of virtual reality technology and professional simulation and training systems. He currently holds the position of NATO DEEP eAcademy VR Coordinator and is actively involved in the creation of a global initiative to standardize the use of new technologies in education - GETES. In 2024, he was awarded the Medal of the National Education Commission and a certificate of appreciation for his exceptional contribution to the successful implementation of the “e-Instructor Certification Program” by NATO Assistant Secretary General for Operations Tom Goffus.

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.
 

Publishing director of thematic services, Editor-in-Chief of Strefa Biznesu

Publishing director of thematic services and editor-in-chief of a number of websites and magazines of the Polska Press Group, a leading media group. He manages, among others, the Business Zone, Education Zone, Agro Zone and the group's construction and real estate services.

Kerger is a business journalist and manager with 20 years of experience. Among other things, he is the creator and first editor-in-chief of the Local Government Portal and PulsHR.pl. From 2017 to 2024, he was also the head of WNP.PL, recognized as the best portal about energy in 2022. Over the years, he has been associated with the European Economic Congress, previously with Puls Biznesu, Wirtualna Polska and Press monthly, among others.

Vice President of the Polish Bank Association

Graduated from the Faculty of Foreign Trade at the Warsaw School of Economics and the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Technology at the Warsaw University of Technology.
He also did postgraduate studies at the Institute of Foreign Trade Theory at Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz. He is a graduate of the INSEAD Fontainebleau Advanced Management Program.
In 1991, he joined the banking sector as director of the foreign department at the National Bank of Poland. He took part in Poland's negotiations with the London Club and the Paris Club on debt relief. From 1995, he was vice chairman of the board of directors of Hypo-Bank Poland, and then vice chairman of the board of directors of Bank Gospodarki Żywnościowej.
From 2002 to 2011, he served as chairman of the board of directors of Nordea Bank Polska, where, among other things, he led the merger with LG Petrobank. During that time, he also served on the governing bodies of the Polish Bank Association. In 2012, he took the position of vice-president of the management board for finance at KGHM Polska Miedź. In 2013, he was awarded the badge of honor “For meritorious service to the public finances of the Republic of Poland.” From 2015 to 2017, he was a superintendent at Bank Polskiej Spółdzielczości SA and a member of the Banking Ethics Committee of the ZBP.
Since 2017, he has been vice-president of the Association of Polish Banks. 

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. 
 

President of Koleje Śląskie, Expert in Strategic Investments

Previously, he was a member of the board of directors of the Silesian Voivodeship responsible for investments, European regional projects, public transportation, education and social affairs. Previously, among other things, he was vice president of the revitalizing post-industrial quarter of the city, the Full Life Factory in Dąbrowa Górnicza, and president of the Silesian Stadium in Chorzów.

Director of the Grozny Research Center of the University of Silesia

Michal Klosinski, a horror writer, literary theorist, lover of anime, cyberpunk, dystopian and RPG games. He teaches courses in the Art of Writing and Creative Writing and Publishing Marketing, which he co-founded with a team of educational revolutionaries.

Professor at UŚ, director of the Center for Grotesque Studies, VP of the GET3S Institute, member of the Network for the Scientific Study of Games (DiGRA) and Utopias (USS, SUS). Graduate of the Paris Program in Critical Theory. PI in National Science Center grants in Prelude (2011-2013) and Opus (2022-2025) competitions.

He has published research in Game Studies, Games and Culture, Journal of Gaming and Virtual Worlds, Secondary Texts, ER(R)GO, among others. He is the author of monographs on literary theory (2013, 2015), analysis and interpretation of digital games (2023), and research on gaming utopias and dystopias (2018). He has co-edited books devoted to the study of the economics of literature (2016), utopias (2016) and digital game discourses (2019).

Michael combines philosophical reflection (hermeneutics, philosophy of technology, Object Oriented Ontology) with narratological considerations (post-classical and transmedia narratology), and the contemporary art of interpretation, exploring a field of research combining game studies and utopian studies.

He is currently working on problems of managing life in and with games.

Director of Trade Finance Department, Santander Bank Polska

Director of Regional Support, PAIH

Manager with experience in international organizations in real estate, energy and B2B consulting. Specialized in project management and implementation of project strategies for distributed teams. At PAIH, she manages the Regional Support Department, responsible for providing real support to Polish entrepreneurs from the SME sector in the search for market opportunities and export potential.

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.

Director of Corporate and Private Client Credit Risk Area, Santander Bank Polska

Member of the Management Board, GZM Metropolis

Bytom resident, experienced civil servant and local government official. In recent years, head of the Department of Strategy, European Funds and Investor Services of the Bytom City Hall. He is a graduate of the Jerzy Kukuczka Academy of Physical Education in Katowice. He completed postgraduate studies in “Manager of Sport and Tourism”, “Project Management” and MBA. Since 1994, he has worked in or for various local government institutions. Over the years, he was responsible for obtaining funding and supervised the implementation of multi-million dollar projects. From 2014 to 2018 he served as deputy mayor of Świętochłowice.

Member of the Polish Parliament, psychologist

Producer of projects for women and presenter of the seminar “Mbank is a woman”

She started her professional path as an accountant in an American corporation, she was also a trader, advertising specialist in luxury women's magazines, producer of a project for business women, opened franchise boutiques in Poland, created custom magazines, For 9 years she has been running an event marketing agency and organizing: fashion shows, film premieres, conferences for large clients, workshops, development trips. She was a manager of several famous and charismatic women min Ewa Ewart. For the past 6 years, she has been conducting “Mbank is a woman” seminars. In her so-called free time she is an interior designer and home stager.
“If you don't change anything then you won't change anything,” she says.

Dean of the Faculty of Applied Sciences, Humanitas Academy

Dean of the Faculty of Applied Sciences, Director of the Development Office at the Humanitas Academy, member of the Sosnowiec Council of Women.

A counselor, educator, university lecturer and entrepreneur by profession. For nearly 25 years she has been associated with higher education in the Polish and foreign markets. With her knowledge, competence and skills, she helps people and institutions achieve their planned goals. She builds relationships, negotiates and mediates. He implements projects, trains, coaches in interpersonal communication, assertiveness, stress management, anti-bullying and discrimination. She works according to and principle - non-violence. Author of numerous scientific articles. Her vision is to develop more areas of knowledge, cooperation with the business community and attentiveness. She builds trust. She listens carefully to herself and those around her, believing that teamwork divides the task and multiplies success. 

Her motto is: collaborate - don't compete

Mayor of the City of Katowice

He has always been connected with Katowice - he was born, works and lives here. He graduated from the Faculty of Transportation at the Silesian University of Technology. In 2005 he defended his doctoral thesis in the field of Mechanical Engineering and Operation, and then worked as an assistant professor at the same university. He also completed postgraduate studies in Organization Management. He is an expert on the evaluation of EU projects within the framework of the ROP of the Silesian Voivodeship and an expert on the fiscal means of motor transport.

From 2006 to 2010, he was a councilor of the City Council of Katowice, and from 2010 to 2014, he was vice-mayor in charge of strategic areas in the city - overseeing work in strategic planning, transportation systems development, environmental protection and shaping, municipal management, land use and planning, and construction. In 2014, he announced his election program - “Agreement with the people of Katowice” - and was elected mayor of Katowice.

Mayor of the City of Rybnik

Mayor of the City of Rybnik since December 2014, councilor of the City of Rybnik in 2006-2014, history teacher by profession.

Graduate of the 1st High School named after Powstańców Śląskich in Rybnik. He received higher education at the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Silesia, majoring in history. He also completed postgraduate studies at the Faculty of Philology at the University of Silesia and at the Rev. Józef Tischner European University in Cracow. Until 2014, he worked at the Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski Secondary School in Rybnik, teaching history and social studies. Since 2006 he has been associated with the Rybnik local government. He was elected councilor of the City of Rybnik, and served as Chairman of the Councilors' Club of the Civic Platform of the Republic of Poland. After local elections in 2014, he became Mayor of the City of Rybnik. In 2018, he successfully ran for re-election. 

As the host of the city, he focuses primarily on social dialogue and the involvement of residents in activities for the benefit of Rybnik. He undertakes intensive efforts to obtain external funds for the development of the city. Thanks to his efforts, the Board of the Silesian Voivodeship has selected the City of Rybnik's project covering the first stage of the construction of the Racibórz-Pszczyna road in the area of Rybnik for funding. This is the highest subsidy ever awarded to a project implemented by the City of Rybnik in the course of more than a dozen years of applying for EU funds. As mayor of Rybnik, Piotr Kuczera has focused, among other things, on intensifying efforts to improve air quality in the city. Piotr Kuczera's goal is to prepare city buildings to move away from coal by 2025. He has been consistently implementing this policy for several years; currently, out of 187 city buildings, only six are still heated with coal. The challenge is still municipal buildings, which are consistently being thermally upgraded and equipped with new heating sources.  

Implementing a consistent bicycle policy, formulating clear rules for the financing of sports clubs, striving to revitalize places of Rybnik's heritage of the past and standardize the aesthetics of urban space, increasing investor interest in Rybnik, establishing closer cooperation with universities and entrepreneurs, and taking an interest in technological innovations - these are the areas that mark the character of his presidency. 

Piotr Kuczera also engages in supra-local activities. As chairman of the Silesian Union of Municipalities and Districts, he takes initiatives for the development of the region. He is chairman of the Union of Municipalities and Districts of the Western Subregion of the Silesian Voivodeship, based in Rybnik. He also represents Rybnik in the Association of Polish Cities.

Privately, he is a passionate photographer and lover of good literature. He spends his free time tending his garden. 

Mayor of the City of Gliwice

Associated with Gliwice since birth. Graduate of Polish philology at the University of Silesia in Katowice. For many years associated with journalism - including Radio Plus, Polish Television and Dziennik Zachodni. From 2004, she was director of the press office at the municipal office, and then of the press office of the Silesian governor. For the next 15 years she worked in government and local administration, heading, among other things, the dialogue team. She was also in charge of crisis communications. Since 2015, she has been director of the Marshal's Office of the Marshal of the Silesian Voivodeship, where she implemented senior citizen and youth programs, developed cooperation with NGOs and international entities, and worked actively on behalf of women. She was also director of the Dialogue Department at the Marshal's Office. For years she has been actively working for the city and its residents. In 2018, she was elected to the Gliwice City Council.

In the 2024 local elections, she was elected mayor of Gliwice.

She is married to Boris and is mother to Michalina and Lena. She spends her free time most happily traveling and with a book in hand.

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).

Trade Counselor and Head of Chancellery, Embassy of India in Poland

Commercial Counselor, Embassy of Austria - Commercial Division

Christian Lassnig Commercial Counsellor at the Austrian Embassy in Warsaw/Head of Advantage Austria office in Warsaw Works at the Federal Economic Chamber of Austria for 28+ years, of which more than 22 years abroad. Three postings as Commercial Attaché/ Vice Consul Economic Affairs in Copenhagen, Bucharest and Los Angeles (1997-2006) Two postings as Commercial Counsellor/Consul for Economic Affairs in Tel Aviv and Toronto (2007-2021) In Warsaw since July 2023

ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA, with around 100 offices in over 70 countries, provides a broad range of intelligence and business development services for both Austrian companies and their international business partners. As a solution and service provider, Advantage Austria helps with issues such as market entry, market support, investment advice, international sourcing etc.

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-President of the Management Board, Katowice Special Economic Zone SA

Her area of expertize is the development and cooperation between business and local government in the Tychy subzone. Previously, she spent 10 years with the local government, where she gained professional experience as a spokesperson for the city of Katowice, and then in the role of head of the mayor's office. She was one of the leaders of the teams responsible for media contact during COP24 and WUF11. She graduated from the University of Economics in Katowice and holds an MBA from the WSB Academy in Dąbrowa Górnicza. She cooperates with Silesian universities, where she conducts classes for students and postgraduate students, and organizes study visits.

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.

Deputy Director of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Department of the City Hall in Kraków

Academic title : master's degree. He has extensive and varied professional experience in the field of entrepreneurship. From 1989 to 1998 he ran his own company. From 1998 to 2004, director of operations coordinator of Fundusz Mikro (now known as FM Bank ) dealing mainly with financial support for micro businesses. Trainer, mentor, lecturer of many EU-funded projects , directed to entrepreneurial people. Founding member of the Association for the Promotion of Entrepreneurial Attitudes and Economic Independence “Sens”. From April 2004 to the present he has been working at the Cracow City Hall, where he co-created the creation of a new structure of the Entrepreneur Service Point. He cooperates with Krakow's universities and elementary schools in supporting the promotion of entrepreneurship among young people.

Director of Dabrowa Business Incubator

Experienced business coach, mentor and entrepreneur. Has almost a decade of experience working with StartUps, SMEs and Local Governments. He was active in the largest network of business incubators in this part of Europe - Academic Incubators for Entrepreneurship (AIP). During his role as managing partner of AIP Silesia in 2015, the region under his leadership was honored with the BCC Silesia Student Forum Award in the Promoting Entrepreneurship Organization category. A year later, in 2016, AIP Silesia won the title of Innovator in the Innovative Organization category, awarded by the School of Business in Dąbrowa Górnicza.
For more than eleven years, it has introduced innovative solutions to support executives and developed new programs to support start-ups and young entrepreneurs in Poland. 
His efforts have contributed to the development of more than 800 companies, and helped prepare many projects for presentation before private investors and investment funds.
He co-founded the “Entrepreneurs of Choice” Association and co-founded the Dabrowa Business Incubator. His entrepreneurial passion is also expressed in MOM Studio sp. z o.o., a company specializing in creating visual identities, marketing strategies 
and sales strategies and assisting in their implementation for both Polish and foreign brands. 
The mission of the company, which he co-founded, is to enable effective communication between companies and consumers, with an emphasis on benefits for both parties.

CEO of PreZero in Poland

Director of Employee Development and Employer Brand Building Office, ORLEN

An experienced human resources manager, he is currently the Director of the Office of Employee Development and Employer Branding at ORLEN, where he is responsible for key employee development initiatives, Employer Branding and training and development programs. He specializes in creating and implementing advanced HR strategies that support business goals and strengthen an organizational culture based on values of equality, diversity and the highest ethical standards. He built his career by implementing HR projects in sectors such as manufacturing, construction and new technologies. He holds a master's degree from the University of Economics in Katowice and a degree in Human Resource Management from the Warsaw School of Economics.

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).

Commercial Counsellor, Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus in Poland

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.

Energy Public Affairs Manager

Ekspertka i pasjonatka w obszarze energetyki. Absolwentka Politechniki Warszawskiej, która swoje doświadczenie zawodowe zdobywała przy projektach odnawialnych źródeł energii i układach wysokosprawnej kogeneracji, spółkach wytwarzania i obrotu energią elektryczną oraz paliwem gazowym. Od ponad 10 lat zajmująca się kompleksowym doradztwem energetycznym, wyjaśniająca niuanse i czynnie biorąca udział w konsultacjach planowanych zmian prawnych w energetyce.

Consulting Healthcare Sector Leader for Poland, Deloitte

Władysław Mizia ma ponad dwudziestoletnie doświadczenie zdobyte na rynku nowoczesnych technologii. Brał udział w wielu kompleksowych ogólnopolskich projektach teleinformatycznych, w tym projektach o strategicznym charakterze. Nadzorował prace nad budową marki oraz rozwojem biznesu dla firm realizujących złożone projekty oraz produkty informatyczne w obszarze ochrony zdrowia. Jest ekspertem w obszarze technologii, systemów analitycznych wspierających zarządzanie placówkami medycznymi

Board Attorney for ESG, Proxy of Romgos Ltd.

Deputy Curator, Education Board in Katowice

Masters in Polish philology from the University of Silesia, graduate of postgraduate MBA studies at the WSB Academy and the EY Academy of Business as well as studies in Didactic Evaluation at the University of Gdansk and Management in Education at the Silesian College of Management.

For 35 years she has been involved in education, as a teacher, WOM consultant and Head of Department at OKE in Jaworzno, where for 18 years she co-created and developed the system of external exams in the Silesian province, and as an Expert of the Central Examination Commission the implementation of the electronic grading system in Poland.

As Director of the Labor Market Development Department of the Katowice Special Economic Zone, she implemented projects: Silesia. Professionals, VR School of the Future , Automotive StrefAcademy, which aimed to adapt the educational offer of trade schools and technical schools to the needs of the labor market, the Innovator's Club project in cooperation with universities, enabling students to develop their competencies, learn about the Silesian labor market and establish cooperation with employers, also, in partnership with the WUP, the Energy project, allowing people who lose their jobs to return to work as soon as possible.

Currently, she manages the work of the Departments of Education Development, Organizational and Administrative and the European Projects Team at KO in Katowice

She is a trainer and lecturer in the field of: educational institution management, neuro-education, key competencies development and inclusive education, and author of articles and training programs on didactic measurement.

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.”

Vice President of Commercial Affairs of Koleje Śląskie

Experienced manager managing commercial offer and sales growth in many dynamically developing companies and their market expansion. At Silesian Railways he is engaged in implementation of innovative methods of management of commercial offer and sales growth as well as optimization of energy consumption and its renewable sources.
 

Manager, Promotion Department, Polish Investment and Trade Agency

He has several years of professional practice in business consulting including investor relations, project and information management. He gained professional experience in multinational corporations, PR agencies and as a journalist, and is currently taking on challenges in the field of commercial diplomacy, where he is responsible for the area of Public Affairs. He is the author of training programs in the field of internationalization of business, aimed at building awareness of the challenges in the exporter's path.

dr n. biol., founder and co-owner, AQUAcell Company

CEO Founder and President of MK Business Link

She is the founder and president of MK Business Link Sp. z o.o., a company that for more than 10 years has been supporting Polish businesses in successfully expanding into the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf Cooperation Council countries.  She is a lawyer, economist, licensed tax advisor, investor and entrepreneur with extensive business experience at home and abroad.

She gained her experience in senior managerial positions at leading consulting firms Arthur Andersen and Ernst & Young.  She gained knowledge in management and business while working as Managing Director in financial institutions such as PZU Group S.A. and companies from the Belgian KBC Group (TUiR Warta, TUNŻ Watra, Kredyt Bank).  She had the opportunity to take her first steps in diplomacy working as a strategic advisor to the Polish Ambassador at the Embassy in Abu Dhabi.  While living in the United Arab Emirates, she made many friends, established many valuable business relationships, and learned about the specifics and culture of Middle Eastern markets.

Inspired by the opportunities created for entrepreneurs in the region, upon her return to Poland she began activities aimed at best positioning Polish companies and their offerings in Middle Eastern markets, both in terms of brand reputation and trade turnover. For years, she has been assisting clients in establishing their businesses abroad, where she effectively oversees the promotion of companies, also using her knowledge and experience in managing various businesses from the investor level.

University of Economics in Katowice

Research and didactic employee of the Department of International Economic Relations of the EU in Katowice. Author of more than 200 scientific publications. Specialist in the field of international economic relations. She focuses her scientific and research interests on the issues of regional economic integration, international linkages of economies, economic and social development. She actively cooperates with many foreign academic centers. She has lectured in Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Spain, Germany, Portugal, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Albania, Estonia, Russia, as well as Hungary, Lithuania and Latvia, among others. She has held research internships at Strathclyde University in Glasgow and the University of Bristol in the UK. As a scholarship holder of the European Commission, she completed a Jean Monnet Doctoral Grant.

Doctor of Earth Sciences, Head of Spatial Research Development Department, Department of Innovation, Central Statistical Office

He is the head of the Geographical and Geostatistical Research Development Unit at the Department for Innovation, Statistics Poland. He is responsible for the developing and implementing new data sources and research methods, including the use of Earth Observation techniques, cooperation with stakeholders like local self-government units, and maintaining and developing the Public Services Monitoring System (SMUP). Member of the Task Force for Urban and Metropolitan Areas of the Committee for Spatial Economy and Regional Planning, Polish Academy of Sciences. Member of Eurostat working groups.

Partner, Consulting Market Leader for Poland, Consumer Industry Leader for Poland

Michal Pieprzny has extensive expertise in the use of modern technologies to support business growth and business process transformation in B2B and B2C environments, guided by a customer-centric paradigm.
He has been actively supporting CEE companies for over 15 years, engaging in areas such as strategic planning, driving sales growth, developing the partner ecosystem, optimizing costs and ensuring long-term organizational effectiveness.


At Deloitte Central Europe, in the role of Partner in the Consulting department, he serves as Consulting Market Leader for the Polish market.

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 Management Board, Regional Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management in Katowice

ECA Export Finance Director, Santander Bank Poland

President of APA Group, promoter of digital transformation and new technologies

President of the Board of Directors of APA Group, Member of the Board of Directors of the Polish-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce, and Vice President of the Board of Directors of the Silesian Chamber of Employers. He sits on the Council of the European Economic Congress and the Program Council of the Silesia Automotive & Advanced Manufacturing Cluster. Co-founder of the Polish IoT & AI Cluster “Sinotaic.” Expert in computer control systems. Led more than a dozen projects, creating factories referred to as Industry 4.0 in Europe and China. Creator of the ultra-modern technology showroom in Gliwice APA Black House and the Industry 4.0 Technology Testing Center. He has worked with such corporations as VW, GM, 3M, Daimler, MAN, Amazon, Tesla and Siemens. 

Director of the Propulsion Units Plant Stellantis Tychy

He began his career at Opel Poland (now Stellantis) in 1998 in the Quality department. In 2002, he took the position of Quality Director, and in 2005 he became Quality Director of the GM-Avtovaz plant, Togliatti, Russia. In 2006, he was appointed Quality Director of the Opel plant in Antwerp, Belgium, and then in 2008, Director of Operations on the part of General Motors at FSO Warsaw. From 2010 to 2016, he was head of the General Assembly and Body Shop departments and Director of Quality at Opel Manufacturing Poland Gliwice. In 2016, he became Director of Production and Deputy Director of the Powertrain Unit Plant in Kaiserslautern. In 2018, he became Director of Engine Program Development for Groupe PSA (now Stellantis) in Tychy and Szentgotthárd. In 2020, he became Director of the Stellantis Tychy Powertrain Unit Plant.

A manager with many years of experience in the automotive industry, both in the area of passenger vehicle and powertrain unit production. Manager of European implementation projects, as well as an expert in the field of propulsion units including low- and zero-emission solutions.

He graduated from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Technology at the Silesian University of Technology, in the field of machine design and operation, as well as from the School of Management - Executive MBA and Oxford Brookes University.

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. 

ESG sales director, Santander Bank Poland

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. 

Head of Marketing, Acer Polska

Owner of Ecco Rail Sp. z o.o.

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.

Vice-President of the Management Board, Katowice Special Economic Zone SA

Sosnowiec resident, local government official. Until 2017, 1st Deputy Mayor of Sosnowiec from 2014 to 2017, responsible for investments, investor services and promotion. Chairman of the Sosnowiec City Council, from 2010 to 2014. President of the Management Board of the Regional Fund for Eco-development S.A. in Bielsko-Biała from 2009 to 2014. Plenipotentiary of the Sosnowiec Mayor for Development and Foreign Cooperation from 2006-2009. Graduate of History at the University of Silesia, Enterprise Management at PARP, MBA at WSB Academy. He speaks English and Italian.

Marshal of the Silesian Region

Polish politician, Deputy Mayor of Jaworzno, Senator of the fifth term (2004-2005), Member of the Sejm of the fifth, sixth, seventh and ninth terms (2005-2014, from 2019), from 2014-2018 Marshal of the Silesian Voivodeship.

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.

President and Judge of the Court of Arbitration at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Katowice

Graduate of the Faculty of Law and Administration at the University of Silesia in Katowice, the Karol Adamiecki Academy of Economics in Katowice, College of Management (postgraduate studies in foreign trade) and the Academy of Accredited Coach in Katowice.
Author of publications on civil law and public procurement issues. Active academic lecturer at WSB Merito Chorzow and between 2005-2012 at Silesian University of Technology in Gliwice. 
Provides legal services under the company: Viribus Unitis Krzysztof Sawicki Advocate . Legal and Economic Consultancy based in Gliwice.
President and Judge of the Arbitration Court at the Regional Chamber of Commerce in Katowice. 
Economic mediator at the Silesian Arbitration and Mediation Center of the Facultas Iuridica Foundation of the Faculty of Law and Administration of the University of Silesia. 
President of the Foundation for the Protection of Cultural Property and Art “Reconstruction of Heritage” based in Bytom, Vice President of the Silesian Chamber of Employers based in Gliwice and the Bytom Chamber of Industry and Commerce based in Bytom.

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”. 
 

Regional Sales Manager POLKOMTEL Sp. z o.o.

Experienced B2B telecommunications market expert and practitioner managing teams of Sales Managers and Sales Advisors serving the small, medium and large enterprise sector at Polkomtel Sp. z o.o. operating under the Plus brand.
For more than 20 years he has been involved in projects to build and improve the competence of sales teams, develop the product portfolio, manage the offer and introduce new products, including those from outside the telecommunications industry, to the B2B market.
Graduate of the Faculty of Management and postgraduate studies at the Faculty of Computer Science, Electronics and Telecommunications at the AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow, as well as business coaching studies - Business Coach, ICF Coach.

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).
 

A Distinguished Leader in International Commerce and Travel

J J Singh is a prominent figure in the realm of international business and travel, serving as the President of the Indo Polish Chamber of Commerce in Poland and Weco Travel Central Europe. His extensive experience and leadership have significantly contributed to strengthening the economic and cultural ties between India and Poland, as well as advancing the travel industry in Central Europe.


As the President of the Indo Polish Chamber of Commerce, J J has been pivotal in promoting bilateral trade and investment between India and Poland. He has led several initiatives to facilitate business partnerships, enhance economic cooperation, and support the interests of member companies. Under his leadership, the Chamber has organized numerous events, trade missions, and networking opportunities that have resulted in increased collaboration and mutual growth.


J J Singh's dynamic leadership and unwavering commitment to international commerce and travel have made him a respected and influential figure. His work with the Indo Polish Chamber of Commerce and Weco Travel Central Europe continues to inspire and pave the way for future collaborations and advancements in these sectors.

Vice Dean for Organization and Projects, Krzysztof Kieslowski Film School

Doctor of Humanities in Sociology, graduate in Philosophy, post-graduate MBA in Warsaw School of Economics, Human Resource Management in the School of Management of the University of Silesia, ESMU Humane Winter School for senior managers in Valencia. Specialist in management and HR, communication, self-presentation and negotiation.
Associate Dean for Organization and Projects, Krzysztof Kieslowski Film School
Deputy Director at the Interdisciplinary Center for Human Resources Development since 2020,
Chancellor of the University of Silesia in Katowice from 2011- 2024, previously Deputy Chancellor for Development and Cooperation with the Economy, Director of the Chancellor's Office.

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.

Expert, AI solutions trainer

An experienced trainer and consultant with more than 20 years of experience; he currently specializes in advanced applications of various information technologies and selected areas of law. His special domain in the past months is providing training related to the use of language models (LLM) generative artificial intelligence (AI). Thanks to his comprehensive knowledge and passion for teaching, Christopher has become a specialist in these fields with a pool of unique knowledge with a baggage of skills that are increasingly in demand today.

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.
 

Talent Acquisition Manager EMEA at Huntsman Company

She has been passionately involved in recruitment for 12 years now. She is fascinated by people and their behaviors, which she discovers during recruitment interviews and in the process of supporting managers in finding the right talent for their teams.
She has spent the last 6 years leading teams of recruiters - first at recruitment agencies and now as Talent Acquisition Manager for EMEA at Huntsman, one of the world's leading chemical companies. She ran her own recruiting agency focused on attracting engineers.

Director of Communications and Marketing of PreZero Poland

Public relations expert, graduate of the University of Economics in Katowice, specialization in Public Relations. Since the beginning, she has worked in marketing and public relations agencies, where she served key clients and managed communication and media relations projects.  She implemented projects for local governments and local government companies. She co-founded and later served as spokesperson for the European Congress of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises. In 2018-2019, she was a spokesperson for the Sports Hall of Fame. From 2019-2021, lecturer at the Chorzow School of Banking. From 2020 as Director of Communications and Marketing of PreZero Poland associated with the waste management industry.

Partner of Ślązak Zapiór i Partnerzy – Kancelaria Adwokatów i Radców Prawnych sp. p.

An attorney, she has been with Ślązak, Zapiór and Partners for 16 years, since 2015 as a Partner of the Firm. She heads the M&A transactions practice, specializing in commercial, capital markets and restructuring law.
She has advised on a wide range of business acquisitions and divestitures - from strategy development to preparation and negotiation of transaction documentation. She has coordinated numerous due diligence processes. She has participated in reorganization projects of companies and capital groups, and managed the processes of raising capital: debt, private equity and from the capital markets. 
She also currently serves as head of the Law and Grants Committee of the IT Services Employers' Organization - SoDA.

Co -founder and CEO of Nexia Global

Manager with 15 years of experience in the field of communication, marketing and sales. 

Co -founder and CEO of Nexia Global - Digital Business Hub and Private Office, advisor in image building, marketing strategy and brand communication strategy. 

In my career, I have worked in teams responsible for planning and implementing image and employer branding strategies, as well as external and internal company communications. 

I advise entrepreneurs on how to use foreign expansion to diversify their customer base, stabilize cash flow and create multiple sources of income. 

As CEO at Nexia Global, I'm dedicated to providing tailor-made solutions for business development and expansion into foreign markets, and support entrepreneurs in communicating effectively with clients and building lasting relationships with business partners between Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

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.
 

Director of Media Development, Online Analysis SA

Financial journalist with over 25 years of experience in the largest electronic media in Poland, including on RMF FM radio, TVN television (TVN24, TVN CNBC, TVN24 BIS) Awarded for programs on economics and personal finance, including by the National Bank of Poland, the Polish Bank Association and the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection. At present, he is permanently associated with Analizy Online, a website and company operating in the investment fund industry Regular participant of conferences devoted to the Polish capital and financial market, often as a discussion moderator.

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.

Vice President of the Polish-American Chamber of Commerce of Florida and America, Inc,

Jadwiga Stoklosa currently serves as the president for the Federation of Central and Eastern European Chamber of Commerce and the Polish American Chamber of Commerce of Florida and the Americas. In this capacity, she supports the business community and works closely with local, international, governmental, and private industry leaders to advance international trade, commerce, economic investment, development, and strengthening commercial ties between Europe and the Americas. Jadwiga is an experienced executive and business owner with a trajectory of accomplishments in both private and government sectors, to include a collaborative agreements between Poland and Miami Port Authorities (Air & sea). Her experience includes work in the commercial areas of finance, healthcare, food and beverage, logistics and distribution, consulting, and government experience with the City of Chicago and the State of Illinois. Further, Jadwiga was recently appointed by the Broward County Board of Commissioners (State of Florida) as the Broward County Chair for Eastern Europe supporting efforts to advance economic development, trade, and cultural exchanges between Broward County and Europe. Jadwiga holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master’s in Healthcare Administration from Loyola University-Chicago and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Illinois-Chicago.

Board representative for development, Hotel Arlamow S.A.

Hotel analyst, travel industry entrepreneur and university lecturer (SWPS University). A proponent of new IT technologies in the hotel sector.
Invests in mobility-based businesses. Analyzes travel industry trends and market. Develops hotel brands, people and e-commerce efficiency.

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

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.
 

Professor of economic sciences and humanities. President of the WSB Academy in Dąbrowa Górnicza, President of the Board of Directors of Public Consulting Group Poland, Head of the Department of Management of Higher Education Institutions at the Jagiellonian University. Author of more than 300 scientific publications. Participant of international research associations (AAM, EURAM, IFERA, PGV), manager or contractor in 20 grants financed from EU (Horizon, FP VI) and Polish funds (NCN, NCBiR, MNiSW). He specializes in the following issues: university management, social science methodology, digitization of organizations, and leadership and human resource management.

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 Opus Unicus Foundation, Director at Pawlicki Investment, Head of SZOKA design department

Painter, designer, social activist, with a holistic view of the world-she graduated from law, art history and studied civil engineering.

Associated with promoting the voice of women in the public space, including spoken through the mouth of art, she promotes Silesian culture and social cultural identity. She focuses her activities around the common denominators that unite society.

With her original groundbreaking exhibition “Shock. Under a common sky” introduced visual art and jazz-type music, to the Silesian Stadium during the soccer matches of the city's soccer club Chorzow City - with which she cooperates on a daily basis to promote art in everyday life, she had the honor of speaking through the mouth of art during the 20th WSB Academy Science Festival, combining science and art. In the framework of cultural exchange and spreading common European values, together with the City of Chorzow, she sends elements of the aforementioned exhibition to partner cities. She combines art with spaces important for the development of the economy, the climate of Poland, Europe - she introduced art and values spoken by her mouth into the space of the groundbreaking European Congress of Industry and Energy INTO, or the International Congress of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, and cooperates with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Katowice.

Iwona Szoka is also involved in environmental activism, in the past she worked to clean up the Kalina Pond - disarming the Silesian ecological bomb in Swietochlowice, now she is involved in activities to reduce single-use plastic packaging in everyone's everyday life / www.zielonastronamocy.pl #KupujeszDecydujesz/, she is a vegetarian and strives for animal rights. One of many women artists, writers, scientists, social activists united around #EveryoneImportant.

Ph.D. in Economics, Department of International Economic Relations, University of Economics in Katowice

Assistant professor in the Department of International Economic Relations at the University of Economics in Katowice. Research interests: functioning of the European Union and cyber security.

Author of publications in reputable scientific journals. Visiting Researcher at Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan. Participant in the Case Studies on China Business program, Guanghua School of Management, Peking Universiity. PRINCE2 Certificate; MBA. Awarded the Silver Medal for long service.

President of the “ Śląskie Anioły” Foundation

Digital marketing ekspert, Freelancer, Autistic self-advocate

Vice President of Finance of Koleje Śląskie

Previously, among other things, he was deputy mayor of Gliwice. In his local government career, he supervised many investments. He specializes in raising external funds and public procurement, accounting and financial and budgetary controlling.

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. 

Director of Human Resources - retail and logistics industry

Experienced leader and expert in the field of human capital management. For more than 20 years she has been associated with retail and logistics companies such as Jeronimo Martins (Biedronka, Hebe), LVMH (Sephora), Euronet and Inpost, where she was responsible for the HR area. She has extensive experience in modeling and implementing solutions in the areas of recruitment, training, talent development and strategic HR in organizations operating on the Polish and European markets.

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.

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.

Deputy Director General at JETRO Warsaw

Deputy Director General at JETRO Warsaw, a role through which he helps facilitate Japan’s trade and investment relations in Central and Eastern Europe, including Ukraine.

He also specializes in market research, providing insights into emerging markets, global economic trends, and industry opportunities.

This involves conducting detailed market assessments, identifying trade barriers, and offering guidance on regulatory environments in Japan and abroad.

His work involves supporting open innovation and collaborations between Japanese companies and global startups, particularly in fields like autonomous driving, cybersecurity, AI, and other cutting-edge technologies.

His academic background includes a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Kobe University.

Vice President, Member of the Management Board, Katowice Special Econimic ZoneSA, MBA

Since the beginning of the KSEZ, he has co-managed and developed the company, which is a multiple leader in global rankings of economic zones. Initiator of numerous social and economic projects, implementer of innovative and economically effective, projects such as: KSSENON Business Accelerator. In addition, involved in the energy transition processes of the region.

Director of the European Centre for Digital Innovation (EDIH) Silesia Smart Systems, Katowicka Specjalna Strefa Ekonomiczna S.A.

Associated with the Katowice Special Economic Zone S.A. for more than a dozen years. More than 10 years of experience in the implementation and coordination of projects co-financed from national and EU funds, management of the Silesian Competence Center for Industry 4.0, creation of structures of the digital innovation center Silesia Smart Systems, participation in projects on Industry 4.0 at the national level, cooperation with industry within the activities of the national key cluster Silesia Automotive & Advanced Manufacturing.

Director of the Center for Vocational and Continuing Education in Sosnowiec

Teacher of electrical and mechatronic subjects, long-time trainer in the field of education.

30 years of experience in managing vocational schools, eager to undertake innovative and creative activities. Promoter of changes in the area of vocational education of the Ministry of Education. Member of the Council of Directors of Vocational Schools to the Minister of National Education from 2018 to 2024. Author and reviewer of the core curriculum for vocational education, curricula for the profession, e-learning courses and many studies dedicated to vocational education, examiner in the professions, national reviewer of the Central Examination Commission of examination tasks. Co-author of studies of the Ministry of Education - Standards of Quality of Vocational Education, co-author of the publication National approach to the application of the EQARF initiative in Poland.

Expert in modular education, promoter of Distance Education. Expert of the Ministry of Education who is part of examination and qualification committees for teachers applying for professional promotion.

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 

CEO of Katowice Special Economic Zone SA

Graduate of the K. Adamiecki University of Economics in Katowice. Doctor habilitated in the discipline of economics and finance, Professor at the University of Economics in Katowice. 
Manager, consultant to enterprises, expert to local governments and business environment institutions. D. in economics, university lecturer, also has experience as a manager in a large IT company. In business practice, he provides consulting services to enterprises, business environment institutions, public administration. His scientific and research interests focus on information economics, innovation, information society and knowledge economy. Author of dozens of scientific publications in the field of innovation, knowledge economy, information society.

Actor of theatre, film, television, radio and dubbing

The actor made his professional stage debut at the National Theater in Warsaw in 2002 in the play Frogs by Aristophanes, directed by Zbigniew Zamachowski. He has also appeared at the Variety Theater, including Made in China (2002), Electronic City (2003), Stitching (2004) and Macbeth (2005). He has starred in many Television Theater productions, including Hamlet (2004) and Theorban (2009).


On the television screen, he made his debut in the series For better of worse (2002). In subsequent years, he appeared in popular series such as Samo życie, Examination of Life, Pitbull, Time of Honor and Firemen. He also appeared in theatrical films such as In Darkness (2011), Karbala (2015), I Am a Murderer (2016) and Chrzciny (2020).


In 2016, he won the first edition of Asia Express. In recent years, he became famous for his role as Inspector Adam Raven in the series Raven. Szepty słychać po zmroku and Jakub Szapiro in The King , based on the novel by Szczepan Twardoch.



For the 26th Cinema at the Border in Cieszyn photo by Rafal Soliński