Dr. Mantas Adomėnas is a Lithuanian scholar and politician who served in the Lithuanian Parliament (2008-2020). At the conclusion of his third parliamentary term, he was nominated as a Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania (2021-2023). In 2023, he was elected a member of the Council of the European Council on Foreign Relations.

Dr. Adomėnas worked on a range of issues, including support for democracy, foreign affairs, migration policy, national security, culture and education. He served on international election observation missions to Georgia, Ukraine, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.

He is currently a Chief Strategic Officer / Senior Research Fellow at the Baltic Institute of Advanced Technology, and Associate Professor at the Department of Classics in Vilnius University.

Dr. Adomėnas earned his master’s degree as a Classicist at Vilnius University and PhD at Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge University. He publishes essays and scholarly articles on topics ranging from Classics to political philosophy and current affairs, as well as novels.

Mansour Almarzoqi is an assistant professor of political science and the director of the Center for Strategic Studies at the Prince Saud Al Faisal Institute for Diplomatic Studies at the Saudi Foreign Ministry.

Previously, Almarzoqi was the vice president for research and strategic studies and director of the Think Tanks Department at the Saudi Center for International Strategic Partnerships in Riyadh. He was also a teaching assistant at King Saud University.

Almarzoqi received his PhD from Sciences Po Lyon, his MA from Sciences Po, and his BA in political science from Oregon State University.

Tarek Ali Ahmad is the Head of the Arab News Research & Studies Unit and its Media Editor. He edits and oversees the award-winning, long-form Deep Dives, the Preachers of Hate series and the Arab News Research Reports.

Notable coverage includes spearheading Arab News’ coverage of the Lebanon conflict, and the 2024 US Elections as well as the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos since 2020. He is also an executive producer of Frankly Speaking, the newspaper’s HardTalk-style interview show. He holds an MA in Human Rights Law from SOAS, University of London, and a BA in Media and Communication from the American University of Beirut.

Jamil Anderlini is POLITICO’s Regional Director in Europe. In this role, he is responsible for driving and implementing POLITICO’s strategy across the entirety of its European business, as well as elevating and strengthening the publication’s voice on the global stage. Having previously managed POLITICO’s European newsroom as Editor-in-Chief, Anderlini’s extensive journalistic achievements and sharp strategic insights have shaped the publication’s success in Europe.

With a deep understanding of both the editorial landscape and the rapidly shifting world of global politics, Anderlini oversaw POLITICO’s expansion across a variety of different markets alongside a unified newsroom strategy with the company’s American operations. An award-winning journalist, editor, and published author, he joined POLITICO from the Financial Times where he spent six years as Asia Editor, Assistant Editor and member of the Editorial Board, overseeing all editorial coverage and strategy throughout Asia. He also previously held roles as Beijing Correspondent and Beijing Bureau Chief for the Financial Times, Beijing Correspondent for the South China Morning Post, and Chief Editor of the China Economic Review.

In addition, Anderlini was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2013.A US and New Zealand native, Anderlini speaks fluent Mandarin.

Andrzej (Andre) Anton - Co-founder and CEO of Autopay, one of the largest financial and technology companies in Poland. Autopay Platform offers a range of tools enabling payments, online verification, AI, and marketing, supporting businesses in their transition from local focus to global expansion. The company’s solutions are used by over 50,000 online businesses and over 12 million people every month. 

Currently, as a board member, he is responsible for the company's strategic development. An innovator, passionate about sustainable development, green energy, and clean transport. Both in his private and professional life, he supports initiatives working towards gender equality in business and public spaces. A graduate of computer science and environmental protection from the Gdansk University of Technology. 

Dr Josef Aschbacher became the ESA Director General on 1 March 2021. In 2023, his mandate as Director General was approved for a further period of four years as from 1 March 2025.

Born in Austria, Josef Aschbacher studied at the University of Innsbruck, graduating with a Master’s degree and a PhD in natural sciences. He has had an accomplished international career in space, combining more than 35 years’ work experience at ESA, the European Commission, the Austrian Space Agency, the Asian Institute of Technology and the University of Innsbruck.

As Chief Executive Officer of ESA, Dr Aschbacher is responsible for the definition, implementation and development of Europe’s space infrastructure and activities, which include launchers, satellites performing Earth observation, navigation, telecommunication and space science, together with robotic exploration and ESA astronauts working on the International Space Station. He is responsible for an annual budget of €7.68 billion and a workforce of 6000 distributed across several establishments, principally in Europe.

When taking up office as ESA Director General, Dr Aschbacher published a new strategy for space in Europe, called 'Agenda 2025', aimed at accelerating significantly the use of space in Europe through major new initiatives and programmes.

From 2016–21, he was ESA Director for Earth Observation Programmes and Head of ESA’s ESRIN establishment in Frascati, Italy. He has been a key leader of the European Copernicus programme, which has grown beyond all expectations and is now considered to be one of the most ambitious and successful Earth observation programmes in the world.

He worked in various functions within ESA from 2001 onwards both in Paris and Frascati. From 1994–2000, he worked at the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, in his latest position serving as Scientific Assistant to the Director of the Space Applications Institute. From 1991–93 he was stationed as ESA Representative in Southeast Asia, where he developed projects in the Asian region while, at the same time, working in a full-time academic teaching capacity as Associate Professor at AIT Bangkok.

In 2021, Dr Aschbacher became 'Grande Ufficiale Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana', the highest recognition accorded to non-Italian nationals. More recently, in 2025, Dr Aschbacher was awarded the Grosses Ehrenzeichen für Verdienste um die Republik Österreich by the government of Austria. The award was presented by the Minister responsible for space, Mrs Leonore Gewessler.

Ilker Baburoglu is an energy sector entrepreneur and investor who has co-founded and led multinational energy and commodity trading companies. Ilker is a member of the Board of Directors of the Atlantic Council, Washington DC, and a member of the Academy Faculty at the Queen Elizabeth II Academy for Leadership and the Next Generation at the Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs, London.

Gerry Baker is Editor at Large of The Wall Street Journal. He writes a weekly column for the editorial page of The Journal each Tuesday on politics, economics and culture. Mr. Baker also writes a weekly column on US and global affairs for The Times of London every Friday. He appears frequently as a commentator on TV and other news platforms and is a familiar public speaker to audiences around the world.

Gerry was previously Editor in Chief of The Wall Street Journal. He has been a journalist for more than 30 years, writing and broadcasting for some of the world’s pre-eminent news organizations, including The Financial Times, The Times and The BBC. In 2023 he published his first book, “American Breakdown”, a look at the causes of the crisis of US democracy in the last decade.

Jan Bartkowiak is the President and Founder of Econverse, Poland's leading startup NGO. Selected for Schwarzman Scholars Class of 2026. Rafal Brzoska Foundation Scholar.

Since debuting at the National Stadium in Warsaw in 2022, Econverse supported over 5,000 high school and university students, gaining the backing of leading experts and brands, including Poland’s National Development Bank, Orange, Google for Startups, and Microsoft, and expanded to Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary with Econverse V4 in the Fall of 2024.

For his entrepreneurial accolades, Jan became a Rafal Brzoska Foundation Scholar. He was also recognized as My Company Polska's #1 Young Polish Ambassador 2025, Transcend Network Fellow, and spoke at Said Business School Oxford University, the European Economic Congress 2024 in Katowice, and ImpactCEE 2024 in Poznan. Econverse was also selected Laureate of the Emerging Europe Awards 2023.

Majored in Economics at Minerva University, studying in 7 global cities over 4 years (San Francisco, Seoul, Taipei, Hyderabad, Berlin, Buenos Aires, and London). Engaged in interdisciplinary coursework in Finance, Law, Design, History, Tech, and Public Policy.

At Minerva, Jan founded AI Consensus, a student-led organization that explores how AI can enhance learning and development. Supported by the Responsible Youth Technology Power Fund, AI Consensus has hosted hackathons and events across the globe - from Hyderabad, Paris to London - featuring experts from Samsung and Google DeepMind. The initiative has been featured in Nature and continues to make waves in the student tech community and beyond.

With a track record of shaping and executing high-value strategic partnerships in pharma, digital health, and life sciences, I specialize in bridging the gap between cutting-edge technology, commercialization, and corporate growth. Coming from a scientific background with a PhD in Biomedical Engineering, I bring a deep understanding of healthcare innovation, AI-driven solutions, and clinical research, coupled with extensive experience in business strategy and operational execution.

Having worked across C-suites, industry leaders, and venture-backed startups, I combine commercial, operational, and strategic expertise to scale digital health solutions, drive market expansion, and structure investment partnerships. I have led multi-million-dollar deals, co-investments, and business model innovation, ensuring that emerging technologies are not just developed but successfully commercialized and integrated into global healthcare systems.

Beyond corporate strategy, I have supported early-stage startups in securing seed funding, navigating market entry, and aligning with investors and strategic partners. Passionate about bridging science, technology, and business, I focus on unlocking new opportunities at the intersection of digital health, AI, and biotech—whether through strategic alliances, co-investments, or commercialization strategies.

From February 2024, as an Executive Vice President of the Management Board of Żabka Polska for strategy and development, he focuses on developing and implementing Group's strategy in every area of its operations.

Between 2012 and 2024 as an Executive Vice President of the Management Board and Managing Director of Żabka Polska he was responsible for researching, creating and developing new business areas and technological solution meeting the challenges the industry faces. 

Before taking up his current position, he simultaneously held two posts: Vice President of the Management Board of Żabka Polska for Development (since 2017) and Vice President of the Management Board of Żabka Polska for Finance (since 2015). He has been involved with Żabka Polska since 2011, as a member of the Board of Directors. 

He has extensive experience in investment banking and finance gained in Poland and abroad. He was associated with international banks ABN Amro and BNP Paribas, as well as Procter & Gamble. Since 2007, he held the position of director at Mid Europa Partners fund, where he was responsible for investments in Central and Eastern Europe (including Norican Group, Polskie Koleje Górskie and Żabka Polska).

In 2018 and 2020, he was awarded in the Digital Shapers’ annual survey of outstanding digital and new technology personalities in the “digital transformation” category. 

He is an alumnus of Stanford Graduate School of Business and the Warsaw School of Economics.

Specialisation: European Union, EU foreign and security policy, European global strategy

Małgorzata Bonikowska has a Ph.D. in humanities and she specializes in international relations (with particular emphasis on the European Union) and communication in public institutions.

EU expert, government consultant and academic fellow, graduated from the Warsaw University (Italian studies), University of Paris-Sorbonne (history and political sciences) and the PWST (State College of Theatre) in culture history. Alumnus of two Ph.D. programs: in Poland (Polish Academy of Sciences) and abroad (SSSS, Italy), dr Bonikowska completed a specialization program at the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) at the Columbia University in New York (Fulbright Scholarship). She is the author of more than 150 publications and tutor of over 100 BA, MA and post-graduated thesis.

Michal Brichta works as the Director of the Slovak Space Office - Industry Branch operating within the Slovak Investment and Trade Development Agency. Since 2019, he has been responsible for launching and leading the comprehensive development of the national space ecosystem, increasing the Slovak space industry capabilities by 200% and significantly boosting its international presence.

The work of his team consists of a broad variety of innovation-ecosystem-building activities - helping existing tech companies enter the space sector, fostering new startups, enabling technology transfer, engaging private investors, forming new clusters, fostering international business collaborations, as well as building talent and raising awareness about the space sector and its importance for the economy, society, and environment.

Along with his main role, he serves as the Slovak Delegate to the Council of the European Space Agency and a Vice President of the International Astronautical Federation.

He actively supports the democratisation of space and advocates for closer cooperation between the space sector and the broader ecosystem of relevant stakeholders, including a wider range of technology companies, financial institutions, or major users of satellite data and signal. Over the past years, he has also been pioneering new initiatives aimed at unlocking the untapped potential of European space by fostering more efficient integration between its well-established industry and emerging space ecosystems.

Dr. Susanna Cafaro is a professor of European Union law at the University of Salento, Italy, where she holds a Jean Monnet chair.

Since 2018, she has organized the Supranational Democracy Dialogue, an annual event aimed at bringing together scholars, N.G.O. leaders, political activists, international officers, business executives and innovative thinkers to discuss democratic solutions to the big challenges facing humanity.

She sits on the editorial boards and scientific committees of several journals and book series on European and international law, and is the author and editor of more than 90 academic publications focusing on democracy beyond borders, E.U. institutions, European economic and monetary union, E.U. external relations, global economic governance and Euro-Mediterranean relations.

Among other professional roles, she has served as an independent legal expert for international and European law at the European Parliamentary Research Service since 2017. Previously, she was appointed to the Scientific Committee established by the Italian Government for the Conference on the Future of Europe from 2021 to 2022, and was vice president of the Italian Society for International and European Law from 2019 to 2021. She was also awarded a fellowship in the European Central Bank’s Legal Research program in 2021.

Dr Cristina Caffarra is a leading competition economist with over 25 years’ experience leading economic analyses in multiple competition investigations on landmark mergers and antitrust matters, before the EC and the competition agencies of the UK, multiple Member States, and across the globe. She has provided expert economic evidence in multiple litigated cases before the courts (from the General Court in Luxembourg to the High Court and the Competition Appeal Tribunal in London, and many more). Dr. Caffarra is a recognized contributor to the global discussion on regulation of the digital economy, advising both companies and government agencies, writing and speaking. She regularly keynotes and participates to roundtables events on competition, regulation and digital policy. Dr. Caffarra is an Honorary Professor at University College London and Co-Founder of the CEPR Competition Research Policy Network.

Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati (born 11 February 1971) is an Indian politician, who served as the member in the upper house of the Parliament of India.

He is heir to Kolhapur royal family as the 13th direct descendant of the Maratha king, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and great-great-grandson of Rajarshi Chhatrapati Shahu of Kolhapur.

Low profile and soft-spoken, he was the face of Maratha protest for reservation in 2011–19. He is currently an independent politician.

On 11 June 2016, he was nominated to the Rajya Sabha by then-President of India, Pranab Mukherjee.

He is the CEO of DHL eCommerce. Together with 45,000 Certified eCommerce Specialists, he is responsible for delivering happiness and logistics by managing last-mile domestic and cross-border parcel delivery across Europe, Asia, and the United States.

Since joining DPDHL in 2005, he has been able to focus on many of his passions, including people, strategy, digitalization, and shaping the future of green logistics. Outside of leading the division, he enjoys competing in triathlons, spending time with his family, and supporting what he considers the best team in the world (aside from DHL) - the Argentinian national football team.

Prime Minister of New Zealand (1999 - 2008)

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator (2009 - 2017)

Helen Clark is a respected global leader in sustainable development, gender equality and international co-operation. She served three successive terms as Prime Minister of New Zealand between 1999 and 2008. While in government, she led policy debate on a wide range of economic, social, environmental and cultural issues, including sustainability and climate change.

Following her tenure in government, Helen Clark assumed the role of Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for two terms from 2009 to 2017, becoming the first woman to lead the organisation. Concurrently, she chaired the United Nations Development Group, overseeing coordination among all UN funds, programs, and departments dedicated to development issues.

In 2019, Helen Clark became the patron of The Helen Clark Foundation and remains actively engaged in various international organizations, continuing her advocacy for sustainable development and gender equality on a global scale. She was honored with the Order of New Zealand in 2009, the highest civilian honor in the country.

Mathias Cormann is the 6th Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). He took up his duties on 1 June 2021.

Mathias Cormann is the OECD's sixth Secretary-General, his five-year term having commenced on 1 June 2021.

Working with OECD members, his priorities as Secretary-General are:

·      Promoting policies to secure strong, sustainable, inclusive and resilient economic development and growth;

·      Providing global leadership on climate action to help secure global net zero by 2050 by facilitating the diffusion of evidence based best policy practice and improved international cooperation;

·      Seizing all the opportunities of the digital transformation and AI while mitigating and better managing all of the evolving associated risks and disruptions;

·      Promoting well-functioning global markets and a global level playing field with a rules-based trading system in good working order;

·      Advancing OECD standards through membership and partnerships and a sound approach to sustainable development.

Prior to his appointment to the OECD, Mathias served as the Australian Minister for Finance, the Leader of the Government in the Australian Senate and as Federal Senator representing the State of Western Australia.

In these roles, he has been a strong advocate for the positive power of open markets, free trade and the importance of a rules-based international trading system.

Mathias was born and raised in the German-speaking part of Belgium.

He migrated to Australia in 1996, attracted by the great lifestyle and opportunities on offer in Western Australia.

Before migrating to Perth, Mathias had graduated in law at the Flemish Catholic University of Louvain (Leuven), following studies at the University of Namur and, as part of the European Erasmus Student Exchange Program, at the University of East Anglia.

Between 1997 and 2003, he worked as Chief of Staff as well as Senior Adviser to various State and Federal Ministers in Australia and for the Premier of Western Australia.

Between 2003 and 2007, Mathias worked for major Western Australian health insurer HBF in a range of senior management roles.

In 2001, realising a childhood dream, Mathias obtained his private pilot’s licence.

Mathias grew up speaking German and graduated in law following studies in French, Flemish and English.

He is married to Hayley, a Perth lawyer, and they have two young daughters, Isabelle and Charlotte.

Mr Filip Czernicki is a Doctor of Law, attorney-at-law, and expert in aviation law, corporate governance, and project management. He has several years of experience in the aviation sector, having led strategic projects at Polish Airports (PPL), including Chopin Airport’s expansion and the launch of Modlin Airport. He also chaired the Supervisory Board of Szczecin-Goleniów Airport.

He is a certified PRINCE2 project manager and has managed investment portfolios and corporate structures within PPL. Beyond his professional work, he has long been active in the non-profit sector, co-founding the student legal clinic network and coordinating free legal aid initiatives, including support for Ukrainian refugees through ELIL.

A graduate of the University of Warsaw and the German Law School (with the University of Bonn), he speaks English, German, and Russian fluently.

Joe Daly is the Global Managing Partner of Gallup’s Public Sector Group and member of the company’s board of directors. Joe leads a growing business division focused on helping organizations leverage research and analytics to help better societies and workplaces. Gallup’s Public Sector Group works with a broad range of institutions including global philanthropies, K-12 schools and universities, government agencies, and mission-driven corporations.

Joe and his team partner with organizations to create the world’s official statistics of work and life. Current examples include wellbeing, loneliness, financial inclusion, digital connectedness, food insecurity, global risk and modern slavery. The global statistics are all enabled by the Gallup World Poll. Since 2005, the Gallup World Poll has collected the voice of the world in more than 160 countries and regions, representing over 98% of the world’s population.

In addition, Joe is a passionate advocate for accelerating the impact of higher education and government through CliftonStrengths® and building thriving public-sector workplaces. This far-reaching mission continues to make a positive impact on the lives of educators, government workers and hundreds of thousands of high school and college students every year.

In addition to his work at Gallup, Joe serves as chairman of the board of directors for Lemonade Day, a national philanthropy dedicated to youth entrepreneurship and financial literacy. Joe also serves on the board of trustees at the Meridian International Center, focused on strengthening U.S. diplomacy around the world.

Sandrine Dixson-Declève is Co-President of The Club of Rome and divides her time between leading The Club of Rome, advising, lecturing, and facilitating conversations.

Mrs. Dixon-Declève currently Chairs the European Commission, Expert Group on Economic and Societal Impact of Research & Innovation (ESIR) and sits on the European Commission’s Mission on Climate Change & Adaptation. She also sits on several Non-Executives & Advisory Boards including EDP, BMW, UCB Climate KIC, Leonardo Centre, Imperial College London and is a Senior Associate and faculty member of the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), an Ambassador for the Energy Transition Commission (ETC) and the Well Being Alliance (WeAll) and a Fellow of the World Academy of Science & Art.

Mrs. Dixon-Declève is a TED global speaker and recently published “Quel Monde Pour Demain” lucpire editions and Earth for All: A Survival Guide for Humanity. She was recognised most recently by Reuters as one of 25 global female trailblazers and by GreenBiz as one of the 30 most influential women across the globe driving change in the low carbon economy and promoting green business.

Andrzej Domański is a member of the Polish Parliament of the 10th term.

Over the years, he has been involved in the Polish capital market as analyst, fund manager, as well as investment director and board member of domestic and international financial institutions.

From 2008 to 2019, he managed equity funds and was also investment director and member of the management board in domestic and international financial institutions.

He worked as analyst and equity portfolio manager at KBC TFI (2008-2010), manager and director of fund management of Noble Funds TFI (2010-2016).

From 2016 to 2019, he was member of the management board of Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych Eques Investment TFI (responsible for the Capital Markets Department, fund management, as well as macroeconomic and equity market analyses).

From 2020 to 2023, advisor to the biotechnology startup Auxilius Pharma. Member of the Supervisory Boards of XTPL (2020-2023), Movie Games (2022) and Auxilius Pharma (Chairman of the Supervisory Board).

He was chief economist of the Civic Institute and co-author of the Civic Platform’s economic programme.

Andrzej Domański is a three-time winner of the "Alfa" award for the best stock market fund manager and the "Złoty Portfel" award of stock market newspaper “Parkiet”. He holds a CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) certificate.

He was a behavioral finance lecturer at Łazarski University and lectured mitigation and adaptation strategies in the face of the climate crisis at SWPS University in Warsaw.

In his professional career, he has gathered more than 25 years’ of comprehensive experience from companies at various stages of development, within banking and financial market institutions, Green Energy, and Real Estate. During his business career he has been associated with PKO Bank Polski, supervising the areas of financial risk planning and control, as well as the area of risk and debt collection from 2008 to 2011 and since March 2024 as a Vice President of the Management Board responsible for Finance and Accounting.

In 2012 the President of the National Bank of Poland awarded him for services to the banking sector of the Republic of Poland.

His core field of interest are banking energy transformation. He is the Head of the Committee for Hydrogen Technologies and Energy Storage of the Polish New Mobility Association. In 1998, he completed an internship at the Depository Trust Company in (New York), and a course for candidates for investment advisors and Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). He passed the EFPA ESG Advisor certification exam in 2023.

He graduated from the Warsaw School of Economics in finance and banking. He also completed postgraduate studies in philosophy at Collegium Civitas as well as:

• Erasmus University Rotterdam - Principles of Sustainable Finance under the guidance of the esteemed Professor Dirk Schoenmaker
• University of Pennsylvania - ESG Risks and Opportunities
• Wharton School - Global Trends for Business and Society

He is husband to Łucja and a father to two daughters, Nina and Gaia. He actively practices triathlon and supports the development of this sport as a board member of the TRICLUB ASSOCIATION. He is also involved in the development of education as a member of the management board of a private secondary school and a member of the EFPA Foundation Council, where he promotes high ethical and professional standards in the financial consulting segment

Katarzyna Dubno is Public Affairs, ESG & Market Access Director at Adamed Pharma and a member of the company’s Management Team. She has worked at Adamed Pharma since 2010 and is responsible for the company’s global activities in public relations and public affairs, ESG strategy, as well as the development and implementation of reimbursement strategies for Adamed’s product portfolio.

She is a co-founder and Management Board Member of the Adamed Foundation, whose flagship initiative, ADAMED SmartUP, supports young talents in the exact and natural sciences. She also serves as Vice President of the Management Board of the Polish Association of Pharmaceutical Industry Employers – Medicines for Poland.

In 2024, she was ranked among the top five of the 50 most influential women in the Polish healthcare system by Rynek Zdrowia.

She is a graduate of the Warsaw School of Economics and has completed postgraduate studies at the French Institute of Management as well as the Strategic Leadership Academy at the ICAN Institute.

Former Deputy Minister of Energy and Industry of Albania (2013-2015). He joined the international private sector in 2015. He has served as External Advisor on Investments to the Prime Minister of Albania since 2016. Previously, he was Director of the European Integration and International Projects at the Ministry of the Economy, Trade, and Energy of Albania (2009-2013). He was also Director of Project Management Unit for the TAP Trans Adriatic Pipeline. He has founded and been involved in several Albanian and international non-governmental organizations such as the Albanian Free Forum, IDEA Institute. He graduated from the Eastern Mediterranean University in Famagusta, Cyprus. He pursued postgraduate studies at King’s College London.

Daniel is an Adviser and Solution Architect at the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) in the Innovation Hub where he builds technology solutions for the central banking community with a special focus on payments, digital currencies, blockchain and financial market infrastructure.

Before the BIS he led the CBDC work at R3, was a principal software engineer and a technical educator.

He started his career as a commander in the military and holds an honours degree in Computer Science and Mathematics from the University of Toronto.

Adel Elmessiery serves as the President and Chief Technology Officer of AlphaFin, a Draper Goren Holm portfolio company. Together with the team, he is on a mission to build the next financial technology ecosystem that will empower the global economy.

As a serial technology entrepreneur, he has gained extensive experience across a wide range of companies and technologies, spanning both startup and enterprise environments. He has successfully taken three technology companies from inception to acquisition and brings proven executive experience with a solid track record, including over 10 years at HealthStream, 7 years at InVivoLink/HealthTrust, and 4 years at UtilizeHealth.

As Chief Technology Officer, Adel is responsible for the strategic business technology vision and leads the product management and development teams.

Academically, he holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from North Carolina State University, specializing in Natural Language Processing, with more than a dozen publications and inventions.

Over nearly 20 years, he has seen applications through their entire lifecycle, from inception to sunset. Throughout his career, he has learned that his effectiveness as a leader is directly tied to the strength of his team. He values understanding each team member’s strengths and creating the right conditions for them to shine—strategically planting seeds and nurturing growth to help individuals reach their full potential. He believes it is remarkable what people can achieve in the right environment.

He emphasizes that having the right mix of people is critical to a company’s success—not “yes-men,” but individuals who genuinely believe in the mission, take ownership, and work together to achieve it.

At the Global Fund John leads work to engage the private sector in supporting the Global Funds mission to eliminate HIV, Malaria and TB.  This means driving catalytic impact initiatives, including community health workers, digital health, climate and health and behaviour change, through engaging private sector resources, philanthropy and innovative finance. 

Prior to this, John was a Director at UBS Optimus where he led the team into developing new products and innovative financing instruments. He was the COO at the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN).

John has worked in both the private and not-for-profit sectors.  He worked in the finance and pharmaceuticals sectors supporting mergers, acquisitions and public listings. He helped establish and manage the portfolio of one of the largest private foundations, the Children's Investment Fund (CIFF). He was also a Regional Manager for Oxfam in East and Central Africa, Country Director in Afghanistan and worked in Northern Sri Lanka. He was also a board member of the Mines Advisory Group (MAG), a major mines clearance organization and Nobel Prize co-laureate.

A resident of Warsaw, mother of Alex, local government activist, politician, MP for the 10th term Sejm.

She was born and raised in Warsaw. In the capital, she learnt and shaped the values that guide her. Nearly ten years ago, she became the youngest councillor in the history of the capital. As a councillor, she actively supported the fight for clean air, creating new places in crèches and kindergartens and planning the expansion of road infrastructure and public transport.

Her commitment and close contact with the inhabitants led to her gaining record support nationally in the last local elections, with nearly 33,000 people casting their vote for her. She also co-created the victorious election campaign of the current Mayor of the City of Warsaw, Rafał Trzaskowski, being his spokesperson.

2019 was a special year for me, both personally and professionally. In June, I gave birth to Aleksander, and just a week later, I was elected vice-president of the Warsaw City Council. It was also in autumn 2019, from the last place on the list, that I was elected as an MP for the 9th term Sejm. 

She wants to use her many years of local government experience to make Poland modern, green and friendly to its residents and inhabitants. She breaks the stereotype that politics wears a tie; she believes that an influential politician can be a young, courageous person using innovative solutions.

Mr. Górski graduated from the Foreign Trade Faculty at the University of Gdańsk.

Having completed professional internships in the banking sector (Kiel, Germany, 1988-89) and in insurance sector (Zurich, Switzerland, 1990-91) he was employed at the Ministry of Privatisation first as a Deputy Director of the Foreign Relations Department, and then as the Head of the Ministry’s Information Centre. In 1993 he became the President of the Polish Agency for Foreign Investments, responsible for supporting international investments in Poland and for the global promotion of Poland.

In 1995, he started his business career in private equity business as member of the management boards of three fund management companies: Polskie Towarzystwo Prywatyzacyjne - Kleinwort Benson, BRE Private Equity and Everest Capital Polska.

In 2021, Mr. Górski started his entrepreneurial career and has since been the President and principal shareholder of Polskie Towarzystwo Prywatyzacyjne Sp. z o.o. and later also of Aurum Venture Capital Fund Ltd. providing investment consulting services and investing in Polish companies. Currently, he is a shareholder in many entities, mainly concentrated in two large industrial companies: ERGIS GROUP (production of plastic packaging) and MERA PNEFAL GROUP (real estate and metal processing industry).

In the last twenty years he has been a member of supervisory boards of more than twenty companies operating in various sectors and industries.

Marek Górski is actively involved in the leading Polish employers' organization - Konfederacja Lewiatan, serving as Deputy Chairman of the General Council, and previously as Deputy President for many years. On March 25, 2025, he was appointed for a 3-year term of office as President of the Lewiatan Confederation and took up his position on June 26, 2025.

Specialties: mergers and acquisition, restructuring companies, investment management.

Robert Grey is the Chancellor of the University of Warsaw, a diplomat and senior public-sector executive, and a former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs with responsibility for economic diplomacy. He specialises in strategic cooperation between government, business, and academia, as well as in building partnerships that support the international expansion of Polish companies.

An expert in public–private partnerships, institutional development, and modern governance, he places particular emphasis on the role of innovation and the application of artificial intelligence in management and economic policymaking. His work focuses on the design and implementation of solutions that foster economic growth, competitiveness, and the internationalisation of enterprises, drawing on experience across the public, academic, and international spheres.

He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts and The New School University in New York, where he studied international relations and diplomacy with a specialisation in governance. He also holds an Executive MBA from the University of Warsaw and has completed advanced executive and leadership programmes at, among others, the MIT Sloan School of Management, Oxford Saïd Business School, and the Harvard Kennedy School.

Iliana is an entrepreneur, author, adjunct professor, and speaker focused on empowering individuals and organizations to thrive in the age of AI. She has over a decade of experience working across multinationals, NGOs, and startups in Kenya, China, the UK, Australia, and Germany, with a focus on the intersection of technology and wellbeing.

She has delivered workshops and keynotes at institutions including the University of Cambridge, the London School of Economics, and events such as the Digital Ethics Summit and the Future of Digital Wellbeing Summit.

Coming from Seoul, South Korea, Joon served in the Republic of Korea Army where he worked at the Joint Security Area along the Demilitarized Zone. He served as the student body president for the Columbia College Student Council. Tireless advocate of student issues, he talked at a press conference organized by the New York State Attorney General as a student leader to speak against the Trump Administration's rule that deports international students. Pre-COVID, you could have seen him acting in Lerner Black Box with Latenite and getting kbbq in K-town.

Taras Andriiovych Kachka (Ukrainian: Тарас Андрійович Качка), born on 28 November 1979, is a Ukrainian public official and economic policy expert. He served as Deputy Minister in key economic ministries from 2019 to 2025 and has been Vice Prime Minister since 2025.

He holds a law degree (LL.B.) from MNTU and a Master’s degree in Law from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. Early in his career, he worked at the Ministry of Justice and later became Director of the Department of International Economic Relations at the Ministry of Agrarian Policy. He also served as Vice President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine and Acting President of the Chamber in 2015–2016.

Kachka subsequently worked with the International Renaissance Foundation as Deputy Executive Director and Strategic Advisor. In September 2019, he was appointed Deputy Minister for Economic Development (later Deputy Minister of Economy) and became Ukraine’s Trade Representative. In July 2025, he was appointed Vice Prime Minister for European Union and NATO Integration in the government of Yuliia Svyrydenko.

Mariusz Kaczmarek, based in Poland, is currently a Managing Director at Totalizator Sportowy.

Mariusz Kaczmarek brings experience from previous roles at Totalizator Sportowy and PrivatBank. Mariusz Kaczmarek holds a 2012 - 2013 IESE Business School. With a robust skill set that includes Strategia IT, Zarządzanie kadrami, Zarządzanie relacjami biznesowymi, Analiza biznesowa, Zarządzanie dostawcami and more. Mariusz Kaczmarek has 2 emails on RocketReach.

Washington-based American journalist, media executive and venture capitalist.

Today he advises media and other companies, and serves as Editorial Chair of the Middle East Broadcasting Networks and Editor-at-Large of The Arsenal, a new publication focused on national security and defense tech. He is a senior strategic advisor with New Vista Capital. Matt also writes and speaks on global affairs. He is the co-founder of POLITICO Europe, a pan-European publication created in 2014 that quickly established itself as the dominant media company in Brussels. He is also the former Editor-in-Chief of POLITICO in 2018-2023, leading the publication through its sale to Axel Springer. Matt also serves on the boards of the Partners Group (Asia), World.Minds and the Center for European Policy Analysis. 

He was a foreign correspondent, opinion writer, and editor at The Wall Street Journal in Brussels, Paris and New York, and started his career at the Financial Times, reporting on the former Soviet Union. He was awarded an Overseas Press Club Prize and named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of the conflict in Ukraine. 

Matt was born in Warsaw, raised in the U.S. and educated at Yale. He lives in Washington with his wife and two children.

Senior executive with two decades of track record at the intersection of public policy and financial markets, both on the sell and the buy sides, with key connections in Washington DC and in select G20 capitals.

Excels in identifying high-yield investment opportunities via in-depth analysis of macroeconomic indicators, policy shifts and political events; leveraging expertise in federal legislations, regulations as well as geopolitical factors.

Journalist and Director of RASP Foundation.

Founder and former Editor in Chief Forbes Women Polska and Newsweek.pl. For 20 years journalist, producer and manager in Polish and international media: Newsweek, Forbes, CNN and CNN Radio, TVN24, Polsat, TRK Ukraine, Radio Free Europe. Responsible for a successful digital transformation in Newsweek Polska and Forbes Polska.

Managed news departament in largest polish television, Polsat (CNN Affiliate). Trained in CNN Headquarter in Atlanta and cooperated with CNN International for 3 years. In Ukraine she worked as a senior consultant for TV and online news (TRK Ukraine, Tochka.net) My expertise covers digital and legacy media: tv, radio, online publishing and distribution. I am a feminist and equality advocate.

Parag Khanna is a leading global strategy advisor, world traveler, and best-selling author. He is Founder & CEO of AlphaGeo, an AI-powered geospatial analytics platform.

Parag's latest book is MOVE: The Forces Uprooting Us (2021), which was preceded by The Future is Asian: Commerce, Conflict & Culture in the 21st Century (2019). He is author of a trilogy of books on the future of world order beginning with The Second World: Empires and Influence in the New Global Order (2008), followed by How to Run the World: Charting a Course to the Next Renaissance (2011), and concluding with Connectography: Mapping the Future of Global Civilization (2016).

He is also author of Technocracy in America: Rise of the Info-State (2017) and co-author of Hybrid Reality: Thriving in the Emerging Human-Technology Civilization (2012).

Parag was named one of Esquire’s “75 Most Influential People of the 21st Century,” and featured in WIRED magazine’s “Smart List.” He holds a PhD from the London School of Economics, and Bachelors and Masters degrees from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. He has traveled to more than 150 countries and is a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum.

Asim Khwaja has spent his career at the intersection of government policy and private sector delivery. As a member of the UK Government Cyber risk, policy & Quantum Technologies Working Group, he advises on technology strategy where public and private sectors must align. In the private sector, he has built critical security and data functions from inception for global banks and infrastructure operators, turning strategy into operating capability.

Svitlana KOVALCHUK is the current Executive Director of Yalta European Strategy (YES). She joined YES in 2016 from German Development Cooperation “Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer die International Zusammenarbeit Gmbh” (GIZ). There, from September 2014 to April 2016, Dr. Kovalchuk was the Director of the Project for Strengthening Capacities of the Ukrainian Emergency Services. Numerous projects were implemented under her leadership, including the construction of seven IDP settlements and the establishment of the humanitarian aid to the cities in Eastern Ukraine. Previously, in 2010-2014, Dr. Kovalchuk was a Deputy Director of Advisory Services and Capacity Development for EURO 2012 project of GIZ. Her responsibilities were marketing and tourism development of four host cities in Ukraine. Dr. Kovalchuk began her professional career at the National Television Company of Ukraine in 2005. There, she headed the Ukrainian delegation at the Eurovision Young Musicians in Vienna, Austria in 2008, and later at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in Kyiv in 2009. Dr. Kovalchuk holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the Institute for International Relations of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and an MBA from the MBA International SIC Academy. Dr. Kovalchuk speaks fluent English, German, Russian and Ukrainian.

Journalist, media analyst, political scientist. Author of political science and media studies science papers and reports. Experience in relations from the polish parliament, congresses, social, political, economic events.

With Business Insider Polska since May 2022, co-host of the Onet Rano Finansowo program. He focuses on the links between business and politics, as well as industrial production and retail, and is therefore interested in everything created with consumers and households in mind. When it comes to numbers and data, he looks at the decisions and motivations behind them.

A journalist since 2015, previously associated with Dziennik Gazeta Prawna. Outside of work, he is a PhD candidate at the Doctoral School of Social Sciences at the University of Warsaw and a member of the Media Studies Research Laboratory.

Magdalena Krakowiak is the Head of the International Public Affairs Team at Adamed Pharma S.A., Vice-Chairwoman of the European Standards Medicines (ESM) — an industry committee of the European Chamber of Commerce (EuroCham) Vietnam, and Adamed’s representative in Medicines for Europe.

She has gained extensive international experience working across various markets in Europe and Asia, having lived on both continents, including nearly ten years in Vietnam. Since 2018, she has been professionally involved in the pharmaceutical sector.

Magdalena proudly represents the European pharmaceutical industry on the international stage, actively contributing to shaping and ensuring pharmaceutical resilience policies in Poland and the European Union.

She is a graduate of the Faculty of Management at the University of Warsaw.

Krzysztof Krawczyk is a Head of Warsaw office and a Partner at CVC Capital Partners, one of the world’s leading private equity and investment advisory firms. He is also a board member of CVC’s portfolio companies, PKP Energetyka, Zabka, D-Marin, AR Packaging and Stock Spirits Group.

Krzysztof has over 20 years of successful track record in European private equity and he served on the boards of numerous private and publicly-listed companies in telecom, media, manufacturing, logistics and healthcare sectors throughout CEE region. Prior to joining CVC, Krzysztof was Managing Partner at Innova Capital, a leading mid market private equity firm in Central Europe.

Krzysztof also worked at Pioneer Investment, a Poland-based private equity fund, and Daiwa Institute of Research, an advisory arm of Japanese investment bank Daiwa. He is a member of The Polish Business Roundtable, an association of founders and CEOs of the largest companies operating in Poland. He is also a Board Member of the TVN Foundation and of the Valores foundation, the first venture capital fund in the CEE region.

Krzysztof graduated with honors in Finance & Banking from the Warsaw School of Economics and is also an alumnus of the Executive Program at Harvard Business School. Krzysztof has been named the PE Person of the Year for 2015, 2017 and 2023 by members of Polish Private Equity Association. 

Alfred Kubczak serves as Director of Corporate Affairs and Advisor to the Management Board at the Żabka Group. He is also the proprietor of Vitare Consulting, a firm specialising in brand strategy and communication management. With over 25 years of executive experience, Mr. Kubczak has held leadership roles across sales, marketing and communications within the retail sector. He was instrumental in establishing the communication and corporate affairs departments at Shell Polska and Jeronimo Martins Polska, subsequently overseeing them for many years. During his service at Royal Dutch Shell, he contributed to the global External Affairs (EA) team, delivering marketing and communication projects across numerous European and non-European markets. Mr Kubczak is a graduate of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and the Católica Lisbon Executive Program. He currently serves as a Board Member of the Polish Organisation of Trade and Distribution. 

Alfred Kubczak pełni rolę dyrektora ds. korporacyjnych i doradcy zarządu w Grupie Żabka. Jest także właścicielem firmy Vitare Consulting świadczącej usługi w zakresie strategii marek i zarządzania komunikacją. Od ponad 25 lat związany z zarządzaniem w obszarach: sprzedaży, marketingu i komunikacji w sektorze handlu detalicznego. Między innymi tworzył działy komunikacji i spraw korporacyjnych w Shell Polska oraz w Jeronimo Martins Polska, którymi następnie przez wiele lat kierował. W Royal Dutch Shell, w ramach struktur globalnego zespołu EA, realizował projekty marketingowe i komunikacyjne na kilkunastu rynkach europejskich i poza Europą. Absolwent Kellog School Of Management At Northwestern University i Catolica Lisbon Executive Program. Członek Zarządu Polskiej Organizacji Handlu i Dystrybucji. 

Grażyna Kulczyk is a renowned entrepreneur and patron of the arts who, for over four decades, has been one of Poland’s most accomplished businesswomen.

Her remarkable career spans multiple sectors and has had a significant impact on Poland’s post-communist economic transformation. Together with her late husband Jan, Grażyna created the “Wonder Team,” which played a key role after the systemic transition in restructuring, building, and expanding various industries in Poland, including automotive, brewing, and infrastructure. Independently of the family business, she also initiated and developed her own progressive ventures in manufacturing, distribution, and construction.

In 2004, following many years of artistic and philanthropic activity, Grażyna Kulczyk founded her flagship cultural initiative, the Art Stations Foundation. The foundation became the largest non-governmental cultural organization in Poland, establishing and running nearly 1,500 cultural and educational projects.

The foundation was headquartered in the carefully restored and expanded Old Brewery (Stary Browar) in Poznań—an 8-hectare post-industrial complex that became one of the first and most important retail-and-cultural centers in Europe, repeatedly awarded in Poland and internationally. This success led to her being invited as an expert to development projects in Europe and the United States that combine business and cultural functions.

In December 2018, after three years of meticulous renovation and expansion of a former medieval monastery, Grażyna Kulczyk opened the Muzeum Susch in the Swiss Alps, which quickly gained recognition as one of Switzerland’s most important museum institutions. The museum is known for its commitment to rewriting art history in order to give voice to overlooked or misinterpreted avant-garde women artists. The foundation’s activities also include research and residency programs focused on matrilineal studies and excellence in writing.

Grażyna Kulczyk’s interests extend beyond art and business. She finances pioneering technological ventures addressing systemic global challenges, supports women’s entrepreneurship, and promotes equal representation of women in STEM and other male-dominated industries.

Her contribution to the art world has been substantial. She served as a member of the International Council and REEAC at Tate Modern (2012–2018) and as the first European board member of the Modern Women’s Fund Committee at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Her achievements have earned her significant recognition, including the title of European Cultural Investor of the Year 2019, the World Woman Hero in Art award and a philanthropy award at the World Economic Forum in Davos in 2024, as well as repeated inclusion on ARTnews’ list of the “Top 200 Collectors” worldwide.

Aleksander Kutela joined Ringier Axel Springer Polska in August 2015. In February 2016, he became COO of Ringier Axel Springer Media AG, and in September 2018, following the merger of the companies within the Onet-RAS Polska Group into a single legal entity, he assumed the position of Vice President of the Management Board of Ringier Axel Springer Polska. In September 2022, he was appointed CEO of Ringier Axel Springer Polska.

Between 2000 and 2015, Aleksander Kutela served as President of HBO Polska and Vice President of HBO Europe (2007–2015).

Jolanta Kwaśniewska is a Polish lawyer, social activist, and former First Lady of the Republic of Poland (1995–2005), the wife of President Aleksander Kwaśniewski.

She is widely known for founding the “Agreement Without Barriers” Foundation, which supports people with disabilities and those in need. She is also recognized as a style icon, a co-author of books on etiquette, and a television host.

Her work combines professionalism with charitable and media activity, promoting family values. She graduated from the Faculty of Law and Administration at the University of Gdańsk.

Aleksander Kwaśniewski is the former President of the Republic of Poland (1995 – 2005). He was born on the 15th November 1954, in Białogard, Poland.

He participated in the famous “Round-Table” negotiations in Poland that finally brought the peaceful transformation of Poland and the whole Central and Eastern Europe from communism to democracy. A co-founding member and first chairman of the Social Democratic Party of the Republic of Poland. He won the presidential elections for the first time in 1995, starting against Lech Walesa. Co-author of the new democratic Constitution of Poland, which he signed into law on July 16th, 1997.

A great advocate of Poland’s membership in both NATO and the European Union. It was under his leadership that Poland finally joined NATO in 1999. He is an active supporter of further alliance enlargement under the "open door" policy. A strong proponent of European integration, Kwaśniewski campaigned for approval of the European Union accession treaty in 2003, and saw Poland become a member on May 1, 2004.

Aleksander Kwaśniewski was one of the leading figures in European Politics. Author of numerous local and regional initiatives, decisively joined the global war on terror and backed the decision to send Polish troops to the war against Saddam Hussein. Long – standing supporter of Ukraine’s independence and sovereignty, Aleksander Kwaśniewski inspired the international mediation efforts during the 2004 Orange Revolution, helping the young democracy in Ukraine to prevail.

During his Presidency, he couragesly confronted the past, significantly contributing to the reconciliation between Poles and the German, Jewish and Ukrainian people.

On March 7, 2006, Kwaśniewski was appointed Distinguished Scholar in the Practice of Global Leadership at Georgetown University, where, as a visiting faculty member, he taught students in the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service about contemporary European politics, the trans-Atlantic relationship and democratization in Central and Eastern Europe. He is a member of the Atlantic Council of the United States, Chairman of the Board of Yalta European Strategy, Founder of the Amicus Europae Foundation. Until November 2013, President Kwaśniewski co-lead the European Parliament monitoring mission in Ukraine to monitor the criminal cases against Yulia Tymoshenko, Yuriy Lutsenko and Valeriy Ivaschenko.In 2020 he become Chair of the Eastern Europe and Central Asia Commission on Drugs and He is a member of the Global Commission on Drug Policy.

Chief executive of CEPS, the leading independent European think tank – or European policy lab, and debating European and global policy issues all the time.

Independent director of BME (Bolsas y Mercados Espanoles), the listed company that manages the Spanish securities markets (2006-2018); member of foundation boards and advisory councils.
Author of several books and of numerous articles and op-eds on financial markets and European policy matters.

Holds a baccalaureate in philosophy (1984) and a MA in modern history (1985) from the University of Leuven, Belgium and obtained a postgraduate in European studies (Centre d’Etudes européennes, CEE) from the University of Nancy, France (1986). Worked for STUC (students’ cultural centre in Leuven), did a stage in the EU Commission (spokesmen’s service in Jacques Delors’ time), was employed by an Italian agro-food company (Ferruzzi of Raul Gardini) and a professional association, and active as free-lance journalist.

Dr. Katarzyna Lasota Heller is a dual-qualified lawyer (Switzerland & Poland) and founding partner of LEXcellence Legal Services, specializing in FinTech, Blockchain, IT Law, IP, and new technologies, with over 20 years of experience, lecturing at universities, and leading the Swiss-Polish Blockchain Association.

She holds extensive experience from top international firms like DLA Piper and CMS, focusing on regulatory compliance, data, e-commerce, and digital assets.

CEO of HealthAI - The Global Agency for Responsible AI in Health, a non-profit foundation based in Geneva.

Founder & President of ‘UNITE Parliamentarians Network for Global Health’, a network of 500+ current and former members of parliaments, congresses and senates, in 120 countries, in partnership with the World Health Organization.

Chair of the ‘Global Health Policy Lab’, a collaborative between Charité – University Medicine Berlin (Center for Global Health) and Harvard (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Health Systems Performance Lab), based in Berlin.

Chair of the ‘Centre for Global Health’ at NOVA IMS – NOVA Information Management and Data Science School (Portugal).

Core member of the UK National Commission of Artificial Intelligence for Healthcare, by appointment of the Government of the United Kingdom.

Former Member of Parliament (Portugal, 4 terms) and former Vice President of the Social Democratic Party Parliamentary Board.

Mayoral candidate and Councilor of Sintra (2021-2025). Former Deputy Mayor and Councilor of Cascais (2015-2017) responsible for health, employment and international relations.

Awarded by ‘The Economist’ as a ‘HCV Change Maker’ (2016) in recognition of his leadership in the field of hepatitis c.

Prior to his election as an MP, practicing physician for 7 years, including a 5-year infectious diseases residency and internship at the World Health Organization (Copenhagen). He has also worked nearly a decade as a consultant in health information technologies.

Volunteer doctor in the COVID Emergency Room at the Cascais Hospital for over a year during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the summer of 2022, served as a medical volunteer at the Lviv Regional Hospital in Ukraine after the invasion.

PhD external student at Maastricht University having completed post-graduate studies in universities including Johns Hopkins, Harvard Kennedy School of Government and Harvard Medical School.

Founder of ‘CREATING HEALTH – Research and Innovation Funding’ (http://creatinghealth.ics.lisboa.ucp.pt) and co-founder of the ‘Estoril Conferences’ (www.estorilconferences.com).

Member of networks including European Young Leaders (Friends of Europe), Responsible Leaders Network (BMW Foundation), Atlantic Council, German Marshall Fund and ZEIT Stiftung. 2024-2025 Obama Leader.

Author of the book ‘Road to a Cure - Realities and proposals to reform the National Health Service in Portugal’ (D. Quixote, PT, 2020) and main author of the book “Citizenship for Health” (Universidade Católica Editora, PT, 2015) among other publications.

Member of the Management Board of ORLEN S.A. since 6 February 2024.

Witold Literacki is a graduate of the University of Silesia (Social Sciences) and holds an MBA from the Lublin Business School in cooperation with the University of Central Lancashire (UK). He is an expert in finance and taxation with extensive experience in the fuel and energy sector, gained in both Polish and international companies.

Previously, he served as CFO at PERN S.A. (2022–2023) and at PZL-WZM S.A. (2020–2022). From 2008 to 2020, he held senior tax leadership roles at PKN ORLEN, overseeing tax strategy across the ORLEN Group in Poland and abroad. Earlier in his career, he worked with RWE Stoen, Carrefour Polska, Arthur Andersen, and the Polish tax administration.

Yeh-Chung Lu is Vice President of the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy, and Dean of the College of International Affairs at National Chengchi University (NCCU), where he previously served as Department Chair.

From 2015 to 2021, and again from October 2024, he served as Vice President of the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD), a prominent Taiwanese think tank focused on public engagement and policy analysis. His extensive experience includes participation in the U.S. Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) and visiting scholar positions at the Henry L. Stimson Center and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, both in Washington, D.C. He also served as President of the Association of International Relations in Taiwan from 2021 to 2023.

Professor Lu’s academic expertise centers on U.S.-China relations, American foreign policy, and Chinese foreign policy. His broader research interests encompass international relations theory, international security, and international institutions. His work has been published in esteemed scholarly journals and edited volumes.

He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from George Washington University, Washington, D.C., U.S.A., and B.A. and M.A. degrees in Diplomacy from NCCU in Taipei, Taiwan.

Clare Mahon is Managing Director for Europe, Middle East & Africa at the Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants (AESC). Clare is an experienced business leader in the non-profit sector, with a proven background in membership development and engagement, strategic business-planning and enabling transformation, product development and financial growth.

Clare brings over fifteen years’ experience in Finance, Human Resources, Strategic Planning, Customer Service and Operational Management with a unique ability to achieve people optimization through buy-in to vision and change strategies. Clare was previously Director of Executive Programs and Councils Europe, for The Conference Board, a position she held for nearly five years. She was also the Vice President and member of the Professional Women International Board, for the Brussels chapter of PWN Global.

Clare holds an MBA from The Open University Business School, a Diploma in Hotel Management, Executive Program in Management & Philosophy at Solvay Business School Economics & Management, Advanced Program for Executive Search and Leadership Consulting at Cornell University, is a Licentiate of The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development CIPD.

Clare who has a passion for enabling learning, knowledge sharing and personal development. Is a member of the working groups of ACCELERATE and ME-TOTEM – two European funded projects working towards gender balance and diversity in the workplace and is currently studying Sophrology.

Oleksandra Matviichuk is a human rights defender who works on issues in Ukraine and the OSCE region. At present she heads the human rights organization Center for Civil Liberties, and also coordinates the work of the initiative group Euromaidan SOS. The activities of the Center for Civil Liberties are aimed at protecting human rights and establishing democracy in Ukraine and the OSCE region. The organization is developing legislative changes, exercises public oversight over law enforcement agencies and judiciary, conducts educational activities for young people and implements international solidarity programs.

The Euromaidan SOS initiative group was created in response to the brutal dispersal of a peaceful student rally in Kyiv on November 30, 2013. During three months of mass protests that were called the Revolution of Dignity, several thousand volunteers provided round-the-clock legal and other aid to persecuted people throughout the country. Since the end of the protests and beginning of Russian aggression in Ukraine, the initiative has been monitoring political persecution in occupied Crimea, documenting war crimes and crimes against humanity during the hybrid war in the Donbas and conducting the #LetMyPeopleGo and #SaveOlegSentsov international campaigns to release political prisoners detained by the Russian authorities.

After the beginning of new armed aggression in February 2022, the Euromaidan SOS initiative restore their work. Among other tasks, their volunteers are documenting the events which have signs of crimes under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court in all regions of Ukraine which became the targets of attacks of the Russian Federation.

Oleksandra Matviichuk has experience in creating horizontal structures for massive involvement of people in human rights activities against attacks on rights and freedoms, as well as a multi-year practice of documenting violations during armed conflict. She is the author of a number of alternative reports to various UN bodies, the Council of Europe, the European Union, the OSCE and the International Criminal Court.

She advises boards, owners, and senior leaders on executive appointments and leadership decisions during periods of transition, growth, and strategic change.

She is the Founder and Managing Partner of Meissner & Partners Executive Search and Leadership Advisory, an independent firm operating across the USA and Europe, with offices in Warsaw and Washington, DC. Since 2010, together with her Partners, she has been building a practice focused on board-level executive search and long-term leadership effectiveness, working with organizations where leadership quality directly shapes outcomes.

Meissner & Partners is a member of the Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants (AESC). She is also an active member of the AESC IDEA Council for Africa & Europe.

Alongside her advisory work, she serves as a Non-Executive Director at Smartschool, a U.S.-based company, and as a Trustee of the Universal Reading Foundation. She is also an investor and co-managing partner in healthcare businesses, with several ventures successfully exited to larger market players.

Her work is informed by a deep understanding of generational shifts, ownership dynamics, and the human side of leadership systems. She is engaged in selected pro bono initiatives supporting the development of future leaders, particularly at the intersection of education, responsibility, and social impact.

She holds a degree in Management from the International Management School FP in Warsaw and was a scholarship recipient of the ECES Program by the U.S. Congress at Georgetown University and the University of Wisconsin. She holds an Advanced Certificate in Executive Talent from Cornell University (2024) and has completed executive coaching and organizational systems programs accredited by the ICF. She is certified in MPA® and EASI® assessment tools, as well as in Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) and Hogan Assessments methodologies, supporting executive selection, leadership development, and board-level decision-making.

Earlier in her career, she held senior leadership roles in international publishing and led marketing for a U.S. pharmaceutical corporation, gaining first-hand experience operating at scale in complex, global environments.

Born on 30 September 1992 in Myślenice.

Miłosz Motyka holds a Master of Science degree in Environmental Engineering and is a graduate of the University of Agriculture in Kraków. Actively involved in social and civic engagement, he served as President of the Forum of Young People’s Party Members from 2017 to 2023. He is also a graduate of the School of Political Leaders.

Since 2019, he has served as the spokesperson and Secretary of the National Council of the Polish People’s Party (PSL). From 2024, he has been a councillor of the Małopolska Regional Assembly, where he serves as Vice-Chair of the Committee on Environmental Protection and Public Safety.

Since December 2023, he has held the position of Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Climate and Environment, where he was responsible for renewable energy sources and the power sector.

Małgorzata Mroczkowska-Horne is Director General of the Lewiatan Confederation, the largest Polish employers’ organization. She is a legal counsel by profession and an expert in business law, in particular Polish and EU competition law, and gender equality in the labor market.  Małgorzata is an enthusiast and a practitioner of new technologies, including digital solutions at work. She is a regular speaker at international conferences on matters related to law, competitiveness, economics, agile business solutions, business security and diversity, equality and inclusiveness in business.

As a commercial lawyer, from 2005 to 2024 she managed competition law practices in international law firms, as a partner in the last 5 years.  She also served as a non-governmental advisor to the president of the Polish Competition Authority (the UOKiK) as part of the International Competition Network (2010 – 2014).

She is a graduate of King's College London, where she completed postgraduate studies in the field of EU competition law (2007) and the Faculty of Law and Administration of the University of Warsaw (1997).

She is a member of the District Chamber of Legal Advisers in Warsaw and the Association of Competition Law (the SPK) as well as a member of the Social Dialogue Council.

In 2024, Małgorzata was ranked in Forbes’ Top 25 Women Lawyers in Business.

In 2025, Małgorzata co-founded a Polish Inhouse Lawyers Association (PILA).

Since 2019, Małgorzata has been working as a mentor and a judge in hackathons organized by Wolters Kluwer. In addition, she is a mentor in the programs of BNP Paribas Bank SA and the Women in Law foundation. She is a member of the ThinkTank Executive Network.

Co-Chief Executive Officer (co-CEO) and Member of the Management Board at Autopay SA, responsible for day-to-day business operations, product commercialization, sales, and business development. He also serves as a Member of the Supervisory Boards of WeNet Group and sportbm Ltd.

He brings over 25 years of experience in modern technologies, digital payments, telecommunications, and innovation. He began his professional career in large corporate organizations, including BIG Bank Gdański(now Bank Millennium) and Polkomtel SA, and has been associated with the Autopay Group since 2007.

Wojciech is a graduate of Gdańsk University of Technology, Faculty of Electronics, Telecommunications and Informatics, and completed an Executive Program in Strategy and Organization at Stanford University Graduate School of Business.

He is a co-founder of Remedium Rehabilitation Center Ltd., Cloud Services Ltd., and the originator and founder of sportbm Ltd. He actively supports educational initiatives focused on developing future-ready competencies, serving as a mentor in programs such as APLO by the Humanites Institute and Leopolis for the Future.

A strong advocate of teamwork and high-performing organizations, he believes that well-applied technology can become a powerful enabler of business growth, safety, and positive social impact. Privately, he is a husband and father of three, and a lifelong sports enthusiast.

Karol Nawrocki was born on 3 March 1983 in Gdańsk.

From an early age, he was interested in history, especially in Poland's recent history. Even as a teenager, he was actively involved in community and educational activities, organising historical re–enactments and patriotic events.

In 1998–2002, he attended the 4th High School in Gdańsk. He graduated from the Faculty of History at the University of Gdańsk in 2008. In 2013, at the same university, he defended his doctoral thesis entitled Social resistance to communist power in the Elbląg voivodeship 1976–1989. In 2023, at the Gdansk University of Technology, he completed his postgraduate studies: International MBA in Strategy, Programme and Project Management.

Since 2009, he has been professionally involved with the Institute of National Remembrance IPN, including from 2013 to 2017 as head of Office of Public Education in the Region Branch of IPN in Gdańsk. In 2016, he co–organised the funeral ceremonies of Danuta Siedzikówna „Inka” and Feliks Selmanowicz „Zagończyk” in Gdańsk – a symbolic act of restoring due honour to the “Cursed Soldiers” – Żołnierze Wyklęci.

From 2017 to 2021, he was director of the Second World War Museum in Gdańsk. Under his leadership, the institution underwent a reform both in terms of substantive activities and organisational structure. The main exhibition was embedded in the Polish war–time experience and gained a clearer national context. In 2021, Dr Nawrocki returned to the Institute of National Remembrance, where he took up the position of deputy president of the IPN.

He took office as President of the Institute of National Remembrance on 23 July 2021, having been elected to the post by the Sejm of the Republic of Poland with the consent of the Senate.

As President of the IPN, he has lent the institution a distinct research identity, strengthened its international presence and took action to duly commemorate the victims of totalitarian systems. After the Russian aggression on Ukraine in 2022, he initiated – as part of the implementation of the Act on the prohibition to propagate totalitarian symbolism – actions for the removal from Polish public space of Soviet propaganda objects falsifying Poland's recent history. During his tenure, 42 such objects were removed. As a result of these actions, he became the target of investigation carried out by Russian law enforcement agencies, and he was included in the list of persons wanted by the authorities of the Russian Federation. In parallel, he developed modern forms of historical education – including computer games and digital applications – in order to reach out to the younger generation more effectively.

He is the author of several books (including The Kwidzyn Case 1982: Internment, Beatings, Trial, 2012; Case Study. Opór społeczny wobec władzy komunistycznej w województwie elbląskim (1976–1989), 2014; Polska silna historia, 2025), dozens of other scientific and popular science publications, editor of publishing series and co–author of exhibition projects. He initiated the international project „Trails of Hope. An Odyssey of Freedom' and the #archiveoffreedom campaign, i.e. taking up anew the investigations of communist crimes from the 1980s. He developed the educational formats of the IPN and strengthened cooperation with memorial institutions in Europe and the United States.

In November 2024, Dr Karol Nawrocki's civic candidacy for the office of President of the Republic of Poland gained support from the Law and Justice Party. During the campaign, he visited several hundred towns and cities across Poland, enabling him to engage directly with the everyday problems of Poles and to learn about the aspirations and needs of citizens from different parts of the country. In the second round of the presidential election, held on 1 June 2025, he garnered the support of over 10.6 million Polish citizens, thereby securing the office of President of the Republic of Poland. He took office on 6 August 2025, taking the oath of office before the National Assembly.

He was awarded the Silver (2021) and Bronze Cross of Merit (2016) for his professional work in commemorating the truth about Poland's recent history. He has also received, among others, the Medal of the 100th Anniversary of the Regaining of Independence (2019) and the Gold Medal „Sapientia et Veritas for Polish Science” (2023).

Privately, he is married to Marta and is the father of three children Daniel, Antoni and Katarzyna.

Since 1990 he has worked as a journalist; first for the local and then national media. He worked for the “World of English” magazine (Europe), then completed a number of professional TV and radio attachments in the BBC and ITN in London and Manchester.

From 1999 (with intervals) he has worked for Polish Public Television Channel 1 as a journalist and current affairs programmes’ presenter (e.g. “Interview of the Morning”, “Channel One Interview, “Kawa czy Herbata, and others). He has specialized in interrogative political interviews (and interviewed many distinguished politicians, e.g. Pat Cox, Romano Prodi, Lech Walesa, Vicente Fox, Martin Schultz and others). Laureate of the professional stage programme by the British Council “BAS Top People Project” (2004) in BBC World Service in London (shadowing the director of the BBC World Service). Occasionally, he reports on selected issues for the BBC 5 Live (European Constitution Summit, European Elections). Professional placement completed with BBC World’s HARDtalk programme (2005) working on interviews with international politicians including Hamid Awaluddin, Indonesian Justice minister or Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, NATO Secretary General. He is interested in the development of civil society.

He is a journalism and media skills coach providing training for young journalists and business people. He ran a journalism workshop for “European Summer Academy”, Cologne, Germany. Business Communication coach for the “Worldwide Professional Development Centre”, Warsaw.

Currently, he is a host of current affairs programmes on Polish Public Televison Worldwide. He also organises Oxford style debates at the Warsaw University and “Encounters” debates organised by Oxbridge Society Poland.

Privately, he is interested in drama and theatre. He worked as a director and an actor of radio dramas. He is a vice president of British Alumni Society, and a member of Oxbridge Society Ppland. Honorary member of Cambridge Overseas Trust.

He has served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of Rwanda since 12 June 2024.

Over the past eighteen years, he has held a range of senior diplomatic positions. From November 2020 to June 2024, he served as Ambassador of Rwanda to the Netherlands, based in The Hague, with accreditation to Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, as well as to international institutions including the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT), the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) and the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC). Previously, he was Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, responsible for the East African Community (EAC), from September 2017 to April 2020.

Between December 2015 and September 2017, he served as Ambassador of Rwanda to Belgium, with accreditation to Luxembourg, the European Union, the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States, and the World Customs Organization (WCO). In 2015, he was Acting Director General for Multilateral Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. Earlier in his career, he was First Counsellor and later Minister Counsellor and Deputy Permanent Representative of Rwanda to the United Nations in New York, responsible for matters related to the UN Security Council (2010–2015), and First Counsellor at the Embassy of Rwanda to Ethiopia and Permanent Mission to the African Union (2007–2010).

Prior to entering the diplomatic service, he worked in the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources, and was a member of the Business Law Reform Cell, which focused on reforming administrative and business legislation to attract investment to Rwanda. During this period, he also lectured part-time at several universities in Rwanda, teaching tax law, social law, and economic and financial law.

He holds a Master’s degree in Tax Management from Solvay Business School at Université Libre de Bruxelles (Belgium) and a Bachelor of Laws from Université Catholique de Louvain (Belgium). He speaks Kinyarwanda, French and English. He was born on 13 September 1975 in Huye District, Rwanda, and has two children.

Salvatore Nigro is a visionary leader for youth empowerment who currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of JA Europe. His personal journey reflects a profound dedication to fostering youth entrepreneurship and employability, and he is committed to creating opportunities for the next generation. As the head of Europe’s largest provider of education programs for entrepreneurship, work readiness, and financial literacy, Salvatore continues to inspire and embolden young leaders across the continent.

His journey to JA Europe followed twelve years at Education for Employment (EFE), where he served as CEO for Europe and Global VP. There, he led business development, partnership management, and program implementation across Europe and extended his efforts to support operations in the Middle East and North Africa. Previously, he held various positions at the Glocal Forum, driving global initiatives through multi-stakeholder partnerships with the World Bank, UN Agencies, and Fortune 500 companies. Salvatore’s commitment to making a positive difference in the world was showcased by organizing one of the largest concerts for children in conflict areas, “We Are the Future,” alongside Quincy Jones.

Salvatore earned an MBA from the University of Malta, as well as MA degrees in International Strategic and Military Studies and International Political Science from LUISS University.

Alojzy Zbigniew Nowak (born 20 March 1956[2]) is a Polish economist. In 2020, he was elected Rector of the University of Warsaw.

In 1984, he graduated with a master's degree from the SGH Warsaw School of Economics.In 1991 he earned his PhD in economic sciences at the University of Warsaw. He received tenure in economic sciences in 1995, at the same university. Between 1996 and 2002, he held a position of an associate professor. By the decision of President of Poland he received professor degree in 2002. He served two terms as a dean of the Faculty of Management of the University of Warsaw (2006–2012 and 2016–2020). In the year 2012–2016 he served as prorector at the University of Warsaw.

He also worked as an associate professor at University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Exeter University and Free University of Berlin.

In 2015, he was named a member of Andrzej Duda's presidential think-tank National Development Council. Between 2017 and 2020 he was a member and the secretary of the board of the Powszechny Zakład Ubezpieczeń. Since 2017 he is a Chairman of the Board of the University Sports Association of Poland, the biggest student association in Poland.

Currently, Prof. Panda is based in Stockholm, and Heads the Stockholm Center for South Asian and Indo-Pacific Affairs (SCSA-IPA) at the Institute for Security and Development Policy, Sweden. He is also a Senior Fellow at The Hague Center for Strategic Studies in the Netherlands.

As a senior expert on China, East Asia, and Indo-Pacific affairs, Prof. Panda has testified to the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission at the US Congress. He is the Series Editor for Routledge Studies on Think Asia (a Taylor and Francis outfit), and also the Editorial Board Member of the Journal of Asian Public Policy (JAPP: Routledge), an SSCI journal. 

Absolwent Uniwersytetu im. Adama Mickiewicza w Poznaniu na kierunku: Zarządzanie i Marketing oraz Advanced Management Program w IESE Business School.
W latach 1999 – 2019 związany z branżą rynków kapitałowych oraz bankowości inwestycyjnej, pełnił kierownicze role w Grupie Santander (dyrektor sprzedaży, członek zarządu domu maklerskiego), Société Generale (ECM Director Poland), PKO Banku Polskim (Dyrektor Domu Maklerskiego, dyrektor Centrum Bankowości Prywatnej).
W ponad 20-letniej karierze zawodowej brał udział w ponad 80 transakcjach na rynku kapitałowym w Polsce i Europie Środkowej.
Od stycznia 2022, Dyrektor w Żabka Group, odpowiada za rozwój korporacyjny oraz relacje inwestorskie.

A graduate of the University of Adam Mickiewicz in Poznań in the field of Management and Marketing and the Advanced Management Program at IESE Business School.
In the years 1999-2019, he worked in the capital markets and investment banking industry, he held managerial roles in the Santander Group (sales director, member of the management board of the brokerage), Societe Generale (ECM director Poland), PKO Bank Polski (Managing Director, Head of Brokerage & Investment Banking, Managing Director of PKO Private Banking).
In his 20+ years of professional career, he has participated in over 80 capital market transactions in Poland and CEE.
From January 2022, Director at Żabka Group, responsible for corporate development and investor relations.

Andrej Plenković was sworn in as Prime Minister on 19 October 2016, thus becoming the 12th

Head of Government since Croatia’s independence. On 17 July 2016, he was elected President of the. Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), a member of the European People’s Party.

Born in Zagreb on 8 April 1970, Andrej Plenković is married and has two children. He is fluent in

English, French and Italian and conversant in German.

Janusz Reiter is a senior Polish diplomat, public intellectual, and expert on international relations and security policy. His mission is to work for a free, democratic Poland, in an united and strong Europe, and transatlantic community.

He served as the Polish Ambassador to Germany from 1990 to 1995, where he played a crucial role in reshaping Polish-German relations. In 1996, Ambassador Reiter founded the Center for International Relations, an independent think tank based in Warsaw that focuses on foreign and security policy. In 2005, he was appointed as Poland’s Ambassador to the United States. After returning to Poland in late 2007, he took on the role of Poland’s Special Envoy for Climate Change.

Janusz Reiter has received numerous honors, including the Federal Cross of Merit with Star and Ribbon from the Federal President of Germany, along with several honorary degrees and awards. He has been a fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, a Richard von Weizsäcker Fellow of the Robert Bosch Stiftung, and a Bucerius Fellow at the Hamburg Institute for Advanced Study. He has authored and co-authored numerous books, policy papers, and articles.

Reiter has also served on the boards of several Polish and international companies, including the media company Presspublica, DaimlerChrysler, SwissRe Europe, HypoVereinsbank, and Vattenfall Europe. He is currently a member of the Supervisory Board of Solaris Bus & Coach, Erbud, and ERGO Hestia.

Following 30 years of work within EU institutions, he teaches at three universities and is active in the field of security (broadly defined) at the think tank Diplomatic Council.

Maria João Rodrigues is a Portuguese academic and politician with extensive experience at both national and European levels. She served as Portugal’s Minister of Employment and was a Member of the European Parliament from 2014 to 2019, where she also held the role of Vice-President of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D). In this capacity, she worked on coordination with EU institutions and was a member of the Committees on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) and Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON).

Rodrigues has held numerous senior advisory and policymaking roles within the European institutions, including participation in leading teams of EU Council Presidencies. She is a recognized expert in EU political economy and has acted as Special Advisor to prominent political leaders, including António Guterres, current Secretary-General of the United Nations, as well as former Prime Ministers Poul Nyrup Rasmussen and Jean-Claude Juncker.

From 2015 to 2017, she served as President of the European Foundation for Progressive Studies. Since 2022, Maria João Rodrigues has been Chair of the Board of Re-Imagine Europa.

Alexander Romanishyn is a policymaker and economist, and a former Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine. He is a Board Member at ISE Group – a think tank and corporate accelerator recognized by the Financial Times among the leading innovation hubs in Europe. 

His work focuses on public policy, corporate finance, digital transformation, and resilience, supporting economic, innovation, and digital strategies across Ukraine, the EU, the United States, and Canada.

In the private sector, Alexander has led M&A and corporate finance transactions across Central and Eastern Europe with EY, Midland Group (UK), and Volwest Group. 

He has contributed to research and policy work with Martens Centre, CSIS, and CRDF Global, with a focus on AI, cybersecurity, and hybrid threats.

Alexander holds a Master’s degree in Finance and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Business from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, and actively mentors founders across the European innovation ecosystem.

Rafał Rosiński holds a doctorate in economics and worked at the Technical University of Koszalin, where he was vice-dean for student affairs. In 2008, he obtained his doctoral degree in economic sciences at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Gdańsk. His scientific output includes more than 50 publications, including two monographs and several articles in foreign journals. In 2009, he was awarded the main prize "Golden Wings of Gazeta Prawna" for the best book in the category "taxes". Previously, Rafał Rosiński was deputy Marshall of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship and a councillor of the Voivodeship Assembly for many years. Rafał Rosiński has been involved with the Polish Economic Society for more than 15 years; from 2020 to 2024 he was president of the Koszalin branch of the PTE, a member of the PTE National Board and a member of the PTE Scientific Council.

Samir Saran is the President of the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) and Chair of CyFy: The India Conference on Technology, Security and Society.

He is co-founder and the curator of the Raisina Dialogue, India's premier platform on geopolitics and geoeconomics.

Samir is a commissioner on the Global Commission for the stability of Cyberspace, an international multistakeholder body working to discover and detail the norms and rules that will help in managing cyber regimes implicating international security.

He is also a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Geopolitics and member of its South Asia Advisory Board where he consults on digital and tech sector issues.

His latest publication, New Norms for a Digital Society, outlines rights and responsibilities of stakeholders in evolving digital spaces. Samir has frequently been featured in national and international publications and his opinions are regularly featured in the top newspapers and websites in India and abroad.

Samir has a PhD in climate studies, a Masters in media studies and is an electrical and electronics engineer. He is consulted by governments and the corporate sector on specific projects.

His latest book is on India's Climate Identity published by Palgrave, London.

A graduate of High School No. 1 in Bydgoszcz and Oxford University.

He served as a war correspondent in Afghanistan and Angola (1986–1989). In 2002–2005, he was a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C., and the executive director of the New Atlantic Initiative.

Radosław Sikorski was Minister of Defence (2005–2007), Minister of Foreign Affairs (2007–2014), and Speaker of the Sejm (2014–2015). In 2019–2023, he was a Member of the European Parliament, sitting on the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Security and Defence Subcommittee. He chaired the Delegation for relations with the United States.

He is a Senior Fellow at the Center for European Studies at Harvard.

As Poland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, he launched, together with Carl Bildt, the EU’s Eastern Partnership. He proposed and helped to establish the European Endowment for Democracy and the Solidarity Prize.

In 2014, he headed the EU mission to Kyiv, which stopped the bloodshed on the Maidan.

He was listed among the Top 100 Global Thinkers by the Foreign Policy magazine for “speaking the truth, even when it is not diplomatic”.

He is the author of several books, including: Dust of the Saints: a Journey to Herat in Time of War, Full circle. A homecoming to free Poland, The Polish House: an Intimate History of Poland, Communism-freed Zone. An Interview, Poland Can Be Better. Behind the Scenes of Polish Diplomacy, and Poland. The State of the State.

Internationally recognised leader, speaker, editor, innovator and strategist, with more than two decades of wide-ranging experience in research publishing, research environments at the academia/pharma interface as well as academia.

Specialisation: foreign expansion of Polish companies

Executive Director, Member of the Management Board of the THINKTANK analytical center and the Center for International Relations Foundation. A graduate of the Faculty of Management at the Warsaw University of Technology and the Academy of Leadership Psychology. Many years of practical experience in developing and scaling investment projects.

Andrew Sollinger is CEO & publisher of Foreign Policy, the world's leading geopolitical media organization. Since joining FP in 2018, he has helped to build teams and drive growth in a diversified set of subscription, event, research and audio formats. Previously, Andrew was EVP of Subscriptions at Business Insider, Executive Director of Capital New York (now Politico NY) and Managing Director of the Financial Times Americas. He was part of the executive team that built and sold Money-Media to the FT in 2008. A former reporter and editor for Institutional Investor magazine, Andrew has lived in London, Hong Kong and New York. He is a graduate of Clark University in Worcester, MA.

Max Song is a venture builder, entrepreneur, investor, and researcher specializing in digital sustainable finance. He is currently a Strikeforce Fellow and Entrepreneur-in-Residence for Peter Diamandis’ private office, working across investment, venture creation, speaking, and writing. Previously, he was an investment and venture partner at a Hong Kong–based family office, focusing on technology research and investments.

He was part of the inaugural Schwarzman Scholars cohort, completing a master’s degree at Tsinghua University with a thesis on U.S.–China cross-border renewable energy investments. His background includes research in genetic engineering at NASA Ames for the iGEM competition, co-founding Brown University’s first startup accelerator, and serving as a Teaching Fellow at Singularity University.

Kiara is a Program Director at Yunus Environment Hub, where she leads global programs focused on strengthening social business ecosystems and addressing environmental challenges. She works with public institutions, multilateral organizations, and private sector partners to support locally driven solutions.

She previously worked at Microsoft and Amazon in roles related to digital innovation, sustainability, and product strategy. Kiara is a member of the World Economic Forum Global Shapers community in Munich and mentors young innovators through EuroTeQ Collider, UNDP Youth4Climate, the Mercedes-Benz beVisioneers Fellowship, and the 3ZERO Club. She also contributes to the YOUNG Forum and volunteers with Tafel München and Bahnhofsmission München.

Andrii Ivanovych Sybiha (Ukrainian: Андрій Іванович Сибіга), born on 1 January 1975, is a Ukrainian diplomat and senior public official. He has served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine since 2024.

Sybiha is a graduate of Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, where he earned degrees in International Relations (1997) and Law (1999). He has been professionally affiliated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine since the late 1990s, steadily advancing through its diplomatic structures. From 2008 to 2012, he served as Minister-Counsellor at the Embassy of Ukraine in Poland, and later became Director of the Consular Service Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In 2016, he was appointed Ambassador of Ukraine to Turkey, a position he held until 2021. Following this, he served as Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine from 2021 to 2024. In April 2024, he was appointed First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, and in September 2024 he assumed the office of Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, a role he continues to hold.

Maria Tadeo is a Brussels-based correspondent covering EU affairs with more than 10 years of experience in media. She has covered numerous elections, interviewed notable European figures and reported live across Europe while covering major news events - from the G7 meetings to NATO summits.

She has participated in top tier events carrying out journalistic moderation for the International Monetary Fund, the Munich Security Conference, the Brussels Economic Forum, the European Business Summit, the Ukraine Reconstruction Conference among others. She graduated with a first class degree in journalism from City University London and speaks four languages.

Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski specializes in designing highly reliable electronics for radiation environments, such as space or particle accelerators. Most of his systems are used in scientific installations or experiments. One notable example is the power control system he designed for CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC). At the same time, he has hands-on experience operating large scientific machines like the LHC.

He is a strong team player, focused on achieving results on time and fostering broad collaboration across the organization. He enjoys sharing his knowledge by actively participating in conferences, lecturing students, and communicating science to the general public—both as a CERN guide and through media visits at CERN.

In his free time, he challenges himself on multi-day mountaineering expeditions in the Alps and Himalayas, travels to remote places, and sails into the unknown.