AGENDA 2017

9.00 am - 9.30 am
Registration & welcome coffe

Morning Plenary Session


9:35 - 9:55
Welcome speeches

Guenter Verheugen

Jack Ewing

Andrzej Jonas

10:00 - 11:35
Innovative Hub Poland. A dream or a plan?

The Polish Ministry of Economic Development declared a year ago a strategy for sustainable and innovative development of the country. In this segment of the conference we’ll learn more about the general concept and how it is going to be implemented. Some more detailed questions to be developed during midday focus panels.

Discussion participants to include representatives of the Ministry of Economic Development, key governmental institutions, entrepreneurs and experts.

Participants:

Paweł Borys, President, PFR
Konrad Pokutycki, President, BSH Sprzęt Gospodarstwa Domowego Sp. z o.o.
Krzysztof Senger, Member of the Board, PAIH
Kamil Szymański, President, Exhibition and Congress Hall of the Subcarpathian Region
Ireneusz Węgłowski, Vice-President, Orbis S.A.

Moderator: Jack Ewing, The New York Times, Juliusz Kłosowski, The Warsaw Voice

11:35-11:50
Coffee break
11:55 - 13:10
European Union Prospects and prospects for Poland in the Union

Multi-speed Europe or European United States? Or maybe one of more compromising scenarios? What is most possible, most promising or most dangerous for the future of the Continent, Poland and the CEE region? What are mutual expectations, challenges and misunderstandings?

A roundtable discussion with  participation of guests from EU structures, including EP and EC, Polish government institutions, politicians and experts.

Invited participants:

Henryka Bochniarz, President, Konfederacja Lewiatan
Ryszard Czarnecki, Vice-President of the European Parliament
Bogusław Liberadzki, Vice-President of the European Parliament
Paweł Wojciechowski, former finance minister.

Moderator: Guenter Verheughen and Andrzej Jonas

13:15 - 13:45
Networking lunch

Midday Session - Focus Discussions

13:45 - 14.45
Innovative Cities. Is future now?

Smart  City Infrastructure and Sustainable Urban Policy, Sharing economy, Innovative Real Estate and Mobility. What they have in common?

Confirmed participants:

Sylwia Ajdys, ShareSpace
Anna Górska – Kwiatkowska, MRICS, Associate, Landlord Representation Manager, Office Department Cushman & Wakefield Poland
Mateusz Litewski, Public Policy Manager, Uber Poland
Magdalena Piasecka, Deputy Mayor of Wrocław
Paweł Pisarczyk, CEO of Phoenix Systems
Dionizy Smoleń, Director, PwC
Katarzyna Włodek-Makos, Director, Economic Development Office, City of Warsaw

Moderator: Monika Mizielińska-Chmielewska, Expert of New Technologies Market

14:50 - 15:50
Poland Meetings Destination

Innovative meetings. How to stimulate the economy of the country, increase GDP for 1-2%  and still gain even more? Why a strategy for the meetings sector is a must?

Presentation and discussion by the industry experts, government representatives, entrepreneurs

Invited participants:

Tomasz Dzieńdziura, Head of Unit, International Cooperation and Studies Unit, Ministry of Sport and Tourism of the Republic of Poland
Aneta Książek, CIS, HMCC, Polish Tourist Organization
Mateusz Czerwiński, Director, Warsaw Convention Bureau
Anna Jędrocha, President, Polish Conference and Congress Association (SKKP)
Jan Mazurczak, President, Poznań Convention Bureau
Bożena Zaremba – Marcych, Expert, City of Kraków

Moderator: Juliusz Kłosowski, The Warsaw Voice

13:45 - 14.45
Financial sector and innovation

Poland stayed relatively safe during  the last world financial crisis. Some experts say it was so due to its relatively conservatively ruled financial/banking sector. However, is an innovative approach one of the key answers to the potential future stagnation or financial breakdown?

Invited participants:

Marcin Pachucki, Vice-chairman, KNF
Dariusz Kułakowski, Member of the Board, GPW
Krzysztof Jajuga, President, CFA Society Polska
Mirosław Kachniewski, President, SEG
Karolina Marzantowicz, IBM Distinguished Engineer, CEE Chief Technology Officer
Sławomir Panasiuk, Vice-President, KDPW

Moderator: Juliusz Kłosowski, The Warsaw Voice

14:50-15:50
The  economic impact of  geopolitical challenges in Europe and beyond

Do they influence Poland and CEE? What we can expect? How to make them the least painful and the most fruitful? Is Warsaw and maybe other Polish cities to gain from London? Potential gains and losses for Poland and the region.

Panel discussion under PwC auspices

Invited participants:

Michał Bolesławski, Vice-President of ING Bank Poland (tbc)
Monika Kania, CEO and Founder of Xchanger.io
Aneta Kocemba-Muchowicz, Head of Credit Suisse Warsaw
Michał Olszewski, Vice-President, Warsaw City Hall
Krzysztof Senger, Member of the Board, PAIH
Mateusz Walewski, Economist, PwC Polska

Moderator: Jakub Kurasz, Director, PwC

Afternoon Plenary Session


15:55 - 17:15
On the road of economic prosperity - what are the economic and financial challenges ahead?

A panel discussion by former finance ministers

The 3rd time during the Warsaw Economic Hub conference financial ministers from past governments will meet to evaluate condition of the financial sector and discuss current economic prospects.

Confirmed participants, former finance ministers:

Mirosław Gronicki
Stanisław Kluza
Jerzy Osiatyński
Andrzej Raczko

Moderator: Paweł Wojciechowski, former finance Minister, Chief Economist of the Social Insurance Institution.

17:15 - 17:30
Closing of the Conference

Speakers:

Henryka Bochniarz
Henryka Bochniarz,
Founder and head of the Polish Confederation Lewiatan

Leader of business community in Poland. Founder and head of the Polish Confederation Lewiatan since 1999. Vice president of BusinessEurope. Chair of the Social Dialogue Council – leading Polish institution focused on national tripartite dialogue between the government, employers’ and trade unions’ organizations. In 1990 she established Nicom Consulting that operated until 2010. The company provided professional advice on restructuring and privatization in Poland. She served as president of Boeing CEE from July 2006 until December 2014. Member of the supervisory boards at Orange Polska and FCA Poland SA, member of the board of directors of Unicredit in Italy. Since 2000, chairwoman of the joint Polish-Japanese Economic Committee. She runs an advisory and consulting company specializing in corporate restructuring and international investments. Former Minister of Industry and Trade. Author of many publications devoted to micro– and macroeconomics, and press commentator on current socio-economic issues. She is the originator of the European Forum for New Ideas, international congress of business communities, economists and experts from the world of culture and politics devoted to seek meaningful solutions to the most fundamental problems facing Europe. Recipient of a number of awards, e.g. Commander’s Cross with the Star of the Order of Polonia Restituta and Japanese Order of the Rising Sun (Gold and Silver Star). She holds Ph.D. in economics from the School of Planning and Statistics in Warsaw and is a former Fulbright scholar.

Paweł Borys
Paweł Borys,
President of the Management Board of Polski Fundusz Rozwoju S.A.

Paweł Borys is a recognised Polish economist and manager, with rich and successful professional track record in banking, capital markets and insurance, who has worked for Polish and international financial institutions. He is an expert at investments, management, macroeconomic analysis, strategic and financial planning and business restructuring. He has experience as a manager of large teams and complex projects involving the development and implementation of growth strategies for businesses and financial institutions. He started his career as chief economist for the Erste Bank Group in Poland. Subsequently employed as a funds manager and head for investment within investment funds with the Deutsche Bank Group, the second-largest asset management company in the world. He was also involved in the development of a Polish private equity and venture capital business as President of the Management Board of AKJ Investment TFI. In 2010-2016 Pawel Borys was the managing director at PKO Bank Polski, responsible for economic analysis, group strategy and development, and investor relations. He has a broad network of contacts with international investors and financial institutions and a wealth of corporate experience from sitting on a dozen or so supervisory boards in Poland and abroad. He is a two-times winner of the award for best fund investment performance on the Polish market. He was listed as one of Poland’s top-forty managers. His professional work was supplemented by theoretical studies in finance, banking and economics during his time as an employee of the Warsaw School of Economics (SGH) in 2001-2005, where he conducted research in economic convergence theory and dependence between the financial sector and economic growth. Author of a number of press publications and articles on banking, investments, capital market and the economy. Well-versed in English and German. Passed the exam for supervisory board members of State Treasury-owned companies. Married and a father of three.

Robert Chmielewski
Robert Chmielewski,
Co-Founder, ShareSpace

An alumni of University College London with BSc Planning and Real Estate. He gained his experience on the Real Estate market both in Poland and abroad, especially in the field of capital markets financial analysis, working for companies such as Griffin Real Estate, Jones Lang LaSalle and Arcadis Group. Being an active passionate of alternative real estate investment classes, and property technology, he co-founded ShareSpace.pl, a leading platform for flexible shared office rental. He is also a co-founder of StudentGroup, an operator of the Studentliving.pl portal offering private student dormitories. Together with ShareSpace he has been among the co-organisers of the first property technology event in Poland held Warsaw’s The Heart.

Ryszard Czarnecki
Ryszard Czarnecki,
Member of the European Parliament

Former Minister of the European Affairs, Member of the European Parliament. Born in the UK, graduate from University of Wroclaw, where he received master degree in history. Former Minister of the European Affairs, Minister without Portfolio and former Deputy Minister of Culture and Arts.  Since 2004 he is a member of the European Parliament. Vice-President of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly, as well as interparliamentary forum with national parliaments of Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. Coordinator in Committee on Budget Control (CONT), member of the Foreign Affairs (AFET) committee in the EP and the Delegation EU – Ukraine. In addition, Vice-President Ryszard Czarnecki is a member of the Delegation DCAS to the EU – Kazakhstan, EU – Kyrgyzstan, the EU – Uzbekistan and the EU – Tajikistan and the Commission to corporations of parliamentary relations between Turkmenistan and Mongolia. He was awarded high state awards by Ukraine, Georgia and Armenia. He holds a Doctor Honoris Causa of the University in Erevan. Author of 6 books.

Mateusz Czerwiński
Mateusz Czerwiński,
Vice-President of the Warsaw Tourism Organization

He began his work in the field of the meetings industry in 2008 as a project manager in the MICE agencies implementing outgoing and incoming projects. In the ongoing events, as one of the first in Poland he implemented the sustainable meeting standard BS 8901 solutions, being responsible for the preparation and implementation of the management system of the Radisson Blu Kraków Hotel on the basis of BS 8901. The facility as the first in the world has been certified by an international company certifying sustainable activities in the meetings industry. Since 2010 at the Warsaw Convention Bureau (Warsaw Tourist Office), he is responsible for the planning and implementation of marketing activities of Warsaw as a destination of meetings, contacts with foreign clients, supervision of the local MICE market researches and cooperation with the scientific community in Warsaw under the ambassador’s congresses. He represented Warsaw as the Tourism Expert in the ONE BSR EU project, under which the international group of collaborators was preparing travel products and strategy for their promotion in the United States and Japan. After changing his position at the Warsaw Convention Bureau into Warsaw Tourism Organization structures, he is responsible, among others, for the acquisition for Warsaw and coordination MCE CEE Warsaw 2015, the first ever Polish international meetings industry B2B event, which was visited by a large group of foreign hosted buyers (meeting planners 80). Since June 2018 he is the Vice-President of Warsaw Tourism Organization.

Jack Ewing
Jack Ewing,
The New York Times

Jack Ewing is European economics correspondent for the New York Times based in Frankfurt, a job he has held since 2010. Mr. Ewing has worked as a journalist in Germany since 1994, filing stories from almost every country in the European Union as well as Africa and Asia. Mr. Ewing’s beat at the Times includes not only the automobile industry but also monetary policy, banking and macroeconomics. He is the author of two books: “Faster, Higher, Farther: the Volkswagen Scandal,” published in 2017, and “Germany’s Economic Renaissance: Lessons for America,” published in 2014. He has been a German Marshall Fund Journalism Fellow and in 2011 received The New York Times Publisher’s Award for his coverage of the European debt crisis. Prior to joining The Times in 2010, Mr. Ewing spent more than a decade as a correspondent for BusinessWeek magazine in Frankfurt. He has also worked for Bloomberg News in Frankfurt and the Hartford Courant in Hartford, Connecticut. He began his career as a sportswriter for the Santa Fe Reporter in New Mexico. Mr. Ewing, who grew up in Shelburne, Vt., holds a master’s degree in history from Trinity College in Hartford and a bachelor’s degree from Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts. He is married with a grown daughter.

Anna Górska-Kwiatkowska
Anna Górska-Kwiatkowska,
MRICS
Associate I Landlord Representation Manager, Office Department, Cushman & Wakefield

Anna Kwiatkowska is real estate professional (RICS) with 20-year experience in commercial real estate market in Poland. She is head of Landlord Representation Services managing letting process of portfolio of more than 300 000 sq m in Warsaw. She represents institutional funds, international developers and private landlords. She holds a Warsaw University Degree in Geology, American Studies Center Degree in Economics and Warsaw University of Technology Degree in Property Valuation. Previously Anna was acting as head of the Residential Department responsible for business development and consultancy services at all stages of development process. She advised institutional and private clients and provided them with a wide range of services: evaluation of development finance requirements, sourcing development finance, sourcing residential designated sites and project opportunities in Poland. She also specialized in tenant representation services and corporate clients’ relations.Key clients (landlords) include: Capital Park (Eurocentrum, Art Norblin), Union Investment (Zebra Tower, Horizon Plaza), HESA (Hotel Europejski), ING RE&D (Holland Park, Skylight, Lumen), Ghelamco (Senator), GTC (Empark, Areopark), UBS (Atyn, Ilmet, Koszykowa 54, Nova Praga), Avestus (Qube). Key clients (tenant) include: EU Commission & EU Parliament, US Government, UAE Embassy  British Council, Omnicom Group, Walt Disney Company, PGE S.A. & PSE S.A., Boston Consulting, Ernst & Young Academy of Business, Cap Gemini, Discovery Polska & Reader Digest.

Mirosław Gronicki
Mirosław Gronicki,
Former Minister of Finance in 2004-2005

Economist, PhD in economics, Minister of Finance in Marek Belka’s government. He graduated from the Faculty of Transport Economics at the University of Gdansk. In 1987-1993, he worked in international academic institutions, including, among others, the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Charles University in Prague and ICESAD in Kitakyushu. He has worked in international organisations, including the World Bank, the UN and the EU. Until 1998, he was employed as a macroeconomist at the Institute for Market Economics. In 1999-2004, he worked with the Center for Social and Economic Research. He has been an advisor for the governments of Bulgaria, Turkmenistan and Slovakia. In 2000-2004, he was chief economist at Bank Millennium S.A., and in 2004-2005, he held the office of Minister of Finance in the government of Marek Belka. From 2012 to 2014, he headed the team of advisors of the President of the Krajowy Fundusz Poręczeniowy „Samorządowa Polska” sp. z o.o. He is currently an independent consultant.

Krzysztof Jajuga
Krzysztof Jajuga,
President, CFA Society Poland

President of CFA Society Poland, Professor of Economic Sciences at Wroclaw University of Economics (title given by the President of Poland in 1992), Head of Finance Management Institute. He is member in scientific and professional organizations: Member of Executive Board of Committee of Statistics and Econometrics of Polish Academy of Sciences, Member of Executive Board of Committee of Financial Sciences of Polish Academy of Sciences , Member of Executive Board of Committee of Economic Sciences of Polish Academy of Sciences. His research interests are: financial markets and instruments, risk management, corporate finance, real estate, insurance and quantitative methods (econometrics, statistics).He was a member of the Scientific Council of the National Bank of Poland and a member of the Supervisory Board of Warsaw Stock Exchange.

Andrzej Jonas
Andrzej Jonas,
Editor-in-Chief, The Warsaw Voice

Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Warsaw Voice magazine. Co-founder of the Children of the Holocaust Association in Poland. Former Vice-President of the Association of Polish Journalists, former head of the Polish section of the Association of European Journalists; former Vice-President of the Association of European Journalists. Press and television commentator, recipient of the Bene Merito award.

Mirosław Kachniewski, PhD
Mirosław Kachniewski, PhD,
President, Polish Association of Listed Companies (SEG)

Prior to joining SEG, he worked at the Securities and Exchange Commission as Secretary of the Commission (his duties included coordination of international cooperation, research and education policy, public relations). Previously he was an employee of the Ministry of Treasury (advisor to the Minister, responsible for Poland’s negotiations on joining the OECD). While working at the Department of International Finance of the Warsaw School of Economics, he was conducting  research on evolution of financial markets and of their regulations. Holds a doctoral degree. Author of numerous economic publications concerning mainly areas of capital markets, liberalization of capital flows, liberalization of providing financial services and integration of EU financial markets. He is also a member of the Board and Executive Committee at EuropeanIssuers.

Stanisław Kluza
Stanisław Kluza,
Former Minister of Finance

Doctor of economy, creator of the Polish Financial Supervision Authority (PFSA; Polish: Komisja Nadzoru Finansowego, KNF), a former chairman of PFSA (2006-2011), Minister and vice-Minister of Finance (2006), chief economist and the director of the Analysis Department at Bank Gospodarki Żywnościowej (in Rabobank Group) (2002-2006). He is a faculty member at Warsaw School of Economics (since 1994), where he is affiliated at the Institute of Statistics and Demography. His main fields of interest are: monetary policy, statistics, econometrics, macroeconomics, banking and business cycle. He is the author of numerous presentations and papers in the fields of supervising financial market and macroeconomic analysis.

Juliusz Kłosowski
Juliusz Kłosowski,
Publisher & CEO, The Warsaw Voice

Historian by education and journalist by profession, with a postgraduate degree from Warsaw University (1982), since 1993 has been General Director of the Warsaw Voice publishing house. Kłosowski is also director of the Warsaw Economic Hub and Poland Meetings Destination conferencing projects.

Aneta Kocemba-Muchowicz
Aneta Kocemba-Muchowicz,
Director, Head of Credit Suisse in Warsaw

Aneta joined Credit Suisse in 2008 and has held a variety of leadership roles within Investment Banking and Capital Markets over the years. Between 2012 – 2016 she was the Head of Investment Banking for Poland and Central & Eastern Europe, responsible for the execution of investment banking transactions in the region such as, among others, Santander’s acquisition of Kredyt Bank, IPO of PZU and numerous ABB transactions for financial institutions as well as energy and utilities companies. Aneta’s previous professional experience include numerous ECM, M&A and DCM transactions in Poland and CEE region with Citi and CAIB Unicredit Group. In her current role she is responsible for the Warsaw office operations and for driving the implementation of the global BDC strategy and vision in Warsaw. With 15 years of experience in investment banking across the CEE region in completing numerous landmark deals for the region, Aneta has a well-established understanding of the Polish market with in-depth knowledge of capital markets as well as corporate and regulatory requirements. Aneta holds a Master of Science with distinction in Finance and Banking from the Warsaw University and an executive MBA from the University of Technology in Warsaw in coordination with the London Business School, the HEC School of Management (Paris) and the Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration (Berge).

Jakub Kurasz
Jakub Kurasz,
Head of Communications, PwC Poland

Since 2014 PwC Head of Communications. 2013-2014 Roland Berger Strategy Consultants  Business Development Director, 2008 -2013 Gremi/Presspublica (Polska) – Editor-in-chief Parkiet, deputy Editor-in-Chief Rzeczpospolita, 2006-2008 Gazeta Prawna – Business News  Editor. Qualifications and selected experience: working for PwC: Comms strategy for 3 Lines of Services of PwC Poland – #1 among Big4 in media share of voice, working for PwC Clients, PR Plan for leading gas & energy  company in Poland, communication strategy for Bank-Customer conflict situation, change Communication Plan for leading media companies.

Bogusław Liberadzki
Bogusław Liberadzki,
Member of the European Parliament (MEP) since May 1, 2004

Bogusław Liberadzki has been a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) since May 1, 2004. He sits on the parliament’s Committee on Transport and Tourism and is deputy chairman of the Committee on Budgetary Control. Since January 2012, he has been a member of the European Parliament’s Bureau and of the parliament’s College of Quaestors. Liberadzki is also a member of the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with Japan and a substitute member of the Delegation for Relations with the Arab Peninsula. In 2008, he was voted the MEP of the Year in recognition of his active role in transport policy. In 2012, he was reelected a member of the Presidency of the Party of European Socialists (PES). That same year, he was elected vice-chairman of Poland’s Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) party. Liberadzki has received a number of honors in Poland, including the Medal of the Commission of National Education and the Gold and Silver Crosses of Merit. He specializes in the economics of transport, transportation policies and European transportation systems. He has authored and co-authored a number of research papers, books and other publications in Poland and abroad, including Uwarunkowania rozwoju systemu transportowego Polski (The Determinants of the Polish Transportation System’s Development), Liberalizacja i deregulacja transportu w Unii Europejskiej (The Liberalization and Deregulation of Transportation in the EU), Transport- popyt, podaż, równowaga (Transportation: Demand, Supply and Sustainability), and Ekonomiczne problemy funkcjonowania transportu w USA i wnioski dla systemu transportowego Polski (The Economic Problems of Transportation in the United States and Implications for Poland’s Transport System).

Mateusz Litewski
Mateusz Litewski,
Public Policy Manager, Uber Poland

Mateusz Litewski is responsible for public policy of Uber in the Central and Eastern Europe region. He was also responsible for the expansion of Uber to new markets, including Croatia, Slovakia, Estonia and Ukraine. Prior to joining Uber, he was a consultant working with international companies from the aviation, e-commerce, heavy industry and finance. He is a graduate of Keele University, University of Bath and Manchester Business School.

Karolina Marzantowicz
Karolina Marzantowicz,
IBM Distinguished Engineer, CEE Chief Technology Officer

Karolina Marzantowicz bridges the technology, business innovation and psychology worlds. She acts as a technical executive and a catalyst fostering curiosity to help in adaptation to rapidly changing IT environments. Karolina has been supporting companies in driving complex digital transformations and introducing emerging technologies such as blockchain/dlt, artificial intelligence, IoT and quantum computing as well as hacking growth with startups around the world. She is an acknowledged speaker at global focus conferences and author of many publications. Recognized in 2017 as one of the top 20 women in #fintech.

Monika Mizielińska-Chmielewska, Ph.D.
Monika Mizielińska-Chmielewska, Ph.D.,
Ekspert ot the new technologies market, Media Trend

A graduate of the Faculty of Management at the University of Warsaw. After graduating the studies in Poland in area of marketing , she held postgraduate studies at the University of Economics in Vienna. During her studies she also obtained the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry Certificate in English of Economics. In 1993 the Polish Business Club awarded her the title of “Businesswoman of 1992”. In 1998, she received the “Merit for Communication”-an honor distinction from the Minister of Communications and in 1999 the honorary distinction from the Association of Polish Electrical Engineers. From 1989 to 2000 she was the president of the Austrian company Kapsch in Poland, carrying out a number of large infrastructure projects in the field of telecommunications and information technology. Between 1999 and 2000, she served as Vice-President of the Foundation for Development of Radio communication and Multimedia Technologies at the Warsaw University of Technology. In the years 2000-2004 she was a member of the Advisory Board of the President of the Public Procurement Office and since 2004-2008 a member of the Public Procurement Council. In the years 2001-2010, as the founder of Media Trend company and the of the Media Communication Center at the Journalist’s House in Warsaw, she conducted numerous information campaigns and public debates, mainly in areas of infrastructure and new technologies. Since September 2013 she has been a member of the Supervisory Board of ATENDE S.A. In 2012, as a doctoral dissertation at the Faculty of Management at the University of Warsaw, she conducted numerous market research and analysis in the field of interactive television and diffusion of innovation and at the end of 2013 she received her doctorate title in economics. In recent years, she has made several publications and presented the results of her research at conferences and seminars. Since 2000 she has been working as a consultant in the field of new technologies strategies and smart city within her consulting firm Media Trend.

Michał Olszewski
Michał Olszewski,
Deputy Mayor of the Capital City of Warsaw

Born in 1977 in Bydgoszcz. He has been involved with public administration for 18 years. His career began in 1997 in the Office of the Committee for European Integration. Since Poland joined the EU structures he has started to work at Ministry of Economy and Labour and the Ministry of Regional Development. For his commitment he was awarded in 2005 with a plaque “self-government in the service of society”. Since 2007 he has been an employee of the Warsaw City Hall. In the city hall he was also the Director of the Office of European Funds and Director of the Investor Service Office. In 2011 he was appointed as Deputy Mayor of the Capital City of Warsaw. Regardless of the work in the Office, he conducted scientific and didactic activity at public and private universities. He takes the lead at Innovation Policy Council and he is a member of its counterpart at the regional level. He also represents EUROCITIES, the largest organization for European cities. He is committed to strengthening cooperation between local and national and metropolitan functional areas. In the years 2007-2015 he held the position of the President of the European Policy and International Cooperation Association of Polish Cities, and from 2012 he is the Co-President of Functional Urban and Metropolitan Joint Commission of Government and Local Government. From 2012 he has chaired the Steering Committee of the Integrated Territorial Investment Metropolitan of Warsaw. For his contribution to the development of self-governance he was awarded by the President of Poland with Gold Cross of Merit (2015) and Honorary Badge of Merit for Local Government by the Minister of Administration and Digitization (2015).

Jerzy Osiatyński
Jerzy Osiatyński,
Former Minister of Finance, Member of Monetary Policy Council of NBP

Born in Riga on 2 November 1941. Graduated from the Warsaw School of Economics (at that time: Main School of Planning and Statistics) in 1964, and in 1989 received the title of Professor of Economic Sciences. Chairman of the Scientific Council of the Institute of Economic Sciences of the Polish Academy of Sciences (2007-2013) and member of the Committee on Economic Sciences of the Polish Academy of Sciences (2007-2011); member of NBP Economic Research Committee (since 2009); from January to April 2010, member of the National Development Council of the President of the Republic of Poland and from October 2010 to December 2013, social adviser to the President of the Republic of Poland. Since 2001, Professor at the Bielsko-Biała School of Finances and Law. He is author of academic textbooks and scientific dissertations in the field of economic theory, public finance, history of economic thought of the 20th century and economic transformation from centrally planned to market economy. Minister – director of the Central Planning Office (1989-1991); minister of finance (1992-1993). In 1995-2008, consultant of the World Bank, United Nations Development Programme and other international and non-government organisations in the area of economic transformation, notably in Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States. Since 2001, member of the Prime Minister’s Council of Socio-Economic Strategy and its vice-chairman in 2004-2006.Member of Parliament of the tenth, first, second and third term. He was member of parlia-mentary commissions and sub- committees dealing with public finance, European integration, public control, audit and economic policy.In 1990 he was awarded Doctor Honoris Causa of New York University. In 1993 – elected the best minister of finance in Central and Eastern European countries. On 20 December 2013, the President of the Republic of Poland appointed Professor Jerzy Osiatyński as a member of the Monetary Policy Council.

Sławomir Panasiuk
Sławomir Panasiuk,
Vice President of the Management Board, KDPW and KDPW_CCP

Sławomir Panasiuk – Deputy President of the Management Board of two key infrastructure institutions in the Polish capital market: the central securities depository (KDPW) and the CCP clearing house (KDPW_CCP). Graduate of the Cybernetics Department, major in operation of computer systems; post-graduate studies in IT at the Military University of Technology; and a post-graduate PhD course in Management Science at the College of Management and Finance of the Warsaw School of Economics. Since 1999, he has been working in KDPW in several positions, including Head of the IT Application System Team, Director of the IT Department, and General Director for Technology. In 2006, he was appointed to the Management Board of KDPW. As a Member of the Management Board, he participated in all the major business projects of KDPW. He co-ordinated the implementation of the depository-settlement system kdpw_stream, an unprecedented IT project in the Polish market in terms of the number of involved partners. Since 30 June 2009, he is Deputy President of the Management Board responsible for Operations, Technology and Corporate Security. He is Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Centrum Giełdowe S.A. and Chairman of the WIBOR Council.

Magdalena Piasecka
Magdalena Piasecka,
Deputy Mayor of Wrocław

In 2006 graduated from the University of Wrocław. 2004-2005 was granted a scholarship at the University of Bonn in Germany. In 2006 was awarded a scholarship of International Visitor Leadership Program “NGOs and Civic Activism” and was a participant of training course in the United States funded by the Department of State in Washington, D.C. In 2011 graduated of postgraduate studies at the Warsaw School of Economics.  Since 2008 Member of the Meeting Professionals International Association. 2010-2012 the Chairman of the Wrocław Women’s Board. 2010-2016 cooperated with the Atlantic Council (AC), an American foreign policy think-tank (the AC’s mission is to promote constructive U.S. leadership and engagement in international affairs). Since 2010 Lecturer at the Wrocław School of Banking and the University of Business in Wrocław. 2008-2017 was the President of the Board at Convention Bureau – Wrocław. Currently is holding a position of the Deputy Mayor of Wrocław in charge of Sustainable Development, Education, and Public Housing Resources Management

Paweł Pisarczyk
Paweł Pisarczyk,
CEO of Phoenix Systems

A CEO of Atende Software and Phoenix Systems, President of the Supervisory Board of OmniChip, Member of the Council of Polish Chamber of Commerce for Electronics and Telecommunications and Chairman of the Smart-Grid Section, as well as Member of the Steering Committees and Expert Teams (ex. Chairman of the Intelligent Software Group in the Industrial Transformation Team at the Ministry of Development). A laureate of the 2016 Visionary awarded by Dziennik Gazeta Prawna. Co-founder of the Invincible Foundation, which aims to promote sport among youth. An author and co-author of more than 80 scientific publications and numerous articles on software, operating systems and innovation. An author of the real-time operating system for Internet of Things – Phoenix-RTOS.

Tomasz Pisula
Tomasz Pisula,
President of the Board, PAIH

Before being appointed as president of PAIH S.A., Tomasz Pisula was responsible for ownership supervision on behalf of the Ministry of Development for over a hundred subordinate entities, including special economic zones, departments of trade and investment at Polish embassies, scientific and research institutes, the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development, the Industrial Development Agency, the Polish Development Fund, the Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency, PKO BP, the Office of Technical Inspection, and the Public Procurement Office. The total value of assets in subordinate entities supervised by the Department exceeded 300 billion PLN. bHe was also involved, on behalf of the Ministry of Development, in the establishment of the Polish Development Fund and the associated reform of the WPHI personnel system from the very beginning. Prior to working with the Ministry of Development, Tomasz Pisula was also the Public Policy manager at Bank Zachodni WBK, where he led a team monitoring regulatory changes and building relationships with the institutions forming them. He was also involved in creating analyses and positions concerning regulatory issues for the management of the Santander Group. In the years 2006-2014, he was part of the Freedom and Democracy Foundation, one of the largest Polish non-governmental organisations dealing with issues of human rights and democracy. As president of the Foundation, he was responsible for the acquisition and disbursement of foreign funds for the needs of the foreign Polish Television channel Belsat TV. He acquired a total amount of over $12 million for initiatives related to the promotion of democracy by establishing cooperation with a number of leading international development agencies. Mr Pisula has implemented technical assistance projects in a number of authoritarian and former communist states, including Cuba, Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, Azerbaijan, and Egypt. He has appeared many times as a democracy expert before team working groups of the Polish parliament and worked closely with Polish and foreign media.  In the years 1998-2003, he worked with Senator Zbigniew Romaszewski in the Foundation for Human Rights, where he was responsible for the Senator’s foreign contacts.

 

Konrad Pokutycki
Konrad Pokutycki,
CEO of BSH in Poland, at BSH Sprzęt Gospodarstwa Domowego Sp. z o.o.

A trained economist and graduate of Łódź University. Following his graduation, he lectured for several years in the Department of Accounting at his alma mater, as well as at a number of business schools and the Association of Accountants in Poland. He co-authored a Polish-German-English dictionary for accounting and banking terms. A consultant in financial management, tax consultancy, and information systems in consulting companies. In 2003, he was awarded the title of statutory expert auditor. Deputy Chairman of the ElektroEko Organizacja Odzysku Sprzętu Elektrycznego i Elektronicznego SA [ElektroEko organisation for electrical and electronic equipment recycling, a joint stock company] Supervisory Board, and member of the Zelmer S.A. Supervisory Board. By virtue of a unanimous election, he served two terms of office between 2010 and 2014 – on a pro publico bono basis – as the President of CECED Polska – the European Association of Manufacturers of Household Appliances. In 2015, he was awarded the prestigious Vector 2014 award from the Employers of the Republic of Poland for his special contribution to the development of the industry of household appliance manufacturers, as well as for his innovative ideas and solutions that are consistently being implemented at BSH Sprzęt Gospodarstwa Domowego Sp. z o.o.

Andrzej Raczko
Andrzej Raczko,
Former Minister of Finance, Member of the Management Board of the NBP

Dr Andrzej Raczko was born on 27 February 1953 in Kutno. In 1977, he graduated from the University of Łódź specialising in Econometrics. In 1985, he obtained his PhD in Economics and then worked as an assistant professor at the University of Łódź. He collaborated with academic centres in the United Kingdom, France and Central European countries within the framework of EU research projects. Since the 1990s he has worked in the banking sector, among others in LG Petro Bank SA, where he was CEO. In 1999-2001, working in PKO BP, he was in charge of the mortgage bank project, and in 2003 he was Vice-President of Bank Gospodarki Żywnościowej SA. In 2001-2002, Dr Raczko was undersecretary of state in the Ministry of Finance. His responsibilities covered public debt management, financial negotiations with the European Union and co-operation with international financial institutions. Minister of Finance in the final stage of Poland’s accession to the European Union (2003-2004). After 2004 Dr Raczko served as Alternate Executive Director and subsequently as visiting scholar in the International Monetary Fund. He was also Chief Economist and Director of Research Department in the Polish Financial Supervision Authority.

Krzysztof Senger
Krzysztof Senger,
Member of the Board, PAIH

Krzysztof Senger has over 12 years of experience in international business, as well as in investment finance and project management. He studied International Business at the Poznan University of Economics and acquired a doctoral degree at the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, specialising in issues relating to economy and development policy. When working in consulting for The Big Four Companies (PwC, Deloitte), he assisted clients in building innovative strategies and business models, alongside helping them to enter and compete in global markets. In the public sector, Mr. Senger has gained experience in building and managing new finance and investments structures. In the course of his career, he was frequently responsible for affairs and relations with institutions at an international, central and local level. Simultaneously, in 2004-2013 he acted as an independent advisor, also working abroad, e.g. as an international expert in negotiations of free trade agreements with the EU (the DCFTA). He has participated in international projects related to innovation and R&D. Mr. Senger also has experience in coaching hundreds of students from around the world in the field of global aspects of business.

Dionizy Smoleń
Dionizy Smoleń,
Director, PwC

Dionizy has many years of experience in providing advisory services to public sector institutions. He specializes in strategic development, innovation, entrepreneurship development, economic marketing advisory, and public institution management optimization services. Dionizy is the co-author of PwC reports on Polish cities 2015, which were prepared to determine the development capital of those cities. He is also responsible for the project for the Łódzkie Voivodeship Local Government entitled Development of Sector Policies for the Łódzkie Voivodeship, aimed – among other things – at determining (according to the so-called “entrepreneurial discovery” formula) the trends for developing key industries (strategy, action plan), determining the relationships between science and business, including the identification of so-called smart specializations (meeting points between key technologies and the voivodeship’s priority industries). In the years 2014–2015 he managed an organizational enhancement project for the Office of the Prime Minister, from which 105 government administration offices benefited.  He also organized the completion of a comprehensive economic marketing project for the Self-Government of the Lubelskie Voivodeship, which was aimed at acquiring investors and supporting exports of businesses from the Lubelskie Voivodeship. Dionizy gained experience working in public administration work as an appointed civil servant. Among other things, he worked as deputy department director with the Ministry of the Economy and in the Ministry of Regional Development, where he was responsible, among other things, for the Integrated Development Operational Programme (IROP). Dionizy graduated from the National School of Public Administration and the University of Warsaw.

Kamil Szymański
Kamil Szymański,
President, Exhibition and Congress Hall of the Subcarpathian Region

Kamil Szymanski is a manager with international experience. Currently the CEO of the Exhibition and Congress Hall of the Subcarpathian Region, he previously held the position of proxy and director of business development at Arena Gdansk Operator Sp. Z o.o. – a company that administers the Energa Stadium in Gdansk. He graduated with a law degree from the Universtiy of Gdansk, a member and active member of ELSA, recipient of a scholarship from the Cirius programme of the Danish government. He had traineeships at the Innsbruck University and the Constitutional Tribunal in Poland. He was the Vice-president of ELSA Poland and ELSA International on behalf of which he coordinated projects in more than 40 countries. He was also responsible for institutional contacts with the Council of Europe, UNESCO, UN ECOSOC, UNICTAL, WIPO, INTA, HRC. In recent years member of the supervisory board, lawyer, IRO, manager at knowledge providers, MM Conferences S.A., co-organizer of the 60 Million Congress.

 

Prof. Günter Verheugen
Prof. Günter Verheugen,
Former Vice-President of European Commission, Commissioner 1999-2011

He started his political carrier in 1969 after having worked as a journalist and having studied history and political sciences. He was a member of the German Bundestag from 1983 until 1999, where he hold a number of senior posts and was mainly dealing with foreign and security policy and European affairs. He was appointed Minister of State for European affairs in the Foreign Office in 1998. In 1999 he became a member of the European Commission, responsible for enlargement until 2004. In 2002 he also took over the responsibility for the European neighbourhood policy. In his second term in the European Commission, from 2004 to 2011 he served as Vice-President and was in charge of enterprise and industry. In this capacity he was the European chairperson of the Transatlantic Economic Council as of 2007. He is now an honorary professor of Viadrina University in Frankfurt/Oder. He has published a number of books and essays on European and other issues. From 2015, he is one of the seven advisors of the Agency for Modernization of Ukraine, working in the area of models integrating Ukraine with the EU.

Ireneusz Węgłowski
Ireneusz Węgłowski,
Vice President of the Management Board of Orbis S.A.

Ireneusz Weglowski has been Vice President of the Management Board of Orbis S.A. since 1991. He has been incessantly involved in the hospitality business, particularly in the management of hotel portfolio. He participated in the company’s restructuring aimed at concentration on the core hotel business. He is an experienced hotel practitioner in operations, investments and disposals. He successfully handled numerous sales of non- strategic properties of the company. Graduate of Warsaw School of Economics, he has participated in the international Professional Development Program at the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University in Ithaca, United States. He is also a President of the Chamber of Commerce of the Polish Hotel Industry – an association that represents a hospitality sector on local, national and EU levels. The CCPHI is a member of HOTREC, an Umbrella Association of Hotels, Restaurants and Cafes in Europe.

Katarzyna Włodek-Makos
Katarzyna Włodek-Makos,
Director at Economic Development Department of the City of Warsaw

Economic Development Department in Warsaw deals with coordination of economic and innovation policy of the City of Warsaw by collaborating with innovative economic and scientific communities which contribute to increase employment in Warsaw. This department is also responsible for running start-up incubators: Center of Entrepreneurship Smolna and the Center of Creativity Targowa. Another, but a very important task of the Bureau is the economic promotion of the City of Warsaw, which focuses on promotional campaigns and organising Warsaw’s participation in the Expo Real and MIPIM investment fairs. What is more, the tasks carried out by the office upgrade the economic development and competitiveness of the City of Warsaw by running for and obtaining European funds.

Paweł Wojciechowski, Ph.D
Paweł Wojciechowski, Ph.D,
Former Minister of Finance, Former Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs

Chief Economist of the Social Insurance Institution, from Nov 2014. Earlier served as: Permanent Representative of Poland to the OECD, Undersecretary of State at MFA, CEO of Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency and Minister of Finance. From 1995 to 2005 he was CEO of several financial market companies, including PTE Allianz Polska for six years. He graduated from John Caroll University (economics), Case Western Reserve University (operations research), Warsaw School of Economics (accounting), Systems Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences (Ph.D. in technical sciences).

Bożena Zaremba-Marcych
Bożena Zaremba-Marcych,
Expert, City of Kraków

Bożena Zaremba-Marcych – she is a graduate of the University of Physical Education in Krakow – faculty of tourism. A long-term pilot of foreign trips. She also completed postgraduate studies at the Jagiellonian University, Institute of European Studies,  in the field of urban studies, analyzing the city through the prism of various academic disciplines and the ongoing processes determining the development of modern cities. Currently, she works at the City Hall of Krakow on an independent position for tourist services. She is an expert, among others, in the field of hotel services.