Ambassador Frank Arnauts is a seasoned diplomat with a distinguished career with postings in, among others, Australia, Latvia and most recently Norway. Currently serving as Director of the EU strategic Policy Unit at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belgium, he leads efforts to tackle cross-cutting European policy challenges that transcend traditional silos. His portfolio includes strategic foresight, economic security, and shaping the future of Europe.
Thomas Ankele has 15 years of work experience in the finance and banking industry. Since 2011, he has been working for KfW IPEX-Bank. Currently he serves as the Director in in the infrastructure division and is overseeing the banks’ security and defence activities.
Noah Barkin is a Senior Advisor in Rhodium Group’s China practice, based in Berlin, where he focuses on Europe-China relations and transatlantic China policy. He is also a Visiting Senior Fellow in the Indo-Pacific Program at the German Marshall Fund of the United States and creator of the popular “Watching China in Europe” newsletter.
Goran Buldioski is a Senior Fellow at the Hertie School, affiliated with the Jacques Delors Centre. He supports the Office of the President in designing and developing new initiatives on democracy, contributes to Executive Education programs, and conducts policy research on Eastern EU affairs, focusing on rule of law and EU policy. Over 19 years at the Open Society Foundations (OSF), Goran held key roles such as Program Director for Europe and Central Asia, Executive Director for Europe, Director of the OSF Berlin Office, and Director of the Think Tank Fund.
Dr. Raluca Csernatoni is a Research Fellow working on the nexus between European defence and emerging disruptive technologies like AI at Carnegie Europe, in Brussels. Csernatoni is also a Professor on European security and defence, focusing on new technologies, at the Brussels School of Governance (BSoG), the Centre for Security, Diplomacy and Strategy (CSDS) and at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB).
Paweł Chorąży is the Managing Director at the Polish National Development Bank responsible for EU financial instruments and development cooperation.
Joanna Dopierała-Konkołowicz is the Director General of the Asia-Pacific Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland, since August 2025, overseeing relations with the entire region.
Jurand Drop is an Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Finance of Poland, overseeing key departments such as public debt, spending efficiency, financial markets, and legal affairs. He also supervises financial oversight institutions and represents the Ministry in several high-level government committees. Previously, he served as Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Administration and Digitization, where he managed digital policy, telecommunications, and cybersecurity. He has extensive European experience, having worked in Brussels on economic reforms and digital strategies within EU institutions. His contributions include shaping major EU policies and representing Poland in critical negotiations, such as the European Semester and Greece’s fiscal crisis response.
Martin Ehl is a journalist and author working at the Czech economic daily Hospodářské noviny. Senior Fellow at Visegrad Insight, Council Member at the European Council on Foreign Relations, author of books on Central Europe and globalisation. Covering Central Europe, security, defence industry and transatlantic relations.
Daniel Enke leads Zalando’s Public Affairs and Social Impact functions. He is responsible for the company’s work with policymakers and key political stakeholders across Europe and drives Zalando’s philanthropic and community empowerment projects. Prior to joining Zalando in 2018, Daniel held roles within the German Retail Association and in different Public Affairs advisory firms.
Edit Inotai is a Senior Fellow and Board Member of the Centre for Euro-Atlantic Integration and Democracy (CEID), an independent think tank based in Budapest. She has a PhD in international relations and a background in journalism. She currently works for German public broadcaster ARD in Budapest and is a regular correspondent of Balkan Insight.
Magdalena Jakubowska is the Vice President and Director of Operations at the Res Publica Foundation. In this role, she is responsible for strategic foresight and programme planning, institutional cooperation and strategic development, looking at the EU and transatlantic affairs through the lens of democratic security. One of her flagship projects concerns women empowerment in security (#WomenAreNATO). Previously, Magda Jakubowska worked at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) and the Polish Institute of International Affairs.
Ambassador Peter Japelj serves as the Acting Director-General for Economic, Cultural and Science Diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia since March 2025. From 2019 to 2024, he was the Ambassador of Slovenia to Albania. Between 2016 and 2019 he worked in
the European Affairs Sector of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and prior to that, from 2014 to 2016, in the Office of the State Secretary. From 2010 to 2014, he was RELEX Counsellor at Slovenia’s Permanent Representation to the EU. His earlier diplomatic posts include Berlin (2004–2009), Vienna (1999–2003).
Anna Kalczyńska is an anchor at TVP World. She is a journalist and television presenter. Kalczyńska used to be the host of Dzień Dobry TVN. She is also an author, host, and producer of television programs on TVN24, where over 12 years she created three series of Studio Europa, and hosted news bulletins and interviews with politicians.
Małgorzata Kałużyńska is the Director of the Economic Department of the European Union at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland. She has the leading role in negotiations of financial frameworks of the EU budget, strategic autonomy, foresight, relations between the EU and the UK and deals with EU economic policies, energy and climate policy.
Linda Kapustová Helbichová is the Executive Director of the International Visegrad Fund. She has professional experience at the Ministries of Culture and Foreign and European Affairs. She also served as Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Bern. She holds a Ph.D. from the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava.
Tomasz Kasprowicz is the Editor-in-chief of Res Publica Nowa and Vic President of the Res Publica Foundation. He has a PhD in finance and is a graduate of Southern Illinois University and National-Louis University. Kasprowicz is an academic lecturer with experience on three continents and publicist focusing on economics and new technologies, publishing both in Poland and abroad. Author of reports on, among others, the Metaverse, the Euro, and the EU’s financial perspectives. Entrepreneur running a company specializing in the digitalization and automation of business processes.
Marzena Kisielewska is Head of the South East Europe Division in the Directorate for Global Relations and Co-operation at the OECD. She leads the organisation’s engagement with the South East Europe region, overseeing analytical work, policy advice, institutional capacity-building, peer learning, and high-level dialogue across a range of socio-economic issues.
Piotr Kobza is the deputy director of the EU External Relations Department at the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He is a carrier diplomat and expert on the European integration, EU global affairs, transatlantic relations and the Northern hemisphere. He previously served, among others, at Polish embassies in Oslo, The Hague and London.
Agnieszka Kowalska is the Director of the European Policy Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland. Within this capacity, she is responsible for Poland’s EU membership with respect to such matters as the EU’s political and institutional development, treaty reforms, political aspects of the development of the EU’s internal and external policies, enlargement policy, macro-regional strategies, and the external dimension of the EU’s area of freedom, security and justice. Previously, she served as the Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in London.
Nora Kürzdörfer is a Senior Researcher at the Munich Security Conference and co-leads the MSC Geoeconomics Project “Beyond Lose-Lose.” In her research she focuses on the intersection of economic and security policy and on cooperation between countries in Europe and the Global South.
Piotr Matczuk is the President and CEO of the Polish Development Fund. He is an economist and manager with many years of professional experience, including a decade in international development institutions. From 2017 to 2024, he served as the representative of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) – a World Bank Group agency – in Poland, where he was responsible for implementing IFC’s strategy, investment and advisory projects, business development, and relations with public and private partners. Previously, he oversaw the implementation of strategic projects at PKP Intercity. Between 2011 and 2014, he was an advisor to the Supervisory Board of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and from 2008 to 2011, he worked as a financial markets analyst at the National Bank of Poland.
Maia Mazurkiewicz is the CEO of the PZU Foundation. She is an expert in the field of countering disinformation and communication. With 15 years of experience in political management, foreign affairs, and communication across public administration, business, and civil society organisations, Maia is a lawyer, co-founder of Alliance4Europe, and host of the program “Anatomy of Disinformation” on TVP World.
Henryka Mościcka-Dendys is an Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland since 2024. She has extensive experience in working in the administration, she previously held positions including the Director of the Coordination Section in the European Union Department, Director of the European Policy Department and Director of the Investment Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She also served as the Undersecretary of State for Parliamentary Affairs, European Policy and Human Rights. Henryka Mościcka-Dendys also has diplomatic background as she held the position of the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to Denmark. She is a member of the Council of the Polish Institute of International Affairs and the European Council on Foreign Relations.
Radu-Dinel Miruță is the Minister of Economy, Digitalisation, Entrepreneurship and Tourism of Romania. Appointed in 2025, he brings a unique background spanning academia, private industry, and public service. With a PhD in telecommunications, international research recognition, and leadership experience in the Parliament, he now leads efforts to modernise Romania’s economy, foster digital transformation, and support entrepreneurship.
Ignacy Niemczycki is a Secretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland. Previously, he served as an Undersecretary of State at the Polish Ministry of Economic Development and Technology since 2024. He worked in the government administration at, among others, the Chancellery of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland, Office of the Committee for European Integration, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland to the European Union. He used to manage the European division at Polityka Insight and work at an international corporation
Andrej Nosko is a Central European energy policy and security expert, visiting researcher at Faculty of Political Sciences and International Relations of Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica, and Co-Executive Director at PILnet. His interests include the political economy of security, energy transition, energy policy and security of EU countries and regional cooperation in Central Europe.
Marta Postuła is a Professor of Social Sciences and holds a Ph.D. in Economic Sciences of Finance as well as a Ph.D. in Economic Sciences from SGH. Between 1999 and 2016, she worked at the Ministry of Finance. Since 2016, she has served as a director and advisor at BOŚ. In 2024, she became the First Vice President of BGK. She is also the author of numerous articles in the field of finance.
Wojciech Przybylski is the Editor-in-Chief of Visegrad Insight and President of the Res Publica Foundation. He is a political analyst heading Visegrad Insight’s policy foresight on European affairs. His expertise includes foreign policy and political culture. Europe’s Future Fellow at IWM Vienna. Wojciech also co-authored a book Understanding Central Europe, Routledge 2017.
Mikołaj Raczyński is the Vice President of the Polish Development Fund. He is a manager, economist, and capital markets expert with many years of experience in Polish and international financial institutions. He specialises in public and private markets, directly managing or supervising the investments of multi-person investment teams. In his career, he has been associated, among others, with Noble Funds TFI, where as a Management Board member he was responsible for investment decisions. He led or participated in investment committees of funds operating in public markets as well as in the areas of private debt, distressed debt, private equity, and mezzanine. He also worked for the pan-European investment group WOOD & Company, where he was responsible for executing the group’s business line expansion in Poland.
Aleksander Siemaszko is the Director of the Department for International Cooperation and Trade at the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology of Poland. He is a public sector manager focusing on economic diplomacy, European integration and transatlantic relations. Siemaszko is an avid learner and equally dedicated lecturer, public speaker on trade and international policies.
Dariusz Standerski is a Secretary of State at the Ministry of Digital Affairs. From 2015 to 2023, he served as the Chief Economist and Board Member of the Kalecki Foundation, and from 2019 to 2023 he was the Director of Legislation at the Left Parliamentary Club. He is the author of over 200 draft laws on economic and social issues and co-author of the analysis Digital State. A Strategy for Poland. He is a member of the Polish Economic Association in Poznań and a National Board Member of the Nowa Lewica party.
Dr. Constanze Stelzenmüller is the Director of the Center on the United States and Europe and the inaugural holder of the Fritz Stern Chair on Germany and trans-Atlantic Relations at the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC. A German citizen herself, she is an expert on German, European, and trans-Atlantic foreign and security policy, as well as international law and human rights.
Monika Sus is a Professor of Political Science at the Institute of Political Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw, part-time Professor at the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies at the European University Institute and a member of Team Europe Direct Poland.
Jarno Syrjälä has been serving as the Under-Secretary of State for International Trade since September 2023 at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland. Mr Syrjälä joined the Ministry in 1990. He has served at Finland’s missions in Jakarta, Tel Aviv, Ramallah, Washington and Berlin. He has served as Finalnd’s Ambassador in Riyadh and Beijing.
Paweł Świeboda is a Senior Visiting Fellow at the European Policy Centre and Co-Director of the Brussels Economic Security Forum. He is a member of the European Commission’s Expert Group on Economic and Societal Impact of Research and Innovation. In other roles, he is also a Senior Fellow at the Centre for Future Generations as well as the Founder and Director of NeuroCentury.
Andreas Treichl started his international career in banking at Chase Manhattan Bank. In 1997 he became the CEO of the then small Austrian “Erste Bank”, now Erste Group, the largest retail bank in Central Europe. He remained its CEO until 2020 and since then serves as the Chairman of ERSTE Foundation, Erste Groups’ largest owner, serving the common good with a focus on financial health and preserving a democratic Europe.
Aida Welker is a Member of the Management Board of KfW IPEX-Bank GmbH since May 2025. She oversees, amongst others, the Infrastructure/Mobility and Syndications & Treasury activities of the bank. She brings over 20 years of banking experience, largely at KfW IPEX-Bank, which is a leading export and project finance institution supporting investments in Europe and worldwide.
Witold Witkowicz is the President of the Management Board of ICEYE Polska, a company he has been associated with since its founding in 2017. He is the main coordinator of ICEYE’s cooperation with the Ukrainian Armed Forces. By education a lawyer with a passion for history, he is also an experienced long-time local government official from Katowice. The Polish company plays a key role in ICEYE’s global operations. ICEYE is the owner and operator of the world’s largest constellation of observation satellites equipped with synthetic aperture radar (SAR), which enables it to provide data and imagery in near real time, regardless of weather conditions or time of day. In Poland, the company’s Satellite Operations Center, Satellite Planning Team, and research and development center are located.
Georgina Wright is a Special Adviser to the President and Senior Fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, specialising in France, the United Kingdom and the EU. She has over a decade of experience analysing European policy, advising governments, and shaping high-level discussions on UK-EU relations, EU foreign policy and competitiveness, and transatlantic relations.
Maciej Zaniewicz is a Senior Analyst at the European Programme of Forum Energii. He specialises in EU energy security and the Ukrainian energy sector. He has published a number of analyses on sanctions against Russian fuels, energy security, and the Ukrainian energy sector. Previously, he worked as a senior analyst for energy policy and Ukraine at the Polish Institute of International Affairs.
Bogdan Zawadewicz is the Head of Geopolitical Risk Analysis at the BGK Polish Development Bank. Before joining the Bank, he worked at the Center for Eastern Studies (OSW) and the Leibniz Institute for East and Southeast European Studies (IOS) in Regensburg, Bavaria, where he was part of the research group “Frozen and Unfrozen Conflicts”.
