Speakers

Witold Jurasz, journalist at Onet.pl where he publishes articles and runs a podcast covering foreign and security policy.
Author of books about Russia and V. Putin (“Demons of Russia”) and Belarus and A. Lukashenko (“The Demon Next Door”). Co-author, together with prof. H. Grala, of a book about the Kremlin power elite (“Putin’s Pack”).
Former employee of the Polish MoD’s NATO Security Investment Programme Bureau, 1st secretary at the Political Section of the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Moscow, later chargé d’affaires of the Republic of Poland in Belarus. He has also worked as a Business Development Director in a private arms trading company and was the host of a TV talk-show at Polsat News 2, where he conducted over 700 interviews.

For 8 years Marcin has been associated with the PZU Group, where he started with project coordination within the Strategy and Project Office, and for 4 years he has been managing the works of the Innovation Lab. Responsible for establishing the Lab and developing the PZU Group Innovation Strategy. His team works with the best startups in Poland and in the world, supporting PZU’s business units in testing and implementing technological innovations. Annually, the Innovation Lab analyzes about 1,000 ideas and startups, of which it implements 8-12 pilot projects mainly in the areas of artificial intelligence, big data, digitization and new interactions with the client. Examples of innovations include solutions such as PZU GO, PZU Cash, Life Band or artificial intelligence for image recognition when handling motor claims. Marcin is a graduate of the Warsaw School of Economics and the Cracow University of Economics, and privately passionate about music, sport and Italian espresso.

Joanna is a senior IT leader, having 20 years of experience in financial sector and consulting. She started her career in IT consulting at Deloitte. Then she gained experience within Nordea and PKO BP Groups, managing operations and strategic transformations. Within the structures of BNP Paribas Bank Polska, Joanna leads IT strategy & transformation. She focuses on scaling technology to increase operational efficiency and digital resiliency.
Joanna graduated from the Faculty of Economics at the University of Warsaw, she is also alumni of Advanced Management Program at IESE Business School. Joanna was recognized as Strong Women in IT 2023.

Marcin is a Managing Director at S&P Global Ratings since 2014, executing across three senior commercial roles:
– Head of Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Relationship Management: leading a regional team managing entire EMEA existing client book & relationships across all business segments: corporates, financial institutions, sovereigns & public sector and also running the infrastructure and project finance business.
– Regional Head for Central and Eastern Europe (CEE): driving the franchise, strategy and management of the ratings business across the region.
– General Manager for Poland, running day-to-day operations of the Warsaw office.
In parallel is a member of the Supervisory Board of MCI Capital S.A., Chairman of the Program Board for the Fintech Digital CEE Congress, Member of the Board of Directors at the American Chamber of Commerce in Poland (AmCham) and the Leslaw A. Paga Foundation. Before joining S&P was an Executive Director at J.P. Morgan Corporate and Investment Bank in London, where he covered Russia, CIS, CEE, and Israel for Markets and Investor Services. He was also the Deputy General Manager for J.P. Morgan CIB in Poland. Prior to 2007 spent five years with Citi Corporate and Investment Banking, operating in Poland and CEE.

Mr Wojciech Rybak graduated from economics in the University of Szczecin (1993) and Tempus – Portassist Programme of the University of Antwerp (1992).

Since the beginning of his professional career in 1996 he has been linked with banking, initially as a Branch Director, andas Director in the Customer Relationship Centre at the Bank’s HQ. From August 2003, he was a Member of the Management Board of Millennium Leasing Sp. z o.o. and from 2009 until June 2016 – Chairman of the Management Board of Millennium Leasing Sp. z o. o. In 2011-2016 a member of the Executive Committee of the Polish Leasing Association, including its Chairman in 2015-2016.
Since June 2016 Member of the Management Board of Bank Millennium S.A.. and during the merger with Bank Millennium Sp. z o. o., a Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of Euro Bank S.A.

Manager and innovator with several years of experience in the insurance and financial industries. He created insurance premium financing market in Poland. Prior to founding Bacca Cezary worked as management consultant for the biggest financial institutions in Poland and in the CEE.

Jan Zimowicz – member of the Management Board of Aegon Life responsible for sales, marketing and
products. He has been working for the Aegon Group since July 2016. Previously he worked at
Nationale-Nederlanden as a Marketing Director and member of the Management Board and at
Oracle, as Strategy and Insight Program Director for EMEA region. He was also employed at Credit
Agricole Bank Poland and Accenture. Jan Zimowicz is a graduate of the Warsaw School of Economics,
Warsaw University of Technology. He earned an Executive MBA degree from the Warsaw University
of Technology in cooperation with the London Business School, HEC Paris and the Norwegian School
of Economics.