The Polish-African Economic Forum

On August 17, 2021, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki appointed Grzegorz Piechowiak as Secretary of State in the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology.
From January 19, 2020, he was the secretary of state at the Ministry of Economic Development, and then at the Ministry of Economic Development, Labour and Technology. He is also the Government Plenipotentiary for Foreign Investments. Grzegorz Piechowiak was born on September 14, 1963 in Piła. He is a graduate of sociology from the Faculty of History and Social Sciences at the Warsaw Theological Academy (currently Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University). He also completed post-graduate studies in Corporate Management in Crisis and Bankruptcy at the Higher Vocational School “Personnel for Europe” in Poznań. He holds a receiver’s licence and is qualified as a candidate for supervisory boards of sole shareholder companies of the State Treasury. In the years 1992–1997 he worked, among others, as a vice-consul at the Polish embassy in Rome. In the years 2002-2006 he was a councilor of the Piła County Council on behalf of the Porozumienie Samorządowe [Local Government Agreement], and then he was the Director of the Department of Transport in the District Starosty in Piła (2007-2008). For several years he also ran his own business. He is a member of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland in the 3rd, 8th and current term of office. He is the chairman of the Bilateral Polish-Italian Group and the Parliamentary Team for Police. He co-founded the Stanislaw Staszic State University of Applied Sciences in Piła in Piła. He was awarded (in 2018) by the Senate of the University with the honorary title and the Legatus Almae Matris medal.

Born in 1963 in Zambrów. A graduate of the Vocational Technical School of Mechanization of Agriculture in Marianów near Łomża, he then completed administration studies at the Faculty of Law and Administration, University of Warsaw. Voted a member of the Parliament of the Republic of Poland (Polish: Sejm Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej) for V, VI, VII, VIII and IX the term of Parliament. In 1991, he joined Porozumienie Centrum [Centre Agreement]. In 1992, he began work at the Voidevodship Office in Łomża. He was also appointed the Plenipotentiary of the Łomża Voivode at the Supreme Administrative Court. In 1993-1997 he was Head of Department in the Voivodeship Labour Office in Łomża. From 1998 to 2005, he was a member of the Łomża Town Council and since 2002 he was the Council’s Vice-Chairman. In 2001, he joined the Law and Justice party (Polish: Prawo i Sprawiedliwość; PiS). As a Member of Parliament, he served inter alia as Vice-Chairman and Treasurer of the PiS Parliamentary Club, and he also worked in the following committees: the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (as Vice-Chairman), the Parliamentary Permanent Subcommittee on Direct Sales and Retail Trade of Products produced in Agricultural Holdings (as Chairman), the Parliamentary Public Finance Committee (as a member), the Parliamentary Committee on Administration and Home Affairs (as a member), the Parliamentary Committee on European Union Affairs (as Vice-Chairman), the Parliamentary Permanent Subcommittee on the Use of Funds from the European Union (as Chairman). He was appointed by the President of the Council of Ministers as Vice-President of the Civil Service Council. He initiated, within the framework of Pan-European Transport Corridor I, the construction of the S61 Via Baltica expressway via Łomża and, within the project of the Central Communication Port, of the Warsaw-Mazury Railway via Łomża. In 2021 he became an adviser to the management board at the state-owned Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego. He is an owner of an agricultural holding and has experience in running his own business. On 1 December 2021, he was appointed Secretary of State at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

A manager with many years of experience in both government administration and the private sector, but also in non-profit non-governmental organizations. In February 2021, he was appointed the Chairman of PAIH. Before joining the Agency, as the Director of the Department of Supervised and Subordinate Units, he was in charge of entities subordinate to the Ministry of Development, Labor and Technology. Previously, he was a member of the board of the Wałbrzych Special Economic Zone, where from 2016 he was responsible, inter alia, for investments, finances and controls, as well as cooperation with institutes of higher education and universities. Over the four years of his tenure, more than 90 companies joined the Wałbrzych zone, including such significant investors as: Mercedes-Benz, Umicore, GTHR, LS, and Hongbo Clean Energy. During this time, the expenditure incurred in the zone increased by PLN 6 billion, exceeding PLN 30 billion in total. In the past, Krzysztof Drynda was an advisor to the Minister for the economy. He was also professionally related to the financial sector and ran his own business in this field. Moreover, for many years he has been an active member of non-governmental organizations. Krzysztof Drynda is a graduate of the Faculty of Electronics from the Wrocław University of Technology and is a Master of Business Administration (MBA).

Beata Daszyńska-Muzyczka graduated from economic universities with majors in corporate finance management and completed the Advance Leadership Programme at the ICAN Institute of the Harvard Business Review. She is an alumna of the Cambridge University. Since 1994 till 2016 she worked for the Bank Zachodni WBK (part of Santander Group). She was in charge of the implementation of strategic projects, including the New Branch Model, electronic banking - MiniBank24 and optimization and rationalization of bank processes. Since 2005 she headed the Logistics and Real Estate Area and since 2008 became a member and then the chairman of the Supervisory Board of Bank Zachodni WBK Property. Since 2012 she was in charge of the organizational culture transformation - project Next Generation Bank and she was appointed as a head of the HR Partnership Area. After accomplishing a number of strategic projects she became a member of the Management Board of Bank Zachodni WBK in 2015. Since 2016 she was promoted to the President of Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego (BGK) - a state development bank that initiates and implements programs serving the economic growth and improving the quality of life in Poland. She launched a new BGK Strategy, focused on the implementation of actions planned in the governmental Strategy for Responsible Development of Poland. From June 2019, she`s chairman of the supervisory board of the 3SI Investment Fund. The task of the The Fund is aimed at financing infrastructure needs in the 3S region to support integration and strengthen economic cohesion in the EU.

Since 2019 Member of the Management Board of Polish Investment and Trade Agency. Resposible for FDI investments and operations of the Agency. Grzegorz Słomkowski has over twenty years of experience in financial and general management, which he gained while working in both international and Polish companies. He began his career at LG when the company first entered the Polish market, he participating in the creation of the company's first structures and first production plants. Then he worked in the Management Consulting Department of Deloitte & Touche. Working on projects related to the implementation of integrated IT management systems, mainly in the financial sector, as well as in restructuring and organizational consulting. Initially, for several years, he was the Financial Director, and later the President of the Management Board of the Japanese JVCKENWOOD, where he was responsible both for Poland and the entire region. He also held managerial functions in the European and global structures of the organization. For eight years, Grzegorz was the Chairman of the Council of the Association of Importers and Manufacturers of Electrical and Electronic Equipment - "ZIPSEE CYFROWA POLSKA" - a non-profit employers' organization associating the largest RTV and IT companies operating in Poland. For four years, he was the President of the Management Board of a company that distributes Clearplex industrial foils from the American MADICO group. As a Certified Change Management and Strategy Advisor to companies and adviser to technology startups. He participated in building startup companies in the field of telematics and insurance. Grzegorz Słomkowski graduated from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of Warsaw University of Technology, Executive MBA in Business from the Business School of Warsaw University of Technology / London Business School / HEC Paris / NHH (Bergen), the Faculty of Management and Marketing of the University of Warsaw, MBA studies from the University of Illinois, the Academy of Psychological Leadership at the Warsaw University of Technology.

CEO and co-founder of PneumaCare, a digital startup based in Nigeria whose mission is to enable Africans to receive healthcare on a large scale by providing healthcare data and infrastructure for service delivery to providers and business. Prior to joining PneumaCare, he worked with various international organizations such as the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, eHealth Africa, the World Health Organization (WHO), Vital Strategies (Resolve to Save Lives) and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), helping to deliver healthcare to diverse populations, especially hard-to-reach populations, by using technology and data analytics to make informed decisions in various areas of healthcare delivery. At WHO, he was a global consultant, where he developed a decision support tool for low- and middle-income countries to adopt quantitative and qualitative methodologies in the adoption of new health technologies. The tool was piloted in vaccine adoption and delivery strategies in Zambia, Cuba, Indonesia and Mali. His current mission is to develop a proprietary platform to enable health coverage for 500 million Africans over the next 7-10 years, which he will present during a medical panel at the Forum.

Jacek Guzek is an Associate Director at Deloitte Consulting Southern Africa in Johannesburg. He leads the Strategic Sensing and Insight competency within Strategy portfolio of the firm. Jacek works mainly with large multinational companies in energy, resources, and industrial sector, in development of their growth and diversification strategies, and assisting in innovation and corporate venturing. Prior to his consulting career, Jacek managed large R&D projects in the South African mining industry, developing innovative mineral processing solutions based on unique patented nuclear technology. He was also a member of the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor team, developing generation IV inherently safe design of a high temperature nuclear reactor for electrical power and industrial heat generation. Jacek published various thought pieces in business management and strategy, numerous scientific papers in physics and nuclear technology, and holds a number of patents for application of nuclear techniques in mining, mineral processing and scanning technologies. He frequently facilitates specialist discussions and industry workshops on topical issues in mining, energy, and decarbonisation. Jacek holds a dual Polish and South African citizenship, he deeply understands parallels as well as distinct differences between his home countries and their economies, and opportunities that this may present. Jacek holds PhD in Nuclear Physics (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa) and MBA degree (Bond University, Gold Coast, Australia).

CEO of Pro-PLUS, a company offering a wide range of solutions for telemedicine (certified medical devices, telemedicine platforms, medical services and R&D). Pro-PLUS is a pioneer in telemedicine solutions not only on the Polish but also on the global market. It is one of the first and oldest companies in the field of digital medicine in Poland and the world. The company's main area of activity is cardiology as well as remote transmission and monitoring of medical data between a patient and a doctor. The company can boast of over 1.5 million ECG examinations performed with the use of the offered technology. During the COVID pandemic, it developed and implemented a proprietary solution for the treatment and remote monitoring of patients with COVID-19. Jerzy Szewczyk is an experienced manager with many years of experience and an investor. In 2007 he received the Award of Merit from the Warsaw University of Technology. For several years he has been investing in high-tech companies, mainly in the telemedicine sector, helping to develop technologies and commercialize them on international markets. He is passionate about technology and new technologies as well as being a constructor himself. Currently interested in the African markets, while developing countries are looking for high quality products, especially telemedicine devices which are monitored remotely, due to, a lack of professional medical care. The topic of telemedicine will be one of the main topics of the medical panel at the Polish-African Economic Forum. Jerzy Szewczyk will present the teleEKG® system developed and patented by Pro-PLUS, which has been appreciated and satisfied users for over 21 years. Jerzy will share his many years of experience in implementing innovative solutions.

Head of Medincus Medical Centre in Dakar, the only Polish medical company operating in Senegal. Medincus network consists of 15 facilities in Poland and 8 branches abroad. They treat sinusitis, hearing loss, otosclerosis, voice problems and balance disorders. Leszek Biały studied in Poland and in the Netherlands. He has worked for various international organizations such as the World Federation of Engineering Organizations and the International Council for Science. For over 15 years for UNESCO, managing projects related to technical and vocational education for countries in Eastern and Southern Africa, and was in charge of programs to promote access to information, safety of journalists and freedom of expression. During his time at UNESCO, he also coordinated a project related to the global assessment of groundwater resources. In UNESCO's strategic planning office, he participated in the preparation of the organization's biennial programme and budget and coordinated the Mondialogo project targeting promotion of intercultural dialogue. During the medical panel at the Forum he will present Medincus’s activities and investment opportunities in Senegal for Polish companies from the medical sector.

Meta is an award winning Chartered Accountant and entrepreneur who commenced her career at Deloitte within the Entrepreneurial Services, Accounting and Auditing Technical divisions. She subsequently joined Investec Bank in their Corporate Finance division before she started her entrepreneurial journey. She is co-founder and Director of Mahlako A Phahla Group, an investment holding company focused on investments, asset management and advisory services within the financial services, energy, infrastructure, social infrastructure and telecommunications sectors. Since 2008 Mahlako has successfully invested in projects worth over R5 billion and advised on mandates in excess of R500 billion. Meta is Fund Principal of the recently launched R1.75 billion Mahlako Energy Fund, which seeks to invest in businesses and energy projects with great growth potential. Meta is also the co-founder and chairperson of the Black Energy Professionals Association (BEPA), which exists to champion the interests of black people in the South African Energy sector. Along with her business partner she has pioneered the Mahlako team in a first of its kind, flagship energy wheeling project with Amazon Web Services. She has recently been appointed on the Green Hydrogen Panel by the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition and was part of the team that executed two investment transactions, as well as the development of four projects in the Department of Mineral Resources’ Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPP), totalling 322.5 MW of Solar PV and Wind. Meta has extensive governance and management experience having chaired numerous boards and audit committees as well as advising government on national policy matters. She currently serves on the board of AON South Africa and Nehawu Investments. Meta is a thought provoking and powerful speaker who brings her, a wealth of expertise.

Professor of medicine and health sciences awarded numerous prizes for his scientific, clinical, didactic, organizational, social, and entrepreneurial activities in Poland and abroad. He carries out numerous national and international projects connected with hearing screening in Poland and abroad (e.g. Senegal, Dakar; Ivory Coast, Abidjan; Ghana; Congo – Rwanda, Kigali; Tanzania, Kilimanjaro; Cameroon, Yaounde; Nigeria, Lagos, etc.) and telemedicine, e-health, including teleconsultations, telerehabilitation, and telefitting in the numerous European, Asian and African countries. An expert and active member in many international and national organizations and societies. He participated in the 3rd Stakeholders Consultation meeting during which the World Hearing Forum of WHO was announced. A member of Consultant Committee of International Experts of CPAM-VBMS (by special invitation), an Honorary Member of ORL Danube Society, an Honorary Member of Société Française d’Oto-Rhino-Laryngologie, and a member of the Roster of Experts on Digital Health of WHO. A Member of Congress and Meeting Department of European Academy of Otology and Neuro-Otology, and Vice-President and Institutional Representative and Board Member of International Society for Telemedicine and e-Health, Regional Representative of Europe of International Society of Audiology and Board Secretary of the Polish Society of Otorhinolaryngologists, Phoniatrists, and Audiologists. Vice-President of Hearring Group, an Auditor of the European Federation of Audiology Societies, and a member of the Facial Nerve Stimulation Steering Committee. He collaborates with AAO-HNS as a member of the Hearing Committee, Implantable Hearing Devices Committee, and Otology & Neurotology Education Committee, Goodwill Ambassador representing Poland at the AAO-HNSF 2021 Meeting.

Medical doctor, businessman, trainer, speaker and moderator at many national and international conferences in the field of medicine. He holds numerous positions in Egypt such as consultant in medical tourism and medical investment, co-founder and managing director of Integrated Clinic, co-founder and chairman of the Board of Directors of Egypt In-Touch Assistance, co-founder and board member of Nile Hospital in Hurghada, co-founder and board member of South Sinai Medical Services, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Egyseven, Member of the Board of Directors of Nile Valley International, Chief Executive Officer of Integrated Development & Investment Company, Co-founder and Member of the Board of Directors of On Call Medical Services Company, Co-founder and Member of the Board of Directors of Sevendays Medical Services Company, Member of the Egyptian-Polish Business Association EPBA. Rimon Farouk has extensive experience and knowledge in the field of medicine, mainly tourism medicine, having headed hospitals in Egypt's largest tourist destinations. As a moderator of the medical panel at the Forum, he will present the situation of tourism medicine in Egypt and Tanzania (where he has recently opened a hospital) and lead a substantive discussion on the challenges and needs of Africa in relation to Polish companies wishing to invest in Africa.

Founder and CEO of Brainwave Medical Group in South Africa. She was the first black woman in South Africa to earn a clinical technologist specialization in nephrology. She is currently the only one of the few female entrepreneurs in South Africa to be scientifically and practically involved in driving access to care in specialized healthcare services like kidney disease management and dialysis. Her experience in the Africa healthcare value chain cuts across different spheres having spent 10 years of her 25 year career in pharmaceutical business before venturing on her own Enterepeneural journey in 2010 to establish Brainwave Medical Group. A health care company with a multinational footprint in Southern and West Africa. The company’s main area of operations is healthcare services, with Kidney Dialysis Clinics in South Africa and Ghana, a medical tourism agency in Accra, Ghana assisting patients who are seeking medical care in South Africa and interests in an e-health business. Siphokazi Feke speaks at many scientific and technology conferences around the world and is passionate about driving access to care.

Thomas Roos is a Senior Research Engineer at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), in the Energy Centre located in the Smart Places Cluster. He has a Masters in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Stellenbosch and 29 years of career research experience. His expertise are located in the field of thermodynamics, heat transfer, turbomachinery and energy. He has a keen interest in the South African renewable hydrogen production sector, having published and presented widely on opportunities and advantages in this field in addition to developing evidence based strategy, for various initiatives at the highest level. Further to his published reports in land, wind and solar renewable energy tenured by the European Delegation to South Africa, his contributions include several National Government Research and Development roadmap processes for South Africa, such as the Energy R&D Strategy, the Original HySA business plan, the Solar Energy Technology Roadmap (SETRM) as well as the National Solar Research Facility. Thomas Roos is a highly respected orator in his field having occupied a number of speaker platforms as an expert, sharing his vast knowledge and work.

Sylwia Koch-Kopyszko has a degree in Chemical Technology from the Warsaw University of Technology and a management qualification from the University of Management. She has 25 years of senior management experience in the fields of engineering and construction, scientific research, human resource management, production, and trade services, in addition to key expertise in developing renewable energy projects. Sylwia is an expert in the field of technology selection and process optimization for various enterprises including biogas plants, biomethane plants, and photovoltaic farms. She has a proven track record in planning, management, coordination, and financial administration of renewable energy projects. Having worked in cooperation with national and local government units in Poland, Germany, Ukraine, and the European Commission, she is an active member in the working group for the Ministry of Climate and Environment as well as the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. In addition to the latter, Sylwia has served as President of several Management Boards including, the Board of the Union of Producers and Employers in the Biogas Industry (UPEBI), the Polish Electromobility Association as well as the Green Gas Association for Climate. She is also a board member of the Ukrainian Renewable Energy Association, the European Biogas Association, and the Coordinating Council of the Biogas Agreement at the Ministry of Climate and Environment. Her work in the legal and regulatory framework in the energy sector, particularly in the biogas and biomethane industries earned her an award during the 100th anniversary of Independence for services to the Polish economy, awarded to her by Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. She is an accomplished speaker having participated in several international conferences in the renewable energy industry.

Anna Masłoń-Oracz is a business oriented researcher who did analysis on how clusters influence regional development competitiveness from smart specialisation perspective. She is involved in international projects in Rwanda, Kenya and Zambia concerning regional innovation system to enhance the role and importance of regional innovation systems (RIS) in economic development and growth which has attracted considerable attention in recent years. She’s senior manager for over 12 years with extensive experience in global organisation in managing various areas of business operations in Poland/CEE/Africa region and partnering with business stakeholders on all people related initiatives. She’s vice-President of Polish European Community Study Association (belonging to an international network of ECSA-World), a member of the International Women’s Forum. Completed postgraduate studies in Human Resources Management (University of Warsaw) and Project Management (Warsaw School of Economics), with a master’s degree in the field of International Relations (University of Warsaw). PRINCE 2 Certificate. Former Chairman of Supervisory Board of Centrum Edukacji S.A. and a President of the Management Board of Technology and Industrial Park S.A. (with its majority of shares owned by the PKN ORLEN S.A. one of the biggest petroleum companies in Europe). She has an experience in launching and managing entrepreneurial education programs within an academic institution such as Warsaw School of Economics (Warsaw School of Economics Rector’s 1st degree award for involvement in EUINTEGRATO project within 7th Framework Programme) as well as experience in grant funding management or technology investment in a university or accelerator environment.

Adam Żołnowski is the CFO at the DCT Gdansk container terminal. He joined the DCT team in May 2012. Previously, for 5 years, he was a director at PwC responsible for the foreign investment sector. He gained experience as the General Director of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection and the President of the Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency. During his professional career, he worked with the largest international companies, helping them to implement investment projects in Poland and other countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Adam was also a member of the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Insurance and Pension Funds Supervisory Commission and an advisor to the Uzbek government. He actively worked for the public sector in Poland, leading several projects including Invest in Pomerania related to the region's development strategy. He won a special award in the 10th edition of the Financial Director of the Year competition. He received the Top Manager of Pomerania 2017 award by Dziennik Bałtycki and the Radio Personality of the Year 2017 award by Radio Gdańsk. During his work at DCT Gdańsk, the Company received the Port Deal of the Year distinction - a prestigious award granted by Infrastructure Journal and Project Finance Magazine. Author of several publications on economics, foreign investments and competition. Adam Żołnowski is a graduate of the University of Gdańsk and received postgraduate diploma at the University of Sussex. He completed the auditing apprenticeship of the Supreme Audit Office and the Executive Management Program in Sweden.

Dr Moustafa Moharram is an experienced structural engineer continuously promoting data-driven technological solutions to optimize the design process across various civil engineering disciplines. Over the past decade, Dr Moharram contributed to the design and project management for a variety of mega-scale projects in Egypt and the MENA region, including the light rail train (Egypt), high speed train (Egypt), Suez Canal tunnels, Cairo metro lines, Riyadh season, Jabal Omar towers and the ring road expansion scheme in greater Cairo. Moustafa also acts as the owner representative for the Grand Egyptian Museum currently overseeing various management roles, particularly those related to administering the close-out process prior to handing over to the operator. Besides his expertise in Egypt and neighboring countries, Moustafa was also part of a London-based team participating in the structural design and parametric assessments of Phase 3a for Battersea power station (11-billion-pound redevelopment scheme in nine-elms, London) where he developed solid awareness of international codified procedures (EC1, EC2, EC3, EC8) and design standards.

Founder and CEO of FiberTeam Photonic Solutions, a company offering innovative and unique solutions in the field of fiber optic measurement systems. This technology revolutionizes taking measurements in many industries, including medicine, energy or transport, smart city and many others. It can be used in extreme conditions, both industrial and weather, while increasing the precision and number of measurements and reducing the costs of purchase, implementation and use of the measurement system. Researcher at the Warsaw University of Technology. An expert in the field of design and production of innovative sensors, in particular fiber optic sensors. Repeatedly awarded by a number of institutions for his research achievements. He received one of the most prestigious scholarships in Poland in the "START" program of the Foundation for Polish Science. He is the laureate of the Scientific Award of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Repeatedly awarded by the Rector of the Warsaw University of Technology for organizational, research and teaching activities. He participated in the development of the program assumptions of the innovative field of study of the Warsaw University of Technology "Internet of Things Engineering". Passionate about new technologies. Thanks to many years of scientific and business activity, he has extensive knowledge of innovative technologies developed in Poland, used in the monitoring of road, rail and industrial infrastructure as well as public transport and smart city management. During the panel, he will share this knowledge and present the potential and possibilities of implementing these technologies on African markets.

Dr Hubert Joynt is the Programme Manager of the newly established Centre of Excellence at Infrastructure South Africa (ISA). Prior to this he joined the PICC Technical Task Team. He also served in many senior and executive management positions in the consulting engineering and local government sectors. He received his Doctor of Commerce degree from UNISA in 2005. Academic achievements include Best Student and Senate Medal awards. He obtained degrees in development planning, transportation planning and transport economics. Hubert is also registered for his second doctorate, a PhD in Public Management and Governance, and aims to make significant progress towards its completion during 2022. He is a qualified transport economist and is also registered as a Professional Planner. In addition, he is a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport South Africa. He recently obtained his certification as a Certified Economic Developer from the Economic Development Council of South Africa. His current work activities relate to infrastructure economics and infrastructure research. He currently serves as an Editorial Board Member of the Journal of Transport and Supply Chain Management. He is actively involved in the academic world and has assumed numerous roles as co-promoter, examiner or external examiner at UNISA, University of Pretoria, University of Free State, Technikon SA and Nelson Mandela University from graduate to doctoral level. His personal motto is “never stop learning”.

Graduate of Spatial Planning at the Faculty of Geographical and Geological Sciences of the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań (2003), where he subsequently defended his doctoral thesis on the subject of modelling suburbanization processes in Poznań metropolitan area (2007). In years 2009–2011 he was a fellow of Alexander von Humboldt Foundation at the University of Kaiserslautern Institute for Mobility & Transport. Since 2012 he has been an assistant professor at the Poznań University of Life Sciences. Since 2020 he has been an expert in urban policies at the Institute of Urban and Regional Development.
Professional work outside of research: member of the State Commission for Urban Planning and Architecture - GKUA (2014-2016 and since 2020), member of executive board of the Polish State Railways - PKP S.A. (2016-2017). Social activity: member of executive board of the Poznań Urban Cyclists' Association (1998-2013), member of district council Poznań-Jeżyce (1998-2002), member of executive board of the Mikuszewo Association (2003-2010), expert in mobility and urban planning at the Sobieski-Institute (since 2009).

Janusz Władyczak, President and CEO of KUKE since 2018, has many years of experience gained in domestic and foreign financial institutions. In French investment banks, he was responsible for relations and transactions with the largest companies and banks from the former USSR, as well as for cooperation with global export credit agencies (ECAs). While working for an Austrian financial group, he developed structured investment products for Polish private and retail banking clients and introduced innovative structured instruments on the WSE. In PKO TFI, he was the director of the investment products department. He graduated from the ESCP European School of Management in Paris. He also studied at the University of Vienna, Graduate Insititute of International and Development Studies at the University of Geneva and the Asian Institute of Technology in Bangkok.

Witold Wilinski is a Professor at Warsaw School of Economics (World Economy Faculty). He was a Visiting Researcher at the Vale Columbia Center on Sustainable International Investment at Columbia University (New York). His research focuses on internationalization and strategies of multinational corporations, corporate governance and financial markets. Author of publications in: Oxford University Press, Palgrave Macmillan, Aldershot and Warsaw School of Economics. From 2019 year CEO at GPW Tech S.A. (member of the Warsaw Stock Exchange Group responsible for the commercialization of software products for the financial sector). Formerly member of the Management Board in Asseco Systems S.A. and Softbank Serwis S.A.

Richard Amor is Head of Corporate Lending for the European Investment Bank’s operations in Africa, Caribbean, Pacific, Asia and Latin America. With a focus on projects promoted by private corporate entities, the EIB has its main corporate finance activity in the energy, ICT, agri-business and global health sectors. Since joining the EIB in 2007, Richard has worked on many landmark renewable energy and infrastructure transactions across Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Prior to joining the EIB, Richard worked for the international law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in London, Tokyo and Frankfurt.

Szymon Byliński is the director of the Department of Electromobility and Hydrogen Economy at the Ministry of Climate and Environment. A graduate of the National School of Public Administration, Szymon Bylinski has a wealth of experience in the public sector. In his role at the Ministry of Economy, and in his previous role at the Ministry of Energy, he was responsible for regulations regarding the fuel market, alternative fuels infrastructure, and fuel quality. In addition, Szymon served as chairman of the ministerial team on the quality of fuels and alternative fuels. Further to the aforementioned roles, He has co-authored a number of publications for the development of electromobility in Poland such as the 11 January electromobility and alternative fuels Act, and the National Framework for Alternative Fuels Infrastructure. Currently, as the Director of the Department, he has implemented the project design for the Polish Hydrogen Strategy process adopted by the cabinet until 2030, to be extended until 2040 by the Ministerial council. Szymon Bylinski is also the co-author of the Polish Hydrogen Sector Deal.

Magdalena has over 16 years of professional banking experience including cross-border structured&project finance and over 6 years of experience in ECA covered export finance gained among the others at Polish ECA – KUKE SA. Since 2018 she has been working at Pekao Bank, she is strongly involved in building export finance practice and providing complex trade and export finance solutions for Polish exporters. Magdalena is in charge of transaction structuring, credit risk assessment, customer relationship, transaction monitoring and cooperation with ECA. She and her deals oriented team care about providing clients with short and long term tailored made financing structures based on best market practice as well as providing simple trade finance solutions and some combined instruments. She graduated top Polish universities and has master degrees in psychology, economics and law.

Since joining LUG in 2014, Michal Lupkowski has held several positions related to the company’s international marketing strategy and business development. He has vast experience in working with international organizations, government bodies and private sector stakeholders. In his current role as LUG’s New Business Development Director, Michał is responsible for developing the company’s international operations, particularly in Emerging Markets where one of LUG’s major goals is to support sustainable infrastructural development and urbanization by providing its energy-efficient smart lighting solutions and comprehensive project support services.

Mandy is the General Manager in the Office of the Group Chief Executive of Eskom Holdings, managing the Just Energy Transition (JET) office. In this role, she oversees the development and acceleration of the utility’s JET vision and strategy. Eskom is the national electricity utility and one of the largest businesses in South Africa. Eskom currently supplies over 90% of the electricity used in the country. Mandy has over 20 years of experience in Eskom. She developed numerous climate change and sustainable development-related strategies for Eskom and was instrumental in driving Eskom’s efforts in this regard over the years. This together with her experience as a member of the South African delegation to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change has allowed her to gain deep insights into various aspects of the sector, at the international, regional, and national levels. Mandy was also appointed to serve on the recently established Presidential Commission on Climate Change, which will drive South Africa’s Just Transition plans. Mandy serves on the Boards of the NBI (South Africa’s National Business Initiative), Verra, and Global Change Institute (University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg). Mandy represents Eskom on the World Bank’s Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition advisory committee and the Net Zero task force.

Paweł Nierada is a graduate of the Warsaw School of Economics (Faculty of Finance and Banking), MBA University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management. He participated in a number of specialised courses on venture capital, corporate finance, M&A and capital markets. He has got a long experience in investment banking and capital markets industry. He carried out numerous projects in the area of public and private markets (IPOs, bond and share issues, market analysis), M&A, strategic advice to large corporate entities as well as advice on privatisation (to the Ministry of Treasury and investors) in Poland and abroad. He is an expert on energy as well as energy strategy and security of the Sobieski Institute in Warsaw. Over the period 2007-2016 he was the Managing Partner at Rada Partners – a consulting firm in the field of strategic advice, capital markets and holistic approach to company management. In the years 2007-2012 he was the President of the Management Board of Silkroute Securities (Polska) Sp. z o.o., 2006-2007 - director at ERSTE Corporate Finance in Poland - ERSTE Bank Group, 2003-2006 - director of the Financial Advisory Team at Deloitte, 2000-2003 he held a managerial position at NM Rothschild Polska Sp. z o.o., 1997-2000 he was Senior Analyst in Natural Resources and Global Power Team at Credit Suisse First Boston (Europe). He was a speaker at numerous conferences in Poland and abroad and provided commentaries on capital markets as well as fuel and energy sector for the media. He has got a status of Approved Person awarded by the British Financial Conduct Authority.

Dr. Ahmed Tufeiru is the Chief Executive Officer of Gateway Holdings Limited; a multidisciplinary Ghanaian firm that provides a wide range of project financing, investment banking, procurement, and turkey solutions to public and private organizations in Ghana and beyond. As the CEO, Dr. Tufeiru is responsible for the development and implementation of the company’s long-term strategy and effective prioritization of resource allocation to realize long-term value and achieving sustainable competitive advantage for clients and their stakeholders. Dr. Tufeiru is an Investment Banker with a multi multidisciplinary leadership and scholarly background in finance, business strategy, organizational change and leadership, and public sector management and governance. Prior to becoming CEO of Gateway Holdings Limited, Dr. Tufeiru spent 21 years on Wall Street as an Investment Banker for institutional asset management. Dr. Tufeiru worked for large Wall Street companies comprises of Merrill Lynch, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Barclays Capital, and Prudential Financial. Dr. Tufeiru has an extensive experience in business development and strategy, asset valuation, corporate reorganization, and organizational change management that fosters agility, growth, workflow optimization and productivity. Dr. Tufeiru serves as a member of the Board Directors of KASI Microfinance—a Tamale-based medium scale microfinance organization where he advices KASI executive on asset management, corporate governance, and organizational strategy and leadership. Dr. Tufeiru is also a Member of the Board of Governance of the Centre for Media and Peace Initiatives—a New York-based independent, non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of conflict-resolution in Africa, and for fostering best business practices and good governance that advances the socioeconomic development of the African continent. Dr. Tufeiru is a member of the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD, United States), and the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA, United States). Dr. Tufeiru published numerous peer review journals on socioeconomic development for poverty alleviation; including the nexus of female capital on north-south labor migration, and how to leverage microfinance as a remedial tool to address the female headload portage syndrome in Ghana. Educated in Ghana and the United States, Dr. Tufeiru holds a PhD in Public Policy and Administration from Walden University USA, an MBA in Finance and Business Strategy from Rutgers University USA, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and Banking from the University of Ghana.