Speakers

Miroslav Singer, former governor of the Czech National Bank and current economic strategist at Generali CEE, is a person who elegantly transforms economic challenges into opportunities. From a high school student to obtaining a doctorate in the USA and reaching the heights of the Czech economy, Singer's professional life resembles a thriller, where predictions, financial strategies, and unexpected twists intertwine. At eBF, he will reveal how he navigates the uncertain waters of the global economy, all with his characteristic ease. He will show us that economics can be entertaining

Tomáš Šebek is a general surgeon working at the František Hospital in Prague. In 2004, he founded a company responsible for an exceptional project in the field of online communication between patients and doctors – the portal uLékaře.cz and its specialized counterpart proLékaře.cz. In 2010, he joined the international organization Doctors Without Borders, with which he continues to travel on missions to crisis areas around the world. His first mission took him to earthquake-devastated Haiti. He worked twice at the Doctors Without Borders trauma center in Kunduz, Afghanistan. He also provided medical care to people in Abyei on the border between Sudan and South Sudan. In total, he completed six missions with the organization, most recently serving in war-torn Yemen. He described his mission experiences in blogs, which were subsequently published in book form.

Jaroslav Lexa is an eternal optimist who has never lost faith in the possibility of procuring in Slovakia in a funny, engaging, economical, and compliant with the law. He writes contracts, objections, articles, and books and used to have a blog. As a public procurement trainer, he can shed light on where common sense is found in the law. He is a recognized public procurement expert, promoting innovative practices in this area, including social and environmental aspects. Moreover, he is a co-founder of the Slovak APUeN. He currently serves as Vice-Chairman of the Office for Public Procurement, to which he was appointed by the Government of the Slovak Republic in 2020.

As a procurement specialist with more than twenty years of experience in multinational companies such as Ikea, Innogy, Makro and Amazon, he has held strategic leadership positions and gained procurement experience in all its complexity. He is a major promoter of e-procurement and other modern tools for efficient procurement, as well as maximum transparency in the tender process. He currently applies his experience as Procurement and Operations Manager at ESET.

Tom leads the procurement team in the Asahi Brewery Group, aiming to make a lasting contribution to the strategic development of Asahi Europe & International in terms of savings, innovation, risk management, and environmental sustainability through advanced category management, and close relationships with suppliers and internal customers.

Experienced procurement manager with more than 15 years of experience in various procurement positions, with experience in service, manufacturing and commercial sectors. He is currently Chief Procurement Officer at Penta Hospitals International, where he is responsible for procurement for 36 hospitals and a network of polyclinics in Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Poland. He focuses on developing the strategic role of procurement, maximizing procurement synergies and digitizing procurement processes.

Where chaos rules and there are no rules, order and systemization must one day prevail, otherwise we’d get nowhere. Michal Kristiňák, a lawyer with a wealth of professional experience in procurement and logistics, knows this as well as anybody. In recent years, he has overseen the development of procurement and legal teams at energy and gastronomy concerns, such as the Medusa Group, where digitisation and centralization of procurement contributed to significant savings. Currently, he works as Procurement Manager at Amazon Fulfilment Slovakia.

At the Ministry of Transport in the role of Director-General, he is tasked with implementing knowledge and processes with regard to subordinate organizations within the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Transport. At the Ministry of Health, he performed conceptual, coordinating, and monitoring activities at the level of the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic in the field of public procurement. He coordinated and methodically guided the procurement processes in relation to organizations under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Health, assessed and controlled the public procurement process in the healthcare sector, issued expert opinions on public procurement processes in the healthcare sector. He implemented central purchases in the healthcare sector, established central Dynamic Purchasing Systems, and participated in the creation of the FLASHBONE system, which was used at the Ministry of Health for the procurement of respiratory devices during the critical period around the COVID-19 pandemic and at the State Material Reserves Administration for the procurement of OOPP. As a lecturer and trainer, he regularly participates in various training sessions on procurement topics and holds a certificate for technical preparation and administration of eAuctions and tendering. He is a graduate of the certified semester course DIGITAL PROCUREMENT TEAM. He holds other important positions, serving as the chairman of the supervisory board of INMM Košice, and is involved in publishing and lecturing activities.

Leona’s involvement in responsible public procurement has a long-term character. She was the director of the non-profit organization Nová ekonomika (New Economy), and since 2014 has been the Head of the Public Procurement Department at the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, where she also led the project "Socially Responsible Public Procurement." She sees the potential of public procurement in strategic procurement. Previously, she experienced, among other things, the Presidency of the Education Committee of the Council of the European Union. In addition, she works at the Ministry of Regional Development as a Director General of the Public Investments, Construction, and Social Inclusion Section.

He started in public procurement as part of his internship while studying law and this field immediately appealed to him, largely thanks to his great colleagues at the South Moravian Regional Authority, who taught him a great deal and who he is currently honoured to lead. He sees public procurement as an opportunity to contribute to the development of the environment which we inhabit from day to day, so he tries to approach it responsibly and with common sense, but at the same time so that the award process is not only the same merry-go-round of formalities, but it is able to satisfy our goals and priorities.

Since 1994, when Jan ventured into international trade and logistics, he has navigated this industry like a fish in water. He leads procurement teams in companies such as Unipetrol, KUKA, and BLANCO. In addition, he is involved in projects related to process management, mapping, analysis, process improvement, lecturing activities, translations, and education in the field of personal development. He has also embarked on his own B2C project. Apart from his professional commitment, he has enjoyed baseball since childhood and cheers for the Arrows Ostrava team in the league. In his free time, he indulges in creative activities in the field of graphics and enjoys immersing himself in the world of Terry Pratchett's Discworld, where characters and stories of this fantastical realm enchant him.

Over the last 16 years, he has experienced the procurement world from different perspectives, from a buyer and sourcing manager to a procurement solutions consultant and sales representative. As a Senior Sales Executive of Procurement Solutions at SAP, he helps Czech and Slovak's customers find optimal digital transformation methods in procurement, finance, and logistics. In addition, in the spirit of "versatility is the key to success," he enjoys studying foreign languages, beekeeping, and martial arts in his spare time.

A lawyer specializing in public investments and public procurement. Currently, she serves as Of Counsel at the law firm HAVEL & PARTNERS, where, until 2023, she worked as a partner building a team specialized in the public sector (40 lawyers). During her tenure, the team secured four victories in the Legal Firm of the Year competition for the field of public procurement. Since January 2023, she has been dedicating half of her capacity as an advisor to the Chief Executive Officer Leona Gergelová Šteigrová at the Ministry of Regional Development (MMR) in the preparation team – and since February 2024, for the implementation - of the National Public Procurement Strategy, continuing her involvement from the Responsible Procurement (SOVZ) project at the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MPSV). Additionally, Adéla Havlová is involved in the leadership of professional associations (Association for Public Procurement - AVZ and Union of Administrators - UNIAVEZ) and is a member of the MMR expert group on legislation related to public procurement. She is dedicated to the development of best practices and innovations in public procurement, including digitization, circular economy, procurement practices and systems, quality assessment, etc. From 2014 to 2023, she was a member of the Adjudicating Commission of the Office for the Protection of Economic Competition. She leverages knowledge from other EU member states, especially Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, and of course, Slovakia. She regularly lectures and publishes in professional journals.

Rasto co-founded Cequence, a Slovak solution that uses the latest technologies (machine learning, artificial intelligence, NLP) and integrates ChatGPT from Open Ai for modern contract management. He brings to the Cequence team 15 years of experience in leadership positions within contract management, process engineering, and digital innovation in procurement. He has negotiated contract terms for multinational companies in purchases worth more than 50 million Euros. His interest in technology has applied to continuous process improvement in procurement, contract management, team efficiency, and internal company collaboration. Today, his ideas and vision for smart contract management have translated into the Cequence solution, which helps clients save thousands of hours of work every day. When he's not thinking about the future of contract creation and negotiation, he's interested in street art and alternative art forms, planning his next trip to an exciting destination, or evaluating the quality of a local beer.

Jaromir Sponar is a recognized Microsoft MVP, deeply involved in crafting Microsoft partnership strategies at Konica Minolta. With a focus beyond just achievements, his expertise lies in enhancing partnership ecosystems and exploring the innovative frontiers of Microsoft AI to foster business growth. Jaromir is known for sharing actionable insights and fostering collaboration within the tech community. As a speaker, he is passionate about empowering attendees with the knowledge to leverage AI technologies effectively

You'll definitely recognize him by the title professor, but Vladimir Baar is no dry academic. On the contrary, with a backpack on his back, he has traversed half the world from Russia, through Cambodia, Vietnam, the USA, all the way to exotic New Zealand, and beyond... Everywhere he sought inspiration for his scholarly articles, which you can find in prestigious journals such as Geografické rozhledy, Politické vedy, Folia Geographica, Tiltai-Bridges-Brücken, Annual of Language & Politics, and Politics of Identity, where he also serves on editorial boards. This culturally and politically adept traveler has long served as the rector of Ostrava University and continues to do what he loves there - opening young minds to the knowledge and connections of the Eastern world. When he's not on the road or sharing his pearls of wisdom with students, you'll find him either behind the microphone of Czech Radio, in front of the camera of Czech Television, or wielding a hoe in the garden. And all of this with the support of his wife and three sons. So, if you're looking for someone to broaden your horizons and show you how to live life to the fullest, Vladimir Baar is your man.

From his position as Head of Global Commodity Management at the multinational concern Siemens Energy, he oversees the strategic development and implementation of sourcing processes. His responsibilities include production plants for industrial steam turbines, industrial generators and gas engines worldwide. He is a respected expert in the field of centralized procurement and project management in the implementation of new procurement tools and procedures. He has also utilised his experience in other procurement teams, such as the RWE energy group.

For her managerial and innovative activities, she has been included in the TOP 25 Women of the Czech Republic ranking, published by the media company Economia, and Forbes magazine has repeatedly placed her in the list of the most influential Czech women. In 2022, she was awarded Manager of the Year, and in 2023, she won the award for the most successful women according to CEO magazine in the "Consulting" category. Currently, she is a partner at Behind Inventions and a former managing partner at Deloitte Czech Republic, where she also served as Chief Strategic Officer for Deloitte Europe concurrently. She also dedicates significantly to activities supporting the state. She is the creator of the CzechSetGo! conference focusing on state digitization. Thanks to this and her experience, she has become a member of the Digital Team of the Czech Republic, the advisory team of the Deputy Prime Minister for Digitalization, and the team of the Minister of Health.

You’ll undoubtedly come across him wherever there are events supporting and providing education on the digitisation of public procurement and the use of eAuctions for evaluating bids. Jan Zahálka is a legal expert specializing in healthcare and at the top of his agenda are healthcare funding and issues surrounding medical equipment. In the context of providing advice to legislators he has managed to design and enforce a "small user amendment" to the law on public procurement.

Kateřina Koláčková is dedicated to her mission, which is to provide highly active support to contracting authorities and to simplify and accelerate public procurement 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. She certainly has ways to inspire others in public procurement, whether through her experience implementing various contracts across sectors or different forms of evaluating bids. Since 2004, she has been actively involved in public procurement from the perspective of contracting authorities. As a result, she has implemented tenders in the tens of billions.

He studied law at the University of Westminster in London and the University of Trnava. Since 2012, when he finished his legal practice in London, he has been practicing law in Slovakia as a partner and founder of Grand Oak Legal. He focuses on public procurement law, European Union law, competition law, personality protection, company law, and state aid. He also teaches at the Faculty of Law of the University of Trnava the subjects of public procurement law, state aid, and common law basics. Furthermore, he regularly contributes to several professional journals on public procurement law. In addition, he lectures at seminars focused on the same law, Euro funds, and personal data protection.

Unbelievable charm, surge of energy, inspiration, charisma, and an impressive presence on stage. That's Mimi Nicklin. As an executive director, globally recognized bestselling author, keynote speaker, and personal coach with over 18 years of experience across more than 25 markets. Her dedication to the field is infectious and absolutely authentic, instantly captivating every listener. Her passion for making the world a more empathetic, valuable, and sustainably connected place is as contagious as it is needed. And given her current momentum, she could indeed be the change we've been waiting for.

As Head of Public Procurement at the Slovak Ministry of the Culture, Daša Paláková says that if you stuck a pin in the map at the workplace of all of her staff who needed to buy something, then you’d end up with a hedgehog in the shape of the Slovak Republic. It follows from this that her expertise must be just as abundant. She has been working in public procurement since 2006 and, among other things, was involved in the successful implementation of the Electronic Contract System.

As an expert in the use of artificial intelligence for processing large amounts of data, Radoslav Delina has been involved in several international projects focused on the preparation of data outputs to be further analysed for the evaluation of economic or financial risk. He is Head of the Department of Banking and Investment at the Technical University of Košice and concurrently acts as a correspondent for the European Commission initiatives eBusiness w@tch, eWork, e-Skills for the 21st Century and others.

Professional Profile

Mirek is an expert with a decade of experience in the field of public investments. Starting his career at the Office for the Protection of Competition and Consumers, Mirek gradually gained an understanding of both sides of the public procurement process. Today, as a member of the team at the prestigious law firm HVH Legal, he applies his skills to achieve effective and practical solutions. His approach involves seeking innovative paths that bring satisfaction to both the contracting authority and the supplier. His mission is to lead projects to successful completion, ensuring satisfaction for all parties involved.

At eBF it will be hard to miss an expert who has carried out corporate purchases worth more than €3.5 billion. Jacek Jarmuszczak, who has 17 years of experience in supply chain management, is undoubtedly one of the most sought-after speakers in global procurement. Previously, he held the positions of Strategic Buyer in the Philips Group and Global Category Manager in the Carlsberg Group and Danfoss Group. Then Vice President at Nextbuy. Now he works in his own venture as a founder of OperaPro Procurement Consultancy and Okiem Kupca - YT channel.

Marketing specialist, consultant and head of the PROEBIZ project, Milan Kaplan has frequently shared his experience at conferences in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland. In the 1990s he founded NAR which specialized in marketing for industrial concerns. Subsequently, he began to develop and put into practice eBusiness technologies, such as using eAuctions for supplier selection and the digitisation of the procurement process. The PROEBIZ project is now the most widespread eAuction platform and a source of know-how throughout Central Europe.

Peter is Group Head of Project Procurement in MOL Group. He has extensive experience within strategic procurement as Senior Category Manager for MRO. Prior transformation he led local Procurement in Slovnaft. He graduated executive double MBA SEED/Corvinus and one year CIPS practitioner course. Besides DNT program, he lectures in MOL Group Internal Academy and University in Komárno. He likes to enjoy life fully in his spare time.

Martin has been involved in public procurement issues almost all his professional life, from his position as a clerk at the Public Procurement Section of the Public Procurement Office, a student and teacher at Mendel University in Brno, where he lectured and actively published professional articles on this topic, and currently as the head of the Public Procurement Department at the Brno University of Technology. He regularly participates in conferences, seminars, and workshops on public procurement issues and publishes in professional journals. He advocates and promotes an open, less conservative, less formalistic, rational, and innovative approach to public procurement. The contracting authority's energy should not be focused only on the procedural side of the procurement, which does not play a vital role in the 'search for quality.' Instead, the main focus is developing the BVA/m4E method as an effective and versatile tool for selecting a quality supplier. Since 2021, Martin has been a member of the Public Procurement Appeals Committee of the Office for the Protection of Competition.

Marcela is the CEO and co-founder of the consulting company APUEN AKADÉMIA s.r.o. and Vice President of APUeN SK, an OZ founded to promote the electronicisation of procurement. In her professional practice, she is mainly engaged in advisory and consulting activities for contractors and public procurers. In addition, she contributes to the development of legislation and application practice in public procurement. It also cooperates with non-profit organisations such as Transparency International Slovakia, the Stop Corruption Foundation, and slovensko.digital. She is passionate about public procurement and she gives many inspiring lectures in this area, she participates at international conferences and streams on her youtube channel. She is a member of the Procurement Board, a collective of inspirational buyers and procurement professionals.

He was offered a job in public procurement on his way to Spain, from where Michal Garaj focused on competition for the Slovak Public Procurement Office (PPO). He succeeded in this area and began to address objections in review procedures. Later he was called to the Council of the PPO, where he helped with second level decision-making. After six and a half years he was "transferred" to the team of the Mayor of Bratislava, Matúš Vallo. Since earlier this year he has headed the Public Procurement Department, where he strives to get the highest added value possible.

Professional Profile

Marcin has more than 20 years’ experience in various purchasing functions. 17 years in Royal Philips/Philips Lighting/Signify – a company undergoing severe restructurings and technological revolutions over all those years. He is purchasing manager in Thule Poland since January 2020. He enjoys sharing knowledge and observations from his ongoing procurement journey as well as learning from others during procurement conferences and forums.

Since graduating from law school, she has been involved in public procurement, gaining experience as a Representative of the Controlling Body of EU funds and as a contracting authority. At that time, she was the Director of the Pilsen Region Public Procurement Department, which administers public procurement for 115 contributory organizations. In 2022 alone, her team saved the regional government more than CZK 400 million. She promotes modern and innovative ways of public procurement and the digitalization of public administration. In her spare time, she enjoys diving, sports, and traveling.

Martin has extensive experience in supply chain management, procurement, strategic and operational purchasing, logistics, replenishment, planning, forecasting, S&OP, distribution systems management, and general operations in retail, wholesale, distribution, manufacturing, and co-production.

Ondrej is a counsel at HAVEL & PARTNERS and focuses on advising the public sector, commercial relations, and contract law. In addition, Ondrej advises on complex ICT, innovation, transport, energy, insurance, and infrastructure construction projects. Ondrej also focuses on rail and passenger road transport regulation and often supports foreign clients in implementing their projects in the Czech Republic. Furthermore, he is the author of many professional articles, co-author of the MMR methodologies in the field of VR, and an active participant in professional groups and conferences.

Trainer, coach, and lecturer specializing in training for the procurement department, with a focus on soft skills and procurement competencies. She is also the owner of a company and groups on Facebook and LinkedIn called ProcureMe, which promote the human dimension of business, care for relationships with suppliers, and view the buyer's role as an ambassador of the best ethical business practices with a holistic approach to their role. A former purchaser with over 13 years of experience in international corporations such as Samsung Electronics, Mars, or Arjohuntleigh in the field of procurement. For the majority of her career, she dedicated herself to non-production-related purchases, managing the operational purchasing team in SSC, as well as a project team in the strategic procurement department of a manufacturing company. She has completed numerous specialized postgraduate studies and holds a Prince2 Foundation certificate.

Since 2004 she has been involved in procurement in international concerns. She has held various positions in procurement. She is intensively involved in the streamlining of procurement processes using modern IT technologies and the development of procurement competencies in the areas of strategic procurement. She also works as a mentor in Business & Professional Woman CR z.s. Currently, she holds the position of Head of Procurement at GasNet, s.r.o., which operates the most extensive gas distribution system in the Czech Republic.

Lubomír graduated from the Faculty of Law of Comenius University in Bratislava. After ten years in commercial and civil law, he moved into the dramatic environment of public procurement and deals with public procurement. He is currently the Director of the Public Procurement Department of the Economics Section at the Ministry of the Interior of the Slovak Republic. In his spare time, he puts up a fight against the nonsense around us.

Luboš has 20 years of experience in strategic sourcing from global companies, both in industry and consulting. He is a passionate supporter of digitizing and professionalizing procurement, leveraging and processing data for better decision-making, empowering procurement teams within their companies and transforming procurement to create value not only in the form of savings but also innovation, risk avoidance, and understanding the needs of internal customers.

Professional Profile

Filip graduated from the University of Economics in Prague with a degree in Information Systems and Technologies. After graduation he worked as an Integration Architect at Česká Pojistovna, Buyer Integrator at SAP Ariba and as an Integration Architect for a consulting company. He is currently a Manager at Deloitte Advisory for Central Europe, where he is part of the Supply Chain & Network Operations Procurement Technology team. His mission is to enable the digital transformation of procurement processes through the integration of the systems involved. As part of his role, Filip leads the integration of procurement solutions, typically for international companies active primarily in the pharmaceutical, IT, logistics and oil industries. He likes to spend his free time doing sports, such as gymnastics, or travelling.

Professional Profile

He graduated from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the Slovak Technical University in Bratislava. He gained work experience as a business and project manager in the energy and construction industry. Since 2014, he has worked at NAFTA, where he held the position of Senior Procurement Specialist and was involved in the comprehensive computerization of the procurement process. He currently works at Svet zdravia, a.s. ProCare, a.s., Chief Operating and Procurement Officer, covers procurement and operations for a network of 17 hospitals and 14 polyclinics in Slovakia.

Martin Kapler has worked in the field of procurement since 2008. He has worked for companies such as Eiffage Polska Budownictwo SA, Eiffage Construction ČR, ArcelorMittal Ostrava & ArcelorMittal Polska. He is currently the Material and Services Purchasing Manager at Kofola ČeskoSlovensko, including its subsidiaries HOOP Polska and UGO. In all previous jobs, the introduction of e-auctions and e-inquiries was one of the basic steps to increase purchasing efficiency while increasing transparency. The biggest challenge for him was and still is the implementation of electronic tools in the field of procurement of construction works and technologies.

Director of the Public Procurement Department II at the Office for the Protection of Competition. After graduating from the Faculty of Law at Charles University, he worked for almost ten years at the Prague 2 Municipal Office, where he was involved in public procurement; in 2012 he moved to the other side of the imaginary barricade and has been supervising the procedures of contracting authorities ever since. He participated in the formulation of the thirteenth part of the currently effective Public Procurement Act regulating supplier protection, i.e., objections and supervision of compliance with the Act by the Office for the Protection of Competition. In addition to its undeniable complexity, he believes that public procurement is also characterized by its dynamism and the diversity of the problems addressed, which require a comprehensive approach to solving them. He regularly lectures and publishes on topics of public procurement. He is a member of the expert group of the Ministry for Regional Development on the Public Procurement Act.

Michal has nearly 20 years of experience in procurement in various international companies (FMCG, consulting, energy sector) with clear objectives to optimize procurement activities. His career also includes a mission in FMCG sales to understand the entire supply chain from customers to production and back. Recently, he has been focusing on optimizing the procurement process, Problem-Solving, Simplification, Sustainability, and Risk Management areas and leadership. Moreover, he likes assisting with the personal development of his colleagues. He is the Procurement Director at Orkla Foods Czech Republic and Slovakia.

“If I have a job to do, it is worth doing it well”, says Kamil Lipski, who can be described as an energetic specialist with experience in project management, procurement and logistics. While in previous years he held various positions at companies such as DB Schenker, Unilever, and Orlen, two years ago he returned to Amazon Poland, where he is the Head of the Procurement Analyst Team.

Professional Profile

Evangelist of free culture, proud user of open source software, MP for the Pirates party and also an expert on the digitization of state administration. This is, or was until recently, Ondřej Profant, whom we invited to the eBF to show us what national plans for digitizing public procurement could look like in the future. As Deputy of the Prime Minister for Digitization within the Ministry for Regional Development of the Czech Republic, he will certainly have something to say about this topic.

Professional Profile

Agata Szymczak can be briefly described as a Procurement Specialist focusing on procurement at the global Amazon company. Together with her colleagues from Amazon, she will present at the eBF, among other things, basic business principles that are transferable to any industry. It's all about customer obsession, passion for innovation, commitment to operational excellence and long-term thinking.

Václav Šlapka's professional career is linked to the pride of Czech industry, the Škoda Auto car company, where he works as Coordinator of Data Analysis and Process Centre. Prior to that, he gained experience as a Procurement Specialist, focusing, for example, on sourcing new suppliers in low-cost countries, or as assistant to the head of general procurement. At Škoda he also completed his university studies in Business Economics, Global Business and Financial Management.

Professional Profile

Jan leads the SAP Information Management team in the Czech Republic and is also the Deputy Head of the SAP Ariba organization for Europe and the Middle East within Deloitte. Over the past six years he has managed SAP Ariba product deployment projects for a variety of clients across Europe and the Middle East. His experience includes not only the functional aspects of SAP Ariba products, but also the preparation of solution architecture and integration of the SAP Ariba product portfolio. Thanks to his comprehensive knowledge of the SAP Ariba portfolio Jan currently focuses mainly on validation and preparation of business cases or quality assurance for projects implementing SAP Ariba. Jan gained experience with SAP systems and processes as a data analyst creating data analytics tools for the internal auditing of procurement and sales processes for a variety of clients, mostly in the manufacturing industry. He has a Master's degree in Information Management and a Bachelor's degree in Management.

Since his studies at the Faculty of Law of Charles University in Prague, he has been involved in the legal profession, with which he has linked his professional life. The founding of OTIDEA LEGAL enabled him to combine his legal experience with OTIDEA's know-how in public procurement. He has acted as a defense counsel in several media-oriented criminal cases and thus deals, among other things, with the criminal aspects in public procurement.

It may come as a bit of a surprise that the domain of Zdeněk Pytlíček, who has worked his way up from buyer to strategist, is all procurement activities that do not involve "buying". At GasNet, he is currently focusing on digitization, automation and robotization of procurement processes, implementation, and development of procurement systems, reporting and analysis, and procurement legislation. Example? In 2017, the first robotic procurement process was launched and now more than 92% of procurement transactions are carried out by machines, without the intervention of buyers.

Leoš Vrzalík has been tasked with introducing the principles of sustainability into the central purchasing of the Asahi CE. In his position of Sustainability Procurement Lead he focuses mainly on packaging, carbon footprint and raw material supplies. Prior to this, he worked for 17 years in managerial positions at Skanska. The fact that he has linked his professional life with the principles of sustainability is well illustrated by the fact that he was also the Chairman of the Board of the Czech Green Building Council.

Although she jokingly says her relationship with public tenders and eAuctions is like a marriage, it is simply a world that has become a great hobby for Alena Ševčíková, Head of Procurement and Public Tenders at Nové Město na Moravě Hospital. Although it sometimes brings joy and bitterness all at once, she believes that it’s always necessary to overcome obstacles and move on. However, as a woman who managed to save tens of millions of crowns in investment tenders, she well knows how to face the difficult challenges.

Procurement Officer, Commodity Purchaser and Procurement Manager: these are all positions that have been held by Hana Sušková during her career. She is currently the Procurement Director at AL INVEST Břidličná. She gained her experience in leading teams, implementing new systems, electronic procurement processes, and negotiating with industrial suppliers in companies such as Škoda Vagonka, OKD, OKK Coking Plants and Tatra Defence Vehicle.

Engaged in public procurement for over a decade, and since 2011 Head of Public Procurement at Masaryk University in Brno, Martin Hadaš, along with his colleagues, carries out central procurement by means of DPS and framework agreements, manages public procurement co-financed by EU programmes, and coordinates the use of eProcurement. Occasionally he lectures. Previously, he ran the tenders in a consulting firm.

After finishing law school and three years of practice in a law firm, she started working in public procurement, where she worked as the head of the Procurement Department at Czech Radio. During her time in this role, she introduced eAuctions and promoted digitalization. She has been the Executive Director of the Association for Public Procurement for the past two years. She organizes training events, develops new partnerships, has "set in motion" a project of working groups in selected areas of public procurement, and publishes in the magazine "Public Procurement in Practice". She is also involved in legislative initiatives to facilitate public procurement.

For the last twenty years or so, he has been managing the logistics department of the energy company ZSE, so he knows all the routes from suppliers to the right place in the company. He responsibly and creatively manages strategic procurement, operational procurement and warehousing with transport. Thanks to his specialization, he is a member of the "Corporate Supply Chain" and the "Grid BAP" in the E.ON Group. He promotes maximum digitalisation, transparency of the entire procurement process, and the creation of qualification systems for suppliers.

A working knowledge of procurement categories and cost analysis are, according to Peter Čambál, important procedures and tools in procurement, in which has been working for over twelve years. Since 2015 he has been Manager of Tenders at Slovenské Elektrárne, where he is directly involved in the transformation of procurement from tactical to strategic. He is considered to a pioneer of applying Design to Cost (DTC) methodology at SE. In addition to his home turf of Slovakia, he has also worked in Russia, at Enel Russia from 2013 to 2015 as DTC Manager.

Professional profile

Luboš is an energetic leader, tireless innovator and sustainability expert. He lives by the approach “from inspiration to transformation,” which he applies in four main areas - innovation, sustainability, digitalization and systemic capability building. Currently leading the Red Button EDU eco-system, he inspires, consults, designs and supports owners, top managers and key changemakers in delivering strategic projects. He has tried various roles in top companies from process engineering in supply chain, through management positions up to global transformation projects. As an Innovations in Operations Director at the LEGO Group he had been focusing on how exponential technologies will make toys of the future. Last but not least, he co-founded the Red Button network whose purpose is to make the society better through cultivation of the environment in Czech and Slovak companies. Willing to turn your company into a modern, fast learning, digital and decarbonised one? Push the Red Button.

Nela is the founder and soul of Fpohybu - a company that guides sedentary and manual workers to incorporate movement and healthy habits into their daily routine through playful, cleverly designed wellbeing programmes. Opening up a sustainable pathway to improve their health, performance and mental well-being. Currently, Fpohybu is on a mission to build a healthier company culture in over 77 Czech and global companies.

Sven is an experienced manager in the world of logistics, rolling stock, infrastructure and mobility services. He currently works for the Austrian Federal Railways as Corporate Procurement Coordinator and is responsible for public tenders and sustainability. His unique strength is to be the creator and product owner of a revolutionary sustainability cost model integrated into LCC. His invented IT tool is applicable across industries and helps companies to collect real data to build robust strategies and reporting, e.g. CSRD, CSDDD and more.

EAME Procurement Manager - Corporate Services at the global company ExxonMobil with over 20 years of experience in Procurement, including 18 years in leadership positions. Possesses extensive professional expertise across a broad spectrum of procurement categories, encompassing Corporate Services, Marketing, Talent Management, Information Technology, and extending to commodity categories such as chemical products, fuels, and lubricants. Primarily focuses on strategic procurement for the European and African markets. Karolína is a passionate and active advocate for inclusion and diversity, actively supporting equal opportunities for the professional and personal development of women.

Branislav Šarmír will come to Ostrava with news from brotherly Slovakia, with whom we understand each other very well linguistically and philosophically. During his professional career, he has worked since 1996 in large companies such as EuroTel, UPC, VUB, and IBM Slovakia. In addition, however, he has traded management positions in marketing, sales, and customer service for public and corporate procurement, which is his current "job" at obstaráme, s.r.o.

She has 31 years of experience at USSK, where he focuses on various topics in the field of procurement. Her responsibilities include methodical management of purchasing processes, support activities, reporting, data analysis, and master data management. She actively participates in the automation of procurement processes with the possibility of using RPA. Bibiána‘s specialization also involves mapping processes and their analysis with the aim of continuous improvement and optimization. Favorite work motto is: 'I love the diversity of my work; every day something different surprises me.'

Dominika has rich experience in the field of procurement and project management in global companies. Currently, she contributes to the success of the construction giant PORR S.A. as the Head of Central Purchasing. In the past, she worked as the Director of Procurement and Logistics at Siemens Sp. z o.o. Before this professional era, she spent 7 years at PKN ORLEN S.A., where she created and successfully implemented centralized procurement across Poland, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, and Germany. She is a manager with a goal-oriented approach and a constant interest in developing the professional skills of the entire team. She aligns strategic goals with the company's vision.

Lenka currently works as a purchasing manager for the Chinese group CITIC Europe Holding a.s., which encompasses highly diverse and heterogeneous areas such as engineering, leasing of spaces in their own administrative complex, hospitality, and recently even a football club and stadium. She is primarily involved in central purchasing for the group, covering everything from energy and insurance purchases to operational leasing, as well as other services and goods. From her previous positions, she also has experience with operational purchasing and the procurement of public contracts.

Zdeněk has worked as a lawyer in the public domain for nearly thirty years and has been involved in public procurement for more than fifteen. He was, for instance, the Director of the Public Procurement and Central Procurement Department at the Ministry of the Interior. Since 2014, he has headed the Public Procurement Department at Charles University, and among his responsibilities belong university-wide procurement and methodological support for staff. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the Association for Public Procurement and represents the University in the Responsible Public Procurement Platform. When outside work, he enjoys cooking and cycling.

In the past, I participated in creating the Customer Centre for Veolia Energy Group, which I also managed for over ten years. In 2019 the opportunity came along, and I was offered to become part of the Central Procurement Team. As I was looking for a change, I accepted the challenge. Currently, it has been my fourth year as Head of Materials and Operational Procurement at Veolia Energy CR and Procurement/ Commodity Manager of its subsidiary Solutions and Services.

As a long-time manager in the field of law, contractual relationships, public procurement, as well as a life and business coach, lecturer, and author of motivational articles, publications, and videos, I have connected the personal and professional worlds. I focus on educating leaders, the functionality of relationships, and as a mediator, also on conflict resolution. I use my lecturing activities during personal development courses focused on transforming life situations with an emphasis on ethics therapy, emotional intelligence, and creating one's own reality. Especially for women, I offer insights into topics related to achieving balance between work and personal life, the possibility of self-realization in a feminine way even in predominantly male environments. I deal with change as a part of life that we can utilize for our own transformation. I am a co-founder and CEO of "Space for Change". www.priestor.plus

Experience in the fields of security engineering, commerce, public procurement, and management is currently utilized as a coach and lecturer in guiding people through their transformation process in the area of personal development. When working with individuals and groups, he focuses on education in the fields of ethico-therapy, emotional literacy, and personal potential development. The result of his work is creating space for a fulfilling life in both personal and professional realms. He is a co-founder and CEO of "Space for Change"

In 1999, Martina successfully completed her master's studies at the University of Economics in Bratislava and has since devoted herself to her professional career at USS Steel Košice, where she has been a key team member for over twenty years. During this long period, she had the unique opportunity to visit the United States twice, actively developing her professional skills.

Throughout her career abroad, Martina gained valuable experience working in various teams and holding various positions, from purchasing manager to release manager. She currently holds the position of General Purchasing Manager, where she excels in her ability for strategic planning and leading the team to achieve excellent results.

Outside of work, Martina spends her free time exploring ski slopes and enjoys moments spent on mountain peaks. Her passion for skiing challenges is combined with a love for nature

Long-time manager of the PROEBIZ project. Consultant and innovator in digitalizing corporate and public procurement systems with more than 20 years of experience in the field. He strives to spread computerization in procurement processes not only in the private but also in the public sector. Currently, he is the Executive Director of PROEBIZ Group.

He has been working at Česká televize since 2012 and is the head of the central purchasing department. He is responsible for all purchases, with the exception of program rights and services directly related to the production of program content for broadcasting and distribution via the internet. At Česká televize, he has promoted the insourcing of services related to public procurement and the gradual introduction of sustainable purchasing elements. Within public procurement, he strives to consider all relevant life cycle costs, seeks balanced and long-term cooperation with suppliers, and within evaluation criteria, aims to assess quality wherever it makes sense. He values courage and initiative in colleagues, and dislikes unnecessary formalism and excuses. His interests include classic cars, tramping (bushcraft) combined with high gastronomy over an open fire, long-distance hiking, and an unnamed agent of Her Majesty.

Zdeněk Rudovský, with nearly fifteen years of professional experience, has as much expertise as others wouldn't achieve in several working lifetimes. Currently, he works as a BIM manager in the Department of Construction and Investment Activities at CTU in Prague. He is involved in developing client-oriented BIM standards and related methods for public procurement in construction, creating BIM models, and managing CTU's property portfolio. Additionally, he works as a BIM consultant - manager for the Dukovany II Power Plant, is a member of the expert group for property passports, a guarantor of advanced courses (not only for clients) within the CŽV BIM, and last but not least, as a lecturer at FM Institute s.r.o.

He is a graduate of the Faculty of Law at Masaryk University. He began to gain experience in procurement law between 2009 and 2012 in the position of secretary of the chairman of the Office for the Protection of Competition's decommissioning commissions. After two years of practice as a lawyer and lecturer at OTIDEA, he spent eight years at the Prague Public Transit Company, followed by a year as director of the legal department at Prague Transport Company, where he managed public procurement of legal services using BVA procedures. They were the first in the Czech Republic to assess only quality in this segment with a fixed price. Currently, he works at Tender Society and KGS legal law firm. Throughout his career, he has gone through all three main branches of procurement practice - supervisory, advisory, and contracting. In his current activities, he specializes in providing external legal services to public and sectoral procurers in all areas of procurement and investment. He is the Vice-Chair of the Executive Committee of the Association for Public Procurement and a member of the editorial board of the Public Procurement in Practice magazine.

Miroslav Slašťan is the founder and chairman of the Institute of Expert Activities (an expert in the field of Legal Relations with Foreigners and European Law), a professor at the Department of International Law and International Relations at the Faculty of Law, Comenius University in Bratislava, and a member of the Council of the Judicial Academy of the Slovak Republic. He is an expert in European law and its transposition into the legal order of the Slovak Republic, state aid, public procurement, euro funds, and the judicial system of the European Union. He is an external member of examination boards appointed by the Office for Public Procurement.

Ivan Macho is the business director of PKV, a consultancy firm in the energy sector. He helps clients with preparing projects that save money for companies and the public sector while reducing carbon footprint. He also assists cities and municipalities with integrating energy management and creating energy concepts, among other things.

"The creed of competing meaningfully and purchasing efficiently is inseparably linked to the work of Jiří, who has been working since this year as the Deputy Director for Business Management at the Regional Health Authority in Ústí nad Labem. Within public procurement, he primarily deals with purchasing medical equipment, applying innovative and bold approaches to public procurement, just as he has done in his previous roles. He is an enthusiastic innovator, initiator of preliminary market consultations, and advocate for responsible procurement, drawing on his experience from the Ministry of Regional Development of the Czech Republic or the Technical Administration of Communications of the City of Prague."

Adam is a sales and procurement management specialist with a strong business and legal background and "bulletproof" leadership experience, capable of leading and implementing changes both through processes and people. All of this in an international environment, where he has been working long-term as a consultant, trainer, and coach for procurement management. He has experience with supplier relationships from both Asian and European markets. Additionally, he is a member of the advisory board of the PSML - Polish Supply Management Leaders association.

She was there in 2010 when Masaryk University in Brno switched to digital procurement and introduced dynamic purchasing systems. Today, Naďa Voráčová is Manager of Public Procurement at the University Rectorate where she is always looking for new solutions. In recent years, she has been working on supplementing DPS with framework agreements, on tenders using electronic catalogues, and on introducing an internal e-shop for the complete digitalisation of central purchasing.

After more than a decade of practice in project management, risk, and quality in public administration at the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs and at the Government Office, Marie now works at Thein Digital as an ESG project manager and consultant. She specializes in managing ESG projects using the IBM Envizi software tool. Her work with ESG projects spans the entire lifecycle from initial analysis, data collection, automation, carbon footprint calculation, predictions, to reporting. She is passionate about AI and innovation, seeing significant opportunities for synergy in sustainability. Outside of work, she is involved in sustainability efforts such as serving on the Commission for Environment and Climate Issues in Prague 7.

Graduate of the Faculty of Law of Comenius University in Bratislava. He has been involved in public procurement since 2013, starting with "euro-fund" contracts for beneficiaries of NFA (non-refundable financial contribution). Since 2019, he has been the Head of the Central Procurement Management Department at Comenius University in Bratislava, the largest university in Slovakia. In his spare time, he enjoys cycling and announcing contracts in the DNS.

Barbora holds the position of Regional Category Manager in the areas of Capex & Engineering at Asahi. She has experience in purchasing from both local and global perspectives, focusing on both manufacturing and non-manufacturing expenditures, global category strategies, and market strategy development, including their implementation in the regions of Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Australia. She is also knowledgeable in sourcing within multicultural environments, taking into account the needs of various stakeholders. At the eBF, she will primarily speak about key indicators of team performance.

Petr Dovolil is a member of the Presidium of the Czech Business Council for Sustainable Development (CBCSD). He represents PwC in the CBCSD and has been an ESG Manager and Senior Consultant since 2021. He has over 23 years of experience in public policy, regulation, institutions, public procurement, and sustainability. In addition, he has extensive experience in EU-funded infrastructure projects, EU policies and laws, international contracting standards, PPPs, and Czech private and public law. In the last ten years, he has been heavily involved in numerous infrastructure projects and technical assistance to EBRD, EC, and EIB in the Czech Republic and abroad across infrastructure sectors (mainly water, transport, energy, waste, and buildings) around green transition, including ten projects (as Team Leader) on the EBRD "GET Policy Framework - Water Window" (Green Economy Transition). Peter also led the Mott MacDonald team on behalf of the EBRD Green Cities Framework contract. His current focus is on sustainable development, green and digital transformation, and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) compliance, including the EU Taxonomy, screening (climate, environmental and social), and EU sustainability finance.

Tomáš has been involved in procurement since the beginning of his professional career. For the last 15 years, he has worked in the telecommunications industry. He has spent a significant part of his career with České Radiokomunikace a.s. as a procurement and PMO manager, where he was involved in projects related to the transition from analog to digital television broadcasting, the digitalization of radio broadcasting, as well as the construction of data centers and the development of IoT. Since 2019, he has been the Executive Director of Central Procurement and PMO at Letiště Praha a. s. He is, therefore, fully responsible for implementing all tenders and RFPs, as well as for the performance of strategic projects related to the operation and development of the airport.

Branislav works at the Ministry of Investment, Regional Development, and Informatization of the Slovak Republic as the Director of the Public Procurement Department. He also performs tasks for the Central Coordination Body Section, coordinating entities implementing EU-funded projects. He has more than 17 years of public procurement experience, including the Public Procurement Office, where he started, the Ministry of Finance of the Slovak Republic, and the private sector. At the Ministry, he performs tasks related to the public procurement of goods and services for the needs of the Ministry and coordinates. Furthermore, he provides methodological guidance to entities involved in the EU funds management system in public procurement. He is the author of the Unified Guide for Applicants and Beneficiaries on the Process and Control of Public Procurement for the 2014-2020 programming period and the new guide for the 2021-2027 programming period. In May, he will join the Public Procurement Office and head the unit responsible for methodology and training. He studied law at the Faculty of Law of the University of Bratislava. In addition to his application practice, he also lectures and publishes.

He has been involved in public procurement since 2016, when he worked for four years as a procurer at the Central Office of Labor, Social Affairs, and Family. Since 2021, he has been working at the company Waste Collection and Disposal, which belongs to the Capital City of the Slovak Republic, Bratislava, as the head of the purchasing department. This department handles purchases in the waste management sector as a public procurer, as well as purchases to ensure the operation of facilities for the energy utilization of waste. Here, he accidentally discovered that the role of the public procurement department in the organization can be greater than just carrying out procurement processes in accordance with the law, and that it can play an important role in planning, contract management, and working with the company's internal data. Therefore, he is trying to implement this view of the role of public procurement in practice.

Since completing my studies at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, I have been fully dedicated to this field, focusing on ensuring a complete supply chain for construction projects. For several years, I worked as part of the team of the most significant Slovak construction developers, primarily on international administrative and residential projects. Personally, I am pleased to observe the development of quality architecture and innovative concepts in construction, particularly in the context of creating high-quality environments.

Marko Lozo is a dynamic and results-oriented Sales Manager with a rich history in sales, key account management, and strategic planning. Currently, he works at Coface, where his skills contribute to the company's success. Previously, Marko held several key positions at EY, where he played a crucial role in developing strategy for key banking clients in the Czech Republic. His career beginnings can be traced back to Nielsen, where he provided strategic consulting to executives and analyzed market data. Marko is known for his ability to build strong client relationships and create effective business strategies. His extensive experience and expertise make him a valuable asset to any organization.

Zdeněk Kabátek is the team lead of consultants at NEOOPS. He has over 25 years of experience in various areas including corporate process outsourcing, document generation management systems, consulting services, project management, and RPA across three continents. Zdeněk has led a growing consulting team at NEOOPS to become one of the most experienced teams in Europe, having completed over 150 RPA projects to date and automated hundreds of client processes.

Marek Zelenka is a lawyer specializing in systemic recommendations for public administration, particularly focusing on fostering transparent, more trustworthy, and corruption-resistant local government. He is interested in topics at the edge of the law concerning public procurement. He has primarily associated his professional career with the non-governmental organization Revival, z.s., where he served as chairman from 2018 to 2022. His expertise lies in public procurement, conflict of interest, whistleblowing, access to information, and municipal periodicals. Until 2022, he was also one of the five guarantors of the State Reconstruction project. He is a member of the Government Council for Anti-Corruption Coordination and its working groups on transparency in state administration, conflict of interest, efficient management of state property, and whistleblowing. He is a member of the Ministry of Regional Development's expert group on the Public Procurement Act. Since 2023, he has been an external advisor to the Ministry of Regional Development for the national strategy of public procurement and manager of the chapter on Control and Supervisory Bodies. He was a member of the Monitoring Committee of the Employment Operational Programme. He studied at universities in Prague, Passau, and Budapest. He completed a professional internship at the LOH Rechtsanwälte law firm in Berlin.

Jan Mexo Řehák works as a negotiator, mediator, and a negotiation instructor at Negotico. He has been involved in busines-crisis negotiations for 18 years, and in behavioural science for 21 years. He is the author of The Negotiation Canvas and the MCM communication model. He teaches negotiation at Prague University of Economics and Business (VŠE) and PHG, formerly also at UCL in London. He is the founder of NegotiCON, which is becoming one of the most renowned negotiation conferences in the world. He belongs to the expert judges of The Negotiation Challenge and ALSINC negotiation competitions. He led over 3 000 various negotiations. More than 4 000 people have attended his 270+ different events. His interests include photography, Argentine tango, and Latin American dances. Currently he’s working on a book connecting all of these disciplines together that will be called “Negotiation Tango”.

Daniela graduated from the University of Economics in Bratislava and immediately after her studies, she started familiarizing herself with the environment of "public procurement". Her main specialization is in the area of public catering, where she gained exceptional practice and experience in managerial positions at the University of Žilina, Svět zdravia a.s., Comenius University, and at the University Hospital of St. Cyril and Methodius in Bratislava. Currently, she works in the purpose facility of the Dormitories and Dining Facilities of Charles University in Prague. As part of catalog food purchases and processes of management and administration of the extensive catering operation of Charles University, she is responsible for implementing modern procurement procedures (DNS) and utilizing the internal e-shop for more than 20 catering facilities of Charles University to ensure efficient selection and ordering of competitively tendered commodities. She is also actively involved in coordinating the Sustainable Development project of Charles University and incorporates elements of responsible procurement into public tenders.

After years spent in a manufacturing environment, he moved into the turbulent world of e-commerce. At Notino, one of Europe's top 10 online cross-border retailers, Matěj manages the procurement process and supply chain. He uses his experience in procurement, logistics, and manufacturing to combine operation and automated procurement management with the feverish business pace and steady 30% year-on-year growth of Europe's number one beauty e-commerce company.

As the operational director of Principal engineering s.r.o., he ensures the overall functioning of the company and its subsidiaries. Additionally, he is also hired as an interim manager in the procurement department of various companies (GasNet, Korado, NRB, Trinity Bank), where he assists with procurement optimization, contract auditing, negotiation of terms, and development of procurement strategies, as well as with licensing audits for major software companies. He can leverage over 15 years of experience in procurement for large international companies, primarily in banking, and combine his knowledge of the IT environment from both the supplier's and the client's perspectives to benefit the client.

Alexandra is a Responsible Procurement Officer at MOL Group, located in Budapest. Her primary responsibility include Sustainable development within Group procurement, improving and promoting Sustanability practices within the supply chain and continuously improve the calculation the Scope 3 emission. Before joining MOL Group, Alexandra worked as a Sustainability consultant and spent 9 years with an Electronics manufacturing company as an Environmental compliance expert. She is a certified ISO 9001 and 14001 lead auditor. Alexandra has a Master’s degree in environmental engineering and quality engineering. She started her professional career as a purchasing specialist at a Cosmetics manufacturing company. She has more than 10 years of experience in the field of environmental engineering and environmental consultancy. She has always been passionate about the environment and sustainability , learning has always been the force in her life. When not working, Alexanda prefers spending her free time with her family and traveling, she is also active in sports.

Petra works at Lidl Czech Republic in the Technical Purchasing department since 2014. Alongside colleagues, she oversees the procurement of non-commercial goods and services necessary for the smooth operation of stores, warehouses, and administrative spaces. Since 2018, she has been leading the department responsible for purchasing processes, tendering, contracts, and the ordering system. Currently, she is gaining new insights for development during a year-long internship with German colleagues in Bad Wimpfen. In her free time, she dedicates herself to her daughter, modern dance, and running.

Buyer by vocation, procurement promoter by passion. For 18 years he has been managing departments that spend companies’ money. He built and developed procurement departments in industries related to mining and railways, and for the last 8 years in the energy sector at TAURON Ciepło. Creator of a podcast and YouTube channel related to procurement - #OkiemKupca. Trainer of buyers and managers who is fascinated by working with people. He is able to build, remodel and motivate a purchasing team so that it becomes competently mature and independent. On LinkedIn, showing the human face of a buyer, he created - #PiątekBrzmiDobrze - the only community on this platform focused around passion for music.

Radek Špicar, with a graduate degree from Charles University in Prague and the University of Cambridge, is not only an experienced economist and expert in his field, but also an outstanding example of approachability and human touch. In the past, he served as the Deputy Prime Minister for Economy and later as the Director for External Relations at Škoda Auto or as the Director of the Aspen Institute Prague think tank. Currently, he serves as the Vice President of the Confederation of Industry and Trade, the largest domestic representative of Czech entrepreneurs. In the academic sphere, Radek Špicar focuses on corporate social responsibility and economic diplomacy.

Pavel Čech has been an integral part of the law firm SEDLAKOVA LEGAL for 5 years, specializing in contractual law in IT. He has extensive experience with terms of development, distribution, service, implementation, and licensing of software, as well as terms and conditions for SaaS and online platforms. He has reflected his knowledge in the book "Software Contracts: Their Specifics and Contracting Process," on which he collaborated as a co-author. He has also prepared a practical e-book for clients focusing on risk assessment in development contracts. He is also a co-author of the Guidelines on the Use of AI. At the law firm SEDLAKOVA LEGAL, he heads the software/IT law department and became one of the firm's partners in 2024.

Michaela Garajová is a partner at SEDLAKOVA LEGAL, where she serves as the head of the corporate team and the Prague branch. In her practice, she specializes primarily in negotiating investments, both from investment funds and startups, providing legal assistance to startups, setting up holding structures and relationships between partners, and handling the routine corporate agenda of companies. Michaela is an active member of the startup community and provides training for both aspiring entrepreneurs and companies in more advanced stages of development.

Pavel is a graduate of the Faculty of Law of Charles University, after which he held positions in public administration, especially in connection with the Czech Presidency of the EU Council in 2009 and electronic justice. Since 2014, he has worked at Škoda Auto a.s. as Head of Strategy in Procurement and Capacity Management. He is also responsible for sustainability support within Škoda Auto, a.s. ‘s supply chain risk management. By virtue of his position, he has been involved in resolving supply crises and insolvencies across European jurisdictions from the ŠA and VW Group perspectives while also providing expertise in monitoring and ensuring sustainability principles in complex automotive supply chains.

Martina brings her experience from over ten years in different procurement, finance, and IT project positions, with strong base in the field of digitization and change management. When working at SAP Ariba her focus was to ensure the efficiency of key customers automated processes within SAP Ariba solutions with their business partners. Her responsibility as e-Invoicing Manager at Novartis was to design and manage supplier onboarding to SAP Ariba and fulfill the requirements for the efficient and compliant electronic data and documents exchange in 34 countries (solution configuration, purchasing, invoicing). Currently Martina applies her experience as LDC Solution Design Manager Workstream Lead for Direct Procurement at Novartis designing the new streamlined processes to procurement area and deploying new SAP interconnected solutions: SAP Product Sourcing, Contracting, S4HANA, SAP Business Network and Supply Chain Collaboration.

With 18 years of experience in Procurement, he currently focuses on streamlining procurement processes through innovation and automation, particularly using AI. By combining technological advancements with business needs, he always strives to create lasting, valuable solutions. In traditional procurement, he delivers approaches that reduce costs and increase efficiency without compromising on quality and relationships.

A professional negotiator focused on the DACH markets, with over 20 years of experience in the automotive and ICT industries, negotiates with suppliers and serves as a negotiation skills trainer at #MasteryClub. He believes that people don't want to negotiate; instead, they prefer to resolve conflicts. He argues that negotiation is a lifelong skill.

Grzegorz Filipowski is an experienced procurement advisor and practitioner, specializing in restructuring and implementing Source to Pay strategies across various industries. He has extensive experience leading significant projects in the gas, fuel, energy, and mining sectors for companies like KGHM, PKN Orlen, and PGNiG S.A. Grzegorz actively shares his insights on procurement and business strategy through articles and posts on LinkedIn. He holds a management degree from the University of Economics in Katowice and is a Certified Member of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply.

An experienced consultant and purchasing project manager. He has advised the largest companies in the region in the raw materials, manufacturing, telecommunications, and finance industries. He has led purchasing projects aimed primarily at improving efficiency in procurement by implementing advanced and innovative process and organizational solutions. He has advised on dozens of negotiation processes supported by the Harvard methodology, which resulted in over 500 million in annual savings. He has been involved in procurement since the beginning of his professional career. He started his career with Accenture, co-creating an innovative B2B trading portal. He spent over a year in China running his own business and learning the intricacies of negotiations with representatives from China. He returned to consulting, first with Accenture, and then spent over 5 years with A.T. Kearney, a leading global consulting firm, primarily in the procurement area. As a trainer/coach, he collaborates with BIG FISH and the Logistics Department of Warsaw School of Economics.

Peter is the co-founder and CSO of Cequence, a Slovak solution that uses the latest technologies and integrates Open Al's ChatGPT into a modern contract management solution. He brings to the Cequence team the research and innovative spirit of the academic world, the need for discovery, and the drive to get to the heart of the matter. As a data scientist, analyst, and bioinformatician with two PhDs (from Slovakia and the US), Peter has authored over 30 peer-reviewed articles on artificial life, artificial intelligence, and artificial chemistry. From 2015 to 2020, he was responsible for data analysis on Parkinson's disease at the Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, where he was also the head of the machine learning team of the DREAM competitions. In addition to research, Peter has extensive experience in the IT world, having worked as a team leader and senior developer for a multinational company and software architect for one of the first smart-grid implementations in the US. Within Cequence, his main focus is on research and development related to machine learning, artificial intelligence, and blockchain. Today, his ideas and vision for corporate solutions built on the best of modern digital design have translated into Cequence solutions that help clients save thousands of hours of work every day.

Patrik is a passionate expert in applied energy and electrical engineering with rich experience as a business and marketing manager at an international level and in the entrepreneurial sphere. His studies at the Faculty of Economics at VŠB-TU, specializing in Systems Engineering and Informatics, provide him with a broad perspective and the ability to apply his knowledge in various professional fields. Patrik is the founder of his own company focused on applied energy and electrical engineering. In addition to professional success, he enjoys spending time with his family and four children. His hobbies include active sports, traveling, meeting friends, music, and gastronomy. His involvement in the Group for Energy brings many years of experience and a professional approach to the community.

Mr. Ing. Zbyněk Miklík is a graduate of the Faculty of Economics and Informatics at Mendel University in Brno. For over twenty years, he has been involved in consultancy and business activities in the area of electronic markets in public administration. Since 2020, he has served as the Deputy Governor of the Liberec Region for Economics, Public Procurement, and Information Technology. In the Liberec Region, he leverages his extensive experience in consultancy, including promoting innovative procurement procedures.

Milan is an experienced businessman with over 22 years of experience in software and services sales and trading. Throughout his career, he has gained rich experience working with leading technology companies such as IBM, Oracle, and NTT. In addition, he led the partner business department at Odoo, a modern ERP system, contributing to its success in the market. Currently, Milan holds the position of Chief Commercial Officer at Adeos, operating in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. His main goal is to develop the company's business activities and provide customers with top-notch solutions in software and services. With his rich experience and expertise, Milan is a key figure in the field of technology trading in the domestic market.

Throughout his career, Mirek has held several managerial and directorial positions in multinational companies, gaining extensive experience in business operations management and strategic planning. He has extensive experience in compiling business plans, forecasts, and budgets, focusing on detailed analysis of market trends and the competitive environment. His ability to create precise and realistic plans helps companies achieve their business goals with optimal resource utilization. Mirek also specializes in the digitalization of planning processes and the implementation of modern planning tools, enabling firms to more efficiently and flexibly respond to dynamic market conditions and quickly adapt their strategies and plans. His ability to leverage modern technology to optimize business processes and improve performance is a key element of his approach to managing business activities. Thanks to his expertise and experience, his plans and strategies are successfully applied and yield measurable results.

Jakub is an experienced manager with over twenty years of experience in top managerial positions in large corporations and technological startups. Currently, he holds the role of VP of Customer Success at MAMA AI. Jakub has a strong background in business development and sales, with key partnerships in the insurance and banking sectors. He obtained his education in finance and marketing from DePaul Driehaus College of Business in Chicago and studied information management at the University of Economics in Prague.

Jiří graduated in IT from the Czech Technical University (CTU) in Prague and has remained dedicated to this field throughout his entire professional career. He prides himself on his ability to communicate effectively with both experts and laypeople, sometimes acting as a bridge between IT and business domains. He has held various business and managerial positions in a large multinational IT company, and for the past two years, he has been working for the startup The MAMA AI in the role of Business Development. In his free time, he engages with artificial intelligence both professionally and on the LinkedIn platform.

He obtained an engineering degree from Brno University of Technology (BUT) in the fields of Informatics and Computer Engineering, as well as Economics and Industrial Management. He further earned an LL.M. in Law of Information and Communication Technologies from Masaryk University. He holds several professional certifications. Throughout most of his professional career, he has been involved in information technology security, holding various consulting and managerial positions. At T-Mobile, he oversees a group providing endpoint protection services for corporate clients. This includes topics such as protecting computers and servers from malware and other forms of cyberattacks, mobile device management, and security, among others.

He studied at the Czech Technical University (CTU) Faculty of Electrical Engineering (FSI) and the CEVRO Institute. He has been professionally involved in cybersecurity for over 27 years, most of this period in consulting and managerial positions. For over 10 years, he was responsible for cybersecurity and ICT architecture at Czech Airlines. For the last twelve years, he has been leading the consultancy services group of the Cyber Security Shared Service Center within T-Mobile, a part of the Deutsche Telekom AG (DTAG) group, providing services for the DTAG group and its corporate customers worldwide. His professional focus lies particularly in the areas of enterprise security strategy development, security architecture, and identity management. Additionally, he deals with the specifics of cybersecurity in the aerospace and telco sectors.

Creator of the Present Absence and CEO of Digitask. He will show you how to succeed in the world of Present Absence. He will connect you with top experts on absence, propose the currently ideal solution. Technologies indispensable to him: AI mindset, Airtable, and Make. That's Jiří Jirman, CEO of Digitask.

Peter is a top Solutions Sales Advisor with over 15 years of experience leveraging business data, analytics, and artificial intelligence to help companies worldwide take meaningful action and gain competitive advantage. He has spent much of his career with Dun & Bradstreet, a global leader in providing credit, trade, and market intelligence that enables users to reduce risk and increase revenue.

Benjamin Hague is the head of research at the Circular Economy Institute (INCIEN) in Prague. With over 25 years of experience in Europe and Asia as a consultant in surveys and analysis across various industries including mining, chemical industry, plastics, metals, materials, construction, automotive, manufacturing, and other consumer sectors. At INCIEN, he is responsible for programs related to economic and technological research, policy analysis, and promotion of best international practices in the field of circular economy within the Czech national and Central European regional context. Current priority topics include heavy industry and manufacturing, buildings and construction, circular bioeconomy, and their connections with global megatrends and EU policy agenda - climate change, decarbonization, biodiversity, digitalization, and innovation. Currently, he is collaborating with his team on several projects concerning green steel, low-carbon cement and concrete, circular construction, and green public procurement supported by the European Climate Foundation, European Environmental Bureau (EEB), and as a partner of the Circular DigiBuild project (within the EU Interreg Danube program) on digitalizing circular practices in construction.

Marek graduated from the Faculty of Law of the University of Trnava where he is currently finishing his Ph.D. programme. In the field of public procurement, he combines experience from working for a public contracting consultancy as well as preparing bids for bidders from the position of an internal employee. Over the years he has gained extensive experience in the procurement of major transport, infrastructure, and IT projects as well as bid preparation. He has published numerous articles on public procurement and co-authored the Great Commentary on the Public Procurement Act (Wolters Kluwer, 2016) as well as several other publications focused on this area.

At the eBF, Martin, a specialist responsible for comprehensive ESG advisory for companies at Česká spořitelna, will also speak about ESG, or the three letters that signify the future. He will share his extensive experience in building and implementing corporate strategies on a global scale, digitizing financial products, and developing IT software. From him, we will learn why banks play a crucial role in the transformation of companies and public institutions towards a sustainable economy.

According to Jakub, everyone should find their work enjoyable simply because we spend a significant portion of our lives doing it. He himself strives to go a step further by closely following current events and embracing new challenges and opportunities. He enjoys communicating with people with the main goal of successfully completing entrusted projects. This holds true in his current role as the Director of the High-Speed Rail Construction Administration (VRT) at the state-owned company Railway Administration, where he finds relevance in one of the Latin proverbs stating that "no one is obliged to do the impossible." He adds, "We can at least try."

Lukas combines years of experience in project management with advanced analytical skills acquired through his work in an academic environment. He effectively applies these skills, along with strategic thinking, to project management and critical decision-making. Prior to joining Actum Digital, he focused on predictive modeling and artificial intelligence applications at Yale University. At Actum, he now plays a key role in projects related to the integration of new software solutions, language models, and artificial intelligence.

For more than 10 years, Matej has been amazed by the world of procurement and above all, e-procurement. He has always worked either on the side of the technology vendor or its partners. He currently holds position as Business Transformation Advisor helping customers move to SAP cloud solutions. His goal is to find an optimal and individual path for each company during such a digital transformation. In his spare time, he is engaged in a variety of sports (kayaking on wild rivers, cross country skiing or even telemark skiing), but as well spends his time passing experience to his kids.

Jan is a part of the Purchasing and Public Procurement Department at the General Directorate of Rail Administration, where he focuses primarily on conceptual issues and innovations in the department's activities, project management, and recently also on presenting the department's activities to both professional and non-professional audiences. Jan has been involved in public procurement since the beginning of his legal career. He has experienced public procurement from the perspective of both the contracting authority and a law firm administering public procurement for the contracting authority on a turnkey basis, as well as from the perspective of supervisory authorities during his tenure as an auditor of public procurement at a subsidy provider. Recently, he has been particularly involved in the introduction and development of the qualification system, where he has been both the author and project manager of the project. He has also focused on establishing the concept of responsible procurement at the Rail Administration, including its complete documentation. His driving force is the desire to devise new procedures and improvements that can be applied within public procurement and are meaningful for practical use.

With David, we will delve into the area of planning contracts in public procurement, particularly those related to construction, at the eBF. Our next speaker is originally a lawyer, currently serving as a senior ministerial counselor in the Department of European and International Law at the Ministry of Regional Development of the Czech Republic. He is also active in politics and civic life as a councilor of the city of Jeseník, approaching its further development with both reason and heart.

Among our dear guests from neighboring Poland this year will also be the legal and political expert Krzysztof, who specializes in the relationship between public administration and citizens. He is interested in access to public information or the influence of technology on the functioning of democracy. He is a member of the OECD network for innovative civic participation, works at the Stefan Batory Foundation, and writes articles on freedom of information, public administration, corruption, or the use of algorithms in government-citizen relations in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Kosovo, and Poland. In 2020, Gazeta Prawna included him on the list of the 50 most influential Polish lawyers.

Under the auspices of HAVEL & PARTNERS, their senior attorney Matúš will also take the stage. Matúš has been working for this top-tier law firm since 2018. His expertise lies in the public sector and public procurement. Previously, he served as the head of the public procurement department and analyst at the Office for the Protection of Competition, as well as a public procurement manager at a Regional Consulting Agency.

"When there's a will, there's a way," says Ondřej, an expert in the field of digitization and public procurement, who enjoys introducing an agile approach. Until this year, he led the public procurement implementation department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic. Previously, he worked at the Ministry of the Interior as the head of the central purchasing department or at the Police Presidium as a purchaser. He is now the Director of the Department of Strategies, Law, and Electronic Public Procurement at the Ministry of Regional Development of the Czech Republic. Additionally, he serves as the deputy mayor of the municipality of Nedomice.

Jan, drawing primarily from his legal expertise and years of experience at the National Agency for Communication and Information Technology (NAKIT), will provide us with valuable insights on staying one step ahead in public procurement. Since last year, he has served as its director. Previously, he worked as a lawyer and consultant for structural funds, public support, and public procurement in organizations and institutions such as CzechInvest or the Ministry of Youth, Education, and Sports (MŠMT).

Uwe will join us at eBF as an experienced leader in consultancy, organizational development, and international affairs at the Austrian national procurement agency (Bundesbeschaffung GmbH). We'll see him on the Amazon stage, demonstrating practical examples of centralization and decentralization of procurement at both global and local levels. In addition to specializing in e-procurement, he also serves as a trainer in various EU educational programs and acts as an expert at international events under the auspices of the OECD and other organizations.

During his studies at the Faculty of Law at Palacký University in Olomouc, he began to focus on the issue of public procurement. Since 2018, he has been working as a consultant-lawyer at Contract management, a.s., a company providing consultancy services in the construction industry, including FIDIC contract templates, budgets, public procurement administration, TDS, and OH&S. His main focus is the practical application of FIDIC contract templates in the implementation phase of construction works, particularly in resolving the time and financial claims of contractual parties. Currently, he is working on a rigorous thesis on this topic at the Faculty of Law at Charles University in Prague. In addition to his role as a specialist in claim management, he also has experience as a Construction Site Manager. In the future, he plans to collaborate with colleagues on the development of DAAB (Dispute Adjudication/Avoidance Board) among public procurers in the Czech Republic and further deepen the practice of FIDIC among both procurers and contractors.

Regarding the topic of innovative approaches in public procurement, Filip will also have something to say. He is a highly erudite manager with experience, for example, as the Chief Financial Officer of Czech Airlines, where he worked with a turnover of 300 million euros. In addition to corporate finance, he also deals with restructuring and, more recently, improving transparency and efficiency. He will elaborate more on this from his position as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Technical Administration of Communications of the City of Prague (TSK), where he has been active since 2019.

Currently completing studies at the Faculty of Law, Charles University in Prague. Since 2019, working as a consultant-lawyer at Contract management, a.s., providing consultancy services in the construction industry in the areas of FIDIC contract templates, budgets, public procurement administration, TDS, and OHS. Primarily focused on public procurement for construction works in the implementation phase, including FIDIC contract templates. After participating in several linear construction projects, currently working in construction management teams overseeing the execution of large civil engineering projects. In the future, planning to collaborate with colleagues on the development of DAAB among public procurers in the Czech Republic and further deepening the FIDIC practice among both procurers and suppliers.

Since 2021, Natálie has been leading the public procurement department at the University Hospital Ostrava. In addition, she focuses on consulting in the field of public procurement. Previously, she also served as the executive director of the Association for Public Procurement or as the head of the methodology and procurement processes department at the state-owned company Czech Post.

Michaela serves as the director of the Institute of Circular Economy (INCIEN), an organization implementing the principles of circular economy into practice. She is the founder of the first circular store, No neke, in the Czech Republic. Previously, she founded and led the startup Genster, an online styling service for men. She is also a co-founder of the project AlimentyDetem.cz, which has helped thousands of single parents solve issues with unpaid child support. Before founding Genster, she led the media department at the international company Unilever.

Veronika Konečná is procurement professional with in-depth category management knowledge, who gained her experience throughout various positions in the procurement of MOL Group for areas such as logistics, ASM or project procurement. Since 2022 she is Senior category manager for Direct materials, focusing on increasing supply chain safety and sustainability within the MOL Group.

For the team of the HAVEL & PARTNERS company, which is the largest law firm in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Josef will also participate in the eBF – he is the head of the working group for the public sector, focusing primarily on public procurement law, PPP projects, construction law, state aid, environmental law, and greenfield investments. In his practice, he has advised clients on the construction of airports, highways, railways, shopping centers, and factories, including projects according to international FIDIC standards. He has also published numerous articles in Czech and international legal periodicals and is involved in the work of professional associations, notably the Association for Infrastructure Development (ARI).

As the head of the Department of Public Procurement in the state-owned company Road and Motorway Directorate of the Czech Republic, Simona strives to promote innovative approaches, including the implementation of elements of socially responsible procurement. At the eBF, she will deliver an inspiring lecture on how, with the help of digitization of public procurement, to purchase work from people belonging to so-called disadvantaged groups.

Radoslav Dubeň works in the Procurement department at Tatra banka, a.s., which is a member of the Raiffeisen Bank International group and one of the top 3 largest banks in Slovakia. Over the course of more than 10 years, he has moved through various positions, from purchaser to procurement team manager, with experience and competencies spanning the CEE region. Tatra banka is driven by innovation, agile delivery of software solutions, a focus on customer and employee experience, and a commitment to sustainability in its business practices. However, it operates in a highly regulated environment, which brings specific challenges in the procurement field. Rado strives to tackle these challenges by focusing on aspects such as high team engagement, situational leadership, rapid adoption of innovations, and the application of Lean/SixSigma principles in practice.

Lawyer and long-time partner at HAVEL & PARTNERS, where he has been working for 18 years. Petrová's specialization lies in energy and the environment, ESG, public sector, real estate and construction, or state aid and EU law. At the eBF, he will have prepared an example from practice of how services in the field of sustainable energy from renewable 'solar' sources can be procured.

After graduating from the Faculty of Law at Masaryk University in Brno, Markéta initially began her career in advocacy, focusing on civil, commercial, and criminal law. Since 2011, she has merged her career with the Office for the Protection of Economic Competition (ÚOHS) and overseeing public procurement. She has progressed through positions from a clerk to department head and eventually to director of the public procurement department, a role she held for seven years. Subsequently, she was appointed Deputy Chairperson of the Office responsible for leading the Public Procurement Section, and since last year, she has been serving as Deputy Chairperson of the Office for a six-year term. She is also active in her field through lecturing and publishing activities.

Peter Gabalec is a negotiation coach and registered mediator at the Ministry of Justice of the Slovak Republic. His negotiation experience stems from over 10 years of practice in international corporations, particularly in the automotive industry. In his international leadership position, he handles complex negotiation cases with business partners, suppliers, as well as colleagues.

He has been working in procurement for two decades, primarily in the maritime and automotive industries. He has progressed through all stages of development, from clerk to Chief Procurement Officer. Procurement and logistics are dynamic activities that test him in different ways every day. He ended up in procurement by accident, experienced the satisfaction of performing everyday tasks, worked with excellent colleagues, and was fortunate enough to mentor some of the younger colleagues. He remains eager for new knowledge, as the more experience he gains, the more he realizes how much there is still to learn.

He has worked in procurement his entire career, mostly in banking. He started in IT and project sourcing at Komerční banka, then spent nine years building procurement at the newly formed Equa bank. After the bank merger with Raiffeisenbank, he oversaw Central Procurement. After the experience running procurement teams in banking, he decided to go independent and now works as a procurement consultant for various banking and industrial companies, mainly in the IT sector. Apart from that, he likes to buy anything with an engine and at least two wheels. He also finds meaning and mission in being involved in various charitable activities.

By creating his tools, he makes life easier for contracting authorities, from the largest database of procurement contracts to screening for anti-Russian sanctions. Not only does he and the Datlab team analyze contracts across Europe, and he also leads the Zindex project in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Moreover, he is involved with the Ministry of Industry and Trade as an author of the methodology for small-scale procurement. He will contribute to the annual report and the forthcoming Public Procurement Strategy this year.

Kristína Zárubovová works currently as Buyer at Amazon Fulfillment Slovakia, where she focuses mainly on the electronic sourcing, negotiation and managing relations with suppliers. She also deals with the purchase of some commodity categories and with the contract management. She has gained previous purchasing experiences from automotive industry, where she was in charge of purchasing indirect materials for the French sites of PSA Group Stellantis. She went through the digitalization of purchasing processes in both of these companies. In her work, Kristína follows leadership principles and works on creating a stable supply chain, which she describes as an important key to success.

She worked for four years within the PROEBIZ project as an expert lecturer and administrator specializing in eAuctions in the corporate and public sector, where she helped PROEBIZ's Czech and foreign clients with the most complex e-auction cases. Currently, she is a dramaturge at PROCUREMENT BOARD TV, where she also acts as a presenter of programs for the professional procurement community.

The legendary trainer of the PROEBIZ platform was at the beginning of the computerization of procurement negotiation processes. From his position as a specialist in dynamic bid comparison, he has handled thousands of eAuctions in terms of setup strategies, processes, and evaluation of even the most complex cases. Not surprisingly, he also invented his type of electronic auction, which bears his name. He is currently involved in the Digital Procurement Team and eProcurement.TV educational projects and several other developmental educational projects.