Speakers

Miroslav Singer, a 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 insecure waters of the global economy, all with his characteristic ease. He will show us that even 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 fact that it is possible to shop in Slovakia in a funny, interesting and at the same time economical and in accordance with the law. He writes contracts, objections, articles, books and has blogged in the past. As a public procurement trainer, he can explain to people where common sense is found in the law. He is a recognised expert in public procurement, promoting the application of innovative practices in this area, including social and environmental aspects. He is also a co-founder of the Slovak APUeN. After 6.5 years at the Office for Public Procurement as Director of Methodology and Deputy Chairman of the Office for Public Procurement, he returned a few days ago to the team of buyers and trainers at APUEN AKADÉMIA s.r.o.

As a procurement specialist with more than twenty years of experience in multinational companies such as Ikea, Innogy, Makro and Amazon, Miloš 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 over 15 years of practice in various procurement roles, with expertise in services, manufacturing, and commercial sectors. Currently, he works at Penta Hospitals International as the Chief Procurement Officer, overseeing purchases for 44 hospitals, a network of clinics, and Alzheimer's homes 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, Ondrej 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.

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 12 years, Zdeněk has known the world of purchasing from various angles, from the buyer, through the sourcing manager to the purchasing solutions consultant. Currently in the position of Head of Business Development for purchasing solutions at SAP, he helps customers find optimal ways of digital transformation in purchasing, finance and logistics. Zdeněk is also working on strategic projects associated with new solutions. In the spirit of "versatility is the key to the buyer's success", In his free time, he devotes himself to studying foreign languages, beekeeping and martial arts.

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, Diana 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 a 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.

Jan is a legal expert specialising in healthcare, mainly in the area of payments and issues surrounding healthcare funding. He is active in the field of public procurement and its e-enabling and the use of eAuctions in the process of evaluating suppliers’ bids. He also deals with legal issues and 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.

Marek 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 Law Firm. 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.

Currently, Dáša is the director of the Office for Investments and Acquisitions of the Ministry of Defense of the Slovak Republic. In the past, she managed public procurement and purchases at Slovak ministries of finance, interior, and culture. There are few commodities, situations, and problems she hasn't encountered. It follows that her expertise must be quite substantial. And indeed, it is. In addition to training, lecturing, publishing, and advising, she has been involved in public procurement since 2006. She is a fan of digitization, but she argues that human potential and relationships are irreplaceable. She adheres to the principle of common sense and tries to convince her surroundings and the professional (and non-professional) public that it is possible to succeed in public procurement.

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. Nowadays, 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 would 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 you can see him on 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 the 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. She 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.

Michal Garaj was offered a job in public procurement on his way to Spain, from where he headed for the audition for the Slovak Public Procurement Office (PPO). He succeeded in the audition and began to address objections in review procedures. Later he was recruited 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.

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 has been 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. Currently she is 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 passenger rail and 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. Diana 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, Petra 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 the Head of Procurement at GasNet, s.r.o., which operates the most extensive gas distribution system in the Czech Republic.

He graduated from the Faculty of Law at Comenius University in Bratislava. After ten years in the field of commercial and civil law, he transitioned into the dynamic environment of public procurement. Through his work in governmental institutions as well as in private consulting firms, he has gained extensive knowledge of public procurement from the proud perspectives of major contracting authorities to the humble viewpoints of the smallest ones. Currently, he serves as the Director of Methodology and Regional Centers at the Public Procurement Office in Bratislava.

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.

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.

He graduated from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava. He gained work experience as a business and project manager in energy and construction. Since 2014, he has worked at NAFTA, where he held the position of Senior Procurement Specialist, participating in the comprehensive electronicization of procurement processes. He currently serves as the Chief Operating and Procurement Officer at Penta Hospitals Slovakia, overseeing procurement and operations for a network of 16 hospitals and 14 clinics 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 has been 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.

“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.

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.

Jan is a partner at ACTUM Digital responsible for Procurement, Supply-Chain and SAP. Thanks to his comprehensive knowledge of the SAP portfolio, Jan currently focuses mainly on validation and preparation of business cases or quality assurance for projects implementing SAP cloud solutions. Jan has gained experience with SAP systems and processes as a data analyst creating data analytics tools for internal auditing of procurement and sales processes for a variety of clients mostly in the manufacturing industry. He holds a Masters degree in Information Management and a Bachelors degree in Management.

Since his studies at the Faculty of Law of Charles University in Prague, Pavel 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 a buyer to a 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. An 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.

Alena is the Head of Procurement and Public Tenders at Nové Město na Moravě Hospital. She has rich experience in a wide range of public tenders and finance from EU funds. Her specialisation is in investment tenders, particularly for medical technology and construction work using eAuctions as the medium for evaluating bids.

Martin holds a law degree from Charles University in Prague and a postgraduate LLM in Corporate Law from Masaryk University in Brno in cooperation with Nottingham Trent University. He has been involved with public procurement for more than ten years, beginning in 2005 when he became Head of the Procurement Department at RAVEN Consulting (today Erste Grantika Advisory). In 2009, he became Manager of the Department of Project Implementation at the same company. In 2011 he joined Masaryk University as Head of the Public Procurement Department. Currently, he and his colleagues carry out central purchasing for the university using dynamic purchasing systems and framework contracts. He also manages public procurement co-financed from EU operational programmes, coordinates the use of digital solutions for public procurement, provides methodological support to university administration centres and monitors the contracting of public tenders. He also occasionally lectures.

After finishing law school and three years of practice in a law firm, Martina 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 approximately the last twenty years, he has managed the logistics division of the energy company ZSE a.s., thus reliably knowing all the routes from suppliers to the right place within the company. He responsibly and creatively led strategic purchasing, operational purchasing, and warehousing services with transportation. Thanks to his specialization, he was a member of the "Corporate Supply Chain" and "Grid BAP" in the E.ON group. He advocates for maximum digitalization, transparency of the entire procurement process, and the creation of qualification systems for suppliers.

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 the 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 own 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. Karolína 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. She 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.

Bibiana has 31 years of experience at USSK, where she 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.'

He graduated in Security from the VŠB - Technical University of Ostrava and has been working in this field ever since. From the very beginning, he has focused on efficient and innovative security solutions that provide clients with cost-effective protection for their premises, whether administrative complexes, industrial or logistics areas, data centers, or elements of critical infrastructure. He describes that, with few exceptions, the budget for security in each company is limited, making the design and tendering process extremely important. He has extensive experience in security assessments, designs, and the implementation of individual projects. He regularly tests his risk assessment skills by mountaineering.

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.

Ivana is a purchasing manager at Veolia Group, where she is responsible for purchasing process consulting and digitalization projects. In the past, she was in charge of materials and operational purchasing and has experience in customer centre management.

Jan Janek is a partner at Kerkhoff Consulting GmbH. In the past, he was, among other roles, a director in the advisory department at Deloitte Austria. He has more than 15 years of professional experience with transformation projects in procurement and governance. He is involved in process design and management of the P2P stream in an S/4 HANA and Ariba implementation project, developing a digital P2P governance strategy for a shared service center in the EU, implementing a centralized S2P solution across countries in the largest banking group in Central and Eastern Europe, and implementing a group-wide category management governance model in the largest banking group in Central and Eastern Europe. Jan's motto is work smart, not hard.

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. In his leisure time, he enjoys cooking and cycling.

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, Zora has connected the personal and professional worlds. She focuses on educating leaders, the functionality of relationships, and as a mediator, also on conflict resolution. She uses her 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, she offers 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. She deals with change as a part of life that we can utilize for our own transformation. She is a co-founder and CEO of "Space for Change". www.priestor.plus

André Dravecký has been immersed in the world of logistics since childhood, thanks to his parents who have owned a transportation company for over 25 years. During his studies, he worked for a foreign company, providing transportation for the US Army to destinations such as Afghanistan. Subsequently, he founded the first digital broker in CEE, Shipvio. He is now fully focused on Ringil, where he strives to digitize logistics for as many companies in Europe as possible. André is also a member of the advisory board of the Ministry of Transport.

Lubomír utilizes his xperience in the fields of security engineering, commerce, public procurement, and management 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.

Martin 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.

Jan 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 a 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 qualityvwith a fixed price in this segment. 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 further shares his experience through training sessions and seminars for the public, as well as through publishing activities.

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.

Adam Gromnica works at the Ministry of Regional Development in a team that has prepared and developed the first Czech National Public Procurement Strategy. Previously, he worked at the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, where he focused on topics related to sustainable public sector purchasing, including their social aspects.

"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. Nowadays, 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.

He works at the Office for Public Procurement as the General Director of the Methodology and Education Section. He has 18 years of experience in public procurement, including experience at the Ministry of Investment, Regional Development, and Informatization of the Slovak Republic, where he served as the Director of the Public Procurement Department. He also worked at the Ministry of Finance of the Slovak Republic (control of EU fund contracts) and in the private sector (preparation of bids and application of review procedures for bidders). He is the author of manuals for recipients on the process and control of public procurement financed by EU funds. He studied law at the Faculty of Law of Comenius University in Bratislava. In addition to his practical application, he is also involved in teaching and publishing activities.

Adam 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.

Marcel has been working in procurement in the private sector for nearly 20 years. He has gained experience in various sectors, such as steelmaking, energy, IT, etc. He has extensive experience in conducting various types of electronic auctions.

Zdeněk Kabátek is the team leader 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 has 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 the manufacturing environment, Matej 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 the 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 has worked at Lidl Czech Republic in the Technical Purchasing department since 2014. Alongside her 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.

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, Lukasz 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, he negotiates with suppliers and serves as a negotiation skills coach at #MasteryClub. He believes that people don't want to negotiate; instead, they prefer to resolve conflicts. He argues that negotiation is a life 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. Lukasz 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.

Luděk Sr., was at the birth of Optimal - energy a.s., the largest energy consultancy company in the Czech Republic, which brings together more than 20% of licensed energy consultants. For its 160,000 clients, its unique project Blue-Green Savings, they provide services and savings for the segment of households, public administration companies and large corporations. Both Ondráčky share a love of music, sports and especially travel. By joining Group4energy, they bring tremendous strength and experience in the energy industry

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.

He is a manager in the Enterprise Technologies & Performance department. Martin established the Travel and Expense (T&E) practice at Deloitte and leads a team focused on employee expense and travel management tools for Central Europe and German-speaking markets. He manages implementation, assessment, M&A, and transformation projects in the T&E area in the Czech Republic, Germany, Belgium, and the United Kingdom. He gained experience in the field as a consultant for on-premise and cloud products for time, expense, and travel management.

Martin co-founded Cequence, a Slovak solution that uses the latest technologies (machine learning, artificial intelligence, NLP) and integrates Open Ai's ChatGPT for modern contract management. To the Cequence team, he brings international experience from the start-up environment. He has worked through various roles in Business Development, Customer Success, and Digital Transformation. He became interested in innovative solutions that moved his industry forward by leaps and bounds while studying at universities in Denmark and Sweden. Then, he came to Cequence from the US, where he helped public institutions in the San Francisco Bay Area with the digital transformation towards citizens. Today, his ideas and vision for corporate solutions, built on the best of modern digital design, translate into Cequence solutions that help save clients thousands of hours of work every day. In his spare time, you can find him tackling the paths on his bike, cooking a delicious meal, or shredding hiking boots in the mountains.

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.

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.

Karel 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.

Karel 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.

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.

Tibor Kolejak is the Executive Director of AWS Czech Republic and Slovakia. He is a successful C-Level professional with over 20 years of international experience in business development and consultative sales. Tibor has led teams and business functions across Central Eastern Europe and Central Asia, driving business and digital transformation for his customers. Previously, he was the General Manager of Microsoft Kazakhstan and a Board member of the American Chamber of Commerce in Almaty. He also managed Enterprise Commercial Business for Microsoft in CIS countries. Known as a "fixer," Tibor has excelled in various roles from IT Helpdesk Manager to GM of Sales, demonstrating strengths in hiring, people management, and driving success. He is a recognized speaker at external events and PR engagements.

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.

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 involved 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 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.

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 in 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. 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 will 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.

David is currently completing studies at the Faculty of Law, Charles University in Prague. Since 2019, he has been 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. He primarily focuses on public procurement for construction works in the implementation phase, including FIDIC contract templates. After participating in several linear construction projects, he is currently working in construction management teams overseeing the execution of large civil engineering projects. In the future, he is 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, they have been working as the Head of the Public Procurement and Methodology Department at the University Hospital Ostrava. However, they have been active in the field of public procurement for over 20 years. They gained their initial experience in consultancy and training in public procurement at GORDION, s.r.o., where they had the opportunity to contribute to several significant initiatives (such as the development of comprehensive procurement methodologies, the launch of the first professional journal, and the inception of electronic procurement tools). They also served as a contracting authority at Czech Post, s.p. They honed their professional approach and expertise at the law firm MT Legal s.r.o. as a project manager. For seven years, they worked as an executive director at the Association for Public Procurement, z.s. They believe that public procurement is like a gray theory but a green tree of life – precisely why Natálie finds it so enjoyable.

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 a 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 has been a 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 to purchase work from people belonging to so-called disadvantaged groups , with the help of digitization of public procurement.

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 focuses on innovation, agile delivery of software solutions, emphasis on customer and employee experience and sustainability in its business.. 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. Petr'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.

Denis has been working in procurement for two decades, primarily in the maritime and automotive industries. He has progressed through all stages of development, from a clerk to a 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.

Piotr is a negotiator, with strategic mindset and focus on establishing healthy business relations. A strong believer that a whole, end to end supply chain is a part of one ecosystem. Empathy and curiosity are part of his DNA. With 17 years of experience in BOM procurement on different procurement functions. He is currently a Commodity Manager at Signify.

Lenka Ingrová graduated from the Faculty of Law at Palacký University Olomouc. After school, she worked as a lawyer in the property department of the Brno City Hall. She has been involved in public procurement since 2018 when she joined the team of Jakub Váňa at the Regional Office of the South Moravian Region. With minimal knowledge of how public procurement works, thanks to the help of experienced colleagues, she gradually progressed to large and interesting construction projects and opportunities to try innovative methods of public procurement.

By creating his tools, Jiří 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, 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.

Human Experience Designer, creates and designs services and systems that maximise their effectivity and provide the best possible experience for everyone involved. Currently, Hana is exploring the use of this discipline in negotiation - aka Negotiation Design. She sets and leads the design direction of Negotico, including designing processes, courses and the whole experience of negotiation training for Mastery Club members. She studied design at Lorenzo de’ Medici Institute in Florence (Italy), then in London (UK). For over 12 years lectures Design and other business modules at University College London (UK) and IT & Entrepreneurship at Prague University of Economics and Business.

As a young, bold project manager at the National Bank of Slovakia, Marian was involved in preparing the historically first bond issuance and rating of Slovakia. In banks, he actively supported standard loan procedures and successfully recovered "bad" loans. Together with an excellent team of experts, he managed to save more than 60% of the 21 billion Kč in non-performing loans. He also engaged in buying and selling businesses for clients ranging from tens of thousands to 1.1 billion Euros. As a consultant, mentor, negotiator, and lecturer, he focuses on supporting leaders, including future ones, in advocating the desire for "self-improvement" over the desire to "be right." His goal is for decisions to be based on the best available option rather than the first acceptable solution. He is known as a "problem solver" fascinated by the influence of emotions and feelings on human decision-making and communication. He combines quantitative analytical thinking with the latest insights from behavioral sciences to offer those who aspire to grow a better alternative to established harmful myths and "impressionology" about leadership, sales, and communication. He studied finance in the USA and electric drives in Žilina. Outside of work, he collects electric guitars from the 1960s and slowly uncovers the secrets of playing the mouth harmonica.

As the CEO of Green0meter.studio, Karel not only introduces new and innovative methods for assessing and reporting sustainability but also inspires a wide range of professionals in the field to think differently and look beyond traditional methods and standards. His approach to sustainability is holistic, meaning that it doesn't focus solely on one aspect of the issue but rather on the entire ecosystem. His company, Green0meter, offers services such as carbon footprint calculation, non-financial reporting, and personalized recommendations for decarbonizing the Czech industry. By combining financial and environmental expertise, Karel demonstrates that sustainability can be not only an ethical but also an economic choice for companies. For his contributions to the field, he has been recently honored by being included among the Top 50 Faces of Sustainability. Additionally, he has been recognized by Hospodářské noviny, being named one of the Top Innovators for the year 2023. These acknowledgments highlight that his work has an impact not only on the world of sustainability but also on business and innovation.

Petr is the head of the Legal Department at the Regional Office of the Central Bohemian Region, where he is also responsible for the methodology of public contracts awarded by the region. His professional journey is inseparably linked to an interest in new technologies, legal tech, and lately, particularly artificial intelligence in public administration and in the field of public procurement. Petr is a co-author of the e-book 'AI Tools in Public Administration' and author of several articles on AI and law, demonstrating his deep interest and expertise in this area. He considers public administration to be an ideal place for the implementation of artificial intelligence and believes that public administration without AI will not be able to function. In the field of public procurement, he is particularly interested in simplifying and automating administration. He assumes that the combination of legal expertise with technological progress is the path to modernization and efficiency in the public sector.

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.

A software developer in various industrial fields. Pavel actively contributes to building the Czech community around Rust, a programming language renowned for its emphasis on safety and reliability. He frequently presents and conducts workshops for programmers across the Czech Republic and Europe. In recent years, he has developed an interest in enhancing communication and negotiation between programmers and project stakeholders, serving as a negotiation trainer at Mastery Club. He draws negotiation inspiration from figures such as Jan Mexo Řehák, Gary Noesner, Phil Andrew, Adam Dolník, and Karel Pošíval.

In the law firm SEDLAKOVA LEGAL, Radka started working while studying at the law faculty, joining as a legal trainee after passing the bar exam. Initially, she focused on general practice. With her move to Prague, she not only changed branches but also shifted her focus area. You can now find her in the corporate law department, primarily providing legal assistance to startups and investments. Radka enjoys the ever-changing landscape of the legal profession, constantly encountering new experiences and opportunities. As she puts it, "What I love most about law is its diversity and dynamism."

"We are improving the way people work through digitalization and process optimization." This encapsulates the direction Aleš has been taking throughout his many years of professional experience in the field of enterprise technologies. At Konica Minolta IT Solutions Czech, he leads a team of experts focused on developing and implementing technologies that help companies digitize and innovate their business processes. He assists companies in growing and transforming their businesses, thereby enhancing their potential and productivity.

A water management expert, manager, investor, and former handball referee. Since January 2019, Pavel has been the chairman of the board of directors of the Prague Water Management Company. In addition, he serves as the vice-chairman of the working group for water management within the environmental section of the Czech Chamber of Commerce and as the first vice-chairman of the Association of Water Supply and Sewerage Industry of the Czech Republic. His participation in eBF is evidence that he regularly lectures at significant domestic and international conferences, particularly in the water management sector. He is interested in innovation and smart technologies, which is why he founded a start-up several years ago focused on remote energy metering and the development of mobile applications in network industries.

Michal Barč has been involved in the IT industry for almost 30 years, helping to implement projects for customers primarily focused on supporting corporate processes, automation, and reporting. With extensive experience from international projects and managerial positions in Russia and Germany, he can propose suitable strategies for implementing new tools into companies and organizations. Today, at Konica Minolta IT Solutions Czech, his primary focus is on the development of cloud technologies, automation, Microsoft 365, security, compliance, and IT systems strategy. He is also responsible for introducing proprietary products created on the Microsoft Power Platform into the portfolios of various organizations across Europe.

Helena is the Head of the eGovernment Cloud Department at the Digital and Information Agency (DIA). What exactly does her work entail? eGovernment encompasses not only information technology itself but also the optimization and simplification of public administration services tied to the legislative environment. For more details, you can find them at the eBF event, where we can look forward to her lecture on bold and progressive solutions, to be presented on stage under the auspices of Havel & Partners.

Petr is an expert in risk management and the founder of the startup SCAUT.com. Since the beginning of his professional career, he has focused on preventing unethical and fraudulent behavior. For over 10 years, he worked in security roles for international corporations such as General Electric, Marriott, and EY. He leveraged his experience in 2011 when he founded his own consulting company, Screening Solutions, which became the leading local firm in investigating fraudulent activities and establishing compliance management in the Czech and Slovak business environment. In 2020, he founded the startup SCAUT, which quickly became a pioneer in background screening and risk management of employees and suppliers using AI technologies and modern practices.

A manager in the area of indirect procurement, process optimization, tool implementation, and reporting with over 20 years of experience. Magda has developed her professional career, among others, in GDDKiA, Ströer, BNP Paribas, and currently serves as the Head of the Indirect Procurement and Analysis Team at PORR SA. A certified Project Manager, fascinated by modern technologies, but above all, a person focused on continuous development, strengthening competencies, and team building.

Jan Klouda is a member of the board of directors and Vice President for Legal Affairs and Corporate Security at Vodafone Czech Republic. He is also a member of the presidium of the Association of Critical Infrastructure of the Czech Republic, chairman of the Committee for Human Rights and Digitalization in the Government Council of the Czech Republic, and a member of the opinion platform Reasonable Law. He is a certified investigator with the American Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. He completed postgraduate studies at the International Compliance Association, where he is a senior member (Fellow Member). He teaches at the University of Economics in Prague.

With French-Czech roots and education from the international Leiden University in the Netherlands, Matthieu is a project manager with extensive expertise in eProcurement, process optimization, data interpretation, and analytics. His experience spans across various industries, including his notable work with Škoda Auto. Given his background, it's no surprise that he's an avid enthusiast of the automotive industry, but he also finds enjoyment in sports, international politics, technology, and digitalization.

After graduating from the Czech Technical University in Prague, Pavel joined a private construction company where he held various positions. Since 2006, he has been employed at the Railway Administration, where, following the preparation of investment projects, he has been serving as the Director of the Construction Preparation Department at the General Directorate since 2020. Pavel will share his perspective on design competitions and their process in practice from the client's point of view.

Attorney at HAVEL & PARTNERS, specializing in public procurement law and related fields, including aspects of compliance processes, general administrative law, the information act, and relative property rights. Libor's advantage is his experience in both the private and public sectors. In the past, he has led the legal department of the Railway Administration and worked as a lawyer at the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports of the Czech Republic.

Fridrich graduated from university with a degree in diplomacy and international relations. He has been working at IBM since 2008. At IBM, he has held several positions. He started in SMB (small and medium business). Then he was responsible for business partners in Slovakia. Later, he worked as a salesperson for infrastructure and then as the head of the HW department in Slovakia. Since 2018, he was the director of IBM Slovakia, and since December 2022, he has been the director for the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Vojtěch Vrablc, Sales Director at the Payment Institution Roger, focuses primarily on taking care of strategic partners and seeking new opportunities in the field of supply chain financing. In addition to client relations, he also engages in the development of younger colleagues in the team, training them in the world of commerce. His strong suit is the ability to adapt Roger's products to the client's needs, thereby finding new and innovative ways to collaborate.

Tihomir is an experienced Procurement Director with a demonstrated history of working in international environments, particularly in the oil and gas, public transport, and FMCG industries. He has experience in leadership, business planning, transformation and change management, category management, negotiations, and contracting for medium and large capital expenditures within EPC projects. He holds an Executive Master of Business Administration (E.M.B.A.) degree from COTRUGLI Business School.

Ivana Saxunová, Head of Sales at the Roger Payment Institution, along with her team, takes care of our clients. She addresses their individual business needs and prepares customized operational financing offers for them—from the smallest entrepreneurs and SMEs to multinational holdings. She also focuses on innovating existing products and creating new solutions. In addition to the world of business, she is interested in the field of HR, working with people, and their development. She is a certified talent coach (Clifton Strengths).

After nearly 20 years in the corporate environment, Martin shifted his focus to the small and medium-sized enterprise segment. Initially, he worked as a consultant in product development, marketing, and sales, primarily focusing on the food industry. Later, he narrowed his scope to "company impact," where sustainability is perceived as a business strategy from the outset. After 3 years, his efforts led to the founding of Impact Metrics. The company develops and integrates digital solutions to make sustainability a comprehensible and accessible part of every business.

Ivana Hagarova, ESG Manager in Notino, started her professional journey 14 years ago at UniCredit Milano headquarters. As a project manager she was leading various change/advisory (Siemens, PwC) and IT projects in finance (KB, Allianz) within European or global corporate exposure. Her recent years focused on IT transformation, digital agenda and ESG/Sustainability projects. Ivana is active in various charities and NGOs with focus on people and children with disabilities.

Marko is an expert with over 15 years of experience in procurement and currently serves as the Director of Procurement Digitalization and Standardization at Orange Polska. Throughout his career, he has led numerous innovative projects for Orange Polska and optimized processes and strategic product groups for leading international corporations. His colleagues and collaborators regard him as a detail-oriented individual with a strong focus on goals and excellent negotiation skills. He consistently delivers high-quality results. Marko will also share how he promotes innovative ideas and solutions in digital procurement transformation on the special eBF stage called "European Inspirations."

Henryk is the Director of Procurement - Business Partner for Network and Technology, as well as Wholesale at Orange Polska. For many years, he has effectively centralized procurement, swiftly responding to current business needs, and playing a key role in promoting and creating value for the entire company. During eBF, he will share his expertise in digital transformation and strategic management of the entire procurement process on the "European Inspirations" stage.

Petra Císařová, the CEO and founder of Datacarbon, a company dedicated to assisting businesses in the ESG and sustainability sector. Focused on reducing carbon footprint through innovative technologies that make business sense. Previously involved in projects related to alternative propulsion at Škoda Auto. Additionally, since 2021, she has been steering the Packeta Group, which includes Czech-based Zásilkovna, towards a green wave and managing its sustainability strategy.

Michaela Hnátová graduated in Political Science and Public and Social Policy from Charles University. She began her professional career in 2013 as a public procurement officer in the Central Bohemian Region. Subsequently, since 2022, she has been working in public administration in the city of Mělník, where she has been responsible for issuing binding opinions and administrative decisions for building permits. Currently, Michaela, in cooperation with her colleague David Dvořák, focuses on the issue of sustainable public procurement at the Ministry of Regional Development, primarily in the field of construction.

Nikola Mičulková successfully collaborates with clients across various sectors, utilizing her knowledge of ESG products to achieve specific and measurable results. Her approach is based on detailed analysis and a deep understanding of each customer's needs, allowing her to provide solutions that are not only effective but also sustainable.

Peter is the CEO of BinarBase, which helps managers and business owners understand processes through data and comprehensive insights, automates reporting, and assists in financial planning. It connects data sources across the company to create so-called business overviews. A unified data access for your business in one place, enabling increased sales, profit, and improved cash flow by understanding data without technical knowledge and utilizing AI. BinarBase modules - Virtual CFO, Sales Analytics, Due Diligence module, Startup Overviews.

He has been involved in web and e-commerce development for a long time, particularly in the area of business strategy and the digitalization of services in the online environment. He founded the digital agency PUXdesign, which he has been leading for nearly 20 years. Recently, he has been focusing more on the practical use of AI to increase work efficiency, especially when working with product catalogs.

Eliza Niewiadomska is a Senior Counsel in the Legal Transition Programme of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in London. She is responsible for regulatory advice on the digital transformation of government commerce and leads technical cooperation under the EBRD UNCITRAL Initiative, established in 2011. She is a lawyer and economist with postgraduate degrees from the University of Warsaw, University College London, and King’s College in the United Kingdom. She worked for the Polish government during the regulatory reforms of Poland's accession to the European Union and, after leaving civil service, served as general counsel in the IT industry. Before joining the EBRD in 2009, Eliza was the head of procurement at the power and energy company PGE SA in Warsaw.

Tomáš Budník, a technology expert, investor, and founder of the investment group Thein, is a passionate advocate for the use of hydrogen as a key market opportunity. In the context of transitioning to sustainable energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, he sees hydrogen as an essential part of the future. Its extensive use as an energy carrier offers a wide range of benefits and potential applications, making it an attractive investment option not only for businesses but also for governments worldwide.

Roman Berger works at Konica Minolta IT Solutions Czech as a Solution Architect and leads the Power Platform & Dynamics 365 department. He has over six years of experience with the Power Platform, specializing in Power Apps and Power Automate. Roman is a Power Platform enthusiast and believes in the idea of empowering key users of business processes to develop business applications. He admires the Power Platform for its strong individual tools, but he values the synergy that their combination brings. His goal is to help customers with such synergistic solutions. Among his greatest achievements is the creation of the FLEETMAN product for fleet management, which is used by companies such as Rohlík.cz. Roman is also known for leading Power Platform Hackathons. Currently, he focuses on the adoption of AI and its practical application in customer processes within the Microsoft ecosystem.

An experienced manager with over a decade of expertise in procurement, digitalization, and change management. Throughout his career, he has worked for prominent international companies such as Kerkhoff Consulting GmbH, Thyssenkrupp Valvetrain GmbH, and Volkswagen AutoEuropa Lda. in Portugal. In these roles, he focused on strategic procurement and the optimization of procurement processes. He led significant projects involving the realignment and cultural transformation of engineering companies, the preparation of group tenders for capital goods and services, and the implementation of web-based procurement tools.

He enjoys implementing TENDERBOX eAuction software into the in-house processes of companies and public organisations. He specialises in streamlining public procurement processes by building a clear tender structure. Peter Mikuláš joined PROEBIZ in 2010 as a fresh graduate, and he is currently working as a Country Manager for Bohemia.

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 own 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.