Wykładowcy

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.

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.

The newly appointed Vice Chairman of the Public Procurement Office (ÚVO), who has extensive experience in public procurement and process management. Previously, he served as Director General at the Ministry of Transport, where he was responsible for implementing knowledge and processes concerning subordinate organizations within the ministry's jurisdiction. At the Ministry of Health, he carried out conceptual, coordination, and control activities at the level of the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic in the field of public procurement. He coordinated and methodically supervised procurement processes in relation to organizations under the Ministry of Health, assessed and monitored public procurement processes in the healthcare sector, and issued expert opinions. He was involved in the development of the FLASHBONE system, which was utilized by the Ministry of Health for purchasing ventilators during the critical period of the COVID-19 pandemic and by the State Material Reserves Administration for the procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE). As a lecturer and trainer, he regularly participates in various training sessions on public procurement and holds a certification in the technical preparation and administration of e-auctions and tendering.

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

Since entering the field of international procurement and logistics in 1994, Jan has developed deep expertise in the industry and feels completely at home in it. He has led procurement teams at companies such as Unipetrol, KUKA, and BLANCO, and currently works as a Commodity / Category Manager for Siemens Energy. In addition to his core role, he is involved in projects focused on process management, process mapping and analysis, and process improvement. He also works as a trainer, translator, and educator in the field of personal development. Outside of his professional activities, he has enjoyed baseball since childhood and is passionate about discovering and connecting cultures. In his free time, he enjoys creative pursuits in music and graphic design and loves immersing himself in the pages of a good book.

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.

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.

Jaromír Šponar 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. Jaromír 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.

Adam is a globally recognized negotiator with a unique combination of academic credentials, elite negotiation skills, and field experience from some of the world’s most demanding negotiations involving human lives. After a successful academic career at universities in the United States, Singapore, and Australia—where he gained recognition primarily as an expert in terrorist negotiation—Adam transitioned into practice, devoting the next decade to negotiating for the lives of hostages held by terrorist organizations, criminal groups, pirate gangs, and state actors across the globe. Previously, Adam also served as the lead negotiation expert for the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT) in New York. As an instructor, he regularly lectures for negotiation, counter-terrorism, intelligence, and diplomatic units worldwide—having taught in more than 65 countries to date. Among the specialized training programs Adam has personally completed are the FBI’s National Negotiation Course in Quantico, Scotland Yard’s Negotiation Course in Hendon, the UN’s Hostage Negotiation Training in Nairobi, and a Police Covert Negotiation Techniques Course in Manchester. He currently works as an instructor in negotiation and elite communication skills, as well as an advisor in complex and high-stakes negotiations within the private sector—often operating in regions and contexts where Western business standards and norms are not typically observed.

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.

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.

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. She held the position of Procurement Director at innogy Česká republika a.s., GasNet, s.r.o., and now she is Country Head of Procurement CZ/SK/GE/AT at Plzeňský Prazdroj, a.s.

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.

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.

Helena is an experienced military and sports psychologist specializing in resilience psychology, crisis management, and team cohesion. She served for many years as Head of the Operational Psychology Department of the Czech Armed Forces. Over more than two decades in the military, Helena was deployed on missions in Iraq and Afghanistan and spent years training specialists in crisis preparation programs and S.E.R.E. courses (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape). She provides psychological training to special units preparing for deployment in high-risk environments abroad. Helena works with individuals in crisis, supports families of hostages during international abductions, and assists released hostages in reintegrating into everyday life after their return. At the international level, she also collaborates with clients from the private sector on preparation for crisis and conflict zones. She prepares soldiers, diplomats, journalists, humanitarian workers, and technical experts for deployment, stay, and reintegration from high-risk and war-affected regions—working closely with their families and loved ones as part of that process. In her private practice, Helena also works with elite athletes, senior executives, and other clients seeking a profound personal or professional reset. Her expertise extends to team development and personal growth, including the dynamics of interpersonal relationships within couples, families, and workgroups.

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. 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.

Jana Dubcová is a Public Procurement Expert, a title she earned by completing the prestigious Public Procurement Excellence program in Vienna. As part of EU-supported education, she also obtained a certificate in the Procure Innovation EU program. Since graduating from the Faculty of Law, she has been active in public procurement, working both on the side of EU funds control and contracting authorities. She currently serves as Director of Central Procurement of the Plzeňský kraj, which administers public tenders for the region and its 115 public organizations. Under her leadership, Central Procurement of the Pilsen Region has received a number of prestigious awards, including two FSA awards. She herself was recognized as eGovernment Personality of the Year 2024 for her contribution to the digitalization and automation of public procurement. Jana was instrumental in developing a unique Workflow system for public procurement administration, which automates and robotizes many routine processes and leverages AI in contract management. Thanks to her innovative approach and implementation of new technologies, she is a frequent speaker at professional conferences, where she shares her experience and achievements with peers in public administration. In her free 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.

Dáša currently serves as the Director General of the Public Procurement Section at the Ministry of Defence 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.

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.

Mirek to ekspert z dziesięcioletnim doświadczeniem w dziedzinie inwestycji publicznych. Rozpoczynając swoją karierę w Urzędzie Ochrony Konkurencji i Konsumentów, Mirek stopniowo zrozumiał obie strony procesu zamówień publicznych. Obecnie, jako członek zespołu w prestiżowej kancelarii adwokackiej HVH Legal, wykorzystuje swoje umiejętności do osiągania efektywnych i praktycznych rozwiązań. Jego podejście polega na poszukiwaniu innowacyjnych ścieżek, które przynoszą satysfakcję zarówno zamawiającemu, jak i dostawcy. Jego misją jest prowadzenie projektów do pomyślnego zakończenia, przy którym wszyscy zainteresowani są zadowoleni.

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.

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

Michal has 20 years of experience in procurement across various international companies with a clear focus on optimizing purchasing activities. His career also includes a professional assignment in FMCG sales aimed at understanding the entire supply chain – from customers to production and back – in order to focus on delivering added value to the end user. In recent years, he has been focusing not only on procurement process optimization, problem solving, simplification, digitalization, sustainability, and risk management, but also on leadership and supporting the development of colleagues through mentoring and coaching. He is currently working as a Global Procurement Manager for indirect materials and services for manufacturing sites at Novartis, where he leads seven teams worldwide and leverages his broad experience in diversity and empathetic leadership.

With nearly 8 years at Amazon, she serves as Regional Procurement Manager, leading a team responsible for purchasing operations across Amazon's fulfillment centers in Poland. In her day-to-day role, she combines people leadership with strategic thinking – building her team's capabilities, identifying, and nurturing each team member's individual strengths, while coordinating procurement processes at a regional level and actively shaping organizational standards. She is part of the regional AI initiatives team, co-creating artificial intelligence-powered solutions that streamline daily workflows for procurement teams across EMEA. Beyond procurement, she is deeply involved in communication initiatives – she owns internal communication across the EMEA region, organizing and leading quarterly meetings for procurement managers, building bridges between teams and countries. She believes that effective procurement is not just about negotiations and contracts, but above all about people, relationships, and the courage to step outside one's comfort zone.

He has been working as a director of Kühne + Nagel, spol. s r.o. for 6 years, but he joined the logistics industry in 1991. Having already been present at the founding of the Czech branch, he feels extremely connected to the company. He appreciates the humanity and openness in communication and is glad that together with his colleagues he can offer complex logistics solutions that reflect the requirements of digitalization and sustainability even in today's changing world.

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.

Starting as a procurement officer, moving through the role of commodity buyer, and eventually becoming Head of Procurement – this is the journey Hana Sušková has taken before settling where real change happens: at Veolia. Here, leading her department, she takes on major decarbonization projects, which in practice means negotiating a better climate for all of us – quite literally. Where others see emissions, she sees opportunities for smarter procurement and effective negotiation. She now leverages her experience in team leadership, implementation of new systems, and process digitalization gained at companies such as Škoda Vagonka, OKK Koksovny, Tatra Defence Vehicle, and AL INVEST Břidličná to convince even the largest industrial players that they are on the right path.

Michael Romancov is a political geographer at the Institute of Political Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University in Prague. He specializes in political geography, geopolitics, and Russia. He is the author of Maritime Blindness and the creator of the podcast Romancov and Co., which he produces in collaboration with the international desk of Deník N.

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.

Jonaid Myzyri is an expert in public procurement and its legislative development in Albania. He graduated from the Faculty of Law at the University of Tirana PhD C, where he was awarded a gold medal. From 2020 to 2025, he served as Chairman of the Public Procurement Commission of Albania (PPC). Prior to that, he held the position of Head of Public Procurement at the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy of Albania and earlier worked as an inspector at the PPC. In his role, he led a major digitalization reform of the public procurement review system, including the introduction of electronic appeals (e-appeals) and standards promoting transparency and openness. This initiative received international recognition, including from SIGMA-OECD, and the E-Appeals system was ranked among the top 15 GovTech projects worldwide in 2022. Jonaid Myzyri also contributed to the 2024 amendment of the Public Procurement Law, which introduced the integration of artificial intelligence into the national public procurement system, and he is considered one of the key figures in advancing this agenda in Albania and the region.

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.

Marek is an experienced professional in the field of purchasing for manufacturing companies and distribution. As Solarity's Director of Purchasing, he manages the global procurement of photovoltaic products for the company's offices in Europe, Ukraine, the Middle East, North Africa and Latin America. He spends several weeks each year in China where he builds strong relationships with the world's largest manufacturers. He leads a team of strategic and operational buyers, product management and logistics to ensure their work is efficient, fast and reliable, including the use of AI and data analytics. He is constantly working on his development and strives to improve in all areas of life. He enjoys spending his free time with his family, sports and traveling.

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. For the last two years she has been the Executive Director of the Association for Public Procurement. She has organized educational events, developed new partnerships, "set in motion" a project of working groups in selected areas of public procurement and publishes in the journal "Public Procurement in Practice". She has also been involved in legislative initiatives to facilitate public procurement. She is currently working at the Ministry of Regional Development as Head of the Implementation Unit of the Public Investment System Support Programme.

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.

We will undoubtedly be convinced that our neighbours in Poland also know about procurement, consulting and sourcing by Mateusz Borowiecki. A truly wide-ranging expert with more than fifteen years’ experience in international projects, including IT projects; he has introduced clients to the procurement systems of a variety of providers. He regularly speaks at procurement conferences, publishes papers on corporate procurement and is a lecturer in postgraduate studies in procurement at Kozminski University in Warsaw and at WSB in Wroclaw.

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

Urszula is an experienced procurement professional with over 23 years of experience in strategic sourcing, category management and supplier relationship management in global companies (Sarantis, Berry Global, Avon, Diageo, Philips). She has experience managing multiple categories of direct and indirect spend, leading cross-functional and international teams, and creating value through strategic initiatives in complex matrix organizations. Her career path has given her experience in strategic sourcing, creating category strategies, negotiating contracts and pricing, optimizing costs and initiating innovative projects with suppliers. She is passionate about the strategic dimension of the purchasing process and collaborating with internal and external partners to achieve strategic objectives. She is recognized for her energy, enthusiasm and excellent communication skills and places a high value on relationship building. She enjoys sharing knowledge and learning new things. With years of experience, she appreciates the human dimension of processes and organizations - after all, business is about collaboration between people.

Terezie ranks among the absolute top television presenters in the Czech Republic. On CNN Prima News, she hosts the prestigious Sunday political talk show Partie Terezie Tománkové, which regularly features guests such as the Presidents of the Czech and Slovak Republics, Prime Ministers, and leaders of parliamentary parties. She has been one of the leading faces of TV Prima since 2000, when she began her career in national news as a reporter and parliamentary correspondent. Over the following years, she advanced to become the anchor of Prima’s main evening news broadcast, a position she held for twelve years until 2018. Her deep professional experience and thorough understanding of politics led her, in 2014, to take over as host of Partie—one of TV Prima’s longest-running and most respected programs, on air continuously since 1998.

Matt served for 17 years as a negotiator and coordinator of the police negotiation team in Manchester. He was a member of the UK Government’s Crisis Group (COBR), responsible for handling international and terrorist kidnappings involving British citizens abroad, and a permanent member of the National Police Hostage and Crisis Negotiation Unit (HCNU) in London. He also held the position of Director of the UK National Police Negotiator Course and served as lead instructor for international negotiation training programs for special forces in Canada, Kenya, Turkey, Japan, Oman, and the Philippines. Matt is a member of the International Negotiators Working Group (INWG) and an external instructor for the United Nations, where he has trained staff of the Department of Safety and Security in hostage negotiation. Among the specialized training programs Matt has personally completed are the FBI’s National Negotiation Course in Quantico, Scotland Yard’s Negotiation Course in Hendon, the UK National Terrorist Negotiation Course in London, and an MI6 Covert Operations Course. He holds a Master’s degree in Criminology from Leicester University and a PhD from Manchester Metropolitan University, where his doctoral research focused on negotiations during terrorist incidents involving active shooters.

Nikola has been focusing on negotiation and understanding how people react in conflict situations since 2020. She completed a semester of negotiation studies at Harvard Law School as part of the Program on Negotiation and further expanded her education through training with HERMIONE Crisis & Rescue Negotiators and by completing advanced training courses at Vyjednávame.cz under the guidance of Adam Dolník and Helena Sováková. As an instructor, she created a special negotiation course focused on women.
Her experience in an international environment plays a significant role in her work. For fifteen years, she worked as a ski instructor in Australia, New Zealand, and Switzerland, where she spent a long time working with both adults and teenagers. It was precisely her work with teenagers in challenging and emotionally charged situations that significantly shaped her approach to communication, setting boundaries, and conflict resolution. Her professional journey also included a year spent on a cultural scholarship in Indonesia, which expanded her experience with cross-cultural communication and negotiation.

Head of the Public Procurement Department at the Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic and a lawyer with over 15 years of experience in the public and nonprofit sectors. He helps organizations manage public procurement in a clear, efficient, and non-bureaucratic manner—from preparing tender procedures to their successful implementation. He has long advocated for a transparent, accountable, and sustainable approach that has a real impact on the functioning of public institutions. He is responsible for team management, international collaboration, and participation in expert groups at the EU level, where he bridges the gap between legislation and practice and seeks solutions that make sense in the day-to-day operations of procurement.

He is the long-serving mayor of Partizánske and chairman of the Association of Towns and Municipalities of Slovakia. In public administration, he advocates a modern, efficient, and open approach based on transparency, tangible results, and active communication with citizens. He is known for his emphasis on urban development and his view of local government as a service to the people, rather than merely an administrative structure. Within ZMOS, he represents the interests of local governments at the national level and actively participates in shaping the legislative and strategic environment of public administration.

A system designer who brings fresh perspectives on sustainability and helps companies and organizations turn it into a tangible opportunity. She draws inspiration from nature and translates it into concrete solutions for business and society. She advises organizations on how to embed sustainability into their strategies and actively promotes systemic change through advocacy. She introduced the concept of the circular economy to the Czech Republic in 2015 and founded the Institute of Circular Economy; she is now developing the concept of Bohemian Agreements as a tool for finding common solutions and building long-term partnerships. She connects people, projects, and organizations and builds functional networks that have a real impact. She shares her experience through lectures, workshops, and other educational activities. She believes that the key to the future lies in collaboration between people and organizations on projects that bring about positive change.

An expert in energy, Smart Cities, and environmental sustainability with an international background. She was involved in the establishment of ENTSOG, where she contributed to implementing European legislation and supporting the integration of the energy market, with a focus on transparency, competitiveness, and security of supply. Her professional path later led her into consulting and to topics of corporate and urban energy, mobility, and public space. Over time, she specialized in Smart Cities, connecting processes, technologies, data, and strategic management to improve quality of life in cities – with an emphasis on efficiency, inclusiveness, sustainability, and resilience. She currently works at Novartis, focusing on environmental sustainability and developing innovative solutions to reduce the environmental impact of human activity and adaptation to climate change. In her work, she combines system thinking with a strong focus on practical, integrated solutions addressing today’s complex challenges.

Deputy Vice President for Legal Affairs at the Škoda Group, a leading manufacturer of rail vehicles and public transport solutions. He provides legal advice across the entire group, particularly in the area of Czech and international public procurement, and coordinates a team of more than 15 lawyers within the EU. He actively participates in supporting European industry, including through UNIFE, where he contributes to the development of joint positions on issues related to suppliers from third countries and to strengthening the European origin of industrial products.

A public procurement specialist who has been active in the field since his university studies in Law and Economics at Comenius University in Bratislava and the University of Economics in Bratislava. He gained professional experience in consulting firms VO SK, a.s. and obstaráme, s.r.o., where he focused on advisory services and the end-to-end management of public procurement processes. He currently works at Slovenské elektrárne, providing legislative and methodological support to the procurement team.

He has been working in procurement and logistics management for the past 25 years, most of that time in the energy sector in Košice, Zagreb, and Bratislava. He currently works at Západoslovenská distribučná a.s. (part of the E.ON Group). In addition to procurement, he has long been involved in real estate and transport management. One of his favorite projects is the administrative building of today's Energetika Slovensko in Košice.

Martin is the author of nine books, all of which have become bestsellers, and a prominent figure in the Czech media scene with more than 25 years of experience in journalism, publishing, and sports. He worked for many years at the daily newspaper Mladá fronta DNES, rising from sports reporter to editor-in-chief of the lifestyle weekly Magazine DNES, a position he held for 19 years, during which he was responsible for content for more than a million readers. He works as a presenter and commentator for Eurosport and Czech Television, and has experience in the press offices of international events and in conducting press conferences in English. He also works as a lecturer and presenter, speaking in both Czech and English, and combines his media experience with a natural ability to engage with audiences and communicate professionally.

Graduate of the Faculty of Civil Engineering at ČVUT, specializing in utilities procurement since 2014. He focuses on water management infrastructure projects in the City of Prague, where he oversees a wide range of procurement activities. He has experience leading a small team responsible for handling a high volume of tenders each year. Recently, he has also been focusing on the efficient management of the supplier register and improving the transparency and functionality of procurement processes.

A specialist in fostering a positive business and managerial environment, who channels his passion for personal development into mentoring, training, consulting, and public speaking. Since 2018, he has been intensively engaged in mentoring in the areas of business and leadership, drawing on more than 21 years of experience. Thanks to his broad experience, he understands the complexity of business processes and the importance of building long-term partnerships. Throughout his career, he has focused on direct sales, sales channel development, and crisis management. In his work, he combines practical experience with an emphasis on a people-oriented approach and long-term sustainable development.

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

Romana Martincová is a seasoned HR manager, coach and therapist who specializes in the development of companies, teams and individuals. She gained her extensive experience in companies such as Red Bull and L'Oréal, where she worked in human resources management, building effective teams and strategic HR. In addition, she worked in external HR consulting and ran a recruitment agency. In her practice, Elevate Me helps organizations create an environment that fosters growth, engagement and long-term performance. She focuses on leadership, talent management and corporate culture development. At the same time, she works with individuals to help them overcome personal and professional challenges, manage stress, and find work-life balance. As a yoga teacher, she also integrates yoga philosophy into her work, fostering deeper self-development and resilience in her clients.

Milan Babica has been a professional in the field of public procurement for more than 10 years. In 2012, he was involved in establishing the central procurement function at Czech Railways, which he continues to develop. Since 2023, he has served as Director of Central Procurement. Prior to that, he was responsible for expanding the central procurement function, strengthening the team, completing the digitalization of procurement processes, and further developing category management. In addition to these activities, he is entrusted with managing group-wide procurement for the ČD Group. He also ensured procurement for the ČD Bus division, where he serves as a member of the Supervisory Board.

Michaela is the Executive Director of the Business Leaders Forum, where she bridges the gap between business, the public sector, and innovation with the aim of strengthening companies’ long-term competitiveness. She focuses on strategic leadership, sustainability, and organizational adaptation to rapidly changing market conditions.In her work, she focuses on how companies can transform challenges such as digitalization, the climate agenda, or regulatory changes into specific opportunities for growth and greater value. She actively collaborates with leaders across various sectors and offers practical insights into how to align social responsibility with business performance.

A professional with over a decade of experience in finance, gained through sales roles in both the banking and IT sectors, including a stint at IBM. He currently works at SAP, where he is responsible for sales of procurement and financial solutions in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. His role also includes developing the CFO community, which connects financial directors, addresses current topics, and creates a space for sharing experiences, inspiration, and best practices.

He is a specialist in copywriting and online marketing with over 15 years of experience. He runs the creative agency Logos Agency, writes the professional blog "The Best Copywriter," and his books on copywriting are among the country’s bestsellers. His work has earned numerous professional awards, and in 2021, he was named one of the Top 100 Czech marketers by the WhitePress portal. Together with his team, he has written content for hundreds of websites and developed dozens of marketing strategies and campaigns. Many Czech and Slovak copywriters, as well as companies and public institutions, have participated in his training sessions.

Head of Procurement at Direct Group, a fast-growing and innovative player leveraging AI in finance, insurance, and automotive services. He has built his career in procurement roles, leading teams within global companies such as Scania, Knorr-Bremse, and Yokohama. His experience spans managing geopolitical challenges and their impact on supply chains, as well as implementing end-to-end procurement processes, driving digitalization, and integrating BI and AI into modern procurement practices.

Throughout his professional career, he has long focused on working with data, including its collection and analytical processing, with the aim of providing relevant and practically applicable outputs for the public sector, the business environment, and the general public. He has followed developments in both the domestic and global economy from various expert positions at Národná banka Slovenska. He currently serves as Director of the Cross-Cutting Initiatives Department within the Monetary Policy and Banking Operations division, where he is responsible for the strategic and conceptual management of structural analyses, climate change, and data science. He represents the National Bank of Slovakia in the international network NGFS (Network for Greening the Financial System), focusing on integrating climate and environmental risks into the financial sector. As part of this agenda, he also contributes to the activities of the Eurosystem Climate Change Forum, which focuses on the actions of euro area central banks in the field of climate and climate-related risks. He also serves as an alternate member of the Economic Policy Committee of the OECD and of the Government Council of the Slovak Republic for Competitiveness and Productivity. In 2023, during the tenure of the caretaker government, he held the position of State Secretary at the Ministry of Finance of the Slovak Republic. In his professional work, he also draws on knowledge gained from international expert courses focused on macroeconomics and public finance, which he completed at institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the European Central Bank (ECB), the Federal Reserve System (FED), and the Bank of England.

Process and efficiency expert currently at Asahi Europe & International, where he is responsible for optimizing processes and driving efficiency in new product development. Previously, he worked as a Finance Business Partner for Procurement, leveraging his experience from management consulting as well as from Strategic Planning and Insights at Plzeňský Prazdroj. He specializes in combining diverse perspectives across the organization and translating them into pragmatic, data-driven solutions. His focus is on delivering changes that sustainably increase long-term value and profitability.

She has dedicated her entire professional career—nearly 30 years—to procurement at Slovenské elektrárne. Throughout her tenure, she has held a range of roles, including managing international supplier deliveries, contributing to procurement centralization projects, and developing process documentation and standardization. She has long focused on the digitalization of procurement processes. Together with her team, she introduced procurement planning and reporting processes, as well as supplier qualification and evaluation systems. Since 2010, she has served as Head of Procurement Support, later expanding her responsibilities to include the procurement of general services.

Juraj works at ČEPS as Head of Department providing legal support for public procurement and purchasing processes. He is also a member of the Executive Committee of the Association for Public Procurement and of a special commission of the Public Procurement Office. He has been active in the field of public procurement for more than 15 years. In addition, he focuses on intellectual property law, IT law, and legal aspects of cybersecurity. His personal interest also includes sports law. He has lectured at events organized by the Office for the Protection of Competition, the Association for Public Procurement, the Union of Corporate Lawyers, and at Charles University. He has published in professional journals such as Právní rozhledy, Veřejné zakázky, Veřejné zakázky v praxi, and 343ka (a journal published by the Public Procurement Office).

Aldo is the Director of ICT Investment Management and eGovernment at AKSHI in Tirana, Albania. He leads key initiatives in digital transformation, focusing on the modernization of public procurement through automation, artificial intelligence, and alignment with advanced EU standards. He plays a central role in the development and implementation of Albania’s next-generation public procurement system, integrating real-time analytics, intelligent evaluation tools, and full compliance monitoring. Aldo collaborates closely with international institutions such as the European Commission, World Bank, SIGMA, and ANAC, contributing to the advancement of transparent, efficient, and ethical digital governance. His work promotes responsible use of AI to enhance decision-making, strengthen accountability, and improve public service delivery. He is driven by innovation and is committed to building sustainable, future-ready systems that support institutional performance and economic development. Beyond his professional work, he values continuous learning, strategic thinking, and impactful leadership.

Marek is a lawyer collaborating with Datlab, where he focuses on public procurement analytics and the development of new functionalities. He has long been engaged in developing systemic recommendations for public administration, particularly in the areas of transparent procurement, conflict of interest, and building more trustworthy and corruption-resilient local governance. Until 2022, he was also one of five guarantors of the Rekonstrukce státu project. He has served as a member of the Government Council for the Coordination of the Fight against Corruption and is a member of an expert group of the Ministry of Regional Development on the Public Procurement Act. Between 2023 and 2025, he acted as an external advisor to the Ministry of Regional Development on the National Public Procurement Strategy, where he was responsible for the chapter on Legal Certainty in Public Procurement. He studied at universities in Prague, Passau, and Budapest.

Roman Jarolímek heads the environmental division of the industrial section of the GES GROUP investment group, where he continues to develop companies focused on environmental technologies, waste processing, and energy resource utilization. He has long operated at the intersection of industry, investment, and innovation.He gained experience at Makro optimizing logistics processes and subsequently at Deloitte, where he worked on projects to improve efficiency in manufacturing companies. At GES GROUP, he has channeled this experience into building a successful technology portfolio with an international overlap. Nowadays, under the auspices of the technology company beECOTECH a.s. and with its highly sought-after PackWall products, the focus is on how ESG requirements, decarbonization, and pressure to use resources efficiently are impacting the industry, and how these changes influence corporate decision-making, including procurement and supply chain management. At eBF, he will share insights from the field: where sustainability makes business sense, where it is actually perceived as an obligation, and where new opportunities are emerging.

Managing Director of SDG Media and publisher of platforms focused on sustainable procurement. He is the founder of the magazine “Kleine Kniffe” and of initiatives promoting a responsible approach to public procurement. He specializes in the intersection of digitalization and sustainability. He has collaborated with SustainableIT.org, publishes with Haufe Verlag, and moderates expert discussions on sustainability and public procurement. He is involved in initiatives promoting the sustainable digitization of public administration. He focuses on consulting and education. He is the author of a UNESCO-awarded educational program and has collaborated on consulting processes for German federal ministries.

Jan Janek je VP Partner & Business Development ve společnosti Cequence. V minulosti byl mimo jiné ředitelem v oddělení poradenství ve společnosti Deloitte Austria nebo partnerem v Kerkhoff Consulting GmbH. Má více než 17 let odborných zkušeností s transformačními projekty v oblasti nákupu a správy. Zabývá se návrhem procesů a řízení toku P2P v projektu implementace S/4 HANA a Ariba, vývojem digitální strategie správy P2P pro centrum sdílených služeb v EU, implementaci centralizovaného řešení S2P napříč zeměmi v největší bankovní skupině ve střední a východní Evropě a implementaci modelu řízení kategorie pro celou skupinu v největší bankovní skupině ve střední a východní Evropě. Janovým krédem je pracuj chytře, ne tvrdě.

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.

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).

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.

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.

Rostislav Nápravník is a Senior Consultant at Dun & Bradstreet, a company that has been harnessing the power of data, analytical tools, and data solutions for nearly 200 years to help its clients and partners grow and thrive. More than 6,000 employees around the world are dedicated to this unique mission, upholding values that have positioned the company as a leader in the field of essential business data and analytics. Dun & Bradstreet’s data and insights are valuable at every stage of the business cycle and in any economic environment.

Zuzana works as a Category Manager at the Central Purchasing of the Pilsen Region and is the first Czech "CatWoman" in the field of public procurement. In the past, she worked for international companies such as Expedia and Emirates, focusing on B2B cooperation and supporting business partners. In her current role, in addition to category management and overseeing the CNPK E-shop, she is also actively involved in implementing artificial intelligence tools into company processes.

Piotr Krompiewski is among the experienced bards of public procurement and other eTenders at PROEBIZ. A former professional soldier, he embarked on his digitalisation mission in 2013. His first post was "liaison officer" for the JOSEPHINE development team, which is working on public sector procurement. Since 2017, he has been part of the Polish business team. In his previous career, he served in the Polish Army for almost eleven years, reaching the rank of platoon commander.

He is an enthusiastic member of the IT department at Škoda Auto, serving as Business Partner Manager for Procurement. As the primary point of contact for internal clients, he acts as a bridge between the business and IT. He is responsible for launching new IT projects for Škoda Procurement - taking an initial idea through to successful implementation. He actively participates in the transformation of procurement through the digitization and automation of processes, data and process analysis, and the use of AI. He collaborates on Procurement IT activities within the Volkswagen Group. He occasionally lectures at universities.

She currently serves as the Lead Manager of the Waste-to-Energy (CEZO) project at SLOVNAFT. She has more than 14 years of experience within the MOL Group. She holds a degree in mechanical engineering and, in recent years, has led several engineering teams focused on green transformation and the circular economy. In her free time, she enjoys running, pets, and music festivals.

He started in the world of specialized electronic tools for procurement and sales by addressing the needs of their users. Nowadays , he leads a team focused on the comprehensive management and development of these solutions. This is how his 16-year journey could be summarized—one during which he has come to understand a wide range of needs from (both) contracting authorities, including companies and institutions, and equally important suppliers. His domain is digitalization. His adversaries are problems without effective solutions, and his mission is to bring order to the “highway” between buyers and suppliers so that each can enjoy the smoothest possible journey to their destination.

He has experience in both direct and indirect procurement in the industry and, as Procurement Director, oversaw procurement at Notino, one of Europe’s largest online retailers. Today, as Supply Chain Director, he is leading the supply chain transformation of the Hruška and Flossman retail network, which comprises more than 600 stores. He views digitalization and the deployment of AI as the backbone of this transformation. The integration of business and processes across various industries gives him a unique perspective that extends beyond the discipline of procurement.

Procurement Manager at FTV Prima, overseeing procurement end to end, from strategy to day to day operations. She has built her experience across multiple sectors, including energy at RWE Česká republika, banking at Raiffeisenbank CZ, and retail at Kaufland Česká republika. This diverse background brings a broader perspective to procurement and enables her to quickly navigate different business environments. She focuses on efficient procurement management, strong supplier relationships, process optimization, and cost savings, all while building fair and long-term relationships with internal stakeholders and suppliers.

With over 6 years at Amazon, Krzysztof Maciejewski has built a unique career path – progressing from operational roles in fulfillment centers, through team and flow management, to strategic procurement. As a Site Procurement Manager, he oversees procurement processes for Amazon warehouses in Poland, coordinating procurement across multiple locations. His day-to-day work spans contract negotiations, cost optimization, and supplier relationship management. Krzysztof is also the AI solutions expert within the Polish procurement team – he has developed multiple AI-powered tools that streamline processes for the entire team. His extensive operational background – from inventory management to leading multidisciplinary teams – gives him a rare ability to bridge deep business understanding with procurement expertise. Krzysztof believes that effective procurement starts with understanding the operations it supports.

Certified Project Manager with over 12 years of international experience in the oil & gas industry spanning Retail, Logistics, Procurement and Downstream Refining. Currently a Category Manager responsible for materials and equipment across MOL Group operations. Proven track record of delivering over €4 million in hard savings through supplier diversification and leveraging competition across European and APAC markets. Strong advocate for total cost of ownership, creating value beyond unit price through innovation, energy efficiency, and long-term category strategies. Combines mechanical engineering and project management background with a pragmatic, results-oriented approach to procurement. Also lectures at the MOL Group Internal Academy.

She studied International Relations and European Studies. She began her professional career in international business, where she worked as a Business Manager and gained more than 16 years of experience in business and commerce. She has long focused on the impact of parental leave in the Czech Republic, diversity and inclusion, workplace flexibility, corporate and family friendly policies, and mentoring. She is the founder of the M.arter ecosystem, which promotes the idea that “Parental leave is not a barrier if you do not want it to be” and helps parents and employers find a functional balance between work and family life. Her goal is to improve conditions for mothers of young children in the labor market and in society. Her passions include data, statistics, expert analysis, and leadership. She works as a mentor for startups and individuals, while actively supporting innovation, community building, and workplace flexibility. She has received numerous awards for her work, including Woman of the Year 2024, Deloitte Technology Fast 50 – Impact Stars of 2024, Most Dedicated Parental Support & Diversity Leader 2024 within the CEO Excellence Awards, and Freedompreneur of the Year at the Central European Startup Awards 2019. The M.arter project has also been recognized as an example of good practice by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and won the Innovative Employee Benefit of the Year award at the Profi HR Awards.

Eva connects procurement, finance (including controlling and accounting), logistics, and facility management into one integrated system that directly impacts company performance and cost efficiency. She has more than 20 years of experience leading major transformations, from acquisition integration and cost optimization to setting up end to end processes across organizations such as T-Mobile Czech Republic and Slovak Telekom. In both procurement and finance, she focuses on shifting from a transactional role to true business partnership, with a strong emphasis on data, transparency, and measurable business value. She was involved in establishing an RPA hub and has long promoted automation, process simplification, and data driven decision making. She believes in an open environment, diversity of perspectives, and constructive challenge as key drivers of innovation that elevate both finance and procurement to a strategic level.

Martin is an experienced procurement manager with more than 18 years of experience in international manufacturing, pharmaceutical, and FMCG companies. He currently serves as Procurement Manager – Indirect at Orkla Foods Czech Republic and Slovakia, where he built the Indirect Procurement department and holds regional responsibility for the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary. He specializes in the professionalization and centralization of procurement, supplier negotiations, contract management, and the digitalization of procurement processes. At eBF, he shares practical experience from transforming procurement into the role of a strategic business partner.

An expert in procurement process management, responsible at Asahi Group for the global setup, standardization, and effective operation of procurement processes across regions. She focuses on designing clear, well structured processes that work in everyday practice and across the organization. She has long been dedicated to leveraging digital tools and artificial intelligence in procurement to increase transparency, control, and the overall value procurement brings to the business. In her work, she connects process management, technology, and business perspective, delivering solutions with a tangible impact on organizational performance.

Chief Economist at Raiffeisenbank and one of the most prominent Czech experts on monetary policy and its impact on the real economy. She has long focused on topics such as inflation and economic development, which she is able to explain with insight, humor, and exceptional clarity even to non economists. She is the author of professional publications and a recipient of the “Young Economist of the Year” award. She actively contributes to the think tank project “Ministr Zdraví” and lectures on economics at universities. In her talks, she combines data, context, and intuition to find simple answers to complex economic questions.

He is one of the most prominent Czech mountaineers of today and a person who pursues what truly matters, even when it is not easy. He climbs where no one has been before. In the Himalayas and the Karakoram, he has sought out new routes where not only physical strength and fitness matter, but above all mindset, humility, and the ability to turn back. He is a recipient of the prestigious Piolet d’Or award for achievements that push the boundaries of alpinism. Beyond mountaineering, he works as a documentary filmmaker, writer, and speaker, able to authentically translate experiences from extreme conditions into insights on decision-making, courage, and risk management.

As a Procurement Manager at BTL, I lead a strategic team focused on global supply chains. I specialize in technical procurement and close collaboration with R&D during the launch of new products to the market. My primary focus is on process optimization, strategic negotiations, and achieving key KPIs in an international environment.

Miroslav is an attorney and partner at the law firm KGS Legal. In his practice, he focuses primarily on two areas of law that are (unfortunately) sometimes intertwined: public procurement and criminal law. With over 15 years of experience in public procurement, he focuses primarily on assisting contracting authorities and strives to introduce new approaches to quality-based competition. He has experience with nearly two dozen above-threshold BVA procedures for services, working with leading Czech contracting authorities. He lectures and provides training on public procurement, and together with his colleagues, he devises new procedures; thanks to their efforts, they have significantly influenced the decision-making practices of the Office for the Protection of Competition (ÚOHS) in procurement, with an emphasis on selecting high-quality suppliers.

She studied Strategic Management and Information Technology Management at Comenius University. She is currently entrusted with leading the Public Procurement Department at VšZP, where she has been working for 10 years. She has 15 years of experience in public procurement, including experience on the supplier side, and has worked for several years as a specialist in various types of electronic auctions. She has established procurement auctions under the Public Procurement Act as well as different types of sales auctions, for example for real estate and motor vehicles. In addition to leading the department, she currently focuses on increasing the efficiency of internal processes within the organization, including the implementation of the WENDY information system and the setup of control mechanisms for procurement in compliance with § 1(14) of the Public Procurement Act through the development of internal regulations.

Adéla Havlová is an attorney specializing in public investment law and public procurement. She currently serves as Of Counsel at the law firm HAVEL & PARTNERS, where she built and led a dedicated public sector team of 40 lawyers until 2023, when she stepped down as partner. Under her leadership, the team won the “Law Firm of the Year” award in the field of public procurement four times. She is actively involved in the leadership of the Czech Public Procurement Association (AVZ) and is a member of the expert group for public procurement legislation. She has long been engaged in the development of best practices and innovations in public procurement, including topics such as digitalization, circular economy, modern purchasing practices and systems, quality assessment, and more. From 2014 to 2023, she served as a member of the appellate commission of the Czech Competition Authority. She actively draws on know-how from other EU member states, particularly Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, and Slovakia. She regularly lectures and publishes in professional journals.

He has been working as a lawyer in the public sector for more than thirty years and has been involved in public procurement for nearly twenty years. He previously served, for example, as Director of the Public Procurement and Central Purchasing Department at the Ministry of the Interior. Since 2014, he has led the Public Procurement Department at the Rectorate of Charles University, where he is responsible, among other things, for public procurement at the university rectorate, university-wide purchasing, and providing methodological support and training for employees of faculties and university units involved in procurement activities. Together with his colleagues at Charles University, he has been successfully engaged in the field of responsible public procurement. He is also a member of the Executive Committee of the Asociace pro veřejné zakázky, where he leads the working group focused on procurement in the insurance sector. He is currently completing his LLM studies in the Public Procurement program organized by the Faculty of Law of Charles University in cooperation with the Asociace pro veřejné zakázky.

A law graduate and passionate angler, he has spent years working in the field of public procurement. Initially, he supervised the legality of procurement procedures at the Public Procurement Office, and later joined the ranks of the contracting authorities. Since 2023, he has been working at the National Bank of Slovakia as Director of the Economic Services Department, which also includes the Central Procurement Unit. He sees international expert forums on public procurement as unique opportunities for gaining inspiration, sharing experience, and exchanging best practices. In the past, he has participated in various professional conferences and workshops on public procurement, attended by representatives of the European Commission and the OECD.

After ten years in sales, he moved to the “other side of the table” into procurement, where he has built a long-standing career. He first gained experience at EXTECO, a company focused on tenders and cost optimization, before smoothly transitioning to HOPI Holding. At HOPI Holding, he has been leading central procurement for the past nine years, focusing on supplier relationship management, negotiations, and the strategic development of procurement processes. In his work, he combines a sales perspective with a procurement mindset, enabling him to find solutions that create value for both sides. Outside of work, he is a father of four children and enjoys spending his free time actively, ideally in the mountains.

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 U.S. 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

Marko leads the Business Information Department at Coface CZ/SK, where he helps companies better manage credit risks and effectively assess business partners. He has a background in consulting and throughout his career has focused on delivering data, analytics, and insights that help businesses make better decisions.

At FG Forrest, I lead the strategic development of e-commerce projects, from the initial concept to real business results. We do not focus only on how things look, but above all on how they generate revenue. Together with my team, we design and build complex digital ecosystems for brands that want to grow across markets. We emphasize functional MVPs, scalability, and long-term performance. In my articles, I share practical experience from real projects: what works, what does not, and how to build e-commerce solutions that can succeed even in highly competitive markets.

He is responsible for the company’s financial management, including accounting management, planning, budget administration, cash flow management, and investment decision-making, with the aim of ensuring the financial stability and success of the organization. He also collaborates on the planning and implementation of digital projects that can improve the organization’s efficiency and productivity. At the same time, he serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Markíza Foundation.

Martin Procházka is responsible for the underwriting of risk at Coface, one of the global leaders in credit insurance and business risk management. Together with his team, he assesses the risk of more than 30,000 customers in the Czech Republic and Slovakia across all economic sectors. He is also a co-author of the Coface Insolvency Study, which examines trends in the number of insolvencies in the Central European region.

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.

Piotr is the founder and CEO of FSWO, an event marketing and brand experience agency that has been designing and delivering events for brands, companies and institutions in Poland for over 18 years. Under his leadership, FSWO has delivered hundreds of projects for recognizable organizations, working with brands such as Amazon, Heineken, Herbalife and BMW, while developing its expertise in event strategy, digital activities and responsible event production, which is confirmed, among others, by the EcoVadis Silver Medal. In his everyday work, he combines the perspective of an agency owner, a practitioner of the creative market and a business partner for whom not only ideas matter, but also data, risk, budget and the measurable value of a project. In his view, the biggest challenge in purchasing creative services is properly defining value, rather than simply comparing costs.

Companies today don’t choose a telecommunications provider. They choose who will carry part of their business risk at a time when digitalization connects everything from production to the customer. And I help them understand that difference before a good decision turns into an expensive lesson. T-Mobile Czech Republic is more than just an operator today. As part of the Deutsche Telekom Group, we are a market leader in the Czech Republic, combining connectivity, data, and ICT solutions to help businesses grow, not just operate.

Adam is the CTO of ARTIN, where he has been working for nearly 10 years. He leads technology teams at a time when AI is fundamentally changing the rules of the game across the entire business landscape, not just in IT. At ARTIN, he has been driving the AI transformation of software development and internal processes, as well as the creation of a platform that helps the company work intelligently with data and automation. Throughout his career, he has led critical projects in energy, manufacturing, and logistics. What people value most about him is his ability to explain complex topics in a way that even non programmers can understand. And he often needs only two sentences where others would need an hour. Adam is known for his authentic directness. He does not beat around the bush and goes straight to the point. At eBF, he will explore with you when AI in procurement truly increases efficiency and when it starts becoming more of a risk.

She finds fulfillment in work that allows room for creativity and a fresh perspective on established practices. She considers communication a key tool for achieving meaningful results. However, she does not view it only through words; she also emphasizes thoughtful actions based on expertise, experience, and a team’s effort to make things better. She studied International Relations – Economic Diplomacy at the University of Economics in Bratislava and during her study stays abroad in Budapest, St. Petersburg, and Tampere. After graduating, she entered the dynamic world of media and worked for many years in the newsrooms of TA3, STV (now STVR), and TV Markíza. She also gained experience in politics as Head of the Press Department of SDKÚ-DS and later in public administration as Director of the Press Department at the Public Procurement Office. She is the author of the concept of an open communication policy for a supervisory authority, which has become part of legislation in the field of public procurement. She currently works at Národná banka Slovenska.

Czech historian, political scientist, and Cambridge graduate Lukáš Sedláček is the author of the Czech intellectual bestseller with global acclaim, “Naked in the Age of AI: Human Identity and the Search for Meaning in the Face of Artificial Intelligence.” Lukáš Sedláček is also the founder and director of Innovation Week, the largest Central European event focused on AI, technology, and innovation, as well as the educational company European Leadership & Academic Institute (ELAI). He also founded the U.S. - based digital publishing startup Poetizer.

He serves as Manager for the Development and Implementation of the Energy Strategy at SLOVNAFT. Throughout his career, he has held various technical and managerial positions in the energy sector, gaining extensive experience particularly in technology, maintenance, and the development of energy facilities. He studied energy engineering at the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava. He holds an MBA from IPE Management School in Paris and is a certified European Energy Manager. He is currently a PhD candidate at the Slovak University of Technology in the field of nuclear physics, focusing on SMRs and advanced nuclear reactors. In his free time, he enjoys home brewing beer, which he sees as the perfect combination of technical thinking and creative relaxation.

Peter serves as Director of Indirect Material and Repairs Procurement at U. S. Steel Košice. He is actively involved in the strategic management of supplier relationships within one of the most important industrial sectors. His professional journey is built on a strong foundation of practical experience and high-quality education. He holds an MBA degree, the international CPSM (Certified Professional in Supply Management) certification, and the PMP (Project Management Professional) certification. Peter has extensive experience in managing the procurement of MRO materials, spare parts, and external supplier capacities for service activities that are essential for a company such as U. S. Steel Košice. He effectively applies his expertise and strategic thinking not only in implementing innovative approaches to strategic procurement, but also in developing new talent within his team. Despite his demanding professional responsibilities, Peter maintains discipline in his personal life, particularly through sports activities. He is a passionate endurance runner and has completed several marathons, demonstrating his exceptional determination and strong will. He considers running an ideal way to recover and build mental resilience, which he then effectively applies in challenging business negotiations.

For more than 20 years, he has been dedicated to the digitization of procurement processes and is among the experts who have played a key role in its practical development in Central Europe and abroad. He has long worked with electronic auctions and procurement tools that help increase the efficiency and transparency of processes. He has extensive experience implementing e-tools in Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and other countries. During his more than three years in Croatia, he actively participated in the creation and development of the local market for the digitization of procurement tenders. In his work, he integrates technological tools with the real-world needs of purchasing and sales, delivering solutions that have a tangible impact on how organizations operate. He currently serves as the Head of the Quality and Trade Department at Správa ciest Košického samosprávneho kraja.

Ivo has long operated at the intersection of technology, business, and international markets. As CEO, he led the startup Vykupto, which grew to revenues exceeding CZK 300 million and achieved a successful exit. He later headed sales at BIQ Group during a period when the company expanded from 80 to more than 600 employees and approached billion crown revenues. Nowadays, he is the CEO and Managing Director of the family company ZELENKA Czech Republic, which he runs together with his wife and father in law. The company ranks among the Top 100 language service providers worldwide, has delivered services in more than 60 countries, and helps businesses communicate across markets, languages, and cultures.

Martin Bednář teaches salespeople at large companies how to sell more to other large companies. He started out selling Scotch whiskey in bars, moved on to corporate banking, and has been sharing his expertise in B2B sales for nearly 20 years. He works with sales teams in the Czech Republic and across Europe. He focuses on consultative selling, working with the customer’s procurement process, negotiation, and the ability of salespeople to persuade not only “friendly contacts” but also the actual decision-makers within the company. For the past 6 years, he has been developing salespeople at his SalesKick Academy, where the focus is not on motivational speeches but on training specific skills that have an impact on results in real-world B2B sales.

As Consulting Director, I lead Treasury & Finance teams at Zatopek Consulting, specialising in SAP solutions for banking and payment management. I am a certified SAP Enterprise Architecture Consultant, an authorised SAP Partner Cloud Architect, and a delivery lead on greenfield and cloud projects. I have led SAP rollouts and integrations across EMEA, managing international teams and complex multi-country projects.

Nuno Miguel Ramos da Costa is an executive and specialist with extensive experience in the fields of healthcare management, finance, and public procurement. Currently, he serves as an Executive Member of the Board of Directors for the Amadora Sintra Local Health Unit, overseeing areas such as procurement, finance, pharmacy, and IT. Internationally, he has held the position of Vice President of the Global Digital Health Partnership (GDHP) since 2024, focusing on driving the use of data and technology in global healthcare. His professional career in the public sector is marked by roles of high responsibility. Between 2024 and 2026, he was a Member of the Board of Directors of the Shared Services of the Ministry of Health (SPMS). Previously, he distinguished himself as Director of the Health Purchasing Center at SPMS and Vice President of the European Health Public Procurement Alliance (EHPPA), where he sought to facilitate European cooperation in procurement and ensure the security of healthcare supply chains. He has also held leadership and management positions at the Shared Services Entity of Public Administration (ESPAP) and the General Secretariat of the Ministry of Health. Academically, Nuno Costa holds a Master's degree in Public Administration from the Institute of Social and Political Sciences (ISCSP) at the University of Lisbon, where he defended a thesis focused on measuring savings in aggregated public procurement in the healthcare sector. His educational background also includes Postgraduate degrees in Healthcare Management (Católica Lisbon) and in the Law and Practice of Public Procurement (Universidade Católica), as well as a Bachelor's degree in Business Management. He also completed the Public Procurement Excellence Programme at the Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU Vienna). Additionally, he has a strong academic and training profile. He is a Guest Professor at ISCSP, teaching the Logistics and Value Chain Management course, and teaches Digital and Health Procurement in the University of Vienna's program in partnership with the Austrian central purchasing body (BBG). He is a trainer at INA (National Institute of Administration) and co-author of several books on management software and electronic public procurement.

He works as a Consultant, Commodity Manager at Dell Technologies, where he oversees Customer-Facing Services for the EMEA region and is involved in procurement activities, including supplier negotiations and cost savings initiatives. He has extensive experience in contract management and legal support, where he also held managerial roles and participated in the implementation of a CLM tool. He is currently also an active user of the Cequence platform, which Dell Technologies uses across multiple processes.

A manager with more than 20 years of experience in the international automotive industry, operating at the intersection of procurement, risk management, sustainability, and strategic supplier relationship management. She began her career in metal procurement and risk management and gradually expanded her expertise into capacity and shortage management, sustainability, compliance, cost analysis, process and systems management, aftersales, and product safety. Between 2021 and 2023, she also served as a member of the Supervisory Board. Currently, she focuses on global supplier sustainability and risk management, bidding cartels, contract management, and innovation management. In her work, she combines a strategic perspective with deep expertise in supply chains and international business. She has received several prestigious awards for her work, including Handelsblatt Top 30 Future CEOs (2023), Top 40 under 40 (2024), and Automobile Week Top 25 Women (2025).

I started in the trenches—writing code, untangling broken treasury workflows, and rescuing failed projects other consultants walked away from. Today, as CEO at Zatopek Consulting, I lead a team of SAP Treasury problem-solvers who thrive on the hard stuff most firms avoid. We keep the core clean but the outcome practical and human. We implement Standard SAP Treasury and Risk Management - onprem, private cloud, or full cloud. We stick to standard wherever possible, but we’re not bound by software limits. We develop & codevelop smart enhancements and launch bold products. Check ZCustody on the SAP Store. We deliver end-to-end — from design to build, integration, and long-term support.

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.

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.

Libor is an expert in sustainable construction and the development of public timber buildings. He collaborates with cities and municipalities on projects from the initial concept through to implementation, with the goal of increasing the use of wood in public construction. As an ombudsman for timber construction, he supports fair relationships between suppliers and customers. He is a graduate of the Faculty of Civil Engineering at Brno University of Technology, a certified passive house designer, and an energy specialist who promotes wood as the key material for a sustainable future.

Lucie is a lawyer and public procurement specialist with extensive experience in public procurement, contractual relationships, and contract management. In her professional practice, she focuses primarily on strategic and complex procurement procedures, contract modifications, ICT procurement, utilities procurement, and the practical management of risks during project implementation. She also works as a lecturer at professional training events and seminars focused on current decision-making practice, the practical impacts of the Public Procurement Act, and the effective setup of tender conditions. In her presentations, she combines legal expertise with practical experience from the everyday operations of both contracting authorities and suppliers.

Samuel works as a consultant at Konica Minolta IT Solutions Czech, where he focuses on the practical implementation of artificial intelligence in enterprise environments based on Microsoft 365 and Power Platform. He specializes in the design and deployment of AI agents that automate business processes and help users work more efficiently with data, applications, and workflows. At eBF 2026, he will present specific use cases of AI agents in procurement processes, from collecting purchasing requests and managing procurement activities to task planning and the automation of approval workflows. Participants will see practical demonstrations of agents built on tools such as Copilot Studio and App Builder, which connect conversational interfaces with real business data and applications. The goal of the presentation is to demonstrate how AI agents can simplify everyday procurement operations, improve process visibility, and deliver measurable savings in both time and costs, without the need for complex development or major interventions into existing systems.

A Czech IT expert and manager with long-term experience in information systems, IT consulting, and the digitalization of business processes. He has worked, both in the past and currently, in several IT and technology companies, including E LINKX, NEXTERA tech, and Livesale. He also serves as CIO of the industrial holding BR Group (BR Automotive), where he has been involved in major IT consolidation projects and the implementation of ERP and MES systems (2026).

Eva found her way to public procurement by a fortunate coincidence during her university studies, after which she joined Comenius University Bratislava as a public procurement officer. She later moved to the Bratislava City Hall, where she continues to work towards making public procurement more transparent, higher in quality, and easier to understand for all stakeholders involved.

Since 2015, she has served as Head of the Public Procurement Department at the Municipal District Authority of Ostrava-Jih, where she has long focused on transparent, efficient, and high-quality public procurement. As she says herself, she prefers to present the results of her work rather than herself. Under her leadership, the municipal district received the Neplejtvák Award in 2018 as part of the ZINDEX project, achieving 1st place in the category of municipal districts of statutory cities. Even as a smaller contracting authority, she actively applies modern procurement tools and approaches, including electronic auctions, two-envelope tender evaluation, quality-based evaluation with fixed pricing, and dynamic purchasing systems. In the past year, she also contributed to the successful detection of an illegal agreement between bidders (bid rigging), helping to strengthen fairness and transparency in public procurement.

A technology and product expert with more than twenty years of experience in the design, development, and scaling of software solutions. He began his career at Seznam.cz, where he contributed to the development of internet applications. He later worked at GoodData and MSD, focusing on the development and operation of data platforms, analytical tools, and search systems. At Czechitas, he served as Head of Product and led the strategic transformation of the educational portfolio with a focus on data technologies and artificial intelligence. He currently works at the Národní technická knihovna as the chief expert guarantor of the CARDS project, which focuses on modernizing the technological environment of Czech libraries and building a next-generation platform.

Tomáš is a partner at HVH LEGAL and has more than 15 years of experience as an attorney specializing in commercial law and public procurement. He provides legal services to both contracting authorities and suppliers and has long focused on public passenger transport, particularly in the selection of rail and bus operators. In his practice, he avoids a purely formalistic approach and instead seeks legal solutions that are practical, functional, and effective, delivering real added value to clients.

Diella – Albanian Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence Diella was born on January 19, 2025, with the goal of improving online services for citizens of all age groups through voice, visuals, and speed. Since January, Diella has been serving as the virtual assistant of the national platform e-Albania. By September 2025, Diella had recorded 972,000 interactions, while 36,000 newly issued documents from the platform carried its digital seal, representing an innovative feature that sets a new standard in Albanian public administration. As Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Diella represents a bold step by Albania toward the institutionalization of advanced technologies, positioning the country at the forefront of innovation in the region and beyond. Diella’s mission is to improve the accessibility of public services for citizens, ensure the full digitalization of documents and state processes, and integrate artificial intelligence into the country’s most critical sectors.

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.

An experienced procurement manager, trainer and consultant; Karel Otýs is all of these things. He left his senior management procurement position in 2011 to establish his own consulting and training practice. He is enthusiastic about teaching, connecting, advising, sharing, discussing, motivating, training and coaching not only buyers and procurement managers, but also their internal clients and occasionally suppliers. He’s able to find novel solutions with an emphasis on efficiency and simplicity, but also has the ability to break down a complex problem into simple, understandable molecules.

Tomáš works as the Head of Procurement at GasNet. He has extensive experience in managerial positions in procurement, facility management, and large fleet management, which he gained in companies such as RWE/innogy, Czech Airlines, Marks & Spencer, and GasNet. He specializes in process optimization and lean management. He is a father of four and spends his free time with his family, traveling, learning, and engaging in sports.

Jakub Trnobranský began his career in procurement in 2018. At Tesco, he steadily progressed from the position of Tactical Buyer for waste and consumables, through the Head Office category, to his current role as Lead Buying Manager for the property category across the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary. Procurement is a true passion for him, and he enjoys meeting people who share the same enthusiasm.

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.

Olga has been active in the field of public procurement since 2011. Throughout her professional career, she has worked both on the side of oversight authorities (MMR and ÚOHS) and on the side of the contracting authority. In recent years, she has been trying to transfer her experience into innovative approaches and implementation of efficient processes in public procurement. Since 2024, she has been leading the central procurement department.

Jana works as the Central Procurement Manager at Prague Airport, where she is responsible for the strategic leadership of procurement processes and for managing and professionalizing procurement teams. Throughout her career, Jana has focused on the legal oversight of various types of procurement procedures, including concessions, negotiated procedures, design contests, defence and security contracts, and the implementation of dynamic purchasing systems and qualification systems. Her contracting authority experience is further enriched by her work on the supplier side, where she served as Legal Director in a technology company. In addition, Jana has extensive experience in procurement audits and in training contracting authorities, which she carried out during her time at the State Environmental Fund.

Advisory services for both contracting authorities and suppliers have become a part of her professional life during her many years of legal practice, where she focused on various areas of law. She currently leads a team of skilled lawyers and economists at the National Bank of Slovakia, where, in the central procurement department, she focuses on the practical implementation of solutions and the efficiency of procurement processes. She believes that even through a formalized procurement process, it is possible to purchase effectively, simply, and with high quality.

Martina Kolafová is an automation specialist at GasNet and a member of the competence center for low-code/no-code tools. She focuses on SAP Build Process Automation and Power Platform – from solution development and user training to governance design and the advancement of digital skills within the company.

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.

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.

For nearly 15 years, he has operated at the intersection of procurement and technology, connecting digitalization, automation, and most recently the world of AI and intelligent agents. Throughout his professional career, he has been closely linked to the ecosystem of procurement solutions, both from the perspective of solution providers and business partners. He currently works as a Business Transformation Advisor, helping SAP customers find the right path to cloud solutions that deliver real value to their business. His ambition is to design digital transformation strategies that respect the uniqueness of each customer and enable them to maximize the real benefits of modern technologies. In his free time, he recharges through movement and nature. He enjoys whitewater kayaking, cross country skiing, telemark skiing, and cycling, and enthusiastically shares both his experience and passion for sport with his children.

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.

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.

Przez całą swoją karierę zawodową pracował w dziale zakupów, większość czasu w bankowości. Zaczynał w IT i project sourcingu w Komerční banka, następnie przez 9 lat budował Dział Zakupów w nowo powstałym banku Equa. Po fuzji banku z Raiffeisenbankiem był odpowiedzialny za centralne zakupy. Po doświadczeniach związanych z prowadzeniem zespołów zakupowych w bankowości postanowił się usamodzielnić i obecnie pracuje jako konsultant zakupowy dla różnych firm bankowych i przemysłowych, głównie w sektorze IT. Poza tym lubi kupować wszystko, co ma silnik i co najmniej 2 koła. Znajduje również sens i misję w swoim zaangażowaniu w różne działania charytatywne.

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 contributed to the Annual Report and the Public Procurement Strategy.

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.

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.

Lenka Kundratová can undoubtedly be labelled as a very successful and experienced consultant, who has managed the implementation of eAuctions as a procurement tool into more than eighty private and public sector organisations. Currently she heads the PROEBIZ business consultancy team, in which she benefits from the wide knowledge base she built up in her previous jobs as a marketing director and head of procurement.

Since 2007, he has been the head of the consulting team (country manager) of the PROEBIZ group for Moravia, part of Eastern Bohemia, and the Vysočina region. He is one of the leading corporate experts in the digitalization of procurement processes and public tenders. He has successfully implemented PROEBIZ platform software in more than one hundred procurement teams.