Gordan Kolak

President of the Management Board | Končar Group

Gordak Kolak is an experienced manager and expert in strategic management and restructuring of complex business systems, with experience in the national and homeland security segment. At the helm of KONČAR since 2020, he successfully implemented a comprehensive transformation of the company, with an emphasis on renewable energy sources, digital transition and internationalization of business. Under his leadership, KONČAR has become the largest Croatian net exporter and a leader in technological innovation in the region.

Gordan Kolak holds a degree from the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Rijeka and a master’s degree from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture at the University of Zagreb. Throughout his professional journey, he has attained significant expertise in strategic management and national and homeland security, leveraging his university education and advanced training at leading American and European civil and military institutions.

A specialist in business, financial, and organizational restructuring of complex business systems, Gordan boasts exceptional managerial and consulting experience. His successful leadership of his own consulting firm, specializing in business advisory across ICT solutions, strategic planning, implementation, monitoring, business strategy management, corporate governance, and auditing, underscores his expertise.

Gordan Kolak has capitalized on his professional expertise in leadership roles at various companies. At DOK-ING, he focused on the production of robotic machines for special purposes. He then took on a role at King ICT, specializing in system integration for ICT. His tenure at Megatrend and Megatrend Business Solutions involved overseeing ICT distribution and solutions, and at Dalekovod Production, he was responsible for production and engineering.

In 2019, he was appointed Deputy President, and in 2020, President of the Management Board of KONČAR Inc. As the head of the company, he led a comprehensive transformation focused on strengthening the renewable energy segment, digital platforms, and advanced technological solutions. Under his leadership, KONČAR achieved record levels in revenue, profit, profit margins, and backlog. He places strong emphasis on internationalization, modernization of manufacturing capacities, digital transformation, investment in research and development, and the enhancement of corporate culture and organizational resilience. Under his leadership, KONČAR has grown into Croatia’s largest net exporter and emerged as a regional leader in technological innovation, with a clear focus on sustainability and digital transition.

As a member of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia, he actively participated in the Homeland War and the development of the national defense system. He also served in the UN peacekeeping mission in Sierra Leone and remains actively involved in the development of Croatia’s national security and defense framework.

Gordan has held prominent positions, such as President of the Croatian Association of Management Consultants, and has also shared his expertise as a lecturer at the Zagreb School of Economics and Management. From 2015 to 2020, he was Secretary of the Homeland Security Council of the President of the Republic of Croatia. He is also an active member of numerous business associations.

He has received distinguished honors, including the Homeland War Memorial Medal, recognition from the Society of American Military Engineers, and the United Nations Medal for his participation in the peacekeeping mission in Sierra Leone.

Gordana Kovačević

President of the Management Board | Ericsson Nikola Tesla

Ms. Gordana Kovačević has been the President of Ericsson Nikola Tesla since January 1, 2005. In addition to her responsibilities as President of Ericsson Nikola Tesla, she also serves as the President of the Supervisory Board of the subsidiary in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the subsidiary Ericsson Nikola Tesla Servisi in Croatia.

She graduated from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Zagreb. She started her professional career at the then company «Nikola Tesla», where as a respected expert, and later as a manager, she managed a number of the most complex telecommunications projects on domestic and foreign markets, as well as the largest line organizations in the company.

With the arrival of Ericsson in Croatia in 1995, when the company became an associate member of Ericsson Corporation, she became vice president of Ericsson Nikola Tesla and vice president of Ericsson's market unit for Central Europe. At the same time, she was the director of the Center for Communication Solutions and Sales Support. During her career, she dealt with strategic management, company restructuring and business development. Along the way, her innovation and original approach were part of her personal contribution to the local and global organization, which was recognized through Ericsson's centers of excellence that were first implemented in Croatia, and then throughout the corporation. She completed several professional and leadership programs, including the Graduate School of Business at Columbia University, a program that trains the highest-ranking managers in the Ericsson corporation.

In addition to her work at the company, Gordana Kovačević is also involved in the work of reputable institutions in Croatia. Thanks to her excellent results in collaboration with leading representatives of the academic community, she has been appointed to the councils of several universities and faculties, and is currently the president of the Economic Council of the University of Zagreb.

She has received numerous recognitions and awards for her work. For four years in a row, she was named the most powerful woman in Croatian business, and she also received a special recognition for her overall contribution to the Croatian economy. From the Croatian Association of Managers and Entrepreneurs CROMA, she received the Manager of the Year award, and this year, the Lifetime Achievement Award. She is the winner of the European LeaderSHE award and was named the best manager in Southeast and Central Europe. For her contribution to the development of cooperation between Croatia and Sweden, the Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf awarded Gordana Kovačević the Royal Polar Star medal, Commander level. She was also awarded the Order of the Croatian Dawn with the image of Nikola Tesla for special merits in invention, as well as the Order of the Croatian Dawn with the image of Blaž Lorković for exceptional contribution and special merits in the economy.

Tatjana Jukić

Human Resources Director | Studenac Market

Sven Tot

Senior Consultant in the Business Consulting Department | Deloitte

Sven Tot is a senior consultant in Deloitte's business consulting department based in Zagreb. He has extensive experience in defining new operating models for companies, creating job systematizations, and developing employee reward models. He built his professional career by participating in key projects of restructuring and optimizing organizational processes of large companies in the energy, retail, media, and power industries.

Sven specializes in assessing job complexity using Deloitte's Job Evaluation System (JES) and is an advanced user of Microsoft Excel and job complexity evaluation tools. Prior to Deloitte, he gained experience in other leading management consulting firms, where he worked on job systematization and evaluation projects in organizations of various sizes and industries.

He graduated in Strategic Management and completed his undergraduate studies in International Business at the Rotterdam School of Management in the Netherlands.

Zrinka Vrtarić

Odvjetnica | Odvjetničko društvo Vrtarić & partneri

Zrinka is an attorney at Law Firm Vrtarić & Partners, in collaboration with Deloitte Legal. Zrinka is an attorney with over 18 years of practical experience. She provides legal support and advice to her clients, mostly medium-sized and large foreign and domestic companies, on a daily basis on all aspects of their business operations in Croatia. Based on her many years of cooperation with the Deloitte Legal network, she advises clients on tax compliance issues as well as all aspects of corporate law and represents them in proceedings and disputes related to tax and other administrative matters. Zrinka is particularly expert in the field of labor law and human resources management. During her career, she has developed a deep understanding of complex issues such as structuring employment contracts, collective bargaining, workforce restructuring and optimization, protection of trade secrets and competitive restrictions. She advises employers on all aspects of labor relations – from hiring and remuneration to termination of employment, including sensitive situations such as disciplinary proceedings and labor disputes. He has special expertise in the field of international transfers of employees, harmonization of internal acts with regulatory requirements and strategic planning of HR policies that support clients' business goals.

Ratko Drča

Director of the Technology and Transformation Department at Deloitte Central Europe | Deloitte

Ratko Drča is the director of the Technology and Transformation Department at Deloitte Central Europe, based in Croatia. He is specialized in internal controls, IT auditing and leading teams in the field of cyber strategy and transformation. His extensive experience includes projects in the banking sector, telecommunications and the manufacturing industry, with a particular focus on improving security and control frameworks.

During his career, Ratko has worked on analysis and compliance with the DORA regulation for leading financial institutions, consulting on cyber security for large insurance groups, conducting cyber crisis simulations for regional banks and analyzing compliance with the NIS regulation for key clients. He has great competence in the application of regulatory frameworks and the highest international standards (COBIT, Sarbanes-Oxley, ISAE 3402, ISAE 3000, ISO 27001 and ISO 27002).

He is a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) and PCAOB certified auditor. He is distinguished by his extensive consulting experience in projects related to regulation and increasing the cyber resilience of financial and other institutions.

Andrej Krvavica

General Manager | GrECo Croatia

Andrej Krvavica is the CEO of GrECo Croatia, part of the GrECo Group, a leading corporate risk consultant and insurance and reinsurance intermediary in Central and Southeastern Europe. GrECo provides clients with individual solutions in risk management and insurance. The GrECo Group, headquartered in Vienna, employs almost 1,400 people in 69 offices in 21 countries. With clients in 150 countries around the world, GrECo is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. GrECo has been present in Croatia since 1995, with 3 offices – Zagreb, Rijeka and Osijek.

With more than 20 years of experience in insurance and brokerage, Andrej Krvavica is an internationally known broker and expert in all lines of insurance, reinsurance and risk management. In addition to already existing professional knowledge, he received additional education in London, the center of the world's brokerage and insurance and reinsurance business, in the field of cyber insurance, reinsurance and professional liability insurance. Before joining GrECo Croatia, Andrej held management positions in a number of brokerage and insurance companies and has extensive experience in project management, people and sales. It actively participates in the construction of the insurance and reinsurance market of the region through the improvement of the planning process, program coordination, but also through solid, partnership relations with all stakeholders.

Svjetlana Momčilović

Sales Director | GrECo Croatia

Svjetlana Momčilović is Sales Director at GrECo Croatia, part of the GrECo Group, a leading risk consultancy and insurance and reinsurance broker in Central and Southeastern Europe. GrECo celebrates its 100th anniversary this year and has been operating in Croatia since 1995 with offices in Zagreb, Rijeka and Osijek.

With over 20 years of experience in business development, strategic planning, sales and communications, Svjetlana has focused her career on creating sustainable and secure business solutions for clients – with a particular focus on risk management and insurance. At GrECo, she leads sales and marketing strategy and market development, with the aim of providing tailored solutions to protect clients’ businesses. She places particular emphasis on an individualized approach to clients and building long-term relationships based on trust and understanding of the risks they face.

Before joining GrECo, she worked as a Business Development Manager at Marsh McLennan, and she further built her experience through leadership positions at the American Chamber of Commerce in Croatia and the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, where she developed projects focused on investments, competitiveness, and strategic communication.

She graduated in English and Italian language and literature from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb, and is currently completing her MBA studies at the Faculty of Economics.

Hrvoje Šegudović

CEO | Infigo IS

The driving force behind Infigo IS. For years, after graduating from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing in Zagreb, he worked in operational part of IT security, but later in life he moved into a managerial role. Now he makes big decisions, makes big business deals, and with that comes a big personality – his words and actions shape Infigo IS every day. He is a connoisseur of fine wine and cuisine, and a passionate long-distance runner.

Saša Jušić

Board member & Principal information security consultant | Infigo IS

Information security professional with more than 20 years of experience. Equally passionate about both technical and organizational aspects of information security. Deeply convinced that one cannot succeed without the other and that the right balance between those two is critical for building and maintaining a proper security posture. Despite many years of professional career in both defensive and offensive security, he is still motivated to learn new things and take on new challenges.

Andrej Grubišić

Managing Partner | Grubišić & Partneri

Andrej began his career in 2002 in the USA as a financial analyst at Sodexho Inc. In 2003, he joined Hrvatski Telekom as an assistant in the office of the Finance Board Member, where he was responsible for treasury and corporate finance, after which he moved to the Strategy Department, where he managed the strategic planning process for all members of the T-HT Group. In 2007, he became a member of the Board of Directors of the investment fund management company Platinum Invest, which he co-owned until the end of 2008, when he sold his stake and moved to the position of Director of Corporate Finance within Erste Group, responsible for the Croatian market with a focus on mergers and acquisitions, recapitalizations and financial restructuring projects. In early 2010, he founded a financial consulting firm specializing in corporate finance – Grubišić & Partneri Korporativne Financije (since 2025 Grubišić Krešić Korporativne Financije). Andrej is responsible for origination, conceptual project setup, execution supervision and coordination, quality control, client consulting and ensuring all prerequisites for closing transaction processes. From 2004 to 2018, Andrej was a professor of finance at the Zagreb School of Economics and Management on undergraduate and MBA studies, and since 2017 he has been a lecturer at the Luxembourg School of Business in the field of finance.

Education

- PhD in Business Management - SDA Bocconi, Milan, Italy, 2021-2024 (candidate)
- Mergers and acquisitions - London Business School, London, UK, 2018 (executive education)
- Strategic financial analysis for business evaluation (executive education) - Harvard Business School, Cambridge, USA, 2014.
- Doctorate in business management in the field of finance - Business School Lausanne, Switzerland, 2007
– Master's Degree in Finance – Webster University, St. Louis, USA, 2003
– Undergraduate studies, finance department – Faculty of Economics, Zagreb, 2001

Izabela Butković Rikalo

General Counsel, Head of Legal operations and Organisational excellence department | Profil Klett Croatia

Izabela Butković Rikalo is the Director of Legal Affairs and Organizational Excellence at Profil Klett, one of the leading publishers of educational content in the region. She joined the company in 2023 with a dual mandate: to take over the management of the legal department and, at the same time, to design and implement a comprehensive human resources management system, adapted to the needs of a complex and socially responsible organization. The key point of the transformation was the construction of a transparent and fair salary system - as a fundamental organizational structure and prerequisite for sustainable change, which she will also discuss as part of the conference panel.

Before entering the corporate sector, Izabela worked as a lawyer for more than 14 years, specializing in commercial law, company law, labor law, and legal aspects of business and compliance. Throughout her long-standing practice, she represented renowned businesses, led complex legal teams, and mentored younger colleagues – an experience she now recognizes as her first contact with human resources. The transition from law to a corporate environment and taking on the parallel roles of legal and HR director was, as she herself points out, a logical and natural continuation of her professional development: “It was not a turning point, but an evolution.”

Today, in his work, he combines legal structure with organizational sensitivity, strategic thinking with a human approach. He actively develops his skills in the field of human resources management, leadership coaching and change management, and he focuses his special interest on organizational culture as a key pillar of business strategy. He believes that organizational culture is not just a set of values, but an architecture that shapes the way organizations operate and achieve their goals.

In addition to her professional challenges, Izabela is also a mother of four and a member of the Board of Directors of Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Croatia, the Croatian branch of the international gastronomic association that promotes excellence, tradition and professional networking. She believes that, just as top-notch gastronomy brings people together around shared values, a strong organizational culture creates cohesive and motivated teams.

Mladen Pejković

Senior Executive Director, Transformation & ICT | Atlantic Grupa

Ivan Zubak

President of the Management Board | Zubak Group

Ivan Zubak is the CEO of Zubak Group, a family business that has been operating successfully for almost 50 years. After graduating from high school in Philadelphia, he returned to Croatia and enrolled in ZSEM, graduating in 2006 as the best student of his generation. He was involved in the family business, started by his father in 1978, from an early age and has worked in almost all departments, from car wash, service, warehouse, sales, accounting, marketing, human resources and research and development. Today, with almost 20 years of business experience, as the CEO of a company that employs more than 600 employees and provides its services in Croatia, but also Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Italy, North Macedonia, Slovenia and Serbia, he is responsible for developing the strategy and implementing it for the entire group. In addition, he is directly responsible for the ORYX Assistance division, and the Internal Audit and Human Resources departments. He took over the CEO position from his father in 2020, completing the transition of the business to the next family generation, which he loves to share his experiences about. His main passion in business is projects related to digital transformation and human resources. In addition, since 2021, he has served as a member of the ZSEM Program Council.

Boro Milivojević

CEO | Koykan

Boro Milivojević is an entrepreneur, investor and CEO whose career is based on building technology-driven and scalable companies across various industries and markets. He began his professional career in the IT sector and corporate consulting, working for prestigious companies such as BMW, and then at Amazon Web Services, where he led regional teams across Europe. Born in Zagreb, he graduated from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and gained extensive international experience through 25 years of work in Zagreb and the same number of years in Germany. His entrepreneurial spirit has guided him since his student days, and he moved from the corporate world to the startup environment, where he launched and developed several companies, among which Koykan stands out - a fast-growing restaurant chain operating in several European Union countries. Koykan was born from his passion for travel, experimenting with global culinary influences and the desire to make quality "healthy street food" accessible to everyone. Together with his colleague Domagoj Klarić, he founded Koykan in 2012, combining recipes and inspiration gained from numerous trips. Through more than ten years of business, Koykan has grown into a brand known for freshness, quality, speed, availability and innovation, and Milivojević has remained consistent with the mission that every guest in every Koykan location gets the same experience - whether in Zagreb, Prague, Munich or Bratislava. His entrepreneurial philosophy is based on long-term thinking, analytical approach to decisions and listening to the needs of customers and partners. He emphasizes the importance of brand consistency and continuously works on the digitization of business - procurement, inventory and employee management, as well as B2B e-commerce solutions for franchise partners, are digitally integrated. He also founded the company we:innov8 with the aim of accelerating the digital transformation of the gastronomy industry. He is particularly proud of the development of Koykan's hybrid expansion model – a combination of franchise and own locations – which enables rapid and controlled expansion into new European markets, while maintaining the quality and authenticity of the brand. Future plans include opening 18 of his own restaurants and more than 15 franchises by 2027 in countries such as Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia, with a strategic issuance of corporate bonds to finance growth. Milivojević believes that the strength of the brand lies in constant innovation, but without compromising on values and quality. Privately, he lives between Zagreb and Munich, spends his free time with family and friends in nature, camping and sailing, and cultivates his passion for cooking. In his work, Boro Milivojević continuously strives to leave a positive mark on the community and be a leader of a new generation of entrepreneurs who combine technology, food and operational excellence. 

Ivan Kurtović

President of the Management Board | InterCapital Asset Management

Ivan is the Managing Partner and CEO at InterCapital. Ivan has 21 years of experience in finance & investing. He is a big fan of innovations, which InterCapital continuously introduces through new products (such as ETFs) or through new services such as the Genius robo-advisory application.

Ivan is an IMD & INSEAD alumni.

Jasmina Lukačević

General Manager, Member of the Board | SD Worx Adriatic

Jasmina Lukačević, works as General Manager and Memeber of the Board for SD Worx Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia. She has more than 20 years of experience in the corporate and private sector, taking operational and strategic positions. Her expertise lies in combining IT and HR areas and special focus on building leadership capacity, organizational development and business development. She believes that success is created through the involvement and engagement of employees, taking responsibility and connecting all stakeholders in a meaningful way. Jasmina holds a master degree in mathematics and computer science, and specialization in the field of Human Resources, leadership and general management. She loves her big family, time for vacation and travel, conferences and socializing with friends and colleagues.

mr. sc. Emira Duratbegović

Vice President for Human Resources | AS Holding

Mr. sc. Emira Duratbegović, title of prof. in pedagogy at the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Sarajevo, where she received her master's degree in health psychology and medical pedagogy.  

She has gained rich experience working with people and organizations during her twenty-year career, first in the marketing industry and then in the field of human resources. 

Svoje iskustvo i stečena znanja i vještine primjenjuje sa posebnim fokusom na strategije razvoja i zadržavanja zaposlenika kroz procese selekcije, područja osobnog razvoja zaposlenika, mjerenja efikasnosti te unapređivanje i razvijanje edukacijskih programa i metoda rada.

Od 2017. godine dio je AS Holdinga, Sarajevo, BiH, gdje je kao Direktorica Direkcije za korporativne ljudske resurse uspostavila HR kao stratešku operativnu funkciju u 15 kompanija grupacije. 

Od 2023. godine je na poziciji potpredsjednice za ljudske resurse AS Holdinga. 

Ona je suosnivačica i jedna od predavača na AS Akademiji u dijelu soft skills. 

Poseban naglasak stavlja na komunikacijsku uspješnost i asertivno ponašanje, zadovoljstvo zaposlenika, timski rad, te individualne razvojne programe zaposlenika. 

Na velikom broju domaćih i regionalnih konferencija, bila je aktivni učesnik i panelist.  

Emira je također i mentorica u Ženskoj Mentorskoj Mreži BiH, gdje svake godine u radu sa perspektivnim poslovnim mentorima nesebično daje svoju podršku. 

Članica je Uprave HRM Udruženja Bosne i Hercegovine, gdje daje doprinos kroz organizacijsku i stručnu podršku članovima udruženja. 

Nela Bučević

Director of Human Resources & Culture | E.ON Croatia

Nela Bučević comes from the position of Director of the Human Resources and Culture Sector at E.ON Croatia, a part of the global E.ON Group that strongly leads the energy transition in Croatia and Slovenia. Nela has exceptional experience in human resources, corporate communications, legal affairs and public policies, with strong specialization in FMCG, retail and logistics, restructuring, acquisitions and integrations. Nela's expertise includes organizational development, talent attraction and development, performance management and employer branding, which today gives her broad knowledge and experience in managing E.ON's collective development. Before her current position, Nela held key leadership roles in the domains of Human Resources and corporate communications in the companies Coca-Cola Hellenic Adria, METRO Cash & Carry Hrvatska, Inditex, FOREO and A1, where she led teams in charge of employee development, managed complex business mergers and acquisitions and implemented transformational changes. Through all positions, she has proven herself in developing leadership skills and encouraging inclusive and diverse work environments. After a master's degree in law at the University of Split, Nela also holds a master's degree in economics at the University of Ljubljana, and is educated at the University of Minnesota and the Oxford Leadership Academy. As a certified trainer, coach and facilitator of teams in transformation, with continuous engagement in leadership development and change management programs, Nela is a regular guest lecturer at various universities - always dedicated to mentoring and developing young professionals in an international business environment.

Ivan Bešlić

Co-founder & CSO | Sofascore

Ivan Bešlić founded Sofascore with Zlatko Hrkac, a childhood friend, when they realized that sports connect people with more emotions than anything else. Guided by these findings, Sofascore quickly became the leading platform for advanced sports statistics, used in all countries of the world. As Chief Strategy Officer, Ivan is in charge of expanding and strengthening the company in key global markets. With employees whose number will soon exceed 300 on four continents, Ivan's strategy should ensure Sofascore's key goal: to follow all sports and all matches in one place.

Ivana Mikanović

CHRO | Sofascore

Ivana Mikanović psihologinja je s interesom orijentiranim na organizacije, unaprijeđenje procesa, rješavanje problema, povećanje uspješnosti i postizanje ciljeva. Prijašnje radno iskustvo bazirano joj je na javni sektor u sklopu CZSS i civilni sektor u vidu stručnog suradnika na brojnim projektima. Oduvijek ju motivira učenje i razvoj, a završila je drugi stupanj KBT-a i savjetodavni trening te je autorizirana korisnica alata 4 sobe promjene, SDI-a, Wartegga i drugih. Najvrijednijim soft skill vještinama smatra aktivno slušanje te usmjerenost na praktična rješenja.