Meet the Voices of Motion

As Chief Economist, Europe, Natalia’s responsibilities include development and delivery of differentiated economic, financial, policy and market thought leadership for customers, Mastercard and public policy makers.
Natalia came to Mastercard with over 20 years of experience in economic research and analysis. Prior to joining Mastercard, Natalia was the Head of Sovereign and Economic Risk for Europe, Middle East & Africa at Goldman Sachs in London.
Prior to Goldman Sachs, Natalia was a Senior Economist at Standard Chartered Bank. Natalia spent several years as a Senior Consultant at NERA Economic Consulting in New York. Natalia started her career at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in Paris, representing interests of the member countries ́ business communities to the organization.
Natalia holds a BA in International Economics and International Affairs from the American University of Paris, MSc from London School of Economics and Political Science and MBA from INSEAD.

Silvia has over 22 years of experience in payments and fintech across all areas of the value chain from consumer payments to transaction banking, having held senior roles for the past 12 years. She brings diverse and extensive experience in the payments industry and financial services space, with a focus on building strong, long-term relationships. Silvia is passionate about making payments and banking seamless and supporting customers with an emphasis on leveraging innovation and bringing parties together. She works directly with senior executives, including top corporates, banks, acquirers, issuers and major global networks.

Milan brings over 20 years of expertise in payments, banking, and leadership. Educated in economics in Budapest and Prague, he started his career in strategic consulting, at Deloitte and McKinsey. At Mastercard, he quickly rose through the ranks, driving innovation, mergers, and new organizational setups across Europe, the Middle East, Africa as member of the Mastercard regional leadership team and his last role was as global EVP for card acceptance. Since leaving Mastercard, Milan has become an angel investor and advisory board member in several fintech ventures, while also active in the non-for-profit sector. He was recently awarded by Forbes as “The philanthropist of the Year 2024”.

With 20 years of experience in the banking and payments industry, Claudia Cruceru is currently Head of Visa Direct for Central and Eastern Europe.
In her role, she is managing and growing Visa’s money movement product and solutions, including Visa Direct Card, Account and Wallet, Visa Cross Border Solutions and B2B Connect with the purpose of expanding Visa’s footprint into new areas like transaction banking, cash management and remittance infrastructure across 8 markets from the CEE region.
Before joining Visa, Claudia was part of a leading European Banking Group and worked in various geographies in Austria, Italy and Germany. In the last 5 years prior to Visa, Claudia had various management roles in product development and business strategy in consumer finance, retail products and payments in Romania.

Thilo Freund is an expert in enterprise technology and retail solutions with 25+ years of experience. He has worked with FT100 and high-growth customers around the world. Thilo has held regional and global leadership positions for the past 15 years. Before Trigo, he served as GM EMEA for Aptos Retail and Senior Vice President Sales at GK Software. Thilo holds a Master’s degree in business & economics and environmental sustainability from Leuphana University of Lüneburg.

Berislav Marszalek has always been deeply passionate about technology. This led him to pursue and graduate in Electronic Engineering from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing. Besides technology, Berislav is equally passionate about music, especially playing the piano. These two passions converged in 2011 when, during his student years, he founded Entrio. Today, Entrio is the leading self-service event ticketing and registration platform in South-East Europe region. Annually, Entrio serves over 4,500 events across the region, including a diverse array of concerts, conferences, festivals, theatre shows, exhibitions, and more.

As the CTO at payabl., Thekla Paschali spearheads payabl.’s technological vision and infrastructure. With an impressive educational background, she holds an MBA from CIIM and a Master’s Degree in Internet Technologies and Enterprise Computing. As CTO, Thekla continues to propel payabl. into the future, focusing on innovation, strategic partnerships, cybersecurity, and regulatory compliance. Her leadership ensures that payabl. remains at the forefront of technological excellence.

Senior Vice President Crypto and Fintech Enablement Mastercard. Since April 2022 Christian Rau holds the position of Senior Vice President Crypto and Fintech Enablement for Mastercard. In close cooperation with global account and product teams and our customers and partners he works on designing and deploying innovative digital payment propositions. Heading the Central European Product Team between 2015 and 2019 he was responsible for the introduction of Debit Mastercard. Subsequently he led the Mastercard Vienna office as General Manager for the Austrian Market. Christian joined Mastercard in 2012 after having held positions in the
telecommunication and banking sector.

Bartosz Ciolkowski is Division President for Southeast Europe in Mastercard, which includes Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Israel, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania and Serbia. Ciolkowski is responsible for implementing strategy in the region, developing electronic payments, and working with business and government partners. He is a member of the supervisory board of the Polish Payment Standard and a member of the supervisory board of the Cashless Poland Foundation. He is a technology and innovations enthusiast, with a mission to coach startups, helping them to scale. He recently joined the Board of Endeavour in Poland.

Proven executive and fintech expert, with more than 20 years of experience in the field, currently acting as a board member and CRO with one of the leading regional pay tech companies, with wide experience in payment and fintech industry. In his previous positions Goran led an international banking tech company, international payment innovation initiatives, co-founded an independent ATM company, led multiple blockchain based fintech projects and pioneered in open banking.   Goran is now leading new initiatives in the field of embedded finance and innovative payment forms, focusing on the next generation of payment.

Pavel Kaminsky – PCI QSA, 3DS, QPA, CISSP, CISA, CEH, is the guy Fintech founders call when they need to implement secure payment environments and cost-efficient PCI DSS. He is a mentor at the VISA Innovation Program, Level39, Startupbootcamp and others, an Advisory Board & Awards Judge at MPE Berlin, and a regular lecturer at various Fintech and IT security conferences. Pavel is also the founder & CEO of 7Security GmbH – a QSA company authorized to provide PCI DSS certification to merchants and payment service providers worldwide. He works with startups daily, helping them find flexible solutions tailored to their ambitions for growth.

CEO with a broad experience in establishing new business and M&A in different countries including CEE, SE, Africa and Latin America. He is managing international structure with over 3900 people operating in 23 countries. Piotr Jeleński is CEO of ASEE Group since July 2007, responsible for overall strategy as well as daily development of all ASEE Business Units and respective country operations. He is focused on organic growth supported by selective acquisitions. efore his position at ASEE, he worked as CFO of Softbank and following Softbank’s merger into Asseco Poland, CFO of Asseco Poland and Board Member.

Charith Mendis leads worldwide banking industry efforts for Amazon Web Services (AWS). In this role, he works with leading banking, lending, and FinTech organizations globally to transform their existing businesses and bring innovative solutions to the market by leveraging cloud and AI/ML capabilities. Charith has 20 years of experience developing solutions for financial services organizations across Asia, EMEA, and North America. Prior to AWS, Charith worked at Accenture, Deloitte, and KPMG, and delivering multiple digital transformation programs across the front, middle, and back offices globally.

Alex is a serial entrepreneur with more than 15 years of experience in Business Strategy, Digital Transformation and Innovation. He’s the Deputy CEO of the Luxembourg House of Financial Technology (LHoFT), where he’s supporting international fintechs to establish and grow their operations in Europe. The aim of the LHoFT is to drive digitalisation and innovation in the Luxembourg financial industry by building a collaborative ecosystem of innovators across all sectors of the domestic and international community. International keynote speaker, board member and advisor to various fintechs and conferences, Alex is also a professor in Business Strategy and Digital Marketing. He holds an MBA in Strategy from the University of Quebec in Montreal, Canada.

Božidar Pavlović is a fintech expert and the CEO of Jackie Agency. After more than 20 years of experience in banking in leadership positions, he switched from security to excitement and took on a challenging episode with a high-potential fintech startup. Currently, as a freelance consultant, he is dedicated to helping the local startup community through conferences, mentorship, consulting, angel investments, and soon, through a new VC fund.

Panagiotis has spent his career in the borderline between business and technology with a leadership background at an international level. 
Panagiotis brings senior expertise across Financial Services, Banking, Payments, FinTech, Retail and E-Commerce. 
Innovation, strategy, business development, strategic partnerships and building businesses and products from scratch have been at the center of his work and attention throughout his career.
Being a recognized voice in the financial services industry, Panagiotis has contributed to various publications and podcasts and is often invited as a public speaker at events around the globe.

Since April 2021, Zoltan has been responsible for digital transformation at group level, standardised IT operations, technology, architecture and IT security. He is the co-creator of the Digital Division strategy based on the OKR methodology, facilitator of building the Artificial Intelligence infrastructure in the bank. Member of the Digitalisation Board of Portfolion Ltd.
Prior to joining OTP, Zoltan held various leadership positions: he was CEO and member of the Board at T-Systems Hungary, the country’s No. 1 system integrator company, where he played a key role in the digitalisation of Hungary in the B2B segment, where agile transformation, 5G implementation, AI developments, SMART developments were key areas for the company. Previously, Zoltan fulfilled the role of Vice President of OTP Bank Serbia for IT and Logistics. As CIO of MOL Group, his main challenge was to change the information systems organisation from the old operating mode to a highly professional and effective service provider organisation. He also held the roles of IT Director of Budapest Airport, and IT Strategy and Service Centre Director of the Hungarian Post.

Vjekoslav Bonic is the Head of Digital Channels & Conversational AI in Retail Banking at Raiffeisenbank International. He focuses on Mobile Banking, Chatbots and Embedded Finance, aiming to provide superior customer experience through continuous innovation. With extensive experience in IT, AI and digital transformation in banking, Vjeko has consistently worked at the intersection of business and new technologies.

Alice Rettig is the Managing Director of Fintech Community Frankfurt GmbH (TechQuartier), one of Germany’s largest digital hubs and a key ecosystem builder in the Rhein-Main region.
With a passion for driving transformation, Alice leads efforts to accelerate technological innovation and foster collaboration between 20 corporate partners and over 600 startups. Her background includes six years in academia, where she focused on corporate innovation and startup acceleration, along with program management for a Berlin-based accelerator.

Aleksandar Bogdanović was appointed CEO of Yettel Bank in January 2023, following the excellent results he achieved as a member of the board in the role of Chief Commercial Officer. In his current position, he leads Yettel Bank through the process of complete transformation, repositioning within the banking sector in Serbia, as well as through the project of creating a unique eco system with the sister telecommunications company Yettel and other companies within the PPF Group.
Before joining Yettel Bank, Aleksandar successfully led two local companies, one in the oil industry and the other in the tourism and hospitality sector. He also spent a significant portion of his career at British American Tobacco, where he held various roles, including Country Manager for the Slovenian market and Director of Sales and Marketing for the Serbian market.

Nic is an IT veteran and fintech entrepreneur with experience in Romania, Belgium, and the United States. He graduated from InformaCcs in Romania in 1991 and EMBA in Switzerland in 2001. Starting from advanced database technologies, he built startups for banking services, payments, digital identity and credit scoring in Europe and America.
Recently, Nic founded Lendrise, a startup that strengthens the creditworthiness of European citizens, and RoFintech, the Fintech association in Romania that helps fintech companies advance in the highly competitive and regulated environment of Romania and the European Union.
Nic is also involved in Romanian naConal projects such as digital currency and the financial and digital inclusion of Romanians at home and in the diaspora.

Nina Mimica has been the Chief Innovation and Digitalization Officer (CINO) at Studenac since October 2022. She is responsible for the strategy, development, and implementation of innovative technological solutions in company processes, aimed at enhancing customer satisfaction, internal process optimization, efficiency, and revenue growth.
Nina started her retail career at Studenac as the Director of Marketing and Corporate Communications after six years in marketing at Deutsche Telekom Group in Croatia and Germany. With over 15 years of experience in advertising, marketing and corporate communications, product development, innovation, and international marketing strategies, she holds an MBA in International Business from the MIB School of Management in Trieste. In 2023, she was awarded the Businesswoman of the Year, recognizing her efforts to promote women’s participation in top management in a fast-growing company.

Viktoria carries 20+ years experience in Information technology built in USA, Italy, India and Germany. She belongs to the generation who has lived through the fall of Berlin wall, the birth of internet and social media, euro and EQ.  She has studied mathematics and econometrics in Boston and worked as a researcher for NAFTA and World Trade Organization.  She arrived to Italy following her husband the year when Java Script was born, kicking off her professional path in Information Technology first at IBM, then at Vodafone and Amdocs.  She feels fortunate to have chosen the sector that both allowed and obliged her to stay up to date with digital evolution, moving to SaaS, cloud, microservice, and artificial intelligence.  She is immensely grateful to Italy, which today is home and family and to the United States that formed her as a person, curious and resilient. She actively mentors young people and supports women aspiring to tech professions. Currently she works at Nexi Group, where she is leading innovation and implementation of Generative AI.

He began his career as a business journalist, then founded his own startup, which successfully went through venture capital funding. For 8 years, he was the Head of Innovation of Design Terminal, an organization focused on the development of startups and corporate innovation, contributing to the growth of more than 200 startups during this time. Later, he worked as a consultant in several sectors (FMCG, financial sector, manufacturing, and defense industry) focusing on innovation management, and in 2020-2021, he served as the innovation director at MKB Fintechlab (MKB Inkubátor Kft.). Since 2022, he has been the Managing Director of MKB Fintechlab (later MBH Fintechlab) and the Head of Innovation at MBH Bank – the second biggest bank in Hungary. Since 2014, he has been a lecturer at several universities (Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design, Corvinus University of Budapest, Budapest Business School). He is an active angel investor and the Chairman of the Hungarian Fintech Association.

Balázs Pál Békeffy became the CEO of OTP banka d.d. in Croatia in 2011. After graduating in Economics (major: Accounting and Corporate Valuation) from the Budapest University of Economic Sciences and Public Administration (BUES), he joined the PwC before starting an ascend within the banking industry in the OTP group in 2003.

Eliad Saporta, Founder and CEO of Coriunder, brings over 18 years of expertise in the payment industry to his role. At Coriunder, a Backend-as-a-Service provider, he specializes in empowering Financial Institutions, including EMIs, PSPs, Acquirers, and Marketplaces. His extensive experience encompasses establishing banking services and acquirers across Europe and Israel.

Nenad Crnčec is a seasoned enterprise architect with extensive experience in the international banking and fintech sectors, specializing in digital transformation, architecture governance, and innovative technology solutions. As the founder and CEO of a consulting and development firm, he drives advancements in AI and digital banking, collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to redesign architectures and align business strategies. Previously, he led group-wide initiatives at a leading international banking groups, including the implementation of Event-Driven Architecture across 13 countries, setting new standards for architecture principles and governance. A dynamic speaker and mentor, Nenad is passionate about enabling teams through knowledge sharing, workshops, and cutting-edge innovations.

Don is a Civil Engineer by training but has a long experience in the financial industry. First as a banker, later as VC, Angel investor and ecosystem facilitator. Most of his work has been into fintech, strategy and digital transformation. He holds several supervisory board positions and is currently chairman of the European Digital Finance Association.

Mario Žižek is an unconventional banker who has followed his own path in the world of banking for more than 25 years. With a degree from the Faculty of Economics in Zagreb and a MBA degree from Manchester Business School, he left his mark in the world of banking even before he joined Addiko Bank in 2016. As CEO of Addiko, Mario has led the organization through eight years of transformations, proving that a bank doesn’t have to be big to dream big. Although Banking is quite specific and set in its ways, Mario and his team have played a key role in disrupting the Banking industry in Croatia. With his leadership, Addiko’s team has been inspired not to wait for future to happen, but to make it happen, creating financial solutions for the world of tomorrow.

Jordan Graison is the owner and creator of Spill the Tea on Payment, a blog and opinion platform to discuss the Payment Industry and its Actors. 

From start-ups to big corporates, small businesses to billion-dollar retail networks, Sales, Operations, Product management, serving e-com and face-to-face payment. Card and non-card payment, the multi-faceted 12 years experience of Jordan GRAISON allowed a great liberty of tone, a deep strategic step back on Payment Industry.  Spill the Tea on Payment provides opinions, insights and education on everything around Retail Payments in Europe and beyond.

Živko Krstić is a Chief Technology Officer at Scalata, where he pioneers the integration of generative AI and data lake to drive fintech innovation. With extensive expertise in artificial intelligence, scalable architectures, and NLP, Živko has been instrumental in developing cutting-edge solutions that improve complex processes and transform financial services. At Money Motion, he will share practical insights on leveraging AI agents, RAG frameworks, and vector databases to build robust products, whether for enhancing internal operations or delivering next-generation fintech services.

Željka Jurić is an experienced Product Manager specializing in cybersecurity, with over 12 years of industry experience. She currently leads a team of five professionals focused on developing cutting-edge security solutions. Her expertise lies in protecting users from cyber threats through innovative technology. Željka has worked at Infobip, Hrvatski Telekom, and ASEE, where she gained deep insights into product development and market strategy.
She holds a Master’s degree from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing (FER) and is a certified Product Owner and Scrum Master. Passionate about human psychology, she has also completed an NLP certification. At ASEE, Željka focuses on creating security products that safeguard mobile applications and systems. Her leadership style emphasizes teamwork, collaboration, and continuous learning.
Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with family, traveling, and sports. She has a deep love for the sea and finds inspiration in outdoor activities. Though she once aspired to become an actress, she is truly passionate about product management.

Valentina Dragomir is a recognized expert in digital identity, regulatory compliance, and digital transformation within the financial sector. With over a decade of experience in banking, she has specialized in identity attestation and the implementation of secure, compliant digital identity solutions in line with Romanian and EU regulations.
As part of Evrotrust, Valentina is at the forefront of advancing digital trust by driving the adoption of innovative identity verification technologies that enhance security, regulatory compliance, and user experience. Her deep expertise in the evolving regulatory landscape enables her to develop and implement strategies that align with the latest financial services standards, ensuring seamless and trustworthy digital interactions.

Zvonimir Mavretić is a seasoned Application Architect and BPM International Delivery Director at ASEE, with over two decades of experience in business process management, digitalization, document and records management, and intranet solutions.
His extensive expertise includes portals, workflow automation, and technologies like SharePoint, K2, and .NET, making him a leader in enterprise application architecture. As a former CTO of eVision and IT Sistemi, Zvonimir has driven technical innovation and helped organizations streamline their operations.An alumnus of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, Zvonimir combines deep technical expertise with practical leadership. During his formal education, he was particularly interested in software development, and his first career steps started during his student days when he co-founded his first start-up. Even though he has a 20-year management career behind him in leading IT companies, he is still passionate about software development and loves to code.

Alex Lopez, a former founder, spent 10 years in the music industry. He raised VC funding for Soundpickr, a Web3 startup, in 2020 and led the company for three years, onboarding Eurovision and Google as main clients until the product was discontinued during the Web3 bear market.
In 2023, he transitioned to consulting and took on several contracts with U.S. government agencies and European corporations, where he gained firsthand experience of the many inefficiencies that large teams and legacy corporations face. At the start of 2024, he moved back to full-time tech.
For the best part of 2024, he built semi-autonomous AI agents and created data engines to train new models. He is now laser-focused on developing custom AI agents while expanding unique data engines.

Dwayne Gefferie is an entrepreneur, author, speaker, and payments & data consultant with 20 years of experience in data, analytics, and fintech. He has worked with industry giants like ING, Spotify, Facebook, Uber, and Google, helping shape their payments and data strategies.
At Adyen, he expanded their Acquiring, Data, and Analytics capabilities, playing a key role in their global growth. He later led data teams at Dimebox (now Verifone) and Checkout.com, where he helped scale operations and drive expansion. In 2018, Dwayne founded DataBright, a consultancy that modernized data infrastructure for top financial services firms before its acquisition in 2023. Now, he advises payments leaders like Visa, WorldPay, and Mastercard, as well as fintech startups including Milio (YC), Basis Theory, and Flow Your Money. He shares industry insights daily on LinkedIn and writes Payments Strategy Breakdown, a newsletter read by over 5,000 payments professionals weekly. A sought-after speaker, he has presented at the Merchants Payments Ecosystem, MasterCard Innovation Forum, Money Motion, and other top payments conferences.

Mislav has been working in the Ethereum/EVM space since 2016. Currenly he is working as the Vice President of Product at Biconomy. He is a co-author of a book “Developers Guide to Ethereum” and a co-founder of a chain abstraction protocol “Klaster” (acquired by Biconomy). Previously he led the development of legal frameworks and tooling in the RWA and Tokenization spaces.

Antonio Argir is a senior banking executive with over 25 years of experience with universal banking expertise, specializing in payments, digital transformation, and financial services innovation in last three years. As a Member of the Management Board at NLB Group, he leads Group Steering, Payments, and Innovations, driving the transition from cash to digital payments and shaping the future of financial services in the region.
Previously, as CEO of NLB Banka Skopje, he led the bank’s growth, market leadership, and strategic innovation. Under his management NLB Banka Skopje marked exceptional growth in all segments of its operations and perceived as the most innovative bank on the market, significant increase in the profitability of the bank and share price increased fivefold. Since joining NLB d.d. Ljubljana in 2022, he has focused on advancing digital payments, financial literacy, and regulatory adaptation.
Antonio holds a degree in Macroeconomics, Finance, and Banking and an Executive MBA from IEDC-Bled. Antonio currently serves also as a President of the Board of Directors of NLB Banka sh.a., Prishtina and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of NLB Banka Podgorica.

With over four years of experience as a Project Manager at Monri Payments, Maja Fočić is an expert in managing complex IT and payment-related projects in the financial services sector. As a key link between business and technical delivery teams, she plays a critical role in overseeing and ensuring the successful execution of innovative payment solutions.
Maja leads projects aimed at enhancing payment systems on SinglePOS devices and advancing online payment solutions, with a strong focus on expanding Monri Payments’ reach across the European Union and region. Her extensive experience, including previous roles at Privredna banka Zagreb and Raiffeisenbank Hrvatska, has given her deep insights into the financial services industry, enabling her to successfully implement new payment solutions and redesign processes to improve operational efficiency.
Known for her ability to balance the big picture with meticulous attention to detail, Maja is not only a skilled Project Manager but also a sought-after speaker at business conferences. Her expertise and passion for driving change in the payment solutions space continue to make her a valued leader in her field.

Milan Perović has been involved in the financial industry for over two decades, working mainly for top multinational companies. He has gained a wealth of experience from his roles at reinsurance brokers in London, Deloitte Financial Advisory in CEE, ING Corporate Finance desk in London, and Prva banka Crne Gore, where he has served since 2011. Additionally, Milan held top executive roles in the telecommunications industry for four years within the Deutsche Telekom Group. In recent years, as CEO of Alkemy SEE, he has focused on digital transformation consulting for large corporations in the region. He holds an MBA degree from SDA Bocconi.

Josip Majher is a Management Board member and a COO of Hrvatska poštanska banka d.d. (Croatian Postal Bank PLC), one of the Top 5 commercial banks in Croatia and the largest domestically owned bank that is not part of an international group. He oversees Business Support, IT, Organization & Project Management, Payments, and Direct Channels.
With extensive experience spanning the corporate, private, and government sectors – primarily in the finance industry – he spent 11 years at Croatia Insurance, the leading insurance company in Croatia. There, he held various positions, from Key Account Manager to Head of Corporate & SME Sales. He was also the coordinator of accession to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on behalf of the Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy and the delegate of the Republic of Croatia to several OECD committees. 
Josip holds a degree from the Faculty of Economics and Business in Zagreb (2008) and completed a postgraduate program in Financial Institutions and Markets (2012). He earned an MBA from Columbia Business School and London Business School through the EMBA Global Americas & Europe program. Currently, he is completing an Executive Certificate in Digital Business Excellence at IMD in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Tim discovered his passion for entrepreneurship and FinTech while at Backbase. He dedicated the first half of his decade-long Fintech career to advising C-suite executives on future-proofing their technology stack. As a board member of Backbase, and currently in the position of CMO, Tim is the overall driver of the marketing strategy and execution. He is also a passionate thought leader, sharing valuable insights on the digital banking space and how to make real progress in business transformation and progressive modernization efforts.
As an alumni of the Kauffman Global Scholarship (Harvard University, Stanford GSB and MIT), Tim holds a BSc and MSc in International Business & Entrepreneurship from Maastricht University.

Federico Paderni is Managing Director – EMEA Growth Markets with responsibilities to develop X (fka Twitter) in Southern Europe (Spain, Italy), Northern Europe (The Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden), Israel and Central Eastern Europe. Federico has spent the last 20 years in the tech industry and before X he had roles in sales, marketing and operations in Linkedin and Microsoft.

Hasan Hasić has nearly 20 years of experience in the banking sector, holding executive positions in international banks. He has also gained extensive experience in IT and fintech companies. Currently, he serves as a member of the Management Board of ASA Bank, the largest domestic bank in the Bosnian and Herzegovinian market, focusing on digitalization and the implementation of innovative distribution channels by managing the Information Technology, Operations, and Digital Channels sectors. He is involved in creating more efficient processes that incorporate modern and innovative technical and technological solutions tailored to market needs.

Hugo Sierra is a design strategist and innovation leader with a proven track record of transforming companies through customer-centric cultures. With deep expertise at the intersection of design, business, and technology, he has helped organizations reimagine their value propositions by embedding innovation into their core strategy. Passionate about creating meaningful customer experiences, Hugo has driven large-scale transformations that blend human-centered design with business impact. At Money Motion 2025 he shares how design can be a catalyst for continuous innovation, unlocking new opportunities and shaping the future of the financial industry.

Ingo Rübe is the founder of KILT Protocol, a decentralized digital identity project for enterprises, governments, and consumers. He is also a key member of PoKe, Polkadot’s Key Account Unit.
Previously, Ingo was the CTO of Hubert Burda Media, where he initiated and led the development of Thunder, a Drupal-based content management system. Before that, he served as IT Project Director at Axel Springer.
Ingo is member of the International Association for Trusted Blockchain Applications (INATBA) and the Decentralized Identity Foundation (DIF). Additionally, he has served on the Board of Directors of the Drupal Association.

Jovan Paunović is a seasoned entrepreneur and executive with extensive experience in leading global multinational companies and international teams. As the founder and CEO of TREESURY, an innovative agri-food ecosystem hub, he connects farmers with investors and industrial buyers through regulated tokenized securities and blockchain-powered markets, addressing food security, climate change, and poverty alleviation.
Jovan also works as an independent consultant for Gerson Lehrman Group (GLG) in New York, and AlphaSights in London. His previous roles include CEO positions at GE Holdings and GE Healthcare for the Western Balkans, and founder of VisMedic, Eastern Europe’s first telemedicine platform. He is also the founder of JP ICG, a boutique consulting company specializing in mergers and acquisitions, digital business transformation, and support for startups. Jovan is an active mentor and angel investor, supporting innovation across three continents. He holds degrees from the University “Luigi Bocconi” and the “United World College of the Adriatic,” and completed the Technology Entrepreneurship Program at Stanford University.

Luka manages a boutique service & business design consulting firm humanact. During the last 8 years he worked with corporate clients in designing new business concepts and propositions (telecom, insurance, banking, energy, healthcare, pharma, government and other).  Work includes launch of new business concepts, propositions, services and organisation designs. Prior to that Luka held various management & consulting positions.

Oscar Paz has almost 30 years of experience in the insurance industry, driving innovation, leading open innovation initiatives, and fostering collaboration between startups, insurers, and technology providers. He has played a key role in shaping the Spanish insurtech ecosystem, notably launching AXA Opensurance in 2015, one of the first open innovation programs in the sector. More recently, he served as General Manager of Insurtech Community Hub, an innovation association focused on accelerating the future of insurance. Beyond his leadership roles, he has been a speaker, professor, and mentor for over 15 years, actively participating in entrepreneurship programs and business schools. He is also the co-author of “The Innovation Book: A Practical Guide to Innovating in Your Company” (2021), a project he is particularly proud of for its practical and actionable approach.

Zorana Brankovic is COO in Banca Intesa Belgrade, leading bank on Serbian market. She has almost 20 years of expirience in digital banking and techologies and is one of the pioneers of e-banking in Serbia. Spent first 12 years of banking expirience in IT and during that time successfully led numerous projects in digital banking area. She introduced first Mobile banking app on Serbian market in 2010 and first Digital wallet in 2016. She has strong IT bankground and wide bussiness knowledge. From July 2022 she was appointed as Chief Operating Officer.

Benjamin Jošar is the CEO of Triglav Skladi (Triglav Funds), a company that manages investment funds and discretionary portfolios. He also chairs the executive board of the Association of Investment Fund Management Companies in Slovenia. An economist who values professional knowledge, Benjamin took over the leadership of Triglav Funds in January 2018. Prior to this, he was an executive board member of Zavarovalnica Triglav (Triglav Insurance). With extensive experience in strategic management, leadership, banking, insurance, asset management, corporate governance and finance, Benjamin is a seasoned manager, economist, and financial expert. He is a vocal supporter of sustainability practices and believes that financial institutions can be different. Before joining the Triglav Group, Benjamin was the CEO of KD Stockbroking Company, executive director and executive member of the board of KD Bank, managing director of investment banking at Abanka Vipa, and was also active in supervisory boards and as a teaching assistant at the Department of Economic Theory and Policy at the School of Economics and Business (University of Ljubljana). He graduated from the School of Economics and Business in Ljubljana and Trium Global Executive MBA (LSE, HEC Paris, and NYU Stern) and further developed his professional skills at Harvard, Stanford and INSEAD business schools, among others.

Christoph Schoefboeck has been appointed President of the Management Board of Erste Bank Croatia in May 2015. Mr. Schoefboeck has extensive and long-standing experience in various management positions. Before coming to his current position, he was the CRO (Chief Risk Officer) in Erste Bank Croatia in the period 2011-2015, at the same time holding various Supervisory Board functions within Erste Group Croatia. Prior to that he was the COO (Chief Operating Officer) and a Member of the Board in ZAO Raiffeisenbank in Moscow, in charge of all operational and IT activities of the bank including a successful large bank merger and holding business responsibility for a large business region. From 2003 to 2006 he was the CRO and COO in HVB Splitska banka, and from 2002 to 2003 he was the authorised representative and Member of the Board in HVB Croatia d.d. Mr. Schoefboeck holds a doctorate in economics from Faculty of Economics at Vienna University, where he was also involved in large research projects. He attended numerous management trainings in Switzerland, Great Britain and USA.
Apart from his mother tongue, German, Mr. Schoefboeck is also fluent in Croatian, English and Russian.

Sharlote has spent the past decade building her career in business roles within the tech industry. Known for her curious nature she began her journey in a semi-corporate environment after moving to Berlin. Over the years, she transitioned through various startups and unicorns, later gaining experience in London and, most recently, in payments (at DECTA – a global card payment processor and digital banking enabler). Beyond her professional endeavors, Sharlote is a dancer and a UX designer, blending creativity with her analytical mindset. Her identity is rooted in a sense of purpose & asking better questions to turn data into actionable strategy. She enjoys helping build solutions that align technology with the way people think, increasing societal value which in return enhances ARR.
Sharlote is also an active member of several mentorship programs and NGOs. She has shared her insights as a speaker and moderator at multiple tech events.
“Using my voice – to raise awareness; using my knowledge – to enable; using my skills – to build.”

Krešo is a senior investment manager with over 12 years of experience. After starting his career as a sell-side equity research analyst at InterCapital Securities covering listed SEE corporates for almost 4 years, Kreso moved to InterCapital Asset Management with the task of developing a buy-side equity research department, later taking over management of all equity strategies within the firm. In 2022, he took over the role of overseeing the entire investment process as the Head of Front Office. As of 2024, Kreso’s role graduated to CIO and Member of the Management Board. In all his roles at InterCapital Asset Management, Kreso was deeply involved in both investment decisions as well as strategic business decisions. He graduated from the Faculty of Economics at the University of Zagreb and further solidified his financial acumen by obtaining the prestigious CFA certification.

Stefan Dunić is the Director of the ICT sector at Tommy d.o.o., one of Croatia’s top six FMCG retail chains. For the past eight years, he has played a key role in shaping the company’s IT strategy, leading digital transformation initiatives, and improving business processes through technology and innovative solutions.
He holds a Master’s degree in Computer Science from the Faculty of Science, University of Split. Outside of work, Stefan is an avid traveler, motorcycle enthusiast, and outdoor adventurer, with a particular passion for running.

Tech Veteran ▪️ Serial Entrepreneur ▪️ Angel Investor ▪️ Former VC & Investment Banker

Francois is a seasoned tech entrepreneur, investor and a former investment banker.
After building 7 companies, joining the startup-to-NASDAQ IPO ride, experiencing one bankruptcy and everything in-between, Francois has a thing or ten to share.
He has raised over $200m for his startups, and has been mentoring startups for years, with an ability to be both very founder friendly and very direct, being known for his no-BS and practical approach.
His experience includes RealNetworks, Polycom, Symantec, The Cloud Wifi, and co-founding Speed Ventures, Europe’s first accelerator ($70m, 28 companies, 4 IPOs).

Highly experienced and driven business executive with over forty years of experience in running business units for companies including Lucent, Nokia, Qualcomm and others across a demanding and diverse region in Asia and the Pacific theatre. The passion and ability to identify solutions to business issues in the corporate sector are now skills being deployed in Croatia as he works with a variety of start-up companies across a varied field of industries. Having a Croatian background his desire is to see young companies in Croatia be able to compete and succeed on the same footing as our counterparts in other nations across the globe.

Peter Balogh is an entrepreneur and investor, founder and CEO of STRT Holding, one of the region’s most active early stage investors with close to a hundred investments. He’s also known for his role as a Shark on the Hungarian version of Shark Tank. With a passion for supporting and mentoring startups, he built and exited NNG, a global leader in navigation systems. He began his tech career early, starting programming at the age of seven, and later co-founded one of the first mobile gaming companies. Today, Peter focuses on helping entrepreneurs grow and succeed.

Bogdan is the General Partner of Underline Ventures, a venture capital firm that partners at the earliest stages with Eastern European founders building high-growth startups with global ambitions. Also, founder of the How to Web Conference, one of Europe’s leading startup and innovation events, Bogdan is advising early-stage startups on raising capital, building useful products, or crafting great pitch decks. Previously Partner with Gecad Ventures, entrepreneur (founded and exited Conectoo, an enterprise email marketing service), he was involved with MVP Academy, MVP Angels, TechHub Bucharest, and 3TS Capital Partners.

Cosmin Ochisor is a Partner at GapMinder VC with over a decade of experience in venture capital, specializing in early-stage deep-tech startups. Passionate about the CEE startup ecosystem, he actively mentors founders, connects them with investors and corporate partners, and supports various startup programs and events. Cosmin focuses on B2B, enterprise, and consumer-focused platforms, leveraging his expertise in software products. He led GapMinder’s Fund I investments in Frisbo, Smart Dreamers, Veridion, DeepStash, Machinations, Innoship, and Planable. Previously, he was an Investment Manager at Deutsche Telekom’s Hubraum.

Ivan Roje is a seasoned entrepreneur and executive with a proven track record of founding and leading successful companies. With a Master’s degree in electrical engineering and an MBA in International Business, Ivan has held key positions, including a notable tenure at Microsoft starting in 2017. Currently, he is the CEO of Aestus Group, a company specializing in accounting and consulting services, and developing innovative solutions to enhance business efficiency and accuracy.

Ivan Ivankovic is the founder of TrustPath, a pre-seed funded AI risk management platform that raised $3 million, and a serial entrepreneur who has launched three VC-backed companies. Before TrustPath, he co-founded Fonoa—a tax automation solution used by Netflix, Uber, and Zoom—which secured over $100 million from top investors including Index, Dawn, and Coatue. Drawing on his background in telecommunications and management consulting, Ivan brings valuable insights into the distinct challenges and opportunities of venture-backed startup growth.

Experienced Chief Financial Officer with 15 years of experience in banking covering the whole spectrum of CFO responsibilities from Accounting and Controlling to advanced BI and data processing and reporting, cost management and Asset Liability Management.

My goal is to help on the topic of digitalization based on the experience I continuously gain in the Fintech startup FIRA and covered by my extensive experience from the banking industry.

Mario Frančešević is the Founder and CEO of SeekandHit, a leading data-driven marketing company. For 18 years, he has advanced data-driven marketing, ethical advertising, and industry standards. Under his leadership, SeekandHit was named Croatia’s top-performing company in 2023 and won the MIXX 2024 Best in Show Award—the first time a data-driven project claimed the top prize. Mario also serves on the boards of HURA and IAB Croatia. A father of two, wine enthusiast, and fan of short answers and even shorter meetings.

Lucija Reić, professionally known as Luce, is a startup and disruptive technology enthusiast and the backbone of Infobip Startup Tribe. With years of experience working on different consultation projects, she knows all the tips and tricks when it comes to business development. Her current mission is to use this knowledge to help young startups navigate the rough sea of entrepreneurship. Whatever the Q, she has an A.

Vedran is an Investment Manager at South Central Ventures, a regional VC fund. He has worked as a management consultant at Big 4 firms, and currently at SCV, he focuses on identifying new investment opportunities and providing advisory services to portfolio companies.

Ana Marija Kostanić is a Croatian tech journalist and editor, currently serving as the Editor-in-Chief of The Recursive, a media platform headquartered in Bulgaria focused on Central and Eastern Europe’s startup ecosystem. Her career began in mainstream media, but she quickly transitioned to tech reporting, which aligned with her interest in technology. Soon after, she found her niche at Netokracija, Croatia’s leading tech media outlet, where she advanced from a journalist position to an Executive Editor role. Over almost 7 years there, she played a pivotal role in its content production, business development, and building the outlet’s influence in the tech community. Besides reporting and editorial work, throughout her career she has managed various projects and audio-video production.

Ante-Janko Bobetko was appointed the Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors in July 2021, after serving as a member of the Board of Directors for two years. He graduated in business economics at the University of Zagreb. Through his work and experience, he has gained specific knowledge and skills in the field of creating development programs intended for the development of entrepreneurship, which include: developing strategies, laws, aid schemes, lending and the use of all forms of aid from national and EU funds.
From 2016 to 2019 , Bobetko has been the Assistant Director of the Zagreb Innovation Centre, where he participated in the preparation and implementation of projects, creation of entreprenurial programs and building of entreprenurial infrastructure intended for the innovation of ecosystem’s development.

Ana Zovko is the Executive Director for Digital Business and IT at Croatia Osiguranje, where she leads key strategic initiatives in technology and innovation. She oversees the development of digital customer channels, including Croatia Osiguranje’s webshop and mobile application, as well as the company’s digital-first brand, LAQO. Her work is focused on driving digital transformation, enhancing customer experience, and integrating cutting-edge technologies into the traditional insurance sector.
Recognized as one of the leading experts in digital innovation within the insurance industry, Ana has been instrumental in implementing new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, to modernize business operations. Before joining Croatia Osiguranje, she built a successful career in the telecommunications sector, achieving significant results in digitalization, marketing, strategy, and human resources at Hrvatski Telekom.
Ana holds a master’s degree from the Faculty of Economics in Zagreb, where she also completed an MBA program. Additionally, she earned a master’s degree in International Management and Marketing from Leeds Metropolitan University.

Bono has held diverse roles across the FinTech industry, including a general management and board position at ASOS.com. His expertise spans acquirers, gateways, and consultancy, bringing a well-rounded perspective to each stage of the payments ecosystem.

Lucija Vidiš Roić is a Principal at Boston Consulting Group and part of the Central Europe leadership team for the consumer goods and retail industry. She has over 12 years of experience in management consulting, following the completion of her MSc in Strategic Management in the UK.
Some of her recent projects include developing a long-term strategy for one of the leading domestic food companies, improving marketing and sales with a focus on developing use cases using AI and digital technology for a global small household appliances manufacturer, optimizing COGS for a leading global retailer, and proposing an expansion strategy for a regional retailer.
By combining global and regional experience, she successfully translates international trends to meet the local specifics and requirements of her clients.

Simon Kaesler is a Senior Partner in the Frankfurt office of McKinsey & Company. Simon has more than 15 years of experience in insurance transformations globally. He leads McKinsey’s Insurance Sector in the German speaking countries as well as the Digital Business Building and Distribution domain in the European Insurance Practice.
Simon has led multiple digital transformations across the insurance value and supported the buildup of new digital models from scratch (e.g., launching greenfield digital attachers, developing and implementing implementing Direct programs).
Simon holds a Ph.D. in Retail Finance from Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main. He studied business with finance major at the EBS, Oestrich-Winkel, Singapore Management University, Singapore, University of Western Ontario, Canada, and Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main.

Damjan Rudež is a former professional basketball player from Zagreb, Croatia. During his sixteen-year-long career, Rudež played for a total of thirteen teams from seven different countries – including Indiana Pacers, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Orlando Magic in the NBA. In the course of his professional journey he formed part of the Croatian national team, representing the country in 2008. Olympic Games in Beijing, 2015. World Cup in Spain, as well as three European Championships and Mediterranean games. Currently, he is an active student attending SDA Bocconi Business School in Milano, and the University of Kinesiology in Zagreb. After retiring from active playing in 2021. he transitioned into the business world, opening up his sports consulting company “DR9 International Sports&Media”. Rudež is currently serving the role of Program Director at the annual “Sunset Sports Media Festival” in Zadar, Croatia. Also, he is the co-founder and director of “Astoria Productions”, Croatian production company specialized in sports documentary content.

Ervin Jagatić is the Product Director at Infobip, a global leader in omnichannel engagement. In this role, he is responsible for shaping and implementing the company’s product growth strategy, with a focus on AI and a product-led approach. His duties involve managing various stakeholders, navigating cross-company dependencies, and collaborating closely with teams such as Marketing, Customer Success, and Revenue. Before assuming this position, Ervin served as a Senior Software Engineer at Infobip, contributing to the development of software and IoT products. Prior to joining Infobip, he was a Project Manager and Head of Client Services at Infinum.

Ivan Bešlić founded Sofascore with Zlatko Hrkać, his childhood friend, when they realized that sports connect people with more emotion than anything else. Driven by this insight, Sofascore quickly became the leading platform for advanced sports statistics, used in every country worldwide. As Chief Strategy Officer, Ivan is responsible for expanding and strengthening the company in key global markets. With the number of employees soon to exceed 300 across four continents, Ivan’s strategy aims to achieve Sofascore’s main goal – to track all sports and all matches in one place.
In addition to his role at Sofascore, Ivan has also served as the president of CISEx, the Croatian Independent Software Exporters Association, since June 2024.

Diego Borgo is a Brand Executive Advisor, guiding Fortune 500 leaders and Web3 founders to success in the ever evolving internet.
With over two decades of expertise in branding, and 8+ years of blockchain experience, Diego guides founders trough the rapidly-evolving wild west that is Web3 by helping them to drive commercial value and customer engagement.  Diego has a wealth of experience working with global brands such as: adidas, Prada, Salesforce, Unilever, L’Oréal, Mastercard, Volkswagen Group, Škoda, Porsche, Cupra and Shell.

Sven Škrgatić is an expert with over 20 years of experience in the field of security, with a special focus on developing security processes and adapting business systems to technological and regulatory changes. For the past six years, he has been part of the A1 Croatia team, while he spent the previous 15 years building his career in the financial sector.
Throughout his career, he has had the opportunity to go through all phases of various security processes, observing how technological advancements, new regulatory requirements, and evolving risks shape the approach to security in organizations. His extensive experience makes him one of the leading experts in implementing security strategies that address modern business challenges.

Neven Zitek is a seasoned cybersecurity expert, certified information security manager (CISM), GIAC:GLSC certified, ITIL4 Master, with Masters degree in Crisis Management and  more than 25 years of experience in the field. As the Cyber Security Business Solutions Director at Span, Neven has led numerous initiatives to enhance digital security and protect critical infrastructure. With a deep understanding of Cyber Incident Response & Cyber Crisis Management and a commitment to staying ahead of emerging threats, Neven is dedicated to ensuring the highest standards of cybersecurity for customers and organizations.

Mr. Alexandros Kosenas is the Chief Executive Officer of Neptun Albania, a leading retailer of consumer electronics and household appliances in the Balkans operating 90 stores in 4 Countries. He joined Neptun in 2008 bringing extensive experience in international retail, having led operations across Balkans and Eastern Europe, including Albania, North Macedonia, Ukraine, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece and Cyprus. He also serves as a Board Member and General Secretary of the Hellenic Business Association of Albania (HBAA) since 2022. His expertise lies on building market-driven strategies and fostering growth in diverse, dynamic markets. Passionate about retail, Mr. Kosenas finds fulfilling in public speaking, mentoring, and sharing insights to empower the next generation of leaders.

Ivan Durdevic, executive director, is Head of ETF Distribution for Switzerland, Germany and Austria at J.P. Morgan Asset Management, based in Zurich. In this role, Ivan is responsible for leading and further developing J.P. Morgan Asset Management’s ETF business in all three countries. Before joining the firm in 2018, Ivan worked at Amundi for over 7 years; first as Senior Client Relationship Manager for ETF & Indexing in Germany, and more recently as Deputy Head of ETF, Indexing and Smart Beta Sales Switzerland. Previously, he was with BlackRock Germany as Senior Business Development Associate for the iShares products and with NOMURA Bank Germany as Equity & Equity Linked Products Sales. The business economist started his career at INVESCO Germany.

Sebastian is dedicated to shaping the future of digital finance and innovation.
Based in Berlin, he is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience in the tech industry, specializing in banking, payments, and identity verification. He currently works for Entrust, a global leader in digital security, as a financial consultant, helping banks develop and implement their digital-first strategies. Previously, he worked as a project manager in strategy and digital payments for the largest banking group in Germany, driving innovation and transformation in the financial sector.
Sebastian believes that technology carries a creative element and should ultimately serve to improve people’s lives.
Digital transformation is a unique opportunity to harmonize the EU ecosystem and drive innovation that benefits both businesses and individuals.

Micro and SME segment professional with wing to wing experience in sales management, portfolio valuation, acquisition and merger. In depth expertise in customer value creation and segment differentiation. With a wild range of experience on implementation and fine tuning of process management. Based in Vienna and Budapest with my wife and a proud father of two sons.

Borko Buturac is an experienced manager with extensive expertise in operational management, strategic planning, and business development. He is currently the Director of Operations at AIRCASH d.o.o., where he is responsible for developing and implementing organizational structures,customer relationship management (CRM), and the identification and adaptation to customer needs. Additionally, he oversees transaction monitoring systems, fraud prevention, central procurement, and logistics.  Before joining Aircash, he spent over a decade in senior management roles within the INA Group, as well as leading retail chains Rewe and Mercator. He managed a retail network of 390 locations with more than 3,000 employees, developed retail strategies, optimized business processes, and led the implementation of customer-focused initiatives, including loyalty programs and personalized customer journeys. 
He began his career in the retail and procurement sectors, gaining valuable experience in strategic category development, supplier negotiations, and implementing innovative retail solutions. He has furthered his education through an Executive MBA at COTRUGLI Business School and the Business Leadership Program at SEED Business School. He is recognized for his strong leadership, customer-centric approach, and expertise in enhancing retail performance through data-driven decision-making.

Daniel Šturm began his career at Kaufland in 2010 as a department manager in Procurement. After further career development and gaining expertise in various Procurement sectors, he successfully completed an international development program and was promoted to the position of Board Member for Procurement. This role also includes responsibilities for Marketing, Business Intelligence, Business Organization in Procurement, and more.

Monika Majstorović is a marketing leader with 17+ years of experience in telecom. She is passionate about growth, innovation, and creating real impact. As a Marketing Director, she focuses on turning strategy into results, leading business transformations, and strengthening customer connections in a competitive market.
She has built and led high-performing teams, addressed complex challenges, and embraced digital change to keep brands ahead. She is always curious and adaptable and thrives on finding new ways to drive meaningful business outcomes.

Svetlana Sailer is Kraken’s Senior Institutional Relations and Solution Manager for the EMEA region. She spent ten years leading Business Development and Client Relationship Management with Royal Bank of Scotland, Societe Generale and Gazprombank (Switzerland) focused on crypto, corporate and institutional clients.
Svetlana is a graduate of the Belorussian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics and holds a Master Degree from the University of Potsdam (Germany). She is one of the top-graduates of The Oxford Blockchain Strategy Programme and has been passionate about crypto and blockchain technology since 2015. By joining Kraken – one of the longest standing and most trusted crypto platforms globally – she is excited to help accelerate the adoption of cryptocurrencies as an exciting new asset vertical.

Amaliya Abbas is an experienced professional specializing in sales, marketing, and
project management across industries such as government PM, venture capital and
pharmaceuticals. She is currently the Commercial Project Manager for Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) at The Recursive, a digital media company covering innovation ecosystems in the CEE region.
Amaliya is also the architect and lead of the Money In Motion research project, which explores the wealth creation and investment behaviors of High-Net-Worth Individuals (HNWIs), providing valuable insights for banks, asset managers, and family businesses. Through her diverse expertise, she drives commercial projects and strategic initiatives that enhance the visibility and growth of the tech and innovation sectors in CEE.

Responsible for the development and implementation of all digital products of the bank: George, KEKS Pay, Netbanking and mBanking for companies, ECC mobile etc. Building a fully digital bank of the future. Started Erste Bank’s digital innovation lab which is behind the KEKS Pay app. The first app on the market developed by one bank but can be used by anybody. All the details can be found on www.kekspay.hr.
Worked in the bank for 17 years, most of the time in the area of Risk management and Digital transformation.

Josip Glavaš, CEO of EAM, was born in 1973. After graduating from high school in mathematics and informatics, he enrolled the Faculty of Economics in Zagreb, where he successfully graduated in 1997. 
From the beginning of his work experience in 1996 until today, he has been working on jobs related to the capital market. He gathered experience through various jobs in brokerage houses – from Back Office administrator, broker, trading manager, portfolio manager to director. From October 2001 to February 2003, he was the director of the brokerage house Dalbank vrijednosnice d.o.o. which, at that time, was one of the leading brokerage houses in the Republic of Croatia. From February 2003 till now, he has been the CEO of Erste Asset Management, which in that period became one of the leading investment fund management companies in the Republic of Croatia.
He passed the exam for an authorized intermediary in securities trade (broker). He belongs to the first generation of investment advisors in the Republic of Croatia. The company headed by Mr Josip Glavaš as CEO managed the assets of the Fund of Croatian Veterans from the Homeland War and their family members (HB Fund) from 2004 to 2015. For two mandates, he was the president of the Association of Investment Fund Management Companies at HGK (from 2008 to 2012). Currently, he is a member of HANFA council for the third mandate, as the representative of investment fund industry. 
At the same time, he is a participant in many professional seminars and conferences related to capital markets and fund industry.

Lan Filipič is a director in Deloitte where he focuses on financial institutions in the technology & transformation practice. He has over 20 years of experience in consulting, banking, asset management and crypto. 
In his advisory role to banks and other financial institutions he focuses on transformation, digitalization, efficiency improvements and M&A. He is known for his hands-on attitude and is experienced in concept design, planning and implementation.

Una Softić is Managing Director at Intertangible, a professional services firm specializing in AI and fintech, and Strategic Advisor to Coinpost, Japan’s largest Web3 media platform. Previously, she led global innovation programs at Nikkei, specializing in AI applications in fintech. She serves on boards and advises emerging tech ventures, drawing on 15+ years of experience in international business development and product strategy, which began at Intel and General Motors across Europe and the U.S.

Nina Dremelj is focused on the 50M plus deep – tech Fund, being established as the first Slovenian-Croatian deep tech fund called Vesna and started with operation in 2024. She is the president of Business Angels of Slovenia and a Vice president of the European Business Angel Network. As president of the angel network in Slovenia, she works closely with the Mediterranean angel network as a board member, Czech Depo Ventures, Swiss Verve Ventures, 0100, Danube Angels and others. Her greatest passion is to help entrepreneurs turn their ideas into real, successful businesses. In the last 5 years, she invested as a super angel in more than 18 companies with an average investment multiple above 5x. In 2021, under the auspices of business angels, she helped set up the first daFUND venture capital fund, supported by business angels and also invested in it.

Ivan Soldo has been a Member of the Management Board of Hrvatska poštanska banka, one of the five largest commercial banks in Croatia and the largest domestically owned bank, since 2019. 

At HPB, he is responsible for risk management, both retail and corporate, strategic risks, risk control and collection management. He has achieved significant progress in the business domains he is responsible for, and the Bank has achieved the best asset quality indicators since its establishment, which is reflected in a historically low NPL rate.

Srđan is a Co-Founder and CEO at Orqa, World’s #1 FPV company.  

Orqa is on a mission to advance the state of art in the fields of unmanned technologies and remote vision.  

In his previous life, Srđan was a senior finance professional, with more than 10 years experience in financial industry, specifically asset management. He was a Chairman of the Management Board in Croatia’s €150m sovereign equity fund, and a Head of Risk Management and Compliance in Croatia’s largest asset management company.  

He is a Certified Pension Fund Manager and Certified Investment Advisor.

Bogdan Meica is the Q-Commerce & Retail Media Director at Glovo Romania, driving growth, innovation, and strategic partnerships in the fast-evolving digital commerce space. With over 12 years of experience in strategy consulting, investment banking, and private equity, he specializes in value creation and performance improvement, delivering measurable impact on both revenue and profitability. A London Business School graduate, Bogdan has worked extensively across Europe, with a focus in CEE in the past 6 years, partnering with leading companies in consumer goods and services, helping them scale, optimize performance, and unlock new market opportunities.

Ivan is CEO at InterCapital Asset Management, a Croatian based leading independent asset management company. Ivan leads InterCapital’s investments, sales, business development and digital transformation efforts. 
Ivan holds a master’s degree in business administration from IMD (Lausanne, Switzerland), Certificate in Global Management, Corporate Governance Certificate and Coaching Certificate from INSEAD and a bachelor’s degree in finance from Zagreb University. Ivan is IEDC, IMD and INSEAD alumni.

Luka is a tech entrepreneur, built teams over four continents, had a successful exit, currently investing in tech startups and leads RZLT a marketing agency focused on growing tech companies.

Meital Raviv is a fintech and innovation leader with over 23 years of experience in financial services, digital transformation, AI adoption, and strategic growth. As the Founder & CEO of MERA, she advises banks, fintechs, and corporates on AI-driven business models, open banking, digital strategies, and the future of financial ecosystems.
Throughout her career, Meital has held executive leadership positions across global financial institutions, fintechs, and consulting firms, including: CEO of a European Digital Bank for Businesses, CEO of a trading startup, EVP at Bank Hapoalim, where she spearheaded digital strategy, fintech investments, the bank’s innovation lab, and open banking initiatives, Chief Digital Officer (CDO) at Bank Leumi, overseeing all digital channels and transformation projects, Executive Director at KPMG Israel, leading the fintech and innovation practice, advising top-tier financial institutions on AI and digital strategies.
Meital’s unique blend of technology and business acumen stems from her experience in both startup ecosystems and large financial corporations, allowing her to bridge the gap between disruptive innovation and enterprise-scale execution.
She is an active investor and board member of the Israeli Fintech Community and several startups, as well as a mentor to emerging fintech founders.
Meital is also a public speaker at global fintech conferences, including Money20/20, Singapore Fintech Festival, Web Summit, and Fintech Junction.

Anina Milanović is the Head of the International Cooperation and Development Department at the Securities Commission of the Republic of Serbia where she is actively involved in the development and regulation of the capital market. Recognizing the transformative potential of blockchain and digital assets, she has strategically aligned her career with this sector. Her focus is on fostering a regulatory framework that supports the growth of the digital asset market and the FinTech ecosystem in Serbia.
Alongside her professional growth, she pursued her academic path, earning a Master of Laws degree from the University of Belgrade Faculty of Law, where she also completed her undergraduate studies. Anina is also an author of numerous texts on the subject of capital markets, investment funds and digital assets.
She has been a featured speaker at numerous conferences and industry events focused on digital assets and FinTech. Anina continuously shares her expertise on regulatory frameworks, market development, and the integration of blockchain technology, contributing to discussions that shape the future of the sector.

Matej Podlesnik is a growth-focused strategist with extensive experience in strategic planning, business development, and M&A. He has worked on high-impact projects for banks across Europe, Asia, and Africa, both as an external advisor in leading global consultancies and as an internal strategist. As Head of Group Strategy at NLB, Matej is responsible for shaping the Group’s strategic direction and overseeing key strategic initiatives. His expertise lies in leading strategic analyses, evaluating growth opportunities, and providing senior management with insights to drive informed decision-making.

Born in 1983 in Croatia, Alojzije Janković is an accomplished chess Grandmaster who earned his title in 2006 and has since become a prominent figure in the chess world. A multiple-time cadet and junior Croatian chess champion, he claimed the national championship title in 2015 and has triumphed in numerous international tournaments. As a member of the Croatian national team, he contributed to their shared 3rd-place finish at the 2017 European Team Championship.
Beyond his competitive success, he holds a Master’s degree in Economics from the University of Zagreb and a Professional Sports Manager Specialist title, where he was recognized as the best student of the year. He is a certified FIDE trainer and has authored several influential works, including The Grandmaster Mindset (2020) and contributions to major chess publications like New In Chess Yearbooks.
His media presence is extensive—he has hosted the Croatian TV show “Chess Commentary” for over a decade and has provided expert commentary at prestigious international events, including the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix Monaco 2025.
As a leader in chess administration, he serves as the European Chess Union Vice President and has played a key role in organizing major European chess events while promoting the game through charity tournaments and public engagement initiatives.

Marko Badurina is managing Hrvatska poštanska banka since 2019. Under his leadership, the Bank has achieved a record financial performance and the greatest business successes since its establishment, including the project of takeover and merger of Nova hrvatska banka and entering the top 5 banks in Croatia by total assets at the end of 2023. He is responsible for Large Corporates and the Public sector, Financial markets operations, Internal audit, Compliance, the Management board office, as well as for the business sustainability, strategic development and digital operations, human resources management and legal affairs functions. 
In 2005, he graduated from the Faculty of Economics and Business in Zagreb, majoring in Business Economics, and in 2012 he completed at the same faculty the postgraduate studies in Finance and Banking, Banking.

Pavel Isaykov is a Marketing Growth Manager in Web3, building communities and scaling blockchain projects. Born in Kazakhstan, raised in Ukraine, and based in Croatia, he brings a global perspective to decentralized ecosystems. He works with Tookey, an AI-powered B2B platform, and GrantiX, a SocialFi platform revolutionizing charitable giving through blockchain.
Pavel has driven growth for projects like Slav.meme, Lampapuy ($18M market cap), and Bictory, a blockchain domain service. Focused on Web3 partnerships, DeFi, and community growth, he is shaping the future of decentralized finance and digital economies.

Petra Krizan is an experienced blockchain expert and cybersecurity consultant with nearly 10 years of experience in the field. She holds a master’s degree in electrical engineering and computing and possesses extensive technical and practical knowledge of various technologies, including blockchain and trusted execution environments. Additionally, she holds a leadership position as the Managing Director of The Blockhouse Technology Ltd, a spin-off of the University of Oxford, based at The Luxembourg House of Financial Technology. In this role, she oversees the company’s strategy, operations, and growth, making her well-equipped to provide guidance and support to organizations seeking to implement innovative technical solutions.
Furthermore, Petra is actively involved in teaching as an Adjunct Professor at HEC Liege Luxembourg, demonstrating her dedication to the growth and development of the industry. With her special talent for demystifying complex concepts for beginners and delivering presentations to large audiences of Financial Services professionals on the latest trends, she is emerging as a prominent figure in the field.

Rado is the co-founder and Chief Sales Officer (CSO) of Finax, the first robo-advisor in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), as well as the first Pan-European Personal Pension Product Provider in the European Union and an Investment-as-a-Service provider. Before launching Finax, Rado worked as a portfolio manager. His current focus is on investment service communication and marketing, product development, user experience (UX), and digital sales. Rado is also highly active in creating finance-related content and frequently appears in the media to discuss personal finance, savings, pensions, and investment topics.

Srećko Horvat is a philosopher and author of dozen of books translated into more than 15 languages, including After the Apocalypse (Polity Press, 2021), Poetry from the Future (Penguin, 2019), The Radicality of Love (Polity, 2015) or What does Europe Want? (with Slavoj Žižek, 2013). The German weekly Der Freitag called him “one of the most exciting voices of his generation“ and according to Noam Chomsky, “Horvat leads us on a whirlwind tour of the maladies and discontents of modern civilization and the many ways to right what is wrong and achieve a better future”. His texts have been published by The New York Times, The Guardian, Der Spiegel, Newsweek and Al Jazeera. Together with the economist Yanis Varoufakis he co-founded DiEM25 (Democracy in Europe Movement 2025) and the Progressive International, while currently he is mainly occupied building ISSA (Island School of Social Autonomy) on the island of Vis.

Goran Varat received his Master’s degree in 2004 from the Faculty of Economics at the University of Zagreb in postgraduate scientific studies with a major in macroeconomics, while he graduated from the same faculty in 2000 with a major in finance. He obtained the FAME (Financial Asset Management and Engineering) certificate at the Swiss Finance Institute in Lausanne and completed numerous additional trainings and courses in Europe and the USA.
He started his professional career working for Croatian National Bank in 2002 in the Central Bank Operations Department/Division for International Reserves and Foreign Exchange Liquidity Management. In 2004, he moved to the Credit Regulation and Banking Supervision Department, where he worked as a specialist for direct monitoring of market risk and liquidity risk management. In 2008, he moved to Podravska banka as Executive Director for the Financial Markets sector. In 2014, he was appointed a member of the Board of Directors of Hipotekarna banka in Montenegro. From 2015 to 2019, he was a member of the Management Board of Podravska banka. In April 2019, he was appointed President of the Management Board. He has been a member of the Management Board of Podravska banka since April 2022.

Mirela Ciobanu is Lead Editor at The Paypers, specialising in the Banking and Fintech domain. With a keen eye for industry trends, she is constantly on the lookout for the latest developments in digital assets, regtech, payment innovation, and fraud prevention. Mirela is particularly passionate about crypto, blockchain, DeFi, and fincrime investigations, and is a strong advocate for online data privacy and protection. As a skilled writer, Mirela strives to deliver accurate and informative insights to her readers, always in pursuit of the most compelling version of the truth. Connect with Mirela on LinkedIn or reach out via email at mirelac@thepaypers.com.

Nino Chanev is a marketing and business development professional specializing in fintech and Web3, with a proven track record of bringing products to millions of users worldwide. As Head of Growth at YouHodler, he leads token marketing, community building, and strategic partnerships, driving initiatives such as airdrop campaigns, influencer marketing, and Web3 integrations. Previously, as Head of Marketing & Business Development at Changex.io, he helped grow the groundbreaking DeFi-CeFi startup by establishing its brand, launching products, and driving large-scale user acquisition. At XS Software, as Chief Marketing & Business Development Officer, he led global expansion, marketing, and partnerships, bringing millions of new users and turning the company into a recognized industry leader.
Nino holds a Master’s in Digital Marketing & Social Media from The University of Sheffield, UK. Passionate about fintech, blockchain, and Web3, he continues to drive innovation and growth at the intersection of technology and marketing.

Vedrana Pribičević is just a cook, a lowly, lowly cook—who also happens to lecture on economics at the Zagreb School of Economics and Management. While her CV is forgettable in an age of self-embellishment, she has somehow managed to write economic commentary for almost every major news outlet in Croatia and beyond, author a daily economics show for Croatian National TV, and design curricula for teaching economic transition in schools.
She is probably the only economist who communicates across the political spectrum—because questionable ideas are everywhere, and dismantling them with a barrage of academic references disguised as a Monty Python sketch is both educational and entertaining.
Her professional interests include financial and economic networks, behavioral economics, the economics of AI, and heterodox Schumpeterian economics. She also has two pugs, Milton and Nessie—Nessie was preceded by Maggy, the original tyrant, and her husband chose the name Nessie after realizing they were apparently naming pugs like monsters.

Hrvoje graduated and obtained his master’s degree from the Faculty of Economics in Osijek. Currently employed as an Advisor to the Management Board of HBOR. He has many years of experience in financing public and private sector projects, startup projects, EU projects, etc., as well as experience in developing credit products and alternative financing products (PE and VC funds) and applying ESG standards in financing.

Merima Mahmutovic is the Senior Manager for Strategy, Transformation, and Technology Consulting for Southeastern Europe at PwC. She transforms the financial sector by working with leading international and domestic banks, fintech companies, insurance firms, and payment institutions. With over 10 years of experience in the leading European banks, Merima has excelled in roles such as Corporate Banking Relationship Manager, Small Business Product Manager, Head of Operational Support and Procurement, and Director of the Global Banking Support Division, where she spearheaded large transformational projects. Merima also worked in large IT company, where she led business development for clients in financial sector for Bosnia and Herzegovina. 
Beside her professional career, she serves as Chair of the Executive Board and Statutory Director at EWPN, Moreover, she lends her expertise as a member of the Advisory Board at the eCommerce Association in Bosnia and Herzegovina and member or Banking and Finance Committee at AmCham.
With roots in Sarajevo, Merima holds two master’s degrees—one in Banking and Insurance and the other in Management of Information Systems, developed in collaboration with Microsoft—showcasing her dedication to lifelong learning.

Filip is the co-founder of Pazar Labs, redefining bilateral deals in capital markets and crypto. He juggles regulatory matters for Mercuryo, the world’s second-largest crypto-to-fiat on/off-ramp, while navigating other ventures.

Previously, he spent 10 years at Hanfa, leading Croatia’s first regulatory innovation facilitator, and two years at Aircash developing crypto and capital markets products.

Filip Milosheski is a startup enthusiast and a Web3 professional with over 5 years of experience in marketing, growth, and business development across the blockchain and crypto space. With a deep understanding of technical analysis (TA), he has been actively investing and trading cryptocurrencies, sharpening skills in chart analysis, market trends, and risk management. Filip combines his professional expertise with a passion for crypto markets, focusing on leveraging TA to identify opportunities and offer low-entry economic literacy in Web3 for anyone looking to navigate the space effectively.

A financial expert and one of the most prominent stock investors in Croatia. As a specialist in corporate governance through active shareholder engagement, he contributes to corporate governance standards and the development of the capital market.
As the CEO of Raiffeisen Invest Fund Management from 2001 to 2010, he played a key role in building strong fund brands such as Raiffeisen Cash, Bonds, and Balanced. He has received numerous awards for managing the best fund management company and top-performing funds—more than anyone else to date! The equity fund under his management was the largest investor in Croatian stocks.
He earned the right to use the CFA designation in 2001 and served a two-year term as the President of the Association of Investment Fund Management Companies at the Croatian Chamber of Economy.
A national chess master, he was a team champion of Croatia in blitz chess and an individual Croatian veteran champion. Additionally, he is a distinguished collector of contemporary art.

Mr Ignacio Terol works at the ECB as strategy manager of the digital euro project in which he has been involved from its initiation. In this position, he and his team provide technical support to EU co-legislators on the digital euro regulation. Before this, he was involved in the provision of market infrastructures settling in central bank money at the ECB: TARGET2-Securities (T2S) and TIPS. 
Mr Terol holds a masters in economics and business administration from the Centro Universitario de Estudios Financieros (CUNEF).

Lena is the director and co-founder of Outpost Chess, a startup dedicated to connecting chess players on a global level. She is a multiple-time national chess champion and has represented Serbia in numerous European and world championships.
She has continued her career as a chess coach, referee, organizer, and streamer, ultimately crowning her journey by founding a chess startup.
Lena holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from the Faculty of Political Sciences, although she has always been involved in chess alongside her studies—and now, in business as well.

Matea Sučić is a fintech and operations professional with a background in scaling businesses and optimizing processes in fast-paced tech environments. With experience at Uber, Netflix, and Fonoa, she established her expertise in community operations, quality assurance, and financial automation. Now working as COO at Calimero Network, Matea leads enterprise blockchain adoption, strategic partnerships, and business operations, driving innovation at the intersection of fintech and Web3.

Valent Sinković is a Croatian Olympic rower and a six-time world champion. Alongside his brother Martin, he won Olympic gold in Paris 2024, Tokyo 2020 and Rio 2016, making history as the first crew to win Olympic titles in two different rowing disciplines. The Sinković brothers have dominated international rowing, earning numerous world and European championships. Known for their exceptional technique and endurance, they have set multiple world records. Valent’s dedication and success have made him one of Croatia’s greatest athletes, inspiring future generations in the sport.

Hanan Nanić is a producer, editor, and presenter with a decade of experience
in journalism and media. She covers global politics, social issues, and
technology through studio shows, interviews, and documentaries. As a
moderator, Hanan hosts conferences and panels focused on fintech, DeFi,
traditional finance, and emerging technologies. She holds two MA degrees, in
International Relations and Political Science. Her work encompasses global
affairs, technology, and social change, grounded in storytelling, dialogue, and
editorial approach.

Sandra Babić serves as the head of new product development at Lider media, journalist, editor, and host of the Lider podcast. With two decades of media experience, she harbors a special interest in marketing, media, and lifestyle topics. Alongside this, she boasts over ten years of experience as a screenwriter, crafting narratives for some of the most popular TV series aired on Nova TV and RTL. 
A graduate of the Faculty of Economics & Business Zagreb, Sandra found herself drawn not to numbers but to the power of words and storytelling during her formal education. This passion for stories has been a driving force in her career. She began her journey at the business weekly Lider in 2005, a role that perfectly aligned with her interest for exploring ideas through writing. Loyal to the company ever since, Sandra continues to channel her love for storytelling into every project she undertakes.