Prof. dr hab. Andrzej Blikle
Prof. Andrzej Blikle is a professor of mathematical sciences, an outstanding computer scientist, a long-standing academic researcher and lecturer, as well as a master confectioner. Professor Blikle specializes in the mathematical foundations of software engineering and is also an experienced business trainer.
Between 1990 and 2010, he developed his family confectionery business, founded in 1869, from a single pastry shop in Warsaw into a network of fifteen establishments including pastry shops, cafés, restaurants and delicatessen stores in Warsaw, as well as eight additional locations operating within a nationwide franchise network.
Since 2018 he has been running the training and consulting company Andrzej Blikle Doradca, offering programs both for individual companies and organizations as well as within MBA studies, including those conducted at the Institute of Economics of the Polish Academy of Sciences.
His book “The Quality Doctrine – On Effective Management” won first place in the category “Best Economic Guidebook” in the Economicus 2015 competition organized by Dziennik Gazeta Prawna. In 2016 it also received an award from the Collegium of Business Administration of the Warsaw School of Economics for the best work in the field of enterprise studies published in 2014–2015.
Professor Blikle is a member of the European Academy of Sciences, the Polish Language Council, and more than twenty other professional and scientific organizations.
Prof. dr hab. Jerzy Hausner
Prof. Jerzy Hausner is a professor of economics, Chairman of the Program Council of the Open Eyes Economy Summit and Chairman of the Council of the Foundation for Public Economy and Administration. He previously served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Labour and Social Policy, and was a Member of the Polish Parliament from 2001 to 2005. He also served as a member of the Monetary Policy Council (third term) and is a corresponding member of the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards, including the Kisiel Award, the Władysław Grabski Award and the Edward Lipiński Award, and holds an honorary doctorate from Warsaw School of Economics.
For many years he served as the Social Plenipotentiary of the Rector of Krakow University of Economics for Culture and Sport. Over the years he has coordinated numerous research projects, including international initiatives, and has significantly contributed to promoting Polish scholarship and economic knowledge abroad.
Professor Hausner is the author of more than 550 publications in the fields of political economy and public management. In recognition of his outstanding public service, he was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta. He has received many distinctions, including the Kisiel, Władysław Grabski and Edward Lipiński awards.
In 2020 his book “The Social Spacetime of Economic Activity: Towards an Economics of Values” received the Copernicus Prize of the City of Kraków, awarded by the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences, as well as the Edward Lipiński Prize of the Polish Economic Society.
Prof. Anton P. Fenik
Professor Anton P. Fenik is a professor at Seidman College of Business, Grand Valley State University. He earned his PhD in Marketing from the University of Tennessee. Prior to that, he completed an MBA and a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics at the University of South Carolina.
His research interests focus on decision-making processes, supply chain and logistics strategy, and international marketing. His work has been published in leading academic journals, including the Journal of International Marketing, Journal of Marketing Management and the Journal of Transportation Management.
Professor Fenik also has managerial experience in the international business sector, having held leadership positions in marketing and B2B relationship management. He is a member of the American Marketing Association and the Society for Marketing Advances, and serves on the editorial boards of several academic journals, including the Journal of International Marketing.
Prof. dr hab. Joanna Ejdys
Prof. Joanna Ejdys is the Dean of the Faculty of Management Engineering and has been affiliated with Białystok University of Technology for many years. She received the title of Professor of Social Sciences in 2020.
Her research focuses on foresight studies, trust in technology, and smart and sustainable urban mobility. She currently leads an international research project funded under the Horizon Europe programme – LAND EUROPE (2023–2027), as well as a project financed by the National Science Centre Poland examining the determinants of social acceptance of smart and sustainable urban mobility (2023–2025).
Professor Ejdys is the author and co-author of more than 200 scientific publications and serves as Editor-in-Chief of the journal Engineering Management in Production and Services, indexed in Scopus (Q2).
Prof. Alojzy Z. Nowak, PhD
Rector of the University of Warsaw since 2020. Economist and expert in finance and insurance.
From 1999 to 2006, he served as Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Management at the University of Warsaw, and subsequently as Dean from 2006 to 2012. Between 2012 and 2016, he held the position of Vice-Rector for Research and International Cooperation. In 2016, he was re-elected Dean of the Faculty of Management. He has lectured at universities in France, the United Kingdom, the United States, Russia, China, Korea, and South Africa.
He graduated from the Faculty of Foreign Trade at the Central School of Planning and Statistics (now the Warsaw School of Economics). He also pursued studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign (USA), the University of Exeter (UK), institutions in Antwerp, and the Free University of Berlin (Germany).
Since 2018, Professor Nowak has served as the head of the Academic Sports Association (AZS), a position he holds pro publico bono.
Prof. Ewa Bojar, PhD
Professor of economic sciences and Honorary Professor of the Lublin University of Technology. She has been professionally affiliated with this university for over fifty years, during which she has held numerous leadership positions, including Vice-Dean, Dean, and Vice-Rector for Research. She headed the Department of Economics and Economic Management, as well as MBA programs conducted in cooperation with American universities. From 2015 to 2018, she was a member of the Committee on Organization and Management Sciences of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Since 2013, she has been serving—currently in her third term—as Chair of the Main Scientific Council of the Scientific Society for Organization and Management.
She is the author of approximately 190 academic publications and is actively engaged in both academic and economic communities. Her research interests include decision-making processes, regional development, leadership, and sustainable development. She places particular emphasis on the concept of cooperation between academia, business, and public administration, known as the triple helix model. She actively collaborates with industry and public institutions, serving as an expert in regional development, innovation, and corporate social responsibility. For her outstanding achievements, she has been awarded, among others, the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta, as well as the Gold and Silver Cross of Merit and the Medal of the National Education Commission. In 2025, she was honored by the Minister of Science and Higher Education with the Gold Medal “Meritorious for Polish Science Sapientia et Veritas.”
Prof. Andrzej Kaleta, PhD
Professor and Rector of the Wrocław University of Economics from 2016 to 2024, head of the Department of Strategic Management at the same university.
His research focuses on strategic management, competitive strategy, and entrepreneurship. He is the author of over 200 academic publications, primarily in the field of strategic management. He has served as an advisor in strategic management processes for both enterprises and local government units.
He is a member of the Committee on Organization and Management Sciences of the Polish Academy of Sciences. He serves as Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Impel S.A., a member of the Supervisory Board of PZU S.A. (Chairman of the Strategy Committee), and Chairman of the University Council of Wrocław University of Science and Technology.
Ary Naïm
Ary Naïm, Country Manager, World Bank Group Poland, a French national, began his career in the commercial banking sector in France and later in Morocco before joining the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, in 2003. As a Financial Sector Specialist based in Washington, DC, Mr. Naïm has led advisory transactions with leading banking institutions across the Globe, and IFC strategy with Leasing and non-bank financial institutions. In 2010, he transitioned to regional responsibilities, serving as IFC Country Head for Haiti and the Dominican Republic, IFC Country Manager for Mexico, and IFC Regional Manager for Central and Southeast Europe, based in Belgrade and more recently in Warsaw.
In his current role, Mr. Naïm leads the design and implementation of the World Bank Group Country Partnership Framework for Poland, in collaboration with the Polish government, institutions, private sector, and civil society. The World Bank Group aims to help Poland build competitiveness, skills, and resilience for the next decades, by accelerating investment, innovation, and technology adoption.
Ary Naïm holds an engineering degree and a Master’s degree in Artificial Intelligence. He is particularly interested in the intersection of sustainability, technology, and finance, as well as the role of public-private partnerships in sustainable development.
Jerome Clayton Glenn
Jerome Clayton Glenn is co-founder and CEO of The Millennium Project, a leading global participatory think tank with 70+ Nodes around the world, and three regional networks. He is the Chair of the High-Level Expert Panel on AGI of the Council of Presidents of the United Nations General Assembly and was contracted by the EC to write the Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) paper as input to their Horizon program 2025-2027. He is a Member of the IEEE SA organizational governance of AI working group P2863, and conducted the international assessment of five foresight elements of the UN Secretary-General’s Our Common Agenda, the American Red Cross Covid-19 Scenarios, and Work/Technology 2050: Scenarios and Actions. He is currently leading a three-phase international study governance of AGI and is the author of the forthcoming Governance of the Transition to Artificial General
Intelligence (De Gruyter, Berlin).
Jerome Glenn has managed over 70 futures research projects, lead author for 20 State of the Future reports, and co-editor for Futures Research Methodology 1.0 to 3.0. He invented the Futures Wheel, Synergy Matrix,
and concepts such as conscious-technology, TransInstitutions, tele-nations, management by understanding, self-actualization economy, feminine brain drain, and definitions of environmental security and collective Intelligence. He wrote about information warfare in the late 1980s in his book Future Mind, sent his first email in 1973, and in the mid-1980s he was instrumental in getting x.25 packet switching in 29 developing countries which was key to
low-cost access to the Internet.
Glenn was instrumental in naming the first Space Shuttle the Enterprise and banning the first space weapon (FOBS) in SALT II. He has published over 250 future-oriented articles, spoken to over 1,000 organizations, and wrote Future Mind: Artificial Intelligence, Linking the Future, and co-author of Space Trek: The Endless Migration.
He is a Member of the Club of Rome, Fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science, and Member of the Cosmos Club. He shares the 2022 Lifeboat Guardian Award with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, received the Donella Meadows
Metal, Kondratieff Metal, Emerald Citation of Excellence, honorary professorship from Universidad Miguel de Cervantes, and honorary doctor’s degrees from Universidad Ricardo Palma and Universidad Franz Tamayo,
and is a leading boomerang stunt man.
Glenn, J. C. (2025). Global Governance of the Transition to Artificial General Intelligence: Issues and Requirements. De Gruyter.
Keynote speakers - business
Ireneusz Fąfara
President of the Management Board and Chief Executive Officer, ORLEN S.A.
Ireneusz Fąfara is an expert with extensive knowledge of the fuel sector and the challenges associated with the energy transition. He is an experienced executive in managing large organizations and multi-billion-euro projects.
Between 2010 and 2017, he was affiliated with the ORLEN Group. As President of the Management Board of ORLEN Lietuva, he restructured the refinery in Mažeikiai and restored its profitability. He successfully negotiated agreements and resolved long-standing logistics disputes, while significantly increasing ORLEN Lietuva’s export sales. He possesses in-depth knowledge of the ORLEN Group and its operational processes.
Since the late 1990s, he has held senior executive positions in major public and private companies. He has served on the supervisory boards of Rockbridge TFI (2018–2024; resigned upon appointment as President of the Management Board of ORLEN S.A.), PKO BP (2009–2010), LOTOS (2009–2010), the Export Credit Insurance Corporation (2007–2009), Kompania Węglowa (2003–2005), the National Health Fund (2005–2008) and the Energy Market Agency (1997–1998).
He served as President of the Management Board of Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego (2007–2009) and as Vice President of the Management Board of the Polish Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) (1998–2007). He is a graduate of Krakow University of Economics.
Marcin Kowalski
President of the Management Board, Archman Sp. z o.o.
Marcin Kowalski is an entrepreneur, manager, and expert in the field of business process digitalization. He is the co-founder and President of the Management Board of Archman Sp. z o.o., a company specializing in ECM/Workflow systems and low-code/no-code solutions. In addition to leading the company, he pursues his professional interest in artificial intelligence, with a particular focus on document processing and business process automation.
Between 2015 and 2024, he served as Chancellor of the University of Economics and Computer Science in Krakow (Wyższa Szkoła Ekonomii i Informatyki w Krakowie). He is a graduate of Krakow University of Economics, where he completed studies in Finance and Banking.
Renata Kurnyta-Kowalska
Director of the Partner Network Department and Sales Director, VeloBank S.A.
Renata Kurnyta-Kowalska is a graduate of the AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków (Faculty of Management and Marketing) and has completed postgraduate studies in European Union Administration and Real Estate Brokerage. She also holds a coaching certificate from the Mukoid Institute.
She brings 25 years of professional experience in the banking sector and has held managerial positions since 2005, leading diverse teams and business units. Throughout her career, she has gained experience at institutions including Money Expert S.A., PKO Bank Polski S.A., Nordea Bank Polska S.A., and Masterlease (PKO BP Group). She currently serves as Director of the Partner Network Department at VeloBank S.A., where she oversees the bank’s partner network operations.
She is distinguished by her dynamic approach, openness, and creativity, with a particular strength in the rapid identification and resolution of challenges. In business, she places strong emphasis on customer satisfaction as the foundation of long-term relationships. She continuously develops her professional competencies, striving to build a partnership-oriented approach to business. Her work inspires decisive action and confident decision-making in the dynamic VUCA environment. Strongly focused on solutions, efficiency, and measurable outcomes, she actively supports organizational growth and development.
Dominika Nowak
Founder and CEO, VANDA NOVAK.
After obtaining her Master’s degree in Art History with a specialization in costume studies from the Jagiellonian University in 2006, Dominika Nowak moved to Paris to continue her education and pursue fashion design studies at the prestigious Studio Berçot.
In Paris, she collaborated with renowned fashion houses including Rick Owens and Hussein Chalayan. The year 2007 marked a turning point in her career, when she decided to dedicate herself to accessories and footwear design. Her shoe designs earned her two awards in the prestigious Grand Prix Européen de la Chaussure competition. In the same year, she presented her first footwear collection, NUNC, crafted entirely from hair-on leather. The collection attracted significant attention from the international fashion press, with features in publications such as Jalouse, WAD, Elle, Vogue, and L’Officiel, while Vogue Italia recognized her as one of the season’s emerging talents. Subsequently, Dominika Nowak showcased NUNC footwear collections in Paris and Milan. After several years on the market, the brand’s client portfolio included more than 50 boutiques worldwide, among them Galeries Lafayette (Beijing), Shop at Bluebird (London), and Printemps (Paris).
From 2011 onward, Dominika collaborated with Mario Amerigo Di Castri on footwear design projects for internationally recognized brands including Trussardi 1911, Hugo Boss, Helmut Lang, Jimmy Choo, Coccinelle, Moncler, and Alberta Ferretti. She also worked as a freelance designer and consultant for brands such as De Siena (Florence), Henry Beguelin (Milan), Pas de Rouge (Venice), Gosia Baczyńska, Rage Age, and MISBHV. In 2015, she assumed the role of Artistic Director at Baldowski, and in 2018 founded her own label, VANDA NOVAK.
VANDA NOVAK is a contemporary, cosmopolitan brand created for modern, confident women. Led by women and designed for women, the brand communicates the past through the language of the future, combining the quality of traditional craftsmanship with a contemporary approach to functional design. Each pair of shoes is designed from the ground up, guided by an uncompromising vision that unites sensuality with comfort.
In 2013, the publication Shoe Lust recognized Dominika Nowak as one of the world’s 30 most innovative and avant-garde footwear designers.
Łukasz Sadkiewicz
Vice President of the Management Board, Wieliczka Salt Mine S.A.
Łukasz Sadkiewicz is a graduate of the Higher School of Management and Banking in Kraków, AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków, and holds an MBA degree from Cracow University of Technology. He is an expert in European funds management, a proponent of business models based on ESG standards, and an actively engaged public administrator. He serves as a member of the Board of the Wieliczka County Authority and has previously held the positions of Deputy Head of County Administration and Deputy Mayor of Wieliczka.
He founded the municipal company Solne Miasto and successfully led it for many years. As Vice President of Wieliczka Salt Mine S.A., Łukasz Sadkiewicz is a committed advocate of modern development that respects the region’s mining heritage. He initiates and oversees the mine’s strategic investment projects and actively promotes the implementation of innovative technologies.
He effectively develops the potential of this invaluable UNESCO World Heritage site across multiple areas, ranging from tourism and health services to the MICE sector (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions). He is actively engaged in promoting both the Wieliczka Salt Mine and Poland internationally. As a business leader, he places strong emphasis on responsibility, transparency, openness, and relationship-building.
Robert Sadowski
President of the Management Board, Zakłady Mechaniczne “Tarnów” S.A.
Robert Sadowski is a legal counsel, manager, and expert in corporate governance and strategic management. He has gained professional experience in both the public sector and commercial companies, serving in supervisory bodies and leading an executive agency supervised by the Ministry of National Defence.
He currently serves as President of the Management Board of Zakłady Mechaniczne “Tarnów” S.A., a company belonging to the Polish Armaments Group (Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa). He combines practical expertise in law, management, and leadership.
During the panel discussion “Management Personalities”, he will share his experience and insights on the challenges faced by contemporary leaders, effective team motivation, and the development of responsible and high-performing organizations.
XVIII INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE OF THE COLLEGE OF MANAGAMENT AND QUALITY SCIENCES OF KRAKOW UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS
Knowledge – Economy – Society
