Sarajevo Business Forum

Mr. Daniel Pačić

Commercial Director

Daniel Pacic joined Vistra’s Dubai office in December 2016 as Commercial Director, specialising in trust services, offshore companies and business set-up in the UAE, particularly in the DIFC. Prior to joining Vistra, Daniel spent 3 years at The Sovereign Group, first as a Senior Consultant and later as Head of New Market Development for the GCC and CIS regions. He has also served in various other business development roles in Portugal, Croatia and Serbia. Originally from Croatia, Daniel was raised and schooled in Dubai and the UK. He holds an Executive Master's Degree in Management and Economics from HEC Paris, as well as a Master's from the University of Belgrade's School of Economics.

Mr. Şekib Avdagiç

President of İTO, TOBB Representative, Turkey

Şekib Avdagiç has recently been elected as the new chairman of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (İTO), which is one of the five largest chambers in the world in terms of the number of members. Since 2005, he has been an executive at various levels in the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce. He is currently serving as ICO Assembly President

Ms. Amina Karić

CEO, Authority Partners

Amina Karić studied Computing and Informatics at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering in Sarajevo. Since 1998, Amina has worked in a software development company, Authority Partners. She has extensive experience in the area of IT, software engineering and management, and her expertise includes the field of software development, strategic planning and management in IT industry. She started her career in Sarajevo, and for more than 10 years she has been growing and developing professionally in the USA as a Software Developer.

Mr. Mahmut Galijašević

CEO, MANN+HUMMEL

Mr. Galijašević completed his undergraduate studies in Production Techniques and Cybernetics at the University of Sarajevo. He worked then as production manager at MHBA and contributed to the development of R&D at the MHBA. Since 2014 he has been the VP+ General Manager at MHBA. He shows strong interest and passion for leadership and development.

Mr. Adnan Ćatić alias Felix Sturm

Former boxing world champion

Mr. Adnan Ćatić, known as Felix Strum, is a German professional boxer. He is the World Boxing Association super – middleweight champion and a former International Boxing Federation, World Boxing Organisation, World Boxing Association middleweight champion. After 26 years of a successful boxing career, Mr. Ćatić returned to his homeland and established a factory for mineral water and non-alcoholic energy drinks.

H.E. Mehmet Şimşek

Deputy Prime Minister, Republic of Turkey

Mr. Mehmet Şimşek is a Turkish politician and economist who currently serves as the Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey since 24 November 2015. He previously served as the Minister of Finance from 2009 to 2015, serving in the cabinets of Prime Ministers Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Ahmet Davutoğlu. As the Finance Minister, Şimşek has formulated fiscal policy that has helped Turkey recover strongly from the global financial crisis in 2008.

Dr. Bandar M. H. Hajjar

President, Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group

Dr. Hajjar served as Minister of Hajj from 2011-2016. During his term, he introduced 25 initiatives to develop and enhance the services provided to the Hajjis. Dr. Hajjar occupied the posts of Deputy Dean of the College of Economy and Administration; Deputy Director of the Islamic Economics Research Center; and Head of the Committee on Curricula Taught from an Islamic Perspective.

Bakir Izetbegović

Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Went to primary and secondary school in Sarajevo where he also graduated from the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Sarajevo in 1981. Izetbegović contributed to numerous social activities. In 2000 Izetbegović entered politics and after serving in two regional assemblies was elected to the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2006. In May 2015, he was elected as president of the Party of Democratic Action.

Sascha Göhmann

Director Automotive Support Agency, Wolfsburg AG

Sacha Göhmann has a long experience in the automotive industry and worked in managerial and consulting capacities throughout his work history. He worked as freelance consultant and had his own business for a while. After that he became the project manager at INP North America and worked as consultant for Volkswagen Group Quality Assurance in Wolfsburg. Before his current position as director he worked as Project Executive Suppliers Management at Wolfsburg AG.

Ms. Dragana Djurica

Senior Expert on Competitiveness, Regional Cooperation Council

Senior Expert on Competitiveness in the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), where she is entrusted with the work on the creation of the common investment reform agenda of South-East Europe (SEE), along with the integration of capital markets, and industrial development. In addition, she is in charge of coordinating the activities of mainstreaming gender equality into economic competitiveness and promotion of regional value chains in priority industries of SEE. Before joining the Regional Cooperation Council, she took part in the economic diplomacy of the Republic of Serbia.

H.E. Admir Kulin

CEO, m.Doc GmbH

Admir Kulin moved in the 90s during the Balkan-conflict to Germany, where he started his career as a professional basketball player and trainer. After his career as a professional basketball player, he also preferred the area of sports in his further career – namely as Head of Controlling at Sportswear GmbH. After he worked several years at the Nürburgring Automotive GmbH and collected a lot of Know-how in the field of IT. After a leading position in a big IT-project, he decided to place this Know-how in the healthcare sector. Last, Admir Kulin was one of the members of the Executive Board at the Vitaphone GmbH. Today, Admir Kulin is, as the Managing Director and Founder of the m.Doc GmbH in Cologne Germany

Mr. Bernhard Wodl

Regional Manager Southeast Europe, Lufthansa, Germany

Mr. Bernhard Wodl has been appointed Director of Lufthansa Group in Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Slovenia. He graduated in electronics in 1997. He was working as a Director of SWISS for Austria and Central & Eastern Europe and he was in charge of coordinating the company’s regional development activities. He also worked in different positions in Lufthansa.

H.E. Ian Brown

EBRD's Senior

EBRD's Senior Banker Ian Brown has been a head of the Bank’s office in Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2014. Mr Brown has been a senior member of the Power, Energy & Utilities team since 2008. Between May and October 2012, he was acting head of office in Belgrade. Mr Brown has a degree in Economics and Business Administration from Sheffield University and an MBA from the University of Greenwich.

Ms. Maja Miljević

CEO and Founder Zdrava Logika

Ms Maja Miljević was born on 23.10.1989 and lives In Banja Luka. She is the founder and CE of Zdrava Logika (Healthy Logics), a start-up that deals with the production and market placement of organic food. It encompasses 40 co-operant manufacturers, and online shop and a land shop in Banja Luka. It also conducts educational processes related to organic production. Apart from this she worked as a project manager and marketing manager and was the director of BiT Lab doo between 2016 and 2017.

Mr. Marc Dillard

Director of Office of Economic Policy Analysis and Public Diplomacy, U.S. State Department Bureau of Economic and Business Affa

Marc Dillard is Director of the Office of Economic Policy Analysis and Public Diplomacy in the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, There he leads a team to execute the bureau’s strategic planning, policy evaluation, internal and external communications, and promotion of responsible business conduct. His office also manages Washington’s relations with the U.S. Mission to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. A member of the Senior Foreign Service, Marc was Counselor for Political and Economic Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Sofia, Bulgaria immediately prior to returning to Washington. His previous diplomatic postings include stints in Japan, Korea, Malawi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Ms. Karin Hörhan

Programme Manager, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Karin Hörhan holds a degree in Commerce from the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration. With 15 years of professional experience in leading GIZ's Economic Development Projects in Croatia, Montenegro and Palestinien Territories, Ms. Hörhan currently heads the Programme for Local Self-Government and Economic Development in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The blend of extensive international and management experience makes Ms. Hörhan a Specialist in Private Sector Development with deep understanding of diverse business practices and cultural settings.

H.E. Zdravko Počivalšek

Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, Republik of Slovenia

H.E. Zdravko Počivalšek was born in 1957 and has a degree in Agricultural Engineering. He headed Terme Olimia for the last 15 years. He won the Chamber of Commerce and Industry award in 2004 and was declared Manager of the Year 2010. On 4 December 2014, the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia appointed him Minister of Economic Development and Technology.

Mr. Umur Gökçe

Policy Analyst, OECD

Umur Gökçe is a Policy Analyst at the OECD, where he currently manages the Small Business Act Assessment for the Western Balkans & Turkey Project. Prior to that, he worked as a Senior Project Officer at the Islamic Development Bank. Mr. Gökçe specialises in economic development policies with a particular focus on private sector development. His experience also includes providing guidance on the implementation of structural reforms in the South East Europe. Mr. Gökçe holds a MSc in Development Studies from the London School of Economics.

Mujo Selimović

President of the Supervisory Board, Media Group Oslobodjenje/TV1, BiH

Mujo Selimović was born in 1969 in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He graduated in Law from the University of Sarajevo. In 1989, he founded MIMS Co., then as a trading company. The MIMS group increased steadily in growth. As a result, the MIMS group became the largest private company in Bosnia and Herzegovina, involved in trade, investments, energy, media, real estate, food and beverage production as well as other activities. He is the publisher of Oslobođenje, one of the most respected daily newspapers in Bosnia and Herzegovina that received numerous national and international awards for journalism standards.

Mr. Selmo Cikotic

Advisor to the Member of the President, BiH

Mr. Cikotić served as the Military Attaché at the Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the United States in Washington, D.C. from December 1994 to 1997. In June 2007 he jointly attended a Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council at the NATO headquarters in Brussels with the Serbian Defence Minister Dragan Šutanovac. Together, they expressed their governments' wish to join NATO as soon as possible. In March 2008 he led a five-member delegation to Pakistan, to discuss "bilateral cooperation between the two Muslim countries".

H.E. Igor Crnadak

Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Mr. Crnadak is a Bosnian politician, and current Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina since March 2015 for the Bosnian Serb PDP party. Since 1999, Crnadak has been a member of the Party of Democratic Progress (PDP) and has held numerous positions within the party. He was a member of the European Integration Committee of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska in 2006. Since 2011 he has been Secretary General of the Party of Democratic Progress. Between 2007 and 2009 he was Deputy Minister of Defence and was responsible for the BiH NATO.

Dr. Duško Knežević

Founder and President, Atlas Group, Republic of Montenegro

Dr. Knežević is the founder and president of the board of directors of Atlas Group Corporation (AGC). AGC is the largest financial group in Montenegro consisting of dozens of companies with far-ranging business interest, including banks and financial companies in Serbia, Cyprus, Russia and Great Britain. . In April 2010, Knežević became a member of Clinton Global Initiative. Knežević founded the Atlas Foundation in 2010 with the mission to support the creation of new societal values and economic empowerment of citizens.

Ms. Madelein Mkunu

President,Leading Women of Africa, Republic of South Africa

Madelein Mkunu is the Chief Executive Officer of Feminar International. She is the Founder and President of Leading Women of Africa, a pan-African forum that seeks to promote economic empowerment, new leadership and unity of women of Africa in order to achieve growth, stability and peace on the continent. Madelein Mkunu has been a guest speaker in many International women and business conferences in Europe, Asia and Africa.

Mr. Sanjin Arifagić

Project Leader of USAID/Diaspora Invest Project and Platform, B&H

With over 20 years of professional experience working with private and public sector clients in South East Europe, Sanjin Arifagić currently heads the USAID Diaspora Invest project in Bosnia and Herzegovina, implemented by Financial Markets International Inc. In his capacity as project manager, Mr. Arifagic leads the Diaspora Invest effort on promoting and facilitating investment in Bosnia and Herzegovina by BiH diaspora members.

Mr. Guido Clary

Senior Banker responsible for lending operations in the Western Balkans, EBRD

Mr. Clary Has been a Senior Banker at the European Investment Bank (EIB) in Luxembourg since 2010. He serves as a country manager for Albania and is in charge of originating, structuring and executing transactions within the public sector, the corporate sector and banks in the Western Balkans. In 2013, Mr. Clary structured the first Trade/Export Finance Facility in the history of the EIB and led a number of working groups on trade and supply chain finance.

H.E. Lahcen Daoudi

Minister Delegate to the Head of Government in Charge of General Affairs and Governance, Kingdom of Morocco

Mr. Daoudi is a Moroccan politician and member of the Justice and Development Party. Since 3 January 2012, he holds the position of Minister of "Higher Education and Scientific Research" in Abdelilah Benkirane's government. Mr. Daoudi served also as Minister of Higher Education of Scientific Research of Morocco

Mr. Ekrem Turajlić

Corporate Sales Director, Bosnalijek, BiH

Mr. Turajlić holds a B.Sc. in Economics from the Eastern Mediterranean University and an MBA from the Bled School of Management. He worked as Assistant to the Regional Manager for CIS and Russia for Bosnalijek and was upgraded as Director of Sales for SE Europe. Since 2013 he has been the Director of Corporate Sales.

Dr.h.c. Doris Pack

Former President of the Delegation for SEEE, European Parliament

Doris Pack was born in 1942 in Schiffweiler / Saarland (Germany). She served between 1981 and 1989 as a Member of the German Bundestag (CDU/CSU) and is an honorary Member of the PACE and WEU. She was also a Member of the EU Parliament between 1989 and 2014, whereby she also served as the President of the Delegation for South Eastern Europe (2004-2009).

Mrs. Đemila Talić Gabriel

Honorary Consul of Bosnia and Herzegovina in New South Wales, Australia

Mrs. Đemila Gabriel was born on 16 November,1968 in Bosanska Dubica, Bosnia and Herzegovina Due to the war that started in 1992, Mrs. Gabriel became a refugee and went to Germany, Fifteen years ago she moved to Sydney, Australia.In 2010, Mrs. Gabriel was named a director of an Australian real estate company, and soon after that she became a majority shareholder. Since 2015, she has been the sole owner of this company.

H.E. Gordan Mlinić

Director

Gordan Mlinić was born on February 23, 1957. In 1980 he graduated from Faculty of Law, University of Sarajevo. From 1998 to 2015 he worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He has been a director of Foreign Investment Promotion Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2016.

H.E. Branimir Gvozdenović

Vice President, Parliament of Montenegro

Branimir Gvozdenović was born in 1961 in Bar and graduated from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering in Podgorica. He began his professional career in the Secretariat for Development of Montenegro, where he coordinated a young team of experts that,initiated the IT development of Montenegro on the new ICT platforms. In 2001 he became the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Policy and Economic Development and served this duty during three terms of office.

Mr. Robert Prosinečki

Coach of Bosnia-Herzegovina national football team, Croatia

Robert Prosinečki is a Croatian football manager and former football midfielder. He is working as the manager of the Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team. After his retirement from active football, he worked as assistant manager of the Croatian national football team.In 2010 he was appointed manager of Red Star Belgrade 2012, Prosinečki left Red Star and took over Turkish club Kayserispor. On 4 January 2018, he was named manager of Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team.

H.E. Danica Purg

President of the IEDC-Bled School of Management, Slovenia

Professor Danica Purg is the President of the IEDC-Bled School of Management, Slovenia, and the President of CEEMAN, the international association for management development in dynamic societies, which brings together 225 management development institutions from 54 countries. Her special field of interest is looking for inspirations for managers from art and other professions. Prof. Purg is President of UN Global Compact Slovenia, as well as member of several international advisory boards at management schools around the world, including University of Stellenbosch Business School (South Africa), School of Management Zhejiang University (Hangzhou, China), and ESSCA School of Management (France).

Dr Ashraf Mahate

Chief Economist

Dr Ashraf Mahate is currently the Chief Economist for Trade and Export Market Development at Dubai Exports, part of the Government of Dubai. In his current capacity, Dr Mahate provides econometric analysis, information and advice to key decision makers that promotes a structured as well as detailed understanding of trade and trade policy's role in economic growth, diversification and development of Dubai and the United Arab Emirates. Dr Mahate is responsible for overseeing thought leadership within Dubai Exports in the areas of trade, trade policy, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation.

Mr. Branimir Muidža

President, Foreign Investors Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Mr. Muidža is the director of a cement factory in Kakanj and general director of the Heidelberg Cement group in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. He is also member of the Steering Comittee of TBG Beton d.o.o. Zagreb and Dunav - Drava cement d.o.o. as well as the attorney of TBG BH d.o.o. He is the President of the Council of Investors in Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2011, and a member of the Council of Investors of the Association for Improvement of Economic relations between Germany and Bosnia and Herzegovina. In November 2012, the International League of Humanists awarded Muidža with the Golden Charter.

Mr. Armin Talić

CEO, Bit Alliance

Armin Talic is creative re:thinker and transdisciplinary strategist with strong passion for strategic planning and a leader implementing complex projects leading teams and organizations. Currently he works as the General Manager at Bit Alliance. He was Chairman of Organizing Committee of the CEO Conference at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Sarajevo.Tokom poslednje decenije radio je na Ekonomskom fakultetu Univerziteta u Sarajevu kao poslovni saradnik za razvoj kurseva e-učenja. Takođe je specijalista za e-učenje za klijente koji se kreću od Centralne banke Bosne i Hercegovine, nekoliko programa UNDP-a, BH Telecom, M: tel, Sparkase, Intesa itd.

Mr. Jawad Yousuf Al Hawaj

Yousuf A.Wahab Al Hawaj & Sons Co. W.L.L. / Bahrain - Bosnia and Herzegovina Friendship Society, Kingdom of Bahrain

Mr. Jawad studied economics and political science at the Lebanese University in Lebanon. He established the Al Hawaj group as the prime player in the field of luxury retail in the country apart the strong business interests in hospitality, electronics and education sector. He is a Marketer, Visionary, Philanthropist and true statesman.Mr. Jawad Alhawaj was recently awarded by the Ministry of Labour for his outstanding contribution to the Bahrain Economy and his valuable contribution to the private sector.

H.E. Semiha Borovac

Ministar for hHuman Rights and Refugees

Semiha Borovac was born 2 March, 1955 is a Bosnian politician who served as the mayor of Sarajevo, holding office from 2005 until 2009. She is Sarajevo's only female mayor to date and is also a member of the Party of Democratic Action. Currently, Boravac is the Minister for Human Rights and Refugees.

H.E. Mohamad Zawawi Bin Ismail

Chairman of NanoMalaysia Berhad

Mohamad Zawawi Bin Ismail is currently Chairman of NanoMalaysia Berhad. He is also the Chairman of Sara-Timur Group of Companies, and of Sara-Timur Urban Development Sdn Bhd whose main activities are in engineering, construction and property development. Dr. Zawawi gained both his bachelor and doctorate degrees in electronic engineering from the University of Leeds, England.

Ms. Vedrana Likan

Managing Partner, Colliers International, Croatia

Vedrana joined Colliers in the last quarter of 2006 as Senior Consultant, and swiftly demonstrated her expertise in business management and operational leadership as well as project and team management. In 2007 she got promoted to the position of General Manager. In 2009 Vedrana was promoted to the position of Managing Director while by early beginning of 2014 she took over the position of Managing Partner for Croatia, Slovenia and BiH.

Ms. Maša Čampara

CEO and founder, eMediaPatch

Ms Maša Čampara has 14 years of online media experience with top publishers and agencies. Prior to starting eMedia Patch, Masa worked at iVillage as Sales Planner and Marketing Associate, after what she became the media manager at MediaCom and a media supervisor at Optimedia in New York. She worked on brands such as Staples, Keds, Cartier, Lancome and Sanofi brands. Today she is the head of eMediaPatch that she founded in April 2009 and provides customers a broad range of consulting services.

H.E. Iztok Mirošič

State Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Slovenia

Mr. Mirošič serves the Ministry of Foreing Affairs since 2017. He was previously an Ambassador and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Slovenia and has an impressive diplomatic history. Mr. Mirošič served the Foreign Ministry of Slovenia in different capacities and served also the Office of the Prime Minister, State Secretary and Foreign Policy Adviser to the Prime Minister.

Zlatan Faik Uzunović

Supply Chain Manager for Central and Eastern Europe, Prevent Group, BiH

Mr. Zlatan is a young Supply Chain Manager at Prevent Group since 2015. He has Master´s Degree in Production/Operations Management and Industrial Business Administration (M.Sc.) and a BA. in Economics. Apart from this, he has 5 years of experience in European automotive, furniture and supply chain industries. At the moment he manages 60 employees in the BiH SCM sector, as well as 10 employees in Romania and Slovenia.

Dr. Šadi Matar

Advisor to the Minister, Ministry of Telecommunications

Dr. Šadi Matar is serving as the Advisor to the Minister of Communications and Transport of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with duties in the domain of electronic Communications, Information Society and Software Development Industry, as well as national and international cooperation and initiatives. Dr. Matar is the sub-coordinator for Digital Integration component of the Multiannual Action Plan (MAP) of the Western Balkan, also he is the head of delegation and representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina to NATO group for Telecommunications Services.

Marijela Margeta-Hašimbegović

General Director, National Theatre of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Marijela Margeta-Hašimbegović is an accomplished woman and the current general Director of the National Theatre of Sarajevo. Since January 2000 she has been involved in the organization of the Sarajevo International Winter Festival and was the Technical Director of the National Theatre between 2000 and 2015, after what she took over her current role as General Manager of the Theatre.

H.E. Dr. Denis Zvizdić

Chairman, Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, BiH

Dr. Zvizdić graduated in 2007 from the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Sarajevo, where he worked as an associate professor. He has been elected several times to cantonal and federal legislatures and was also the Prime Minister of Canton Sarajevo (KS). He received a large number of awards and recognitions from the field of social life and professional activity (individual and collective) awards from the City of Sarajevo (Government of the KS) and the Golden Plaque of the International League of Humanists.

H.E. Armin Osmancevic

CEO, MyBazar Global Ltd.

Armin is an entrepreneur, TEDx speaker, award-winning advertising professional and a co-founder of MyBazar. He successfully delivered several global product launch campaigns for brands such as Adidas, Mercedes, H&M, BMW, Pepsi and others. Recently, Armin was recognized among 500 most influential figures in the global Islamic Economy. Armin has a Master's degree from the Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts and Design in Stockholm, Sweden.

Dr. Ismet Gavrankapetanović

Medical Doctor, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Prof. Ismet Gavrankapetanović is a full-time professor of Orthopedic and War Surgery at the Medical Faculty, University of Sarajevo. In 1998 he completed his doctoral dissertation on Estimation of therapy effects in chronic long lower limb bones infection caused by high energy projectiles treatment, at the Medical School of University of Sarajevo. Since 2007 he has been a Head of the Department of Surgery, Medical Faculty University of Sarajevo.

H.E. Eng. Ibrahim Al Omar

Governor of the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Mr. Al-Omar is the governor of the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA). He brings over 15 years of private sector experience to SAGIA. He has served on the boards of numerous public and private sector organizations, and as the chairman for three major international telecom projects for various consortiums

Ms. Cornelia Meyer

Chairman & Chief Executive, Meyer Resources (MRL Corporation), United Kingdom

Ms. Meyer is an international economist, independent energy expert and media commentator.In 1998 Meyer joined General Electric in America and in 2004 she moved to London to as an executive with BP. Since 2008, she has been an independent expert, Chairman & CEO of the MRL Corporation.

Mr. Amer Kapetanovic

Assistant Minister for Bilateral Relations and Economic Diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Mr. Amer Kapetanovic has been a career diplomat for the last 17 years and is currently serving as the Assistant Minister for Bilateral Relations and Economic Diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina. During his diplomatic career he was serving as the Spokesman of the MFA BiH, Head of Policy Planning Department, Head of the EU Department and the Deputy Ambassador of BiH in the Federal Republic of Germany.

Mr. Takahiko Makino

Advisor for Regional Tourism, JICA – Japan International Cooperation Agency, Japan

Having both, tourism management and heritage conservation in his education background, Mr. Makino worked at UNECSO as a Programme Specialist for Culture in implementing projects and programmes related to the field of cultural heritage conservation.Upon completing his last mission in Myanmar, Mr. Makino worked at JICA HQs as a Special Advisor for Tourism for two years, and has currently been working as JICA Advisor for Tourism for the Balkan region since May 2016.

H.E. Syed Isa Syed Alwi

Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Algaetech Group

Syed Isa Syed Alwi is founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Algaetech Group of Companies, which was established in 2004. The Algaetech Group of Companies are committed to providing global solutions in malnutrition and renewable energy with algae technology, and was rewarded with the 'Frost & Sullivan' Green Excellent. Syed Isa comes from a background in the food service industry, working in Europe and Asia for public listed companies, and has previous experience in the renewable energy industry, having spearheaded research into jathropa for bio-fuels.

Oliver Jaroz

Senior Manager ‘ CMP Director, European Club Association (ECA)

Olivier Jarosz is a Senior Manager at the European Club Association (ECA), where he liaises on a daily basis with some of the top football club executives in Europe. He is also Project Director of the newly created Club Management Programme (CMP), a bespoke education programme specifically designed for top club executives.

Mr. Stjepan Mesić

Former President, Republic of Croatia

Stjepan "Stipe" Mesić is a Croatian politician who served as the second President of Croatia from 2000 to 2010. After Croatia’s first multi-party and free elections he was appointed as the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia (May 1990 - August 1990) and pursuant to the resolution of the Parliament of the Republic of Croatia. On 7 February 2000 elected President of the Republic of Croatia and subsequently left the party wanting to be the President of all the citizens of Croatia. On 16 January 2005 re-elected for the President of the Republic of Croatia.

H.E. Rasim Ljajić

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister, Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications, Republic of Serbia

Mr. Ljajić entered politics in 1990 when he was elected as the secretary of the Party of Democratic Action of Sandžak. In December 2009 he founded the Social Democratic Party of Serbia and became its president. He was also a Minister of Human and Minority Rights at the SCG Council of Ministers. In April 2014, he was elected as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications. He remained on that post after the elections in April 2016, Republic of Serbia.

H.E. Ghulam Murtaza Khan Jatoi

Federal Minister for Industries and Production, Government of Pakistan

Mr. Khan Jatoi is a Pakistani politician who has been serving as the Federal Minister for Industries and Production since August 2017. He is also a leader of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz). In May 2013, his party - the National People’s Party, which led as the President, merged with PML-N. He was re-elected as the member of National Assembly in Pakistani general elections (2013) and was appointed as the Minister for Industries & Production in Sharif's third ministry.

Mr. Amer Bukvić

CEO, Bosna Bank International

Mr. Amer Bukvić is CEO of Bosna Bank International and a founder of Sarajevo Business Forum. He has been included on the Islamica 500 list of the world’s most successful individuals in Islamic economy. In 2014, he won the prestigious international Prince Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Award for the Best Entrepreneur and Leader in 2014.

Ms. Snježana Derviškadić

Team Lead, Regional Cooperation Council

Ms. Derviskadic has over 30 years of experience with a specialisation in tourism and travel industry and development of emerging and sustainable travel destinations. She has lived and worked in a number of international markets from the US and the UK to Turkey, and has for the past 14 years has focused on developing tourism in the Western Balkans region. Her experience spans the gamut from customer service, to travel operations and to destination development and promotion.

H.E. Sofyan A. Djalil

Minister of Land and Spatial Planning, Republic of Indonesia

Born on 23rd September 1953 in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, Sofyan obtained his doctorate in law and diplomacy at Tufts University Medford in Massachusetts in 1993. He has held various positions in the academe and was an expert staff at the Ministry of Justice. Sofyan was a commissioner with several enterprises, including PT Pelindo III and PT PLN. Currently, he is also a managing partner at Sofyan Djalil and Partners.

Mr. Branislav Vujović

Founder and President, New Frontier Group

Mr. Vujović, beside overall responsibility for the group, is leading investor relationship, M&A and group strategy with special focus on innovation and digital transformation. Before New Frontier Group Mr. Vujovic was managing strong growth of two multinational companies in Central and Eastern Europe: from 2000 to 2006 EMC as Area Manager and from 1986 to 2000 Computer Associates (CA) as Senior Vice President. He has IT background; he graduated from the University of Belgrade at Faculty of Organizational Sciences. Mr. Vujović is for a while focusing on subject of the digital revolution and impact on industrial enterprises especially on digital business model and innnovation. He is teaching Digital Business Models at IEDC school in Bled, Slovenia and in PwC Academy in SEE.

H.E. Shaikha Mariam Bint Hassan Al Khalifa

Vice President of the Supreme Council For Women and member of the Supreme Council For Women

Shaikha Mariam Bint Hassan Al Khalifa is the Vice President of the Supreme Council For Women and member of the Supreme Council For Women for five consecutive terms from 2001 to 2014. She is also a member of the Bahrain National Commission for Education, Science and Culture, in addition to being a judge at the GCC Commercial Arbitration Centre. Being an active business woman she understands the importance of economic empowerment of women in order to improve their overall state and is thus firmly engaged for this cause.

Mr.Dejan Miklavcic

COO, Monri Group, BiH

Dejan Miklavčić is manager with 18+ years experience in ICT world. Domain knowledge came from both economic and IT background, acquired on Busines journey that went from CIO of largest retail company in BiH, CEO of software development company and currently COO of FinTech group. Has a rich experience with project management, eWallet, payment gateway, payment switching platform, loyalty programs, FinTech, eCommerce, WMS, SAP, Oracle Retail, POS solutions, and agile based development leadership. Energetic leader devoted to people development with great emphasis on recruiting, coaching and retaining best of the best. Worked for renowed companies like Coca Cola, ComTrade, Konzum, mStart and Lupon Ventures (Monri Group).

Mr. Jan Z. Kulenović

Founder and CEO, Munja.ba Incubator, Hocu.ba

Jan Zlatan Kulenović is the CEO of the Social Innovation Incubator “MUNJA”, one of the leading NGOs in the field of youth empowerment in Bosnia-Herzegovina with more than 85.000 young people involved in its program.He is founder of HOCU.ba – the leading youth info platform in Bosnia-Herzegovina with over 750.000 site visitors and 105.000 followers. He coordinates the national competition for youth in entrepreneurship BUSINESS CHALLENGE with over 800 students from 100 schools who have taken part.

Mr. Hasan Šehović

President, Bosnia Diaspora Congress, BiH

Mr. Šehović holds a B.Sc. in Civil Engineering from the University of Belgrade. He is the manager at the Terbay Construction a.s. in Izmir and is also a member of the Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects where he is also a manager. He believes in the potential of BiH for becoming a competitive and attractive location for investments and works via the BiH Worldwide Diaspora (SSD) where he acts as the president towards the realization of this vision.

H.E. Lars Gunnar Wigemark

Head of EU Delegation to BiH and EU Special Representative, BiH

Ambassador Wigemark graduated from Harvard University in 1984 and holds a Master’s Degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in International Law and Economics.From February 2011 to March 2015, he served as the Ambassador and Head of the European Union Delegation to Pakistan. Since April 2015, Ambassador Lars-Gunnar Wigemark is the Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Bosnia and Herzegovina and the European Union Special Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Mr. Mirko Šarović

Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relationship, Bosnia and Herzegovina

From 1998 to 2000, Mr. Šarović served as the Vice President of Republika Srpska. In 2000, he was elected as the President of the Republika Srpska. From 2002 to 2003, he was the Serb Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina and served also as Chairman of the Presidency until April 2003. He served for two terms as a member of the National Assembly for Republika Srpska.

Mr. Mirsad Jašarspahić

President, Chamber of the Economy of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Mirsad Jašarspahić graduated from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Zenica. He began his career in PD Rudstroj d.d. in Kakanj, where he advanced to the post of the Executive Director of Commercial and Technical Affairs.Currently, Mr. Jašarspahić is the President of the Chamber of Economy of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a business association which actively promotes the interests of companies and fosters economic activity. He was given the Special Award at the 2015 Manager of the Year event for exceptional engagement and improvement to the Chamber of Economy of FBiH. In December 2017, he established the representative office of the Automotive Industry Group of the Chamber of Economy of FBiH in Wolfsburg.

Dr. Hassan Wirajuda

Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Indonesia

Mr. Wirajuda was the Minister of Foreign Affairs 2001 and 2009. He earned a Doctor of Juridical Science in International Law from the University of Virginia School of Law a Master of Law (LL.M) from Harvard Law School (1985), and a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy (MALD) from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University (1984). In 1971, he graduated from the Faculty of Law of the University of Indonesia and in 1976, he spent a year at Oxford University in the United Kingdom earning a Certificate in Diplomacy. During his diplomatic career, Wirajuda also assisted the establishment of the Indonesian National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM).

Martin Gaber

Executive Director, German Delegation of Economy

Martin Gaber is Deputy Director at the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Bosnia and Herzegovina. For the last two years he was active in promoting bilateral business relations between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Germany. Before that Martin Gaber was an expert for Central and Eastern Europe at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry for Lower Bavaria in Passau (Germany). In his third participation at Sarajevo Business Forum Martin Gaber will speak about the supply chain of EU companies and its impact on the Western Balkans.

Mr. Branislav Miletić

Partner and Director, Horwath HTL Srbija

Branislav Miletić has more than 15 years of experience in project management, business development support, strategic planning and implementation of development policies. He gained his experience on various management and advisory positions in civil, public and private sectors, working on innovative development projects and programs.

Dr. Elma Agić Šabeta

ead of Strategy, Bosna Bank International, BiH

Dr. Elma Agić Šabeta is a Head of Strategy at BBI Bank. She leads the Special Projects Department at BBI and took over the Program Director role in Sarajevo Business Forum.Her professional background includes extensive experience with integration and transformation projects in the local banking industry. Dr. Agić-Šabeta earned her PhD at the University of Sarajevo in investment management and risk modelling. She has been engaged as a lecturer and guest lecturer at the University of Sarajevo and Sarajevo School of Science and Technology. Her main research interests include financial markets, asset management, risk management, risk modelling, life insurance, and banking.

H.E. Fadil Novalić

Prime Minister of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Fadil novalić was born on was 2 September 1959. He is a Prime Minister of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Novalić is an entrepreneur and a mechanical engineer by profession. He is credited for reviving the automotive industry in Gradačac after the war.

Rudi Kesić

Founder & CEO, Advantage Business Group

Rudi Kesić is a Bosnian-born British businessman, lawyer, investor and philanthropist. He is the primary shareholder and chairman of Advantage Group of companies, United Kingdom. Rudi's latest business venture in South East Europe (SEE) is the recent establishment of Advantage Law Balkans (ALB) in partnership with the MDC Group, headquartered in Sarajevo, which offers unrivalled regional and sector specific legal and business advice to new investors coming to the SEE region, as well as supporting manufacturers and exporters from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia with their international exporting transactions.

H.E. Borut Pahor

President Republic of Slovenia

Borut Pahor was born on 2 November 1963 in Postojna. He has a degree in political science, with a focus on international relations. During his long political career, President Borut Pahor has been elected member of the European Parliament, and has served as President of the National Assembly and Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia. In December 2012, he was elected the fourth President of the Republic of Slovenia by 67.37 per cent of voters. Throughout his political career, President Pahor has remained a staunch believer in the ever closer Union, united, free and in peace. He sees the future in a more closely integrated Europe, competitive in the global market and better equipped for coping with global challenges.

Samir Cerić

Group CEO - Alpha Omega Group, UK/China

Samir Cerić is a serial entrepreneur, investor, mentor, philanthropist and mental health campaigner with an Masters in Mathematics, leading award winning businesses. Ceric co-owns businesses in Europe and Asia and has been involved with Chinese networks over the past 15 years. These days Cerić is focused on technology and truly disrupting the fields of art, fashion, media and sport to bring about higher transparency in these industries. He has decided to channel his energy towards his home country as well and build a positive image of Sarajevo and Bosnia in London and the world.

Mr. Mirsad Ćatić

Enterpreneur, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Mirsad Ćatić is the president of the Board and General Manager of Securitas in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In Sweden, he was the Chief of Technical Operations for Eastern Europe Region part of Securitas AB (2013 – 2015) and the CEE Development Director. In 1996 he founded the Alarm West GROUP company and was its director until 2010.

Mr. Valdis Zatlers

Former President of Latvia

Mr. Zatlers was the President of Latvia between 2007 and 2011. He was an active member of the Popular Front of Latvia and served as a member of its council. The activities of this organization led to regaining the independence of Latvia. After the presidency Mr. Zatlers formed a political party and ministered as deputy in Saeima (Parliament of Latvia) where he chaired the National Security Committee.