4th US-CEE Connection Weekend
Speakers 2026 Edition
Distinguished experts from the 2026 US-CEE Connection Weekend
Keynote Speakers
The Honorable Mark T. Uyeda
Commissioner, US Securities & Exchange Commission
Mark T. Uyeda was sworn into office as a Commissioner of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on June 30, 2022, after being confirmed by the U.S. Senate. He was sworn in for a second term as Commissioner on December 28, 2023, after being confirmed by the U.S. Senate for a five-year term expiring in 2028.
Prior to becoming Commissioner, he served as an SEC detailee to both the legislative and executive branches, most recently as securities counsel to Ranking Member Pat Toomey on the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. Commissioner Uyeda also served on detail as a policy advisor to senior leadership at the U.S. Department of the Treasury in 2017-2018 and the U.S. Department of Labor in 2020. Commissioner Uyeda has been with the SEC since 2006, serving as Senior Advisor to Chairman Jay Clayton, Counsel to Commissioners Michael S. Piwowar and Paul S. Atkins, and Assistant Director and Senior Special Counsel in the Division of Investment Management.
Before joining the SEC, Commissioner Uyeda served as Chief Advisor to the California Corporations Commissioner, the state’s securities regulator, having been appointed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2004. Earlier in his career, he worked as a corporate and securities attorney at Kirkpatrick & Lockhart (now K&L Gates) in Washington, D.C. and O’Melveny & Myers in Los Angeles.
Commissioner Uyeda earned his bachelor's degree in business administration from Georgetown University in 1992 and his law degree with honors from Duke University in 1995. He is the first Asian-Pacific American to serve as a Commissioner at the SEC.
The Honorable Phyllis C. Borzi
Former Assistant Secretary for Employee Benefits Security, U.S. Department of Labor; Catholic Law, Board of Visitors
A former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Labor for the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) from 2009 until 2017, overseeing approximately 700,000 private-sector retirement plans and 2.3 million group health plans as well as additional welfare benefit plans that together provide benefits to approximately 150 million Americans.
She represented the Department of Labor (DoL) in implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). She was instrumental in important pension regulations, including the DoL’s Department’s 2016 rule extending Employment Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) fiduciary duties to financial advisors to pension plans and retirement investors and the 2020 rules on ESG investments and proxy voting by pension plan fiduciaries. Ms. Borzi headed the U.S. delegation to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Working Party on Private Pensions and Insurance from 2009-2017. From 1995-2009, Ms. Borzi was a research professor in the Department of Health Policy at George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services and practiced law at a Washington, D.C. law firm. From 1979 to 1995, she was Pension and Employee Benefit Counsel for the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Education and Labor. She is a nationally recognized expert in pension and health benefits, the author of numerous articles and a frequent speaker on these issues both in the U.S. and globally. She graduated from Catholic Law where she was Editor-in-Chief of the Law Review and now serves on the law school’s Board of Visitors.
Jurand Drop
Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Finance
Jurand Drop holds position of Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Finance. He assists the Minister of Finance in running the macroeconomic policy and broader economic policies, as well as shaping the regulatory framework of the financial markets in Poland. In particular, he supervises departments of: Macroeconomic Policy, Public Debt, Development of Financial Market, and Efficiency of Public Expenditures and Accounting.
He serves as the Chief Speaker for Discipline of the Public Spending. He is a member of the Economic Committee of the Council of Ministers, and represents Minister of Finance at the Standing Committee of the Council of Ministers. Jurand Drop is an economist, public servant and academic lecturer. He graduated from the Cracow University of Economics, faculty of International Economic Relations. His master's thesis analysed the theory of the optimum currency areas in the European context. During his studies he made an internship at the National Bank of Poland. In 1999-2005 he worked as a researcher and teaching assistant at the Department of Macroeconomics at the CEU. He held lectures on macroeconomics, mathematical economics and the European Monetary Union. He also held lectures at several private university-level schools. Upon passing the concurs for the European civil servant, he worked from 2005 to 2008 as an economist at the European Commission. He was involved in the implementation of the i2010 information society programme, the Lisbon Strategy economic reform program, and also in the preparations of the economic analyses in the Directorate-General for Information Society and Media. He participated in negotiations between the European Commission and EU Member States in economic reforms and the creation of operational programs in cohesion policy. In the years 2009-2011, he was employed at the Ministry of Interior and Administration in Warsaw. He served as the head of the Unit for Strategy and Coordination of National Programs in the Department of Information Society. He was responsible in the implementation of the reforms foreseen by the i2010 program by the Polish administration. He co-operated with ministries, local government administrations, as well as with stakeholders from the telecommunications and IT sectors. During the Polish Presidency in the Council of the EU in 2011, he served as the Councillor for Economic Analyses in the Coreper-II Team at the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland to the European Union in Brussels. Among other assignments, he represented Poland in the Task Force for Greece that dealt with the economic crisis in that country. In the years 2012-2015, he served as the Counsellor for the telecommunications and information society. He represented Poland in the Council Working Parties for telecommunications and postal services, for cybersecurity, and periodically also for protection of personal data and for radio and telecommunications equipment. In 2015, he became Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Administration and Digitization responsible for digitization policy, telecommunications, cybersecurity and e-government. In 2020-2023, he worked again for the European Commission as the Country Coordinator for Finland, Lithuania and Poland in the Directorate-General for Telecommunications Networks, Content and Technology in the European Commission. He was responsible for, among others, supporting these three countries in running policies on telecommunications, cybersecurity, and on greening of the ICT. He participated in the process of setting up economic reforms, including negotiations regarding the Resilience and Recover Programs the implementation of the measures, as well as verification of the goals and milestones. He contributed to the Digital Agenda Reports on the three countries. He also participated in the European Semester procedures, in particular on the economic reforms. In 2023, he became Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Finance in Poland.
Prof. Jacek Jastrzębski, LL.M.
Chairman of the Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF); University of Warsaw, Faculty of Law and Administration
One of the leading Polish specialists in law and finance. He has a legal background as a graduate and professor at the Faculty of Law and Administration of University of Warsaw, as well as economic background as a graduate of SGH Warsaw School of Economics.
He has also completed a prestigious ‘Professional LL.M.’ legal programme at University of California, Berkeley (United States). Jacek Jastrzębski combined his work in banking with his academic and scientific activities. For more than ten years he served as Deputy Director of the Legal Department at Powszechna Kasa Oszczędności Bank Polski. He has been employed as Professor at the Department of Civil Law of the Faculty of Law and Administration at University of Warsaw. In 2017, he was recognised in ‘Legal 500’s GC Powerlist: Central and Eastern Europe’, a list of the most influential lawyers in Central and Eastern Europe. As part of his scientific activity, he deals with civil law, commercial law and financial market law, and he is an author/co-author of more than 80 scientific publications. His PhD and habilitation dissertations have received awards from Państwo i Prawo monthly. He participated, as a speaker and host, in a series of national and international conferences, including events regarding financial market.
Gretchen Cureton
U.S. Consul General in Kraków
Arrived in Krakow, Poland in August 2025, Gretchen Cureton serves as U.S. Consul General. After joining the Department of State in 2005, Gretchen served overseas in Nigeria, Italy, Afghanistan, Malaysia, and Germany.
Domestically, she has served in the Bureau of Consular Affairs and the Bureau of East Asia and Pacific Affairs.
Most recently, she served as the Deputy Office Director in the Executive Office of the Bureaus of European and
Eurasian Affairs and International Organizations (EUR-IO/EX), providing management policy analysis, crisis
management, and coordination of financial and personnel issues domestically and overseas.
Gretchen holds a Master of Science degree in National Security and Resource Strategy from the Eisenhower
School at the National Defense University. Additionally, she is a graduate of the University of Virginia with a
B.A. in Foreign Affairs. A “diplobrat” with parents who served in the U.S. Foreign Service, Gretchen grew up
both overseas (Switzerland, Dominican Republic, Argentina) and in Virginia. She is married with two children
and a rescue dog.
Prof. Jim Mazurkiewicz
Professor, Regents Fellow & Leadership Program Director, Texas A&M University, President and Founding Board Member, Polish American Chamber of Commerce in Texas
Jim Mazurkiewicz is a native of the Brazos Valley. His family settled in Washington County from Poland at the end of the ninetieth century (1880’s) and they still own and operate the family farm in Chappell Hill, Texas. He is a proud 5t h generation Polish-Texan with 100% Wielkopolska/Kujawskiego heritage. He graduated from Waller High School and received a B.S. and Ph.D. from Texas A&M University and a Master from Texas Tech University.
Upon graduation from Texas A&M in 1977, he worked for the USDA\FSQS Meat Grading Service for one year in Chicago and then joined Texas A&M AgriLife Extension as a CountyExtension Agent from April 1978 until April 1998 serving four counties in Texas (Guadalupe,Knox, Ector, and Brazos). For twelve of those twenty years, he served as the Brazos County Extension Agent-Agriculture. Currently, he provides leadership to three Extension/University Leadership programs: 1) the Governor Dolph Briscoe Jr. Texas Agricultural Lifetime Leadership (TALL) program for agriculture industry leaders in Texas, 2) the San Antonio Livestock Exposition - Leadership Extension for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension faculty and 3) the TALL Emerging Leaders International Exchange Program between Texas and Poland. In addition, he provides Extension International Outreach. In his spare time, he operates a registered Charolais beef cattle herd, and he is a certified National/International beef cattle judge. He has judged over 450 shows in ten states including every major livestock show in Texas. He enjoys working with youth and has coached 20 state qualifying 4-H Livestock Judging Teams and 10 national qualifying 4-H Livestock Judging Teams with one national title. He has been very involved in the community, the Texas A&M University System, and internationally with Poland. Currently, he serves on 10 association/foundation boards in Texas and Poland. One of his achievements locally was the establishment of the multi-million Brazos County Expo Complex that has made economic impact to the community since 2009 when it first opened and in 2023 it made a $45 million economic impact to Brazos County. In addition to Jim’s responsibilities with Texas A&M, he has been very active in building relationships, cooperation and collaboration between Texas/US and EU/Poland for over 13 years. Dr. Mazurkiewicz has been most active exchanging over 950 people between Texas and Poland working with people from the government, academia, and industry to include elected officials, university administrators, professors, researchers, students and businessmen & women, musicians, and farmers. He continues to work closely with the Polish Consulate in Houston, the Polish Investment & Trade Agency in Houston, Texas A&M University, and the State of Texas. The economic impact of his international work resulted in initiating a contact between the Texas Governor’s Office and the Polish Ministry of Energy to secure the first contract of LNG Gas from Cheniere Energy in Texas in 2017. This effort resulted in the purchasing of 1.72 billion cubic meters in 2017 and it increased each year to 6.04 billion cubic meters in 2022. The annual Polish purchases for 2022 were 36 deliveries from Texas/US, 18 from Qatar and 2 from Nigeria, and 1 from Trinidad/Tobago for a total of $31 billion in 2022. Poland has been free of purchasing Russian gas since April 23, 2022. In addition, Dr. Mazurkiewicz introduced #1 ranked grocer HEB in the US to Poland in 2017 with purchases of $5 million in 2017 to about $50 million in 2022.
To this day, Dr. Mazurkiewicz serves as an integral part of the Poland/Texas network in providing information, contacts, and business opportunities to promote economic development, educational opportunities and investment between Texas/US and Poland/EU. Since 2011, Dr. Mazurkiewicz has exchanged over 1,150 people between Texas and Poland.
J.C. Boggs
Chair, Catholic University of America Board of Visitors, King & Spalding's Government Advocacy and Public Policy Group
J.C. Boggs is a partner with the international law firm of King & Spalding and helps clients navigate legal, political and regulatory issues commonly associated with doing business in Europe and the United States. He is recognized for his strong, bipartisan relationships with Members of Congress, State Attorneys General, congressional staff and senior government officials in the U.S. and internationally.
As former counsel to the Senate Banking Committee, J.C has developed a deep expertise in financial services, fintech, and emerging technology policy, and regularly interacts with financial regulators on a wide array of policy and institution-specific issues. He has a proven track record of influencing federal legislation, regulatory frameworks, and agency rulemaking impacting digital assets, banking, payments, and technology platforms. As co-chair of the firm’s State Attorneys General practice, he delivers results on high-impact legal work at the intersection of law, policy and regulation.
J.C. serves as Chairman of the Board of Visitors of The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law and as President of the Parliamentary Intelligence-Security Forum. Earlier in his career, he was appointed to the World Bank’s International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes by President George W. Bush and to the DC Board of Elections by Mayor Muriel Bowser, in which capacity he also served on the U.S. Election Assistance Commission Standards Board.
J.C. enjoys open-water swimming and is member of U.S. Masters Swimming and the historic Serpentine Swimming Club situated in London's Hyde Park. He has competed in swimming events across all 50 states, ten Canadian provinces and around the world.
American Speakers
Prof. Leah Wortham
Professor Emerita of Law, Catholic Law Director of CUA-UJ Cooperative Programs
CUA Director of CUA-UJ Law Programs, namely American Law Program, International Business and Trade Summer Law Program, and LL.M. in American Law. Professor Emerita of Law; J.D. (Harvard Law School).
She served as CUA Law’s clinical program coordinator, an Associate Dean, and taught professional responsibility, criminal law, and the externship seminar, Becoming a Lawyer. She has taught, presented, or consulted in 35 countries regarding teaching legal ethics, legal profession reform, clinical education, and legal education generally. Professor Wortham was Chair of the Rules of Professional Conduct Review Committee and the Legal Ethics Committee of the DC Bar, which has more than 100,000 members.
Prof. Christopher Ross
Clinical Assistant Professor of Law, Catholic Law
Chris Ross joined Catholic Law in August 2023. He is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Law, Director of Experiential Curriculum, and the Managing Director of Columbus Community Legal Services, the law school's pro bono law firm and home of its clinical education programs. As Managing Director, he supports the clinical faculty in the education and training of clinic students and is responsible for administration of the clinic relating to client services, communications, and office management.
Chris was previously a Senior Managing Associate at Sidley Austin LLP, where he practiced appellate and regulatory litigation at all levels of the federal court system. Before Sidley, he served as a Deputy Solicitor General for the State of Ohio and clerked for the Honorable Alice M. Batchelder on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. He graduated magna cum laude from the Fordham University School of Law. At Fordham, Chris was a member of the Appellate Litigation Clinic and served as the Executive Notes Editor of the Fordham Law Review. He holds an undergraduate degree from The King's College in New York City, and currently serves on the college's Board of Trustees and as President of its Alumni Association.
Chris is licensed to practice in the District of Columbia, New York, and various U.S. district and circuit courts.
Prof. Stephen Payne
Dean, Columbus School of Law, The Catholic University of America
Dean of the Columbus School of Law, The Catholic University of America; graduate of B.S. Cornell University; J.D. Yale Law School. Dean Payne was a partner and the chair of the FDA and Health Care practice group at the global law firm, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP.
Previously, he practiced at Sidley Austin LLP and was a Captain in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps. Admitted to the DC and New York bars, he received the highest rating of “Leading” from the Practical Law Company, was named a “Life Sciences Star” by the legal guide LMG Life Sciences, and was ranked in 2019 as a “Litigation Star” in Washington, D.C. by Benchmark Litigation.
Prof. Jack W. Murphy
Director, Securities Law Program, Catholic Law
Practising lawyer in securities law for 33 years, retiring in 2018 from Dechert, LLP, where he was a senior partner in the firm’s Financial Services Practice Group and provided legal advice to registered mutual funds, closed-end funds and investment advisers in connection with all aspects of their operations.
He began his career in the Division of Investment Management of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in 1985. He left the SEC in 1988 for private practice in New York, after which he served as associate general counsel of an asset management firm before returning to the SEC in 1994 as Associate Director and Chief Counsel of the Division of Investment Management. In that role, he supervised the office primarily responsible for interpreting and establishing the Division’s positions under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. In 1997, he returned to private practice, joining Dechert, LLP as a partner. Since retiring, Mr. Murphy has served CUA’s Columbus School of Law as an Adjunct Professor, teaching Securities Regulation: Compliance and Introduction to Securities Law. He currently serves as the Director of the school’s Securities Law Program. He has also taught courses in American Business Organizations and American Securities Regulation as part of the CUA-JU American Law Program.
Prof. John Polanin
Director of the Compliance, Investigations, and Corporate Responsibility Program, Catholic Law
John retired in November 2023 as the Head of Compliance for Macquarie Bank Europe based in Dublin, Ireland. Previously John served as the Global Head of Compliance for Macquarie Group based in Sydney, Australia. Before joining Macquarie as Regional Head of Compliance Americas in New York, John was Global Head of Legal & Compliance Policy for UBS AG, Head of Compliance in the Americas for UBS Wealth Management and UBS Investment Bank, Managing Attorney at UBS Warburg, and Deputy General Counsel at PaineWebber Incorporated. John practiced law and served as Branch Chief in the SEC Division of Trading & Markets, Assistant General Counsel at Credit Suisse First Boston and Chief Compliance Officer at SG Cowen Securities Corporation before joining PaineWebber.
John graduated from Harvard University in 1980 and Catholic University School of Law in 1983 and received the Master of Laws degree in Securities Regulation from Georgetown University Law Center in 1990. John is admitted to the bar in Maryland and D.C. and author of “The Finder’s Exception from Federal Broker-Dealer Regulation,” published in Volume 40 of the Catholic University Law Review in 1991.
John is a member of the adjunct faculty of the Catholic University School of Law and the Associate Director of the Compliance, Investigations, and Corporate Responsibility Program (CICR). John has served on the FINRA National Adjudicatory Council, SIFMA Compliance and Regulatory Policy Committee, NYSE Compliance Advisory Group and the Executive Committee of the FIA Law and Compliance Division.
Sharayah Heidenhain
Political-Economic Officer, U.S. Consulate General Krakow.
Sharayah Heidenhain is a Political-Economic Officer at U.S. Consulate General Krakow. In this position, Sharayah covers political and economic developments, with a focus on American investment and commercial diplomacy. Sharayah is a career officer that has served at the U.S. Department of State since 2011. Prior to joining Consulate Krakow, she served in Washington in the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) Office of Europe and Asia covering Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.
Previously, she served in the INL Office of Afghanistan and Pakistan covering Afghanistan corrections infrastructure assistance.
Earlier in her career, Sharayah completed the Presidential Management Fellowship serving in several offices throughout the Department including in the bureaus of Consular Affairs, Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, and the Office of the Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan. She holds an M.P.A. and a B.S. in Public Affairs from the Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs with concentrations in Policy Analysis, and Environmental Policy and Natural Resource Management.
Elizabeth Lance
Assistant Chief Counsel, ICI Global Affairs
Elizabeth Lance is Assistant Chief Counsel at the Investment Company Institute. Before joining ICI, Elizabeth was Vice President and Legal Counsel for Legislative and Regulatory Affairs at T. Rowe Price where she was responsible for monitoring global regulatory developments affecting T. Rowe Price’s entities, products, distribution and operations, including advisory, investments, and corporate functions.
Elizabeth previously served as Attorney Advisor for Regulatory Policy in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Office of International Affairs. At the SEC, she received the Chairman’s Award for Excellence, served a six month detail to the Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations Risk’ Analysis and Surveillance group, and was awarded a Presidential Management Fellowship. Elizabeth graduated from the College of William and Mary with a BA in Anthropology, and from Vermont Law School with honors.
Fred Schmidt
Partner, Mentor for International Expansion, Capital Factory
For the past 20 years, alongside building various businesses, I have focused considerable energy on growing opportunities in and between Austin/Texas and London/theUK. Well, my work on this front is largely done as both of those cities and economies are operating at the top of their game and a big new direct Trade Pact was signed in 2024 between the UK and Texas.
So on to "old" new frontiers: Michigan (where I grew up) and Poland (where I was born). Both of these places are dear to my heart and, conveniently, they are prime territory for the sort of global ecosystem building work that I enjoy. Both Michigan and Poland have brilliant talent, first rate universities, histories of leading industries across many verticals, exceptional work ethic and, very importantly, a hunger to achieve dreams and be successful in ways that make a difference. That's my kind of scene. These are two of the next big emerging locations for entrepreneurship and innovation, mark my words. The momentum is already well underway. Connecting Poland and Michigan/Midwest to Texas - and with each other - is the mission!
I am also working on the transition of my businesses to the next generation of partners and succession management. And intentionally preserving enough time to write a book, ride my Triumph, and enjoy nature in the slower pace of country living.
Previously: 30+ years of professional experience - strategy, operations, business development, marketing, communications - in a broad cross-section of the global tech, entertainment and consumer products industries, from entrepreneurial to corporate: computer and video games (primary specialization), SaaS in every sector, music, radio, broadcast television, cable TV systems, cable satellite programming, print media, retail (toys, music, fashion, confectionary products), dining / live music, performance venues. Plus loads of board work and community service. Extensive work globally, especially between the US, UK and EU.
Jon S. Rand
Principal of Jon S. Rand LLC
Jon Rand serves as independent counsel to boards and committees, and other engagements where demonstrable independence is paramount. Mr. Rand has devoted his career to private practice serving the securities and investment management industries. He was previously a partner of Dechert LLP (22 years) and Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP (17 years).
Mr. Rand is a generalist in all aspects of investment management. His subspecialties include: design, creation, and operation of fund products, both public and private, including ETFs, interval funds and permanent capital vehicles; corporate governance with frequent service as independent counsel to fund boards; assisting clients experiencing or anticipating compliance issues or inspection, enforcement, or other regulatory inquiries; investment management M&A transactions and post-closing integration and consolidation of operations and products. Mr. Rand’s clients have included public and private investment companies and their boards, investment advisers, broker-dealers, insurance companies, banks and other institutions.
Mr. Rand has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America since 2007 based on peer review. Legal 500 (US) noted that he has “deep expertise and solid judgment.” He is admitted to practice in New York and Oregon and is an elected member of the Oregon State Bar House of Delegates (2019-2028).
Mr. Rand earned his J.D. from Boston College Law School, Newton, MA, where he was a member of the Law Review. He is also a graduate of Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, PA, and St. Ignatius College Prep, Chicago, IL. All of his grandparents immigrated to Chicago from Przemśyl, Poland around the turn of the 20th Century.
Christopher D. Christian
Dechert LLP
Member of the Dechert’s Policy Committee and Deputy Chair for Strategic Growth, advises U.S. and European asset managers and investment funds and their boards of directors, including funds organized under the European Union directive on Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities (UCITS) and funds organized in other jurisdictions offered on a private basis. Mr. Christian’s practice has a significant international component.
He advises offshore funds on compliance with U.S. regulatory requirements and routinely counsels European retail and institutional funds on organization, registration, corporate governance, and global distribution issues. He has assisted clients in coordinating offering advisory services and various types of investment funds in compliance with local law in jurisdictions in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin and South America. Mr. Christian is also the architect of Dechert’s World Compass, an innovative marketing compliance subscription service that offers investment firms advice in more than 100 jurisdictions. Mr. Christian is the former Chair of the International Bar Association's Investment Funds Committee and was recently selected as Chair of the Irish Funds North America Distribution Working Group. He has spent considerable time working in Dechert's London office and is a frequent conference speaker.
Todd McDaniel
Head of Economic Development, City of Bryan Texas
Director of Economic Development, serving as liaison to the Bryan Business Council and the Greater Brazos Partnership and staff lead to Bryan Commerce and Development and direct the city’s economic development initiatives. McDaniel served for over a decade as President and CEO of The Research Valley Partnership (now Greater Brazos Partnership), which is Aggieland’s regional economic development corporation.
McDaniel started his career with the City of College Station. He graduated from Baylor University with a Master of Arts in political science and completed the University of Oklahoma’s Economic Development Institute certification program. He was awarded Certified Economic Developer certification by the International Economic Development Council, and he is currently a member of the Texas Economic Development Council.
McDaniel has been married for 34 years to Rhonda, a teacher at Bryan ISD’s Kemp-Carver Elementary School. They have two grown daughters: Allina (Alli) and Riley (Riles).
Jennifer Gartlan
Lecturer at Catholic University, Columbus School of Law
Jennifer M. Gartlan is the Chief of the US Office of Special Counsel’s ADR Unit, which mediates prohibited practices complaints filed by federal employees against their employing agencies. Ms. Gartlan is also a Lecturer at the Catholic University Columbus School of Law and has taught at The George Washington School of Law.
Prior to joining OSC, Ms. Gartlan was the Mediation Program Coordinator
for the District of Columbia Court of Appeals (DCCA) where she oversaw
the use of mediation to resolve complex administrative, civil, family law,
and probate appellate matters. Ms. Gartlan also served as the Deputy
Director of the Federal Maritime Commission’ s (FMC) Office of Consumer
Affairs & Dispute Resolution Services (CADRS), which offers mediation,
facilitation, and arbitration to resolve international ocean shipping
disputes. She served as FMC’s Counsel to the Managing Director and
previously practiced law at Thompson Hine LLP and the Federal Railroad
Administration. She began her career as an Honors Attorney with the US
Department of Transportation.
Ms. Gartlan chaired the American Bar Association Dispute Resolution
Section’s Committee for Committee Development and Oversight. She also
co-chaired the Court ADR Committee. Under Ms. Gartlan’s leadership, the
Court ADR Committee received an Outstanding Committee Award. Ms.
Gartlan received her BA, magna cum laude and her JD, cum laude from The
Catholic University of America, and her LLM, with distinction, from
Georgetown University
Lee Carosi Dunn
AI Consultant and Catholic Law Board Member
Lee Dunn spent 12 years at Google in leadership roles across Google Cloud, YouTube and other business units in public policy, legal affairs and public sector sales. Before Google, she spent a decade in the United States Senate as General Counsel for Senator John McCain.
Today, she is at OpenAI helping US government employees adopt consumer AI tools to increase
productivity in their service to Americans.
Lee served as a judicial clerk for the Chief Judge of the Eastern District of Virginia after
graduating The Catholic University of America's Columbus School of Law, cum laude and
graduated from Vanderbilt University.
Beth Łachut Spiess
Director of International Missiles & Strategy, Moog Inc.
Beth Łachut Spiess is a Polish-American Aerospace & Defense executive with more than 25 years of experience. As Director of International Missiles & Strategy at Moog Inc., she is responsible for bringing Moog’s missile and precision motion control capabilities into Poland and other U.S. allies.
She fosters strategic collaborations with local industry to enhance allied defense capabilities and security. Based in the U.S., Beth has led diverse global teams across North America, Europe, and the Indo-Pacific region. She holds a BS in Chemical Engineering (Clarkson University) and an MS in Applied Physics (California Institute of Technology). She currently serves on the board of a Polish-American nonprofit in Buffalo, NY.
European Speakers
Prof. Paweł Laidler
Vice-Rector for Educational Affairs, Jagiellonian University
Professor of Social Sciences in the discipline of Political Science and Public Administration (2023), Doctor habilitatus in Political Science (Jagiellonian University, Faculty of International and Political Studies, 2012, degree awarded with distinction); Ph.D. in Political Science (Jagiellonian University, Faculty of International and Political Studies, 2003); Master’s degree in Law (Jagiellonian University, Faculty of Law and Administration, 1995–2000); secondary education: Bartłomiej Nowodworski High School No. I in Kraków (1991–1995).
Recipient of the Sasakawa Young Leaders’ Fellowship Fund (SYLFF, 2001, Catholic University of America). Visiting Professor at the JFK Institute for North American Studies, Freie Universität Berlin (March–September 2015). He has conducted research and delivered lectures in the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, Japan, and Australia.
Recipient of the First Prize of the Jagiellonian University Student Laudations for the highest-rated instructor at the university based on student evaluations (2013). Eight-time recipient of the Jagiellonian University Rector’s Awards for excellence in teaching and for academic achievements.
Deputy Director for Teaching at the Institute of American Studies and Polish Diaspora (2008–2016); Vice-Dean for Teaching at the Faculty of International and Political Studies, Jagiellonian University (2016–2020).
Prof. Piotr Dobosz
Dean, Faculty of Law and Administration of the Jagiellonian University
Piotr Dobosz is a Professor of Legal Sciences, Associate Professor, and Dean of the Faculty of Law and Administration at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków. In 1994, he obtained his doctoral degree from the Faculty of Law and Administration at the Jagiellonian University. His doctoral dissertation received an individual award in a national competition organized in 1995 by the Ministry of Culture and Art, the General Conservator of Monuments of the Republic of Poland, and the Association of Monument Conservators for the best scholarly, academic, and popular works in the field of heritage protection and museology
On December 12, 2012, he earned his postdoctoral degree (habilitation) at the Department of Administrative Law, and in 2017 he was appointed Associate Professor at the Jagiellonian University and awarded the title of Professor of Legal Sciences. He also serves as Associate Professor at the Faculty of Administration and Economics at the University of Applied Sciences in Tarnów. He is a member of several organizations, including the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Polish National Committee of ICOMOS, the Social Committee for the Restoration of Kraków's Monuments, the Society of Lovers of the History of Kraków, and the Kościuszko Mound Committee in Kraków.
He is the author of over 200 academic publications. He has received numerous awards for scientific and organizational achievements from universities, state authorities, and professional associations, as well as national and municipal honors, including the Bronze Cross of Merit (2002), the Officer's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta (2020), and the Silver Medal "Gloria Artis for Merit to Culture" (2018). He was also awarded the Gold Badge for the Protection of Monuments by the Minister of Culture of the Republic of Poland (2003) and the "Honoris Gratia" badge (2017).
Prof. Michał Kowalski
Vice-Dean for International Cooperation of the Faculty of Law and Administration of the Jagiellonian University
Professor at the Jagiellonian University, Doctor habilitatus of Legal Sciences. Conciliator at the OSCE Court of Conciliation and Arbitration in Geneva (term 2019–2025). Independent Expert of the OSCE Human Dimension Mechanism (term 2023–2029).
Member of the Advisory Legal Committee to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland in 2014–2021 and again since 2024.
Ad hoc judge at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg (2018–2024).
Appointed by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland as an adjudicating member of the Refugee Board during its 3rd and 4th terms (2009–2019).
Member of the International Scientific Committee of the International Law Association (ILA) on “Use of Force: Military Assistance on Request (Military Action with Consent)”.
Scholarship recipient of, among others: the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the Max Planck Society, and the Tokyo Foundation.
Mateusz Jurczyk
Branch Director, Kraków & Katowice American Chamber of Commerce in Poland
M.A. (Faculty of Law and Administration, Jagiellonian University in Kraków), MBA (University of Bedfordshire, UK). He joined the American Chamber of Commerce in January 2019, to run the Kraków and Katowice Branch of AmCham Poland and was appointed Branch Director in January 2021.
Mateusz is also responsible for running ’AmCham 30 Under 30’ - a youth development program, coordinates energy-related issues and the ‘Rebuild Ukraine’ working group. Except that he is a lead of American Investor Desk – an AmCham project supporting Polish companies on their way to the U.S. market expansion. He has 18 years of professional experience in senior management positions, working for both Polish and international companies, where he focused on finance, quality, relationship-building, and sales.
Marek Warzecha
President of the Management Board and Chief Executive Officer, PONAR Wadowice S.A.
Marek Warzecha is a graduate of the University of Silesia in Katowice, where he completed a degree in Political Science at the Faculty of Social Sciences. He has also participated in numerous training programmes in management and finance. He is an entrepreneur investing mainly in industrial and healthcare-related projects. He is currently the majority shareholder of, among others, PONAR Wadowice S.A. and Ferrum S.A.
Since 2009, he has served as President of the Management Board and Chief Executive Officer of PONAR Wadowice S.A. He is also Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Ferrum S.A. and Zakład Konstrukcji Spawanych Ferrum S.A., as well as Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Polska Amunicja S.A.
Over the course of his professional career, he has repeatedly served on the Management Boards and Supervisory Boards of both public companies, including Voxel S.A. and Cormay S.A., and private companies, including Górnośląska Agencja Przekształceń Przedsiębiorstw S.A., Górnośląski Fundusz Restrukturyzacyjny S.A., Fugo S.A., and Famur Famak S.A.
Jacek Zygmunt
Advisor to the Management Board of PONAR Wadowice S.A.
Strategic advisor. Lawyer with extensive international experience. Advisor to the Management Board of PONAR Wadowice S.A. Member of the Management Board of the Polish-Ukrainian joint venture PK Mil S.A. In his professional career spanning more than 30 years, he has focused on the energy, industrial and defence sectors.
Polish citizen. Fluent in Polish, English and Russian, with passive knowledge of Ukrainian. Former member of the Council of the Polish-Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce (PUIG).
Vice-Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Krakbau S.A.
Piotr Kochański
Partner, Kochański&Partners
Piotr is an expert in technology, intellectual property law and media, as well as arbitration and dispute resolution. He advises on complex multi-jurisdictional matters and transactions, supporting international clients operating in Poland and Central Europe. He specialises in the transfer of industrial property rights, intellectual property financing and protection, civil and commercial disputes, investment arbitration, and project finance.
Piotr has more than 37 years of experience advising and representing clients from the TMT, FMCG, infrastructure, energy, heavy industry, defence, banking and finance, real estate, and life sciences sectors. In the 1990s, during the pivotal period of Poland’s political and economic transformation, he led unprecedented cases and business projects involving technology transfer, privatisations, and greenfield investments.
He combines his role as Managing Partner with activities aimed at promoting new technologies and innovation in client service, new products, and project management. He is a pioneer in the use of artificial intelligence in business. Actively involved in ESG initiatives, he consistently promotes the idea of sustainable business.
Tomasz Arabski
Partner, Kochański&Partners
Tomasz Zakrzewski
Director, Poland Requirements & Capabilities Head of Corporate Business Development, RTX
Tomasz Zakrzewski is an expert in defense, aviation and space, security, cybersecurity, critical infrastructure protection, and crisis management systems and procedures. From 1982 until the beginning of the 21st century, he held various positions in the Polish Armed Forces. He took part in international missions and was involved in the preparation and adaptation of the Polish Armed Forces to NATO structures.
After completing his military service, he gained extensive business experience, holding various managerial positions in companies such as Alcatel, L-3 Communications, SAAB, and Thales Polska. He also cooperated with Polish and international companies from the telecommunications, IT, and security sectors, including Millennium Communications and Oracle.
He was a member of the team responsible for security during UEFA EURO 2012 in Poland. He has many years of experience in business development and the implementation of innovations in the fields of defense and security. His clients have included the Polish Armed Forces, the Police, the Border Guard, Special Services, and government institutions.
He is also a defense industry expert specializing in technologies and military defense systems, as well as aviation and civil security solutions. His areas of expertise include aviation solutions, integrated security systems, technologies and special-purpose vehicles for uniformed services, communication systems and radars, critical infrastructure protection, and cybersecurity.
He is involved in work on the SAFE programme. He is Co-Chair of the Defense & Security Committee at AmCham Poland, Chair of the Security and Defense Platform of Employers of Poland, and a member of the “Polish Brand” Foundation.
Mariusz Wawer
Head of Governmental Affairs & ESG 3M CEE, Board Member AmCham Poland
Mariusz Wawer holds a position Head of Governmental Relations & ESG for all 3M entities in Poland and Central Europe. Responsible for strategic planning & coordination of regulatory & public affairs activities as well as communication with key company stakeholders and trade organizations.
He actively works as within the American Chamber of Commerce in Poland, chairing the Sustainable Development Committee.
Prior to 3M he gained his professional experience in various consulting companies incl. Deloitte and as a journalist in Polish nationals dailies & business magazines. Academic lecturer in the areas of social communication and Public Affairs at MBA studies. Graduated from Faculty of Law.
Małgorzata Podrecka
Vice-President Management Board, Legal Service, Compliance, Sustainability, & Corporate Responsibility, CAN-PACK S.A.
Małgorzata Podrecka is a long-tenured officer, member and Vice President of the CANPACK Management Board since 2013, overseeing company’s legal, compliance, ESG and public relations strategies. In 2025, she was honored with the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta by the President of Poland. Małgorzata sits on the Board of the Council of Polish Global Entrepreneurs. She is also the member of the Council of the Jagiellonian University.
She holds a law degree from the Jagiellonian University in Kraków and is a licensed legal counsel and member of the bar. Her academic background also includes studies at the Catholic University of Leuven and Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. She earned her post-doctoral degree from the Jagiellonian University in Kraków.
Att. Tomasz Chmal
Trzeciak|Chmal
Attorney-at-law, partner at Trzeciak|Chmal, former partner at White & Case leading energy practice, co-founder of Business & Science Poland in Brussels, graduate of IBTSLP and Boeing Scholar at CUA Columbus School of Law in Washington DC. Member of the boards of Polish NGOs: Tertio Millennio Institute as well as School for Leaders.
Wojciech Jarosiński, LL.M.
Partner, Peak Legal; Co-founder, Expedition Cooperative
LL.M. in American Law (CUA); advocate admitted to the Warsaw Bar; partner at Peak Legal; from 2018 to 2021, named as the top dispute resolution lawyer in Poland by Rzeczpospolita Daily; featured in the Who's Who of Foreign Attorneys section of the National Jurist Fall 2019; co-founder at Expedition Cooperative; member of CUA Law School’s Board of Visitors. He has led or supervised more than three hundred technology litigations, the aggregated value of which exceeds a couple billion USD.
Att. Szymon Gostyński, LL.M.
Gostyński & Partners
U.S. (New York State) and Polish attorney-at-law, LL.M. in Corporate and Finance Law (Widener University School of Law, Wilmington, Delaware, US), law graduate with honors (Jagiellonian University).
Founder and managing partner of the Gostyński & Partners law firm. He specializes in international law, particularly in international commercial transactions. His other specializations include civil and commercial law. His office coordinates the firm's litigation and arbitration department.
Dr Krzysztof Skawiańczyk, LL.M.
Partner, Skawiańczyk & Stanek Attorneys-at-Law
Attorney-at-law, LL.M (The Catholic University of America – Washington, D.C.), co-founder and partner at Skawiańczyk & Stanek Adwokaci i Radcowie Prawni, a law partnership based in Kraków. He specializes in commercial, business, civil, family, and criminal law, with a particular focus on white-collar crimes.
He has extensive litigation experience, especially in commercial and criminal proceedings. He is the author of publications on capital structure changes in commercial companies.
He is fluent in German and English and has a good command of Italian. He is also a member of the Berlin Bar Association as a European lawyer.
Jakub Michalik
Chief Policy Officer & Member of the Executive Committee - Euronext
Dr. Jakub Michalik joined Euronext in June 2025 as Chief Policy Officer and Member of the Executive Committee. Mr. Michalik leads group’s public policy strategy and engagement with policymakers and regulators across financial markets, energy and technology sectors. Prior to joining Euronext Mr. Michalik served for 11 years at the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), most recently as Head of International, Institutional Affairs and Communications, leading ESMA’s policy and stakeholder engagement on European and global levels.
From 2011 to 2014, Mr.
Michalik served as a Parliamentary Adviser to MEP Wolf
Klinz on the Committee on Economic and Monetary
Affairs (ECON) of the European Parliament. Earlier in his
career, Mr Michalik worked on financial regulatory
matters for international banking and asset
management institutions.
Mr. Michalik earned his PhD in Law from University of Vienna and his Magister in Law from
University of Graz, and holds the professional qualification as a solicitor. He is a frequent
conference speaker, regular university lecturer, and active researcher in the area of
banking and capital markets regulation.
Vincenzo Senatore, LL.M.
Head of Legal Practice of Giambrone & Partners LLP
Vincenzo is an Equity Partner and Head of Legal Practice at Giambrone & Partners LLP. He is a quadruple-qualified lawyer (Italy – with Higher Rights of Audience; England & Wales – with Higher Rights of Audience; Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, np) with over 20 years of combined experience in both civil and common law jurisdictions, with a focus on international cross-border transactions, corporate law, and complex cross-border disputes between Europe, UK, US and Japan.
He is also admitted to practice before the International
Criminal Court based in The Hague in relation to international criminal proceedings.
He has previously worked at major US international law firms including Willkie Farr &
Gallagher LLP, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, and Bryan Cave LLP.
He studied law at the University of Naples “Federico II”, undertook Erasmus studies in
Salzburg, and completed an LLM in International Business Transactions and Trade Law at
the Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law, Washington DC, followed by
academic work at Stanford University in biomedical ethics and intellectual property, with
published research in Nature Biotechnology.
He is actively involved in a range of international legal and academic institutions, including
the ICC Bar Association, the Italian Bar Association and the Law Society of England and
Wales, and also holds editorial and advisory roles in international organisations. He is a
member of the Alumni Council of the CUA, Washington DC.
Dr Kamil Pruchnik
Senior Regional Representative, European Investment Fund
Kamil Pruchnik, PhD currently works as the Senior Regional Representative of the European Investment Fund (EIF) to Poland. In this capacity, he acts as the ambassador of EIF and promoter of EU initiatives in Poland, with the ultimate goal to boost private investments in Poland and enhance competitiveness and innovativeness of the Polish economy.
For his contribution in promoting EU instruments in Poland, he received a special recognition by the
Polish Banks Associations. Before moving to Warsaw, Mr. Pruchnik led EIF commitments in
15 countries (worth EUR2.5bn) to financial intermediaries (banks, investment funds, leasing
companies and fintech). In the past, Mr. Pruchnik worked at HSBC Group (in Poland and in
the UK) in various roles including: corporate governance, strategy and commercial banking.
Before transitioning to corporate banking, he started his career as an economist working at:
NBP (Polish Central Bank), the World Bank and the UN. Mr. Pruchnik received Ph.D. at
Warsaw School of Economics (thesis advisor: prof. L. Balcerowicz, f. Minister of Finance and
f. Governor of NBP). He conducted parts of his studies and research at Georgetown
University and Harvard University. For his dissertation, Mr. Pruchnik won first prize in the
competition organized by the Polish Bank Guarantee Fund (2023).
Prof. Justyna Maciąg
Professor of Management, UJ
Justyna Maciąg, professor at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland, researcher, lecturer, consultant and facilitator. Head of the Department of Public Management.
Her research interests concern concepts and methods of improvement, evaluation of service quality, evaluation of management effectiveness and efficiency, as well as cultural and process maturity for implementing continuous improvement methods. She has over 100 scientific publications, including 6 books. Since 2017, she has been coordinating the activities of LeanHE Poland. She is a member of LeanHE Europe. She developed the Lean Culture Maturity Questionnaire LCMQ®. Author of the book Lean Culture in Higher Education - Towards Continuous Improvement (2019).
Piotr Gnyp
gog.com / European Federation of Video Game Archives, Museums and Preservation projects (EFGAMP)
Senior PR at GOG.com. A veteran of the gaming industry for nearly 30 years, he began his career in tabletop RPGs as an editor for Magia i Miecz. His extensive background includes roles at Metropolis Software, founding Polygamia.pl, and launching Poland's first video game podcast.
A long-time industry journalist, he has also worked at Platige Image, Walkabout Games, and beyond. Piotr has experience in every facet of the industry: media, marketing, publishing, indie development, and distribution. At GOG, he focuses primarily on game preservation and collaboration with cultural institutions. He is a board member of EFGAMP (European Federation of Game Archives, Museums and Preservation Projects), a member of the KIGEIT gaming section, and serves on the Digital Dragons Advisory Board (Business & Marketing track)
Piotr Krawczyk
Head of Foreign Intelligence Agency
Piotr Krawczyk is a senior Polish intelligence and security executive with over 20 years of experience in diplomacy, strategic analysis, and defence affairs. He served as Head of Poland’s Foreign Intelligence Agency from 2016 to 2022, after earlier roles as Deputy Head and Acting Head.
His career also includes postings in Ankara and Kabul, advisory service with the Polish military in Afghanistan and Iraq, and analytical work at PISM and OSW. He specializes in intelligence, HUMINT, geopolitical risk, Iran, Afghanistan, Turkey, and NATO matters. Educated at the University of Warsaw in international relations and Iranian studies, he speaks Polish, English, Persian, and Russian.
Piotr Mańkowski
Instytut Przemysłów Kreatywnych (IPK)
Pop culture enthusiast, video game historian, project manager at the Institute of Creative Industries, and academic lecturer. He made his debut in 1986 in Świat Młodych and has written for prominent publications such as Secret Service, Reset, Film, Wprost, and Pixel.
He is the author of Digital Dreams, The Big Book of Games, and Creators of Worlds. He is currently finalizing his latest book, Pixels of Memories, which offers a fresh perspective on the history of interactive fiction.
Anna Olszewska
Attorney-at-Law | Head of TMT & IP Practice, Peak Legal
Anna Olszewska is an attorney-at-law specializing in technology, data, cybersecurity, and complex IT disputes.
With over a decade of experience advising technology companies and
public institutions, she supports clients in digital transformation projects, technology
contracting, and regulatory matters related to innovative solutions and emerging technologies.
She has extensive experience in high-value IT implementations, intellectual property, and
disputes involving major technology systems in Poland. Anna also lectures at the Kozminski
University postgraduate program in Intellectual Property Law. In 2025, she was recognized by
Rzeczpospolita as a leading lawyer in the TMT category in Poland.
Alain Strowel
Professor UCLouvain, attorney, Pierstone, Brussels.
Alain Strowel is attorney at the Brussels bar since 1988, now partner with the firm Pierstone, specialised in IP and data law. From 2001 to 2014, he was of Counsel with a U.S. leading firm, Covington & Burling.
Alain advises clients on tech law reforms in the EU and is a qualified litigator before the
Belgian and EU courts. His practice focuses on Artificial Intelligence and data governance.
He is professor at UCLouvain where he teaches courses in intellectual property, data and
media law. Alain graduated in law, economics and philosophy at UCLouvain and University of
Amsterdam. He holds a PhD in Law from UCLouvain.
Dawid Malinowski
Corporate Senior Associate, Bexley Beaumont
Dawid is an English-qualified solicitor. In his transactional practice, he focuses on private equity and mergers & acquisitions transactions. He also routinely advises his clients on general corporate matters, such as shareholders' agreements, share buybacks, etc., and provides support in relation to commercial contracts (NDAs, MSAs, collaboration agreements, etc.).
Throughout his career, he has worked at renowned corporate law firms in the City of London (Hogan Lovells, Taylor Wessing, Dechert) and in Warsaw (Baker McKenzie, Greenberg Traurig) representing large corporates, global financial institutions, private equity sponsors, and venture capital funds. In addition to his experience working in the City, he has also handled numerous English law-governed matters and transactions in the CEE and CIS regions, often representing local clients in connection with their UK-based matters and investments.
His clients include listed companies; large private enterprises; tech start-ups and scale-ups; and private equity and venture capital funds. He also routinely represents private businesses which belong to Forbes-listed individuals.
As an experienced professional, he is frequently invited to speak at various industry events and conferences, such as the Polish Economic Forum in Karpacz or Our Future Forum. Outside of his professional engagements, Dawid is committed to widening access to educational opportunities for young people and volunteers with 'Our Future Foundation,' one of Poland’s largest educational NGOs according to Forbes Magazine. He is also a mentor at Sebastian Kulczyk's InCredibles Programme, and has been shortlisted by Wolters Kluwer for the 'Rising Star Lawyer - Leader of Tomorrow 2024' ranking for Poland.
Prof. Piotr Szwedo
Polish director of the IBTSLP Program, Head of Centre for Advanced Sustainability Studies
Dr. Hab. in law, Professor at the Chair of International Public Law, Jagiellonian University in Kraków; head of OKSPO Center for Foreign Law Schools; member of UNA Europa Sustainability Self-Steering Committee; Head of the flagship project Centre for Advanced Sustainability Studies; member of Polish Accreditation Committee.
He is a principal investigator of the NCN research grant entitled Rights of Nature - a vehicle for sustainable development ? Operationalisation and critique from an international and comparative law perspective. His research interests are: international trade and investment law, international law of natural resources, comparative legal language.
Dr. Agnieszka Hajos- Iwańska
Of Counsel, B2RLaw; Assistant Professor, Jagiellonian University
Ph.D. in law (Jagiellonian University), advocate in Poland and partner in M&A / VC practice of B2RLaw - independent law firm that houses multi-disciplinary experts focused on the different types of matters and transactions ranging from VC, PE, Public Listed M&A, Cross-Border/Multi Jurisdiction; the standout leader for VC and NTT company transactions in Poland and CEE.
An author of several books and articles in recognized magazines, co-author of the series of e-books "Make a startup right", free guides for startup originators. Conducts transactional projects from VC to multi-entity and multi-jurisdiction industry transactions. Has extensive cross-border experience and knowledge of international standards and requirements in the area of compliance & ESG as a head of B2RLaw’s Compliance 360 practice.
Dr. Gaspar Kot
CUA-JU Coordinator
Gaspar Kot is a markets, products, and structuring lawyer at UBS Asset Management in Zurich, Switzerland. PhD in law (Jagiellonian University in Kraków) and a member of the attorneys-at-law bar in Poland. He also holds an LL.M. degree from the University of Heidelberg as well as The Catholic University of America.
Łukasz Chyla
Program Director for US-CEE Connection Weekend
Fulbright Alumni Ambassador, Fulbright Junior Visiting Scholar at Columbia Law School in New York (2023), and the Foundation for Polish Science START Fellow. Conducts research on financial markets regulation at the Business Law Department of the Jagiellonian University. Manager for External Relations at the Kościuszko Mound Committee in Kraków.
Earned his Master of Laws degree with summa cum laude distinction from Jagiellonian University in Kraków. Project Coordinator at the CUA Columbus School of Law in Washington D.C., Principal Investigator of the National Center for Science research grant at the University of Warsaw. Two-time recipient of the international SYLFF grant (in United States and Australia). Completed numerous scientific scholarships and internships at prestigious academic institutions, including University of Cambridge, Melbourne Law School, Bucerius Law School, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, and the Program in the EU Private Law for Postgraduates. Graduated with honors from the American Law School at Jagiellonian University and Columbus School of Law in Washington D.C. Founder and board member of the Semper Augustus Foundation, a scientific think tank offering pro bono education in the field of business and company law.
My participation and expert contribution to the substantive content of this event were made possible thanks to the generous support of the Polish National Science Center (NCN) scientific grant “Preludium” No. 2018/29/N/HS5/02977.
Dr. Wojciech Bańczyk
Director of the UJ-CUA Programs in American Law
Director of the CUA-UJ American Law Program, Ph.D. in law (diploma with distinction), assistant at the Chair of Civil Law UJ, attorney at law, court expert in American inheritance law.
Assistant in the Chair of Civil Law at UJ, post-doc in the grant project "Homo consumens, Homo ecologicus – Ecological Efficiency Test of the New Directive on Certain Aspects Concerning Contracts for the Sale of Goods" financed by National Science Centre, former (2019-2021) scientific assistant at the University of Osnabrück, European Legal Studies Institute.
More speakers will be announced soon.