Speakers 2024 Edition

Hester M. Peirce was appointed by President Donald J. Trump to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and was sworn in on January 11, 2018. Prior to joining the SEC, Commissioner Peirce conducted research on the regulation of financial markets at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.

She was a Senior Counsel on the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, where she advised Ranking Member Richard Shelby and other members of the Committee on securities issues. Commissioner Peirce served as counsel to SEC Commissioner Paul S. Atkins. She also worked as a Staff Attorney in the SEC’s Division of Investment Management. Commissioner Peirce was an associate at Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering (now WilmerHale) and clerked for Judge Roger Andewelt on the Court of Federal Claims. Commissioner Peirce earned her bachelor’s degree in Economics from Case Western Reserve University and her JD from Yale Law School.

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.

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.

General Services Officer for Consulate General Krakow. This is Jef Burnett's first tour overseas. He arrived in Krakow in September 2022 for his two-year tour and is joined by his spouse, Megan, who works in the consular section of the consulate.

Prior to joining the Foreign Service, Jeff served in a variety of government contracting positions with the State Department in Washington, DC. Jeff received his bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University and a master’s degree from The George Washington University and hails from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Chief Counsel of ICI Global and guides the Investment Company Institute’s international legal program in Europe, Asia, and elsewhere for the benefit of ICI members and long-term investors.

In previous positions at ICI, Annette served as Associate General Counsel, focusing on environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters, and as Deputy Managing Director of the Independent Directors Council, providing education resources and advocacy on behalf of fund independent directors. Before joining ICI, Annette held senior management positions at the Securities and Exchange Commission and in the legal department of a large fund complex. Annette began her legal career as a litigator, after a one-year clerkship with a federal judge. Annette received her law degree from the University of Virginia and a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from the University of North Carolina.

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.

Director of the Catholic University School of Law Compliance, Investigations and Corporate Responsibility Program (CICR), and Ordinary Professor of Law (Ret.), teaches in the areas of constitutional law, corporate law, legal compliance, and corporate social responsibility.

Before joining the law faculty, Sarah served as Chief Legal Officer of the University of Pennsylvania Health System, Vice President & General Counsel of the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak), and as a partner in the law firm of Williams & Connolly LLP. She has written extensively in the fields of corporate law, corporate responsibility, professional ethics, and constitutional law. Sarah is also an Episcopal Priest who serves part-time as Associate Rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church, Georgetown Parish in Washington, D.C.

Professor of law at The Catholic University of America. A former federal prosecutor, Professor Graw Leary's scholarship examines the intersection of criminal law and procedure, technology, and contemporary victimization.

She focuses on the exploitation and abuse of women, children, and the marginalized. She is a recognized expert in the areas of criminal law and procedure, exploitation, human trafficking, missing persons, victimization, technology and the Fourth Amendment. Professor Graw Leary is the Chair of the United States Sentencing Commission’s Victim Advocacy Group and the former co-chair of the Victims Group of the ABA’s Criminal Justice Section. She earned her J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center.

She is a recognized expert on trustee obligation especially at the cross section of investments and retirement plan assets, advice, and engagement.

Her research reaches extensively into her peer academic community (both domestically and internationally), the legal community at-large, as well as the legislative, judicial and executive branches of the U.S. government. She has published multiple articles on the intersection of ESG and investing retirement plan assets. During sabbatical in 2021-22, Professor Muir studied South Africa’s regulatory framework for sustainability considerations in retirement plan investments. She has actively supported the U.S. Department of Labor’s regulation on plan investments and shareholder engagement.

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.

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.

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.

Director of the CUA-UJ American Law Program, Ph.D. in law (diploma cum laude), assistant at the Chair of Civil Law UJ (Department of Comparative Private Law), attorney at law, court expert in American inheritance law.

Winner of 4th place Risings Stars – Lawyers of Tomorrow Prize, scholar of Ministry of Science and Higher Education for outstanding young scientists, scholar of “Start” by Foundation of Polish Science.
Former 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 scientific assistant at the University of Osnabrück, European Legal Studies Institute.

Professor Katarzyna Bilewska is a partner at BLSK, a law firm specializing in complex commercial and regulatory disputes. In 2022, she was recognized in the Forbes “25 Women Lawyers in Business” ranking.

She is also listed annually in the international legal rankings of Chambers and Partners and Legal500. She combines her legal practice with her academic activities - she is a university professor at the Faculty of Law and Administration at the University of Warsaw, where she served as Head of the Department of Commercial Law from 2017 to 2020.

Ewa Całus is a lawyer and a licensed legal advisor. She completed her law degree at the Jagiellonian University and holds an MBA in Public Management from the Krakow School of Business at the Cracow University of Economics, where she defended a thesis titled "A Pro-Climate Urban Model with Particular Emphasis on the Activities of the Municipality of Kraków."

She began her work in local government in 2014 as Deputy Mayor of Wadowice. For the Municipality of Kraków, she served as Director of the Education Department and later as Director for Didactics and Promotion at the Municipal Park and Zoological Garden Foundation in Kraków.

Since 2021, she has served as a climate education expert at UN Global Compact Network Poland. Since June 2022, she has represented the City of Kraków as Chair of the Climate Committee of the Association of Polish Cities and has also represented the local government side in the Energy, Climate, and Environment Team of the Joint Commission of the Government and Local Government. She is also a columnist for the quarterly journal Zdanie, where she publishes articles on climate change.

Throughout her career, she has consistently focused on climate education and has developed numerous ecological and climate-related initiatives. At the Foundation, she co-created an educational program for the Kraków Zoo and Wolski Forest, aimed at promoting knowledge about endangered animal species, conservation programs, and forest care and maintenance.

While working at the Education Department of the Kraków City Hall, she coordinated the creation of Kraków's eco-starter kits for first-year students and recommendations for schools on reducing plastic use. She is a co-author of the Climate Education in Poland report and co-editor of Climate Education in Poland 2022 – Recommendations of the Roundtable, published by the UN Global Compact Network Poland. Within this organization, she collaborates with a group of distinguished experts involved in the Climate Education Roundtable, which advocates for integrating climate change content into school curricula.

She is also a fellow of the prestigious International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), organized by the U.S. Department of State.

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.

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.

Ph.D. in economics (Cracow University of Economics, 2016), researcher and academic teacher at the Faculty of Management and Social Communication of the Jagiellonian University. Laureate of DAAD P.R.I.M.E. post-doctoral scholarship, conducted at SPRU, University of Sussex and IERP, University of Bremen.

Member of the board of the Polish Economics Network, as well as the JU Climate Council. His research interests have focused on the issues of international inequalities, global supply chains and economic development in peripheral countries, while more recently he has conducted projects on forestry practices and energy transition.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Counsel at SSW. Dr Piekut specializes in advising energy-intensive companies and energy companies on sustainability issues, including renewable energy, greenhouse gas emissions allowances (EU ETS), energy efficiency, energy transition, net-zero strategies, ESG and non-financial reporting.

He is a member of the Sustainable Development and ESG Practice Steering Committee at SSW. He is an expert on non-governmental organizations which support climate change mitigation. He obtained his PhD from the University of Warsaw, having written a doctoral thesis on legal instruments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the energy sector. He graduated the University of Warsaw and the Warsaw School of Economics and holds an LLM from the Ludwig-Maximilian University in Munich. He also studied at Fudan University (Shanghai) and the China University of Political Science and Law (Beijing).

Regional Director CEE for Public Policy at Amazon and chair of the Digital Economy Committee of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Poland.

Before joining Amazon, Mariusz was Executive Director, Government Affairs & Policy CEE at General Electric. Prior career steps include leading roles in Poland and in Brussels with Alstom, the European Commission (DG Regio, Unit Poland), the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA). Mariusz holds a Bachelor in Business Administration, a Master’s degree in International Relations and a Postgraduate degree in European Law. He is also a graduate of the Stern Leadership Academy program at Stanford University Graduate School of Business.

Member of the Management Board of the Polish Chamber of Commerce (Krajowa Izba Gospodarcza) responsible for communication and projects supporting business development. Actively advocates for SMEs, promoting among the largest companies the need to take responsibility for their smaller partners.

Has been working at the Polish Chamber of Commerce since 2008. Since 2016, she has been the Deputy General Director. Since 2021, she has been a member of the three-person management board. Initiator of such activities of the Polish Chamber of Commerce as running the Trade Fair Creativity Center, establishing the ESG Committee, and creating the cross-border.pl platform in cooperation with Amazon. On her initiative, the Polish Chamber of Commerce established the ESG School and undertook a number of other educational and development activities to support entrepreneurs in the green transformation. In addition, she is a member of the Board of Directors and the Budget Committee of Eurochambres. Since 2024, she has been elected Vice-President of the Sustainable Development Committee within Eurochambres. Karolina is also a member of many working groups at the national and European level that deal with sustainable development. These include POLSIF, Chapter Zero Poland, and the Sustainable Finance Platform at the Ministry of Finance.

Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Law and Administration at the University of Warsaw, attorney at law, counsel at the General Counsel to the Republic of Poland. She specializes in civil law and dispute resolution. Lecturer at post-diploma studies in sustainable finance at the Faculty of Law and Administration at the University of Warsaw.

During her doctoral studies she received scholarships from the Polish National Science Centre and the Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law in Hamburg. Her Ph.D. dissertation dealt with controversial issues of the law on termination of contract for breach of contract, and has received an honourable mention in a nationwide contest organized by 'Przegląd Sądowy' law journal. Her academic interests focus on various topics of civil law including contract law, civil procedure, extra-contractual liability, climate litigation, and the impact of sustainable development initiatives on contract law.

Dean of the Faculty of Law and Administration, Jagiellonian University in Kraków. Professor of law; head of the Chair of Civil Law (UJ), chairman of the Legal Committee of the Polish Academy of Skills (PAU) in Kraków; past vice-chairman of the Codification Commission at the Polish Ministry of Justice.

Past member of the group of experts of the European Commission for European contract law. In his research, he focuses his scientific interests on contract law (consumer law), rights in rem (in particular security for claims in rem), inheritance law, private banking law (in particular monetary settlements and credit agreements), European civil procedure and private international law.

Zofia Piwowarek is a sustainability strategist and ESG expert based in Warsaw, currently serving as ESG Chapter Leader at Erste Bank Polska, where she leads the bank’s sustainability strategy across corporate and SME banking. Her work spans non-financial reporting under CSRD and ESRS, EU Taxonomy compliance, and green finance structuring for corporate clients.

She has supported several publicly listed fashion companies through their mandatory non-financial disclosure obligations and advises businesses across sectors on regulatory transitions in EU sustainability law.

Before moving into banking, Zofia spent five years at the UN Global Compact Network Poland, where she rose to Head of the Climate Positive Programme. In that role she coordinated national implementation of UN climate strategies across government, business and civil society, co-authored legislative proposals on circular economy and green finance, and initiated the Roundtable for Sustainable Fashion — a multi-stakeholder initiative that brought together over 60 Polish and international fashion brands to develop a collective industry response to the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles.

Alongside her work in finance and policy, Zofia co-founded intu circularity, a circular economy consultancy working with fashion manufacturers on EU regulatory transition. She leads the “DPP in Fashion” roundtable — 130+ industry representatives participating in European Commission public consultations on the Digital Product Passport and Extended Producer Responsibility for textiles. She is also a lecturer at Łazarski University’s Postgraduate Studies “Law and Business in Fashion” and the author of a published handbook on non-financial reporting for SMEs and a sector report on the EU Circular Textiles Strategy for fashion industry audiences.

Zofia holds a Master’s degree from the University of Warsaw’s Institute of International Relations and completed postgraduate studies at The Bush School in Washington, DC.

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.

Dean of the Attorneys at Law Bar Association in Kraków, attorney at law, Ph.D. in law. Assistant professor in the Chair of Administrative Law, University of the National Education Commission in Kraków; former (2006-2013) associate dean of the Faculty of Law and Administration, A. Frycz-Modrzewski Kraków Academy

Dean of the Attorneys at Law Bar Association in Kraków, attorney at law, Ph.D. in law. Assistant professor in the Chair of Administrative Law, University of the National Education Commission in Kraków; former (2006-2013) associate dean of the Faculty of Law and Administration, A. Frycz-Modrzewski Kraków Academy

Graduate of Jagiellonian University in German Linguistic, postgraduate studies in Accounting and Public Finance, European Administration and graduate of Warsaw School of Public Administration.

She was employed as civil servant at the Ministry of Finance (2006-2022) dealing with international cooperation in accounting and auditing (at the EU level she represented Poland in the legislative work on the directives: Accounting Directive of 2013, Non-financial reporting directive – NFRD of 2014, Tax CBCR Directive of 2021 and Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive – CSRD of 2022). She represented Ministry of Finance in the Accounting Regulatory Committee from 2006 till 2022. In 2018 she led the project on the first report concerning the NFRD implementation by companies in Poland. In 2023 she was elected as vice-president of the management board of SEG (Polish Association of Listed Companies). Member of a working group on improving ESG reporting by Polish companies at the Sustainable Finance Platform set up at the Ministry of Finance. She is engaged in various educational activities concerning CSRD and ESRS application.

Economist, a graduate of Warsaw School of Economics (SGH), and a manager with experience in renowned consulting firms (Ernst & Young, Sollers Consulting, IGT). He has experience in management and corporate supervision over large companies (Supervisory Board Member of Totalizator Sportowy Sp. z o.o., CPK Sp. z o.o., Welcome Airport Services Sp. z o.o., and IRGiT S.A.).

He specializes in developing and implementing business and sustainability strategies. Over the past few years, he led the strategy and sustainable development division at Lubelski Węgiel Bogdanka SA. The Bogdanka's transformation strategy he developed was awarded the "Wprost Eagle" for the best strategy of the year and the DISE Energy Congress Award for the best energy transformation strategy. He served as a proxy of the Board in the Lublin Circular Economy Cluster, Lublin Hydrogen Cluster, and Łęczna Energy Cluster. He currently runs ESG+ Consulting (www.esgplus.pl), advising on the implementation of ESG in Polish companies.

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.

Director of the Primary Market Department at the Warsaw Stock Exchange, responsible for acquiring new issuers for markets operated by GPW, maintaining relations with issuers, and executing selected strategic projects of GPW, including the creation of the ESG Data Hub project.

She has over 24 years of extensive professional experience in the financial market. In her career, she has focused on developing business areas in financial institutions, mainly in banks, investment firms, and investment fund companies. She has managed numerous projects, creating and implementing business and communication strategies. She is a graduate of the Warsaw School of Economics and the Kozminski University in Warsaw. She is a member of the Project Management Institute, an international non-profit organization that brings together professionals in the project management industry. Her mission is to transform strategic concepts into tangible, measurable results, considering the values and needs of stakeholders.

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.

Katherine G. Crowley is a key member of the senior leadership team at Catholic Law. As Associate Dean for Administration & Chief of Staff, she reports directly to the Dean and oversees the day-to-day operations of the Law School, providing essential support and strategic oversight to advance the School’s mission and strengthen its operations.

Over her long tenure at Catholic Law, Associate Dean Crowley has worked in or supervised nearly every department within the School and has contributed to many university-wide initiatives. She has also held national leadership roles with the American Association of Law Schools (AALS) and the National Association of Law Student Affairs Professionals (NALSAP). Prior to becoming Chief of Staff, she served as the Law School’s Dean of Students for seven years.
A proud "Double Cardinal" alumna of both Catholic University’s undergraduate program and its Columbus School of Law, Associate Dean Crowley was deeply engaged in student life during law school. She served as Executive Editor of a law journal, a Teaching Assistant in the first-year Lawyering Skills Program, and President of the Evening Law Students Association, among other roles. She was selected by her classmates as the recipient of the Columbus Award, given annually to the student who best embodies the ideals of the Law School. Among other honors, she received the James Cardinal Hickey Award for Community Service and graduated with pro bono highest honors.
Her commitment to students has continued throughout her professional career. She was selected by the student body as Administrator of the Year in both 2019 and 2023, and in 2022, she was honored with the university-wide Student Impact Award.
Associate Dean Crowley began her legal career as a judicial law clerk for the Circuit Court in Montgomery County, Maryland, and later practiced family law at a highly-regarded firm, where she was recognized by Maryland Super Lawyers as a Rising Star every year she was in practice. She is admitted to the bars of Maryland and Massachusetts.

Serial entrepreneur and startup investor.
Member of several Business Angels Networks. Successful entrepreneur - exit in US to global teach leader.

Winner of the "Deal Of The Year" prize granted by European Business Angels Network (EBAN).
Mentor and coach for startups.
Intel Global Challenge startup competition judge.

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).

Advocate, Managing Partner of KKG (Kubas Kos Gałkowski law firm), Ph.D. in law (Jagiellonian University in Kraków), LL.M. in American Law (CUA and UJ).

member of the Entrepreneurship Council, an advisory body to the President of Poland, member of The Board of Visitors at the Columbus School of Law (CUA, Washington D.C.), recommended lawyer e.g. in Legal 500 Private Practice Arbitration Powerlist - CEE Region.

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.

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.

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.

He has strongly advocated for the development of the Polish capital market for more than 20 years. He has extensive career experience. He served in the capacity of the President of the Management Board of Deutsche Bank Securities SA from 1999 to 2018 where he was responsible for the brokerage house’s operations in Central European markets (Warsaw, Budapest, Prague) and he was the President of the Management Board of Santander Securities S.A. in 2018 and 2019.

Previously, he worked for Scotia Bank in Canada, and he obtained a certified qualifications to advise and intermediate in transactions on the regulated capital market.

Manager in charge of synergy and strategic projects in major Polish companies. Creator of central purchasing in the automotive sector and then in the whole Boryszew Group.

Author of the first energy trading strategy in Boryszew Group and founder of the Purchasing Office in China and India. For the last 7 years, Managing Director for Procurement in the PZU Group, co-responsible for the synergy project with PEKAO and Alior banks and other strategic projects. Participant in numerous project teams and member of committees including ESG and DORA. Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Armatura Kraków from 2021 to 2024. A budding beekeeping enthusiast for four years.

ESG Manager at the Warsaw Stock Exchange. A graduate of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań with a degree in International Relations, specializing in International Business and Global Economy, as well as Cultural Anthropology.

I have been associated with the capital market for over 10 years, gaining experience at Bank Pekao SA and the Warsaw Stock Exchange (GPW). At GPW, I initially managed media and market communications and, in recent years, led the development of the ESG Strategy for the GPW Group for 2022-2025. Currently, I am working on the implementation of strategic sustainability projects for the GPW Group. I also specialize in diversity management and DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging). Actively involved in the 30% Club Poland campaign, I advocate for increasing the participation of women in corporate boards and supervisory boards.

Professor Andrzej Szumański is the Head of the Department of Private Business Law at the Jagiellonian University. He is an attorney-at-law registered with the Kraków Bar Association. He serves as Vice-President of the Arbitration Court at the Chamber of Brokerage Houses, the Exchange Court at the Warsaw Stock Exchange, and the Polish Association for Arbitration.

Professor Szumański is a co-author of the draft Commercial Companies Code of 15 September 2000. He authored the draft of the Offset Contracts Act of 10 September 1999, as well as the draft amendments to the Code of Civil Procedure of 31 July 2019 regulating corporate arbitration. He participated in the work on the preparation of the OECD Principles of Corporate Governance (1999) and the amendment to the Commercial Companies Code of 12 December 2003. From 2006 to 2010, he served as an expert of the Polish delegation in the work of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL). He also participated in the development of the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules and the Transparency Rules in investment arbitration.
He chaired the Expert Team on Group Company Law at the Ministry of State Assets (2020–2022), which prepared the draft amendment to the Commercial Companies Code of 9 February 2022, introducing regulations on corporate group law (holding law) in Poland.
Professor Szumański is the author of textbooks and commentaries on company law and securities law, commercial legal forms, as well as several monographs, and numerous articles, case notes, and reviews in the fields of commercial law, international trade law, and arbitration law. He has served as presiding arbitrator or party-appointed arbitrator in more than 180 arbitration proceedings, both domestic and international.

He has been involved in the Polish financial market for more than 30 years.
Since 2018, he has been President of the Management Board of Krajowy Depozyt Papierów Wartościowych (KDPW, Central Securities Depository of Poland), and since 2019, President of the Management Board of the clearing house KDPW_CCP.

He started his professional career at the Department of Organisation Theory at the Faculty of Management, University of Warsaw. From 1989 to 1990, he was a Counsellor in the Office of the Government Plenipotentiary for Ownership Transformation at the Ministry of Finance.
From 1995 to 2002, he was Director of the Issue and Guarantee Department and then Managing Director at the brokerage house Centralny Dom Maklerski Pekao S.A. From 2003 to 2012, Director of the brokerage house of Bank BGŻ. From 2013 to 2014, Director and then Vice-President of IDM SA. From 2015 to 2017, President of the brokerage house of Bank BPS S.A., and from 2017 to 2018, President of the brokerage house PGE Dom Maklerski.
Member of the Board of Directors of the European Central Securities Depositories Association (ECSDA). Active in the Chamber of Brokerage Houses (IDM) since 2004. Member of the Programme Council of the IDM Capital Market Conference and the Programme Council of the European Financial Congress in Sopot.
Co-author of the textbook Zarządzanie - teoria i praktyka (Management: Theory and Practice) edited by Prof. A.K. Koźmiński. Lecturer at courses for candidates for supervisory board members in State Treasury companies.
Graduate of the Faculty of Management at the University of Warsaw, fellow of the International Marketing and Management programme at Copenhagen Business School and many international educational programmes.

An expert with over 20 years of international experience in political marketing, strategic communication, public affairs, and public relations.

Author of 10 books in the fields of personal branding, political marketing, and political analysis.

Founder and CEO of Columbus Energy - the largest Polish company in the sector of modern energetics and renewables. Graduate of electrical engineering at AGH University of Science and Technology in Cracow, he also holds the diploma of MBA at Tadeusz Kościuszko University of Technology. He has gained managerial experience working, among others, for Heidelberg Technology Centre in Heidelberg, Air BP in London, or MARS Poland.

He has been an entrepreneur since 2009. From the beginning he has concentrated on energy efficiency and renewables, focusing on innovation in his start-ups. During 10 years of Columbus activity, he performed the development and transformation of the company listed on the GPW Main Market, achieving spectacular business success. Through Columbus, Dawid Zieliński invests in innovative start-ups, among others in Nexity, the company connected with electromobility, or Saule Technologies - Polish company developing the technology of perovskite solar cells. Valued expert in the sector of modern energetics, member of the Programme Council OZE Power, winner of a prestigious competition EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2020 in the category New Technologies/Innovativeness, laureate of the Emblem “Teraz Polska”, he was named one of 200 people who create Polish economy (according to rankings by RMF FM, Money.pl and 300Gospodarka). Charismatic leader and visionary, enthusiast of unconventional solutions and mountain climbing. He lives in harmony with values, which are in Columbus DNA: tempo, talent, thoughtfulness, and technology. His vision, which he implements, among others through Carbon Footprint Foundation, is neutralisation of carbon footprint.

Professor in law, Professor at the Chair of Civil Law, Jagiellonian University in Kraków and at European Legal Studies Institute, University of Osnabrück, doctor honoris causa of the West-Ukrainian National University in Ternopil.

Past member of the Executive Committee of the European Law Institute, the Common Frame of Reference and Committee of Acquis Group drafting teams as well as the Member of the Codification Commission at the Polish Ministry of Justice (until 2015 and from 2024).