Speakers

Managing Director, Head of Internal Communications, DEI, and Community Relations, BBH

Marla Barr leads BBH’s global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Internal Communications, and Philanthropic strategies and programs. Armed with her unapologetic optimism, Marla strives to help her fellow BBHers be successful at their jobs. She achieves this by creating policies, programs and communications that highlight the unique aspects of BBH’s culture and talent, deepen relationships with the community, create rewarding volunteer opportunities, and enhance the employee experience.

Since joining BBH in 2008, Marla has spearheaded numerous initiatives to nurture and grow BBH’s inclusive and supportive workplace culture. In 2012, she helped create the BBH Employee Relief Fund, which provides employees and their immediate family with financial assistance in the case of an unforeseen emergency. Marla is the President of BBH Employee Relief Fund and Co-Sponsor of BBH’s Global Inclusion Committee and Executive Sustainability Council. Prior to joining BBH, Marla worked at Lehman Brothers for more than ten years where she held similar roles.

Marla received her B.S. in marketing from Lehigh University.

Deputy Branch Manager and Asset Servicing Director, Euroclear Bank

Stefan Beelen is Deputy Branch Manager and Asset Servicing Director at Euroclear Bank Poland, bringing over 25 years of experience in managing change and transformation across Business, Finance, and Support divisions in various European countries.

Stefan holds a master's degree in Business Administration and is fluent in multiple languages, which has enabled him to effectively navigate and manage cross-cultural teams. His leadership style is characterized by empathy, transparency, and a strong focus on achieving sustainable results. In his role as sponsor of Diversity and Inclusion for Euroclear Poland, Stefan collaborates with local leaders to foster a climate of inclusive leadership that extends diversity beyond traditional aspects such as gender, age, and disabilities. His mission is to humanize the workplace through authentic and inspirational leadership, aiming to maximize collective intelligence for excellence in people engagement and performance. In addition, Stefan’s dedication to continuous learning and development is reflected in his participation in various industry conferences such as the newly created Corporate Rebels cell for Poland business with a focus to re-think how organizations in today’s ecosystem should be designed and lead and how purpose and sense comes in to boost employees’ engagement and performance.

Award-Winning Entrepreneur, Speaker, Author, Jennifer Brown Speaks

Jennifer Brown (she/her) is an award-winning entrepreneur, speaker, author, and expert in diversity and inclusion.

Jennifer is the bestselling author of four books, starting with "Inclusion" and culminating in her award-winning "How to Be an Inclusive Leader," now in its second edition. This book delves deeply into identity, privilege, and equity, providing practical tools for becoming an inclusive leader. She also co-authored the book "Beyond Diversity," a Wall Street Journal bestseller.

As a sought-after keynote speaker, Jennifer addresses creating cultures of belonging and the future of work. She has spoken at organizations like Google, LinkedIn, IBM, and Toyota, as well as at leading business schools and academic institutions.

Jennifer also serves on DEI advisory boards for Sparks & Honey, L’Oreal, and the Gates Foundation. Her podcast, "The Will to Change," has nearly 15,000 monthly listeners.

Jennifer currently lives in New York with her partner of 25 years, Michelle. More about Jennifer can be found at www.jenniferbrownspeaks.com

Senior Low Code Engineer, GSK

Mikołaj holds the position of Senior Low Code Engineer at GSK, where he contributes to the R&D Digital and Tech area. Additionally, he's part of GSK's Spectrum ERG, an initiative supporting the LGBTQ+ community, and is a mentor in the Diverse Reverse Mentoring program. With over six years at the company, Mikołaj has consistently supported local events and community efforts alongside his primary IT responsibilities. On a personal note, he's the energetic MinPin's proud owner, has a keen interest in architecture, collects Lego and enjoys traveling.

Senior ID&E Manager, Akamai

Over the last 17 years, she has led several teams in the EMEA region as well as overseas, mostly focusing on training and Inclusion, Diversity and Engagement (ID&E). Next to being an IT coach and mentor for career hoppers, she helps to create strategy, optimize D&I efforts by orchestrating the efforts of the Global Employee Resource Groups at Akamai.

Head of Client Experience, EMEA, Franklin Templeton

Caroline Carroll is Head of Client Experience, EMEA and located in London. Leveraging over 30 years‘ experience and employing a client centric approach, her primary role is to support the growth and develpment of our business in the region through delivery of our Client Value Proposition and Value Beyond Investing capabilites. Responsible for a Client Experience team that enables close collaboration across regional and local Retail Client Service teams to shape the client service and experience, and deepen client relationships, Caroline partners with internal functions as a key advocate for the client, to increase efficiency, speed to market and improvement in service delivery across the client journey. Additionally Caroline is on the Boards of Franklin Templeton Global Investors Limited, FTSF/FTSIF/FTSIIF/FTOF/FTAF/FTML Luxembourg fund boards and the Templeton Asset Management (Poland) Supervisory Board. She was Co-Chair of Franklin Templeton’s EMEA Regional D&I Council. Caroline Carroll has 30+ years’ experience working within asset management. Prior to joining Franklin Templeton Investments in 2002, Caroline held positions at SLC Asset Management, Scottish Widows Investment Partnership and GT Global Investment Funds Limited.

Executive Director, Software Development Association Poland (SoDA)

As the Executive Director at SoDA, she oversees the organization's key activities, including the development of membership programs, building strategic partnerships and representing the interests of the Polish IT sector in both domestic and international markets. Additionally, she coordinates SoDA's activities related to legislative processes, support instruments, and European funds for the IT industry. She maintains ongoing collaboration with public administration, member companies, SoDA experts, and other organizations, such as industry associations, employer unions, and non-governmental organizations.

Experienced HR Leader | Diversity Advocate, Rockwell Automation

With over 16 years of experience in Human Resources, Agnieszka Dybizbanska is a seasoned professional specializing in fostering inclusive workplace cultures and strategic HR initiatives. Her expertise spans across diversity and inclusion, recruitment strategies, and effective communication.

Currently, Agnieszka serves as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Lead for EMEA and APAC at Rockwell Automation. In this role, she drives efforts to attract, retain, and develop diverse talent, customizing and implementing global DEI strategies across these regions. She partners with leadership and key stakeholders to enhance the inclusiveness of the work environment and improve talent retention.

Previously, Agnieszka held a role at Credit Suisse as the Global DE&I Strategic Advisor for three business functions, where she spent 11 years developing and executing DEI initiatives that supported talent across all career stages, from early career to executive levels. Her innovative approaches have consistently driven positive business outcomes and enhanced the overall DEI strategy globally.

Agnieszka has led notable projects, including heading Internal Mobility and Diversity Recruiting for the Americas during her assignment in New York, streamlining recruitment through enhancing digital candidate experience, and boosting employee engagement and recognition as the lead of an internal recognition program. She also ran the impactful Real Returns program for Credit Suisse in the US, created effective campus recruiting strategies and is passionate about inspiring younger generations of talent. She is skilled in coaching and facilitating 360 feedback to nurture talent development.

Agnieszka holds a Master Degree in Economic Sciences from the University of Economics Wrocław, where she specialized in International Trade within the Faculty of International Relations.

Based in Wrocław, Poland, Agnieszka is a mother of a 2-year-old daughter. She is passionate about mountain hiking and sailing, and is an enthusiastic supporter of Lean In Circles, dedicated to helping women support one another, benefit from peer mentorship, and advance their careers.

Branch Manager and General Counsel, Nordea Branch Poland

Agnieszka Dzięgielewska-Jończyk is a Branch Manager and General Counsel of Nordea Bank Poland with many years of experience in management of legal and compliance functions in IT, construction and finance sectors. Focused on ethical business conduct and sustainable development, as well as diversity, inclusion and equality in employment. Agnieszka is a Vice President of the Polish Association of Corporate Lawyers (Polskie Stowarzyszenie Prawników Przedsiębiorstw) and a member of the Board of the Women in Law Foundation. In 2021, she was included in the Forbes list of top 25 female lawyers in business.

Cofounder and Director, Orchvate

With a diverse background in product management within fintech and in driving national policy changes in the medico-legal domain, Geethanjali left a successful career to co-found Orchvate. At Orchvate, GG channels her natural problem-solving abilities and obsessive hyperfocus into creating inclusive employment opportunities for neurodivergents like herself. Orchvate's Neuro AI program, in partnership with the NASSCOM Foundation, is training 150 neurodivergents in AI.

Head of DEI / Forbes Women co-host, Ringier Axel Springer Polska

Katarzyna Gaweł, Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) at Ringier Axel Springer Polska, co-host of the Forbes Women podcast. She holds a degree in Finance and an MBA in Human Capital Management. She has 15 years' experience in communications. For several years she has been promoting the #EqualVoice of women and men in the media, because she believes that "Our power is our voice" and that the media has a huge impact on creating awareness in society. Speaker, panelist and conference presenter, sharing her knowledge and experience in the field of diversity, equality and inclusion. She coaches in the areas of unconscious bias, inclusive language and effective diversity management, including the development of DEI strategies. Her personal and professional passion is promoting gender equality as she believes that equality starts at home and translates into equality at work. Mother of two children for whom she wants to change the world.

Poland & Baltics MSC People Lead, Mondelez International

Paulina serves as HR Manager at Mondelez International, overseeing the HR strategy for eight manufacturing facilities across Poland and the Baltic region. With a career that spans both operational and HR roles, Paulina brings a unique, well-rounded perspective to the complexities of HR in the manufacturing sector. Her background in business operations has enabled her to design and implement HR strategies that address specific organizational needs, driving impactful change and operational excellence.

A passionate advocate for continuous improvement, Paulina is dedicated to developing innovative HR solutions that advance organizational progress and foster a high-performance culture. She has completed a four-year program in transactional analysis within organizational settings and an advanced team-coaching certification, equipping her with a deep understanding of systems thinking and effective team dynamics.

In her approach to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Paulina is committed to creating a supportive, inclusive environment where all individuals can thrive and contribute their fullest potential. Her focus on building a culture of respect and empowerment is central to her vision of a modern, resilient workforce.

Centre Director & President of the Management Board, HSBC

Grzegorz is a Centre Director and President of the Management Board of HSBC in Krakow which is employing over 4500 people. He has almost 20 years of experience in the SSC industry with 12 years in HSBC. Prior to HSBC Grzegorz has been working for consulting companies delivering projects across the Globe on 3 different continents. HSBC is a recognized brand that invest significant effort in Diversity&Inclusion space globally but more importantly Company that supports this area in Poland in order to make a positive difference.

CEO, Papaya Films

Master in political science at Warsaw University, then MBA at Warsaw University of Technology (class of 2013), later alumni of HBS at behavioral economics and HLS at mediations and conflict management. 18 years of experience in people and HR functions in FCMG, e-commerce, media and creative industries, in international or regional roles. Successfully delivered projects of setting up of the biggest shared service centers or integration of two biggest media companies in CEE region. Since 2023, Chief Growth Officer in a privately owned advertising production company, driving and implementing business growth strategy, from sales and revenue perspective, to the growth of the team capabilities and development of the effectiveness and tools in processes. Additionally, Sustainability Champion and Management Team Member. July 2024, promoted to the CEO position at Papaya Films. Happy wife and mother of 2 boys, dedicated endurance amateur athlete, passionate about neurobiology. Developing herself into a professional mediator role.

Founder, Equality Pays

Michelle Gyimah is a pay gaps strategist who works with medium sized organisations to understand how to address their pay gaps.

Michelle Gyimah knows that pay gaps can be nuanced and require a more detailed analysis to make an accurate assessment about an organisation.

Michelle Gyimah has supported organisations such as LinkedIn, L’Oreal and Wiley to lower their pay gaps and address their root causes.

Michelle Gyimah is a certified financial coach and a LinkedIn Top Voice for gender equality.

She holds a Masters in Human Rights from Manchester University.

Vice President at State Street, State Street

Director in a global team of Inclusion, Diversity and Equity at State Street Bank Polska, where she implements the global IDE strategy in the work environment in the field of gender and gender identity, multiculturalism, LGBT+, disability and employee well-being, including parenthood. She is involved in projects that develop management staff, all employee awareness of diversity and attentiveness to other people, and supports a coaching and mentoring culture in the organization. Since 2021, she has been a certified manager with the Certified Human Resources Management Executive (CHRME) title.

Since 2003, she has been implementing IDE projects and initiatives in all dimensions of diversity through training, awareness campaigns and supporting thematic networks (ERGs, employee networks). As a practitioner, she shares her experience by cooperating with many non-governmental organizations for many years as a diversity expert e.g. Diversity Hub. Moreover, she is a woman with a physical disability, a mother of three and a wife of a foreigner, and she combines multiculturalism in her family on a daily basis.

Her life mission is to support others on their path of self-development and self-improvement to influence people in the world through the butterfly effect, to sensitize and improve the world we all live in.

Agile Coach, UBS

Monika Jeżyna-Jewiss, Agile Coach, Director at UBS. Monika, the Neurodiversity Stream Lead at UBS, is driving the future of inclusion in tech. Known for her leadership in organizational transformations through Agile methodologies, she delivers large-scale projects with a focus on building neurodiverse-friendly teams in software engineering and product management.

Lead, Campus Outreach & Intern Programs, EMEA, Google

Nima is an Early Career Program Lead at Google, driven by a passion for connecting emerging talent with innovative opportunities. He spearheads internship programs and outreach initiatives, focusing on building relationships with students from diverse backgrounds and providing them with invaluable experiences.

Nima's journey at Google spans a variety of roles. Before joining People Operations (HR), he led global content creator/influencer programs on YouTube, empowering underrepresented groups and fostering inclusive platforms. He also honed his business acumen driving positive change through Google's digital advertising ecosystem.

A seasoned leader with a proven track record in DEI, Nima is a champion for transformative change within the tech industry and beyond.

Government Relations and Public Policy Manager, Central & Eastern Europe, Tik Tok

Marta Karczewska is a Government Relations and Public Policy Manager at TikTok, navigating complex policy landscapes in Central Eastern Europe. With extensive experience collaborating with tech companies, international human rights organizations, and cultural institutions, Marta brings a multifaceted perspective to her work. Her expertise spans digital rights, advocacy, and strategic partnerships. Passionate about the intersection of technology and human rights Marta is dedicated to creating policies that drive positive social impact and protect digital freedoms.

Group Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Lead, KRUK S.A.

As Group Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Lead in KRUK, Michał works with representatives of all markets and countries within the Group to implement the DEI strategy and support social responsibility towards employees and teams. He started his DEI adventure in an ERG of multinational corporation within the Qurate Retail Group. As a team leader at the branding agency Admind, he worked with global brands and coordinated a multicultural team, while supporting the agency's D&I management during successful B-Corp certification. For 2 years he has been implementing the DEI policy at mBank Group with inclusive processes, employee wellbeing and employee resource groups’ projects. He works with managers and trains on inclusive practices, communication, and unconscious bias. He has an D&I in HR Management certificate issued by HRCI and is a plain language ambassador (certified by Polish Language Foundation). In 2024 he was a juror in Diversity Charter Awards and Best Employer Awards. As a big fan of popular culture, he strongly believes that representation and authentic stories can shape our awareness and inspire others to grow.

Director, DE&I Organizational Development, Diversity Hub

Michalina is a DEI Strategist, leads international projects on inclusive leadership in global organizations, certified facilitator of Leadership Development Intensive Program. Experienced in organizational culture change process, whole system transformation. From 2007 she also provides DEI trainings and managing across cultures session for leaders of various industries (eg. banking, IT, pharma, FMCG, retail, construction).

Michalina is an experienced leader of an organization run fully in virtual environment SIETAR Polska. She is strongly committed to inclusive leadership, sharing her best practices and case studies during conferences. Focused on organisational effectiveness, her mission is to help organisations and people to grow, identify new ways of development and broadening their perspectives.

Senior Product Owner - Portfolio change, GSK

Jarosław is a co-lead of Spectrum Poland in GSK – the employee resource group to support LQBTQA+ employees in our GSK Poland Global Hub. His main goal is always to create a comfortable workplace, spread diversity and be as close to people as possible. Jarosław projected Diverse Reverse Mentoring in GSK to support the managers in understanding better their diverse employees. In GSK since 2019, acting a various roles – from compliance specialist, chatbot developer and agile facilitator to Product Owner. Personally, Jarosław likes to travel to unusual places (going to Antarctica on Feb 25!), carting and acting as a local activist.

Director, writer, Papaya Films

As a kid, Krzysiek ran around with a VHS camera, shooting skateboarding films and copying music videos of his rap idols. He started his professional career as graphic designer and illustrator, then moved on to become a creative director, before finally fully pursuing his dream of directing as half of Bujas/Kosz duo. Working solo for several years, he developed his own audiovisual language inspired by films, music, literature, video games and anything else that fell into his hands. Seamlessly blending elite with popular and modern with forgotten, he creates stories with a human at their core. Krzysiek has been using a wheelchair for several years, but that hasn’t stopped him from thriving professionally. He doesn’t see his disability as a barrier. For Krzysiek, a wheelchair is not a symbol of limitations – rather than letting physical challenges hinder his passion, he uses them as motivation to become even more dedicated to filmmaking. Thanks to Krzysiek, the world of advertising is becoming more inclusive, and his career journey serves as a lesson for those who need strength in overcoming challenges.

Country Director, Google Poland

She started her professional adventure with the world of digital transformation and technological innovations in 2011 by joining the Google Polska team in Warsaw. In July 2021, she became the head of the Polish branch of Google. Previously, for nearly 13 years, she was responsible for brand management and planning marketing communications for a number of FMCG categories, in local and regional roles at Procter & Gamble from Warsaw, London and Geneva. She graduated from marketing and management at the University of Łódź and postgraduate studies in the psychology of consumer behavior at the University of Warsaw. She also completed the Executive Program at Singularity University. Since September 2021, he has been a member of the management board of the Polish branch of the International Advertising Association (IAA Polska).

HR Business Partner, Air Liquide Polska

HR passionate with 10 years of professional experience on a constant mission to add value wherever she goes by proposing new programs and ideas or challenging the ways of working. Hiking lover. Currently on a road to enrich her professional portfolio by becoming a certified tour guide through the Beskid (part of Carpathian) Mountains.

DEI Expert and Employee Networks Global Coordinator, State Street

Senior Researcher, The Bridge Group

Dr Aleksandra Kubica is a DEI researcher, consultant, and project manager working in the UK and Poland. In her role as Senior Researcher at the Bridge Group—a non-profit consultancy focused on social equality in the UK—she leads on qualitative research on projects for a variety of clients. She is passionate about using robust, evidence-based research to shape DEI policies and practices, and has a particular interest in socio-economic background diversity and inclusion. She also collaborates with Diversity Hub in Kraków and has worked in academia and the cultural sector in several European countries and the US. Aleksandra lives in Kraków.

Head of Digital Bussiness Services Poland, HCL Poland

Deputy Director, Polish Economic Institute

Manager with 15 years of experience in project management and data-driven consulting, with expertise in analytics, research, and communication. A Sociology graduate from the University of Warsaw and MBA holder from the Polish Academy of Sciences, he has worked with diverse stakeholders in banking, finance, and HR. Since 2018, he has been with the Polish Economic Institute, where he is currently deputy director. Author of publications on labor market trends and migration processes.

Global HR Business Partner, Brown Brothers Harriman

Katarzyna Kwiatek is a Human Resources Business Partner at Brown Brothers Harriman. In her role, she is responsible for driving and executing HR strategy for the 4 lines of business, focusing senior management support and leadership development. As an advocate for diversity and inclusion, she leads the Krakow chapter BBH’s Diverse Ability Allies Network. She joined BBH in 2020 as an HR Business Partner for BBH’s Systems business. Prior to joining BBH, she spent more than 15 years in a variety of managerial roles in multinational corporations. She is passionate about the employee experience and talent development, helping managers and leaders to deliver exceptional results. Kasia graduated from the University of Economics in Cracow with an M.A. in Economics and got her postgraduate degree in Human Resources Management at SGH Warsaw School of Economics.

Founder and CEO, Harper Slade

Nikki's commitment to achieving multicultural workplaces isn't just a career choice—it's in her DNA. Born into a family deeply rooted in the civil rights movement, Nikki's upbringing on the campus of Hampton University instilled in her a profound sense of duty to champion the rights of black communities. As a three-time Chief Human Resources Officer in both the private and public sectors and a former executive with the Federal Reserve, Nikki is a highly sought-after speaker, trainer, and thought leader on the future of work, race, and economics.

Now, as CEO and founder of Harper Slade one of the fastest-growing and most highly recognized race, inclusion, equity, & diversity advisory firms in the country, her work focuses on helping organizations cultivate environments where black and brown talent can thrive. Nikki has also founded a global coaching program for “inclined” white women who want to become better racial equity advocates in their homes, workplaces, and communities.

Featured in Ebony Media, Forbes, Essence, USA Today, CNBC, PBS, Today’s Woman, Tops Magazine and countless podcasts, Nikki earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Miami School of Law, a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Hampton University and holds a certification in Collective Bargaining from Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations.

Head of DEI & Community, Startup Discovery School

An ex-teacher on a mission to reform education, Taz harnesses the power of community to build sustainable systems for change. She is a global DEI educator and leader, inspiring future generations through activism to create social impact. Her work is twofold; building new ecosystems with young people at a grassroots level as well as relearning and restructuring at a corporate level.

Over the last decade, Taz has partnered with forward thinkers like Samsung and GoogleForStartups as well as powerhouses including the Ministry of Justice, JPMorgan, the Financial Times, Macmillan Cancer and Expedia, to co-create a more equitable future.

She is currently the Head of DEI & Community at Startup Discovery School, where innovation is used to solve some of the world’s most pressing climate issues.

CEO, Business Disability Forum

Diane Lightfoot is CEO of Business Disability Forum, a not-for-profit membership organisation that supports businesses to recruit and retain disabled employees and to serve disabled customers. Business Disability Forum’s c.600 members employ over 20% of the UK workforce and range from FTSE 100 companies and central Government departments to technology, transport and construction companies, retailers, higher education providers and public services bodies. Diane is co-Chair of the Disability Charities Consortium, a group of nine major national disability charities in the UK. She is Vice chair of the Disability Confident Business Leaders’ Group and also sits on the steering board for the Lilac Review, the CMI Everyone Economy Advisory Committee and the Steering Group for the Global Business Disability Network, hosted by the International Labor Organization. She is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and is part of the Steering Group for the RSA Inclusive Work, Disability and Ageing Network. Prior to joining Business Disability Forum in February 2017, Diane was Director of Policy and Communications for national disability charity United Response, where she also took on the strategic leadership of the organisation’s employment services as a whole. She is passionate about the role that good work has to play in transforming people’s lives.

ERGs Center Lead, ERG Center by Diversity Hub, Diversity Hub

Monika Lis, ERG Center by Diversity Hub Lead, DEI consultant with particular emphasis on the topic of ERGs and Gender Equity. She is a seasoned trainer and facilitator with more than 13 years of experience in creating the development programs. Monika is also an experienced mentor and mentoring project coordinator working with women changing their career path. as well as the co-author of the guide and tools for Leaders of employee networks and the Guide dedicated to Mentors of women.

Group Compliance and Regulatory Governance Poland Head, UBS Poland Management Board Member, UBS

Anna Lorch she/her, is Compliance, Regulatory & Governance Head for UBS Poland , UBS Poland Entity Risk Officer and Management Board Member.

Her professional career has been associated with the telecommunications industry for a long time and with the financial industry and shared service centers for UBS Poland for 12 years. For UBS Poland, she performed tasks in the areas of Transition, (i.e. transfer of services), Service Quality; she performed the role of Chief of Staff and Service Delivery Head for one of UBS functions, and held a global role dealing with the standards of service centers in UBS. The resent years she performed the roles of Chief Administrative Officer for UBS in Poland and managed UBS location in Wrocław as well as lead Corporate Social Responsibility activities of the legal entity. She is a member of the management board, and promoter of all activities in the field of corporate social responsibility. She is also involved in areas related to building the organizational culture, and proper management of diversity and inclusiveness. She uses her personal interests and extensive experience in her professional activities by acting as a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion leader at UBS.

Head of HR Business Partnering, Jeronimo Martins Polska S.A.

Managing Director DEIB, AMS

With 31 years in talent acquisition across agency, executive search, in-house, and RPO, in 2007 he joined the London 2012 Olympics & Paralympics team (LOCOG) as Head of Recruitment, earning a British Empire Medal for services to the Games. Since 2014 at AMS, he initially led major client accounts and now heads the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Centre of Excellence, overseeing AMS’s internal global DEIB strategy and supporting client teams to achieve their DEIB goals.

Advocate, Niezgódka Kancelaria Adwokatów i Radców Prawnych

Elżbieta is an advocate with two faces. One face of Elżbieta is her professional activity. She is a personal advisor to managers on matters related to labor law, especially unfair dismissal, discrimination, or overwork.

The second face of Elżbieta is her social activity. As part of her educational activities, Elżbieta fights for women to be aware of their labor rights and to be prepared to cope with difficult situations. Elżbieta conducts numerous training sessions, during which she points out that equality between women and men in the workplace is needed and that it is not just an empty marketing slogan.

For her activity, Elżbieta was recognized by Forbes Women Polska in the ranking of 25 outstanding female lawyers in business [2021].

Head of BBH Krakow, Brown Brothers Harriman

Tim O'Brien is the Head of BBH Krakow. In this role, Tim is responsible for overseeing the firm’s business and strategic relationships in Krakow where BBH delivers market-leading solutions designed to optimize asset servicing, operating model, and data strategies for asset managers and financial institutions. Tim is also Head of Service Delivery in Krakow and is responsible for overseeing the seamless execution of all Service Delivery functions in Krakow and ensuring proper alignment within the Global Service Delivery function. Prior to his current role, Tim served as the Global Head of Transfer Agency Operations and, before that, was the Head of Custody Operations and Client Service in our Krakow office supporting the continued expansion of our Global Service offering. Tim joined BBH in 2000 and spent the first 15 years of his career in the Client Service Group and was responsible for service excellence on key global client relationships across our financial institution and Asset Manager segments. Tim graduated from the State University of New York at Binghamton with B.S. in Economics.

HR Lead, MSD Polska

Aleksandra Ossowska has almost 20 years of experience in running a wide range of projects and consulting in the HR area in companies such as IBM, Roche and Grupa Pracuj. She is currently responsible for the HR area in MSD Polska. As part of her work, she built HR strategies, was responsible for creating an organizational culture, and building the employer's image inside and outside companies. She believes in the huge role of technology used in the HR area. While running projects, she is fascinated by data from which trends for the future can be predicted. Her special area of interest and improvement is building the mental resilience of employees.

Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Partner, Electrification, ABB

Harriet is a strategic DEI leader who is driven to creating a culture of inclusion and tackling inequity so that everyone can achieve their full potential. Harriet has a Masters degree in Engineering and she is convinced that innovation and creativity result from diverse perspectives, and that we all make better decisions when we work collaboratively. Harriet is both pragmatic and energetic and she draws from extensive experience as an HR leader within organisational effectiveness, talent management and talent acquisition to ensure that DEI is embedded both into the culture and ways of working within the organization. In addition, Harriet enjoys personally connecting and collaborating with colleagues, champions and Employee Resource Group leads who always show her new insights and ensure that Harriet is always learning. Harriet's work at ABB is to lead the Diversity Equity and Inclusion strategy within ABB Electrification globally, working across 70 countries and multiple divisions.

Head of EMEA Accessibility and Disability Inclusion, Google

Christopher Patnoe is the Head of EMEA Accessibility and Disability Inclusion at Google. He leads Google's efforts around the accessibility of product, policy and partnerships across EMEA - with a particular focus on Emerging Markets. He has almost 30 years experience in Tech working at companies like Apple, Sony Ericsson and Disney where he's built hardware, software, games, and services. He is the chair for the Immersive Captions Community Group with the W3C, is the Accessibility Working Group Co-Chair for the XR Association, and is an independent member of the board for SCOPE. Christopher has a degree in Music from UC Berkeley.

Coordinator for Recruitment of Foreigners, Jeronimo Martins Polska S.A.

Monika Piątek has been working in the HR industry for 10 years, specializing in hiring foreigners. She started her career at the Mazovian Voivodeship Office, gaining knowledge about the legalization of stay and work of foreigners in Poland. She currently works as a coordinator for the recruitment of foreigners at Jeronimo Martins Polska. She is responsible for preparing full documentation for the employment of a foreigner. She is a philologist and translator of the Ukrainian language, and currently a graduate of MBA in management and marketing.

DEI Training & Consulting Manager, Iceberg Cultures of Inclusion

Andrés (he/him) specializes in designing and implementing Diversity and Inclusion strategies, focusing on Sexual Diversity, Inclusive Communication, and Refugees within the Technology Industry.

With five years of experience coordinating Diversity and Inclusion projects for SAP Latin America, he has successfully certified organizations in global standards such as the Human Rights Campaign and Aequales, ensuring the creation of safe and inclusive workplaces.

Andrés holds certifications in Human-Centered Design, Transformational Leadership, and Gender Analytics from the University of Toronto. In 2020, he was recognized as an OUTstanding Future Leader by Yahoo Finance.

Manager, Volkswagen Poznań

Manager and Expert in the area of Communication, Employer Branding and Diversity & Inclusion strategy building. She specialises in finding solutions for various topics, including difficult and crisis ones. At Volkswagen Poznań, she is responsible for communication to a crew of nearly 10,000, coordinates the employer brand strategy for Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles and takes care of the development of an inclusive workplace. With energy and the conviction that nothing is impossible, she takes care of the motivation of employees. She focuses on expanding perspectives, because diversity and the benefits it brings are key to the success of every organisation.

VP Poland Global Hub Lead, GSK

Wojciech Skrudlik brings over 24 years of professional experience in senior roles within multinational corporations. After completing studies in finance and banking at the University of Economics in Krakow, Wojciech pursued post-graduate studies in accounting. He commenced his career at Deloitte, specializing in financial audit, where he oversaw audits of financial statements and internal control systems for numerous large and mid-sized organizations. Following four years in audit, Wojciech transitioned to the Business Services sector. Throughout his career, he has held leadership positions at renowned organizations including Capgemini, MAN (Volkswagen Group), MARS, and ADM, where he was instrumental in building, managing, and developing service centers. He has also spearheaded large-scale transformational projects, collaborating with teams spanning six continents. Wojciech has played diverse roles within ABSL (Association of Business Service Leaders), an industry organization representing major GBS/SSC/BPO entities in Poland, including serving as Poznan Local Chapter Leader, Finance VP, and Audit Committee member. Certified as an auditor and LEAN Black Belt, Wojciech commenced his role as VP Global Hub Lead Poland at GSK (global biopharma company) in January 2024. In this role Wojciech leads a multifunctional capability center of over 2300 employees in Poland. Wojciech’s passions lie in self-development and fostering growth in others. He finds fulfillment in reading books, listening to podcasts, playing piano, and tackling trail runs. At 48 years old, Wojciech is happily married and is the proud father of three sons.

Neurodiversity Chief Expert, Diversity Hub; Head of Psychological Diagnosis, Mental Health Helpline; Educational Psychologist & Trainer; Mental Health Helpline

Psychologist, graduate of the Jagiellonian University in Krakow. Expert in the field of psychology of individual differences - neurodiversity, personality, temperament, cognitive processes, psychological diagnosis, as well as in the area of child and adolescent development and prevention of risky behaviours. He bases his work on the biological model and the humanistic approach, integrating knowledge and interest in neuroscience with DEI values. He is a diagnostician, a certified FRIS® trainer, a mentor and trainer of DEI & Youth international programs, a graduate of courses in Solution Focused Therapy, Addiction and Cyberbullying Prevention, co-author of development and therapeutic programs for youth. He developed his expertise in Neurodiversity and youth support at Leiden University in the Netherlands, and honed his training skills through strategic DEI programs in Spain, Greece, France, Ireland, Sweden, Georgia, and Italy.

Wellbeing Lead, Capgemini Polska

Adrian Tworuszka, currently the Stream DevOps & Platforms Lead at UBS in Poland, specializes in enhancing software delivery and operational efficiencies through strategic DevOps initiatives. With over two decades in IT and software engineering, Adrian has a robust background in technical leadership and strategic management. He is a staunch advocate for neurodiversity, actively co-leading efforts to integrate diverse cognitive abilities into the workplace, thereby fostering an inclusive culture that drives innovation. Adrian holds an MBA from Uniwersytet Ekonomiczny w Krakowie and an engineering degree from Politechnika Opolska.

Head of People Function, HEINEKEN

Ewa always loved working with people and that led her to pursue career in the area of People & Culture. For over 20 years she had a chance to learn and develop her career both in FMCG and SSC multinational companies, holding various roles in talent management, organizational change, employer branding, etc. Currently Ewa is Head of People Function in HEINEKEN Global Shared Services, where she leads People Function team in times of dynamic growth, multiple changes, and developments of the organization. In her work, Ewa is driven by the belief that everyone can have impact on the environment they are in, and that if we want to see a change, we need to start from ourselves. She is also a great believer in exchanging thoughts and experiences. This is why she acts as a coach and mentor in different non-profit organizations. Ewa is a strong advocate of balance in life and works on making the workplace an inclusive and respectful environment – for everyone.

Senior Programme Associate, IOM

Migration and social inclusion specialist having experience in different regions and contexts. After years of working in the field, including work with refugees, activists, entrepreneurs, consultants, business and labour unions representatives, she believes that the future of the world is not in the invisible hand, but rather in the hands of those who are motivated to take action on behalf of human rights.

Currently working at IOM she focuses on issues related to migration, business and human rights (MBHR), ethical international recruitment, mapping labor migration processes as well as conducting trainings for the private sector on diversity management and abuse prevention in global value chains.

OPIM CEO, OPIM

Jana Tikalová is a dynamic and thought-provoking speaker and trainer specializing in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) leadership. With a career spanning over 23 years, she began her journey at the Council of Europe as a human rights trainer, where she developed a deep commitment to advocating for marginalized communities. Jana is a founder of OPIM, a pioneering organization dedicated to advancing DEI through education, networking, and consulting since 2001. Today the organization is the trendsetter in the field of DEI in the Czech Republic. With 23 years of experience in DEI and human rights, she has established herself as a leading expert in the field. She is a well recognized consultant, trainer and speaker in the Czech Republic. Her experience is extensive, having worked with various minority groups and held leadership and HR positions in the corporate sector. Jana’s entrepreneurial spirit is matched by her resilience and persistence in driving long-term DEI changes. She passionately believes in the power of steadfast commitment to DEI, understanding that meaningful progress requires patience and perseverance. Jana tirelessly works to see the impact of her efforts, aiming for significant changes in DEI, if not for her generation, then for the generation of her daughter.

Social Researcher, AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow, Faculty of Humanities

PhD student at the Institute of Sociology of the Jagiellonian University, graduate of sociology (WH AGH) and psychology (UP). As part of her doctoral thesis, she examines patterns of femininity and masculinity in innovative professional organizations (technology start-ups). She manages a research grant that received funding from the National Science Center. For several years, she has been teaching sociology students at WH AGH, where she also works as a research assistant in the research and implementation project "NEXUS: Twinning Research and Innovation Institutions to Design and Implement Inclusive GEPs" financed under the Horizon Europe program.

Stream DevOps & Platforms Lead, IT Executive Director, UBS

Adrian Tworuszka, currently the Stream DevOps & Platforms Lead at UBS in Poland, specializes in enhancing software delivery and operational efficiencies through strategic DevOps initiatives. With over two decades in IT and software engineering, Adrian has a robust background in technical leadership and strategic management. He is a staunch advocate for neurodiversity, actively co-leading efforts to integrate diverse cognitive abilities into the workplace, thereby fostering an inclusive culture that drives innovation. Adrian holds an MBA from Uniwersytet Ekonomiczny w Krakowie and an engineering degree from Politechnika Opolska.

DEI Consultant, Diversity Hub

She is a business practitioner and a DEI expert, helping organizations to design and execute on their People and Culture strategies. She is specialized in intercultural communication, inclusive leadership and neurodiversity at work. Her 15 years of experience in corporate environment includes various roles in large international projects focusing on Culture Change, HR Transformation and Design Thinking workshops. She holds Master’s degree in Culture, Bachelor’s degree in Sociology, as well as CIPD and DEI for HR certification. She loves travelling and learning about new places and cultures. As a mother of a little girl with autism she has become an active neurodiversity and universal design ambassador.

D&I Changemakers Conference co-host & Communication Director, Diversity Hub

Diversity Hub Wellbeing & Culture Expert, Head of External Communications and Strategic Partnerships , D&I Changemakers Conference co -host & Communication Director

Likes to call herself a Human Insider. Throughout past years she performed the roles of EMEA Wellbeing Consultant, L&D & Senior Communication Lead, Trainer and Facilitator, activating wellbeing sense across clients and industries. Being an HR professional throughout her whole career helped her to get to the roots of human drive, engagement and transformative culture.

Barbara is the co-author of the books: „Wellbeing in organization - what? how? why?” and „HR Cookbook- a journey through the taste of HR”, as well as HR related articles. She is trained by WHO (World Health Organization) on the Psychosocial Support and Self-care model as well as Problem Management model. She also holds a Mental Toughness AQR certificate.

Barbara is a total neuroscience addict, passionate about behavior change, human drive, social dynamics, and habit formation.

„Human being before human doing” is her life motto.

Senior Learning&Development Specialist, Health &Wellbeing Coordinator, DEI Ambassador, HEINEKEN Global Shared Services

Agnieszka is a trainer, coach, facilitator and Learning and Development Specialist with over 15 years of experience in HR area. In HEINEKEN Global Shared Services in Kraków she coordinates Health & Wellbeing Programme being at same time an active member of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Ambassadors team. Being actively involved in both agendas she aims to link them and strategically co-create synergy from this combination. The main purpose is to have the environment in HEINEKEN where all feel they belong within the organisation that cares and supports employees’ health and wellbeing.

CEO, Mental Health Center

Dr. Małgorzata Wypych is a psychologist, crisis interventionist, president of the Mental Health Center, specialist in psychological intervention and stress management in critical incidents (International Critical Incident Stress Foundation), author of numerous publications on the psychological consequences of work and psychological support in emergency medical services, lecturer, trainer in the field of building resilience, peer support, systemic support for employees in organizations. She has 10 years of experience working as a psychologist in emergency medical services, and has been implementing systemic psychological support programs in organizations at the Mental Health Center for 6 years. She has conducted over 500 lectures, and probably as many trainings for managers as support for employees going through various crises and mental problems. At work, a fan of short-term methods - crisis intervention based on the person's own and social resources in crisis, solution-focused methods, cognitive-behavioral methods, healthy empathy. Privately, a mother, lives with cats and a newly adopted rabbit, likes clouds and has a neurological explanation for this, lover of African nature, especially elephants and leopards.

CEO, Diversity Hub

Experienced manager and leader, the finalist of the contest “Businesswoman of the Year 2013”. Anna specializes in diversity and inclusion. She is the author of international project “Tuned up! Tools Under the Need of Enhancing Diversity”. Expert in innovative projects devoted to intergenerational management and women’s leadership (Delphi, 2017). As an expert she provides D&I training and awareness raising sessions for managers (BBH; ORLEN, VW, State Street, PGE, ABSL HR Club 2017).

Labour Market Outreach Facilitator, IOM

Aleksandra Zhailovich is a Labour Market Outreach Facilitator at IOM Poland, where fosters partnerships with the business sector to align job opportunities with the profiles of beneficiaries, primarily Ukrainian refugees. An expert in immigration and foreign employment legalization, over seven years of experience in immigration consultancy and tax advisory for foreign nationals. From 2020 to 2022, supervising the immigration department at Expatax Tax Advisory. BA and MA degrees from both the Humanitarian University in Vilnius and the University of Warsaw.

Leader, Customer Delivery (Professional Services), Cisco

Ewa Zuba is a neurodivergent working mum. At Cisco, her primary role is as a People Leader in Professional Services. She has 7 years of experience in nurturing Early in Grade talent. Ewa is an active member of the Cisco Disability Action Network and promotes an inclusive working environment for employees with diverse needs. She is passionate about raising neurodiversity awareness and supporting various inclusive communities as a mentor, participant, and organizer.