Speakers

Principal Diversity & Inclusion (Acting), Zalando

Samet is a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) expert, guiding companies on their journey towards creating more equitable spaces for underrepresented groups. Samet has played a pivotal role in establishing sustainable DEI structures within complex organizations, presently at Zalando as Principal, D&I Customers & Partners.

As a sought-after keynote speaker, Samet's talks enable companies to gain DEI insights and achieve their goals. Samet is a LinkedIn Top Voice "Next Generation". Samet has Turkish roots, was born and raised in Berlin, and identifies as non-binary.

Culture, Inclusion & Belonging, Volvo Cars

Dedicated to contributing to a world where inclusion and the freedom to be your authentic self are honored, Jasmin has over 20 years of experience working with people in different industries, from hospitality management to automotive. She has broad experience from the different parts of Talent Management and always through the lens of DEI. Currently working at Volvo Cars with Culture, Inclusion and Belonging she focuses on awareness building, implementation of DEI strategy and road map, and creating safe spaces for everyone within the company. Being a mix of the two cultures Sweden and Morocco she understood the importance of curiosity and acknowledging different perspectives early and is very interested in cultural awareness.

People Development & Diversity & Inclusion Manager Poland, Mondi

She loves learning about different points of view. Engaged, curious about the world and attentive to others. Since over 20 years she’s been passionate about everything related to the development of potential. She has experience in communication, EB, building organizational culture and talent management. Certified ICC coach, mentor, she uses transactional analysis and NVC tools. Now she is focused on development of inclusive leadership and building a culture friendly to diverse employees.

CEO, Trusted Up

Entrepreneur, owner of consulting company Trusted Up. Expert in leadership, mentoring, people development, talent management, diversity & inclusion and women empowerment. Creates and implements unique mentoring and development programs: „Leading Women” and „Leading Yourself”. Alumnae of International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) 2011 „Women in Leadership. Advancing Women as Corporate Leaders and as Entrepreneurs”, Global Ambassadors Program (Bank of America & Vital Voices Partnership) 2014 and VV Lead Fellowship Program 2015. Alumnae of Yale School of Management (2019). Founder and CEO of Vital Voices Chapter Poland (2010-2015). Executive Coach and Business Trainer with more than 13 years and few thousand hours of experience.

People & Culture Partner, Mental Health Center / Menta Health HelpLine

Marta holds the position of People & Culture Partner and is also engaged as a lecturer at Małopolska Izba Radców Prawnych, where she conducts lectures and workshops on leadership, influence, and intra- and interpersonal skills. Additionally, she has over three years of experience as a trainer and consultant with Diversity Hub and the Mental Health Center. Her current areas of interest are centered on ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) , especially D&I topics, underpinned by her belief that the development of healthy organizations necessitates diversity in the workforce and sustainable practices.

Country Head of People Services & Co-Chair of D&I Council Poland, Nordea

Rafał Błażejewski has been with Nordea for 10 years and during that time he (he/him) has had the opportunity to grow in his career within HR. Currently Rafał is the Country Head of People Services and the Co-Chair of D&I Council Poland. In both capacities he is responsible for leading and driving the D&I agenda for Nordea’s Polish Branch, which employs over 5500 employees across four locations. Regardless of the day today, he likes to think that his engagement in supporting the broad D&I area started during his university studies, when he led a small NGO focused on self-government, inclusion and non-discrimination in secondary schools in his home town.

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.

Chief Diversity Officer, Franklin Templeton

Regina Curry is the Chief Diversity Officer for Franklin Templeton. With over 20 years of human resources and business experience, she is responsible for advancing diversity and inclusion initiatives across the firm globally. Franklin Templeton with offices in over 30 countries, believes that cultivating a culture that's inclusive of all people goes hand-in-hand with its commitment to delivering investment excellence and superior client service.

Senior Communications Specialist, HEINEKEN Global Shared Services

An expert in the field of communication. She has been associated with HEINEKEN Global Shared Services for almost 5 years, during which she has implemented many projects directly related to building the employer brand. As part of her duties, she carries out communication projects both within the organization and externally. She is responsible for organizing internal events, implementing internal communication projects, and conducting various campaigns dedicated to employees. She also has broad experience in managing social media activities and CSR projects. Since 2021, she has also been coordinating the implementation of HEINEKEN's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategy, leading the DEI network and overseeing the execution of the action agenda. Beata is always looking for new inspirations and ideas. She loves developing and bringing those ideas to life with people and for people. Personally, she is a geek – always fascinated by new technologies and games, spending time with her loved ones, or tending to one of her many passions (sewing, painting miniatures, horse riding, bonsai creation, and many others).

Senior VP, Head of Model Risk Management, HSBC

Philippe J.S. De Brouwer is SVP at HSBC Kraków, honorary consul of Belgium in Krakow, guest lecturer at AGH University of Science and Technology, University of Warsaw and University of Economics Kraków. He is also member of the board of trustees of the International School of Kraków, member of the Advisory Council of the Economic University of Kraków, and member of the University Council of AGH UST. His academic research is mainly in investment management, behavioural psychology, and data science.

In all his activities he aims to build bridges between the communities that he serves. He contributes by connecting the academic world with the industry and diplomacy. His newest book appeared in 2020 and is titled "The big R-book: from data science to learning machines and big data".

Plenipotentiary of the Mayor of Krakow for Equality Policy, Municipality of Kraków

Plenipotentiary of the Mayor of the City of Krakow for Equality Policy, Chairperson of the Council for Equality in Krakow, Councillor of the City of Krakow (2018-2020), originator of the Kazimiera Bujwidowa Award for outstanding Krakow women, and joint creator of Poland’s first “Gender Equality Plan” at the local government level. [Nina’s] areas of specialisation are human rights, anti-discrimination, gender equality and diversity management. [Nina] holds a master’s degree from the Jagiellonian University Faculty of History, majoring in anthropological history, focusing her academic work on the history of exclusion, stigmatisation and history of women. For many years, she has worked with associations and other organisations dealing with equality issues. She also served as a spokeswoman for the “Wikimedia Polska” Association, and other roles include initiator of the civic project “In vitro for Krakow men/women.” As co-founder and vice-president of the “Sto Lat Głosu Kobiet” Association, she organised the nationwide celebration of the 100th anniversary of the granting of suffrage to Polish women, and created the “Women’s Independent Culture” (Kultura niepodległa kobiet) campaign.

She completed the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs “Future Leaders Invitation Program (PIPA)” and was granted scholarships for the international “Humanity in Action” program and also the Center for Leadership’s “Advanced Leadership Program for Top Talents”. Since 2021, she has served as an ethics advocate at the National Academy of Theatre Arts (Akademia Sztuk Teatralnych) in Krakow. Winner of the first poll of sixteen Female Equality Leaders (Women’s Congress & British Embassy).

Managing Director, Accenture

Edyta Gałaszewska-Bogusz is Managing Director for multi-client service delivery (20+ international clients) at Accenture Operations Poland (Warsaw, Kraków, Gdańsk). She is also a member of Operations Core Leadership Team in Europe sponsoring a major program across European locations and member of Inclusion & Diversity Council for Accenture Operations globally. She has a significant track record in driving high performing teams for leading international companies and building sustainable client relationships, across multiple industries. She has been actively involved into outsourced operations, change management and transformation for the Fortune 500 companies. On top of that Edyta gained hands-on experience in implementing company culture and people engagement programs for multidimensional teams.

HR Inclusion & Diversity Lead, Accenture

Joanna is an expert in building an inclusive organizational culture and work environment. Her activities are effective because she bases them on a good understanding of the business perspective, which she gained as a financial auditor and manager of business process transformation projects. Currently, as HR Inclusion and Diversity Lead at Accenture Poland, she coordinates nationwide projects related to Inclusion and Diversity. For her achievements, she has won an international Equality Award.

Diversity & Inclusion Manager, Bolt

Mare dedicated to helping organizations create more inclusive and fairer workplaces. Originally from Estonia, she started her career in Diversity and Inclusion at Swedbank, leading the D&I function at first on an Estonian, then Baltic and eventually on a Swedbank Group level. Today, she’s the global Diversity & Inclusion Manager at Bolt and also provides Diversity & Inclusion training and consultation.

Senior Development and Training Manager, Demant

She built her knowledge working in different HR areas (recruitment, payroll, HRBP and more 😊) there are over two whole decades of experience under her belt, but her heart belongs to the exciting world of training and development. 🌍💡 She is the ultimate animal lover; She knows the art of balancing work and furry cuddles. 🐾❤️ She is the proud that at my home lives three adorable dogs and two charming cats. She is no stranger to the thrill of staying active! 🏃‍♀️🏊‍♀️ She is a passionate runner and a water enthusiast who enjoys the rush of the open road and the soothing embrace of swimming.

Talent & Diversity Manager Europe Industries, Air Liquide

Senior HR professional with DEI at the heart, Kasia has been implementing and driving HR strategy in companies from various industries for over 18 years. She has managed and led complex organizational changes and transformations. In her current role, she ensures the harmonization of HR programs across Europe Industries with development and implementation of a Diversity Roadmap as a key priority. Kasia is driven by respect for diversity and humanistic values. She pursues her mission, "Sharing, not holding back. Doing good through HR.", on a professional and personal ground. In particular, she advocates for women and LGBTQ+ people. Privately, a cat mom to a sweet, fluffy creature adopted from the animal shelter.

Global Inclusion, Diversity & Equtity Consultancy, EMEA Lead, State Street

She is Global Inclusion Diversity & Equity Consultancy, EMEA Lead, Vice President at State Street. Based in Kraków, Poland. Over 17 years of professional experience in international organizations. Passionate about and focused on executing I&D strategies across various locations, working on global programs and strategies in the dimension of Gender, Race & Ethnicity, Multiculturialism, LGBT +, Disability & Neurodiversity Inclusion and Employee Mental Health. Certified Human Resources Management Executive (CHRME), active coach, mentor and trainer always introducing diversity in various spheres of human life, especially in the workplace. Woman with a disability, mom of two, wife of a foreigner in Poland, proud Pride Ally.

Diversity & Inclusion Senior Specialist, mBank

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion expert, coach and project coordinator. He gained his first DEI experience in an international corporation before moving to the leading branding agency. He was in charge of a multicultural team and managed various projects for global brands. After supporting the B Corp certification process, he started his journey at mBank, leading Polish ban, committed to social responsibility strategy. He leads DEI projects, provides training and workshops to managers and teams, while also leading the work of ERGs and DEI networks in mBank Group.

HR Manager, Luxoft Poland

Izabela Kolodziejska – Makilla has over 15 years of experience within Human Resources, being responsible for such areas as performance management, employee engagement, as well as talent management and development. With Luxoft since 2016, she has experience in global structures of the company, having a chance to work in multinational environment and with diverse cultures. As HR Manager of Luxoft Poland and active member of local D&I Committee, she is supporting many D&I initiatives managed in the company, which help to unite diverse groups of employees and raise awareness of various topics connected with D&I.

Director, DE&I Organisational Development, Diversity Hub

Organizational consultant, builds DE&I strategies in multicultural environments, inclusive leadership expert. She is the author of many international projects on leadership competencies in global organizations, certified facilitator of Leadership Development Intensive Program. Experienced in organisational culture change process. From 2007 she provides D&I training and managing across cultures sessions for leaders representing all industries. Michalina is an experienced leader of the organization herself, currently holding the role of Director, strongly committed to inclusive leadership.

DEI Expert and Employee Networks Global Coordinator, State Street

Director Customer Delivery, EMEA Technical Assistance Centre (TAC) EMEA, Cisco

Magdalena joined Cisco in 2017. In her current role she leads a team of Cisco collaboration technology experts delivering services that allow Cisco Partners and Customers to stay connected, collaborate and deliver impeccable experience to their users wherever they are. Magdalena has over 15 years of industry experience working in global customer service organizations, starting her career as an account executive, progressing into leadership roles in customer service, solution support and IT organizations. Magdalena is a strong advocate of diverse talent and talent development and as a diversity and inclusion lead, she drives awareness and initiatives focused on enabling an inclusive culture. Magdalena is co-leading Women in Science and Engineering employee resource group and is also a member of Women of Cisco.

ERGs Center Lead, ERG Center by Diversity Hub

Monika is a DEI consultant and ERGs Center Lead working with various companies supporting those in setting up networks and helping them to be more effective, connected and visible. She is a co-author of a guide and tools for ERG Leaders. She also coordinates the local employee networks in one of the biggest global institutional banks.

GCRG Poland Head, UBS

Anna Lorch is Compliance, Regulatory & Governance Head for UBS Poland, UBS Business Solutions Poland Sp. z o.o. Management Board Member as well as Entity Risk Officer. 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 UBS in Poland 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.

Manager of the Diversity Charter in Poland, Responsible Business Forum

Project manager and training specialist with many years of experience in the cultural sector in NGO and public administration (ex. National Center for Culture or National Audiovisual Institute). Graduated from Cultural Studies (Warsaw University), currently student of Psychology (University of Social Sciences and Humanities), many courses ex. School of Psychological Training and Workshop INTRA, Non-Violent Communication Academy. In RBF project manager of all activities connected with the Diversity Charter in Poland, for example Diversity Month and Diversity IN Check.

Productization Director, Nokia

Ewa Marchewka is currently working as a Productization Director (Second Line Manager) at Nokia. After getting a university degree in Telecommunication at AGH UST (Poland), she started her journey in the world of testing. During 18 years of her working life, she gained experience as Tester, Test Manager, Test Architect, Project Manager, Release Delivery Manager and finally Director. She enjoys giving speeches and sharing her knowledge on testing conferences all around the world. She is a big supporter of D&I topics, and promoter of cognitive diversity in teams.

HR Director, Luxoft

Monica Mardare, Human Resources Director for Luxoft Romania, Luxoft D&I Global Program Manager. With 20 years of experience in the field of Human Resources, Monica has contributed to policies and practices design aimed at creating an inclusive work environment, increasing the commitment and performance, as well as the development and retention of diverse talents. In recent years, she has been directly involved in establishing organizational development strategies and operational integration of new locations in the US and Europe, in line with global culture and practices. She led the organizational culture change initiative, by defining a new set of values, model of competences and leadership profile. Since November 2020, she is leading the Luxoft D&I Global Program, focused on fostering an equal opportunity culture, where everyone is respected, valued and treated fairly.

HR Coordinator for International Markets, Qurate Retail Group GBS Kraków

My story is quite a patchwork and a multilingual rollercoaster - it starts with a professional journey that has taken me through various fields and countries. Challenging myself as a journalism student, I eventually transitioned to HR and now work with international markets. I prefer my name as Hania, and I'm proud to say that I speak four languages fluently, lived in four countries in four years, and enjoy working in multicultural teams. I am a graduate of journalism and multicultural relations with tourism, currently coordinating an international HR team and a local Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Group at Qurate Retail Group GBS Kraków. I'm also a Ukrainian educator for families and kids at the International Cultural Center (ICC) on Rynek Główny 25.

One of my most memorable lifetime moments was participating in two Erasmus programs, travelling to the Netherlands and Malta. In the meantime, I started my career as a part-time finance associate, whilst my true passion remained working with people. Some fun facts about me are that I enjoy Korean pop and hip-hop, free-style swimming, and acrylic drawing. I truly hope this story inspires you to follow your passions and embrace the beauty of diversity: it's all around us every day.

Expert DEI, Mental Health HelpLine

Szymon Martyniak (he/him), psychotherapist and psychologist at the Think Tank Diversity Hub, helps people from different cultures and communities with challenges related to background, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, family status, education, physical and mental health.

Customer Delivery Engineering Technical Leader, Cisco

Maria Jose joined Cisco 16 years ago, with the graduate program. In her current role she is a Technical Leader in Collaboration, based in Belgium.

During these 16 years at Cisco, Maria Jose had many opportunities to grow in her career, presenting at partner summits, becoming a speaker at Cisco Live since 2017, leading global initiatives for her technology, working on technology agnostic projects and being a core member of Women in Science and Engineering inclusive community creating a positive​​​​​​​ impact in th​​​​​​​e lives of women and girls in STEM fields inside and outside of Cisco.

Maria Jose is very passionate about mentoring, sharing knowledge, and helping our diverse talent grow.

Training & Development Lead, Demant

She is HR Professional with 10 years experience working in Human Resources. She is also Psychologist and Psychotherapist. She believes that each of us has our own unique potential, which can become active in good and favourable conditions. Privately, she is a musician, a lover of sport and good cuisine.

Talent Management Director, Air Liquide

Sam lives in a very small village in the centre of the UK with her husband, 9 year old daughter and 4 month old Kitten. She is very active, playing cricket for a local women's' team, likes Kayaking, paddle boarding, snowboarding, walking, exercise classes and golf and enjoys spending time with her family travelling both in the UK and abroad in their 30 year old VW Campervan (called Ollie). She has worked as a senior HR professional throughout her career within a variety of different industries and has often been an "only" (female) within her leadership team. She has worked for Air Liquide for over nine years starting as HRD for the UK business and then moving to specialise in Talent 4 years ago. Sam has a passion for DEI and Mental Health & Wellbeing and has championed these topics both within the business that she works in and externally. Her drive to make a positive difference has been recognised, so much so that these topics are now part of her wider role within Air Liquide and she often gets asked to present on the them to inspire others to make a positive difference.

Head of Diversity & Inclusion, Nordea Bank

Åsa Nilsson Billme has worked with diversity, equity and inclusion for two decades within various industries and sectors. She is co-founder of Diversity Charter Sweden where she was on the Board for five years, and part of the EU Diversity Charter platform. She is several times awarded and since 2016 working at Nordea, a financial institution with presence in 20 countries world-wide and with main operation in the Nordic countries, Poland and Estonia. Nordea has more than 30,000 employees and Åsa is working as the Head of Diversity & Inclusion for the Group.

Senior Consultant, DE&I Organisational Development, Diversity Hub

She is an experienced facilitator, Design Thinking moderator, researcher in social innovation, and consultant. As a senior DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) consultant at Diversity Hub Think Tank, she supports organizations in understanding and building an open, inclusive organizational culture. She observes and listens, capturing signals of change. She works with trends and future scenarios, leading advisory processes in intergenerational collaboration. She assists teams and organizations in developing strategies, creating new products or services, making decisions, and exploring new avenues of development. She examines social impact. She is an academic lecturer at the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow and the Tischner European University in Kraków.

Group Head of Diversity and Inclusion, ABB

Heidi joined ABB in 2001 and has held various leadership roles on local, regional and global level. Currently Heidi is Group Head of Diversity & Inclusion. She has been fronting the company’s ambitious Diversity & Inclusion efforts the past four years and launched the Diversity and Inclusion strategy 2030 with the ambition to ensure inclusion of all and equality across all dimensions. ABB is a leading global technology company with about 105,000 talented employees operating in over 100 countries. Heidi is an experienced professional driven by value creation for both the organization and the wider community. She believes that a diverse team composition and inclusive leadership is key to the success of any corporation. She holds a degree in Business & Human Resource Management from Vesalius College, Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Nominated Young Leader of the Year 2012 in Norway. Renowned speaker, frequently featured in podcasts, events and publication (e.g. Forbes and Harvard Business Review). Board and Advisory Board Member. Heidi is a Norwegian citizen who has lived in Norway, France, Belgium, US and Switzerland and speaks Norwegian, English, French and German. She currently lives in Oslo, Norway with her husband and three children and is an enthusiastic hockey mom.

Managing Director- Accenture Krakow Site Lead, Accenture

Jessica Rodriguez as Managing Director and Krakow Site Lead at Accenture is responsible for multi-client service delivery at Accenture Operations and is a member of the Poland Operations Board, leading teams through change in a dynamic and multi-cultural environment. Jessica possesses a significant track record in improving performance and engagement at leading international companies across Telecommunications, Media and Entertainment Industries where she has dedicated considerable focus to outsourced operations, change management and transformation.

Global Inclusion, Diversity & Equtity Consultancy, EMEA Lead, Google Poland

Konrad Rychlewski holds a Master's degree in psychology from Humboldt University in Berlin, majoring in human computer interaction. Since 2008, he has been working for Google Poland, currently in the position of a Partner Experience Specialist. Throughout his career, Konrad has been an advocate for building an inclusive job market, empowering people with disabilities to reach their full potential and to contribute to economic prosperity.

Marketing Content Development Director, Europe, Amesa, Apac and Latam, Pepsico

As a psychologist, experienced marketer, and leader, Ewa (she/her) is “positively obsessed” with individual and team development that makes human beings and organizations grow. Over the years, she either co-created or has been actively involved in D&I initiatives in the companies she worked with. She tries to live life well and make the most out of her different roles as a mom, wife, colleague, and friend. Ewa likes observing the bees in the garden and looking at a calm sea.

Neurodiversity Chief Expert; Head of Psychological Diagnosis, Diversity Hub; Mental Health Helpline

Psychologist, graduate of the Jagiellonian University in Krakow. Expert in the area of Neurodiversity, neuroscience, personality psychology and diagnosis of individual differences. Certified FRIS® Trainer, mentor and trainer of international programs in the field of DEI & Youth, graduate of the Solution Focused Therapy course and the comprehensive course of Youth Addiction Prevention.

Director People Business Partner & Board Member, Sabre Polska

Anna Stach is a trusted People Team leader with experience in partnering with business leaders in times of growth, reorganisation and delivering stretched targets.

Anna is passionate about people, communication and leadership development. She seizes opportunities to overcome challenges and resolve issues, maximising team members’ performance and productivity.

She holds a master’s degree from the Cracow University of Economics. Extended her knowledge at the University of Victoria in Canada on Business Faculty during the exchange program. She finished Human Resources Management and Coach and Trainer postgraduates’ studies at Tischner European University. Anna is also a certified facilitator.

Anna is engaged in the volunteering work, she is especially thankful for spending the 2018 summer in the Kasisi Africa mission.

Senior Diversity and Inclusion Manager, Lloyd's

Monica Stancu leads the Diversity and Inclusion work at Lloyd’s, the world’s biggest insurance and reassurance marketplace.

Previously, she has worked in diversity and inclusion at the Royal Academy of Engineering, Sodexo and F. Hoffman La Roche.

Monica has also worked in international affairs and human rights at the European Medicines Agency (EU agency) and the United Nations. She is the author of the book “Building Diversity and Inclusion: From Commitment to Action.”

She holds an MA in Women’s History from Sarah Lawrence College, USA and was a visiting scholar at the Institute for Research on Women, Gender and Sexuality at Columbia University in the City of New York.

Human Resources Director / Head of DE&I, Sodexo Polska

DE&I passionate and practitioner - she developed, planned and initiated activities with particular emphasis on HR processes such as EB, talent aquisition and talent development, advocating especially for professional activation of people with disabilities. She is a member of Program Board of Polish Federation of Supported Employment.

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.

Head Of Operations Central & Eastern Europe, TikTok

Nikolett Szappanos, Head of Operations Central and Eastern Europe at TikTok, the leading destination for short-form mobile video. Has over 12 years of experience in digital content strategy, marketing and project management. As a born Hungarian, living and working in Germany for over 12 years, and now leading a multi-cultural team in Central and Eastern Europe as a female leader, Nikolett is a true advocate of diversity & inclusion, fostering the importance of open, inclusive and responsible environments both internally, within the organization, and on the platform. Actively crafting and promoting the diversity of TikTok's community where everyone can be seen and heard, as this is a huge part of what makes TikTok a rewarding and inspiring place to spend time.

Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Lead, Sr. Program Manager, Cisco CX Centers, Cisco Systems

As the Global DE&I Leader at Cisco for CX Centers, Aurelia Takacs leads and owns the execution of the DEI strategy, priorities, planning & initiatives for the global CX Centers organization of approximately +9000 employees across the world. Aurelia focuses on advancing Diversity, Equity & Inclusion via three main pillars: attracting and hiring, developing & retaining, and creating a sense of belonging and engagement for all the diverse talent across the organization. Aurelia also leads the "Belong" pillar as part of Cisco's global CX DEI Leadership Council, which includes more than 19,000 employees worldwide, driving programs & initiatives focused on creating a culture of belonging across the full spectrum of diversity. Aurelia has extensive experience in leadership roles and excels in staff development, coaching, mentoring, communications and project management. She is fluent in four languages and has a background in leading multi-cultural teams across the globe, offering us a truly global perspective to DEI.

Poland Head of Markets & Securities Services Technology, HSBC

She has had the opportunity to work in HSBC for 17 years in Paris, New York, London and since 2019 lives in Krakow with her wife. She originally started as a software developer for many years and then moved into technology management roles, specialised in Equities trading systems. Recently she has led her teams through rapid growth in Poland since taking over the department head role in July 2020, from 150 to nearly 500 people. Separately she has spoken on multiple internal and external panel discussions on diversity and inclusion topics over the years. Since July she leads the Diversity & Inclusion agenda for HSBC in Poland, which has a significant presence with a global business services centre of over 6000 people.

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.

Head of Group People Services and Head of People Poland, Nordea

Michał is a Head of Group People Services and Head of People Poland highly involved in diversity and inclusion efforts as a chair of Nordea D&I Council. Michał joined Nordea in 2019 and is based in Gdańsk. He has 20+ years of HR experience at both international and global level from companies like Intel, Dell, Kerry Group. For the last 10 years Michał has led HR Teams responsible for 21 countries across the EMEA region and has driven and supported significant changes. At his free time, he enjoys exploring nature with his close ones.

Senior Learning&Development Specialist, Health &Wellbeing Coordinator, DEI Ambassador, HEINEKEN Kraków

Agnieszka is a trainer, coach, facilitator and Learning and Development Specialist with over 14 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, 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, and trainer in the field of building resilience, peer support, and systemic support for employees in organizations.

She is a fan of short-term methods in her work – crisis intervention based on the individual's own and social resources, solution-focused methods, cognitive-behavioral approaches, and healthy empathy. With 10 years of experience as a psychologist in emergency medical services, she has been implementing systemic psychological support programs in organizations at the Mental Health Center for the past 6 years. She has conducted over 500 lectures and likely the same number of training sessions for managers on how to support employees going through various crises and psychological issues.

Privately, she is a mother who lives with cats and a newly adopted rabbit. She enjoys clouds, and there's a neurological explanation for that. She is also a 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).

DEIB Manager, Żabka Group

Katarzyna Zabratańska - She has been leveraging her professional experience for over 15 years, collaborating with international organizations, businesses, NGOs, and public administration, actively involved in creating and implementing DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) standards and policies. She is a certified human rights, self-care and anti-discrimination trainer, a DEI researcher, and the author of more than 50 articles and reports dedicated to DEI issues, particularly women rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and the rights of the deaf community. She is a graduate of the Women Leadership Program at the Leon Koźmiński University and Multicultural Studies. Her educational background includes sociology, history, cultural studies, and cultural animation. Privately, she is a Buddhist, vegan, idealist, rebel, cyclist, travel enthusiast, and a passionate advocate of women herstory and Jewish culture.