Jan Bureš is the chief economist of the ČSOB Group. He also serves as a member of the Budget Forecast Committee and is a member of Škoda Auto’s external advisory board on sustainability. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he was a member of the Czech Government’s Economic Advisory Team (EPT). He focuses on analyzing the Czech economy. He pays particular attention to the interaction between the Czech economy and developments in Germany and the eurozone. He graduated from the University of Economics in Prague (VŠE). Before working in the banking sector, he served as head of research at the Europeum Institute for European Policy and as an analyst at the Czech Statistical Office. He is the co-author of the publication “The Costs and Benefits of Adopting the Euro.”

David Marek works at Deloitte as Chief Economist and Director in the Clients & Markets department. He focuses on client services in areas that utilize economic analysis, such as valuation, impact studies, economic and statistical analyses, and advisory services for mergers and acquisitions or restructurings. Previously, he worked as an economist at the Czech National Bank and Česká spořitelna, and served as chief economist and a member of the board of directors at Patria Finance. David Marek successfully completed his doctoral studies at the Institute of Economic Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, at Charles University in Prague. He also completed a study internship at the University of Limerick in Ireland. In addition, he has completed a number of specialized, certified courses offered by the International Monetary Fund.

• Graduated from the University of Economics, Prague, Faculty of Business (1984)
• Pew Fellow, School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University, USA (1993).
• Advisor to the Minister of Finance (1990–1991)
• Head, Center for Economic Analysis at the Office of President Václav Havel (1991–1993)
• Chief Negotiator for the Central European Free Trade Area (1992)
• Representative of the Czech Republic to the World Bank (1994–1998)
• Deputy Director, Revitalization Agency, Consolidation Bank (1999–2001) – restructuring, off-balance-sheet financing, and court-supervised settlements for Vítkovice, a.s., and Zetor, a.s.
• Since 2001, he has worked as a consultant in the field of corporate restructuring and financing
• He served as a member of the National Economic Council of the Czech Government under three administrations
• He serves as chief advisor to the Czech Banking Association
• He writes economic commentary and co-hosts the economic podcast “Odemčeno.”
• Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

Brigadier General Ing. Daniel Miklós, MPA, has served with the Fire and Rescue Service of the Czech Republic since 2003. Since 2017, he has held the position of Deputy Director General of the Fire and Rescue Service of the Czech Republic for Prevention and Civil Emergency Preparedness. 

Throughout his career, he has held key managerial and technical positions in the field of civil protection and crisis management, including heading the Crisis Management Department and subsequently leading the Civil Protection and Crisis Management Division. 

He has long focused on the development and implementation of public policies in the areas of security, crisis management, and civil emergency preparedness. He participates in the preparation of strategic documents and legislation, particularly in the area of crisis legislation, and in the development of the civil protection and critical infrastructure system in the Czech Republic. 

His professional interests include the systemic resilience of the state, modern approaches to risk management, and the adaptation of the security system to new threats, including technological and hybrid risks.

Throughout his professional career, he has been dedicated to protecting the country’s critical infrastructure. His experience spans the military, an international airport, the railway sector, and major telecommunications companies. Today, he is responsible for security at the Czech Radiocommunications (ČRA). Thanks to his unique experience across key strategic sectors, he approaches security from a broader, cross-sector perspective.

Pavel Švagr has been Chairman of the State Material Reserves Administration since 2014.

He is responsible for the Czech Republic’s system of state reserves and crisis preparedness, including the provision of strategic stocks for emergency situations.

He has long been involved in issues relating to energy security, national resilience and crisis management.

Under his leadership, the institution has undergone modernisation in response to new security and geopolitical challenges.

Rudolf Rýdl is the Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of innogy Energo. He is involved in the company’s expansion as part of its ten-year “Path to Growth” strategy. This strategy outlines a plan for investments worth billions aimed at transforming innogy from a traditional commodity supplier into an energy producer.

Professionally, Rudolf Rýdl focuses on comprehensive, tailor-made energy solutions for industry and cities. He also oversees topics such as sustainability, clean electromobility, energy savings, and photovoltaics.

Blanka Cupáková works at the ČEZ Group as Director of the Supply Chain Division for the Small Modular Reactors (SMR) program, where she focuses on developing industrial cooperation and involving Czech companies in the emerging supply chain for advanced nuclear technologies.

Before joining ČEZ, she also held economic management positions at the Ministry of Defense of the Czech Republic, including the role of Deputy Minister for Economic Affairs. She was responsible for managing the Ministry of Defense’s budget, including advocating for strategic investments and modernization programs for the armed forces. She also participated in the preparation and negotiation of procurement projects of critical importance to the security of the Czech Republic and led negotiations for the acquisition of F-35 aircraft for the Czech Republic, including opportunities for Czech industry to participate.

Throughout her professional career, she has long focused on strategic investments, the national economy, the defense industry, supply chains, and the development of industrial capacity. Drawing on her experience in both the public and private sectors, she offers insights into how large-scale investment projects in the energy and defense sectors can contribute to strengthening the Czech Republic’s competitiveness, developing domestic industry, and ensuring the country’s long-term economic resilience.

Rudolf Klepáček is an economist and expert in export promotion with twenty years’ experience at the intersection of export policy, economic diplomacy and public administration. He has been at the helm of the CzechTrade agency (now CzechBusiness) since February 2026. Prior to this, he worked at the Ministry of Industry and Trade, where he headed the export promotion department and was involved in the development and implementation of the Czech Republic’s export policy, including the Czech Republic’s Export Strategy 2023–2033. He also gained experience at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the field of economic diplomacy.

Pavel Sovička is the Managing Director for the Czech Republic and Slovakia at Panattoni. He has been active in the industrial real estate sector for over 25 years. Throughout his career, he has overseen the construction of numerous projects, including the first multi-storey robotic distribution center for Amazon in the Czech Republic. Under his leadership, Panattoni became the first developer in the country to twice deliver the world’s most sustainable industrial building, earning the highest rating under the BREEAM certification system. The company has completed projects worth over €2.5 billion and has revitalized more than 1.26 million square meters of brownfield sites. Pavel Sovička advocates for an approach that combines technology, environmental responsibility, and community engagement, and he actively supports legislative changes aimed at enhancing the Czech Republic’s appeal to foreign investors.