PANEL SPEAKERS

doc. Mgr. Ing. Petr Klán, CSc

Doc. Mgr. Ing. Petr Klán, CSc. is an accomplished Czech scientist, educator, and innovator specializing in cybernetics, applied mathematics, and advanced technologies. He currently acts at the Faculty of Information Technology, Czech Technical University in Prague, and the Faculty of Economics, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice. Throughout his career, he worked long-term at the Czech Academy of Sciences and successfully connected academic research with industrial applications both locally and internationally. He is an implementer of innovative education and the creation of worlds in virtual reality and the metaverse environment. He has authored over 100 scientific papers and 10 books focusing on mathematical modeling, number theory, or virtual life.

PhDr. Lukáš Kovanda, Ph.D.

Lukáš Kovanda, Ph.D., is a Czech economist and author focusing on economic literature, and is Chief Economist at Trinity Bank. From 2020 to 2022 he was a member of National Economic Council of the Government, an advisory body to the government dealing with economic measures and impacts of the COVID-19 disease. He also collaborates with the United Nations (UNDP) as a Senior Socio-Economic Analyst.
His daily work includes analyzing and commenting on macroeconomic issues, investments, and emerging phenomena such as sharing economy, cryptocurrencies and fintechs.
He is a Department of Economics lecturer at the University of Economics in Prague and is a member of the Scientific Board of the Czech Banking Association. He has published two collections of interviews with Nobel laureates and other prominent economists. He has written two behavioral economics books which were published in Czech and Slovak. Together with Evžen Korec, they published a book about how to successfully purchase apartments.
He is a marathon runner, and has successfully finished several, including, the New York Marathon.

JUDr. Pavel Telička

After having obtained a law degree from the Charles University in Prague, Pavel Telička joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, where he held various senior positions, including that of 1st Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and State Secretary for European Affairs.
Pavel Telička was appointed by the Government as Chief Negotiator of the Accession of the Czech Republic to the European Union. His successful efforts were recognised by former President Vaclav Havel, who awarded him a Memorial Medal.
Subsequently, Pavel Telička served as Czech Ambassador to the EU, first Czech European Commissioner. In 2004, he co-founded and directed BXL Consutling Ltd, a successful EU affairs consultancy firm until 2013.
In May 2014 he was elected to the European Parliament, running for the Czech liberal movement 'ANO 2011'. Due to a significant shift in the political direction of ANO he ceased cooperation with the movement in October 2017. From 2017 to 2019, he was Vice-President of the European Parliament
As of 2020 he works as a strategic consultant in his own firm Crossroads Consulting Ltd. Among his clients are some major digital companies.

doc. Ing. Zdeněk Tůma, CSc.

Zdeněk Tůma served as Governor of the Czech National Bank (2000–2010). He was also a member of the General Council of the European Central Bank and represented the Czech Republic in the IMF and the BIS. After leaving the central bank, returned to the private sector, working as a partner for financial services at KPMG (2011–2019). He is currently Chairman of the Supervisory Board of ČSOB and a member of the Supervisory Board of K&H Bank in Hungary. Zdeněk Tůma has lectured at Charles University and serves on the boards of several charitable organisations. He is also a member of the Scientific Board of the University of South Bohemia.