Munich Speakers - 19th February 2014
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Courtney Fingar Editor fDi Magazine, Financial Times Group Courtney Fingar is the Editor-in-Chief of fDi Magazine, a specialist publication from the Financial Times., and the head of content for its associated data division, fDi Intelligence. In her role she oversees all elements of editorial production for the bimonthly magazine and its website, as well as editorial outputs for fDi Intelligence. She interviews political and business leaders at the highest levels about economic and investment issues, and has covered business stories in all major regions of the world. She has a special interest in post-conflict investment sparked by her on-the- ground reporting from Iraq in 2009-11. She is a popular panellist and moderator at international economic gatherings and has appeared on television and radio in dozens of countries as a commentator on international investment. Before joining fDi in 2004, she was Editor of Trade & Forfaiting Review, a trade finance magazine in London. She worked previously in Washington, DC. |
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Nikola Gruevski Prime Minister, Republic of Macedonia Nikola Gruevski was sworn in as the 7th Prime Minister of the Republic of Macedonia in August 2006. He is also Vice President of the Euro-Atlantic Council of the Republic of Macedonia, a position he has held since 2005. He has been leader of the ruling right-wing VMRO-DPMNE party since 2003. Previous positions include President of the State Securities and Exchange Commission (2000-02), Minister of Finance (1999-2002), Minister Without Portfolio and Minister of Trade (1998-99), and a President and Founder of the Broker's Association of the Republic of Macedonia. He has an MSc in Economics International Capital Market Qualification from the Securities Institute, London; and a degree in Economics from St. Clement Ohridski University, Bitola. from Ss Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje; International Capital Market Qualification from the Securities Institute, London; and a degree in Economics from St. Clement Ohridski University, Bitola. |
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Vladimir Pesevski Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Republic of Macedonia Vladimir Pesevski has been Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs since 2009. He coordinates the Government’s economic departments and institutions, 1 and focuses on big infrastructure projects, attracting foreign and local investors, improving the business climate and accelerating economic development. From 2005 to 2009 he was General Manager of the SEAF South Balkan Fund and a partner in the International Investment Fund for direct investments which focuses on the Balkans and has branch offices in the Netherlands, Serbia and Macedonia. He has acted as an investment consultant in the sale of several Serbian and Kosovon companies to foreign investors with a total market value of €100 million. From 2004-2007 Mr Pesevski was a lecturer in strategic management at Sheffield University, England, at the university’s International Faculty–City College, in Thessaloniki, Greece. From 2003-2006 he was a Member of the First Board of Directors of the American Chamber of Commerce in Macedonia, and a Member of the National Council for Entrepreneurship and Competitiveness. Previous roles have included short-term adviser to President Boris Trajkovski in 2001; management consultant for strategic management and finances in the Macedonian Business Center, USAID; and assistant in the Center for Research in New Technologies, Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts. Mr Pesevski has an MBA from the University of Sheffield and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje. |
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Viktor Mizo Chief Executive Officer, Free Zones Authority Republic of Macedonia Viktor Mizo has been the Chief Executive of the Macedonian Free Zones Authority since 2011, prior to which he was in charge of Invest Macedonia for more than four years. In his current role he is responsible for numerous greenfield investment projects by multinational companies that have located their production or service operations in Macedonia in the automotive, electronics, IT, agriculture, tourism/ hospitality and real estate sectors. These investments are worth more than $500m and will create more than 6,000 jobs. The Macedonian Free Zones are ranked among the top 50 free zones in the world by fDi Magazine. Mr Mizo started his career as a design engineer and a member of the Technical Leadership Program at General Electric where he worked on locomotive design that culminated in a Black Belt position in the Six Sigma quality initiative. He subsequently worked as a consultant in McKinsey’s New York office concentrating on technology and financial services. He co-founded a technology company that specialised in digital file distribution for 3G mobile phones in Japan and also participated in the founding and management of an internet start-up in the media and entertainment sector in London and New York. Mr Mizo graduated summa cum laude in Mechanical Engineering at the Rochester Institute of Technology where he also received his Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering. He holds an MBA degree from the Harvard Business School. |
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Sava Ivanov Dalbokov Member of Managing Board Steiermärkische Bank und Sparkassen AG Sava Dalbokov is a Member of the Managing Board at Steiermärkische Bank und Sparkassen AG in Graz, Austria, with strategic responsibility for developing the bank’s operations in the Western Balkans. The bank owns 99% of Sparkasse Bank Makedonija, which offers a full range of services for individuals and businesses through 29 branches. Steiermärkische Bank und Sparkassen is itself part-owned by Erste Group Bank of Austria, one of the largest banking groups in central and eastern Europe. Before joining Steiermärkische Bank, Mr Dalbokov led the launch of Erste Group’s social banking initiative from 2008-2010. He was Chief Executive Officer of Erste Bank Serbia from 2006-2008, repositioning and transforming the bank following its acquisition by Erste Group; and prior to that, from 2002-2006, he was a Member of the Management Board at Erste Bank Croatia. Mr Dalbokov has been with the Erste and Sparkassen Group since 1997 and has played an important role in the Group’s successful expansion of its operations in Central and Eastern Europe. A Bulgarian national, he holds business and economic degrees from the University of Massachusetts, Boston and the University of South Carolina, Columbia in the USA. |
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Erik Vandervreken Director, Business Development and Services CLEPA (European Association of Automotive Suppliers) Erik Vandervreken is Director of Business Development & Services at CLEPA, the European Association of Automotive Suppliers based in Brussels. He is responsible for membership, developing additional services and establishing partnerships with relevant partners. Mr Vandervreken is a lifelong motoring and racing enthusiast and before joining CLEPA held senior positions in two other automotive trade associations: Agoria Automotive (Belgium) and Odette (Benelux). He has also worked in project management and liaison in vehicle engineering at the Ford Motor Company. He has a masters degree in Electromechanical Engineering from Group T International University College Leuven and a Masters in Professional Sports Management from Vlekho Business School, both in Belgium. |
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Frank Volk Business Editor Automobil Production Frank Volk has been the Business Editor of Automobil Produktion, the trade journal for the German car industry, since August 2012. The magazine covers many aspects of the industry, including the development of automotive markets around the world. Before joining the magazine Mr Volk worked for several daily newspapers, and from 2001 to the end of 2006 he was the editor of Auto Motor Und Sport, a leading German automobile magazine. He has also served as a press officer for the automotive section of TÜV SÜD. |
