Conference Speakers

Past
Speakers

Dr. Rivera Negrón

Dr. Rivera Negrón holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics and two master’s degrees in International Trade and Economics from the University of Puerto Rico. She completed her Ph.D. at the University of León, Spain, focusing on strategic economic development planning. An accomplished economist, she has served as an expert analyst for media outlets across Puerto Rico, the U.S., Europe, and Latin America. Dr. Rivera Negrón is an Associate Professor at University of Puerto Rico-Cayey and founder of “The MacroPerspective,” a consulting firm specializing in market research, public opinion studies, economic development, strategic planning, fiscal policy, public policy analysis, education, and instructional design. She has co-authored several influential books and served as President of the Association of Economists of Puerto Rico (2014-2015).

Dr. Naimatullah Shah

Dr. Naimatullah Shah holds a PhD degree in Management from the Brunel University, London. The UK. Currently, he is working as a Professor-Management and Director of the MHCM program at the College of Business, Al Yamamah University, Riyadh, KSA. He has a track record of publishing quality research journals such as the Journal of Business Research (JBR), Business Strategy and the Environment, Management Decision, Journal of Enterprise Information Management International, etc. Dr. Shah is a regular reviewer of well-known impact factors journals and his area of research interest is employee readiness for change, job satisfaction, green HRM, organizational justice, entrepreneurial attitudes, and intentions. He has supervised many PhD students and completed. His name is included among the top 2% of the world’s most influential scientists for 2024 managed by Stanford University’s John P.A. Ioannidis.

Prof. Xiaolin Li

Xiaolin Li is a Business Professor at Towson University. His research areas include social media analytics, the impact of technologies, and supply chains. His research has been published in Information Systems Research, Journal of the AIS, Decision Sciences, Information and Management, International Journal of Production Economics, Journal of Cleaner Production, Journal of Knowledge Management, etc.

Dr. Winojith Sanjeewa

Dr. Winojith Sanjeewa is a Lecturer in Marketing at York St John University and the Course Leader for the Events, Hospitality, and Tourism Management Programmes Suite. He specialises in Marketing, Events, Hospitality, and Tourism Management, with a keen interest in Social Media, Content Branding, Customer Experience, BMEA, and LGBTQ+ issues. Dr. Sanjeewa’s academic journey includes a PhD from the University of Leeds, a BA from the University of Peradeniya, and an MA in Applied Theatre from York St John University. With over 17 years of teaching experience at prestigious institutions in the UK, India, and Sri Lanka, Dr. Sanjeewa has made significant contributions to the fields of marketing and event management. His dedication to teaching and research has earned him several awards, including the Mr & Mrs U. Ranathunga Memorial Gold Medal in Arts, the Outstanding Feedback Award, the Inspirational Staff Award, and the Most Supportive Staff Member of the Year. Dr. Sanjeewa’s work emphasises the intersection of creative cultural industries and business, enhancing employability and boosting regional economies. For more information, you can visit his profile.

Ms. Kara Westerfield

Kara Westerfield holds an MBA and MSc in Computer Information Systems. She is currently pursuing a postgraduate university doctoral programme – Business Economics in Digital Environment – at the University of Dubrovnik. Her research interests include Cybersecurity and Digital Transformation.

Ms. Gayathri Janapati

Gayathri Janapati, PhD candidate with Dr. Viji at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, India, specialises in positive psychology, educational psychology, and organisational behaviour. Certified as a strengths practitioner, her research is inspired by the philosophy “prevention is better than cure”. She recently won first prize in the English segment of the 3 minute thesis competition by the Resilio association.

Ms. Samina Yasmin

Ms. Samina Yasmin holds a master’s degree in business management from IIT Madras and is currently a researcher specializing in behavioral and organizational analytics. She focuses on employee behavior and psychophysiological responses with experience in quantitative research methods. She has co-authored publications and secured research funding, demonstrating expertise in bridging academic and industry insights.

Ms. Vasiliki Fytrou

Ms. Vasiliki Fytrou is an Administrative Finance Officer in Greece. She is pursuing a Master’s in the Department of Financial and Management Engineering at Aegean University, in Greece. Her research interests include financial management and public policy. She participated in the ICODECON 2022 conference, presenting the paper “Digital Platforms in the Creative Industries: Evidence from the Greek Artists and Young Creators.”

Dr. Ufuk Bolukbas

Ufuk Bolukbas is Lecturer Doctor in Industrial Engineering Department of Yildiz Technical University (YTU), Istanbul, Turkey. He received Ph.D. degree in Industrial Engineering from YTU in 2016. He has been General Manager of the incubation company (ENDORS) he founded since 2020. His research interests are in entrepreneurship management, decision making, performance evaluation, and strategic management.

Dr. Hyunjung Kim

Hyunjung Kim is an associate professor in the Department of Business Administration at Sunchon National University. Her research interests include service operations management, supply chain management, quality management, and technology management. Her papers have been published in international journals including the International Journal of Operations & Production Management, Expert Systems with Applications, Operations Management Research, and Business Research Quarterly.

Prof. Dr. Salvatore Esposito De Falco

Prof. Dr. Salvatore Esposito De Falco is a Full Professor of Business Management at the University of Rome “Sapienza”. He has published over 110 papers, including 11 indexed by ISI-WOS, and 9 in class A, along with 9 Book.
He has been the recipient of 6 Best or Selected Paper Awards. He is Editor-in-chief of journal scientific of 3 Review and actually is President of the Master’s Degree Program in Business Management and President of the ESG Ability Observatory to the University of Rome “Sapienza”.

Dr. Rustam Sadykovich Azimov

Rustam Sadykovich Azimov, Doctor of Economic Sciences, Professor, defended his thesis for the degree of candidate of economic sciences at the Tashkent Institute of National Economy in 1984, R.S. Azimov worked as a manager until 1990 in various industries. In 1990, he headed the newly established Bank Ipak Yuli, and from 1991 to 1998 he managed the National Bank of Foreign Economic Activity of the Republic of Uzbekistan, which was also established with his active participation. From 1998 to 2017, he held the positions of Minister of Finance of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Minister of Economy, and First Deputy Prime Minister. R.S. Azimov from 1992 to 2016 was the Governor of Uzbekistan at the IMF, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. From 2017 to date, he has been the Director General of the joint-stock company “Export-Import Insurance Company ‘Uzbekinvest’.

Dr. Robert Çelo

Dr. Robert Çelo is a distinguished academic and expert in economics. He serves as Deputy Dean and Professor at the University of Gjirokastra, where he has contributed significantly to economic research and education. Dr. Çelo is the author of numerous scientific publications, which have been featured in both Albanian and international journals.

Ms. Dika Lirisanti

Dika Lirisanti holds a Master’s degree in Financial Management from the University of Indonesia. She currently serves as a General Affairs Supervisor at a Coal-Fired Power Plant in Indonesia while pursuing her Master’s degree. Her research interests encompass ESG & Sustainable Investment, Risk Management, Green Economy, and Corporate Governance. Dika has been recognized with awards for Best Presenter and Best Paper for her work titled “Gender Diversity in Corporate Governance: The Impact of Female Directors on ESG Performance,” presented at an international conference. Additionally, she has explored other significant topics, such as “Dynamic Risk Spillover Between Carbon Market and Electricity Market: Evidence from China,” as part of her academic contributions.

Ms. Maryam Amiri

Maryam Amiri holds an MSc in applied chemistry/Biotechnology from TU Clausthal, Germany. Certified as a Senior Specialist and Project Manager in German Industries for more than 6 years. She is currently pursuing a postgraduate university doctoral program – International Business Research in Salzburg University in Cooperation with University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia. Her research interests include Ethical Leadership and Employee well-being in Post Crisis.

Keynote Speech Title: Assistant Professor at the Department of Statistics at the Faculty of Economics and Business Zagreb, University of Zagreb.

Dr. Ivana Lolić

Dr. Ivana Lolić holds MSc in mathematical statistics and a PhD in economics. Her research interests include behavioral economics and various methodological specializations (econometrics, machine learning models, time series analysis, etc.). She collaborated on three scientific projects supported by the Croatian Science Foundation and several other grants.

Dr. Olena Motuzka

Olena Motuzka – PhD in economics, Associate Professor of the Department of Management, Marketing and Public Administration, head of the International Cooperation Department of the National Academy of Statistics, Accounting and Audit (Kyiv, Ukraine). Experience in research in the field of external financing, project management, climate change assessment. Author of more than 100 scientific papers. Executive editor of the scientific journal “Statistics of Ukraine”.

Ms. Kara Westerfield

Ms. Kara Westerfield is a doctoral student, Department of Economics and Business, at University of Dubrovnik, Croatia. She has degrees in business administration and computer information systems. Her fields of scientific interest include digital transformation, innovation, and cybersecurity. She previously worked as a healthcare executive focusing on ethics and compliance thought leadership.

Mr. Razvan Gabriel Hapau

Mr. Hapau Razvan is a financial analyst with expertise in developing integrated supervision frameworks and facilitating regulatory harmonization for the Romanian Financial Supervisory Authority. He is skilled in analyzing financial data to support informed decision-making. He is currently following the doctoral program at the Western University of Timisoara, specializing in Finance.

Mr. Zakaria Abdiwali Mohamed

Mr. Zakaria received his BSc. in Agri-business and Value Chain Management from Samara University, Ethiopia. He later obtained his masters in Master of Business Administration from Jigjiga University, Ethiopia. He has seven years of teaching experience in university and is now employed as a senior lecturer and researcher at University of Kabridahar, Ethiopia. He is also currently a PhD candidate at Nevsehir Haci Bektas Veli university. His research interests include: Consumer Culture, Brand management, pricing strategies, international business, and AI marketing efforts.

Mr. Greg Tomchick

Mr. Greg Tomchick is a former professional baseball player turned award-winning cybersecurity coach. He has worked with more than 250 world-renowned, global companies including American Airlines, Caterpillar, and Trinity Rail. He is regularly featured live on ABC, Fox News, and is an expert contributor to Inc. Magazine. After building multiple seven-figure companies for America’s most prestigious families, he is now the CEO of Valor Cybersecurity and host of The Connected Mindset Live Show. Greg helps industry leading executives and brands connect to the mindsets that enable them to protect what they value most, in life and in business.

Keynote Speech Title: Strategies for Transformative Change in a Post-Pandemic Era

Dr. Vasudev Das

Vasudev Das, Ph.D. Applied Management and Decision Sciences (AMDS) from Walden University, Minneapolis, USA, has authored over 35 publications in peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Das has extensive experience integrating spiritual technologies with management science. Research interests are financial crime and leading change.

Keynote Speech Title: Digitalisation: How to Reap the Full Benefits of Digitalisation in Times of the Global Pandemic?

Dr. Tinatin Akhvlediani

Dr. Tinatin Akhvlediani is a Research Fellow at CEPS’ Foreign Policy unit. Her expertise and publications cover the EU’s trade and neighbourhood policies, with a specific focus on the Eastern Partnership and the EU’s Association Agreements (AAs) and Deep and Comprehensive Areas (DCFTAs) with Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. She is currently a coordinator of the ex-post evaluation of the EU DCFTAs with Georgia and Moldova commissioned by DG Trade, European Commission, contributes to research on 3DCFTAs funded by the Swedish International Development Agency, and is leading CEPS Young Thinkers Initiative – “Over to Youth”, funded by Open Society Foundation and the US Mission to the EU.
Tinatin is affiliated with the University of Warsaw, where she is a visiting lecturer and leads research on Information Communications Technologies and trade in Central and Eastern Europe, funded by the National Science Centre of Poland. She is also a non-resident researcher at the Georgian Institute of Politics (GIP) based in Tbilisi. For more information please visit https://www.ceps.eu/ceps-staff/tina-akhvlediani/.

Dr. Larissa M. Batrancea

Larissa M. Batrancea holds a PhD in economics, a BA in economics, an MA in small business, a BSc and an MSc in mathematics (Babes-Bolyai University) and an MSc in cognitive neuroscience (University of York, UK). She also completed a postdoctoral program at the Romanian Academy in Bucharest. Her publication record comprises 39 books and book chapters as editor, book reviewer, author and translator (Routledge, Springer, Elsevier, IGI Global) and 129 scientific articles published in top outlets (Journal of Economic Psychology Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Financial Innovation, Eastern European Economics, Social Indicators Research). Her research interests revolve around tax behavior, financial analysis, behavioral public finance, experimental economics, cognitive neuroscience, neuroeconomics. She activated as PI and member in 37 research grants and was awarded 40 prizes in research and teaching.

Prof. Dr. Julia Dobreva

Prof. Dr. Julia Dobreva is a full-time professor and doctor of political economy. She teaches Economics (microeconomics and Macroeconomics) and Sustainable Development at VUZF University in Sofia, Bulgaria. She is also vice rector for education and scientific research. Her areas of interest include development economics, behavioral economics, and sustainability.

Dr. Veronika Mitkova

Dr. Veronika Mitkova is an associate professor at Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia, specializing in Applied Economics. With a focus on cross-industry analysis, her research areas include Econometrics, International Economics, and Computable General Equilibrium Models. She has served as Vice-Dean for Study Affairs and is a member of the Slovak Society for Operations Research.

Prof. Dr. Naglaa Fathy El Dessouky

Prof. Dr. Naglaa Fathy El Dessouky is a Full Professor of Public Policy and Management at Sadat Academy for Management Sciences, Egypt. She was a Post-Doctoral Fellow at three famous Canadian universities at Memorial University of Newfoundland, University of Ottawa and University of Quebec in Montreal. She got her Ph.D. in Public Administration and Public Policy Analysis form ENAP, University of Quebec. She also expended her career further into consultancy and training activities and she has a good number of international publications in international journals and international conferences.

Dr. Brian Kwazi Majola

Dr. Brian Kwazi Majola is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Limpopo, South Africa. He obtained his PhD in HRM at UKZN and MSc in HRM at the University of Manchester, England. His area of interest includes employee relations, people with disabilities and gender. Dr Majola is a Ford Foundation Fellow, a recipient of the Canadian Commonwealth Scholarship, NRF KIC grant and Erasmus+ Staff Mobility for Teaching Programme between Partner Countries Grant. Before joining academia in 2011, he worked in different fields as an Assistant Educator, Law Enforcement Officer and Sales Consultant for approximately 15 years in both the private and public sectors. At the management level as an Assistant Director of Employee Relations, he represented the employer in various structures from the area level to the provincial level and in different bargaining councils such as the CCMA, ELRC, SSSBC and GPSSBC.

Dr. Ivana Lolić

Dr. Ivana Lolić is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Statistics at the Faculty of Economics and Business Zagreb, University of Zagreb. She holds MSc in mathematical statistics and a PhD in economics. Her research interests include behavioral economics and various methodological specializations (econometrics, machine learning models, time series analysis, etc.). She collaborated on three scientific projects supported by the Croatian Science Foundation and several other grants.

Dr. Ewa Stawasz-Grabowska

Dr. Ewa Stawasz – Grabowska, Ph.D. in finance, assistant professor (University of Lodz); Master in International Economics (University of Lodz). Her research interests concentrate mainly on monetary and financial policy in the euro area.

Prof. Dr. Ioanna Dimitrakaki

Prof. Dr. Joanna Ioanna Dimitrakaki was born in Thessaloniki, Greece, on December 11th, 1986 and she currently lives in Serres, Greece. She graduated from Senior High School in 2005 and she studied in the Department of Commerce and Quality Control of Agricultural Products (School of Technology and Agronomy), in the Technical Educational Institute of Western Macedonia, Florina, Greece, during the years 2005-2009. She had her first master in 2011 (2010-2011: Master of Arts in Business Management with Commendation, Kingston University, UK) and her second one in 2012 (2011-2012: Master of Business Administration, Kingston University, UK). She had her PhD from the South -West University “Neofit Rilski”, Bulgaria (2014-2017) in Economics and Industrial Business Administration. She has been teaching management courses in the International Hellenic University, Serres, Greece (Department of Business Organisation and Administration, School of Economy and Administration) since 2021. Today, she is professor of International Hellenic University in Thessaloniki in department accounting and informational systems. She has been a speaker in several International Conferences regarding management, whereas she has written articles on management and marketing issues in several scientific journals. Her primary areas of scientific interest are management and marketing.

Dr. Joanna Stawska

Dr. Joanna Stawska, PhD. in economics, Assistant Professor, Department of Central Banking and Financial Intermediation, Institute of Finance, Faculty of Economics and Sociology, the University of Lodz in Poland. The areas of my research experience: finance of enterprises, public finances, fiscal policy, monetary policy, policy mix, central banking, banking supervision, financial crisis, credit risk.

Dr. Ivana Sataić

Dr. Ivana Sataić, with over 15 years in both public and private sectors, as an owner of Polica znanja Ltd. and an expert in project management and project implementation control. she has experience and areas of interest in public administration, project management, change management, human resources, marketing, sales, and company collaboration.

Ms. Fitore Jashari Mani

Fitore Jashari-Mani is a PhD student at South East European University, Tetovo, North Macedonia. She is a Teaching Assistant at the Marketing Department, University of Prishtina ‘Hasan Prishtina’, Kosovo. Her research interests include customer relationship marketing, digital marketing strategies, customer behavior, social media marketing, digital entrepreneurship, etc. She published some articles in these areas.

Mr. Petar Sorić

Petar Sorić is an Associate Professor at the University of Zagreb (UniZg). His research interests are macroeconometrics and economic expectations. Apart from obtaining a PhD in economics at UniZg in 2012, his specializations include econometrics courses at LSE, Cambridge University, etc. His academic publications have earned several awards, out of which the Croatian National Science Award in 2013 stands out.

Dr. Bob Barrett

Dr. Bob Barrett lectures both nationally and internationally on the topics of Knowledge Management, Online Learning, Training & Development, Strategic Management and Intellectual Capital. His key research areas are the creation of knowledge management, intellectual capital, and human capital in the workplace, disability in the workplace and education, as well as having a specialization in development human resource departmental teams and preparing expatriates for work in the global market.

Dr. Ayoub Kazim

Dr. Kazim is an Executive Director of Higher Colleges of Technology in Dubai. Previously, He led Dubai’s education free zones, consisting of Dubai Knowledge Village and Dubai International Academic City. Initially, he started his academic career at United Arab Emirates University where he was an Associate Prof. at the Mechanical Engineering Department.

Prof. Dr. Mahdy F Elhusseiny

Mahdy Elhusseiny, Professor of Finance at California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB). His research interest focuses on testing Asset Pricing Models such as Arbitrage Pricing Theories (APT) and Capital Asset Pricing Models (CAPM) across different markets. He has presented numerous papers at national and international conferences. He is the recipient of many research grants and awards.

Mr. Kingsley Success Ikani

Kingsley Success, Ikani is a doctoral student of Economics and Finance at the University of Economics, Katowice. Poland. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and a Master’s degree in Financial and Actuarial Mathematics. He has over 3 years’ experience in banking industries and currently works as a Fund Accounting/Valuations Specialist at Citibank. His fields of scientific interest are Economics and Finance.

Dr. Giorgi Mikeladze

Dr. Giorgi Mikeladze is the head of the living conditions statistics division of the social statistics department, national statistics office of Georgia (Geostat) and a contracted lecturer in the department of economic and social statistics, at Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University. He is an author of a book, various scientific papers and grant projects, participated in many surveys/researches. His fields of scientific interest are econometrics and statistics.

Mr. Tomas Skripkiūnas

Mr. Tomas Skripkiūnas is a doctoral student, School of Economics and Business, at Kaunas University of Technology, Lithuania. He has a master’s degree in the field of architecture. And his fields of scientific interest are real estate, architecture, market value models.

MSC. Vaida Bačiulienė

Vaida Bačiulienė is a doctoral student at school of Economics and Business, Kaunas University of Technology, Lithuania. She is an author of scientific publications, published in Lithuania and abroad. Her fields of scientific interest are economic growth, development economics, artificial intelligence, agri-food industry.

Mr. Josep Maria Alzamora Sanz

Mr. Josep Alzamora, although he studied law and total quality management (master’s degree), has dedicated the last twenty years of his professional life to developing a practical business management model for hypercompetitive environments. The result, the Expansive Emotional Influence methodology, is currently being used to help the transformation of commerce of cities and companies in several countries.

Prof. Dr. Valentinas Navickas

Doctor of economics, professor at Kaunas University of Technology (Lithuania), the School of Economics and Business. Author of more than 400 scientific publications, published in Lithuania and abroad. Prepared 7 doctors of economics. Fields of scientific interest: international economics, clusterization, competitiveness, economic growth.

Ieva Petrokė, MSc.

Doctoral student at school of Economics and Business, Kaunas University of Technology, Lithuania, Fields of scientific interest: economic growth, development economics, sharing economy, tourism.

Mr. Aldrin C. Agasen

Mr. Aldrin C. Agasen is an Assistant Professor and part of the National University- Philippines quality assurance team. A graduate of a Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management and master’s in business administration. A Hospitality Industry practitioner and has been in the academe for 7 years. His field of specialization is hospitality operations, training, development, and education.

Ms. Petra Sofia Horňáková

Petra Sofia Horňáková is a PhD candidate at the Prague University of Economics and Business, and she is a member of the Department of Managerial Psychology and Sociology. Her main focus areas include emotions in organizations and emotion regulation in work settings. Petra holds a master’s degree in Economics, and she has previously worked in various business development positions in finance, pharmaceutical and IT industries. Petra is currently teaching career development at the university and works as a certified mediator.

Ms. Tereza Kicková

Tereza is a PhD candidate at the Prague University of Economics and Business, where she focuses on authentic leadership and teaches course on career development. She holds a master degree in international business from the Anglo-American University in Prague, where she worked as a research fellow and represented the university in national student association. She has a solid professional background in sales and marketing.

Rev. Wayne E. Credle, Jr.

Rev. Wayne E. Credle, Jr., is pursuing a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership at the School of Business and Leadership at Regent University and serves as an Adjunct Professor for Regent’s Department of Counseling Ministries. His Master of Divinity and certificate in Prison Studies was obtained from Duke Divinity School, in Durham, North Carolina, and his Bachelor of Sociology & Religious Studies was obtained from Virginia Wesleyan University, in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Mr. Nikoloz Ostapenko

Mr. Nikoloz Ostapenko, a Georgia Technical University Economics PhD student, Head of Tax and Valuation department at Crowe Georgia and lecturer business valuation at the Center for Professional Development of Valuers and Experts. His research explores the impact of economic policy on consumption. He is an author of various scientific articles, showcasing his commitment to advancing knowledge in the field.

Dr. Altin Kulli

Dr. Altin Kulli is currently a lecturer and holds the position of Head of the Business Management Department, Faculty of Economy at “Qiriazi” University College. He is also Coordinator for the Erasmus+ Program, in which he actively participated in the exchange of staff and experiences with counterpart Universities in Portugal and Italy. Previously, he was a lecturer and Head of the Department, Faculty of Economy at the “Canadian Institute of Technology (ICT-CIT)” University College, Tirana. His previous experience covers over 18 years of teaching and academic scientific research, at public universities, as well as the private ones in the field of economics, investment analysis, securities and insurance. He is currently a lecturer in Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Public Finance, Investment Analysis and Portfolio. In 2009, he obtained his Ph.D in Economic Sciences, and in 1997 the B.Sc. degree in Business and Administration with an “excellent diploma”, at Agricultural University of Tirana, while in 2001 he accomplished with high results the post-graduate master studies in applied economic analysis and financial management at the Department of Economic and Management Sciences, MAICH, Greece. His main interests include exchange rate analysis and policies, monopoly economics, banking and financial sector- insurance, and cyclical economy.

Past Speakers

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Past
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