With over 40 years in the Building Management Controls Industry, Martin has a Building Services Engineering Degree from Thames Valley University from the UK and an Energy Management Degree from Newport University in Wales.  Having delivered BMS solutions and projects on many different types of buildings over the years, to Business Development roles globally,  Martin is now focussed on how AI can both help with the design, accuracy, efficiency, quality and sustainability in deployment of such systems and also how AI can benefit the users to take the maximum from what is often seen as the Digital Hub of buildings, helping to achieve maximum comfort and efficiency.

Mag. Gorazd Ažman has a deep understanding of energy markets and new trends in energy sector. He implemented complex projects and introduced new processes that are supporting energy companies to be successful in changing business environment.

He is devoted to help ELES, d.o.o. accomplish the challenges and seize the opportunities of energy transition through innovation and digitalization.

Gusts Kossovičs is the Managing Director of eu.bac, the European Building Automation and Controls Association. He leads the association’s strategy across European policy, standards, and market transformation, with a focus on implementing the revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, advancing digitalisation, and accelerating smart, demand-responsive buildings across Europe. He has a background spanning the construction sector and European public policy.

Dr. Gregor Taljan received his diploma in electrical engineering in 2005 and his doctorate in 2009 from the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. In 2007, Gregor Taljan was a visiting scientist at the University of Waterloo, Canada, and a visiting researcher at the Institute for Electrical Power Systems at the Graz University of Technology in Austria. Since 2010, Gregor has been with Energienetze Steiermark GmbH, the main distribution system operator in Styria, Austria, where he was initially responsible for grid planning, grid investments and the connection of renewable energies to the grid. In 2014, Gregor became a senior specialist for smart grids and led several projects on topics such as grid-supportive storage, dynamic grid tariffs, grid-friendly energy communities, etc. Gregor has been Head of Research and Development at Energienetze Steiermark since 2024. He is an active member of the Smart Grids Austria technology platform, the DSO Entity and the EDSO for Smart Grids.

Jozek Gruskovnjak is an accomplished international executive and strategy consultant with a distinguished career in the technology industry and a track record of delivering exceptional performance for his teams and clients. At the core of his work is assisting executives in delivering superior performance from their organizations by helping them craft and execute winning business and transformation strategies leveraging digital technologies. As a director in SAP’s Value Advisory team, Jozek focuses on helping customers across multiple industries build a deep understanding of the value digital transformation can bring to their organizations. Jozek holds a B.Sc. in computer sciences and an MBA, works across Central and Eastern Europe, and lives in Zürich, Switzerland.

Dr. Uros Kerin received his PhD from the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, in 2010. From 2004 to 2011 he was a research assistant at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Ljubljana. In 2007, he was a guest researcher at the Austrian institute of technology in the Department of energy in Vienna, Austria. From 2011 to 2017 he was with SIEMENS PTI in Erlangen, Germany. He held a position as a senior key expert and was responsible for consulting services in power system planning and operations. He was involved in numerous commercial projects for the electric power utilities and oil and gas industry. From 2017 to September 2025, he was assistant director of the Asset and project management division and head of Diagnostics and analytics center at ELES. Since September 2025 he is the General Manager of the Elektroinštitut Milan Vidmar.

Dr. Andrej Bregar obtained BSc, MSc and PhD degrees in computer science from University of Maribor, Slovenia. He is employed as Deputy CEO at Informatika d.o.o. SME company. His previous positions included Researcher at University of Maribor, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and Senior Software Solutions Designer at Informatika d.o.o.

He leads and coordinates numerous projects and complex project tasks in software development, R&D, cyber security, strategic planning and management, and digitalization of energy systems. This work includes EU funded projects from the Horizon and Eureka programmes, projects for Slovenian electricity energy DSOs, and projects for Slovenian government and NGO organizations.

Tadej Justin, Lead Data Scientist at Medius d.o.o., a Slovenian software development company, holds a PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of Ljubljana, with a research focus on automation, artificial intelligent systems and pattern recognition. He is a certified Kubernetes administrator and an enthusiast of the DevOps movement, especially in the area of continuous integration and continuous delivery. He uses this knowledge to provide validation and inference of predictive models and other software solutions geared towards the use of artificial intelligence.

Vojtěch Vavřička is an experienced energy-sector leader with a strong track record in power trading, environmental systems, and business development. Since 2025, he has served as CEO of ORGREZ Trade, s.r.o., where he is developing a proprietary power trading desk focused on flexibility products, optimizing energy portfolios for industrial and utility clients, and establishing the analytical and IT foundations required for systematic trading.

Since 2020, he has also held the role of Director of the Division for Ecology Systems at ORGREZ, a.s., leading a team of 20 specialists. In this position, he drives business development and oversees the delivery of DeNOx projects across the Czech Republic and internationally, while expanding advanced software solutions for emissions monitoring, data management, and regulatory compliance.

From 2017 to 2020, he worked in Business Development at ORGREZ, a.s., where he identified and pursued new commercial opportunities, prepared offers and client presentations for utility and industrial customers, supported senior leadership with market analysis and tender preparation, and represented the company at trade fairs and major industry events.

Blaž Krese seamlessly combines deep technical expertise in the energy sector with advanced analytical methods. With his experience and vision, he has played a key role in developing analytics within the field of energy supply and advanced energy services. In recent years, he has led a team of analysts dedicated to creating innovative solutions for a wide range of challenges in the energy industry. He holds PhDs from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics at the University of Ljubljana.

Mr. Petre Bozhikov earned his BSc in Network Engineering from the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, North Macedonia, in 2011.
During his final year, he worked as a front-end developer before beginning his career in the telecom sector. In 2012, he joined the Slovenian B2B Internet provider Telesmart Telekom in Skopje, and from 2013 to 2015 he served as Project Manager at Teleks, one of Macedonia’s leading dark-fiber and capacity providers, managing FTTH projects for Deutsche Telekom.
In mid-2015, Petre joined Interspace, a pioneering B2B telecom provider offering advanced connectivity and OTT solutions. Transitioning to the IT industry in 2019, he became Sales Executive for the SEE region at Netcetera, a leading Swiss software company. There, he contributed to the company’s evolution from an outsourcing provider to a key vendor of fintech and banking security solutions, while also participating in several e-commerce and fintech initiatives across the region. Netcetera became part of Giesecke & Devrient in 2022.
In 2023, he joined Aspekt, an international core-banking software provider, as Business Developer for the SEE and Adria regions. Recognizing the growing importance of AI and machine learning, Petre moved to craftworks in Vienna in October 2025 as Business Development Manager.

Matija Mlakar is a Digitalization Sales Consultant at Siemens Energy with over 10 years of experience in complex digital solution consulting across the automotive and energy sectors. Holding an MSc in Mechanical Engineering, he works closely with sales teams across Europe and Africa, acting as a strategic link to Siemens Energy’s development units. Beyond translating customer needs, Matija proactively advises clients on digital strategies, ensuring tailored, high-impact solutions that drive innovation, efficiency, and long-term value.

Gorazd Rolih holds a Master’s degree in Security Operations Centre (SOC) modelling. He currently serves as the Head of the SOC at ELES, the combined transmission and distribution system operator of Slovenia. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing Information and Cybersecurity operations, with a particular focus on coordinating and managing activities among SOC service clients, the CSIRT team, system support units, and other partners within the energy sector, as well as cybersecurity entities at both the national and international levels.

With over 25 years of experience in information technology and information security, Mr Rolih ensures compliance with applicable regulations, best practices, and emerging trends, thereby contributing to the establishment and continuous improvement of SOC processes. He is also actively involved in EU research projects, such as ALiEnS-SOC, where he serves as a liaison between SOC operational requirements and the implementation of methods and tools developed within the project’s research framework.

Klemens Reich holds a Master’s in Power Engineering from the Technical University of Vienna achieved in 2002. His professional journey has been deeply rooted in the energy sector, particularly within Austrian Power Grid AG, where he has been a pivotal member of various departments since 2006. Currently positioned as the Group Lead for Overhead Lines and Cables in the Asset Management division at Austrian Power Grid AG, Mr. Reich has proven instrumental in steering and advancing the company’s initiatives.

Dr. Goran Levačić is Head of Data and Models at HOPS’s Network Development Department, specializing in high-voltage transmission, power-system modelling and the digitalization of grid planning and management. His work focuses on AI-ready system models, digital twins and advanced analytics supporting the integration of new technologies and emerging grid challenges. He is a Main Member of the ENTSO-E Research, Development and Innovation Committee, and contributes to other ENTSO-E and Med-TSO committees, as well as CIGRE and IEEE.

Dr. Jody Verboomen received the Master’s degree in applied Electronics Engineering from Group T, Leuven, Belgium, in 2001, the M.Sc. degree in Electrical Power Engineering from K.U. Leuven, Leuven, Belgium in 2004, and the Ph.D. degree from the Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands, in 2008.

In 2008 he joined Siemens AG in Erlangen, Germany as a power systems consultant at Power Technologies International (PTI). From 2013 to 2016 he was heading Siemens PTI in the Middle East from Doha, Qatar and Abu Dhabi, UAE. From 2016 to 2021 he was heading the transmission system studies department at Siemens PTI in Erlangen, Germany.

In 2021 Dr. Verboomen joined Siemens Energy and was tasked with the ramp-up of a new Grid Consulting department. Currently, Dr. Verboomen is the global head of Grid Analysis and Planning within the Grid Consulting team at Siemens Energy and is based in Erlangen, Germany.

Nico Keyaerts is the team leader for the ACER Retail Markets and Network Tariffs team. He has been working since 2018 at the EU Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators covering electricity and gas infrastructure and gas and retail market design.  He is a former Research Fellow at the Florence School of Regulation, hosted at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy and at the Vlerick Business School, Belgium, and a former researcher at KU Leuven, Belgium.