Council & Experts
The people behindESI's strategy. Executive team, strategic council, and experts bringing experience from business, European institutions, academia and technology.
Strategic Council
The Strategic Council is an independent advisory body bringing together distinguished leaders from European institutions, business, academia, international organisations and public policy. Its purpose is to contribute strategic insight, support high-level dialogue and provide guidance on the Institute's long-term priorities.
Collectively, Council members bring:
Experience at the highest levels of public and private leadership Deep understanding of European and international affairs Institutional and policy expertise Business and economic leadership Geopolitical and strategic insight Extensive cross-sector and international networks Together, these perspectives provide ESI with a unique source of strategic insight, helping the Institute look beyond immediate policy developments and anticipate the forces shaping Europe's long-term economic and geopolitical position.
Elżbieta Bieńkowska Former European Commissioner for the Internal Market and Industry; former Minister of Regional Development
+ × Elżbieta Bieńkowska Former European Commissioner for the Internal Market and Industry; former Minister of Regional Development
Former European Commissioner and Deputy Prime Minister of Poland, with extensive experience in European policy, regional development, industry and public administration. A graduate of the Jagiellonian University, Poland’s National School of Public Administration (KSAP) and postgraduate studies at the SGH Warsaw School of Economics, she was also a scholarship recipient of the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the German Marshall Fund. From 2014 to 2019, Elżbieta Bieńkowska served as European Commissioner for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs. Previously, she was Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Development (2013–2014) and Minister of Regional Development (2007–2013), playing a key role in regional policy and the management of European funds. Her career in public administration spans several decades, including senior positions responsible for regional development and European funds in the Silesian Voivodeship. Currently, Bieńkowska serves as Chair of the Board of the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) in Brussels, Senior Advisor at Rasmussen Global, Chair of the University Council of the University of Silesia, and a member of the Supervisory Board of Ukrainian Railways. Her position as Chair of the CEPS Board is also confirmed in CEPS's latest annual reporting.
Dominika Bettman Former President of Microsoft Poland; former head of the Siemens group in Poland
+ × Dominika Bettman Former President of Microsoft Poland; former head of the Siemens group in Poland
Manager with many years of experience; CFO and CEO of international technological corporations. Leader, mentor, and speaker. Author of the books "Technological Magnolias" and "When No One's Watching: Ethical Dilemmas in Business" (December 2025). Connects the worlds of technology and business with an ethical approach, arguing that progress only makes sense when it serves people and the environment. She promotes leadership based on values, empathy, and trust. Graduate of the Faculty of International Trade at the Warsaw School of Economics and the Advanced Management Program at IESE in Barcelona. Member of supervisory boards, academic committees, and the program boards of congresses and business initiatives.
Dr Ewa Łabno-Falęcka Former Communications Director at Mercedes-Benz Poland; founder, Foundation for Development of Education for Industry
+ × Dr Ewa Łabno-Falęcka Former Communications Director at Mercedes-Benz Poland; founder, Foundation for Development of Education for Industry
Academic, former diplomat and senior business executive with extensive experience at the intersection of industry, public policy, communications and Polish-German relations. From 1993 to 1999, she served as Counsellor at the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Bonn. In 2000, she joined Mercedes-Benz Group in Poland, where she held senior roles spanning strategy, change management, marketing communications, governmental affairs and public policy. From 2015, she coordinated Mercedes-Benz investment projects in Poland. Since 2024, she has run her own consultancy, ELF Consulting & Communication. She is an expert in Industry 4.0 and sustainable development and lectures on New Mobility at the Warsaw University of Technology. She has co-founded and led several initiatives, including the Partnership for Road Safety, the Friends of the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw and the Foundation for the Development of Education for Industry. A contemporary art collector and regular commentator in business media, she has received numerous industry and public distinctions, including Businesswoman of the Year (2016) and the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. In 2025, she received the European University Viadrina Prize for her contribution to Polish-German political, economic and social dialogue and her support for women’s rights.
Piotr Wielgomas Founder and President of BIGRAM
+ × Piotr Wielgomas Founder and President of BIGRAM
Born in Warsaw, he is married and has three adult children. He graduated from the Faculty of Law at the University of Warsaw and has participated in international business scholarship programmes in the United Kingdom, including at Nottingham Trent University, and in the United States. He is the founder and President of BIGRAM, a human resources consultancy that has been successfully operating on the Polish market for more than 30 years. The company specialises in executive recruitment and HR advisory services, including management audits, 360-degree assessments and outplacement. BIGRAM is also the exclusive Polish partner of two renowned global networks: IIC Partners Executive Search, where Piotr Wielgomas served for several years as a member of the Global Board, and Career Star Group. For many years, BIGRAM has also been running Enactus Poland, part of the international Enactus student entrepreneurship initiative, which operates across 40 countries and 1,700 universities worldwide. Piotr Wielgomas also has extensive corporate governance experience, having served for many years on the supervisory boards of a number of companies. Beyond his professional activities, he has served for many years as Vice President of the Association of Collectors of Historical Securities. He is also a co-creator of a unique project reconstructing pre-war Warsaw in the form of a detailed scale model, developed together with the renowned Polish actor and director Emilian Kamiński.
Prof. Piotr Wachowiak Rector of SGH Warsaw School of Economics; Chairman of KRUE
+ × Prof. Piotr Wachowiak Rector of SGH Warsaw School of Economics; Chairman of KRUE
Professor Piotr Wachowiak n- Ph.D., D.Sc. - Rector of the SGH Warsaw School of Economics Deputy Chairman of the Committee of Organization and Management Sciences at the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN), Chairman of the Conference of Rectors of Economic Universities and the Conference of Rectors of Warsaw Universities. Specializes in human resource management in organizations and corporate social responsibility. Author or co-author of publications on negotiations, conflict resolution, human resources management, intellectual capital measurement and knowledge management in enterprises.
Andrij Deszczyca Former Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine; Ambassador of Ukraine to Poland, 2014–2022
+ × Andrij Deszczyca Former Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine; Ambassador of Ukraine to Poland, 2014–2022
Bio coming soon.
Jacek Siewiera Former Head of Poland’s National Security Bureau; Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council
+ × Jacek Siewiera Former Head of Poland’s National Security Bureau; Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council
Polish transatlantic security strategist, military physician, and founder of Hybrid Global Strategy, a company focused on civil protection, CBRN infrastructure, and defence technologies. From 2022 to 2025, he served as Secretary of State and Head of Poland’s National Security Bureau. A lieutenant colonel in the reserve and a holder of a habilitation (DSc) in medical sciences, he brings extensive experience at the intersection of medicine, defence policy, and hybrid threat response. After completing his government service in early 2025, he transitioned to international strategic roles. He is a Clarendon Scholar at the University of Oxford and a Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, where his work focuses on transatlantic security, resilience, and the evolving sub-defence sector. Founder of Hybrid Global Strategy (Hybrid GS), a holding company focused on urban life-protection infrastructure, CBRN preparedness, and technologies designed to counter hybrid threats, contributing to the development of advanced security and resilience solutions. In parallel, he serves as an Associate Professor at the Polish Naval Academy and remains a leading authority in international discussions on hybrid threats, national resilience, and the transformation of civil defence.
Prof. Joanna Kulczycka Professor at AGH University of Krakow; Head of the Circular Economy Division at IGSMiE PAN
+ × Prof. Joanna Kulczycka Professor at AGH University of Krakow; Head of the Circular Economy Division at IGSMiE PAN
Professor of Management Mineral and Energy Economy Research Institute Polish Academy of Sciences and AGH University of Krakow, Poland Prof. Joanna Kulczycka is the Head and Founder of the Division of Strategic Research and the Department of Circular Economy at the Mineral and Energy Economy Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences (MEERI PAS), and a Professor at the Academy of Krakow, Faculty of Management, where she delivers lectures on economics, circular economy, eco-innovation in industry, and corporate social responsibility (CSR). She also serves as Director of the IATI Bureau—the largest virtual research institute in Poland—and as President of the Waste Management and Recycling Cluster, a Key National Cluster in Poland. She is the author of over 250 publications, including the first Polish-language book on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), the first Polish Minerals Yearbook, and more than 120 peer-reviewed scientific articles addressing raw materials, the circular economy, energy and waste management, eco-efficiency of industrial processes, corporate social responsibility (CSR), and just transition. She is a member of the UNEP International Resource Panel (IRP) and a co-author of two flagship reports: Global Resources Outlook 2024 and Global Environment Outlook 7. She has been actively involved in numerous national and European research and innovation projects. She also served as the organizer and Chair of the Steering Committee of EUIndTech2025 – Industrial Technologies and Materials for a Sustainable Europe, the EU flagship event held under the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Adam Guibourgé-Czetwertyński Former Deputy Minister at the Polish Ministry of Climate and Environment
+ × Adam Guibourgé-Czetwertyński Former Deputy Minister at the Polish Ministry of Climate and Environment
Former Secretary of State (Deputy Minister) at the Polish Ministry of Climate and Environment,former Government Plenipotentiary for Strategic Energy Infrastructure. He currently works at Transport & Environment (T&E), providing evidence-based analysis and policy recommendations to Polish decision-makers on the transition to clean transport. Previously, he served as Head of the Environment Section at Poland’s Permanent Representation to the EU and as a Deputy Minister in the Polish government. He was also a member of Poland’s UNFCCC Presidency negotiating team at COP19 in Warsaw and Poland’s chief negotiator at COP24 in Katowice.
Žygimantas Vaičiūnas Former Minister of Energy of Lithuania; former Energy Attaché to the European Union
+ × Žygimantas Vaičiūnas Former Minister of Energy of Lithuania; former Energy Attaché to the European Union
An energy policy expert and former Lithuanian Minister of Energy, with more than 20 years of experience shaping national and European energy policy, advancing strategic energy infrastructure, and strengthening energy security. As Lithuania’s Minister of Energy across three governments, he led and contributed to key initiatives at the intersection of energy security, the energy transition, and European energy policy. He has also served as Acting Prime Minister, Acting Minister of Economy and Innovation, and Acting Minister of Environment. His career spans senior positions in the Lithuanian government, the Permanent Representation of Lithuania to the European Union, and the European Solar Manufacturing Council in Brussels, where he focused on European industrial policy for solar PV manufacturing. He has been closely involved in major strategic energy initiatives, including the synchronisation of the Baltic States’ electricity grids with Continental Europe, the development of renewable energy, and the deployment of battery energy storage systems. Žygimantas holds a Master’s degree in Political Science and European Studies and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Vilnius University.
Sameer Chauhan Director of the United Nations International Computing Centre (UNICC), with over twenty years of experience across the public and private sectors, including senior roles at Deutsche Bank and Deloitte.
+ × Sameer Chauhan Director of the United Nations International Computing Centre (UNICC), with over twenty years of experience across the public and private sectors, including senior roles at Deutsche Bank and Deloitte.
Bio coming soon.
Expert Network
ESI works with a diverse network of experts, researchers, practitioners and former policymakers who bring first-hand experience from European institutions, industry, academia and public service.
Our expert community combines:
Public policy expertise Regulatory knowledge Industry experience Strategic communications International affairs Economic and geopolitical analysis This interdisciplinary approach allows ESI to produce practical insights and recommendations that connect strategy with implementation.
+ × TBD Expert profile pending
Bio coming soon.
+ × TBD Expert profile pending
Bio coming soon.
+ × TBD Expert profile pending
Bio coming soon.
+ × TBD Expert profile pending
Bio coming soon.
