Toni Balažič is Chairman of the Board at Auchan Hungary and one of the most prominent managers in the retail and food industry in the region. With more than 25 years of top-level experience, he has successfully led major companies and shaped their strategic direction.

Prior to joining Auchan, Toni served as President of the Management Board of Mercator d.d. (2012–2017), where he played a key role in the transformation of one of the largest retail groups in Southeast Europe. He previously held leadership positions as President of the Management Board at Žito Group and Fructal.

He began his career at Spem d.o.o. as Director for Project Development, where he also established the London School of Public Relations (LSPR Slovenia) and served as its first director. Later, he was Marketing Director at Petrol and a consultant at A.T. Kearney.

Saša Ćirić has been the Director of Marketing and Development at Neoplanta since 2019 and is an experienced marketing professional with more than 15 years of expertise in brand management.

He spent most of his career at Frikom as Marketing and Development Director, where he worked on strengthening the value of a rich portfolio of brands in the ice cream and frozen food category.

As a consultant, he has been involved in projects focused on brand capitalization, building brand architecture, and developing new products.

Predrag Ćirović is the Managing Director of YouGov Serbia and Croatia (formerly GfK), with extensive experience in market research and marketing.

He began his career at the regional headquarters of Kraft Foods (Mondelez) in Vienna, in the Consumer Insight department. He later worked as a research consultant at GfK Serbia, after which he took on the role of Marketing Manager at Eurobank Serbia.

After three years, he returned to GfK, initially as Director of the Household Panels division. Since 2019, he has been leading the company, which today operates under the YouGov brand.

Darko Krkač is a consultant for merchandise and material operations at PIS d.o.o., where he leads projects, integrations, and the acquisition of new clients. Over the course of more than 20 years in his career, he has worked across various industries – from FMCG, food, textile, and cosmetics, to IT and media – gaining broad and practical experience in business processes.

He holds a degree in Road Transport and Logistics Engineering. He began his career in the real sector, working his way up from warehouse worker to logistics director. In the past nine years, he has specialized in the IT sector, focusing on WMS systems, warehouse and merchandise operations, procurement, wholesale, retail, and production.

He has been involved in numerous implementations and digital transformations for clients such as Feroterm, Marjan Voće, Mikronis, Sancta Domenica / Big Bang, Studenac, and many others, through collaborations with companies like Agrokor / Fortenova Group (Tisak and A007), Styria (Večernji list, 24sata, Poslovni dnevnik), Tomsoft, and PIS – Business Information Systems.

Darko is known for combining extensive field expertise, a systematic approach, and strong project management skills. Alongside his many years of experience, he continually enhances his knowledge through training in IT, communication, and management, further strengthening the quality of the implementations he leads.

Marina Mihajlovska is the Director of General Affairs and Human Resources at KOLA Group, where for more than 12 years she has been transforming the HR function into a strategic driver of business success. By introducing modern HR practices and methodologies and implementing strategic HR processes, she has successfully positioned this function at the corporate level.

A lawyer by education, she is a certified Erickson Professional Coach and High-Performance Team Coach from Erickson Coaching International, holding numerous additional certifications in practical HR tools.

Her focus is on developing leadership styles and managerial skills, as well as strengthening corporate values, resulting in motivated teams and high business performance.

In 2022, she received the prestigious “HR Manager of the Year” award from the Macedonian Human Resources Association.

Roko Vodopija is a distinguished manager and consultant with over 25 years of proven success in guiding and transforming leading companies across Central and Southeast Europe. Recognized as a specialist in business transformation and operational excellence, he brings unparalleled expertise in driving growth and innovation within the retail and FMCG sectors.

Throughout his career, he has held top leadership positions, including General Director of Bimilk, where he steered the company toward market leadership, and Chairman of the Board at Dinov – Diona, where he successfully restructured and revitalized their national retail chain. His managerial experience also spans renowned companies such as TDR, Dukat, and Pliva, while his consulting work with A.T. Kearney, BDO, and EY further enriched his strategic and operational insight.

Beyond consulting, Vodopija is a passionate lecturer and educator, dedicated to empowering management teams to unlock their full potential, achieve sustainable results, and build resilient organizations prepared for the future.

Bojan Stoevski is a strategically oriented leader with over 13 years of experience at Imperial Brands, where he has driven transformational initiatives and commercial growth across Central and Eastern Europe. He currently leads the company’s largest CEE operation in Poland, overseeing more than 300 employees, two factories, and two global hubs. Under his leadership, the market has achieved 19% annual growth in operating profit, a significant increase in employee engagement, and the successful launch of new product categories. He is recognized for his ability to lead through change, inspire teams, and deliver results in dynamic market environments.