Health is wealth
we have a choice to make

Daria Krivonos

Daria Krivonos is the CEO of the Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies (CIFS), specializing in strategic foresight and scenario analysis. She holds a Master’s in Economics from the University of Copenhagen and previously worked at A.P. Møller-Mærsk as an economist and Head of Enterprise Risk Management. Since 2018, she has led CIFS, focusing on global dynamics, megatrends and strategic implications of long-term thinking. Daria holds a board position at the Danish Agriculture & Food Council as well as being an experienced keynote speaker on topics like geopolitics, risk, and sustainability.

Dennis Ostwald

Prof. Dennis Ostwald, PhD, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the WifOR Institute, a German economic research institute based in Darmstadt. Through WifOR’s research, his mission is to set global standards for impact measurement, enable data-driven solutions to labor market challenges, and highlight the value of health investments worldwide. As an expert in macroeconomic analysis, Prof. Ostwald is a renowned speaker who has addressed institutions such as the UN General Assembly, the CEO Summit of the Americas, the World Health Summit, and the European Parliament. He holds a PhD from the Technical University of Darmstadt and teaches economic research and international management at the Steinbeis School of International Business and Entrepreneurship (SIBE).

Peter Wostner

Peter Wostner is an economist with a Master’s degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and a PhD from the Faculty of Economics, University of Ljubljana. At the Institute of Macroeconomic Analysis and Development, he serves as co-editor of the Development Report and specialises in digital transformation and innovation. He has over 20 years of experience in strategic planning, development policy management, and designing instruments to support economic competitiveness. He led the preparation and implementation of the Slovenian Smart Specialisation Strategy and is closely involved in EU budgetary and cohesion policy negotiations, as well as international forums on productivity, regional development, digitalisation, and innovation. From 2016 to 2023, he chaired the OECD Working Party on Rural Policy, and since 2024 he has served again as Vice-Chair of the OECD Regional Development Policy Committee. He is the author of numerous professional publications, a recognised lecturer and moderator, a member of a research group at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana, and active in European Commission expert bodies, including the Chief Economist Network of DG GROW. He is also a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences (United Kingdom).

Robert Ljoljo

Robert Ljoljo, MSc, is an experienced manager and strategist with more than 20 years of international experience in the pharmaceutical industry and in leading complex systems. Among other roles, he served as President of the Management Board of Lek, President of Sandoz Slovenia, and the first President of the Slovenia Biotech Hills institute. Since March 2025, he has been heading the Health Insurance Institute of Slovenia (ZZZS), which manages approximately EUR 7 billion in annual funds and represents one of the key pillars of the Slovenian healthcare system. Throughout his career, he has successfully implemented advanced technological solutions, optimised processes, and led large international teams. For his work, he has received several excellence awards from the Novartis and Sandoz groups. His leadership of ZZZS is driven by the ambition to modernise the institute’s operations within the framework of the 2026–2030 strategic development programme. The focus is on digitalisation, greater efficiency and transparency of the system, and creating higher value for every euro of public spending—with the patient at the centre of the healthcare system.

Jože Sambt

Jože Sambt holds a PhD in Economics (University of Ljubljana, School of Economics and Business, 2009). He is involved in teaching courses such as Introduction to Statistics, Research Methods and Techniques, Demography, Economic Statistics, and Health Statistics. His research focuses on intergenerational relations, demography, and the impact of demographic change on the long-term sustainability of public finances, with particular emphasis on pension and healthcare systems, as well as labour economics. His publication record includes numerous peer-reviewed articles in academic journals and monographs, including a publication in the world-leading journal Science. Throughout his career, he has participated in a number of national and international research projects in the fields of intergenerational transfers, pension models, and the long-term sustainability of public finances. He is the head of the Slovenian team in the international research project National Transfer Accounts (www.ntaccounts.org) and collaborates with various national and international organizations.

Andreja Jaklič

Petra Juvančič

Petra Juvančič is the Executive Director of the Managers' Association of Slovenia, one of the most influential business organizations in Slovenia, which brings together more than 1,200 top executives, and Editor-in-Chief of MQ Magazine. As a commentator and columnist, she regularly collaborates with leading Slovenian media, where she writes on leadership, the future of work, social well-being, economic development and management. As an expert in healthcare systems, she is a member of the Strategic Council for Healthcare at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia and the Commission for National Decorations under the President of the Republic of Slovenia. Prior to this, she held the position of Director of Public Relations at Vzajemna Health Insurance Company and was active in key professional associations in the fields of communication and healthcare. Her professional work is based on strategic communication, stakeholder engagement and reputation management at the intersection of business, public policy and society. She is a recipient of the international Pro.PR Award and in 2024 was ranked among the Top 20 speakers in the Best of 2024 Awards.

Milica Gregorič Kramberger

Associate Professor Milica Gregorič Kramberger, MD, PhD, is a specialist in neurology with extensive clinical and research experience in the field of cognitive disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. She is employed at the Department of Neurology, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, where she heads the Centre for Cognitive Disorders. In her clinical work, she focuses on the diagnosis, treatment, and comprehensive management of patients with neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. She is an Associate Professor of Neurology at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, where she is involved in teaching and in the education of medical students, residents, and doctoral candidates. She is actively engaged in national and international research projects and is the author of numerous scientific and professional publications. She also serves actively on the expert boards of international professional associations, including the European Alzheimer’s Disease Consortium (EADC), the European Dementia with Lewy Bodies Consortium (EDLBC), the dementia panel within the European Academy of Neurology (EAN), and the expert board of the International Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias (InRAD). She is also a member of the expert board of Spominčica – Alzheimer Slovenia.

Matevž Frangež

Matevž Frangež is State Secretary at the Ministry of the Economy, Tourism and Sport, where he is responsible for industry, entrepreneurship, internationalisation, development resources, tourism and space. He has more than 20 years of experience in public affairs, economic policy-making, the development of the entrepreneurial environment, and the promotion of strategic investments. As State Secretary, he has been involved in some of the largest economic investments in Slovenia’s modern history, the agreement on the long-term preservation and transformation of the Revoz plant, Slovenia’s full membership of the European Space Agency, and the development of the Slovenian space sector. He pays particular attention to improving conditions for startups, supporting the development and production of strategic technologies, and strengthening the competitiveness of the Slovenian economy. Before assuming the role of State Secretary, he was twice elected as a Member of the National Assembly, and also served as State Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister and as a member of the Maribor City Council. He is an active advocate of modern industrial policy, technological development, and stronger positioning of Slovenia in international economic and development flows. In 2026, he was awarded the title of Knight of the National Order of the Legion of Honour by the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, for his contribution to reviving industrial and economic cooperation between France and Slovenia.

Vlasta Mežek

Vlasta Mežek, MSc, is the Principal of the Accessibility and Economics Directorate at the Ministry of Health. She has extensive experience in areas of healthcare and the economy, having worked for many years on healthcare system financing, public health economics, and strategic healthcare policy planning. Throughout her career, she has led key projects in the areas of healthcare service accessibility, financing optimization, and the integration of the healthcare sector with the economy. Her work includes financial and other analyses in the field of healthcare, while she also has extensive experience in developing systemic solutions for the long-term sustainability of the healthcare system.

Barbara Stegel

Barbara Stegel, MSc, has several years of experience in management and marketing. At the beginning of her career, she collaborated with major Slovenian companies, where she worked as the head of marketing departments, consultant and director of corporate communication and human resources. Between 2010 and 2011, she advised to Minister and professional associates at the Slovenian Ministry of Health on the healthcare reform. The following year, she took over the position of Secretary General of the Forum of International Research and Development Pharmaceutical Companies, EIG, where she is still employed. Under her leadership, she coordinates the work and manages the projects of Forum, communicates with the stakeholders of the national health system and with the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) on all essential topics in the healthcare system. In 2016, she took over the coordination of the National Medicines Verification Organization – Zavod ZAPAZ, in which she still actively participates.