Dr. Mato Njavro serves as Dean of the Zagreb School of Economics and Management (ZSEM) in Croatia. He also teaches at the Luxembourg School of Business and the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland. With a diverse academic and professional background, Dr. Njavro has worked at the St. Gallen Institute of Management in Asia, in Singapore, where he served as a senior research fellow.

Dr. Njavro was also a lecturer at the Singapore Management University, where he taught a course on China’s economic development. Prior to joining the University of St. Gallen and Singapore Management University, Dr. Njavro was a visiting research fellow at Harvard University’s Institute for Quantitative Social Sciences (IQSS). Furthermore, Dr. Njavro authored and co-authored several papers and case studies published by the Harvard Business School publishing.

Dr. Njavro has earned his bachelor’s and master’s degree in economics and finance from Bocconi University in Milan, Italy. He earned his PhD in finance from the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland. His professional experience includes working in the investment banking divisions of Lehman Brothers and Nomura in London.

Madame Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, born on 29 April 1968, is a Croatian politician and diplomat
who served as President of Croatia from 2015 to 2020. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in English and Spanish and Literature from the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Zagreb, and completed postgraduate studies including a Master’s in International Relations and various
specialized programs at institutions such as Harvard, Johns Hopkins, and the Diplomatic
Academy in Vienna.

Her career began at the Croatian Ministry of Science and Technology in 1992, followed by roles in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1993 to 2003, including Head of Office of the Deputy Minister and Director of the Department for North America. She
served as Counsellor and Deputy Chief of Mission at the Croatian Embassy in Ottawa, and later as Minister-Counsellor and Deputy Chief of Mission, before being elected to the Croatian Parliament and serving as Minister of European Integration and Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2003 to 2008, where she led Croatia’s negotiations on EU and NATO accession. She was Croatia’s Ambassador to the USA (2008-2011), NATO Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy (2011-2014), and then President of Croatia (2015-2020).

Mrs. Kolinda has been involved in numerous international activities, advocating for
Sustainable Development Goals, participating in regional cooperation initiatives such as the
Three Seas Initiative, and holding leadership roles in various global organizations including the Council of Women World Leaders and the US Atlantic Council. She has received many awards, including the Fulbright Lifetime Achievement Award, George Washington University President’s Medal, and national honors from several countries.

Mrs. Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović is currently serving as an independent member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). She was first elected to the IOC in 2020, and in 2021 was appointed Chair of the Future Host Commission for the Games of the Olympiad. In addition to this role, she has been actively involved in several IOC commissions, particularly those focused on sport and public affairs.

Dr. Siniša Krajnović is a Partner at McKinsey & Company and a former global executive with extensive international leadership experience in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector. His career spans several continents, having lived and worked in Croatia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Japan, Hungary, Sweden, and China, which has given him a rich multicultural perspective.

Since joining McKinsey in 2022, Dr. Krajnović has been a core member of the firm’s Technology, Media & Telecommunications practice. He brings deep technological expertise combined with broad business insight, specializing in topics related to the telecommunications industry, research and product development, and digital transformation.

Prior to McKinsey, from 2018 to 2022, Dr. Krajnović served as Executive Vice President of Ericsson North East Asia, where he was responsible for Ericsson’s Cloud Software and Services business across Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea. He led sales, service delivery, and operations efforts with a focus on deploying 5G mobile networks in some of the world’s most advanced markets.

Before relocating to Beijing in 2018, Dr. Krajnović spent seven years in Stockholm, where he held the role of Head of Development Unit Networks at Ericsson. In this capacity, he led a global R&D organization of over 15,000 engineers, focusing on 5G research, standardization, and product development, and played a key role in securing Ericsson’s technological leadership.

A passionate advocate of lifelong learning, Dr. Krajnović is also active in academia. He has taught at Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management (TSEM) in Beijing, the Luxembourg School of Business (LSB), and the Zagreb School of Economics and Management (ZSEM). He also serves on the Advisory Boards of both ZSEM and LSB, in addition to his teaching responsibilities.

Dr. Krajnović holds MSc and PhD degrees from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, University of Zagreb. He has completed executive education programs at prestigious institutions including Columbia University (USA), IMD (Switzerland), Cranfield University (UK), Indian School of Business – ISB (India), and the University of Zagreb (Croatia).

Eileen McAuliffe serves as Executive Vice President, Chief Thought Leadership Officer, and Managing Director, EMEA at AACSB. As a key member of the executive team, she leads global thought leadership initiatives, positioning AACSB as the foremost voice in business education. In her role, she champions the quality, relevance, and societal impact of business schools worldwide, while also overseeing strategic direction and operations across the EMEA region to ensure strong engagement and support for AACSB members.

Prior to joining AACSB, McAuliffe was Pro Vice-Chancellor (Global) and Executive Dean of the Faculty of Business, Law, and Social Sciences at Birmingham City University. There, she played a central role in advancing the university’s 2030 and Beyond Strategy, aligning international initiatives with institutional goals. As Executive Dean, she led a faculty of 400 and a student body of 12,000, managing an annual budget of approximately £100 million.

McAuliffe also brings a wealth of industry experience, having held executive tax advisory roles at ConocoPhillips in the oil sector. She earned her PhD in 2017 and was appointed Professor of International Taxation in 2020. In addition to her academic and professional leadership, she actively contributes to global policy as a member of the United Nations Platform for the Collaboration on Tax, and is a former member of the AACSB Board of Directors.

Peter A. Gloor is a Research Scientist at the Center for Collective Intelligence at MIT’s Sloan School of Management where he leads a project exploring Collaborative Innovation Networks (COIN). He is also Founder and Chief Creative Officer of software company galaxyadvisors where he puts his academic insights to practical use, helping clients to coolhunt by analyzing social networking patterns on the Internet – spot the next big thing by finding the trendsetters, and to coolfarm – increase organizational happiness, creativity and performance through workforce analytics.

In addition Peter is a Honorary Professor at University of Cologne and a Honorary Professor at Jilin University, Changchun China. He has also taught classes at University of Bamberg, Universidad Cattolica, Santiago de Chile, Aalto University Helsinki, University of Rome Tor Vergata, University of Applied Sciences Lucerne, and University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland. Previously, Peter was a Partner with Deloitte Consulting, leading its e-Business practice for Europe, a Partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers and the section leader for software engineering at UBS. He was a postdoctoral fellow at the MIT Lab for Computer Science in the Advanced Networking Architecture group, working on hypertext well before the Web emerged and creating the multimedia CD “Animated Algorithms” (published by MIT Press). He obtained a Ph.D in Computer Science from the University of Zurich, and a Master’s degree (diploma) in Mathematics also from the University of Zurich.

In his spare time he likes to work on bridging the digital divide, hiking and skiing in the mountains, and playing the piano.

He has written 9 books, his three newest books are Morality, Emotions, and AI (forthcoming), Swarm Leadership and the Collective Mind: Using Collaborative Innovation Networks to Build a Better Business (Emerald Publishers, 2017) and Sociometrics and Human Relationships: Analyzing Social Networks to Manage Brands, Predict Trends, and Improve Organizational Performance (Emerald Publishers, 2017), previous books include Swarm Creativity – Competitive Advantage through Collaborative Innovation Networks (Oxford University Press, 2005), Coolhunting – Chasing Down The Next Big Thing (with Scott Cooper) (AMACOM, 2007), and Coolfarming – Turn Your Great Idea In The Next Big Thing (AMACOM 2010).

He blogs about Swarm Creativity at swarmcreativity.blogspot.com.

Professor Mark Brewer is Dean and Head of School at the University of St Andrews Business School, where he also holds a professorial chair. With an international career that spans legal practice and senior academic leadership, Professor Brewer brings a unique interdisciplinary perspective to global education and research. Before joining St Andrews, he held high-level roles including International Director at Heilbronn University Graduate School in Germany, inaugural rector of Lancaster University’s Leipzig campus, and founding president of a new university in the Middle East. His earlier professional experience includes practicing law with three major international law firms.

Professor Brewer holds a PhD in International Relations from the University of St Andrews, a Juris Doctor from Cornell University, and a Master of Laws and Legal Practice from Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. His academic work is grounded in the intersection of law, corporate social responsibility, and sustainability, with a particular focus on the global fashion industry and the legal dimensions of social justice. He has published widely on topics ranging from statelessness and corporate accountability to the legal and ethical frameworks of fast fashion.

A recipient of numerous international awards and fellowships—including the Truman Scholarship, Rotary Scholarship, and a Bosch Fellowship—Professor Brewer has led and supported significant research and development projects worldwide. He currently serves as institutional co-lead on a €14.4 million EU-funded research consortium exploring the use of AI in business education and has supported initiatives fostering new models of higher education in Central Asia. His leadership and scholarship continue to shape conversations at the nexus of law, business, and global responsibility.

Dean, Heilbronn University Business School | Chair, Heilbronn University Graduate School | Professor of Strategic Management | Program Director MBA in Global Entrepreneurship

Professor Dr. Ralf Dillerup is Dean of the Heilbronn University Business School and Chair of the Graduate School at Heilbronn University. He also serves as Professor of Strategic Management and Program Director of the MBA in Global Entrepreneurship. Previously, he co-chaired the university board and has held several leadership and lecture roles within the university. He has held visiting professorships at institutions in the United States, Vietnam, and across Europe. His academic leadership is focused on advancing interdisciplinary business education, integrating technology, fostering innovation, and promoting global entrepreneurial thinking.

Before transitioning to academia, Dr. Dillerup held several senior management positions in industry. At Robert Bosch’s global heating division, he served in senior controlling and CFO roles. He also contributed to corporate strategy, purchasing, and logistics at the headquarters of Mercedes-Benz. His career began in production planning and sales at ASB Greenworld in Canada. These experiences provided him with deep, hands-on insight into global operations, strategy, and business process optimization.

Dr. Dillerup earned his doctorate in business administration and mechanical engineering from the University of Stuttgart, where he also completed his undergraduate studies. During this time, he conducted research and taught in the areas of self-organizing systems and the application of technology in business contexts.