Marko Kranjec was born in 1940. In 1975 he became a doctor in Economics.

Marko Kranjec has rich professional experience: in the period from 1965 till 1968 he was Assistant Professor of the Faculty of Economics in the University of Ljubljana, from 1968 till 1970 he worked as an Economist in the Bank of Ljubljana, in OECD in Paris he served as Country Administrator (1976-1978), in the World bank in Washington he was in the position of Country Economist (1984-1986), in the period from 1970 till 1990 he worked as Researcher and Research Advisor of the Institute of Economic Research in Ljubljana. In 1990 Mr. Kranjec was appointed as Minister of Finance of the Republic of Slovenia (1990-1991), in the period from 1991 till 1997 he was Vice-governor and member of the Executive Board of the Bank of Slovenia, in 1998 he became an Ambassador of Slovenia to the EU in Brussels (1998-2002), in 2002 he started to work as a Professor of Public Finance of the Faculty of Public Administration in the University of Ljubljana (2002-2006).

In 2007 Marco Kranjec was appointed as Governor of the Bank of Slovenia.

Dietmar Hornung is lead analyst for a number of European sovereigns, namely Cyprus, Czech Republic, Finland, Ireland, Malta, Netherlands, Slovakia, and Sweden. Prior to joining Moody’s Sovereign Risk Unit in 2007, Dietmar was Head of Emerging Markets Research for DekaBank in Frankfurt. He has worked extensively in country-risk analysis, focusing particularly on CEE credits. Dietmar holds a Doctorate summa cum laude in Economics from the Otto-von-Guericke University in Magdeburg. He received a Masters degree from Christian-Albrechts University in Kiel after studies in Kiel, at the University of Miami, and at the Eberhard-Karls University in Tuebingen. Dietmar is a Certified EFFAS Financial Analyst (CEFA).

Christoph Rosenberg is the IMF's senior regional representative and heads the Regional Office in Poland since its inception in 2005. His assignments at the IMF included positions in the Policy Development and Review Department (working on emerging market vulnerability issues) and on the country desks for a number of transition economies in Europe, Central Asia and Africa. 1998-2001 he served as the IMF resident representative in Uzbekistan.

Prior to taking up his position in the IMF Mr. Rosenberg was a lecturer in University of Regensburg for four years, before that he worked as a freelance journalist for various German newspapers and business magazines.

He earned a Ph.D. from University in Regensburg and M.A. in Economics from Vanderbilt University. Speaks German, English, French, Russian and Polish.

Karlis Bauze was born in 1973, in Latvia. Master degree in finance was obtained in 1997 from the University of Latvia. Since 2002 Karlis is CFA charter holder. He started his career in 1993 in Baltic Transit Bank as credit officer. After joining Bank of Latvia (central bank) in 1994 he stayed there for 14 years. Initially Karlis responsibilities at the bank were to settle transactions in Back Office; afterwards he was currency trader, followed by the task to manage central bank's reserves portfolio. He spent 5 years as Chief Dealer at the bank, managing $ 5 billion portfolio. In January 2008 he was appointed to the position of Head Monetary Policy Department. Since that Karlis is responsible for preparing monetary policy decisions at the Bank of Latvia. Currently Karlis is EFC (Economic and Finance Committee – adviser committee to the EU Council) member. He has experience working in different ECB Committees and Working Groups. 

Andrei Movchan started RIM from scratch in early 2003 and has managed the company since then as Chief Executive Officer.

Andrei Movchan has over 14 years of experience in the Russian investment industry. Before joining the Renaissance Group, Andrei served as Executive Director of Troika Dialog investment bank from 1997 to 2003, where he led an extremely successful structured corporate finance business. In 1990s he served as top manager in a number of Russian banks being responsible for financial services and business analysis.

Andrei Movchan holds a Master of Science degree from the Moscow State University and the Russian State Academy of Finance. He received his MBA degree from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.

Andrei Movchan proved to be an acknowledged leader of the Russian investment industry. He was named “Person of the Year 2006” by RBC, Russia’s leading business news and rating agency. He was named “Best Asset Manager” by Chivas (Top 18 Financials contest 2007). Forbes magazine named Andrei Movchan “the most successful CEO of an asset management company in Russia in 2006”.

Robert Bergqvist, born on March 21, 1963, is the SEB Group’s Chief Economist. He has been employed by the SEB since July 1997. In previous positions, Bergqvist has been responsible for the SEB’s market and trading oriented currency, interest, and credit analyses. As Chief Economist, Bergqvist is managing the SEB Research team.  

Prior to SEB, Bergqvist spent nine years, from June 1988 to July 1997, at the Central Bank of Sweden, Sveriges Riksbank. Bergqvist’s initial objective at the Riksbank was to prepare basis for monetary and exchange rate policy decisions and speeches for the Governor of the Riksbank. In the mid-1990s, Bergqvist was responsible for Sweden’s balance of payment analyses.

Bergqvist’s work for the Riksbank also involved membership of several international central bank working committees (e.g. the Bank for International Settlements and Nordic Central Bank Cooperation). Before Bergqvist left the Riksbank, he was Head of the Analysis Division of the Monetary & Ex-change Rate Policy Department.   

Bergvist holds a Master of Science in Economics & Statistics from the University of Linkцping, Sweden (1988).

Martins Kazaks holds BSc in Economics from University of Latvia, Diploma in Economics from University of Cambridge, MSc and PhD in Economics from Queen Mary University of London. His major research interests lie in the field of exchange rate economics, CEE emerging markets and time series econometrics. He has an extensive teaching experience in Latvia as well as in the UK. As of late 2005, Martins an assitant profesor at Stockholm School of Economics in Riga, a research fellow at BICEPS and a chief economist at Hansabanka.

Ieva Racenaja started her career in 1994 in Riga Commercial Bank, and continued in Saules Banka in the position of Payment and Settlements Division Manager. In 2001 I. Rвcenвja started to work in AKB “Baltijas Tranzоtu Banka” as Payment and Settlements Division Manager, her responsibilities included establishing and maintaining the bank’s international relations.

I. Racenaja acquired valuable experience working in American Express Bank Ltd. in Vienna as Regional Manager for Baltic States and developing this bank’s business in these countries.

In 2005 she returned to Latvia and started to work in the Board of AS “Baltic Trust Bank”, being responsible for bank’s customer service and international relations fields. In April 2008 the  BTB brand was changed into GE Money Bank, and Ieva was appointed  Chairperson  of the bank’s Board and Retail Banking Department manager.

I. Racenaja obtained an MBA degree in the University of Salford, as well as studied in Italy and completed professional training in USA, Germany, India, and Austria.

Vadim Yeroshenko has a Master’s degree in Economics from the Latvian University. He has studied also in the Professional Valuation Centre at the Academy of Finance in Russia, C.E.E.P.N. Academy of Finance in Slovenia, finance management in Gotheborg University of Economics in Sweden.

From year 2000 V. Yeroshenko is the Chairman of the board of the leading Latvian Corporate finance company LAIKA STARS. The company is providing finance management consulting, attracting investment, business valuation, management of merger & acquisition deals. Mr Yeroshenko is a certified business valuator, the Head of the Business Valuation Committee at the Latvian Association of Property Appraisers, the Head of the Financial Consultancy branch at the Latvian Association of Business Consultants, Member of the board at the Latvian Risk Capital association.

Between 1995 –2000, working as financial expert at the “Latvian Privatization Agency”, Vadim Yeroshenko gained significant experience in business valuation and organising company selling processes.

Before that V. Yeroshenko was an economist in the Credit Department at the Riga Oil and Chemistry bank and analyst of securities market at the Baltic Stock Exchange. This knowledge was later shared during establishment and development of the Georgian Stock Exchange upon invitation of the Georgian government and business people.

Aleksandr Lobakov joined Prudentia in 2004 in the capacity of project manager, but in 2006 he became an Associate Director and a Member of the Board. Prior to that he was a Consultant in the Corporate Advisory Services Department in Ernst & Young Baltic, from 2003 to 2004. Previously, he worked as an M&A Intern in Suprema Securities (2003), an Economist at the Bank of Latvia (2003) and Securities Analyst Intern at the Riga Stock Exchange (2002).

In Prudentia Mr. Lobakov specializes in Corporate Finance Advisory and M&A transactions, covering manufacturing, wholesale, retail, food and beverages and construction materials manufacturing sectors. Mr. Lobakov has gained experience in attracting financial investors for the private placement of AS ELKO Grupa, as well as co-managed the trade sale of the controlling stake in AS Lode.

Mr. Lobakov holds a B.Sc. degree in Economics from the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga. He has also taken courses in Economics and Business from the Harvard Business School and EuroFaculty of the University of Latvia.

Partner, head of the Banking and Finance practice group. He specialises in capital markets, banking and finance law as well as securities regulation. During his practice Mr Liepa has participated in major capital markets and securitisation transactions as well as advised clients on selected issues of Latvian and European contract and commercial law.

He holds LL.M and LL.B in law from University of Latvia and he also had his postgraduate studies in area of legal methodology and philosophy of law in Westphalian Wilhem University of Mьnster, Germany.

In the area  of Banking and Finance law issues Mr Liepa has advised: General Electric corporation, Merrill Lynch International, Citigroup Global Markets Limited, Deutsche Bank, JP Morgan Chase, Wachovia bank, Morgan Stanley, NORDEA, Riga Stock Exchange (NASDAQ OMX Group), DnbNORD, The Darby Converging Europe Mezzanine Fund, Evli Bank and other domestic and international banking institutions and private equity houses.

Matiss Paegle has graduated from Stockholm School of Economics in Sweden. He has Master degree of Business Administration.

Started his career as the Director of Business Control and Finance Management department at Air Baltic Corporation (1996-1999) and the Consultant at Air Botnia AB (today Blue1) (1998-2000), later becoming the Regional Financial Controller at IATA (International Air Transport Association) (1999-2001), then working as the Manager of Group Business Control at SAS Group (Scandinavian Airlines System) (2001-2003). From 2003 to 2005 M. Paegle was the Member of the Board at State Joint Stock Company Latvenergo.

Igor Rodin is a Tax Partner in Deloitte’s Baltic’s practice and Managing Partner of Deloitte Latvia.

Igor has been more than 15 years in the accounting profession in Latvia.  He was specializing in audit and accounting advisory services before entering the tax field in 1995. Igor joined Deloitte in 1994 and had been admitted to partnership in 1999. He is the first Latvian to become a partner in Big 4 accounting firm in Latvia and he was also the first local national to lead Big 4 practice in the Baltic’s.

Igor works on national and international tax matters and is currently specialized in tax questions relating to mergers and acquisitions, financial instruments and international tax structuring.