Vlad Ifrim is a marketing leader with extensive experience in media, brand strategy, and audience development. As Head of Brand & Marketing Strategy at PRO TV, he plays a key role in shaping one of Romania’s most influential entertainment brands, driving positioning, content relevance and large-scale campaigns that connect with millions of viewers.

With a background spanning brand building, communication and consumer insight, he focuses on the intersection of content, culture and marketing, creating strategies that turn attention into engagement and brands into meaningful experiences.

Răzvan Mătășel is a senior strategist with over 25 years of experience in advertising, communication and brand development. As Chief Strategy Officer at Publicis Romania, he has been involved in defining and supporting the strategic direction of numerous local and international brands, contributing to impactful, insight-driven campaigns.

He spent 6 years at Leo Burnett, where he served as Deputy Managing Director and was actively involved in the agency’s management, and has built over 14 years of entrepreneurship he is particularly proud of, delivering meaningful and effective campaigns. Throughout his career, he has contributed to around 80 industry awards, including over 40 Effie Awards, reflecting a strong focus on effectiveness and strategic excellence.

Alongside his professional career, he holds a PhD in Communication Sciences and has been a university lecturer for over two decades, teaching advertising, strategy and consumer behavior. His perspective bridges academic rigor with real-world application, offering a deep understanding of how brands grow, adapt and remain relevant in a constantly evolving landscape.

Bogdan Niță is a music industry professional and entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in artist booking, management and entertainment strategy. As Managing Partner and Artist Booking & Advisor at Forward Agency, he represents a roster of over 70 artists, including INNA, Carla’s Dreams, Irina Rimes, The Motans and Puya.

He has worked across a wide range of events, from boutique venues to major festivals such as Untold, Beach Please! and Kapital, building strong connections between artists, promoters and brands. With a background in negotiation, branding and NLP, Bogdan brings a strategic and forward-thinking perspective to the evolving music landscape.

Bogdan Petrice is an award-winning fashion and advertising photographer, with a background rooted in fashion that naturally expands into the advertising world. His approach is bold and daring, bringing a distinctive visual voice that stands out across both industries.

His work blends aesthetic precision with creative risk, often pushing visual boundaries and challenging conventional perspectives. Alongside his photography career, he is also involved in education, mentoring the next generation of creatives.

Alex Nedea is an investigative journalist at Recorder, with more than 20 years of journalism experience. His work focuses on exposing corruption, institutional abuse, public money fraud, illegal deforestation and networks of influence affecting Romanian society.

Through rigorous documentation, field reporting and powerful storytelling, he translates complex systems of power into accessible narratives that inform the public and drive real social impact. Recognized for his in-depth investigations and independent voice, Alex is one of the leading figures in Romanian investigative journalism today.

Oana Știrbu is a Senior Brand Manager with over 13 years of experience at the convergence of agency creativity and brand strategy. For the past three years, she has been an integral part of the marketing team at Voxa – the largest audiobook platform in Romania – where she helped build the brand from the ground up, launch it across international borders, and uncover what truly drives digital content for consumers.

Before jumping to the client side, Oana managed portfolios for some of Romania’s largest brands at Cohn & Jansen advertising agency. Today, she uses that rich background to operate as a versatile, multidisciplinary marketer—expertly connecting the dots between high-level strategy, creative concepts, and hands-on production to bring brand campaigns to life.

Răzvan Rughiniș is Professor in the Department of Computer Science of POLITEHNICA Bucharest, co-founder of the Innovation Labs tech accelerator, and Board member of EDGE Institute for digital economy. He has extensive research, teaching, and doctoral coordination experience in the fields of cybersecurity, data protection, and HCI. He has been involved in core events of the cybersecurity community such as IDC Security Forum, Critical Infrastructure Protection Forum, and The New Global Challenges in Cyber Security – CERTCON. He is (co)author of over 150 scientific publications concerning cybersecurity, privacy and HCI, including top journals and conferences such as Computers & Security, Electronics, Ethics of Information Techology, ACM SIGSPATIAL, CODASPY, ACM-CHI, ACM-AltChi, CSCL and HCI.

Valentina Vesler is a senior communication strategist with over 25 years of experience in brand building, PR and integrated communication. Throughout her career at Valvis Holding, she has contributed to developing iconic Romanian brands such as Dorna, LaDorna, AQUA Carpatica and Domeniile Sâmburești, shaping communication platforms that combine strategic precision with strong cultural relevance.

As Communications & PR Director since 2008, she has led complex cross-channel campaigns while continuously exploring the intersection between branding, storytelling and social impact. Alongside her professional activity, she serves as a jury member for major industry competitions including Effie, Internetics and Webstock, and is currently pursuing a PhD in Cultural Studies at the University of Bucharest. She also teaches communication and advertising at master’s level, bridging academic research with real-world brand experience.

With over 20 years of experience in communication and marketing, Adrian Păsărică currently leads the brand vision for iconic names such as Tomi, LaMinut, Naturli’, Linco, and Ardealul.
Beyond the industry accolades, including seven Effie trophies, recognition at the Cresta Awards London and Golden Drum, and three features in Lürzer’s Archive, his true satisfaction lies in finding the perfect balance between efficiency and meaningful creativity.

With a background in radio, TV, and agency life, Adrian views marketing as a form of continuous storytelling. When he isn’t shaping strategies or campaigns, you’ll likely find him giving back to the creative community as a mentor, juror, or speaker. In 2025, he was honored as ‘Client of the Year’ and named a ‘Knight of the Order of The Creative Angel’ by The Alternative School, the official representatives of Cannes Lions in Romania.

Dominic Marcu is a professional racing driver, entrepreneur and pioneer of electric motorsport in Europe. A five-time Category 3 Champion (2021–2025), he achieved a perfect 8-from-8 victory record in 2025 and has become one of the strongest advocates for high-performance electric racing. Dominic made history as the first driver in Europe to win an overall rally stage with an electric car and secured multiple overall podium finishes, a European first for electric motorsport. Today, he competes with a 1,020-horsepower Tesla Model S Plaid, the first race-prepared Model S Plaid in Europe, featuring the world’s first FIA-homologated roll cage developed for this model