Summit Agenda
Registration & welcome coffee
Opening
- Philip Bednarczyk, The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF), Warsaw Office Director- Co-Master of Ceremony
- Julia Wojtkowski, Columbia University (SIPA)/London School of Economics- Co-Master of Ceremony
- Agata Golubiewska, President & CEO, Polish & American WE. Summit Organizer
- Rosie Rios, Chair of America250 & 43 Treasurer of the United States. Honoring 250 Years of American Independence.
Fireside chat: Importance of Africa for the US-EU Transatlantic Relationship
- Ayo Otuyalo, Group Managing Director of Prime Atlantic, Nigeria
Moderated by Bart Szewczyk, Nonresident Senior Fellow at the GMF, Adviser on European and Public policy at Covington & Burling.
Resetting the Rules - Trade, Geopolitics & Strategic Alliances
With U.S. tariff recalibration, multilateralism weakening and vacillation over China intensifying, we will debate how to avoid a trade war while finding ways to cooperate globally. The discussion will explore how emerging economies and regional blocs are reshaping the global trading system amid shifting power dynamics, while panelists assess the balance between national security priorities and economic integration in an era of strategic competition.
- Jesse Sevcik, Vice President for Global Corporate Affairs at Elanco Animal Health
- Sigrid de Vries, Director General of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA)
- Kimberly Reed, Distinguished Fellow at the Atlantic Council. Former Chairman (2019-21), Export-Import Bank of the United States
- Ayo Otuyalo, Group Managing Director of Prime Atlantic, Nigeria
- Brando Benifei, Member of the European Parliament (MEP), Chair of the Delegation for relations with the United States (D-US)
- Matthias Jørgensen, Acting Director in DG TRADE for the Americas, Agriculture and Food Safety.
Moderated by Bart Szewczyk, Nonresident Senior Fellow at the GMF, Adviser on European and Public policy at Covington & Burling.
Fireside chat: Europe's Competitiveness Reset: Innovation, Policy, and Growth.
- Rafał Brzoska, Founder and CEO of Integer Capital Group/ InPost, Poland
- Andreas Schwarz, Head of Cabinet, Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva
Moderated by Andy Bounds, Financial Times correspondent based in Brussels.
Cutting the red tape: U.S. and EU strategies and efforts towards competitiveness and economic growth
The discussion will focus on the regulatory strategies and their impact on competitiveness and growth on both sides of the Atlantic. Regulations affect most sectors, and the U.S. and the EU boast internal markets where there is still room for efficient (de)regulation and integration, from the infrastructure networks in the U.S. to financial and capital markets in the EU.
- Rafał Brzoska, Founder and CEO of Integer Capital Group, InPost, Poland
- Benjamin Angel, Director for Taxation, Tax Coordination, Economic Analysis and Evaluation, the Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union (DG TAXUD), the European Commission
- Kimberly Reed, Distinguished Fellow at the Atlantic Council, Washington D.C. Former Chairman
(2019-21), Export-Import Bank of the United States - Dr. Antonios Nestoras, Founder and Director, European Policy Innovation Council (EPIC)
- Adam Malinowski, Managing Director at TheCompany Poland
Moderated by Andy Bounds, Financial Times correspondent based in Brussels.
Fireside chat: Celebrating the 250th Anniversary of American Founding: How Religious Freedom Helps Business
Religious freedom is a cornerstone of the United States, allowing individuals to express their beliefs without fear of persecution. Beyond politics, this principle also supports global business. Long-term international success depends not only on shared interests, but on trust, honesty, and cooperation- values often rooted in religious and cultural traditions. From Christian ethics to Islamic finance, Hindu concepts of dharma and karma, and Jewish legal traditions, trade has long relied on shared moral frameworks. In today’s pluralistic societies, promoting international religious freedom helps sustain these ethical foundations and strengthens lasting transatlantic business ties.
- Brian M. Grim, President of the Religious Freedom and Business Foundation
Moderated by Dominika Cosic, Euronews.
Women- Led Enterprises Building Bridges, Shaping Policy, Scaling Impact.
Panel Powered by Polish & American WE.
This panel explores how women-led businesses can scale and thrive through stronger transatlantic collaboration, focusing on shared challenges and opportunities in the U.S. and European markets. Speakers will discuss access to finance, policy support, and strategies for fostering inclusive, cross-border entrepreneurship.
- Monika Stanisheva, President of EU Female Founders, Chair of the Board at Dir.bg, Member at EU Sounding Board on Innovation
- Eliza Kruczkowska, Managing Director at Think Tank The Company
- Katarina Wallin Bureau, General Manager, Strategic Relations/European Government Affairs, Microsoft
- Anne Butterly, CEO and Founder of Easydry, Ireland.
Moderated by Claire Munck, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Director at BeAngels
Networking Lunch
Fireside chat: EU- US cooperation on health
- Olivér Várhelyi, EU Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare.
Moderated by Alice Hancock, Financial Times correspondent based in Brussels.
Feeding the Future: Transatlantic Pathways to Safe and Secure Food Systems
As global demand for safe, nutritious, and high-quality food rises, this panel explores how the US and EU can work together to meet consumer expectations, drive innovation for more resilient and efficient food systems, and lead in shaping global standards for agriculture and food production.
- Juan Pascual, Vice President France, Iberia & Italy at Elanco
- Emily Rees, President & CEO at CropLife International
- Klaus Berend, Director for Food Safety, Sustainability, and Innovation at the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE), the European Commission
Moderated by Rose O’Donovan, Chief Editor at Agra Facts, Brussels
Climate Commitments & Energy
The panel will focus on the energy transition and climate action in the context of recent transatlantic tensions. This track explores renewable and clean energy technologies, carbon markets, and energy security. We will also discuss the status of fossil and nuclear energy sources given rising demand for energy, especially in heavy industries, while emphasizing the critical role of expanding renewable energy deployment to achieve sustainable and resilient energy systems.
- Alex Krutz, Founder and Managing Director of Patriot Industrial Partners. Until December 2025 Deputy Assistant Secretary for Manufacturing at the International Trade Commission, U.S. Department of Commerce
- Diana Furchtgott-Roth, Distinguished Fellow at the Energy Policy Research Foundation.
- Peter Hefele, Policy Director, Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies, Brussels
- Liana Gouta, Director General FuelsEurope
- Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan, Commission Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC)
Moderated by Krzysztof Bulski, Director, Strategy for the Europe Programme and a Member of the Management Board at the European Policy Innovation Council (EPIC).
Networking Coffee Break
Securing the Backbone - Manufacturing & Critical Raw Materials
Both the EU and the US have recently stepped-up policy efforts to localize processing, accelerate permitting and manufacturing, and designate strategic projects to reduce dependency on single-source suppliers- changes that are reshaping investment flows and commercial strategy across the sector. The panel will discuss how these policy packages translate into commercial opportunity and operational realities for producers, processors and traders. The panel will also address the crucial role of critical raw materials, like met-coal or copper, in ensuring a sustainable and resilient future of our industrial sectors.
- Alex Krutz, Founder and Managing Director of Patriot Industrial Partners. Until December 2025 Deputy Assistant Secretary for Manufacturing at the International Trade Commission, U.S. Department of Commerce
- Damian Brennan, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of American Heavy Plates, USA
- Mans Larsson, Chairman & CEO of Oak Grove Resources, USA
- Jan Ziemecki Sr, Keystone Partners, Alternative Investments CEE LLC
- Stefan Solle, Head of the Brussels Office, Gesamtmetall
Moderated by Alice Hancock, Financial Times correspondent based in Brussels.
Fireside chat: The revolution in US policy towards the EU under President Trump.
- Nile Gardiner, Director, Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom and Bernard and Barbara Lomas Fellow at the Heritage Foundation, Washington D.C.
Moderated by Stefan Tompson, founder of Visegrad24.
Defense at a Crossroads - Strategic Autonomy & Shared Security
Europe’s pursuit of open strategic autonomy is reshaping the transatlantic defense and industrial landscape. As security threats grow more complex, the defense sector is also facing a profound industrial transformation driven by automation, digitalization, and the need to rebuild critical manufacturing capacity across Europe and North America. This panel will explore how governments and businesses can navigate these shifts to strengthen shared security while revitalizing industrial bases and ensuring technological leadership. Senior voices from the policy world will discuss how to align strategic autonomy with deeper transatlantic cooperation- promoting innovation, competitiveness, and resilient supply chains.
- Tomasz Szatkowski, Secretary- General of the European Conservatives and Reformists Group. Former Poland’s Ambassador to NATO and Deputy Minister of Defense.
- Prof. Antonio Calcara, Head of the Geopolitics and Technology Programme at the Centre for Security, Diplomacy and Strategy (CSDS) and a Research Professor at VUB
- Carlo Fidanza, Italian Member of European Parliament (MEP), Head of the Fratelli d’Italia delegation to the European Parliament, Group of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR). Executive Vice President of the ECR Party. Vice President of the International Democracy Union.
- Piero Tozzi, the Deputy Staff Director of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, having served as Staff Director in the 118th Congress, Washington D.C.- pending confirmation.
Moderated by Thomas Grove, The Wall Street Journal correspondent based in Warsaw.