Speakers Categories: Speakers

Building networks, unlocking potential, and achieving impact—this is what Anette Groschupp stands for. A lawyer and Deputy Managing Director of Corporate Services at the Chamber of Skilled Crafts Region Stuttgart (HWK Stuttgart), she approaches collaboration by looking beyond borders. She opens doors for skilled professionals from Kosovo living abroad, ensuring their qualifications are recognized and valued. As a founding member of the Stuttgart Kosovo Action Committee, she drives initiatives in B2B partnerships, vocational training, and professional development. Her driving force: empowering women in business and the workforce, creating opportunities, and turning contacts into concrete projects.

Christian Binnig is an expert in adult education and dual vocational training. As Team Leader for Inter-company Training and Technical Further Education at the Chamber of Skilled Crafts Region Stuttgart (HWK Stuttgart), he bridges the perspectives of apprentices, skilled workers, training centers, and businesses, developing practical qualification programs for the workforce of tomorrow. Drawing on his experience at the intersection of initial training, continuing education, and skilled workforce development, Christian Binnig brings a practical perspective to the future of vocational training; he demonstrates how to inspire individuals and companies to embrace lifelong learning and how to sustainably build the skills needed for a rapidly changing world of work.

Sergiy Maslichenko has been the EBRD Head of Kosovo since March 2023. From 2019 to 2020 he has held the post of Deputy Minister of Energy & Environment for Ukraine. In 2017-2019 he served as a Board Director at the Green for Growth Fund (Luxemburg). In 2007-2019 Sergiy led the EBRD green business in the Eastern Europe based in Kyiv and contributed to €2 billion investments in the region. Sergiy studied at the University of Oxford through a Chevening Scholarship and gained his PhD in Economic Theory from the Kyiv National Economic University.

Bersant Disha is the Managing Partner at Recura Financials and serves as a senior consultant with over 20 years of work experience.  

Bersant has been in charge of teams of consultants with diverse expertise, providing direct advisory support to over 400 different businesses in Kosovo and internationally  

Bersant is very experienced in corporate finance, transaction advisory, governance, financial modelling, development of financial instruments and structures, as well as structuring complex transactions for businesses at different stages of development, having advised on over EUR 450 mil in deals across Kosovo, the Netherlands, Germany and the US. 

Mr. Disha holds an MSc in Finance from the University of Warwick and a BSc in Business from the London School of Economics and is also a Certified Management Consultant (CMC) certified by ICMCI.  

Bersant currently serves as a Supervisory Board Director of Recycling Holding Volendam in the Netherlands, a Board of Directors member of Uje Rugove (Kosovo), and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the American University in Kosovo – RITK. 

  

Driton Hapçiu is a prominent Kosovo-based entrepreneur, investor, and digital transformation expert with over three decades of experience shaping Southeast Europe’s technology and business landscape. As a founding partner of the CACTTUS Group (spanning ICT solutions and professional/vocational education) and RECURA Financial Advisory, Driton bridges high-level strategic advisory with scalable, market-driven execution. Deeply committed to institutional development and economic bilateral ties, Driton serves on the Board of the German Chamber of Commerce in Kosovo (OEGJK/KDWV). He was also instrumental in co-founding key structural pillars of Kosovo’s modern economy, including the Association of Kosovo ICT Companies (STIKK) and the Innovation Centre Kosovo (ICK). Through his ventures—and his active role in mentoring and governance (including civil society organisations), Driton champions sustainable investments, tech innovation, and robust public-private cooperation between European partners and the region. 

Mr. Wittmann is working as an economic correspondent for Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI) since August 2024, covering the Western Balkans. Through analyses of the macroeconomic situation, key industries, and business practices, he supports German small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in entering the markets in the region. 

Previously, Mr. Wittmann served as a GTAI economic correspondent covering Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus. Before that, he worked at the German-Russian Chamber of Commerce (AHK), for a service provider in the automotive supply industry, and as a research associate at the University of Regensburg. 

Mario Eckardt is a Skills Development Specialist currently leading two German Development Cooperation Initiatives in Kosovo focused on women’s economic empowerment, vocational training and labor market implemented by GIZ on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). From 2020 to 2024, he was seconded on behalf of GIZ/BMZ to the Inter-American Development Bank in Washington D.C. Previously, he managed several vocational training and private sector initiatives at AHK Japan and AHK Peru, advised Ecuador’s government on higher education, and guided skills development initiatives of GIZ in China and Mongolia. He holds a master’s degree in Business Psychology with a main focus in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. 

Mentor Pllana is an intellectual entrepreneur, researcher, and business leader whose work bridges academic thinking with entrepreneurial practice. His educational background and postgraduate studies laid the foundation for developing innovative management concepts, including the 5P Business Framework. He is the founder of Pllana Ventures, comprising three leading business entities: Pllana Capital, InstaBuilt, and Cherry Communities, which advance sustainable real estate, industrialized construction, and community development across Europe and the United States. His work integrates technology, energy, circular construction, innovation, and sustainability to develop scalable solutions shaping the future of living and investing. 

Daniel Zittel leads Sales and Business Innovation for the Defence business at Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks (MBS), which operates mainly through a Direct Sales model.

He joined Daimler in 2004 and has held various roles in Sales & Marketing for MercedesBenz Trucks across Europe and China. His career includes assignments in Luxembourg, Stuttgart, Hamburg, and Berlin, where he led Used Trucks for six years before taking over
New Truck Sales Germany.

In 2022, Daniel became CEO of Daimler Trucks & Buses (China) Ltd., managing the Mercedes-Benz Trucks import business and integrating it into the joint venture BFDA.
At the end of 2024, he returned to Germany to lead the growing Defence business of Daimler Truck before assuming his current role as Director and Chief Sales Officer for Daimler Truck Defence & Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks.

Antje Wandelt is the Delegate of German Industry and Commerce for North Macedonia, Kosovo, and Albania, based in Skopje. With over 25 years of international experience in economic diplomacy, trade promotion, and business development, she has held senior leadership positions within the German Chamber of Commerce network (AHK) in Latin America and Southeast Europe. She is dedicated to strengthening international business partnerships, fostering investment opportunities, and promoting sustainable growth.