ACAP’s three-day annual conference #ACAP2023: Connecting the Doers organized in Zagreb, Croatia, concluded on a high note, gathering 524 participants and over 120 speakers.
The conference was formally inaugurated by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia, Mr. Andrej Plenković. Meanwhile, 4th President of the Republic of Croatia, Kolinda Grabar Kitarović engaged in a captivating Fireside chat with Mato Njavro, ZSEM Dean, discussing “Vilnius: the Road Ahead for the Future of Geopolitics or Just Another NATO Summit?”
During the gala dinner, sponsored by the Croatian National Tourist Board, the President of the Republic of Croatia, Zoran Milanović, awarded the Charter of the Republic of Croatia to the Association of Croatian American Professionals (ACAP).
“You are Croatian-American professionals. Professionals are people of respect, high social standing and relevance in society. From the Croatian perspective, that is something we need. We are a small nation. We are still not as wealthy or affluent enough as we would wish to be and this certainly must be our goal,” said President Milanović.
Speakers from various industries such as healthcare, tourism, business, and finance participated in the conference, offering insights into current trends and the future of these sectors. Iskra Reić, Vice President of AstraZeneca, and Richard Pazdur from the FDA shared their expertise on health-related topics.
Over the next two days, prominent business leaders joined the conference. Among them, Hrvoje Ćosić, the director of Croatia’s fastest-growing fintech Aircash, announced that the company expects a turnover of 1 billion euros this year. Lada Tedeschi Fiorio from the Atlantic Group shared her perspective on the biggest challenges in the food industry and her vision for its future.
Vuk Vuković, founder of the hedge fund Oraclum Capital in New York, along with Krešimir Marušić, provided insights on the current economic situation and investment opportunities.
The conference featured numerous exceptional speakers and panelists. Ivan Burazin from Infobip highlighted, “As a founder, relocate to a market where you see the most opportunities and become a part of the community.”
Daniel Lenardić from KPMG noted, “In the next 5 to 10 years, wealth management ownership will transfer to successors. Typically, when this happens, companies are sold within 5 years.” Matija Nakić from Farseer spoke about financing, emphasizing, “It’s crucial to have a compelling strategic narrative.
Many don’t know what they want to be when they grow up. Investors want to see a strong vision and capable founders.” Ivo Stivorić, Vice President of X, presented the vision of X – “Alphabet’s moonshot factory” as a diverse group of inventors and entrepreneurs aiming to enhance the lives of millions, if not billions. With their innovative approach, they aim for a tenfold impact on the world’s most challenging problems, not just a 10% improvement.
Partners of this year’s ACAP conference, who contributed to its successful execution, include the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, Central Office for Croats Abroad, Croatian National Tourist Board, JGL, Devōt, Museum of Illusions, Aircash, Osijek-Baranja County, KPMG, PWC, AstraZeneca, Tourist Board of the City of Zagreb, Franck, BMP Group, and Stanić Group.