Solarplaza Summit | Balkans

Julia Sokołowska is an Investment Analyst at Solas Capital AG, a Zurich-based firm comprised of European experts in energy efficiency debt financing. Based at the company's headquarters in Zurich, Julia has spent the past 2.5 years contributing to investment activities focused on energy efficiency projects across the EU. She specializes in behind-the-meter projects, including building energy efficiency, self-consumption solar PV, LED street lighting, and BESS, primarily structured through Energy-as-a-Service (EaaS) models. Julia has supported the financing of one of the largest solar PV self-consumption projects in the EU, with her work spanning markets across Iberia and Central and Eastern Europe, including the Balkans. Prior to Solas Capital, Julia gained experience in sustainability and climate change governance with IGOs and NGOs. Julia holds an MA in International Development and Sustainable Finance from the Geneva Graduate Institute and a BA in Environmental Studies from Wellesley College in the US. She is a CAIA Charterholder.

Mariyana is Vice Chair of the Association for Production, Storage and Trading of Electricity (APSTE) in Bulgaria as well as Chief Operating Officer (COO) at International Power Supply (IPS) – an energy technology company with 36 years of experience in R&D and manufacturing of power conversion systems, battery energy storage systems (BESS) and micro-grid technologies. To date, Mariyana has over 15 years of experience in various leadership roles within business development and investment market research for wind, solar, energy storage and smart grids. In all her roles, she works tirelessly to bridge the gap between technology, regulation, and finance — and foster collaboration across sectors to accelerate the clean energy transition.

Božidar is an energy-focused lawyer based in North Macedonia. He provides comprehensive legal advice and assistance on major energy projects, encompassing all types of production technology. His core expertise includes supporting clients throughout project development and M&A, addressing all related matters, including project financing, transaction structuring, negotiations, obtaining clearances, and drafting and execution of project documents.

Mersiha Samardžić is the Head of the SEE Region at Montel Group, where she leads sales activities across Southeast Europe and contributes to the development of analytical products and PPA consultancy services. Since joining Montel in 2022, she has played a key role in expanding the company’s presence in emerging energy markets and supporting clients in navigating the energy transition through data-driven insights and strategic partnerships. Before Montel, Mersiha built extensive experience in electricity trading at GEN-I, where she managed trading activities across SEE, IT, and DE/AT markets, led projects for flexible and non-standard products, and served as a mentor within the trading team. Her earlier career at JP Elektroprivreda BiH and the University of Sarajevo strengthened her technical and analytical foundation in energy systems.

Andrii Antonov is the Technical Director of Solar Steelconstruction LLC. and an Associate Professor, Candidate of Technical Sciences at the Ukrainian State University of Science and Technologies. He has more than 17 years of combined experience in engineering and research, with seven years in engineering practice and twelve years in academia. At Solar Steelconstruction LLC., where he has worked for the past five years, he has managed and designed solar power plants with a total capacity exceeding 1 GW for EPC projects. His track record includes more than 300 completed projects in the electric power industry, including overhead (OHL) and cable lines from 0.4 to 110 kV. Alongside his industry role, he has made significant academic contributions through nine research projects, over 60 scientific publications, three patents, and five study guides. His work reflects a strong commitment to bridging the gap between applied engineering and scientific innovation, advancing both the renewable energy sector and the education of future specialists.

Megi Vrhovnik is Legal Counsel at Kelag International Group. As a core member of the group legal team based in Ljubljana, she is responsible for providing legal support and driving the development of renewable energy investments and energy trading. She has extensive experience in M&A transactions, as well as in the development and operation of renewable energy projects, particularly solar and wind, alongside energy efficiency initiatives, PPAs, and trading regulations. In addition to her role in supporting the rapid growth of Kelag International Group across Southern and South-Eastern Europe, Megi has successfully completed her second Master’s degree through The North Sea Energy Law Partnership, earning an Advanced LLM in Energy Law.

Bojan Reščec is an experienced Executive Manager and renewable energy specialist with over 30 years in civil engineering, construction, and project development. Since 2002, he has led RP GLOBAL Projekti d.o.o., managing the development, financing, and operation of major wind farms in Croatia, including Danilo / Velika Glava and Rudine. Previously, he held leadership roles at INGRA d.d. in Egypt and STRABAG AG in Austria, overseeing large-scale construction projects. Bojan holds a Master’s in Civil Engineering from the University of Zagreb and is fluent in English and German. A co-founder of the Croatian Association for Renewable Energy, he serves on multiple advisory boards, including Croatia’s Energy Transition Council, shaping the country’s renewable energy landscape.

Queen Mary, University of London and King's College London graduate, after post-graduate course at the Sorbonne, Elena began her career as a business analyst at American Express (UK). Before starting the "Evklips Energy" adventure, Elenagained valuable experience at Hewlett Packard Enterprise, where she worked as a financial analyst. The dream of a "greener future" becomes a driving force for the transition from large corporations towards the establish of company. To date, Evklips Energy is among the leaders in the construction of photovoltaic plants throughout Europe. In the last 6 years, the company has over 1 gigawatt of installed capacity. Evklips Energy is the investor and owner of 4 solar power plants in Bulgaria (18 MWp). With a team of over 250 professionals, Evklips Energy also offers full EPC services in Bulgaria.

Kutay holds a Master’s degree in Innovation and Service Design, with expertise in technology strategy and product development in the energy sector. He began his professional career at Kontek Enerji in the Strategic Operations department, where he conducted technology research to support the company’s upcoming investment decisions. Later, he played a key role in the foundation of Maxxen, a battery manufacturer specializing in LFP-based energy storage systems. He contributed by preparing feasibility studies that led to the strategic decision to integrate LFP cell technologies. At Maxxen, he initially joined the R&D department, gaining practical experience in system integration and product design. After one year, he transitioned to the Product Management unit, where he currently drives product development. His role includes analyzing market needs, aligning them with R&D priorities, and supporting business development and marketing activities to deliver competitive and innovative energy storage solutions.

Olimpija Hristova Zaevska founded Elson Solutions in 2020 as a consultancy focused on investment planning, dual energy and technological green transition, green finance, and sustainable investments across the Western Balkans and beyond. Holding a PhD in International Business and Economics from Copenhagen Business School, she has been engaged as Green Finance and Climate Risk Expert at the EIB, and worked on international finance mobilization, decarbonization strategies, and just energy transition investment platforms for North Macedonia's Ministry of Energy, EBRD, and LuxDev in Kosovo. Ever since her early roles as an international economy advisor in government, Olimpija has been driving the coordination of multi-million donor funds, investment plans for renewable energy sources, and promoting green energy frameworks in Eastern Europe. She will share investment insights on trends in PV & storage investments across Eastern Europe, highlighting where the money is flowing and how to capitalize on emerging opportunities in the renewable sector.

Apostolis joined Pexapark in 2025 and brings 4 years of experience in renewables and BESS. He has previously worked at the UK's Low Carbon Contract Company on market design and co-location, as well as at Wood Mackenzie, where he supported customers with BESS supply chain data and intelligence. Apostolis holds degrees in International Political Economy from LSE and Energy Law from TU Berlin.

Darko brings 25 years of experience in procurement, real estate and recently energy projects. He spent over a decade leading procurement for the Erste Bank Group including group-wide energy procurement, as managing director of intragroup procurement company servising 79 companies across 11 Southeast European countries. Today, at Adris Grupa, he supports subsidiaries in procurement and real estate, manages Abilia d.o.o., and drives key projects in the energy sector. Most recently, his work on PPA implementation - both from the investor and buyer side - gives him a unique 360-degree perspective on the PPA market in Croatia.

Hrvoje Jazvic is an Associate Director at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development's Zagreb office, specialising in energy project financing across Croatia and Central Europe. With over 17 years of banking experience, he has led numerous private and public sector financing projects and worked on technical assistance programmes of the EBRD to enhance investment in renewable energy sources.

Aljoša in his 20+ years of professional experience, which started in ICT sector on management positions is sales, for last 15 is in renewable energy sector as pioneer especially in solar PV. From development and construction of first large scale PV project in Croatia in 2012, is involved in founding and establishing several Croatian renewable energy association and actively participating in opinion making and creating of RES legal framework. Since 2015 is general manager of Acciona energy Croatia, part of Acciona group, in charge of development, construction and operation of utility scale RES projects in Croatia and region.

Simone Dell’Atti is Principal Advisor at the European Investment Bank (EIB), the EU’s climate bank, where he leads the structuring and execution of limited recourse financings supporting the energy transition and sustainable infrastructure across Europe. With over 20 years of experience in both commercial and development banking, he focuses on delivering bankable solutions for capital-intensive projects in renewable energy and climate resilience. His recent work includes EIB operations in offshore and onshore wind, utility-scale solar PV, and climate adaptation infrastructure. These operations often combine public and private financing and involve a range of contractual structures, including merchant risk, PPAs and hybrid models. Simone’s focus aligns with the EIB’s core priorities under the European Green Deal and REPowerEU, supporting investment in decarbonisation, energy security and cross-border integration. He contributes to structuring projects in complex markets, including Croatia, with an emphasis on reducing long-term market and revenue risk. Simone holds a Master’s in Corporate and Investment Banking from SDA Bocconi, Italy and an MSc in Economic and Social Sciences from Bocconi University, Italy.

Ante Krecak is Head of Project Finance, with a focus on financing infrastructure projects and renewables in Croatia and markets in the close region. His previous professional expertise included Corporate financing, Financial restructuring and Commercial Real Estate. He has overseen numerous financing transactions over the local and regional markets including renewables projects such as solar, hydro, wind projects, etc. With his teams, he regularly advises clients on market specifics and the bank's preferred financing conditions, beginning from the early stages of development and continuing through the period of defining offtake structures until financial close and operational stages.

Ioanna joined Aurora in October 2023. She is part of Aurora’s Southeastern Europe Power and Renewables Research team which offers market services in Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia. Ioanna has 8 years of energy and environmental consulting experience.

Karlo has 12 years of experience in PwC’s management consulting focused on the energy sector. As part of PwC’s PPA CEE Hub, he is the key technical PPA expert for the SEE region, having led 15+ PPA projects for corporate off-takers, renewable developers, and energy companies. His expertise encompasses the full PPA lifecycle from PPA product structuring, tender process, PPA price evaluation to Term Sheet and Contract preparation and negotiation until signing.

Ms. Naida Hausmann has more than twelve years of international experience in the fields of renewable energy, sustainable development, energy modelling and electricity markets. She currently serves as a Lead of the Renewable Energy Task Force & Senior Renewable Energy Expert within the European Green Deal Unit at the Energy Community Secretariat. In this capacity, Ms. Hausmann assumes responsibility for all matters concerning renewable energy. Her primary focus revolves around providing support to Energy Community Contracting Parties in their efforts to transpose and implement the EU acquis. This includes work related to the design of market-based support schemes, systems for guarantees of origin, self-consumption, power purchase agreements (PPAs), and more. Prior to the Secretariat, Ms. Hausmann was employed at the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Ms. Hausmann holds a master's degree in Electrical Power Engineering from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering at the University of Sarajevo and is a Certified Expert in Climate & Renewable Energy Finance, having completed program at the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management.

Petar is a Partner with over 15 years of experience, who heads the regional Energy and Natural Resources Industry Group at Karanovic & Partners. He advises clients in high-profile matters related to the development, operation and financing of new energy projects (with a particular focus on renewables), capacity-building matters that aim to improve the regulatory framework in the WB6 and energy efficiency. Petar is a highly valued energy lawyer among relevant stakeholders, top-ranked in all relevant legal directories and is an active member of all key professional associations in Serbia and internationally, such as the International Bar Association (IBA), AmCham Serbia Energy Committee (Vice-chairman), Serbian Energy Law Association, and Energy Law Group (ELG). Petar was also part of the working group of the Ministry of Energy and Mining for preparation of bylaws for implementation of the Law on Use of Renewable Energy Sources, in front of AmCham Serbia.

Lahorko Wagmann works as a Director of Electricity Division in Croatian Energy Regulatory Agency, where he works on regulatory issues. His main focus lies on regulating of electricity network operators, approving 10Y network development plans , modeling network tariffs and connection fees.

Antun Andric is at Croatian Transmission System Operator Plc., currently as head of the market department. Actively participates in the green transition of the power system, mostly through flexibility market development, R&D projects, participation in regulatory framework creation processes, and implementation of the new technologies/processes in the regular TSO operations. He has been a member of various national and international working groups (ENTSO-E Market committee – member, ENTSO-E subgroup Annual report on load- frequency control - convenor, CORE groups, National CIGRE committee C5 – Electricity markets, etc.) and also involved in the preparation of many national and international R&D projects (e.g. FP 7 framework, Horizon 2020 framework). In the last period, his focus is on the flexibility market development in Croatia.

Bojana Mihić works as Principal Technical Expert for Future System Design at TenneT TSO B.V. Her focus is on successful application and usage of technology as well as system integration in order to have a reliable and secure operation. She provides her expert input in the phase of technical design and risk assessments in order to achieve successful system operation for the integrated offshore and onshore system that will in the future have a primarily renewable sources-based generation mix. Additionally, Bojana has worked for Serbian TSO Elektromreža Srbije (EMS) from 2014 to 2017.

Saša Jovičić heads the Projects, Infrastructure and Energy practice in the Zagreb office of Wolf Theiss. He has been advising a number of prominent international clients and is currently focusing on energy projects in Croatia and the region. He regularly advises clients on market entry and regulation, all stages of project development (including permitting and environmental topics, financing and project acquisition), commercial contracts and, if need be, dispute resolution in the energy sector.

Iva Šulentić is an experienced moderator and television presenter with over 25 years of work at Croatian National Television. As host of the Solarplaza Balkans conference, she brings a wealth of expertise in facilitating engaging discussions on energy transition, sustainability, and regional development. Iva has collaborated with leading organizations and industry experts, fostering dialogue on key issues shaping the future of the Balkans’ energy landscape. She holds a degree in business economics from University of Zagreb and is recognized as a trusted communicator, dedicated to promoting innovation and knowledge sharing in the energy sector.