ELMI International Conference

Ignacy Niemczycki

Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology

Ignacy Niemczycki graduated in sociology from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (SWPS) and in political science from the School of Social Sciences (with a diploma from Lancaster University). He holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from Bocconi University in Milan. Additionally, he completed postgraduate studies in agriculture at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW) and in ecological agriculture at the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn. He is a scholarship holder of the IVLP program of the US Department of State and the Landecker Democracy Fellowship.

During his studies, he founded the Free Belarus Initiative to support the fight for democracy in that country. He was a member of the Management Board of the Akcja Demokracja  (Operation Democracy) Foundation and headed the Professor Bronisław Geremek Centrum (Center) Foundation. He founded and coordinated a coalition of social organizations called the European Front.

From 2008 to 2012, Ignacy Niemczycki served as a government administration employee, including roles in the Chancellery of the Prime Minister, the Office of the Committee for European Integration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland to the EU in Brussels, where he participated in the negotiations of EU funds for Poland. From 2013 to 2015, he headed the European affairs department at Polityka Insight. Subsequently, from 2015 to 2017, he served as a public affairs manager and acting director of international communications for the corporation. He runs an ecological farm in Masuria.

Prof. Gertruda Uścińska

Professor at the University of Warsaw, lawyer, Head of the Centre for Social Security Studies (at UW), professor at the Institute of Labour and Social Studies

• 2016-2024 president of the (Polish) Social Security Institution, the nationwide competent institution in the field of social security management, financing and distribution of benefits
• Chair of the Committee for Labour and Social Policy of the Polish Academy of Sciences
• Since 2020, chair of the Technical Commission on Old-Age, Invalidity and Survivors’ Insurance of the International Social Security Association, the organisation based in Geneva, created under the auspices of the International Labour Organization (ILO), owning consultative status at the United Nations Economic and Social Council
• Expert and researcher of international law, social security law, labour law, social security coordination and free movement of persons in the European Union
• Author of numerous publications in the field of international law, social security law, European law, and comparative social policy
• Academic lecturer at the University of Warsaw and other universities home and abroad
• Several decades of experience in the application of international social law, European law and comparative social policy
• Initiator and participant in the legislative process, as well as implementer of key social and economic reforms of significant importance for the state and citizens (e‑contribution, e-sick notes, EU Electronic Exchange of Social Security Information).
• Initiator of IT reforms in the Social Security Institution, which transformed this institution into a modern e-administration, carrying out statutory and non-statutory tasks for the social security of millions of citizens
• Co-author of guidelines and legislation for Covid-19 Anti-Crisis shield (2020–2022)
• Participant in the legislative process of legal solutions addressed to the refugees from Ukraine, as well as implementer of that support (2022–2023)

Prof. Maciej Szpunar

First Advocate General at the Court of Justice of the European Union

Maciej Szpunar is First Advocate General at the Court of Justice of the European Union and Professor at the University of Silesia in Katowice (Poland). He obtained his LL.M. from the College of Europe, Bruges. He has held the office of Advocate General since 2013. In 2018 he was elected First Advocate General for the period 2018-2021. In 2021 AG Szpunar was re-elected First Advocate General until 2024. Maciej Szpunar was the Undersecretary of State at the Office of the Committee for European Integration (2008-09) and in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2010-13). AG Szpunar is a member of the Research Group on Existing EC Private Law (‘Acquis Group’) and the European Group for Private International Law. He is an associated member of the International Academy of Comparative Law and serves on the Board of Trustees at the Europäische Rechtsakademie in Trier. He is the president of the Polish Association of European Law.

Prof. Daniel Eryk Lach, LL.M. (EUV)

Associate Professor at the Department of Labor Law and Social Security Law, Faculty of Law and Administration, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, "Take Good Care Session" Speaker

• Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Social Law and Social Policy in Munich
• Author of over 140 scientific works on theoretical and legal issues of the healthcare and long-term care system, also from constitutional and cross-border perspectives, as well as social security law and labor law.

Tanel Feldman

Active Moderator of the Temporary Work Agency session, aiming to answer practical questions on how entrepreneurs (EU service providers) should navigate in the trouble waters of law, jurisprudence and national practice.

• Founding partner at Immigration Law Associates (established in Belgium in 2000).
• Partner at COMIC (Corporate Migration Centre) – smart digital solution for compliance in the area of employment and posting of workers in Europe, supported by specialised law firms network.
• Member of various associations such as ELMI, ELI (European Law Institute), IBA (International Bar Association), PWA (Posting of Workers Alliance), IPN (Immigration Partners Network) etc.
• Main concentration of practice is EU law, in particular, law concerning employment and social affairs : I advise both EU and international companies (corporations, SMEs, non-profit organizations and individuals), in matters related to employment (i.e., working conditions, health and safety at work, discrimination), moving and working in Europe (free movement of EU nationals, third-country nationals right of work, posted workers), social affairs (EU social security coordination), and as regards application of EU law (implementation of EU laws by Member States).

dr Andrzej Szybkie

Director of the Department of International Benefits and Family Support at the Polish Social Insurance Institution, ZUS

Responsible for implementation of EU regulations on the coordination of social security systems, international agreements on social security, including the agreement with Ukraine, as well as for the area of benefits for families, including programs such as Family 500+, Good Start 300+, Family Care Capital (Rodzinny Kapitał Opiekuńczy), as well as special solutions addressed to refugees from Ukraine. PhD in law, specializing in social security law, author of numerous scientific publications. Speaker at many seminars and international conferences. Member of expert groups at the European Commission, negotiator of international agreements on social security, member of the Steering Committee of the H5NCP Platform for combating cross-border frauds and errors in the field of social security at the European Commission and the Steering Committee of the European System of Electronic Data Exchange in the EU (EESSI). A member of numerous projects aimed at the digitalization and automation of processes in ZUS, in particular the head of the leading business in the field of implementation of the EESSI system in ZUS, digitalization of the A1 certificate application processes on ZUS Electronic Platform, A1 certificate validator, automation of granting benefits for families (automatic software for awarding 500+) and electronic data exchange with foreign institutions for combating cross-border overpayments

Marta Zięba-Szklarska

Expert in Human Resources, Payroll, and Cross-border Employment, Interim Manager in the area of Consulting and Business Development in Poland and in international projects, a board member of the European Labour Mobility Institute

• Expert, practitioner, and Interim Manager in the area of International Employment (Cross-Border Employment) within the framework of cross-border service provision and remote work, labor law, taxes, social security, HR, Personnel Management, Payroll in Poland and international projects.
• Owner of the World of HR Group – outsourcing of accounting, personnel management, and payroll.
• Board Member of the European Labour Mobility Institute. Certified “EFG® and EFC®” and Director of International Development at the European Federation of Financial Professionals in Poland.
• Author and co-author of publications in the area of personal finance for posted workers, social responsibility of financial institutions, FinTech/InsurTech. Engaged in social projects, in the professional activation of disabled people, and in managing PFRON costs with the International REAXUM Foundation.
• Ambassador of Women’s Entrepreneurship and Mentor in the programs of the Women’s Entrepreneurship Foundation and VITAL VOICES Chapter Poland.
• Lecturer at the University of Economics in Poznań in the field of new technologies (personal finance, employment, digitalization/automation, and AI in labor mobility).

prof. dr hab. Marlena Sakowska-Baryła

Legal advisor, specializing in information law, personal data protection, speaker at the Digital Session "EU Service Providers in Harmony with Artificial Intelligence"

Jo Antoons

Attorney and Managing Partner of Fragomen’s Brussels office, member of European Commission Expert Group on Economic Migration

Jo Antoons is an Attorney and Managing Partner of Fragomen’s Brussels office. In this role, she supports multinational and medium-sized corporations and individuals with effective and efficient immigration solutions for both inbound and outbound moves into Belgium and Luxembourg. In addition, Jo leads Fragomen’s EU-wide Strategic Mobility Solutions and Government Strategies and, represents Fragomen in the European Commission Expert Group on Economic Migration.

Jo has spoken as an immigration law expert at numerous national and international seminars and has authored a list of publications related to economic migration.  Jo’s thorough knowledge of all aspects of global mobility, ranging from immigration to social security and labour law and posted worker solutions, gives her a well-rounded strategic view of immigration-based advice on behalf of her clients and government stakeholders.

Michał Nowakowski

Expert in the field of implementing artificial intelligence systems from a business, technological, and legal perspective.

Several years of professional experience in the field of new technology law and financial law. An expert in implementing artificial intelligence systems (machine learning, deep learning, LLM) from business, technological, and legal perspectives. Understands not only the legal and regulatory aspects of implementing technological solutions but also navigates comfortably in the area of specific technological solutions.

Collaborated with major financial institutions and technology solution providers on projects in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and cybersecurity. Led projects related to implementing frameworks for AI Governance and trustworthy and responsible use of artificial intelligence, including generative artificial intelligence. Advised banks, telecoms, and eCommerce platforms, as well as smaller entities in the financial market. Was responsible for key areas related to the implementation of new technological solutions, including from the perspective of ethics and regulations. Worked in banks and supervisory and regulatory institutions, including the UKNF and NBP, and also completed internships at the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank.

Participated in legislative work, including co-authoring a legal opinion for the shadow rapporteur on the AI Act. Deputy chairman of the sub-group on law and ethics within the Working Group on Artificial Intelligence at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister in 2021-2023. Chairman of the Artificial Intelligence section at the Polish Information Processing Society. Author of the book “Artificial Intelligence. A Practical Guide for the FinTech Sector” (2023) and numerous scientific articles. Co-founder and CEO of GovernedAI, focusing on the safe, responsible, and ethical implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) solutions.

Lecturer at the Warsaw University of Technology, SGH, and SWPS. Conducted about 100 training sessions and workshops in the field of new technologies.

Marco Rocca

Permanent Researcher in labour law at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and affiliated to the DRES research unit of the University of Strasbourg, Speaker at "Temporary Work Session"

He is Principal Investigator of the ERC Starting Grant project “European Birds of Passage – An Empirical Legal Theory of Temporary Labour Migration in Europe” (2022-2027).

Frederic de Wispelaere

Research expert at HIVA–KU Leuven, active moderator of Posting of Third Country National Session.

His main fields of research are intra-EU labour mobility and EU coordination of social security systems. He coordinates the EU project ‘POSTING.STAT’. This project brings together a consortium of universities and research centres from 11 different Member States to enhance the collection, analysis and reporting of administrative micro-data on intra-EU posting.

Karolina Schiffter

advocate, partner, PCS | Littler

Karolina has almost 20 years of experience in handling immigration law and labour law cases. A valued expert in the field of immigration law and employee relocations, she has built one of the largest immigration and global mobility teams operating within a law firm in Poland. Karolina regularly publishes articles in daily newspapers and scientific journals in addition to being an active member of international organisations, regularly invited as a speaker to international conferences. She won first place in the 5th edition of the “Rising Stars Lawyers – Leaders of Tomorrow 2016” competition. Karolina has been recognized among the 25 Top Women Lawyers in Business in 2023 by Forbes Women and the Women in Law Foundation.

Ada Zaorska

President of the Polish Home Care Association, speaker at the "Take Good Care Session"

She has been working continuously in the care industry for the elderly, disabled, and people with mental disorders since October 1993, running the Nursing and Care Agency “Egida” and founding an association with the same name.

Over these 30 years, she has cooperated with Assistance Centers in Lublin, Świdnik, Lubartów, and Puławy, and since 2012, in collaboration with Optimum pro Senior company, she has been delegating caregivers to clients living in Germany.

Thanks to her commitment and work, over 10,000 clients and several thousand caregivers, who regularly undergo training to enhance their qualifications, have already benefited from care.

Currently, she provides private care for about 85 seniors from Lublin and its vicinity and for 72 seniors in Germany (live-in care).

Nadia Kurtieva

Expert at the Department of Labour in the Lewiatan Confederation

Nadia is a graduate in Political Science from Jagiellonian University and the University of Warsaw. She serves as an expert at the Department of Labour in the Lewiatan Confederation, where she is responsible for employment, labour market, and immigration law. Nadia Kurtieva coordinates the work of the expert group on foreigners, being responsible for reviewing strategic documents and draft regulations concerning the legalization of employment and residence of third-country nationals in Poland. Her expertise in human resources, labor law, and immigration law has been honed through supporting small and medium enterprises and working in an international corporation.

Ewald Oberhammer

Oberhammer Rechtsanwälte GmbH

Oberhammer Rechtsanwälte GmbH is specialised in the fields of immigration and employment law, in particular related to foreign employment in Austria and international secondments to Austrian companies as well as private international clients wishing to set-up businesses in Austria. This encompasses advising clients in labour law and corporate law issues, answering questions regarding immigration law, drafting employment/project/assignment agreements, applying for visas and many more related issues. Our clients trust in our expertise in the area of corporate migration. Furthermore, we offer all necessary ancillary services such as personal accompaniment to appointments with the relevant authorities and supporting clients on applying for subsidies and co- and health insurances.Our clients thus have the advantage of being serviced by a legal one-stop shop.

Alessandro Arletti

Chartered accountant and founder of Arletti & Partners with a demonstrated history of working in the legal services industry

Alessandro is a chartered accountant and founder of Arletti & Partners. The Firm serves Companies and Individuals in their global mobility fulfillments since 1998.
He has been offering specialized consulting services in legal, fiscal and contribution issues related to the international mobility of employees and supports numerous multinational companies. He also collaborates as a lecturer with the industrial associations of the large trade association Federmacchine, with various territorial offices of Confindustria.
Furthermore, he has also collaborated with the Biagi Foundation and with the University of Bologna, Bologna Business School.

Andrzej Korkus

Co-founder and CEO of EWL Group, one of the fastest-growing global mobility employment firms in the EU

Co-founder and CEO of EWL Group, one of the fastest-growing global mobility employment firms in the EU. Since its inception in 2007, EWL Group has connected candidates from five continents—Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, and South America—with European employers. The company has successfully helped over 170,000 individuals from 28 countries secure employment with more than 1,600 employers across the European Union.

Joanna Janicka

Payroll & Labour Compliance Manager at Contrain, a Temporary Employment and HR Services Agency

Joanna Janicka has been extensively managing payroll, labor, and compliance issues at Contrain for over five years. She oversees the meticulous administration of salaries in accordance with Polish, German, and Dutch law. Joanna leverages her expert knowledge in both Polish and international law, particularly EU legislation on the cross-border posting of workers, to support her organization.

She values the opportunity to work in a diverse environment. At Contrain, Joanna thrives by working across various corporate forms, including Polish companies, German GmbH, and Dutch B.V., as well as companies with and without Temporary Employment Agency (APT) status. Her role allows her to blend comprehensive legal oversight with practical payroll execution, making her a pivotal figure in her field.

Paulina Piskor

CEO at Contrain Group sp. z o.o., Board member at Contrain Poland sp. z o.o. Temporary Employment Agency posting workers to foreign user employers

Paulina has been responsible for the creation and development of business models for the provision of expert services in temporary labour, posting of workers in the common European market, as well as other modern HR services at Contrain for over 6 years. She is a full member of the European Labour Mobility Institute.

Paulina’s goal is to create an environment where people’s talents and creativity make it possible to create innovative, and therefore effective solutions. She supports the realization of employee goals in both business and social contexts.

Last year Contrain celebrated its 25th anniversary. In recent years the company has been twice awarded the Forbes Diamonds award, HR Dream Team, the title of Employee Friendly Employment Agency and 3rd place in Poland in the Best of Wellbeing at Work competition. Contrain regularly takes the top spot in the Employee Delegation category of the Polish HR Forum ranking.

Joanna Kozikowska

Processes & Technologies Manager w Contrain Group sp. z o.o. Temporary Employment Agency posting workers to foreign user employers

Joanna has been supporting Contrain with her expertise in process optimization for over 16 years. She is responsible for the improvement, automation and monitoring of processes in the areas of finance, HR, operations, recruitment and sales. Joanna is certified in Lean IT and graduated from the “Forge of IT Leaders” program.

She supports teams in implementing new tools and processes. It is important to her that the implemented changes are understood and co-created by employees.

Marc Geer

Global Operations Director at Fragomen, explores the potential of Artificial Intelligence as a new frontier in immigration services

Marc Geer has over 20 years’ experience in the immigration sector. A mechanical engineer by profession, Marc works directly with the firm’s executive team to manage strategic firmwide projects, involving geographic expansion, new product strategy, technology, and innovation programs, sitting at the nexus between operational efficiency and technology innovation. Marc has been part of the architectural teams responsible  for many of the firm’s technology initiatives, realizing technology adoption to solve complex and varied problems that enhance the service and support of all Fragomen’s computing platforms. Marc also participates actively in the firm’s strategic development of new technology and related deliverables, and it is in this role that Marc has been exploring the potential of Artificial Intelligence as a new frontier for immigration services.

David Wernsing

Attorney at one of the leading Dutch corporate immigration law firms, Maes Law

David Wernsing is an attorney at one of the leading Dutch corporate immigration law firms, Maes Law. He specializes in employment law and international labour migration. David and his team advise an extensive range of companies throughout the European Union that are working in the Netherlands on the aspects of immigration law and employment law, offering holistic solutions. In addition to advising clients, David frequently litigates against the Dutch government in fine cases, or other immigration cases which has lead to changes in national policies, and currently also to a pending procedure at the European Court of Justice in relation to the posting of third-country nationals.

Zbigniew Bartuś

Journalist and columnist for Forsal.pl and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna

Zbigniew Bartuś – columnist for Forsal.pl and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna, journalist for over 30 years covering economic life, initiator of close cooperation between economic organizations, universities, local governments and business environment institutions in Małopolska, host and moderator of key economic events, originator of the DGP Economic INFORum. He has received scholarships from Reuters and the U.S. Department of State. Winner of several dozen journalistic awards and distinctions, m.in. Economic Journalist of the Year, Grabski Main Award, Kwiatkowski Award, Grand Prix of Małopolska Journalists, nominations for the Grand Press. Member of the Board of the Auschwitz Victims Remembrance Foundation, activist of Rotary International, member of the Alumni Association.

Izabela Florczak

Vice-Dean for International Cooperation and Projects at the Faculty of Law and Administration, University of Lodz, Of Counsel at the C&C Chakowski&Ciszek law firm

Vice-Dean for International Cooperation and Projects at the Faculty of Law and Administration, University of Lodz and an Assistant Professor at the Department Labour Law; Researcher at the Centre for Migration Law Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences; Of Counsel at the C&C Chakowski&Ciszek law firm; legal advisor. She specialises in labour law (i.a. atypical employment, employment bases) and legal aspects of migration from a labour market perspective.

Kamil Matuszczyk PhD

Assistant professor, University of Warsaw

Dr. Kamil Matuszczyk is an esteemed assistant professor at the University of Warsaw’s Faculty of Political Science and International Studies and a researcher at the Centre for Migration Research. With a PhD in political science and administration, his expertise spans international labor migration, domestic care sectors, population policies, and labor market dynamics. Dr. Matuszczyk has led significant research on the employment of foreign workers in the domestic care sector across Germany, Poland, and Ukraine, funded by the National Science Centre’s Preludium and Etude grants. His dissertation on state policy towards care migration, supervised by Prof. Maciej Duszczyk, earned him a prestigious award from the Institute of Labour and Social Affairs. A prolific participant in European projects on worker posting, seasonal migration, and irregular migration, he has also contributed to global discussions on labor and migration. Dr. Matuszczyk has been a visiting scholar at several notable institutions including the Central European University and Humboldt University. His work with Kulczyk Investments has produced influential reports on labor relations and the impact of new technologies on the labor market in Central and Eastern Europe.

Dr Marcin Kiełbasa

Legal scholar and legal advisor, currently serving as an assistant professor at the Department of Public Economic Law and Labor Law at the Cracow University of Economics

Doctor of Legal Sciences, legal advisor (Krakow Bar Association), and assistant professor at the Department of Public Economic Law and Labor Law at Cracow University of Economics (UEK). He is also a translator of English and Italian, including freelancing at the Court of Justice of the European Union and teaching at the Department of Translation Studies at Jagiellonian University. He graduated from the American Law School of the Jagiellonian University, the Catholic University of America School of Law, and completed postgraduate studies in Labor Law at Jagiellonian University.

A recipient of scholarships from the National Science Center, the University of Vienna, Ruhr Universität Bochum (RUB), and the European University Institute (EUI) in Florence among others. He is an expert and participant in several international and Polish grants concerning internal EU market mobility, cross-border aspects of worker posting, labor law, and social security.

He has authored dozens of scientific publications on labor and social security law, particularly on cross-border aspects and the posting of workers within the EU. His professional and academic interests include labor and social security law (including European aspects with a focus on practical cross-border issues), worker posting (including its practical aspects), and economic law—particularly the law of the EU internal market and public economic law (including business operation regulations).

In these fields, he provides consultancy to Polish and international entities.

Marek Benio

Lawyer, Doctor of Economic Sciences, Vice President of the European Labour Mobility Institute

• Chairman of the Conference Organizing Committee and Moderator of the entire event
• Honorary member of the Małopolska Branch of the Polish Social Insurance Association, founder of the Foundation for Public Administration and Economy
• Creator of the Legal Posting Workshop – a mechanism for transferring knowledge between the academic, business, and administrative environments
• Participant in public consultations and author of key legal opinions on the implementation directive, revision of the basic directive, and regulations on the coordination of social security systems
• Academic teacher, lecturing on labor law and social security at the Krakow University of Economics and the University of Gdańsk
• Advocate of Oxford-style debates, tutor and promoter of over 200 master’s and diploma theses
• Twice awarded the “Mentor” student award in the Innovator category