After the official part we are cordially inviting you to the reception
at 7:45 p.m. at the City Hall.

This time we will elect new President and four new Board members.
We present you the following candidates.

Candidate for the President of the American Chamber of Commerce

Matej Potokar holds the position of Senior Director Microsoft Business Solutions for the Central and Eastern European region.

Before taking this position, he was the general manager of Microsoft’s Slovenian subsidiary for three years. Under his leadership it achieved excellent business results that put it among the most successful Microsoft subsidiaries in the world.

After joining the company in 2003 he performed in a number of management roles until taking on the General Manager position in 2007. He led the Services group in the regions of Adriatic and Southeast Europe as well as in Central and Eastern Europe.

Before joining Microsoft he worked in Intertrade ITS, first as a consultant and project manager, and later as a business group manager. He was later promoted to Assistant to General Manager and finished his employment at Intertrade ITS as a General Manager.

He is also a member of CEEMAN, Central and Eastern European Management Development Association, which brings together managers from successful enterprises and reputable academic institutions from 42 countries in Europe, Americas and Asia. He is the Vice President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Slovenia and a member of the Faculty of Economics Council. On his watch Microsoft Slovenia has been awarded the title of best employer by the Zlata nit competition for two years in a row. Matej also works as a mentor to promising economics and entrepreneurship students, providing them help and counsel in their professional development.

He graduated at the Faculty of Computer and Information Science in Ljubljana and later received an MBA from the University of Kansas, United States of America.

He is fluent in English, Croatian and Serbian and can speak German. He lives in Lesce, Slovenia, and spends his free time with his family. Matej is an avid motorcyclist and likes to play basketball and football.

Candidates for the Board members of the American Chamber of Commerce

Matjaž Rakovec is a graduate of the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Economics and has over fifteen years of professional experience in the insurance industry. His career began as a tradesman in Radovljica and he continued it as an independent sales executive in the company Intertrade and later in the company Anga. He joined Zavarovalnica Triglav, d.d., Regional office Ljubljana in 1994, where he took over the sales sector and a year later became assistant director in charge of managing the sector of marketing to legal persons and IT field. As the director he joined the international company, Studio Moderna in 2005 and later he was the adviser to the Management Board of Mercator. He returned to Zavarovalnica Triglav in 2006 as the director of the Regional office Ljubljana. The Supervisory Board appointed him as the president of the Management Board of Zavarovalnica Triglav on 24th of August 2009. He is also the president of Supervisory board of different companies: Lovćen Osiguranje, Triglav BH Osiguranje and Jedrski pool, GIZ. He is Deputy President of the Supervisory Board of Krka as well. Matjaž Rakovec is a member of the Council of the Economic faculty, University of Ljubljana, member of management committee of GZS, a member of executive committee of OKS and the chairman of Škrabec’s association. He is also a big sports fan who likes challenges and andrenaline. He looks for those challenges, not only in the business world but also in sports. He is inextricably linked with it. He is the president of Slovenia’s hockey association and a member of different sports clubs and organizations and an international water polo judge.

Nataša Jenčič was born in 1963. She finished her educational process as Master of Science of pharmacy. In 1987 she joined Hoechst/Roussel company, today known as Sanofi-Aventis as Sales Representative, later as Product Manager for CV products for entire area of former Yugoslavia. In 1992 she continued her career in Schering – Plough CE AG as Country Manager of Slovenian subsidiary from it’s beginning. Later she worked as Interim General Manager for Adriatic region where she reorganized subsidiaries in Croatia and Serbia and started organizing business in Macedonia, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 2009 she became Schering – Plough CE AG General Manager for Slovenia and Croatia, later Special Projects Leader in Emerging markets. Since 2010 she has been working with Merck Sharp & Dohme, inovativna zdravila d.o.o. in Slovenia. Currently she is also President of LAWG, AmCham Board member and Forum member. She is a manager with experience in various positions. She is very passionate, persistent and responsible at her work.

Sandi Češko, as the co-founder of one of the first Slovenian computer company, ORIA and the co-founder of Studio Moderna, the leading direct marketing company in CEE, ranks amongst the most successful business entrepreneurs in Slovenia and is undoubtedly a proven business innovator. He was a member of the Supervisory boards in numerous companies (Telekom Slovenia, etc.), member of the first Slovenian Senate. He is a member of the International Advisory Board of the DMA (Direct Marketing Association), member of the Clinton Global initiative and member of the board of Balkan Children and Youth Foundation and member of the Business Advisory Council of faculty of Economics in Ljubljana and member of the Supervisory of IEDC – Bled school of management.

Thierry Villard, managing Director Goodyear Dunlop Tires CSEE, was born on October 30 1959 in France. He has more than 25 years of working experiences in the field of sales and marketing. He has General Management expertise in highly competitive industries, as well as strong knowledge of the markets of Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa. He is expert in managing Businesses in transition and organisational changes.

Thierry graduated from EDHEC Business School in France in 1984. Before joining Goodyear Dunlop Tires as Sales and Marketing Director for GOODYEAR DUNLOP Eastern Europe Middle East and Africa in 2007, his career highlights included positions of Sales Director in Danone France (1995 – 1996), Sales & Marketing Director EASTMAN KODAK France (1997 – 2001), International Key Account Director in EASTMAN KODAK (2002 – 2005), and of General Manager Central Europe Middle East and Africa in EASTMAN KODAK (2005 – 2006). He was appointed Managing Director Goodyear Dunlop Tires CSEE in April 2010, when he moved to the organisation’s headquarters in Kranj, Slovenia.

His key strengths apart from ability to work in complex and matrix organisations are his rich B2B and B2C experiences as well as him being a trusted and courageous leader to solve organisational issues.

Thierry is fluent in French and English. He is married and has three children. He spends his free time with his family; he loves motorcycles and skiing and has a passion for music.