Mr. Bojan Križaj, Slovenia, former Slovenian ski champion
Mr. Bojan Križaj from Tržič still holds the title of the most successful Slovenian alpine skier, having achieved eight victories in the World Cup, all in slalom, and an additional 25 podium finishes. In 1982, he became the world vice-champion in slalom in Schladming, and in 1987, he also won the small crystal globe in slalom. He made history as the first Slovenian to win a World Cup race, accomplished on the legendary Wengen in 1980. Bojan Križaj, in his rich skiing career that concluded in 1988, is not only a legend of Slovenian sports but still remains exceptionally popular in the former Yugoslav country."
Mr. Franjo Bobinac, Slovenia, Slovenian Olympic Committee, President
Mr. Franjo Bobinac is the President of the Olympic Committee of Slovenia-Association of Sports Federations. In his successful business career, he has held the position of Vice President at the Chinese multinational company Hisense International since 2018, overseeing global marketing efforts. From 2003 to 2019, he held the prestigious roles of President of the Management Board and Chief Executive Officer at the Gorenje Group. In the field of sports, he was formerly the President of the Handball Federation of Slovenia. Since 2018, he is a member of the Executive Committee of the Olympic Committee of Slovenia-Association of Sports Federations. He is also a member of the Executive Committee of the European Handball Federation.
Mr. Jure Franko, Slovenia, former Slovenian ski champion
Mr. Jure Franko will forever be remembered as the first to win a silver medal at the Winter Olympic Games in Sarajevo 1984 for Yugoslavia and Slovenia. Jure achieved his best performances in giant slalom and super-G during the Olympic season of 1983/84. As a competitor, he retired at the end of the 1984/85 season. In addition to the mentioned Olympic silver, he reached the third podium in the World Cup three times and reached 23 times the top 10. After finishing his career, he pursued business activities in Japan and nowadays is a successful musical producer.
Mrs. Mateja Svet, Slovenia, former Slovenian ski champion
Mrs. Mateja Svet made her debut in the 1983/1984 season, achieving the first Yugoslav female skiing victory in February 1986. She achieved the World Cup giant slalom title in the 1987/1988 season, earned a silver medal in the giant slalom at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, and garnered three medals at the 1987 World Championship in Crans-Montana, along with two medals at the 1989 World Championship in Vail – gold in slalom and bronze in giant slalom. In her relatively brief career, she accomplished seven World Cup victories, stood on the podium 22 times, and achieved top ten 54 times in the World Cup. From 1985 to 1990, she consistently ranked no lower than 7th in the overall World Cup standings.
Mr. Jure Košir, Slovenia, former Slovenian ski champion
Mr. Jure Košir is another successful former Slovenian alpine skier from 1990s. The first peak of his career was achieved in the 1993/94 season when he earned the first World Cup victory for independent Slovenia, won the bronze medal at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer and finished the season at the 3rd place of the World Cup slalom standings. In the season, 1994/95 he won three World Cup medals: silver in giant slalom standings, bronze in slalom and overall standings. He reached the second peak of his career in 1998/99 when he won two more slalom races (Kranjska Gora) and finished the season at the 2nd place of the World Cup slalom standings. Besides that, he won additional 20 times podiums, 18 of them at slalom. During the peak of his popularity, he was a member of a rap group, and he recorded a few rap songs.
Mr. Boris Podvršnik, Mag., Slovenia, Mayor of the municipality of Zreče
Mr. Boris Podvršnik is a Mayor of municipality of Zreče. As a mayor he has led several projects, including the construction of a cross-country skiing center on Rogla. The project aimed to invest in and develop tourism in the region. The Municipality of Zreče is known for its focus on tourism, particularly during the winter months due to the popular ski resort at Rogla.
Mr. Enzo Smrekar, Slovenia, President of the Slovenian Ski Association
Mr. Enzo Smrekar is the President of the Ski Association of Slovenia. Smrekar joined Ski Association of Slovenia as Vice president in 2010 and was elected as President in 2013. He was also elected to the FIS Council in June 2021. He is the founder of the Vitae Foundation, which helps athletes integrate into business after their sporting careers. As President of the Organizing Committee of the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships Planica 2023 he was leading a team of experts that welcome one of the biggest events held in Slovenia. He has been appointed as an alumnus of Harvard Business School, a certified coach with NLP diplomas from Richard Bandler – Society. Additionally, he serves as a pro bono coach and mentor to numerous young entrepreneurs and managers in programs such as CEED, IEDC MBA, DMS, and Amcham Young Professionals. For his work, he has received numerous professional awards, including Best European Manager (2019), IEDC Alumni Achievement Award (2018), Advertising Personality of the Year (2017), and MBA Outstanding Performances Award, Manager of the Year (2019)." Today he is Vice President for Atlantic Droga Kolinska Group.
Ms. Barbara Soršak, Slovenia, Executive Director of Unitur, Hotels and Resorts
Ms. Barbara Soršak is the Executive Director of Unitur Zreče. She is an expert in economics and tourism with over two decades of experience in the tourism industry. She started her career in sales and has been serving as the Executive Director of Unitur Zreče since 2017. Unitur Zreče is a company that manages Ski & Sport Resort Rogla and Wellness & Spa Resort Terme Zreče, two prominent tourist resorts known for their size and recognition. The company operates in Zreče, a city known for its focus on tourism in all four seasons.