Róbert Vass
Róbert Vass is a founder and President of GLOBSEC, a CEE-based think tank committed to enhancing security, prosperity, and sustainability in Europe and throughout the world. GLOBSEC’s mission is to represent the constructive voice of the CEE region, and to shape the future by generating new ideas and solutions for a better and safer world. Róbert currently manages an international team of more than 80 people composed of 12 different nationalities with the headquarters in Bratislava and a offices in Brussels, Vienna, Kyiv and Washington.
GLOBSEC Bratislava Forum, established by Róbert in 2005, is among the top 5 conferences in the world alongside World Economic Forum or Munich Security Conference. The Forum regularly welcomes more than 1300 guests, including heads of state, senior level politicians and C-suite business executives, international media, as well as respected thought leaders from the non-governmental and think-tank sectors. GLOBSEC events have been attended by high-level guests such as Pope Francis, Volodymir Zelenskyy, Ursula von der Leyen, Emmanuel Macron, Christine Lagarde, David Cameron, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Brad Smith and many other distinguished guests. GLOBSEC also organizes the annual GLOBSEC Tatra Summit, a conference that provides opportunity for experts to have intimate and constructive public-private discussions on the future of Europe.
GLOBSEC Institute, led by Robert, has its own research body which provides high-quality research materials for a global audience on 4 topical streams: Democracy & Resilience, Defence & Security, Economy & Business, and Global Europe. Its analysis and recommendations have been featured by international media outlets such as CNN, BBC, and the New York Times, GLOBSEC’s experts have delivered briefings for various governments, EU institutions, NATO, French Senate, US Senate, and additional representatives of international institutions.
Róbert works with a widely respected global network of leaders from both the public and private sector, namely GLOBSEC’s International Advisory Council and GLOBSEC Board members that counts titans from the fields of politics, business and academia like: Carl Bildt, Kersti Kaljulaid, General John Allen, Arancha González Laya, Alexandre Adam, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, Thierry Déau, Tomáš Pojar and many more. Róbert is also an active Advisor of the Schmidt Futures’ International Strategy Forum Network.
In 2020, Róbert received the Golden Plaque of the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic, on behalf of GLOBSEC for their significant contribution to the shaping of foreign and European policy, social discussion on foreign, security and European issues and a positive presentation of the Slovak Republic abroad. In 2017, he received a special Award of Governor of the National Bank of Romania in recognition of his efforts to create a safer transatlantic community. In 2014, the Mayor of Nové Zámky Otokar Klein recognized Róbert for his distinguished promotion of the city within the Slovak Republic and abroad and was the nominee for „Manager of the Year“ that same year.
Before establishing GLOBSEC, Róbert was elected the president of Euro-Atlantic Centre (EAC) in 2002, a nongovernmental student organisation and held the position until 2006. EAC strives to connect young professionals passionate about international relations, foreign policy and security policy. Róbert also represented the Slovak Republic and EAC in the international association Youth Atlantic Treaty Association. Róbert holds his master’s degree from the Faculty of International Relations and Political Sciences at Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica.