General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer, Zeekr (Geely Group)
Rafael Colonia is the General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer for Zeekr (Geely Group) in Europe, currently leading the legal and compliance strategies to drive electric vehicle adoption.
Previously, Rafael served as the Chief Legal Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer for Europe at Genesis Motor Europe, where he has significantly contributed to Genesis’ European expansion. Additionally, he spent almost eight years with Volkswagen, almost two of which as General Counsel for the Volkswagen Group Middle East, where he was integral to several technology and mobility projects. Earlier still, he spent seven years with K.Electronic as a Senior Legal Counsel focusing on international law.
Rafael obtained his LLB degree from the Universidad de las Americas Puebla and holds master’s degrees from the University of Oslo, Leibniz Universitat Hannover, Universidad Internacional de La Rioja, Universidad de Salamanca, as well as La Salle BCN.
Senior Legal Counsel, Envista
Karel Budka is the Senior Legal Counsel at Envista Holdings Corporation, where he oversees the legal framework for the EMEA region. In his current position, he is responsible for managing a broad spectrum of legal matters including corporate, labor, contractual issues, and medical device advertisement law, as well as overseeing litigations in collaboration with external advisors. He also provides crucial compliance support to the US-based Compliance department and extends legal guidance for strategic projects in the region.
Before his current position, Karel served as General Counsel & Member of the Board of Directors at Invia, where he contributed significantly to the company’s legal strategy. His previous roles also include working as a Lawyer for the Photon Energy Group, focusing on investment protection and corporate law, and as a Junior Attorney at Belina & Partners.
Karel holds an LLM in health law from Charles University in Prague, a juris doctor degree from Nova Southeastern University (Fort Lauderdale), and an LLM degree from Charles University in Prague. He is a dual-licensed attorney, eligible to practice law in both the Czech Republic and Florida.
