Sona Muzikarova Keynote Speaker

Leading economist focused on Central and East Europe.
Specializes in economic repercussions of Ukraine war.
Former diplomat and current policy advisor to deputy foreign affairs minister of Slovakia.

Sona Muzikarova's Biography

Sona Muzikarova is a leading political economist and commentator with over 15 years of expertise in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE).

She is a Non-Resident Senior Fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center and is currently researching how to accelerate government innovation at the Dean’s Office of Harvard Kennedy School.

Prior to that, Muzikarova ran her policy consultancy helping the C-suite of leading institutions to navigate the CEE region. She held senior advisory roles to Slovakia’s deputy foreign affairs minister (2020-2023) and national bank governor (2020-2021).

As Head of Policy at GLOBSEC between 2020 and 2022, she founded a research and policy advocacy program to advance economic policy in CEE. Muzikarova also drove forward Slovakia’s 2019 Presidency of the OECD as its chief advisor and diplomat.

Her earlier work had centered on applied economic research at the European Central Bank.

Sona’s commentary has been featured in the Financial Times, POLITICO Europe, BBC, Le Monde, Al Jazeera, Project Syndicate, and Euronews, among others.

She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Macalester College and expects to earn her Master in Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School in May 2025.

CEE Macroeconomic and Political Outlook

CEE, the Next Tech Valley?

CEE and the Future of Automotive Industry

The ESG Imperative in CEE Markets

Geopolitical Implications of U.S. 2024 Elections

Russia - Ukraine War

• Transition economies’ development

She brings a rare blend of policy and market expertise in Central and Eastern Europe, helping leaders interpret political risk, growth prospects and strategic opportunity across the region.
She pairs Atlantic Council insight with senior government advisory experience in Slovakia, giving boards and executives a clearer read on how geopolitics and policy decisions translate into real economic outcomes.
She has built and led high-impact policy work as Chief Economist at GLOBSEC, equipping organisations with practical, C-suite relevant guidance on strengthening economic policy and competitiveness in CEE.
She brings the credibility of a former European Central Bank economist and a widely published commentator, helping audiences cut through noise and communicate confidently about the forces shaping Europe’s economy and security.