ICT, cyber security and AI expertise that connects strategic priorities, technical evidence and practical action.
A track record of delivering reliable systems and lasting business value in complex, regulated environments.
Build trust. Innovate with heart.
Domen Verdnik · Phi Savjetovanje, Zagreb
Find the expertise that fits the decision in front of you.
For organisational leaders, IT and security teams, legal professionals, and research and innovation bodies facing complex technology questions.
Connect useful applications with sound data, governance and oversight.
Explore AI & data governanceUnderstand exposure, critical dependencies and the priorities for improvement.
Explore security & resilienceClarify the technical question, the evidence and the scope of an assessment.
Explore expert servicesStart with the decision that needs to be made. Build the evidence needed to make it well.
Clarify the objective, context, stakeholders and decision criteria.
Review the facts, test assumptions and identify material gaps and risks.
Set out the options, trade-offs and a reasoned recommendation.
Agree priorities, responsibilities and the conditions for progress.
Specialist expertise for decisions that need both a broad view and a detailed understanding of technology, risk and accountability.
Assess the current environment, define a coherent target architecture and establish a realistic path for change. Connect investment, governance and delivery to the organisation’s objectives. When implementation stalls, clarify responsibilities, risks and acceptance criteria.
Explore this serviceEvaluate security governance, critical dependencies and operational readiness. Turn findings into prioritised measures with clear ownership and practical acceptance criteria.
Explore this serviceAssess AI opportunities alongside data quality, architecture, security and governance requirements. Establish the conditions for responsible adoption and measurable business value.
Explore this serviceProvide external DPO services or focused data protection advisory. Review processing risks, documentation and oversight, connecting GDPR requirements with technical systems and operational practice.
Explore this serviceExamine service scope, contractual responsibilities, service levels and supplier performance. Support decisions on procurement, acceptance, transition and exit with a clear view of delivery and operational risk.
Explore this serviceEvaluate research and innovation proposals against the applicable call and programme criteria. Bring evaluator, rapporteur and jury experience to evidence-based assessment and clear reasoning.
Explore this serviceProvide structured technical analysis, expert opinions and digital forensic examination in ICT and cyber security matters. Explain the evidence, assumptions and limits in terms that support informed decisions.
Explore this serviceExamples from Domen Verdnik’s professional experience, including earlier roles.
In February 2026, I completed 33 evaluations for the EIC Accelerator Open and Challenges call. The assignment included work in consensus groups and drafting consensus reports as super-rapporteur.
Independent expert assignment contracted by the European Research Executive Agency (REA).
HORIZON-EIC-2026-ACCELERATOR-02Critical Infrastructure Protection for Smart Industries
EU co-funded portfolio · Selected experience at InfoDom · 2021–2023
Bring academic research and industrial development together across four projects for critical-infrastructure protection, while maintaining continuity through contracting delays.
Portfolio Director and InfoDom Board Member for Technology and Data (CTDO), responsible for priorities, resources, risks and partner coordination.
Established shared governance and clear responsibilities, aligned plans and resources, and introduced common data definitions, staged quality reviews and early interface testing.
Maintained team and partner continuity. Communication between components was tested before final modules were ready, allowing integration issues to be identified earlier.
At InfoDom, I directed the EU-funded CEKOM portfolio of eight projects through final approval and production deployment, with board-level responsibility for risk, resources and partner coordination.
For 10 years, I have served as external Data Protection Officer (DPO) for Europlakat.
I developed IT strategies and enterprise architectures for Croatian ministries. In a government advisory role, I led implementation of the SCF management information system.
I have led more than 50 expert engagements concerning cybercrime, security incidents and information security management. I am a court-appointed expert in ICT and cyber security.
Selected summaries of reference letters covering professional work, including earlier roles.
HaDEA recognises professionalism, impartiality, reliability and expertise in external expert work for the European Commission. Assignments in 2023–2025 included proposal evaluation, consensus reporting and quality checks.
The recommendation recognises leadership, ICT and information security expertise, clear communication and the ability to put strategy into practice. It draws on earlier collaboration at Eon and subsequent technology initiatives.
The reference recognises professionalism, impartiality and subject-matter expertise. I have worked continuously with RIF as an external expert and evaluator since 2024, on projects under RESEARCH IN ENTERPRISES 2023, DISRUPT and PRE-SEED.
The letter confirms external expert assignments in 2023–2025, initially managed by the European Research Executive Agency (REA) and subsequently by HaDEA.
The reference was provided by the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of NLB. It draws on direct collaboration at Eon in 2000–2002, when I was co-owner and Chief Technology Officer, and on subsequent technology initiatives and continued professional contact.
An undated reference concerns the proposal Systemic Tools for Detecting and Disrupting Youth Poly-Victimization Pathways (SAPPHIRE). The independent review was arranged through the Transnational Network of National Contact Points for Widening Participation and Strengthening the European Research Area (NCP_WIDERA.NET), before the official Horizon Europe evaluation.
RIF confirms external expert and evaluator assignments, including DISRUPT programme jury membership and on-site scientific evaluations. The letter recognises professionalism, impartiality and subject-matter expertise. My continuous work with RIF since 2024 includes projects under RESEARCH IN ENTERPRISES 2023, DISRUPT and PRE-SEED — Creation and Initial Development of STARTUPs with International Orientation.
The assessment for 08.01.2025.–31.12.2025. records expectations met in all six categories. The overall commentary describes performance as exceeding expectations, highlighting availability and useful feedback in the grading process. A recommendation dated 14.06.2022. also records examiner work since November 2017.
These references concern personal professional work in the roles and periods stated.
Selected publication
A co-authored professional article connecting business priorities, AI and data governance, and human oversight.
InfoDom · Kontroling Financije Menadžment, December 2025, pp. 42–48.
Every engagement starts with listening: understanding your context, priorities and constraints. Independent expertise brings evidence and a wider perspective. Through open dialogue, we make the options and trade-offs explicit and agree a proportionate way forward.
Priorities, constraints and ambition.
Evidence, options and judgement.
A clear decision. A practical next step.
A physicist by education, with more than 30 years of experience in ICT, cyber security, management and digital transformation. Experience as an IT director and board member informs an approach grounded in both technical detail and organisational responsibility.
My work spans strategic advisory, expert analysis, audit and the evaluation of research and innovation. The aim is consistent: establish what the evidence supports and make the next decision clear.
Balance functionality and security to enable innovation, build trust and create lasting business value.
A selection spanning governance, architecture, security and portfolio leadership.
Member since
Describe the problem, its context and what you would like to achieve. Together, we can define the scope and a useful next step.
A clear starting point
The first conversation clarifies your problem, the intended outcome, the available evidence and the possible scope of work. We agree the next step together.
Based in Zagreb. Working in English, Slovenian and Croatian.