Maja Koncan-Gradnik was born in Ljubljana in 1951. She received her B.Sc. and M. Sc. degrees from the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology of the University of Ljubljana in 1975 and 1983, respectively. From 1975 to 1977 she worked as a researcher at the same faculty and from 1977 to 1985 she headed the Department for Industry of Building Materials at the SCT company in Ljubljana. She then joined the Milan Vidmar Electric Power Research Institute where she has been heading the Department from 1991 onwards.

Her research activity is in connection with dielectric materials and high-voltage equipment, with special emphasis on determining the quality of transformer oils and paper insulation, the compatibility of electric materials, the development and implementation of new diagnostic procedures, diagnostics of high-voltage equipment using physical and chemical methods, and estimating the remaining life span of transformers.

She is the author of over 50 professional works published in journals and conference proceedings; in addition, she has presented her articles and held lectures at many domestic and international conferences. Mrs. Koncan-Gradnik represents Slovenia within the IEC TC 10 Geneve and CIGRE SC D1 Paris organizations. She also chairs the Slovene CIGRE SK Materials and Emerging test techniqes (SK D1) and the SIST/TC-TPD Technical Committee - Liquid and Gas Dielectrics.