Vinko Gorenak, PhD was born on 15 December 1955 in Boharina near Zreče. After graduation from a secondary school of education (Pedagoška gimnazija) he studied at the Teacher Training College (Pedagoška akademija) in Maribor.  In 1977 he worked as educator in the Police Academy (Kadetska šola za miličnike) in Tacen and studied part-time at the School of Organisational Sciences (Visoka šola za organizacijo dela) in Kranj, graduating in 1983. Between 1982 and 1984 he served as Assistant Chief of Police in Celje in charge of organisation and personnel. Between 1984 and 1989 he was Chief of Police in Celje. After that he worked as Head of the Police Inspectorate in Celje. In 1990 he was appointed Advisor to the Minister and transferred to the Office of the Minister of Internal Affairs. At the end of 1991 he was awarded a master's degree by the School of Organisational Sciences (Visoka šola za organizacijo dela) in Kranj. The title of his thesis was Vpliv učno vzgojnih rezultatov miličnikov kadetov na delovno uspešnost miličnikov (Impact of Educational Achievements of Police Cadets upon Policemen's Performance).  

While working for the Ministry of Internal Affairs he focused on issues of police force organisation and development ever since 1990. Until 1995 he held the position of the Advisor to the Government in the Office of the Minister of Internal Affairs, and was Director of the Organisation and Personnel Department at the Ministry of Internal Affairs from 1995 till the middle of 1999. During that time he headed the working group that prepared the Police Act, adopted in the middle of 1998.

In 1994 he became active in education. He was appointed senior lecturer in the field of police organisation and work in 1995 by the University of Ljubljana. In 2004 he was appointed assistant professor for the field of security company management by the University of Maribor. At present, he is delivering undergraduate and postgraduate courses at the Faculty of Criminal Justice of the University of Maribor.

In the middle of 2000 he was appointed State Secretary at the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the field of police and general matters. On 1 December 2000 he assumed the position of the Head of the Department for Security Analysis and Policy as State Undersecretary in the same Ministry. In May 2003 he defended his doctoral thesis entitled Vpliv managerjev na uspešnost policijskih organizacij (Management's Influence on Police Efficiency). He wrote numerous scientific and professional articles in the field of police management.

On 3 December 2004 the Government of the Republic of Slovenia appointed Dr. Vinko Gorenak as State Secretary at the Ministry of Internal Affairs. He remained in office until 31 October 2005.