Bridging People and Countries

What was your biggest professional/personal success?

If I think the one thing that I am particularly proud of is the book I published in 2015 called Translators’ Handbook. It is in Serbian only and sums up everything one needs to know about legal and tax aspects of setting up a business in Serbia. I realized that there was no such guide in the market, and the information was dispersed in many places – often I would learn things on the go, and I diligently noted everything over a five-year period. Then, I worked for nine months on shaping the information into the fun and useful book that it is today. It is also one of my dreams that came true.

What was your biggest challenge? What was your biggest professional mistake (from which you learned a lot)?

Generally, my biggest challenge is overcoming the urge to please others. I have been working hard on overcoming it and realized that most of the time people’s advice, as good-intentioned and honest as it may be, is not a request to do as they suggest, so now I am more careful not to change my plans or ideas, especially because I think about things long and hard before deciding on a course of action. However, I do ask for opinions on certain topics and duly take them into consideration. As my father used to say, “svačiju slušaj, svoju sviđaj“ (listen to everyone’s opinion, but do it your way).

Now, back to one of my professional mistakes – although I would probably not call it the biggest… I had to wait for my course in Leadership, in particular the communication styles and the cultural differences, to realize its importance. I realized that even such similar cultures as Serbian and Italian may have some imperceptible differences that could ruin a business relationship. In this case, my directness (the so called ‘low-context communication style’) was perceived by management as arrogance, while for me their implied messages (‘high context’) simply sounded too vague and impractical, which eventually led to us parting ways.

Which 3 most important experiences in your life have led you to where you are right now?

This one is difficult, because there may be more than three defining moments in a person’s life that, combined with personal characteristics, lead to certain outcomes. One of those was my experience in the USA as a student, where I worked for about six months when I was just 23 years old. It significantly improved my self-confidence. Second, setting up my first company, Bel Translations, which taught me the value of independence and liberty. And third, my MBA studies at the WU Executive Academy. It felt like the missing piece and was I right! Not only have I learned a lot, but I received so much from being exposed to the like-minded people who continue to inspire me.

What has changed in your career because of your MBA degree? How did the program support you in reaching your career goals? What concrete career opportunities have opened up for you?

As mentioned, the MBA degree added more to my self-confidence. This alone is a great asset and, although I never had doubts about myself and my capacity, it made me realize how much I know and made me more daring. Additionally, it gave me the practical tools to assess my ideas better and, had I known some things before, I would probably have done some things differently in business, especially the one business I set up in Italy in 2018, which unfortunately never amounted to a lot.

When it comes to concrete career opportunities, I got a job at memoQ during the studies, which is a company I admire a lot. Then, thanks to the colleagues I met during the studies, I got recommendations for my translation business, worked with a colleague as CMO on the energy storage systems, and now, made the leap into wholesale and retail. I got help from colleagues who work in this area, and I will be working with some on international expansion, so I would say that the studies paid off handsomely indeed!

As far as the workload is concerned, how did you manage an MBA next to a demanding job and your family life?

Truth be told, there must be a shift in balance, and one cannot expect to continue with ‘business as usual’. I am lucky to be good at organizing my time and workload, and I am also lucky that I love learning, so I was happy to move the needle on the scale toward my MBA and job duties during that period in my life. Now, I would say that I reached a sort of balance, but still, if it wasn’t for my family and their understanding, it would not have been possible.

You’ve been a member of the International Advisory Board for several years now, and as of this year, you’ve also taken on the role of Vice President. Could you share what your main responsibilities are in this position and how the IAB has impacted you so far?

Going back a few years, when I first applied to become a member of the International Advisory Board of the WU, I had only a vague idea of what duties and responsibilities would await and what it was all about, but I was right about one thing – it would keep me close to the university and its spirit of learning, sharing, helping others and being helped by others. The IAB is there to keep our alumni close to the university, help prospective students understand the dynamics of the MBA life, what they might expect from the studies, assist current students with career opportunities through mentoring – we have the Mentoring4U program, which is a great way to establish both professional and personal relationships with each other. My duties are to work on strategies for bringing the university and its alumni closer together and then implementing those through various initiatives that we all agree upon. It is not a lonely job, which is why it is beautiful. You always exchange ideas with others, and this alone is what makes it exciting. We help organize events, keep in touch with various hubs, promote learning through special sessions with guest speakers, tell our stories at events, etc.

After nearly 20 years in the language, copywriting, and translation business, you've decided to pursue an additional career path and founded the Italian products retailer Amalphis. What inspired such a significant change?

My career in languages, copywriting, and translation is something that makes part of my daily life and I still enjoy it, but I decided to pursue this new path for several reasons. I have lived in Italy, namely in one of its most beautiful regions, the Amalfi Coast, since 2011, and I learned to love it so much that I wanted to share that experience with the world. This is not even my first attempt to do so. I tried once, but without much success, though, through an e-commerce venture that I founded in 2018, but now I am armed with the knowledge I acquired through my MBA studies, and I have colleagues that I can rely upon – all things that I did not have back then. So, Amalphis is now the seed of what I hope to develop into its current tagline – A True Italian Experience. Our first approach is to take some of the best Italian products and offer them to the world at such accessible prices that the spirit of Italy will spread fast in people’s homes. As a friend of mine recently said, and I want to honor him here, “Tradition is for everyone” (Thanks, Bruno!). We make this possible by strictly controlling costs and by having intimate knowledge of Italy, hence better access to the source than some other companies. We are now present in Serbia but have plans to expand in other markets soon. Austria is high on the list!

What do you consider a “great luxury”?

Italian products at Italian prices. Ha-ha! Time and the freedom to spend it the way you want.

What was the last book/movie you really enjoyed?

I read a lot. One of the books that I really enjoyed so much is Phil Knight’s Shoe Dog. It is so good. It’s a business book, an autobiography of the creator of Nike, but if I tell you that I laughed so hard so many times, you might get the idea. Biographies have become my favorite types of books. In that sense, I would also like to draw your attention to one of the podcasts that I have enjoyed over the last year or so –Founders Podcast, by David Senra. He reads and then analyzes biographies of great founders and achievers generally from all walks of life, and it is thanks to him that I discovered and bought many books that sit on my shelf.

One great book that I find extremely useful is Poor Charlie’s Almanack, The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger. Charlie passed away last year and is best known as Warren Buffett’s partner and the mastermind behind Berkshire Hathaway. Then, there is the book I always read and give away to people: On the Shortness of Life, by Seneca. Anything from Seneca is pure gold and I consider him my spiritual father.

Movies: Ex Machina, Office Space, and Das Leben der Anderen (The Lives of Others).

If you could change places with anyone for a day, who would it be?

My son. I would like to see the world through his eyes and myself as a father through his eyes.

Read more interesting career stories of our students and graduates here.

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