People & CultureHorizons.

Irena Weber

General director | HUP

Ema Menđušić Škugor

Odvjetnica za korporativna, komercijalna i regulatorna prava | Divjak Topić Bahtijarević & Krka Law Firm

Gordana Kastrapeli

Leadership Consultant | Mynd

Maja Bušljeta

Voditeljica internih komunikacija i korporativne kulture | Erste&Steiermärkische Bank d.d. Hrvatska

Romina Ivančić Maćešić

People and Culture Director BU Adria | Coca Cola HBC Hrvatska

Gordan Kožulj

Director of Business Consulting | Deloitte

Tina Turk Lupieri

Human Resources Director | Maistra

doc. dr. sc. Nikolina Borčić

Assistant professor | FPZG

Nikolina Borčić is an assistant professor at the Faculty of Political Science, University of Zagreb. She graduated in German and Russian language and literature at the University of Zagreb and completed a Master of Science in European Studies: Languages ​​and Cultures in Contact. She has two doctorates – the first in linguistics, with a focus on the informative-persuasive function of language in political interviews, while the second in communication sciences was dedicated to the research of argumentation and non-verbal communication in political speeches, again from the perspective of persuasion through information. In her teaching and scientific work, she systematically deals with the informative-persuasive function of media texts, both at the level of language and at the level of public appearances in the media, within various thematic and niche frameworks. At VERN’ University, she taught courses from the perspective of the informative-persuasive function of communication, exploring the connection between identity and image, strategies of persuasion and information in political and business communication, and the creation of content and image in popular culture and celebrity discourse. Storytelling, as a tool for shaping image in public communication, continues to be taught. After working at the Faculty of Political Science, University of Zagreb, she focused on courses dealing with communication strategies and language tactics in the media context, analysis of media language, and stylistics and design of short journalistic forms, with a special emphasis on the possibilities of artificial intelligence language modeling within these areas. She has published more than 40 scientific papers and has presented at more than 30 scientific conferences. She is the author of the scientific and professional book The Devil is in Detail: Image and Discourse in Politics (2023). She is a regular columnist on the mixer.hr portal, where she writes about the image of influential women and analyzes elements of public communication in the media. 

izv. prof. Ana Belajdžić

Department of Psychology | University of Osijek

Ana Belajdžić, born on January 19, 1986, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Osijek. She currently serves as the Deputy Head of the Department of Psychology and the Head of the Chair for Developmental and Applied Psychology. During her four-year term, she also held leadership positions as the Vice Dean for Study Programs and Lifelong Learning, as well as the Vice Dean for Teaching and Student Affairs at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Osijek. Professor Belajdžić teaches courses such as Introduction to Work Psychology and Organizational Psychology, Work Psychology, Organizational Psychology, Career Management, and Justice in Organizational Contexts. Her primary research interest lies in justice in organizational contexts, and she also conducts research on work attitudes, leadership, and the psychology of entrepreneurship. She applies her expertise in the broader field of work psychology and organizational psychology to organizational practice and utilizes it in her consulting work in the area of human resource development.

Goran Šaravanja

Chief economist | HGK

Goran Šaravanja has been the Croatian Chamber of Economy's Chief Economist since June 2022. He has over 25 years of experience in following the Croatian economy as well as global and regional economic trends. In his professional career, Goran has worked in the Ministry of Finance, investment banking, was the Chief Economist of Zagrebačka banka (2007-2011) as well as Croatia's largest oil and gas company INA (2012-2017). Prior to joining the CCE Goran worked as an economic consultant.
Goran holds an Honours Degree in Economics from Macquarie University in Australia with majors in economics and German language and Literature. He began his career in Australia at the NSW Treasury as an Economist before migrating to Croatia in 1999.

Ivan Vrdoljak

Osnivač & vlasnik | EFFORT

Ivan Vrdoljak je osnivač i vlasnik Efforta, specijaliziranog treninga javnog i medijskog nastupa. Pomaže liderima da postanu uvjerljivi govornici koji jasno, zanimljivo i sigurno komuniciraju pred publikom – ostvarujući poslovne ciljeve s manje stresa i više samopouzdanja. Fokusiran je na razvoj prezentacijskih vještina kod top menadžmenta, s naglaskom na jasnoću, uvjerljivost i pamtljivost poruka koje prenose u javnim i medijskim nastupima. Kao iskusni televizijski novinar, urednik i voditelj, iza sebe ima 17 godina rada u vodećim hrvatskim i regionalnim TV kućama – Bloomberg Adria, RTL, Nova TV i Al Jazeera Balkans. Diplomirao je novinarstvo na Fakultetu političkih znanosti u Zagrebu. Sveučilišni je predavač, govornik ili moderator na brojnim poslovnim konferencijama.

prof. dr. sc. Nataša Jokić Begić

Department of Psychology | FFZG

Tanja Pureta

HR Expert & CEO | Ramiro

Tanja Pureta has a Master of Psychology, Industrial and Organizational Psychology Specialist (Department of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, University in Zagreb, Croatia), certified NLP Trainer and HNLP Coach (2004. at Neuroenergetics Institute, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA), 8-year’s working experience in two respectable international organizations: Pliva JSC (pharmaceutical industry) as Marketing Specialist from 1994-1997., and IBM Croatia Ltd. (subsidiary of IBM Corporation) as Integrated Marketing and Communications Manager from 1997-2002. Owner of various business skills certificates gained worldwide (Organizational Management, Human Resources Management, Marketing and Communications Management, Leadership Management, etc.). Since 2002. Owner and General Manager of Ramiro Ltd. for business consulting in Human Resources Management and Organizational Development (psychological selection; psychological development assessment; counseling in organizational development; business skills trainings (communications skills, leadership skills, creativity skills, emotional intelligence, etc.); teambuilding activities; management coach; mediation and facilitation processes for improving business excellence). In 2011, Tanja won a prestigious award Primus – Business consultant of the year in category Human resources, education and training. In 2014, Tanja received reward Marulić: Fiat Psychologia by Croatian Psychological Association for distinguished contribution to applied psychology development.

Iva Rogović Lekić

Executive Board Member - CEO | GrECo specialty GmbH

Andrija Vrhovnik

Senior People Analytics Specialist | A1 Hrvatska

Ingrid Tena Grgić

HR Consultant | DeeP Project

Ingrid Tena Grgić je magistra psihologije s bogatim iskustvom u području ljudskih potencijala, koje je gradila kroz rad u IT industriji i različitim organizacijskim kontekstima, od startupova do velikih korporacija. Kroz svoju karijeru radila je kao Talent Acquisition Specialist, HR Manager i People Partner, pri čemu je razvila širok spektar znanja i vještina iz područja zapošljavanja, razvoja zaposlenika, savjetovanja menadžera te upravljanja učinkom i odnosima na radu.

Trenutno radi kao HR konzultant u tvrtki DeeP Project, gdje surađuje s različitim organizacijama na razvoju i unaprjeđenju njihovih HR strategija, procesa i kompetencija.

Njezino iskustvo u strateškom HR savjetovanju, organizacijskim spajanjima te razvoju i implementaciji HR procesa čini temelj njezinog doprinosa u raznim poslovnim okruženjima. Sudjelovala je u brojnim inicijativama usmjerenima na jačanje raznolikosti i uključivosti te razvoja organizacijske kulture.

Diplomirala je psihologiju na Hrvatskom katoličkom sveučilištu, a u svom radu kombinira znanstveno utemeljeno razumijevanje ljudskog ponašanja s pragmatičnim pristupom HR-u, prilagođavajući se raznolikim timovima i poslovnim potrebama.

Redovito surađuje s internim klijentima i menadžmentom, vodeći radionice i treninge, pružajući podršku u izazovima svakodnevnog poslovanja te doprinoseći razvoju pozitivne i održive radne kulture.

Dubravka Štefanac Vinovrški

Director of Corporate Communications | A1 Hrvatska

Ivan Bartulović

Chief Operating Officer & Board Member | Hrvatski Telekom

prof. dr. sc. Nina Begičević Ređep

Full professor | FOI

Nina Begičević Ređep is a Full Professor at the Faculty of Organization and Informatics, University of Zagreb (FOI), and the Head of the Laboratory for Strategic Planning and Decision Making. Her academic journey began at FOI, where she completed her doctoral studies in Information Science, followed by specialization at the University of Pittsburgh's Katz Graduate School of Business, USA. Her career at FOI is distinguished by significant leadership roles, including her tenure as Dean from 2019 to 2023, making her the first woman to hold this position. She also served as Vice-Dean for Research and International Relations, and Vice-Dean for Business Affairs.

Her scientific contributions are extensive, encompassing authorship and co-authorship of more than 90 research articles, books, book chapters, and conference papers. Her research interests span a wide range of topics, including business decision-making, strategic planning, innovative entrepreneurial solutions, and the innovative application of digital technologies in education. She has led and participated in numerous national and international projects, solidifying her position as one of a leading expert in her field. In addition to her academic and research endeavors, she serves as the President of the Board of Science, International Cooperation, and Art at the University of Zagreb, highlighting her commitment to promoting scientific research and international collaboration. Nina has received numerous awards and recognitions for her scientific work and contributions to society. Her involvement in editorial boards and as a reviewer for prestigious journals underscores her dedication to the dissemination of knowledge and the promotion of scientific excellence.

She was one of the founders and initiators of the establishment and operation of the Career Support and Development Center, making a significant contribution to connecting the faculty with the IT community. She also founded the FOI Economic Council and launched the Pre-incubation Center in Smart Industry project.

Professor Begičević Ređep has delivered numerous invited lectures at international universities in the USA, Hungary, Maldives, Slovenia, Morocco, and other countries. She has developed and conducted dozens of workshops and professional training sessions focusing on strategic planning and decision-making, as well as the introduction of digital technologies in education.

She is a member of the Supervisory Boards of Erste&Steiermärkische Bank d.d. and the Varaždin Technology Park.

Sara Ferberuš

Business Development Expert | DeeP Project

Sara Ferberuš is a Business Development Expert at DeeP Project. With a strong background in sales, key account management, and lifelong learning strategies, she shifted her career in the direction of strategic planning and growth initiatives that are driven by the need for a modern twist in HR practices.

She holds a Master’s Degree in Teaching English as a Foreign Language from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Zagreb. During the academic years, she participated in exchange programs and informal learning initiatives through the Erasmus Student Network and served in a Zagreb Local Board, gaining experience in cross-cultural communication, coordination, and youth development.

Her professional career started at Algebra University as a Sales Administrator, and she progressed to the role of Key Account Manager, where she focused on long-term partnerships with corporate clients. Her core responsibilities included identifying organizational skill gaps, developing tailored training plans, and aligning educational solutions with clients’ strategic goals. The focus of her work was understanding market dynamics and future workforce trends, particularly in the context of digital transformation and upskilling initiatives. Committed to lifelong learning and continuous professional development, she is currently completing MBA in e-Leadership at Algebra Bernays University.

Ivan Bilać

Human Resources Director | Adris Group

Marija Felkel

Adriatic Cluster HR Director | Nomad Foods

Marija Felkel is a senior HR leader with more than 25 years of international experience in various management positions in high-tech, innovative and manufacturing industries. She graduated in law from the Faculty of Law in Zagreb and is certified in the application of the SDI method - Strength Deployment Inventory. During her long career at Siemens Corporation, she participated in numerous trainings in the field of leadership and management. He is an HR thought leader and expert in the application of strategies focused on the development of employees and organizations by designing an innovative approach to the employee experience in the workplace. She achieved successful results in encouraging organizations to grow and make organizational changes. Through his work, he encourages organizations to make data-based decisions about how to attract, hire, promote, engage and retain top talent. As a former member of the Management Board and Chief Human Resources Director of Hrvatski Telekom, she is experienced in performing C-level tasks, managing large systems, and has proven herself as a strategic HR partner to senior executive directors. Always actively involved in several projects such as mentoring young HR managers, teaching leadership and human resources management at several HR and Leadership academies in Croatia, etc. She is the winner of the 'Prometej' award - HR Manager for the year 2016, the highest professional award for human resource management in Croatia. She is the founder and owner of the company LET, 'lead empower transform' - people business consultancy, which advises individuals and organizations on how to use and develop their potential and design the best employee experience. In her current position as the regional HR leader for the Adriatic Cluster of Nomad Foods, she is responsible for the development of the best practices of human resources in 8 countries of the region. He participates in company transformation by partnering with businesses in achieving excellent results with a special focus on attracting, retaining and developing talent.

Marija Šimunić

Psychologist | Logopedsko rehabilitacijski centar BLAŽI

Marija Šimunić, Master of Psychology, currently works at the Blaži Speech Therapy and Rehabilitation Center, where she conducts psychological diagnostics and assessment of children, youth and adults, as well as psychotherapy and psychological counseling. She is a psychoanalytic psychotherapy educator at the Croatian Society for Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy.

She completed the initial level of psychotherapy in Transactional Analysis, the first level of Cognitive-Behavioral Psychotherapy, and Mindfulness education. She has also completed numerous training courses for the implementation of various psychodiagnostic tools that she uses daily in her work with clients, along with writing clinical findings. She was recently invited to join the network of counselors within the EAP program (Employee Assistance Program), which cares for employees of various organizations throughout the region by providing psychosocial support, psychological counseling, and education in the field of mental health in the workplace.

She gained her previous work experience working in non-profit organizations as a program development manager for numerous psychosocial projects and as a psychologist counselor at the Counseling Center for Youth and Adults. Since 2017, she has been covering psychological topics on the Kreni Zdravo portal, and since 2021, she has been teaching psychology courses at the Magistra Lifelong Learning Institution. She regularly participates as a guest in various media content (newspaper articles, radio and TV shows) when it comes to topics in the field of mental health, and since she herself is part of that world as an author of media content, she believes that it is extremely important to build a good relationship with the media that convey important messages to a wider audience in various ways. Thanks to her long-standing writing career, she regularly participates in writing publications and manuals in the field of mental health.

Thanks to ten years of music education, she acquired the profession of a theoretician musician with the piano as her main instrument, and also plays the guitar. She has been dancing since elementary school (standard and Latin American dances), and for several years she was active as a competitive athlete in sports dance and as a recreational dance coach for adults. She enjoys photography, music, reading, summer, long walks and cycling, and recently she has been enjoying motherhood the most.

Sandra Šućurović

Founder and educator | Q-peak Performance

Sandra is an educator and founder of the PeakIQ Academy for employee development. She has many years of experience in the fields of personal development, sales psychology and mental health, which she has translated into trainings that help employees develop communication skills, strengthen stress resistance and build authentic leadership. She is particularly interested in topics such as anxiety, burnout and psychological safety, topics that often remain unspoken, but strongly shape everyday life in organizations. 

During her career, she has worked in the business, military and sports sectors, which gives her a broader perspective and the ability to adapt to different contexts. She is a long-time associate of GNK Dinamo, one of the most famous sports clubs in the region, and as an external associate she teaches at the psychology department of the Croatian Catholic University. In addition to practical work, she is also actively involved in scientific research, which includes authorship of professional and scientific publications, books and participation in domestic and international research projects. 

In her work with business teams and managers, she emphasizes the development of authentic leadership, psychological safety, and healthy relationships that support results. She is particularly interested in how emotions, communication, and internal patterns influence everyday business decisions, team dynamics, and organizational resilience. In addition to the business sector, she also builds experience in sports and academia, which provides her with a broader perspective and additional sensitivity in working with different profiles of people. 

doc. prim. dr. sc. Sandra Morović

Chief Medical Officer | Arsano Medical Group

Assistant Professor Sandra Morović, MD, PhD, a specialist in neurology, graduated from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Zagreb, where she also received her PhD. She began her scientific career at the Clinic of Neurology, KBC Sestre milosrdnice, under the mentorship of Academician Vida Demarin, on projects related to ultrasound diagnostics of cerebral circulation.

During her rich career, she trained at prestigious institutions in Germany and Italy, and in 2008 she was awarded the prestigious American Academy of Neurology award. From 2016 to 2023, she served as Medical Director of the Aviva Polyclinic, and is currently the Chief Medical Director of the Arsano Medical Group.

She is an assistant professor at the Faculty of Medicine in Pula, a senior research associate, an acupuncturist, and a permanent court expert. She is the author of numerous scientific and professional papers and book chapters, actively participates in national and international congresses and courses, is a reviewer in scientific journals, and is a member of domestic and international professional societies.

Alen Akšamija

Chief Financial Officer | Arsano Medical Group

Alen Akšamija is the Chief Financial Officer of Arsano Medical Group. He has 25 years of experience in the financial sector, mostly in banking. He has participated in numerous financial restructuring models and innovative financial solutions.

He started his career in the Adriatic oil pipeline in the position of planning and analysis, after which he moved to banking. He worked in Bank Austria Creditanstalt/HVB group, and later in Societe Generale Splitska banka in various positions, first in risk management and then in corporate banking, holding managerial and executive roles. In 2007, he moved into investment banking, working for Deutsche Bank AG, covering several countries in the region.

He graduated in economics from the University of Rijeka and received his master's degree from the University of Zagreb.

Ana Belin Šimić

Senior Manager in Field Enablement | Camunda

Ana Belin Šimić is a long-term manager and expert in instructional design, specializing in training programs, retraining and the development of global enablement strategies. He currently holds the position of Senior Manager, Field Productivity at Camunda, where he leads a global team responsible for the creation and implementation of a unified enablement strategies. Focuses on developing internal scalable training programs, and on continuous improvement processes based on metrics and feedback, ensuring alignment with the company's global business goals and market changes.

Before Camunda, Ana worked in the Learning and Development department and then led the team for Customer-Facing Enablement at Infobip, where she developed and implemented initiatives for training existing and integrating new employees, especially in the context of acquisitions. She has played a key role in onboarding programs, knowledge management and readiness initiatives for sales teams and managers/leaders globally, with an emphasis on workforce flexibility and adaptability. During her work at Algebra, Ana led the team for the development of school educational programs and acted as editor-in-chief on more than 30 titles of manuals and textbooks. 

Ana has experience in large national digital transformation projects such as  E-škole, where she worked as an instructional designer, editor, and key expert in the development of educational content focused on the development of digital competencies. 

The programs developed by Ana are continuously aimed at training employees and trainees to work in digitally transformed environments - whether it's about onboarding, leader development or continuous professional development.

Ana has a master's degree in English language and literature and pedagogy and is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in andragogy (her registered topic is The Effectiveness of Reskilling and Upskilling Learning Programs on Closing Skill Gap in IT Industry: A Comparative Study). He is passionate about creating learning strategies that support organizational growth, talent development, and sustainable employee development on a global scale.

Vjekoslav Golubović

Sales & Account Managment director | SD Worx Adriatic

Vjekoslav Golubović is the Sales & Account Management Director at SD Worx Adriatic. For the last few years, he has been intensively dealing with the digitization of the human resources management process, connecting HR experiences from practice with current trends in digital HR solutions. As an HR manager with more than 20 years of experience in the development and transformation of human resources management systems, he led a large number of transformational projects related to the development of reward systems, performance management and organizational design, HR controlling and planning. He gained experience in large business systems such as A1, INA - MOL Grupa and Hrvatsko Telekom where, among other things, he was responsible for the digitization of performance management and competence development systems, reward systems, and managed IT solution development projects for basic HR processes. The successful implementation and continuous development of the HRnet application as a central HRIS platform has been his mission throughout most of his career. For the last 2 years within SD Worx, he has been dedicated to improving the user experience of existing and new HRnet users, and through the transfer of his own user experience, he strives to contribute to finding the best solutions for the digitization of the HR process of users.

He is a member of the CIPD, the world's most important HR institution based in London, where he completed his specialization in Human Resources Management. He is active as a lecturer at specialized HR programs and as a speaker at a number of HR conferences. He has broad interests in the field of human resources, from the topics of organizational design, reward systems and performance management to organizational culture and employee engagement. Throughout his career, he has been dedicated to transformational projects with the aim of balanced development of individual competencies and increasing the level of performance and success of the organization.

Dunja Vorkapić

Human Resources Director | Arsano Medical group

Dunja has more than 17 years of experience in human resources management, with extensive experience from various industries. She began her career at Atlantic Grupa, where she gained extensive knowledge and experience in various areas of human resources and laid the foundation for further professional development. She continues her career and training at A1 Croatia as an HR business partner and employee development expert. She joins the global pharmaceutical company Sandoz, where she was responsible for all segments of human resources management.

Currently, Dunja holds the position of Director of Human Resources at Arsano Medical Group, the leading group of the private health sector in the Adria region. After completing her studies at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in Dubrovnik, and after obtaining an MBA degree at Staffordshire University in Stoke on Trent, UK, Dunja is continuously improving herself through numerous educations.

As a certified executive coach and Hogan interpreter, she is dedicated to the professional development of leaders and transformational processes in organizations. She is passionate about developing talent and organizational culture, actively contributing to the creation of innovative and stimulating work environments.

Petar Čalić

CEO | DeeP Project

Petar has a master's degree in computer science and is the owner of DeeP Project. Through a multi-year career in the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia and large private IT companies, he acquired key knowledge and skills in successful leadership and management of human resources. It is additionally improved through professional seminars in the field of relationship dynamics and understanding of human behavior. In addition to computer science studies and other "civilian" education, he also acquired an adequate military education in the field of leadership and management of people. He is an occasional columnist and guest in various Croatian ICT and business e-magazines and podcasts. 

Ph.D. Dario Car

Senior HR consultant | DeeP Project

After spending a short period working at a hospital in Zagreb, he continues his career in a telecommunications company, where he progresses from an expert to a manager position. Subsequently, he works as a lecturer in a higher education institution and eventually returns to what he loves most, which is working with people. He holds a doctoral degree in social sciences and is primarily focused on working with the Z-generation, mostly within the fintech sector. He is the author of several manuals on customer relationship management and leadership development and a regular columnist in Croatian business and ICT magazines in the field of human potential development. 

Dario Perak

HR consultant | DeeP Project

He realizes his desire to work with people by studying psychology, where he is currently a graduate student. He is a certified LEGO SERIOUS PLAY facilitator. He demonstrates knowledge of communication and presentation skills by leading group workshops in the field of soft skills.During his studies, he deepened his knowledge of organizational psychology. He enjoys statistical analyses, and in addition to organizational psychology, his main areas of interest are psychometric tests and creativity tests. He is an occasional columnist and guest in various Croatian ICT, and business e-magazines and podcasts.