As Vlahovic Group’s Chief Operating Officer, Miljenko ensures our daily operations run smoothly and efficiently. In addition to overseeing internal processes, he supervises and coordinates client work in the areas of healthcare, environment, food and agriculture, and energy.

Miljenko is a seasoned veteran who spent 24 years in the civil service, during which he specialized in strategic leadership and planning. Miljenko is proud to have participated in designing and improving the legislative framework of the overall civil service system. He spent a portion of his illustrious career as a diplomat. He holds a Master of Science degree in Business Intelligence which he earned at the Faculty of Economy in his hometown of Osijek.

In his spare time, Miljenko is a competitive road cyclist and has participated in numerous international cycling marathons.

As our Office Manager, Sandra ensures everyone feels welcome when visiting Vlahovic Group. She takes care of all administrative obligations, making her a vital part of the firm’s day-to-day activities.

Sandra has 25 years of experience as the Office Manager at some of the leading Fortune 500 companies based in Croatia, spanning from the pharmaceutical to consumer goods to insurance sectors. Due to the variety of corporate cultures she has worked in, Sandra prides herself in being highly adaptable to any administrative challenge that comes her way. Sandra holds a masters degree from the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb.

In her spare time, she enjoys practicing Pilates and hiking.

Prof. Ivo Josipovic, Ph.D. was the third President of the Republic of Croatia, with his term spanning from 2010 to 2015. During his tenure, the Republic of Croatia became a member of the European Union. The main determinants of his presidential term were: Croatia’s EU membership, reconciliation in the region and the fight against corruption. Among his other political duties, he was a member of the Croatian Parliament in the fifth (2003-2008) and part of the sixth convocation (2008-2010), as well as a member of the City Assembly of the City of Zagreb in the 2005-2009 convocation.

He is one of the leading Croatian criminal law experts with a significant contribution at the international level. In his academic career of more than 35 years at the Faculty of Law, University of Zagreb, he went from lecturer to full tenure professor at the Department of Criminal Procedure Law and the status of “professor emeritus”. He has published approximately a hundred scientific and professional papers. His areas of professional interest are criminal law, criminal procedure, misdemeanors, international criminal law, war crimes, international courts, human rights, the fight against corruption and organized crime. He participated in the establishment of the International Criminal Court and represented Croatia before international courts.

In addition to his legal and political career, he is an excellent composer and music pedagogue. He taught harmony at the Zagreb Academy of Music and wrote around fifty compositions for various ensembles. He has won several Croatian and international art awards and held the role of the director of one of the largest festivals of contemporary music, the Music Biennale Zagreb. He is the founder of the modern system of copyright protection in the Republic of Croatia.

He is a member of several domestic and international law and artistic associations, as well as organizations that bring together former presidents and prime ministers. Among others, he is a member of the World Academy of Arts and Sciences, a patron member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, Croatian Legal Center, Croatian Society for European Law, Center for Democracy and Law Miko Tripalo, Croatian Association for Criminal Sciences and Practice, Croatian Society of Composers, Nizami Ganjavi International Center, Club de Madrid and others.

For his work in the field of law, art and politics, he has been awarded several national, foreign and international medals and is the holder of three honorary PhDs.

When it comes to public and private health sectors, Csaba brings the best of both worlds. He started his career as a pharmacological clinical doctor. Later on, he joined the largest Croatian drug producer Pliva, working on R&D and clinical testing. Csaba spent a portion of his career in the Ministry of Health, specializing in registration and control of drugs and medical devices.

In the private sector, he spent fifteen years at F. Hoffmann-La Roche Croatia Ltd. as a Compliance Officer. Today, Csaba is considered one of the most competent experts in the field of pharmacology in Croatia.

During his career, Csaba held several other positions in various governmental and non-governmental committees and organizations such as EFPIA. Furthermore, he is active in the academic community as a visiting lecturer at the Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry of the University of Zagreb.

Csaba is a well-versed healthcare and pharma expert that has mastered the policy aspect of the fields.

Jasminka Igrc Barcic is a leader in Croatian agriculture scientific community. She retired from the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture, as a Professor, and her research in agronomy has made a serious impact in the field of plant protection and pesticides.

Always ready to put her knowledge to good use, Dr. Igrc Barcic was heavily involved in preparations for Croatia’s EU accession, contributing to the areas of food safety, veterinary and phytosanitary policy, and in working groups of the Ministry of Agriculture.

Her contribution to policymaking is greatly appreciated within these institutions. She published over 130 scientific and 70 professional papers in national and international journals, and contributed to more than 250 national and international scientific and professional conferences. She has participated in dozens of international research projects and has been a highly ranked member of the most prominent associations related to agriculture in Croatia.

Before retiring, Dr. Igrc Barcic spent several years as the Head of Sector for Improvement and Development at a widely known pesticides corporation. In addition, she was involved in many international projects, including those of FAO. Dr. Igrc Barcic has been the President of the Croatian Plant Protection Society for multiple terms.

When it comes to tax and finance, Mate Perkovic is as good as it gets. His extensive experience within the Ministry of Finance and Tax Administration makes him a true veteran of the field. Mate’s professional prowess saw him hold top positions within the Tax Administration, he was the Director General for one term and the Deputy Director General for two terms. During his time there, Mate led and participated in all working groups for building the Croatian tax system, together with experts from the IMF, World Bank and OECD.

In the later days of his career, Mate presided over the supervisory board of the largest Croatian pharmaceutical wholesaler, in addition to holding several other key positions in various businesses. Mate holds a degree in economy from the University of Zagreb and is, as a certified tax advisor, a recognized force in his field of expertise.

Viktor is a retired Major General and war veteran with an extensive career in the Croatian Armed Forces. With almost 40 years of experience in a variety of key roles, Viktor brings Vlahovic Group unique expertise in defense matters and serves as an asset for clients in that field.

During his decades long career as a decorated helicopter pilot, Viktor held key roles in the Air Force. In the later stages of his career, he ventured into the Ministry of Defense, acting as an assistant minister and the national armaments director for NATO. As a highly ranked public official, Viktor was in charge of logistics and procurement for the Ministry of Defense. Shortly before joining the Ministry, Viktor was a highly valuable external associate for Agencija Alan, a state agency specialized in importing and exporting armament and sales of army stock surpluses.

Viktor gained his education at the school for aviation in the City of Zadar, as well as the Command and Staff School of Tactics in Belgrade. He sought further specialization in aeronautics at the Faculty of Transport in Zagreb.

Leo perfectly complements the Vlahovic Group as a renowned energy expert, following a successful career in the oil and gas industry. With both domestic and international exposure, Leo is a valuable addition to Vlahovic Group’s operations in the energy sector.

Leo started his career working for Koncar Group in Zagreb. Soon after, he entered the energy industry through ASTRA Croatia, which was his steppingstone for employment in INA, Croatia’s largest oil and gas company. Leo was also a member of the management board of DIOKI, as well as a member of the supervisory board of DINA Petrokemija. During his career, Leo took part in many key events that developed the energy industry in Croatia.

He holds a degree in Business Administration, Management and Technology from the University of Stockholm. He is fluent in English, Italian and Swedish, and enjoys skiing and sailing in his free time.

As a marketing scholar, Katherine publishes regularly in international, peer-reviewed journals in the interrelated areas of consumer behavior, media, and gender. She is a member of the faculty of Loyola University Chicago, Quinlan School of Business, Department of Marketing, and University of Zagreb, Faculty of Economics and Business, Department of Marketing. Katherine earned a PhD in Communications from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a BA from Centre College of Kentucky.

Through her marketing consultancy, 385 LLC, Katherine applies her expertise in strategically using the mass communications process to build and measure sustainable relationships between firms and their target audiences across social media platforms and websites.

Katherine also brings a comparative understanding of US and Croatian markets and politics to VG, having worked in the US Congress and the Embassy of the Republic of Croatia in Washington, D.C. Katherine is the President of the Chicago chapter of the Association of Croatian American Professionals (ACAP); she is also a Member of the ACAP National Board. Katherine’s hobbies are tennis, swimming, and photography.

Steve is a long time Croatian American activist and business executive. Although he grew up in Minnesota, Steve lived for 28 years in the Washington, D.C. area. He is the co-founder of the National Federation of Croatian Americans Cultural Foundation and has served as National President for ten terms and as an officer for 27 years. Steve is an international affairs expert, focused on Southeast Europe, and has been engaged in well over 100 major Croatia-related initiatives over the past thirty years – in the diplomatic, humanitarian, charity, business, cultural, and public affairs arenas. Steve is a 50-year member of the Croatian Fraternal Union (CFU) based in Pittsburgh.

Steve has served as a political aide with the U.S. Congress and as a presidential campaign press secretary. He enjoyed a successful 35-year business career in the cardiovascular medical device arena. He’s proud of his 8-year charity commitment to supporting Special Olympics organization in Croatia. Steve is a graduate of the University of St. Thomas (St. Paul, Minnesota). Steve now resides in Philadelphia.

Irena brings a unique blend of skills and experience which makes her an invaluable asset to Vlahovic Group. Her excellent knowledge of Croatian and EU environmental legislation, as well as her insight into the preparation, assessment and implementation on various strategical environmental projects make her a true powerhouse for issues related to the environment and the circular economy. After 6 years in the Croatian Ministry of Environment and Energy, Irena knows the ins and outs of various policy areas. During her time in the institution, Irena served as the Chief of Staff for several ministers, a ministerial advisor and as Head of Department for Preparation of Projects.

In 2019, Irena ventured into independent consulting, providing technical support in preparation and implementation of various private investment projects and preparation of feasibility studies for infrastructure projects co-financed from EU funds. She even served as short time expert consultant for the World Bank. Irena holds a degree in Mining Engineering.

Having spent more than 12 years working in the EU capital, Filip knows the ins and outs of the Brussels political arena. His track record speaks for itself as Filip consulted for DeHavilland, a London-based political intelligence provider, and EUobserver, one of the leading online newspapers for EU politics. He has been involved in numerous high-level Brussels-based activities involving conferences, marketing, sales and promotion. Being highly specialized in digital advocacy, Filip co-founded The Right Street, a leading firm for digital strategies, digital advocacy and social media in Brussels.

Filip holds an MBA from United Business Institutes, Brussels and a BS in Business Management and Marketing from California Baptist University. Filip’s vast knowledge of EU politics, business and digital tools make him a unique asset for Vlahovic Group’s digital advocacy operations.

Goran is a leader in the fields of IT project management and digital transformation, with a proven track record of over 40 years in business, mostly of which he spent running his IT company in New York, dealing with in-house financial systems. In 2008, after 25 years of continuous growth, Computer Managers Inc. was successfully acquired by American Cyber Systems after which he dealt with medical products export and import. Goran most recently served as the managing director of eKupi.hr, one of the best-known regional e-commerce businesses covering the Western Balkans, where he helped further digitize the business and transform marketing strategy. In addition, Goran’s US-based career was marked by serving more than 15 years in different senior management and partnership positions at MetLife and afilliate firms, managing system design and development and optimizing production processes.

Goran prouds in his high level of project completion, and the ability to both work within the system and, when needed, challenge the status quo to improve performance and reform the system. Goran holds a Master’s degree in Systems Analysis from New York University.

Matjaz is Vlahovic Group’s regional associate for Slovenia. He is an experienced communication strategist and an efficient tactician, offering practical advice when dire problems demand rapid response. He likes to share his knowledge and experience with others – speaking at events and publishing academic articles. Matjaz first gained experience in the industry as a consultant in PR center Maribor, followed by a partnership in PR plus, and finally as a project manager at Pristop. He is now the director of Taktik, a Slovenian communications management agency.

Having a degree in economy and being a businessman himself, Matjaz knows the Slovenian business sector well and can offer high quality support to our operations there.

Milan is Vlahovic Group’s regional associate in Belgrade, Serbia. He is an expert in tax and corporate law, with demonstrated skills in advocacy and government relations. Milan is a founding partner of a Belgrade-based legal consultancy, focusing on taxes, corporate law, renewable energy and employment. Through his firm, Milan also provides lobbying and public affairs services such as public policy monitoring, legislative monitoring and coalition building.

Milan holds an MA in International Relations and an LLB in Law from the University of Belgrade. With nearly 20 years of experience, Milan has premium insight into the Belgrade policy arena, and he is uniquely positioned to be our regional associate for Serbia.

Anja is a lawyer, specialized in intellectual property, contract law and international arbitration. Her extensive experience in public service as well as the judiciary, make her a valuable asset for any company inquiring into legal and economic affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Anja has previously worked as a specialised advisor in the Ministry of Justice of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the field of International legal aid and Cooperation for the Criminal matters Division, where she lectured public servants in the field of international multilateral and bilateral agreements implementation, as well as maintained daily communication with various institutions of foreign countries. Prior to that, Anja has worked for the local government in the field of economic, legal and social affairs. Amassing scientific experience, Anja has actively participated in research projects on intellectual property regulation in the Western Balkans region for the World Intellectual Property Organization in Geneva.

Anja holds an LLB degree from the University of Sarajevo as well as LLM in Cross-Cultural Business Practice in International Contracts and Arbitration from University of Fribourg in Switzerland. She is fluent in English and Spanish.

Zyhrada has 23 years of experience as a lawyer and consultant on legislative and legal issues. Since 2007, she has been working as an independent legal consultant providing legal expertise and policy analyses across various national and international projects. Zyhrada was extensively involved in the EU integration process and provided advisory services to Albanian Line Ministries on the development of the National Plan on European Integration and legislation alignment with EU acquis. She has extensive experience in projects related to social and employment policies, labor policy, environment, energy and circular economy.

Zyhrada holds a BA in Law from the University of Tirana, and an MA in International and European Studies from the Institut de Recherche et d’Enseignementen Relations Internationales and Européennes, Tirana. With her multi-sector expertise, Zyhrada is a perfect fit to be our Albanian associate.

Maja has almost 20 years of experience in settings that combine legal analysis and policy work, including an international professional trade association in Brussels, with a focus on EU law and policies. Maja is highly skilled in advocacy, legislative drafting and influencing decision-making processes, as well as interacting with public authorities and various stakeholders. Maja is a versatile individual who held many differing roles within academia and the public, NGO and private sectors, amassing a depth and breadth of plethora of knowledge and experience relevant to government affairs.

Maja holds a PhD in Law and she prides herself in being the leading expert for EU law and intellectual property in North Macedonia. Being a highly skilled all-rounder, Maja is the perfect choice to be Vlahovic Group’s extended arm in Skopje.

Agnieszka is a Polish national with extensive exposure to the Montenegrin business and political community, making her a perfect fit for Vlahovic Group’s Montenegro operations. Agnieszka’s experience is impressive as she worked in the Tax Chamber as a controller and auditor. Then, she was responsible for public and cultural diplomacy, public procurement, and the promotion in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Poland. Furthermore, she coordinated the implementation of promotional projects of the Polish economy, culture and science in Montenegro for several years. Her Montenegrin experience continued with her work as an executive director at the Centre for self-development and the progress of society in Podgorica. Agnieszka also has experience in the military sector in Poland.

Agnieszka holds a BA and MA in Business Management and Finance from the University of Economics in Cracow. She finished the EY Business Academy in Warsaw and is a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) – level I, II, III and IV.

In over 13 years practicing law, Fisnik has extensive experience in the area of commercial and corporate law. Having worked for several years in the banking sector in Kosovo, he specialized in banking and financial law and has acquired insights into the legal framework regulating the banking sector and an in-depth knowledge of the banking and financial industry in Kosovo. Fisnik is one of the founding partners of RPHS Law, one of the leading law firms in Kosovo, and is head of their Banking and Finance Practice.

Fisnik holds an LL.M in International Economic and Business Law from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. Apart from his legal practice, Fisnik is an experienced arbitrator who worked on various arbitration cases in Kosovo and Croatia. He is a member of several domestic and international professional law and arbitration bodies, inter alia, European Handball Federation – Court of Arbitration, Arbitration Center at the American Chamber of Commerce in Kosovo, Sports Arbitration Council at Kosovo Olympic Committee.