Serbian woman managing the GLOBAL BRAND: „New trends are old truths“

Although immense sadness ensues when someone from our country decides to leave the in search of a better life, or when we encounter devastating statistics about it, in moments when someone achieves great success „somewhere out there“, a feeling of pride is what mostly dominates.

When someone „from our country“ is at the top of Forbes’ list of the most influential marketing directors in the world, and when the world-famous brand announces that their new marketing director is „someone from our country“, the pride increases many times over.

Ana Andjelic from Belgrade succeeded in all these roles, but in many others as well. In addition to being recently named the Chief Brand Officer by the famous Banana Republic brand, she has worked for many other world-renowned companies, such as Havas LuxHub (Global Fashion, Luxury and High Marketing Centre), „Rebecca Minkoff“ fashion brand, then luxury leather goods fashion brand „Mansur Gavriel“, etc.

Currently, in addition to the position of the CBO at „Banana Republic“, she is also an entrepreneur. Namely, her book „The Business of Aspiration“, which deals with independent brand strategies, was recently published and she organizes a newsletter to help brands develop an independent strategy on daily basis.

She has a PhD in the field of sociology, with fifteen years of experience in the world’s leading advertising agencies and in managing luxury brands. She has published numerous authorial texts, she performs publicly and writes columns.

She says that her biggest business success is a large network of former associates with whom she is still in contact, and in an interview with BIZlife magazine she reveals how her new job looks like, which companies she considers the most successful and who her role models are.

• Many from the business world in Serbia have heard of your name, but can you explain to us in more detail what you are currently doing when it comes to your job?

I work on the intersection of brand strategy, business strategy and cultural strategy. My job is to work with the company’s executive teams on modernizing the way they define and develop their brands. This requires an understanding of the culture and dominant conversations and moods in the culture, an understanding of what sources of revenue are available to the company, as well as what the organizational structure is and what resources are needed for future success. The idea is for companies to be in a dialogue with culture and the market, instead of operating in isolation.

• You are one of the most famous Serbian women in the world when it comes to business. How did that come about?

By combining education, curiosity, perseverance, motivation, knowledge, etc.

• Has our mentality helped or hindered you from adjusting to work in the U.S. companies?

I consider myself a cosmopolitan, and that mentality always helps.

• What are the advantages and disadvantages of working in large companies?

Today, big companies differ from one another – Facebook is a big company, as is Coca-Cola, but they cannot be compared. The answer is much more complex than the size of the company and has more to do with the industry in which the company operates.

• Recently, as a big marketing name, you were chosen to be the head of the „Banana Republic“ brand. How is your new job?

Excellent! It is very dynamic, I like people, we do a lot of new things and a good energy of change is in the air.

Izvor: BIZLife magazin

Foto: Privatna arhiva