KEY ON THE ROAD TO SUCCESS IS TO HAVE YOUR OWN IDENTITY AND TO STAY TRUE TO YOUR SELF

Branka Slaveska is one of the top 150 HEINEKEN Senior Managers globally. Her success story is an inspiration to many. As a woman and a mother, she speaks about what it takes to have the career of her dreams, but also about her family that supports her in her decisions.

Tell us about your beginnings.

It was probably the coldest winter I could ever remember in Macedonia. Bitola, 1999, the temperatures already 26◦C bellow the zero, more than a meter of snow, cars could hardly start up. I am walking from the hotel to the distribution centre where the distribution trucks are warming up to start the day. We are about to leave for a “distribution drive” and I am assigned to the old Zastava 640 from 1980. I get on the truck sitting between the driver and the loader getting ready to start the visits of the stores and to sell Coca-Cola and SKOPSKO when I barely managed to hear “she won’t last long”…

This was the first assignment during the trial period of a girl, mechanical engineer, trying to start her career in a FMCG company as a market developer.

Born and raised in Skopje, in a working-class family, in the most turbulent period in the recent history, changes and the need for adaptation were nothing new to me. Every time I would have thought “it will be easier from now on”, I would have found myself standing in front of a new, unknown experience. And, this is what they became. I accepted every challenge as a new chance, a new opportunity for a new experience. Faced with life issues everywhere around myself, I have promised to myself that I will use every chance I get with passion and eagerness to learn and develop.

Those were the nineties. In an environment where the unemployment among young people under 29 years was higher than 40%, there was not much to think about. It was important to get the chance to prove your skills and to try to get the most of it.  While “waiting for my chance”, flower vendors in the main square in Skopje became my colleagues. Suddenly, the passion for the flowers and independence turned into a little entrepreneurial experience. Selling flowers turned to be my source of student income and the art of selling, my hidden passion.

Where did you start your career, how did you get to Heineken and how has your career progressed over time?

Job advertisement looking for a market developer in Pivara Skopje will forever change my life. After five rounds of interviews and selection, I finally got the opportunity. Now more than ever, everything was up to me. To be given a chance in one of the top 10 companies in Macedonia, company able to offer the dynamic lifestyle, traveling, and the possibility of continuous learning and development in an international environment was an opportunity of my dreams. And, I started to live the dream called Coca-Cola and SKOPSKO.

But, this dream had its own challenges and excitements, ups and downs. Day by day, as time passed by, the “distribution drive” in Bitola was only one drop in the sea of events and anecdotes. With every next move, with every next challenge, my suitcase of experiences was becoming full, yet there was enough space for few more. Kumanovo, Kavadarci, Strumica, Ohrid, Tetovo, Skopje, the Commercial department, Human Resources, were just some of the numerous stops on that journey.

By completing Executive MBA studies at the Sheffield University, another chapter of my educational life has begun. After several years of great experience in Pivara Skopje, then in Tikveš Winery, my HEINEKEN story begun in the regional head office in Vienna. I was invited to become Channel Development Manager for HEINEKEN Central and Eastern Europe. This was the “one way ticket” to the unknown. Left alone without the warmth of my home country, the results were the only thing that could have taken me forward. It was the hard work and commitment that had extended my ticket. And, the next stop happened to be in Minsk, Belarus. Looking only at the positive aspect of each of my next assignments, for me, Belarus became the country of success as Sales Director securing my next step in Moscow, Russia where I spent the next couple of years in 10 time zones continent as Sales Execution Director for HoReCa and Trade Marketing. London Business School and INSEAD executive educational programs were just additional contributors for becoming the first woman from ex-Yugoslav countries being invited to take over the position of Managing Director at HEINEKEN in Croatia.

During your career so far you have lived and worked in totally different geographies of quite different business environment. Can you tell us more about how this was a learning experience for you?

The world is full of great people and opportunities and it can offer fantastic experiences. Therefore, I always considered I have been absolutely fortunate to be given a chance to build career in a truly international environment. Each part of the world offers its beauty in different way and definitely, working in different countries has been undoubtedly the experience of a lifetime.  Many things in my mind have changed forever. Tolerance and respect of differences became daily habit, a way of life. Living abroad helps you better understand what to appreciate in your home country as well; you learn to respect your people even more than before. Because, living abroad is as perfect as it is at home – there is no perfection, it is just different. And, it is all about how many of the chances somewhere there you manage to get. If on top you manage to learn languages, this is definitely a competitive advantage. Becoming fluent in Russian, and later in Croatian, means I could experience my environment more directly. Having a positive mind-set is also helpful, as I am always looking for what is positive and beautiful.

Respecting the local rules and standards, and speaking the local language, is what makes life abroad easier. No matter how far or close geographically one country is to your home, it is inevitably important to pay the same respect and to be led by open mind. When great brands are becoming part of that journey, it is more than certain that the soul of the nation becomes part of your heart. As Karlovacko and Croatia will take their space next to Skopsko and all the great brands I have been working with until now.

What are the key values and competencies you demonstrate each day in order to be as successful as you are in the role of a Senior Leader at Heineken?

A great leader in HEINEKEN is expected to live the company values in everything she or he does. This means accepting nothing else but quality and pushing your personal boundaries – being flexible, ready to change, constantly investing in personal and professional development. Understanding the market, reacting quickly and developing teams, building them on the basis of good collaboration and trust, giving them the confidence and empowering them to achieve the goals with success and enjoyment are all essential to being a good leader.

I feel lucky to have been given the opportunity to grow, to learn. I was lucky to work with great leaders, who had the courage to give a chance to new people, leaders who had the most significant impact on my personal and career development.

Every Senior Manager is also given the chance to be part of someone else’s dream, to be both a mentor and a coach, a supporter and a challenger, an inspiration and an example, a leader and a colleague. Giving the chance to someone else to develop and grow it is essential for the success of the entire team and the company. Senior Leaders in Heineken are expected to collaborate through trust while acting as entrepreneurs, always making sure that safety comes first. Keeping it simple and constantly learning to improve puts Senior Leaders in the driving seat of a supporter of their teams rather than a controller.

What is your greatest accomplishment you are most proud of at Heineken so far?

It is important to have your own identity and stay true to yourself. Unfortunately, nowadays women are given a choice: to devote their lives to their families, or to choose their careers. I am one of those who are trying to make the right balance of both. My family and their great understanding and support became a key source of my energy.

Entering in the top 150 HEINEKEN Senior Managers globally is definitely the accomplishment and something I am proud of. As I mentioned above, this comes as a result of many years of hard work, passion for quality and commitment, and it is hardly impossible to single out one particular success. I am proud to be able to say that I am happy and fully satisfied both personally and professionally and I still manage to keep my own distinctive personality. This comes as a result of numerous great achievements.

What do you think is women’s role in improving gender equality in business, and on the other hand, what can men do more about it?

Women and men can both contribute to improving gender equality in business. Gender imbalance we see today is predominantly a result of the culture in which the roles have been cast the way they are. Therefore, improving gender equality is a process in which prejudices need to be left behind. What matters is the quality of a person. Regardless of the gender, for every employer, it is the skills, competences and social intelligence fitting in company’s culture that are the most important when running the selection process. This is where everything starts. I am glad to see that in this respect, there seems to be rather good progress. Companies nowadays are interested in success and they are selecting the best candidates regardless of the gender. As a global company, Heineken is a great example of pioneering this mind-set. From primarily male-dominated company some ten years ago, today there are number of successful female Senior Managers running key positions worldwide. To achieve this, HEINEKEN has committed in its global strategy to work actively on diversity and talent development.

However, what happens in society and especially in family environment is where some structural changes are needed. As I have mentioned above, unfortunately, women are expected to make a choice: to devote their lives to their families, or choose their careers. Therefore, companies, public and governmental institutions need to be stimulated to set their own targets for gender equality. It is important to adjust the law giving men a chance to play the role in the family (e.g. parental leave, seek leave for a child, etc.).

You are an example of a businesswoman having it all: a loving family and a successful career. How do you manage to balance these two?

I think it is important to live the life you love and the life you chose. I live my choice. This also means that having it all is not always having it enough of all. Due to the nature of my work and frequent business trips, sometimes we do not spend as much time together as a family as I would like to, but I have their great support and understanding, and that is the most important to me.

Everything is possible when you believe in yourself. Have your goals set and follow your path persistently.