Step into the vibrant world of Becky’s Sarajevo office and get to know Ena, our Head of Office, as she shares her journey, interests, and the captivating story behind our new location. From her academic pursuits to her role at Becky and the challenges of setting up the office, delve deep into Ena’s experiences and aspirations.
Tell us a bit about yourself and how you got to where you are today.
After high school, I enrolled in a Faculty of Economics, but I decided to switch to international collaboration at the Faculty of Economics with Griffith College in Dublin. I finished my second year in Sarajevo, then went on to study in Dublin for 2 semesters.
This is where I had an opportunity to meet people from other cultures and countries. It has been a wonderful experience to spend some time with people outside of my own part of the world.
After University I wanted to continue with my studies, and I also started working at KPMG as an accountant. My master’s was a collaboration with the Faculty of Economics in Ljubljana, but due to Covid, everything was online, which made it easier for me to finish all exams on time. I believe it’s really hard to work full time, go to all your classes and prepare for exams.
So, how did you find yourself as a head of office in Sarajevo?
I was contacted by one of the recruiters at Becky, over LinkedIn for a job in accounting. I missed the message!
But I saw it after a while, did a little bit of research of Becky and I contacted Emanuela, the COO in Belgrade. We started talking and the idea of meeting the owners, Sjoerd and Geert, was bornthen and there.. We met in Sarajevo in September last year.
We talked about their plans for the future of Becky, and about my future. I was working in accounting for over 4 years at that point but was also considering branching out a bit. I was thinking about digital marketing, IT, and management, so this position seemed like it could be a perfect fit for me.
I’m very happy to be doing this for over 5 months now. I am surrounded by like-minded people. I love working at a company that truly cares about their employees. I recommend everyone to work at a company like Becky. I think it’s also an amazing opportunity for people of Sarajevo because it offers them a great opportunity to work for people from other countries,
Have you been to the Belgrade office?
Yes, I actually went with my friends, and timed it so that Sjoerd was also there. I loved it! I felt so welcome there, and loved every minute I spent there.
I met a lot of the people in the Belgrade office, learned about the process and work, so that I can try and do my best to represent them here.
And what was the process of finding the office in Sarajevo?
The search was pretty fun. I actually looked for an office in my free time while still employed at my previous company. I looked at many offices and this one I actually managed to see on the day I had my flight for Belgrade.
I saw the office at 10AM and the flight was at 2PM. But it was worth it. I knew this space was it.
It is at the very heart of Sarajevo, just as the Belgrade office is at the heart of Belgrade. I believe it reflects a big part of Becky, being at the very center of the city it’s founded in.
The office was a challenge for sure. We only had 4 chairs and 4 tables, but as we grew so did everything around us.
We are finalizing the work on it as we speak. I learned a lot through this process. I had a great example, the office in Belgrade, and I had wonderful coworkers in Belgrade who helped out a lot. Sending pictures, letting me know which plants are in the Belgrade office, what types of tables or chairs, etc.
The idea is to have the same style but to give each office their own unique charm.
How many of you are in the office now?
Currently, there are 7 of us.
I started on January 1st and shortly after more employees came on board. We have employees who work with clients, and a girl who works as a recruiter. We plan to grow.
Did some of the employees have the opportunity to go to the Netherlands?
Yes. Two of the girls have been to the Netherlands in February and this client is currently visiting us here, in Sarajevo.
The employees really loved it there, all the impressions were positive.
We have a client from Germany as well, so the two of our girls also went to Germany and met with the client there, and are learning about their regulations.
There is a teambuilding with the Belgrade office in plans soon?
That’s correct! The Belgrade team will be visiting us next week, and we are looking forward to seeing them again, and meeting some of them for the first time.
The last team building we had, there were only 4 of us, so we went to Belgrade and joined them on a cooking team building. It was amazing! We had a great time.
What about your hobbies, your free time?
As for myself, I love spending time with my friends and family, as do most people.
I am a big fan of sports. My dad put me on skis when I was really young. There is a running joke in my family that I learned how to ski before I knew how to walk. But that love has been installed in me ever since.
I used to play tennis, and I was pretty good at it. At some point, I was at a crossroads; I was to decide whether I’ll start playing tennis professionally and competitively or go to highschool. I chose highschool.
Now, I do kickboxing and fly yoga–perhaps a bit of a strange combination, but I enjoy it. I love hiking, skiing, and swimming on the seaside.
I am a cat lover, and I am about to get married at the end of this year! And I’m in the process of finalizing my master thesis.
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Vijzelstraat 68
1017 HL Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Makenzijeva 57
11000 Belgrade
Serbia
Bulevar Kralja Aleksandra 28
11000 Belgrade
Serbia
Marsala Tita 28
71000 Sarajevo
Bosnia and Herzegovina