Last night in Zagreb, in front of nearly two hundred attendees, the new association LEAD.YOU was officially presented – a platform launched by some of the most influential businesswomen in Croatia with the aim of connecting and empowering female leadership and influencing important social issues.
– We who have succeeded in reaching the top take responsibility for society. We do not seek space – we create it. We strengthen the position of women due to our objective qualities, not imposed quotas – emphasized the director of the Association Jasminka Horvat Martinović in her opening speech, adding that their strength lies in inclusivity, which is why male colleagues are also members.
– The position of women is not a female but a social issue. We believe that only together can we bring about real change – stressed Horvat Martinović.
– We want a world where women in business are not highlighted as exceptions. We want leadership without prefixes and labels – stated the director of the Association, clarifying that leadership is not a matter of gender, but of possessing vision, challenging the status quo, and courageous leadership through uncertainty.
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Mentoring young people is another strategic focus of the LEAD.YOU initiative. Martinović stated:
– We will provide future leaders with the opportunity to learn from the best among us. We want them to understand that they can achieve everything, but also that they are responsible for what they leave behind.
She also reflected on the fact that women, although more educated, often fail to make that final step to the top and that they are still less paid than their male colleagues in the same positions.
The work of the Association was supported by Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, who praised the initiative, emphasizing that such projects play a key role in the development of Croatian society.
– I believe that such gatherings are an excellent contribution to recognizing how important women are for the successes of Croatian society at the level of politics, the state, the economy, and all other social activities – said Plenković.
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The Prime Minister also pointed out that, although women’s participation in social life is increasing, there is still much room for improvement, especially in the management of large systems where women currently make up only 23 percent. Plenković also noted that the government is implementing measures to reduce pay disparities, emphasizing that the pay gap was €100 eight years ago, while today it has been reduced to €50.
From the panel on Leadership without Prefixes, leading representatives of the Croatian business world: CEO of RBA Liana Keserić, Vice President of Atlantic Group Srećko Nakić, member of the Management Board of Solvership Anita Cvetič Oreščanin, co-founder of Farseer Matija Nakić, and Vice President of the Supervisory Board of Orbica Stjepan Roglić urged young leaders to give their best and not skip steps.
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Among the guests were numerous dignitaries from social and business life, including: CEO of Podravka Martina Dalić, Director General of the Croatian Employers’ Association Irena Weber, Governor of the Croatian National Bank Boris Vujčić, CEO of the Zagreb Stock Exchange Ivana Gažić, CEO of Telemach Adrian Ježina, Minister of Economy Ante Šušnjar, and Minister of Environmental Protection and Green Transition Marija Vučković.
LEADYOU is already proving to be a strong platform that will set new rules of the game and strengthen the position and visibility of women in all segments of society through initiatives, conferences, business events, and mentoring. And this is not only in the business world but also beyond, emphasizing that creating a society that values equality is only possible through the joint work of all social stakeholders.
Along with Jasminka Horvat Martinović, the co-founders of the Association are Vilma Učeta-Duzlevska, CEO of Triglav Insurance, Ivana Galić Baksa, Director of Marketing, PR, and Corporate Communications at Nova TV, Ivanka Mabić Gagić, Executive Director of the Croatian branch of Aleph, financial expert Nadja Schaps Horvat, Manuela Šola, General Manager of the Communication Laboratory, and Nataša Kapov Kostovski, member of the Management Board of Lemax.
