CHARITY IN SILENCE, AWAY FROM THE SPOTLIGHT

1. WOW, SANČE, WHAT A PIT BULL YOU HAVE AT THE DOOR!

I had been part of Alma Quattro even before it was established in 1994, when Alma was just an idea, an abstract noun somewhere between 8, Drinčićeva Street* and 51, Dositejeva Street**.

I have worked since I was 19, when I was a law student, as the business secretary of Kosanče Dimitrijević in three companies.

First in Bel Pagette, the company that introduced pagers (beepers), which were the state-of-the-art of communication at that time. Later we worked together in Okapi marketing agency, and finally continued our cooperation in Alma.

It was Sanče who taught me my first business steps, he taught me about communication with people, relationship with employees, and business culture. Let me illustrate how strict he was: once he sent me back home to change, since he thought that my shirt was rather too short.

There’s one situation we still joke about today.

One winter day in 1995 Sanče told me not to let anyone come into his office.

I have always fulfilled my duties diligently and responsibly.

After some time, one gentleman arrived and asked to see Kosanče Dimitrijević. I told him that director was not there, but the gentleman insisted and headed to director’s office.

I jumped from my chair, stood in front of the door with my arms stretched and cried out loud: “He is not here! He went out!”

Let me explain, I was sitting at the desk and Sanče’s office was behind my back. Everybody who wanted to come in had to pass beside me.

At that moment, Sanče went out of his office and saw the tall gentleman leaning over me but still standing motionless. I stepped away when Sanče said: “Goca, let him in. It’s him I have been waiting for.” Before the door was closed, I heard a comment:

„Wow, Sanče, what a pit bull you have at the door!“

After that colleagues were joking about me saying that Sanče didn’t have a secretary, but a pit bull.

On the other hand, they counted on my reliability and precision so much that there would be the state of emergency if I wasn’t answering immediately. The person from whom I learnt how to do the work that was supposed to be done already (“for yesterday”) was Dejan Petrović, the man who founded Alma Quattro. Such situations were numerous and, besides promptness and hurriedness, they were often funny.

In time, I have learnt from Sanja how to be patient. It’s in my nature to do everything right away. I don’t like to leave my work unfinished.

2. BUSINESS OPERATIONS DURING THE 1990’s

At the very beginning it was challenging to work in Alma.

We had to learn everything on our own, and we really did not have anyone who could teach us. Nobody was in OOH business in the country and the sanctions interrupted every communication with the world.

Since there were no printing houses that could print sizes and formats we needed, we used to send floppy discs to Italy. They would sometimes lose the discs and we had deadlines...

It was a bit terrifying to do business under such conditions.

One morning in 1996, Sanja and I came to work and found the door broken and ajar. We did not know what to think:

Is anybody still in there?

Who?

What has happened?

How to call anyone when we don’t have a phone?

Cool as a cucumber, Sanja opened her bag, took a pen, pushed the door with it, and we carefully came in. I understood that we should not leave our fingerprints. I will never forget that scene when she was pushing the door with a pen.

There was something to be seen in the office. Or, more exactly, there wasn’t anything to be seen there. There wasn’t a thing left in the office. They took everything: computers, fax, telephones, wires. We handled the situation somehow and used our neighbour’s phone to call Dejan, Sanče, and the police. The police took all our fingerprints. We stood there like candles, with our ink-stained hands raised. We knew that perpetrators would never be found.

3. ALMA IS A SHIP

I left Alma in 1997, because I got a business offer from the international company Allied Domeq (now Pernord Ricard), where I could develop professionally, learn languages, and travel. I couldn’t say “No” to such an offer, especially at that age.

I continued my career as the Senior Sales Administrator and IT Manager. I became an IT Manager merely by chance. Although it had nothing to do with my profession, I was skillful in solving problems in that area of business without hiring other people. During my training and tests my superiors concluded that, because of my promptness and quick learning, I would be an excellent communication liaison with the head IT manager for ex-Yugoslavia countries.

From Allied Domeq I went to Driskal SEE, the representative of Reemtsma GmbH, the manufacturer of Davidoff cigarettes. It was a new beginning and a new challenge again: beside cigarette business, we started developing Direct Trade (Direktna trgovina - DT). We were among the first on the market who had an idea about online distribution.

In 2002 my first child was born and I realised that I could no longer be in that business.

Too much stress and overtime work … money cannot simply compensate certain things in life.

When I was on maternity leave, I definitely realised that I wanted to change my job. Sanja mentioned in a conversation that there was an open position for the financial analyst, and that’s how I became part of Alma Quattro again.

What suits me best with Alma is that this company is a combination of an international corporation and a true family business. We have order, work and discipline, but I don’t feel inhibited and restricted.

The relationship between people and attitude towards business are different from those in other companies I worked with. There is stress, we have a lot of work, there are various situations, but everything is somehow … easier.

For me, Alma is a family that provides warmth and security. At the same time, it is a ship that sails in both rough and calm seas.

I currently work on the position of the chief administrative officer (director of general and administrative affairs). My job includes human resources, communication with employees, and protection of employees and the company.

In my private life I am engaged in charity and humanitarian work, but I have never had a need to emphasize that, just like Alma, which has participated in hundreds of humanitarian and charity projects and campaigns in silence, away from the spotlight.

I help others because I want to and because it fulfils me.

I helped the people who saved my child’s life through the humanitarian reality show “Radna akcija”; I helped them renovate their house (extreme home makeover). I was more than happy that I could help them. For many years I was also involved in “Battle for the Babies” campaign and I also helped women who were victims of violence.

I don’t have any photos, of course.