A Successful Event, “Five Pillars of Business”

The “Five Pillars of Business” business panel was held for the fifth consecutive year with partners from the banking, auditing, business and tax advisory, real estate, HR, and legal sectors.

Our world is characterised by rapid discoveries and sudden changes that defy the norms of any previous era. These innovations and trends also reshape traditional industries, pushing the need for new business solutions. With this in mind, we chose the theme “Reshaping Business Solutions – A Look into the Future” for this year’s event.

The panel, featuring insights from experts in fields crucial to business development and the overall quality of company operations, covered topics such as human capital management, real estate, finance, investments, and legal issues.

Moderated by Bojana Drobnjak, attorney and founder of Drobnjak Legal & Partners, the discussion was enriched by her active participation. In her opening remarks, she emphasised how the market has evolved through innovation and the challenges we face as technology advances.

Igor Anić, Chairman of the Executive Board at Procredit Bank, explained how credit borrowing significantly impacts the ongoing growth of the economy. He also shared the outlook for reference interest rates over the next six months based on FED, ECB, and NBS insights. Additionally, Mr. Anić talked about the market conditions that most influence the reshaping of solutions for the real sector and the new or innovative services we can expect to see in the coming year.

Nemanja Drobnjak, Chief Operating Officer at CBS International, discussed the transformation of the real estate market and what we can expect in this sector. He explored how the office space market is changing regarding physical space and employee needs and whether Belgrade is keeping pace with trends related to the hybrid work model.

Bojan Žepinić, Managing Partner at TPA Serbia, addressed a growing topic of discussion: the full automation of finance. He talked about how this shift could affect investment attractiveness, what it means for clients in practice, and the challenges of this transformation.

During the discussion, Bojana Drobnjak raised an important point about whether the legal profession can offer innovative solutions for the economy in the near future or if innovation will be limited to tools alone. She also talked about the legal trends and upcoming legislative changes for 2025 and their potential impact on the economy.

Representing Manpower Serbia, Draško Nikolić, Senior Talent Acquisition Consultant, shared insights on new HR solutions and services that are gaining traction in Serbia, explaining why employers are increasingly open to introducing them into their systems. A significant topic in the context of direct investments was the trends and movements of FDI (foreign direct investments) in Serbia. Draško Nikolić, from the perspective of a talent acquisition firm, discussed how these trends are affecting the labour market, wages, and candidate expectations.

Following the engaging discussion, guests continued their conversations in a more informal setting with distinguished panellists and company representatives, making for an insightful and lively business gathering.