WISE Serbia, the Network of Women in Sustainable Energy, Climate Action, and Environment, under the auspices of the German development cooperation GIZ, announces the call for nominations for the 2025 Female Leader in Sustainable Energy Award. The call is intended for women who are professionally engaged in the energy and related sectors in the Republic of Serbia and who have demonstrated outstanding results in their careers. Application process is open until September 10.
The call for nominations for the 2025 Female Leader in Sustainable Energy Award aims to recognize women who, through their leadership, outstanding achievements, and vision, have demonstrated significant contribution to the sustainable development of the Serbia’s energy and related sectors, energy transition acceleration, improvement of energy efficiency, energy security, and safety, as well as the greater recognition of women in this field.
The Female Leader in Sustainable Energy award was established in 2023 by the Center for the Promotion of Sustainable Development, the founder of the WISE Serbia women’s network, under the auspices of the German development cooperation GIZ. The WISE Serbia network was established in 2018 and is among the first of its kind globally.
The recipient for the previous year, was Svetlana Cerović, Director of Specialized Financing at UniCredit Bank Serbia
The title of the Female Leader of Sustainable Energy has been awarded to several notable individuals. For 2023, the recipients are Dubravka Đedović Handanović, Minister of Mining and Energy in the Government of the Republic of Serbia; Maja Turković, Executive Vice President at CWP Global; and Ana Džokić, co-founder of the energy cooperative Elektropionir. The recipient for the previous year, 2024, was Svetlana Cerović, Director of Specialized Financing at UniCredit Bank Serbia.
Photo: GIZ’s Project Director Till Barmeier with the laureate, Svetlana Cerović from UniCredit Bank Serbia
“The Female Leader in Sustainable Energy Award is an opportunity to learn more about the achievements, initiatives, and enthusiasm of women who push boundaries through their engagement and contribution to sustainable energy. It is also an exceptional opportunity for networking and exchanging knowledge and experiences within the WISE initiative and beyond,” said Cerović.
Last year’s award winner invited all interested women to take part in this year’s award process and emphasized that she looks forward to future cooperation and joint initiatives.
Information about the Award competition
Women professionally engaged in the energy sector, climate action, or environmental protection in Serbia are eligible to apply, both citizens of Serbia and foreign nationals working in Serbia. The candidates themselves can submit applications, as well as their employers, colleagues, or teams who wish to highlight the outstanding achievements of their associates.
The pannel discussion at 2024 annual event of the WISE Serbia women’s network : pictured from left: Maja Turković, Ankica Babulov, Dušan Macura, Ana Džokić
The call is open to all profiles – decision-makers, employees in business, public enterprises, academia, civic energy, non-governmental sector, international organizations, consulting teams, legal and financial institutions, IT experts, as well as media representatives.
The call is open from August 25 to September 10.
The call for nominations for the Leader of Sustainable Energy is open from August 25 to September 10, 2025. The application needs to be emailed by September 10, 2025, to info@wisesrbija.org. It needs to include:
- Nomination letter presenting the candidate and listing the significant results and achievements, nominating her for the selection.
- Professional résumé.
- A short nomination statement to present the shortlisted candidate to the wider public (on the WISE Serbia website and social media platforms). The statement should be up to 100 words.
- Photo portrait in high resolution.
- Contact info – email address, phone number, social network accounts that the candidate is actively using.
Applications should be sent by email to info@wisesrbija.org.
After processing the submitted applications, the candidates’ profiles will be published on the WISE Serbia Network website – wisesrbija.org, and the voting will be open to the public. The candidate with the highest number of votes will be awarded the title of Leader in Sustainable Energy.
The announcement ceremony for the Leader in Sustainable Energy 2025 will take place during the WISE Serbia Women’s Network annual conference in mid-October in Belgrade.