The first mentorship program of the WISE Serbia women’s network, focusing on sustainable energy, the green economy, and climate action, and implemented with the support of German development cooperation GIZ, was successfully concluded with an event held in Belgrade. Over six months of intensive collaboration, seven mentor-mentee pairs built mutual trust, exchanged knowledge, and developed leadership potential, demonstrating the vital role of support in career development.

The WISE Serbia mentorship program brought together 14 remarkable women. Seven experienced leaders from the energy and environmental sectors shared their extensive knowledge with seven young network members in the early stages of their careers.

The mentorship pairs included:

1. Maja Adamović, Director of the Transmission System Maintenance Division at Serbia’s electricity transmission system operator Elektromreža Srbije (EMS), and Jelena Perović, ESG Consultant at Deloitte Advisory d.o.o.;
2. Ivona Milić, Senior ESG Specialist for Corporate Clients at Raiffeisen Bank, and Marija Rošulj, Credit and Environmental Risk Officer at ProCredit Bank;
3. Maja Turković, Executive Vice President at CWP Europe, and Marina Arsenijević, Project Manager at Voltiza Inc.;
4. Aleksandra Lukić, Chief Engineer in the thermal energy production department at municipal heating utility JKP Novosadska toplana in Novi Sad, and Bojana Petrović Raičević, Senior Specialist for Energy and Environmental Law at NIS a.d. Novi Sad;
5. Svetlana Cerović, Head of Specialized Financing at UniCredit Bank, and Ana Minić, Technical Consultant for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency at MACS Energy & Water;
6. Ankica Barbulov, Director of Negawatt Solutions, and Milica Vujošević, Energy Efficiency Manager at Delta Holding;
7. Nataša Zdravković, Investment Manager at Ezpada Group, and Sara Ostojić, Lawyer at SOG a.o.d. in cooperation with Kinstellar.

The closing event was held in partnership with and under the patronage of Kinstellar, one of the leading law firms in Belgrade, operating across Central and Eastern Europe, Southeastern Europe, and Central Asia.

Founded in 2008, Kinstellar now operates in 12 countries and employs more than 300 lawyers. In Serbia, it is particularly recognized for its work in the energy and infrastructure sectors, advising on some of the region’s largest energy investments, including wind farms, mining projects, and renewable energy transactions.

One of the mentees, Sara Ostojić, is an attorney at Kinstellar and Head of the Energy Sector in Serbia. She expressed great satisfaction that her firm was hosting the closing event.

Radovan Grbović, partner and attorney with over 20 years of experience, addressed the participants, emphasizing the importance of mutual support and a stronger role for women in sustainable energy and the green transition.

Mentorship is about sharing life experience

The program’s outcomes were presented by Nataša Vukmirović, professional mentorship coach from the International Institute for Coaching and Mentoring, who highlighted that the program’s goals had been fully achieved. She noted that strong relationships of trust had been built and that most participants had expressed a desire to continue engaging in similar initiatives.

“Through evaluation and facilitation of joint sessions, I had the opportunity to witness meaningful knowledge exchange and feel the power of support, trust, and shared learning. The program demonstrated that developmental mentoring is a valuable approach in the sustainable energy and green economy sectors and can significantly impact participants’ career development,” said Vukmirović.

According to her, the program goes beyond education—it is based on values that empower individuals and protect the common good. This is echoed in the positive experiences of participants.

Marija Rošulj emphasized that her positive experience with Ivona Milić inspired her to become a mentor herself. “Mentorship is not just about work, but about a person’s character and sharing life experience, not just professional experience.”

The pair plans to continue working together and develop a joint project beyond the formal program.

“One of the things I appreciated most was that my mentor helped me achieve a deeper reflection on my career path and supported the development of my emotional intelligence and effective communication,” said Ana Minić, whose mentor was Svetlana Cerović, last year’s recipient of the Female Leader in Sustainable Energy 2024 award.

Mutual learning – the heart of the program

Mentors noted the process was reciprocal, and that through working with young women, they carried out a kind of introspection of their career paths. “It was especially interesting to identify what made me successful, which I could share with Milica, who also works in renewables and energy efficiency. I tried, by talking about my career, my development path, my ups and downs, to identify the golden thread that has kept me afloat and thanks to which I can say that I am doing well in business today,” said Ankica Barbulov, co-founder and director of Negawatt Solutions and the first to introduce the ESCO financing model in Serbia.

Mentee Milica Vujošević said that her mentor was an inspiration and that working with her was a great honor.

Aleksandra Lukić, Chief Engineer and one of the first women in the thermal energy production department at heating utility JKP Novosadska Toplana, emphasized that she and her mentee, Bojana Petrović Raičević, are very different and that this was a strength in their relationship.

“At first, I wondered how I could help someone from a completely different profession. I’m a mechanical engineer, and Bojana is a lawyer. But our differences allowed for deeper exchange, not only about careers but also life values, work-life balance, and personal development. In the end, I think we both gained more than we expected.”

Bojana added: “Aleksandra helped me clarify my goals and map out a plan for my career, both short-term and long-term steps. I’m grateful she was my mentor.”

Maja Adamović, Director at Elektromreža Srbije, saw the program as an opportunity to learn and improve future programs. She highlighted progress in strengthening women’s networks in the energy sector, citing the launch of the Women in Energy section within CIGRE Serbia as a great example of women’s growing interest in connection, empowerment, and collective impact.

Maja Turković, Executive Vice President of CWP Europe and co-founder of WISE Serbia, also served as a mentor. “Marina and I worked on identifying her potential in line with her education, interests, and labor market trends, as well as on shaping her career profile. I think we have defined a direction for her professional development and competencies she can further build on,” said Turković, adding she would gladly be a mentor again.

Marina Arsenijević, her mentee, said the program came at the right time: “After this program, I’m more aware of who I am and what I want to do in the next five or ten years.”

Throughout the program, mentors generously shared knowledge, experiences, and insights, while mentees showed openness to learning and a willingness to build their leadership capacities. All mentors expressed great satisfaction with participation in the program, highlighting mutual learning as one of its most valuable aspects.

The WISE Serbia program demonstrated how important mentorship is for women’s professional and personal development in green industries. Through experience-sharing, knowledge transfer, and mutual support, participants not only strengthened their capacities but also contributed to creating a strong community of women working on a more sustainable and equitable future.