Competitiveness and Investments Department

Dušan has been dealing with regulatory reforms in the field of public administration and economic development since 2001. He has cooperated with NALED in various roles, ever since the organization was established, currently as a Competitiveness and Investments Department Director. He took part in devising the concept and realizing NALED's Grey Book, the campaign Ask When, the Regulatory Index of Serbia and the Business Friendly Certification in South East Europe. Some of the reforms where he had one of the leading roles refer to the issues of real estate registration, construction permitting, abolishing para-fiscal charges, labor legislation, property taxation, land use and development fees, decentralization and strengthening the authorities and capacities of local governments. He is a member of multiple working groups established by the Government and line ministries, including the Joint Group for Improving Serbia's Position in the World Bank's Doing Business List. From 2018 to early 2019 he was a senior expert in business legislation for the Serbia Investment Climate project by IFC as part of the World Bank Group. Prior to this, he was a Business Policy and Economic Governance Director in USAID Business Enabling Project (USAID BEP), and later served as the Deputy Chief of Party for the same project. From 2002 to 2010 he led policy teams in USAID projects dealing with decentralization and local economic development. From 2001 he was Project Director in the Public Administration and Local Government Center (PALGO). He has a PhD degree in economics, a Magister degree in local economic development, and he graduated from the Faculty o Political Sciences in Belgrade. He was a Visiting Fellow at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy from Boston, USA, and Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Political Sciences. His expert and scientific works have been published in Serbian, English and Spanish.

Irena has eight years of experience in regulatory reform in the field of digitization, entrepreneurship and innovation gained by working on projects supported by international and bilateral donors (EU, GIZ, USAID), currently in the position of Head of the Unit for Digitization, Innovation and Entrepreneurship in NALED. She is the author of numerous analyzes in this domain, including the Gray Book of Innovations, Analyzes of the expansion of the system of simplified engagement of workers in temporary and casual jobs, Analyzes of the tax and non-tax burden of beginners in business, Guide for freelancers, etc. In her previous work, she actively contributed to the introduction of the first tax exemption for business beginners, the reform of the system of hiring seasonal workers and freelancers, the legal regulation and recognition of innovative entities in Serbia, as well as the conditions for the use of light electric vehicles and the testing of autonomous vehicles on roads. She is a regular member of the Government's working groups for drafting and amending regulations in the field of digitization, entrepreneurship, and innovation, and in cooperation with the Ministry of Finance and the Tax Administration, she coordinated the development of a software solution for simplified reporting of freelancers' income. So far, she has organized and held more than 50 trainings for public servants and entrepreneurs on the topic of tax breaks for small businesses and innovators, freelancer income reporting, smart cities, etc. She completed her basic studies in journalism at the Faculty of Political Sciences in Belgrade as a student of the generation, and after that she completed her multidisciplinary master's studies in Terrorism, Organized Crime and Security at the University of Belgrade. She is currently studying for a PhD in Political Science at the University of Aveiro in Portugal. She speaks English and Italian

Mihailo completed his undergraduate studies in Economics at the Faculty of International Economics. He began his professional career as a project assistant and later as a researcher at the Belgrade Open School. He continued to build his experience at the Libertarian Club as an economic researcher, and later at the Catalyst Foundation, where he held the position of Research Manager. During this period, he focused on topics such as public finance, public administration reform, the quality of the regulatory framework, and education policy. Mihailo has participated in numerous international seminars and conferences and has published papers in both national and international conference proceedings and academic journals. He is an alumnus of the 18th generation of the DAUS program of the Belgrade Open School and the Annual Seminar of the BFPE Foundation. He is proficient in English, French, Italian, and Japanese. He joined the NALED team in September 2024.

Milica is an experienced regulatory expert and researcher with over 9 years of experience in practical policy research and large database processing. Milica participated in about 30 projects (EU, GIZ, USAID, EBRD) as a regulatory expert, researcher/analyst or project manager. She managed teams of domestic and international researchers and independently carried out the entire research process, from developing methodology, methodological tools (questionnaires, databases, etc.), through collection (through surveys, interviews, focus groups), to data processing, development of practical " turnkey" recommendation and presentation to decision makers. Her main area of ​​expertise is "business process" analysis and GAP analysis with a focus on digitization and optimization of public services, as well as research in the field of demographic trends and the labor market. She participated in the development and/or implementation of numerous public reforms, including the introduction of a system for the electronic issuance of building permits and the introduction of a system for digitizing procedures for registering and approving subsidies in agriculture - eAgrar. She gained managerial experience leading the Research Unit at NALED, after which she moved to the position of Research Advisor, where her main focus is providing research support for the implementation of regulatory activities that are horizontal and include multiple sectors. Milica holds a master's degree from the Faculty of Economics in Belgrade, where she worked as an assistant on the courses Basics of Economics and International Economics. She speaks fluent Serbian and English, and also speaks Spanish.

Aleksandar completed his undergraduate studies in Economics at the Faculty of International Economics and his master's studies in Political Science at the Faculty of Political Sciences. He began building his professional experience at the Ministry of European Integration as a Coordinator for Negotiation Chapters related to the Single Market, where he was involved in coordinating and participating in Serbia's EU accession negotiations and conducting comparative analysis of Serbia's legal and economic systems in alignment with EU standards. He then moved to the Ministry of Internal and Foreign Trade in the Sector for Multilateral Cooperation and Foreign Trade Policy, where he worked on trade and economic cooperation with the EU, coordinated the National Coordination Body for trade facilitation between Serbia and the public and private sectors, and developed Action Plans for trade facilitation. Throughout his career, he has furthered his education, including at Sciences Po in Paris, interned in Slovenia and Poland, attended training in Geneva on the functioning of the World Trade Organization, and lectured on the EU Single Market at the Future Studies module of the Belgrade Open School and the PoliticKAS module. He joined the NALED team in May 2024.  

Slađana Stešević graduated from the Faculty of Law at the University of Montenegro, where she also completed her specialist studies. She obtained her master’s degree in civil law from the Faculty of Law at the University of Belgrade. Slađana is a project management expert with extensive experience in the Western Balkans region, specializing in the coordination of internationally funded projects and programs in the fields of environmental protection, policy, and institutional development. She has experience in leading and coordinating projects funded by the EU, SIDA, IUCN, and JICA, including contract management, procurement, budgeting, and reporting, with full compliance with donor procedures. She is also experienced in managing the entire project cycle – from preparing tenders and writing project proposals to implementing and monitoring activities. She joined the NALED team in May 2024. She joined the NALED team in July 2025.

Dušan completed his undergraduate studies in International Relations at the Faculty of Law, University of Belgrade. He began building his professional experience in the field of financial leasing at "Hypo Alpe-Adria Leasing," where he worked as a Legal Advisor. Following this, he met the requirements to take and successfully passed the judicial exam before the Ministry of Justice. Dušan then transitioned to the banking sector, holding the position of Senior Legal Advisor at several commercial banks, with a focus on debt collection. His most recent role was at MaxBet in the Compliance Department, where he actively worked on regulatory monitoring, business compliance, data protection, and the development of internal policies. He joined the NALED team in May 2024.

Milos began his career at NALED in 2019, working on the project "Optimization of the Healthcare Network - Health Masterplan." Since then, he has been engaged in the Research and Analytics unit as a researcher/analyst responsible for conducting research and preparing analyses on numerous projects such as Public Procurement and Good Governance for Increased Competitiveness, Establishment of a Platform for a Favorable Business Environment in the Region, and the National Initiative for Cashless Payments. In addition, he performs economic analysis and statistical and descriptive data processing in various areas where NALED is implementing regulatory reform and monitoring institutions, contributing to the development of numerous publications, including the Regulatory Index of Serbia, Local eGovernment Index, Research on Public-Private Dialogue and Legislative Process, and Research on Citizens' Attitudes toward the Shadow Economy and Cashless Payments. By defending his master's thesis on the topic "Critical Analysis of the Institutional Framework of Public-Private Partnerships in the Republic of Serbia," he earned the title of Master Economist at the Faculty of Economics, University of Belgrade. During his studies at the same faculty, he held the position of vice president of the debate club and won numerous debating tournaments.

Jelena graduated from the Faculty of Law at the University of East Sarajevo. During her student days, she was active in the NGO sector through membership and active work in a youth organization. She gained her first work experience in the profession while doing an internship at the Kastratović Law Office in Belgrade. After a two-year internship, she got a job at the "Branko Ćopić" elementary school in Belgrade, in the position of lawyer-secretary, where she performed all the legal tasks necessary for the functioning of this institution. She also worked as a lawyer-secretary at the Institute for the Education of Children and Youth in Belgrade, where, in addition to managing the general affairs department, she conducted public procurement procedures, drew up contracts, kept staff and personnel records of employees and all other necessary legal tasks. Jelena is engaged in the Unit for Property and Investments as an Associate for Regulatory Reform.  

Nevena completed Bachelor studies at the Faculty of Political Science, University of Belgrade, within the department of Politicology. She gained her first work experience in the municipality of Cukarica, in the Property, Legal and Housing Affairs department, being engaged as an intern. She spent two and a half years at the civil society organization Crta - Center for Research, Transparency and Accountability, working on improvement of the transparency, openness and participation of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia through the Open Parliament Initiative. She is an alumni of Crta's Academy for Democracy and OSCE Dialogue Academy for Young Women. She was a short-term observer at the Croatian president elections and at the elections for councilors for the Assembly of the City of Belgrade. She speaks English. Nevena joined the NALED team in June 2021 as an associate within the Entrepreneurship and Investments department.

Milan holds a master’s degree in Electrical Engineering and has over 15 years of experience in the energy sector, industrial systems, and the management of complex engineering operations. Throughout his career, he has held senior positions in companies such as Petroprocess, Siemens Energy, and EPS RB Kolubara, leading projects in the fields of renewable energy, power engineering, and process automation. As Operations Manager at Petroprocess, he was responsible for the execution of EPC contracts, coordination of engineering teams, and the implementation of strategic initiatives aimed at improving operational efficiency and work quality. Prior to that, at Siemens Energy, he worked as a Solutions Engineer, focusing on the design and integration of complex energy systems. His experience at EPS provided him with in-depth knowledge of technical processes in the power sector, with an emphasis on maintenance and modernization. He has participated in numerous infrastructure projects, including the construction of cogeneration plants, automation of industrial processes, and the application of advanced solutions in hydrogen production. Milan brings a broad set of technical and managerial competencies – from strategic planning and team leadership to budgeting and technical design. He joined the NALED team in May 2025.

Jovana graduated from the Faculty of Political Sciences, majoring in international relations. During her studies, she was a member of the School of Sustainable Development and Ecology" - CEDEM and a member of the BIMUN (Belgrade International Model United Nations) conference in the Economic and Social Committee. Jovana peaks 3 languages ​​perfectly: English, French and Italian. She wants to develop her work experience and knowledge in a progressive and innovative system that contributes to the improvement of the business environment in Serbia. She joined the NALED team as an Intern for Regulatory Reform.

Aleksa Jerković completed his undergraduate studies at the Faculty of Economics, majoring in International Relations. He is currently pursuing a master's degree in Economic Analysis and Policy (with a focus on Macroeconomics) at the same institution. During his studies, he had the opportunity to undertake a six-month internship at the National Bank of Serbia in the Interest Rate Department, where he was involved in monitoring preliminary and final interest rate results. He joined the NALED team in January 2024.

Dušan Ogarević is a final-year student at the Faculty of Organizational Sciences in Belgrade, majoring in Management and Organization. Since his first year, he has been interested in and participated in case study and project management competitions. While working at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport, he gained insight into organizational and management processes within large systems.Previously, he was engaged with the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia as part of the fieldwork team during the population census, where he took part in data collection and processing. He also has experience working with vulnerable groups through his involvement with the Commissariat for Refugees and Migration, assisting in migrant reception centers. He joined the NALED team in May 2025.

Sofija Orlić is a final-year Political Science student at the Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Belgrade. During her studies, she has shown strong interest in political communication and public policies, with a particular dedication to media literacy, anti-corruption efforts, and civic participation. She began her professional experience as a journalist and researcher, working with organizations such as Istinomer, CRTA, and the Association of Journalists of Serbia, focusing on media reporting, public finances, and electoral processes. She speaks English and Spanish. Sofija joined the NALED team in May 2025.

Ivana Belić graduated from the Faculty of Political Sciences at the University of Belgrade, earning a degree in Political Science. She is currently pursuing her master’s degree in Political Institutions, Public Administration, and the Public Sector at the same faculty. Ivana is a recipient of the Dositeja Scholarship from the Fund for Young Talents for the academic year 2023/2024. During her studies, she completed internships at several institutions and organizations, including the Youth Umbrella Organization of Serbia, the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government, and the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia. There, she gained knowledge and experience in areas that particularly interested her, such as public policies, citizen participation, economic and social policy, human rights and their protection, public-private partnerships, legislation, and research-analytical work. Ivana is also the initiator of the social media campaign “Contraction of the Heart,” which focuses on combating gynecological violence. Through her experience working with both government and non-governmental organizations, she has recognized the importance of cooperation between these two sectors and the significance of their simultaneous development for overall social progress.