Violeta Belanovic Kokir, GM at "Sekopak" - You get what you give

(Violeta Belanovic Kokir)

She knows how to, in her 28, become financial manager. She knows how much effort is required to be an auditor as well as how it is like to work with the Americans in Smederevo-based "Zelezari". During the four years, she knows almost everything about packaging waste, problems of recycling industry and national objectives of the country in environmental protection.

Violeta Belanovic Kokir has been GM at "Sekopak" for almost two years. She hosted us with the smile at the company offices in Novi Beograd. This time, apart from tons of packaging which "Sekopak" collected and sent for recycling during the past year, we have been talking about her private life and professional ambitions, give ups which career brought as well as nice things the work brings.

Experience in audit

She was born in Belgrade, in 1976. She grew up she says in a normal family with parents and senior sister who have always been their support. Stability and love, two basic things which, she thinks, everybody should take from home, she tries to provide to her kids today, a girl who will now finish the second and a son who is starting in the first grade of elementary school.

In their age, she loved history and social science and already had high ambitions.

At the Economic Faculty she wanted to be an auditor and her wish, in less than a month after graduation, was fulfilled by an auditing company "Ernst&Young".

As an audit expert, she obtained precious experience in working with some of the biggest local and multinational companies such as: NIS, "Jat", "Electric Power Industry of Serbia", "Aerodrom Beograd", "Ratko Mitrović", "Mostogradnja", "British American Tobacco", etc.

During her work in "Deloitte", she was one of the members of managing team in privatization of "Zelezara Sartid", at the moment when"U.S. Steel" bought Serbian steel plant. Attempts of set up of American-Serbian business culture in Smederevo are a life experience which, as she says, she would never change.

However, after 5 years of audit, she realized that if she wants a family, that job is no longer for her – To be an auditor takes plenty of knowledge, give ups and effort and my five-year experience had all three aspects. I worked on Saturdays until 10 or 11 in the evening and went on business trip on Sundays. ,In life, sometimes, you have to renounce some things so that they would come back to you later. I gave up majority of them, shops did not work on Sundays so my sister was buying me a wardrobe, I did not go out with my friends as much as I wanted. But, that was my decision, my wish to give myself as I did, my wish to learn as much as possible and it paid back at the end.

Making childhood ambitions come true

In February 2005, when she was 29, Violeta Belanovic Kokir, went to the position of FM at "GlaxoSmithKline". As she says, there were comments on the fact she was young at the position but she proved through her work it was a good decision.

In "GlaxoSmithKline, apart from business success, she has experienced nice private things as well. By 2010, she gave two births but even after two babies and 5 years of work in this pharmaceutical house, it was time to move on.

She found challenge to work in the company, "surrounded with the right turbulence and where there is a problem to collect payment and to pay", in "Sekopak" who in 2011, searched for a financial manager.

In August 2013, she became GM at "Sekopak", so now she has been performing both functions.

Time for herself

Since she is fulfilled with the her job, overtime is not a problem for her. Our collocutor spends most of her free time with kids. She likes to read a good book, mainly historical ones since she has never forgotten love for “ magistra vitae”. Time spent with her husband and high school friends are her charger. She is satisfied with everything she has done so far.

- A man should not regret the things he or she did. One can only regret what one did not do but there is always time to correct it. I want to develop myself even more, to strengthen and develop "Sekopak" to the position of number 1 operator in Serbia, too have more time for my kids and more time for myself.

Sekopak d.o.o. Beograd

Violeta Belanović Kokir

Violeta Belanović Kokir biografija

Ernst&Young

EY

Dilojt

GlaxoSmithKline

audit

auditor Zoran Purković