Ascend 2030 – Nelt Group Unveils New Business Strategy

Today, Nelt Group presented its new strategy “Ascend 2030” in Belgrade—a five-year strategic framework outlining the company’s ambitious growth plan. The strategy includes investments of more than 400 million euros in infrastructure, digital transformation, organizational strengthening, and the acquisition of manufacturing and distribution companies across the markets where the Group operates.

Following the successful completion of the “Accelerate 2025” cycle, this new phase brings a stronger focus on organizational empowerment, acquisitions, business digitalization, implementation of advanced AI solutions, and a robust ESG agenda.

The strategy was presented at the Hilton Hotel in Belgrade to an audience of 250 Nelt Group managers by the company’s Executive Board, including vice presidents for the Serbian market, the Adria region, Africa, and Nelt’s brands, as well as executive directors of finance, human resources, information technology, and strategy and transformation.

“The previous three-year cycle was very successful for us. Ascend 2030 defines the next phase of our journey. We are aiming to invest 400 million euros over the next five years—in our people, brands, and both logistics and digital infrastructure,” emphasized Darko Lukić, CEO of Nelt Group, who marks one year in this role.

The new chapter of Nelt Group’s business journey was presented by the company’s vice presidents, each through the lens of their respective domains.

Nenad Miščević, Vice President for Serbian Market, emphasized that the new strategy marks our ascent to the top—to becoming the most desirable employer, the most reliable partner, and a leader in value creation. He highlighted the importance of continuing to win in the market by further developing our role as a strategic commercial partner for all clients and principals, with a clear message: victory comes only when we act as one team, focused on the goal and equipped with the right tools.

Goran Cerovina, Vice President for Adria Markets, stated that the five-year goal is to position the company as a regional leader with a scalable and resilient business model. Sustainable and accelerated growth will rely on three key levers—optimization, investments, and acquisitions—while keeping a strong focus on people and culture as the main drivers of transformation and success.

Boris Mačak, Vice President for African Markets, shared the strategic plans for Nelt’s companies in Africa, highlighting a focus on improving sales channels, optimizing pricing, and enhancing product distribution to drive growth in sales and profitability. The plan includes continued collaboration with profitable global and regional partners, expanding the confectionery range in our Candy Factory, and developing an affordable private label tailored to local consumers.

Sonja Todorova, Vice President for Nelt-owned brand businesses, spoke about brand portfolio development as a process that requires carefully crafted, bold, and contemporary solutions—guided by clear strategic focus, resource allocation, and readiness to adapt when needed. She emphasized that through its branded business development strategy to 2030, Nelt Group is establishing a balance between its core strengths and the potential of emerging markets.

Following the Vice Presidents, the Executive Directors addressed the audience, presenting the strategic directions, goals, and priorities their respective functions will pursue over the next five years.

Marko Cilić, Chief Financial Officer, spoke about what the new strategy brings to the finance function. He emphasized that finance will become more digital and automated in order to more effectively support the business in making value-creating decisions. He added that strengthening processes and the balance sheet, as well as investing in people—through the development of knowledge, skills, and leadership competencies—is key to successful innovation.

Bojana Mucić, Chief Human Resources Officer, spoke about the strategic development of the HR function, highlighting a strong focus on attracting and developing talent from local markets, the diaspora, and the region. This will be achieved through clearly defined career paths and the implementation of top-tier global learning programs. She emphasized the continued advancement of digitalization and automation in recruitment and development processes, including the use of AI models to support employees. She also underlined the importance of preserving company culture and Nelt’s core values, while simultaneously driving significant Group growth through expansion into new markets and strategic acquisitions.

Milan Bukorović, Chief Technology Officer, stated that over the next five years, the IT function will strive to become a reliable, secure, and deeply integrated partner to the business. The focus will be on developing a modern, integrated digital core that enables stable growth, as well as enhancing efficiency and innovation through automation, artificial intelligence, and cloud technologies.

Aleksandra Jović, Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer, spoke about a strategic direction centered on transformation and sustainable growth through the empowerment of sales and logistics teams. The strategy will focus on introducing standardized processes and modern digital tools that will enable teams to plan more precisely, execute faster, and make decisions more efficiently. Artificial intelligence will play a key role—from demand and supply planning to promotions and automated recommendations. She also emphasized that data will become a critical resource—not only through high-quality reports and models but also through investment in knowledge, experience sharing, and skill development.

The special guest of the event was Miloš Ivačković, a Serbian mountaineer and a member of the first Serbian expedition to reach the summit of Mount Everest. With his story, he symbolically rounded off the launch of Nelt’s new strategy—an ascend toward new heights.

Ascend 2030 marks a new chapter in Nelt Group’s business journey and symbolizes the company’s ambition to elevate to an even higher level of efficient, responsible, and sustainable operations. Following a period of acceleration—focused on transformation, expansion, and revenue growth—the ascent represents the next phase, one that requires strengthening the organization and advancing its capabilities, processes, and technologies.