The Ascend Starts with Me | Bojana Cvetković, Nelt Group

Read the interview with Bojana Cvetković, Director of Cash Flow, Risk and Insurance Management at Nelt Group.

What does the word “ascent” mean to you, personally and professionally?

The word “ascent” makes me think of a stage where I need to demonstrate the skills and knowledge I have gained, while at the same time learning a great deal and gaining invaluable experience. It is, in many ways, a new beginning.

An ascent is always exciting, unpredictable, uncertain – an adventure. It is not easy and requires good preparation, because the foundation from which we begin our ascent has to be strong.

An ascent is one of the goals we strive towards, and achieving it broadens our horizons with an incredible view, brings a smile to our faces and creates a sense of fulfilment when we look back at everything we have been through on the way to our goal. And then, life takes us towards new ascents through new goals.

Which habit or mindset do you consider essential for personal growth?

When it comes to habits, I would say planning, organization and continuous learning. We do not always need to have an exact plan in front of us, and life rarely unfolds exactly as we imagined it would. That is precisely why we should develop several options and be prepared to adapt and react.

When it comes to mindset, I would emphasize maintaining a positive attitude towards everything that happens to us, as well as the desire and willingness to strive towards a better version of ourselves.

We learn something new every day, and perhaps we learn the most when a situation does not seem to be going the way we would like it to. That may be precisely because it is the situation we need in order to master a new lesson on our journey of personal growth.

How do you contribute to our shared Ascent?

As part of our strategy, one of the projects contributing to our shared Ascent is the development and management of the changes brought about by the Optimal Capital Structure Policy.

In addition, numerous process improvement projects have been initiated within my sector. However, I consider my contribution through listening, understanding and sharing knowledge to be particularly important.

I believe that only by understanding and supporting one another can we create team synergy and achieve our shared Ascent.

When was the last time you stepped outside your comfort zone, and what did it bring you?

Right now, in fact, as of May 1, I have had the honour of temporarily taking on the role of Acting Regional Finance Director for the African markets.

Every time we step outside our comfort zone, we gain new experience, and this time I expect to learn a great deal – both in terms of technical expertise and through working with people of different mindsets, backgrounds and habits.

How do you motivate colleagues when the ascent becomes steeper and more challenging, and your legs start to feel “heavy”?

Motivation becomes easier when we understand what motivates our colleagues.

When the climb gets steeper, my approach is usually to take a pause – to talk through and analyse the more difficult part of the ascent together, so that we can simplify the next stage and tackle it step by step.

Sometimes that means a lunch or a drink and, always, being there to help each other take that difficult step forward.

Whose story motivates you every day?

There is not one particular person whose story motivates me every day, because every day is different, and we all experience and respond to the same situations differently.

Since our story is connected to the idea of the Ascent, and I have already mentioned how important it is to understand one another and develop our mindset, I would highlight Eileen Gu, a multiple Olympic and World Champion in freestyle skiing. She has spoken about how she uses metacognition as a way of continuously developing into a better version of herself.