Biljana Braithwaite is the CEO and Founding Partner at Sustineri Partners, an ESG consultancy company that provides strategic advice to businesses and organizations on incorporating sustainability standards into their decisions, practices, and partnerships. Sustineri Partners is the founder and organizer of the ESG Adria Summit (formerly called Western Balkans ESG Summit), an annual regional event dedicated to sustainable development and dialogue on the greater responsibility of the business sector in relation to environmental, social, and governance standards (ESG) in practice. ESG Adria Summit, as one of Sustineri Partner’s key projects, aims to drive sustainable development in the Western Balkans and Adria region. 

Through her initiatives and work at Sustineri Partners, Ms. Braithwaite promotes gender diversity in corporate leadership and empowers countries, institutions, companies, and organizations to prioritize sustainability in their operations.

Biljana Braithwaite is also the Western Balkans Programme Director at The AIRE Centre. She has over twenty years of experience advising governments, businesses and international organizations on social justice and human rights issues in the region. Her expertise includes human rights law, anti-corruption, good governance, and other key social policies. Biljana possesses deep knowledge of the region, extensive networks, and practical experience in implementing reforms. A lawyer by training with degrees from Belgrade University and Lund University’s Raoul Wallenberg Institute, Biljana began her career at the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights and has been associated with the AIRE Centre since 1998. She serves as a board member for the AIRE Centre USA and the International Bridges to Justice.

Đina Popović is WOBA’s Director and Legal Representative. She graduated from the Faculty of Law at the University of Montenegro and began her career in 2013 as a legal adviser in the Office of the Representative of Montenegro before the European Court of Human Rights.

She later worked at the Ministry of Justice and then as an adviser to the Deputy Prime Minister for the Political System, Internal and Foreign Policy. Since 2020, Đina has worked in the civil and private sector, managing projects for the AIRE Centre in Montenegro and serving as an associate with Sustineri Partners.

Her main interests include project management, ESG standards—particularly governance—and the intersection of business and human rights.

Nevena is a lawyer with fifteen years of experience in policy development, project management, research and strategic litigation.

With a background in human rights, she has worked on the engagement of diverse stakeholders in the uptake of responsible business standards. Nevena focuses on introducing and implementing EU standards in the Western Balkans, particularly human rights, due diligence, risk assessments, and reporting. Gender equality, particularly women’s economic empowerment and labour standards, has been a specific area of her interest and work.

She holds a Master’s degrees in European Law from the University of Belgrade and International Business Law from Queen’s University in Belfast.

Lada Buševac is Head of IFC office in Brussels and Country Manager for Belgium, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, EU/EIB and EIB/EDFI. Prior to this position, Lada served as IFC’s Head of office for Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro based in Sarajevo. Lada has over 20 years of business consulting and development finance experience gained globally with particular focus on investment climate. She holds Masters in European Studies from a joint program of University of Bologna, University of Sarajevo and London School of Economics. Lada is a trained negotiator/mediator from Harvard’s Program on Negotiation and also has obtained further specialization in sustainability and circular economy at Cambridge’s Judge Business School. In 2012 Lada received Outstanding Leadership Award from US based International Association for Conflict Resolution for her contribution to promoting better dispute resolution practices for businesses globally.

Marko Čadež is President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia (CCIS), President of the Managing Board of the Western Balkan 6 Chamber Investment Forum, a Member of the Board of Eurochambres and Chair of Eurochambres’ Digitalisation Committee.

He was appointed to the position of the CCIS President for the first time in December 2014, from the position of Vice President in charge of the chamber system modernization, and Director of the CCIS Representative Offices in Germany and Austria. In June 2017, the CCIS Assembly entrusted him with a new five-year term of office. He is a Member of the Economic Development Council. 

He is an expert on Serbian-German relations and communications, and one of the founders and a Member of the Managing Board of the Serbia-Germany Forum.

He was born on 1 June 1977, in Belgrade. He finished his schooling in Germany, where he graduated from the Academy for Marketing Communications in Frankfurt, in 2001.

Dr Anino Emuwa is a global expert in the field of women’s leadership and works at the intersection of DE&I, entrepreneurship and emerging technologies. A former corporate banker with Citibank, she is the Managing Director of Avandis Consulting and founder of 100 Women @Davos, an international community of impact driven female leaders.

Anino serves on the boards of several organisations including the Watch and Jewellery Initiative, an industry sustainability initiative founded by Cartier and Kering, Nottingham Trent University and chairs the board of Prembly, a fast growth tech start-up.

Dr Emuwa is a member of the Institute of Directors’ Expert Advisory Group on Diversity and Inclusion, giving guidance on policy issues. An influential voice on gender equity in leadership, she is a TEDx speaker and has spoken at prestigious institutions and conferences, including Forbes, Cambridge University, the Reykjavik Global Forum, French National Assembly, UN Women, Institute of Directors, Web Summit and COP28.
Her articles have been published in international publications, including Forbes, Entrepreneur, and Global Banking and Finance Review.

Anino has received several awards for her work, including being named one of 21 women shaping and driving the global sustainability agenda, one of the Top 100 Women of the Future: Metaverse and Web3, and a LinkedIn Top Voice in Gender Equity.

She contributes her expertise to philanthropic impact initiatives that support entrepreneurs, including the Cartier Women’s Initiative.
Dr Emuwa earned her Doctorate in Business Administration from Nottingham Business School, holds an MBA from Cranfield School of Management and a BSc in Economics from the London School of Economics.

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Caitlin Kraft-Buchman is CEO/Founder of Women at the Table, a growing global CSO based in Geneva – and the first organization to focus on systems change by helping women gain influence in sectors that have key structural impact: economy, democracy and governance, technology, and sustainability.

Aleksandra Njagulj is the co-founder of Sustineri Partners and a renowned sustainable investment leader who brings a wealth of knowledge and passion for ESG and sustainable investment to our leadership network.

With over two decades of expertise, Ms. Njagulj has made significant strides in the ESG and sustainability field, having led CBRE Investment Management’s strategic ESG integration as their Global Head of ESG before joining DWS Group.

Her academic background is as impressive as her professional journey. She holds a Master’s degree in Architectural Design from the University of Belgrade and a Master’s degree in Sustainability Leadership from the University of Cambridge.

Ms. Njagulj’s dedication to sustainability goes beyond her professional roles. She plays an active leadership role in the industry and serves as chair of several industry committees.

Her work in the field has earned her numerous accolades, including the prestigious Global ESG Awards 2024 in the category of ESG Leadership for the best corporate ESG personality, the 2020 GRESB/BREEAM Individual Leadership Award, and the global Future Proof Real Estate Woman Award, recognising her as a leader in applying digitalisation, technology, open innovation, and sustainability to create a better built environment.

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Irena Radović is a highly accomplished professional in the field of sustainable finance and corporate social responsibility. She made history as first female Governor of the Central Bank of Montenegro. As the former Executive Director of the Investment and Development Fund (IDF) of Montenegro, she has made history once again as the first female head of the national development financial institution. Her impressive career spans over 20 years in banking, finance, and diplomacy, and she has held several senior positions, including Vice Governor of the Central Bank of Montenegro and Ambassador of Montenegro to France and UNESCO Executive Board.

Ms. Radović also initiated the “Women on Boards” program in Montenegro, which aims to strengthen and promote female leadership in Montenegro’s economic decision-making processes, which was developed in collaboration with European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

Ms Radović’s academic achievements are equally impressive, with a PhD in Economics from the University of Montenegro, an MPhil in International Relations from the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, and a Master’s Degree in Economics from the Consortium for Research and Continuing Education in Economics. She is an alumna of the Ecole Nationale d’Administration and All Souls College, University of Oxford.

Zeynep has a diverse corporate career, 15 years of which in C level roles and in geographies ranging from Americas to Europe to Asia. In her most recent role, she led 14 brands across 150 markets as Arcelik Chief Marketing Officer. Previously, she also served at Unilever, where most recently she was the Global Vice President of the Omo brand, based out of London.

Zeynep currently leads her own business as a Board Strategy and Marketing Advisor. She is a Non-Executive Director for the Doganlar  Group and Mavi. Her non-profit board roles include Chair of Individual Memberships and Events for EWOB, Board Member of the Futurists Society of Turkey, and member of Northwestern University Family Council.

Zeynep was recognized by Advertising Age as one of the 20 ‘Women to Watch’ in Europe in 2020.

Sanja Dakić Petrović contributes to WOBA’s research on gender equality and human rights.

She is also part of the AIRE Centre Western Balkans Programme and has more than 12 years of experience in policy, project implementation, and research.

She holds a Master’s degree in psychology from the University of East Sarajevo and previously worked at the Agency for Gender Equality of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Her work includes a wide range of studies, publications, and conferences, with a focus on gender equality and project management.

Amina Hujdur is Head of Communications at WOBA.

She is also a regional manager for communications for the AIRE Centre Western Balkans Programme and coordinates programmes of the Adria Future Summit and NextGen Adria at Sustineri Partners.

Her background spans media, civil society, and programme coordination, with a focus on sustainability, and human rights.

She has provided communications expertise to governments and international institutions across Europe.