PANEL 2 – Boosting Development of Small Businesses in BiH through Best EU Practices

A topic of this Panel 2 is Boosting Development of Small Businesses in BiH through Best EU Practices.

The Panel 2 leader is Mr. Džavid Sejfović, Director of MCF LIDER and Vice President of the Association of Microfinance Institutions (AMFI), while panel participants are: Mr. Elvir Ćatović, Head of the Non-deposit Sector in the FBiH Banking Agency, Ms. Snježana Rudić, Assistant Minister with the RS Finance Ministry, Mr. Sead Džiho, Assistant Minister for Entrepreneurship with the FBiH Ministry of Development, Entrepreneurship and Crafts, Mr. Izedin Kurtović, Assistant Minister for Crafts with the FBiH Ministry of Development, Entrepreneurship and Crafts, prof. Adisa Omerbegović Arapović, Ph.D, Econ., Mr. Mirzet Ribić, expert for microfinance, banking, consulting and management and Nicola Benaglio, Senior Research Officer with the European Microfinance Network (EMN). 

Mr. Džavid Sejfović is the Director of MCF LIDER and Vice President of the Association of Microfinance Institutions in BiH (AMFI) since February 2012. For three years, he has been working as the regional operations manager for FINCA International in Kosovo. Before returning to work in the microfinance sector, he spent 10 years with BNY Mellon Wealth Management as the portfolio manager in the Family Office Group. 

Mr. Elvir Ćatović is the Head of the Non-deposit Sector in the FBiH Banking Agency. For more than 18 years, he has been holding managing positions in the banking sector. He has knowledge and extensive experience in the risk management segment, as well as in project management, thus also having specific knowledge in segments of micro and entrepreneurship lending. Mr. Ćatović has attended series of professional and specialist seminars in the segment of financial analysis, HR management and business change and project management.  

Ms. Snježana Rudić is the Assistant Minister for the financial sector with the Ministry of Finance of Republika Srpska. She has participated in various working groups of the RS Government related to the reforms and regulatory improvements in the segments of banking business, insurance and capital markets, as well as pension system reforms. Ms. Rudić was appointed as the World Bank team leader for the implementation of the Banking System Strengthening Project. Before that, she has spent many years working in the banking sector and, throughout her carrier, she also works as an assistant professor at post-graduate studies involving banking courses. 

Mr. Sead Džiho is the Assistant Minister for Entrepreneurship in the Entrepreneurship Sector of the FBiH Ministry of Development, Entrepreneurship and Crafts since 2018. He graduated from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the Džemal Bijedić University in Mostar and obtained his work experience in the metal industry, i.e. UNIC Company. He conveyed his knowledge to younger generations as a high school professor. Since 2007, he has been employed with the Ministry and worked on different functions related to the entrepreneurship development on FBiH. 

Mr. Izedin Kurtović is the Assistant Minister for Crafts in the Entrepreneurship Sector of the FBiH Ministry of Development, Entrepreneurship and Crafts. He has been working here since 2018, where he actively contributes to entrepreneurship development in FBiH and to improving the entrepreneurs’ position. He holds B.Sc. in economics and has 15 years of experience in the banking sector where he worked as a branch manager. 

Prof. Ph.D. Adisa Omerbegović Arapović is associate professor at the International Burch University in Sarajevo. In her academic and research carrier, she focuses on the segments of macroeconomics, market structure and finance, but her research work also involves political economy and transition. She is a member of the Economic Council of the FBiH Government. 

Mr. Mirzet Ribić is an expert in the segments of microfinance, banking, consulting and management. He has rich experience of over 25 years in the financial sector in BiH. This kind of extensive experience was obtained with the RBiH/FBiH Ministry of Finance, WB microfinance project and as the Management Board member and CEO in two commercial banks. Presently, he is engaged as a consultant on the World Bank project of company recoveries – response to Covid-19 consequences and is a financial consultant to the Energy Efficiency Improvement Model of the Sarajevo Canton. 

Mr. Nicola Benaglio is senior research officer with the European Microfinance Network (EMN) since 2015. Before that, he worked as a financial analyst and then in the social economics division, whereas he was also engaged in Peru in the rural micro finance project.