Lošinj confirms Croatia's elite tourism status: renovates golf course and sends staff to international school.

s education at the University of Bonn in Germany, where he earned a master's degree in European Studies. He is a certified public accountant and a licensed internal auditor.

He started his business career at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, and then worked as chief and assistant head in the Zagreb City Administration. He was the financial director of the State Property Management Agency, deputy director for financial and general affairs of the Center for Restructuring and Sales. He headed and was a consultant for European projects in Croatia and Montenegro, and for the World Bank in Afghanistan. He was the director of Club Adriatic and before coming to Mali Lošinj, he was the financial''director and board member of Jadran Crikvenica.

You already had a rich career in various industries before coming to Mali Lošinj. What attracted you to join the Jadranka turizam team?

This was a new challenge for me for several reasons. Jadranka is a privately held company with a clear ownership structure that is doing well both financially and ownership-wise. Its portfolio includes high quality luxury properties in a unique location on the island of Lošinj. This is what attracted me. The company has great potential and is one of those companies you proudly point to on your resume. The owners and CEO Martin van Kan have a clear vision and know the direction''want to lead the company. That's why I want to be a part of this story and be a part of building and sustaining this brand, company and entire destination.

You work in a position that encompasses many areas. What challenges do you face on a daily basis and how have you contributed to Jadranka Turizam with your knowledge and experience.

This will be better said by my colleagues, but I can see that we are becoming a better team every day. Finance, accounting, controlling, IT, procurement and legal departments are impacting everything in the company and new eyes with the experience of existing colleagues are uncovering many hidden opportunities. I believe it is in this way, gradually, and actually in a very significant way, that we''let's make progress in the business. This will be my biggest contribution to this great team. We've already made some steps forward, especially in internal reporting, and we're now discussing big IT news for next season, including improvements to information security, material operations and an all-new business intelligence system. Colleagues in Sales and HR are also working on significant improvements to their information tools. In addition to the material activity system, we are strengthening our cooperation with the Jadranka trgovina Group, which will allow us to save more money.

As a group, you have won many awards and have a Michelin-starred restaurant, luxury''stores with well-known brands, as in most prestigious destinations around the world. Do you have a problem with qualified employees trained for such a service? "

A sufficient number of qualified employees, especially specialists, is always a problem that is certainly not going to change in the near future. Employee retention is a challenge, especially on an island. We strive to think long term. It is important to provide accommodation for employees, both seasonal and permanent, and there are plans to build housing for 400 employees. The pay system will be better than the competition. Moreover, in addition to a new career management system within the company, which will give employees an idea of their possible''future in the company, every winter there are courses and training for all interested employees. In addition to the standard training programs for the hotel industry, I should mention that colleagues from controlling regularly hold seminars on profit and loss development, KPI, cost management, etc., which can be called a kind of educational events for non-financial employees. I cannot fail to mention the excellent cooperation with the Association of Entrepreneurs in the Hotel Industry of Croatia (UPUHH), which provided us with a very profitable opportunity to train our 20 employees in the program of Cornell University, in particular their world-renowned Nolan School of Hotel Administration. One of the company's goals is to be''employee's first choice.

This travel season has been very challenging for many destinations. What are your impressions, and how will you end the financial year?