INTERVIEW
ANA GRUJOVIĆ, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE SWISS-SERBIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
DYNAMIC YEAR FOR SSCC This year was marked by an increase in the number of chamber members, expansion of the network of institutional partners in Switzerland and the continuation of successful cooperation with existing institutional partners
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fter a break of two years, the SwissSerbian Chamber of Commerce returned to organising physical gatherings of members and reduced the number of “online” events, which was welcomed by many members. “The possibility of meeting and talking directly, live, with representatives of the Swiss-Serbian business community, as well as with members of the wider business community, has been missed the most by company representatives since the outbreak of the pandemic,” says Swiss-Serbian Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Ana Grujović. SSCC members were invited in March to participate in a business networking event that was organised in cooperation with other bilateral chambers during the Kopaonik Business Forum and sponsored by two SSCC member companies: Roche and Tomic Sinđelić Groza - TSG law firm. Additionally, Grujović notes, some online events are still being held, such as the webinar “Measures of active employment policy and financial support for companies”, organised in cooperation with the National Employment Service of the Republic of Serbia and bilateral chambers. “It is also important to mention the webinar on the ICT sector, which was organised in cooperation with Switzerland Global Enterprise and colleagues from the Bulgarian-Swiss and Romanian-Swiss chambers. A novelty linked to this event is that it also provided participants with the possibility of virtual B2B meetings,” explains Grujović. Similarly, a novelty of the work done during the course of this year includes the expansion of the number of SSCC members, expansion of the network of institutional partners in Switzerland and the continuation of successful cooperation with existing institutional partners. ■ Judging by your website, one would say that the time has come for so-
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BUSINESS PARTNER | SWITZERLAND 2022
cialising, networking and meeting. Which of these activities have your members been missing the most? - Expanding the network of business contacts has always been exceptionally valued by SSCC members. Our events provide companies with the opportunity not only to establish direct contact with representatives of Swiss companies operating in Serbia, but also to present their own business activities and launch new business initiatives. For example, a gathering of members held in March
was hosted by company Merkle. Moreover, SSCC events are often attended by representatives of state organisations, both Swiss and Serbian. We had the honour of having the SSCC networking cocktail party held in May at La Cucina restaurant being attended by H.E. Ambassador Urs Schmid. That event also provided an opportunity to meet new chamber members. This year we had the satisfaction of seeing the SSCC membership enriched with the addition of successful
