ALEXANDRU GIBOI
ALEXANDRU GIBOI
Alexandru Giboi is the Secretary General of the European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA) and new lecturer on International Strategic Management at the Università della Svizzera Italiana in Lugano, Switzerland.
Elected by the General Assembly of EANA in September 2018, then reelected in October 2021, Alexandru Giboi had previously been the General Director and President of the
Directors’ Council of AGERPRES, the Romanian National News Agency. He was a member of the EANA Board between 2015 and 2018. Also, he was Secretary General of ABNA-SE – the Association of Balkan News Agencies between 2014 and 2018, and also acting President of the same organisation for one year between 2013 and 2014.
Alexandru Giboi is an experienced manager and PR expert. Passionate about organisational & societal evolution, he is also a global consultant and public speaker on topics like management, news agencies & news media in general, disinformation and information literacy & its impact on our societies. Strong business development professional skilled in Business Networking, Management, PR, Media & Stakeholder Relations, Crisis Management, Political Communication and Government.
Has delivered speeches and presentations at universities in Switzerland, Albania, Azerbaijan, Moldova and Romania as well as during multiple international events and conferences all over Europe & in the Middle East.
Alexandru Giboi is the co-founder of Evolution Consulting, a Swiss business intelligence company, and honorary president of the Evolution Society, a Swiss NGO focused on providing developing countries with tools needed for the overall evolution of their societies, especially concerning media development. “
BORIS RAONIĆ
Boris Raonic is from Podgorica, Montenegro. Graduated in law, during his studies he was one of the founders of the first NGOs in Montenegro. He worked as a journalist until 1999, and in 2000 he began his engagement in the civil sector.
He is the author of numerous texts in the field of dialogue, tolerance, political culture and dispute resolution, and was also the producer of several documentaries.
He was a member of the National Council for European Integration (Nacionalni savjet za evropske integracija), the governing bodies of several NGOs, the Council of the Agency for Electronic Media (Savjeta Agencije za elektronske medije), the Parliamentary Committee for Amendments to Electoral Legislation (Skupštinskog Odbora za izmjenu
izbornog zakonodavstva), the Ethics Committee of the Police Administration (Etičkog odbora Uprave policije) and several working groups for drafting legal solutions.
He is a member of numerous international networks in the field of political culture, human rights and leadership. He was the director of the School of Political Studies (Škola političkih studija).
Boris is also an international ski instructor, and his hobbies are mountain biking, basketball and football.
CHRISTOPH PLATE
Director, Media Programme for South East Europe Europe of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung
Bulgaria
Christoph Plate is Director of the Media Programme for South East Europe of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, based in Sofia, Bulgaria. In the 1990s he worked as contributing Africa Correspondent for the German Newsmagazine “Der Spiegel”, based in Nairobi, Kenya, reporting the war in Somalia and the genocide in Rwanda. Thereafter he covered the Middle East for ten years as editor and reporter for the Sunday edition of “Neue Zuercher Zeitung” in Switzerland. Before joining the Foundation, he was the Deputy Editor-in-chief of “Schwaebische Zeitung”, a big regional newspaper in Southwestern Germany. For the past six years he was head of the Media Programme Sub-Sahara Africa, based in Johannesburg, South Africa.
DARIA GRUDIĆ
Daria Grudić is a Distribution Manager in the Distribution Europe department at Deutsche Welle. Her main responsibilities include the distribution of DW content in the Benelux countries, along with the distribution of the German News Service project in Europe, with a special emphasis on the Balkan countries. Daria’s academic journey led her to earn a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism in Zagreb, Croatia. She worked for 8 years as a journalist and editor across various media platforms in Croatia, spanning from online and radio to magazines. In 2015 she moved to the Netherlands to pursue a Master’s degree in Media Innovation. In 2021, Daria joined the Distribution Europe team at Deutsche Welle and moved to Germany
MARIJANA KADIĆ BOJANIĆ
Marijana Kadic Bojanic is the executive director of Television Vijesti and Daily Press, which includes the daily newspaper Vijesti and the Vijesti web portal. Media under the Vijesti brand are the most trusted media outlets in Montenegro. Television Vijesti, where she served as editor, has been the most-watched television channel in Montenegro for years. The independent daily newspaper Vijesti has been the most influential daily for over a quarter of a century, while the web portal www.vijesti.me has been the most widely read in the country for over a decade.
Kadic Bojanic graduated from the Faculty of Philosophy in Niksic, Montenegro. She began her career in media as a journalist for the weekly newspaper Monitor in 1999.
She has received several awards. In 2005, she received the Institute for Media Award for Investigative Journalism. The “Iskra” Philanthropy Award was presented to her in 2012. In 2017, she was named the best manager by the Union of Employers, and in 2020, she received the Best Manager Award from the Association of Managers of Montenegro for her business achievements. In 2022, she was also awarded a special recognition by the Association for her contribution to media management.
Kadic Bojanic is involved in humanitarian work and is an environmental activist. She has received the Green Star for environmental preservation and has been named an international ambassador for environmental protection.
She is married and a mother of three children.
MICHELLE ROVERELLI
Michelle Roverelli is Director of Member Relations and Communications at the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).
As part of the EBU’s senior leadership team, Michelle is responsible for Member and Institutional Relations, supporting EBU Members in 56 countries and championing the values and needs of public service media in Europe and beyond. Michelle also leads marketing, communications and events for the organization.
Rome native, Michelle joined the EBU in 2007 as a senior communications officer. She was appointed Head of Communications in 2011, and took over the responsibilities for marketing, branding and events in 2018 before being appointed Director.
Prior to joining the EBU, she held senior roles in two global public affairs and communications consultancies in Brussels and Geneva. She also has extensive experience with some of the most influential lobbies in Brussels.
Michelle is multi-lingual and graduated in Political Science from Luiss Guido Carli University in Rome; she also holds a Masters in EU Policy and Economics from the Université Libre de Bruxelles.
MILKA TADIĆ-MIJOVIĆ
Milka Tadić Mijović is a Montenegrin journalist, media executive and international human rights activist. She is one of the co-founders of the weekly Monitor, the first Montenegrin private and independent weekly magazine (September 1990). During the ‘90s, she was actively engaged in the anti-war movement.
She was the first journalist dismissed from job in Montenegro for articles critical of President Slobodan Milosevic’s nationalistic policies. Her wartime reports, analytical columns and radio and TV interviews, as well as investigative articles on organised crime and corruption in Montenegro and the region have been translated and published or quoted by leading international media.
She has received both numerous threats and journalistic excellence awards for articles exposing corruption and other government wrongdoings. Reporters without Borders included Mrs Tadic Mijovic in their first ever list of “100 Information Heroes” (https://rsf.org/en/hero/milka-tadic-mijovic).
She served on the Council of Europe Steering Committee on the Mass Media and as member of the Open Society Foundations Board in Montenegro and the Joint Commission on Media Policy of the Duke University & City of Vienna. She is a Courrier des Balcans Board member since 2010.
She holds a Master’s degree in political science and journalism from University of Montenegro, and a Bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Belgrade.
Milka Tadic Mijovic is president and journalist of the Centre for Investigative Journalism of Montenegro since 2016. Her investigative reporting articles are primarily focused on topics related to human rights, high-level corruption, rule of law, freedom of media and destruction of nature.
OLIVER VUJOVIC
Oliver Vujovic is a co-founder of the South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) and since 2000 has been SEEMO Secretary General. Vujovic worked as a journalist and Balkan correspondent for the Austrian daily Die Presse between 1991 and 2000, and as a freelancer for different media in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the UK. He also worked in the marketing department of the German company Henkel. He graduated in economics and is currently working on a PhD at the University of Vienna. Vujovic started his professional work as a journalist for Radio Indeks 202 (Radio Belgrade) in Belgrade (1988) and worked from the founding for Radio B92 in Belgrade (1989). In 2000 and 2001, he served as Director of the Vienna Balkan publication Südosteuropäischer Dialog, and Director and Advisor of the Kulturzentrum in Vienna.
Vujovic is also a founder and Deputy Director of the South-East and Central Europe PR Organisation (SECEPRO) in Vienna and of the International Institute – International Media Center in Vienna. He is also co-founder and Deputy Director of the International Academy in Belgrade. He is author, co-editor, editor, and publisher of numerous books, magazines, publications, research articles, and research papers.
Oliver Vujovic was member of different boards.
Currently he is member of the ECPMF (Leipzig, Germany) Supervisory Board.
ŽELJKO IVANOVIĆ
Having devoted my whole life to independent media and democracy, I can say that being a free journalist and managing free media will bring you a small victory of reliable information over fake news, a victory of the rule of law over corruption and cronyism, a victory of public interest journalism over yellow journalism and propaganda.
Independent and free journalism is ultimately a victory of ethics over depravity.
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
Board President at Vijesti Media Group, Podgorica
2018 — Present
Vijesti Media Group encompasses newspaper Vijesti, app and web portal Vijesti and TV Station Vijesti. According to the independent research, Vijesti is the most trusted TV Station, news app and web portal brand in Montenegro.
• Participated in board meetings to provide guidance and advice on strategic decisions and vision of Vijesti Media Group
• Collaborated with the board of directors to create a culture of transparency and accountability
• Guided the board of directors in making decisions that resulted in improved operational efficiency and cost savings
• Collaborated with the board of directors to ensure compliance with corporate governance standards
CEO at Daily Press, Podgorica
2007 — 2018
Daily Press, LLC is a publisher of Vijesti, the first independent daily news paper in Montenegro. Today, Daily Press encompasses publishing, printing and distribution operations.
• Day-to-day management of the company
• Grew the company’s revenue through effective marketing and sales strategies
• Negotiated key contracts with customers and vendors
• Established yearly objectives, areas of opportunity and goals related to sales and budgeting
Managing Editor at Daily Press (Vijesti), Podgorica
2001 — 2006
• Created an editorial calendar to plan and manage editorial policy and content production
• Managed and supervised Editor-in-Chef, a team of writers, editors and designers to produce high-quality content on a tight deadline
• Coordinated editorial and commercial side of publishing in the newspaper
• Led the biggest publishing project in the Western Balkans that resulted in the sale of 3 million books in Montenegro, The book collection included literary books, encyclopedias, art books, fiction, etc
Managing Director at Daily Press (Vijesti), Podogrica
1997 — 2001
Managing Director at Monitor, Podgorica
1994 — 1997
Monitor is a leading and only independent current affairs weekly news magazine on Montenegrin and regional politics, economics, society and cultural issues.
• Day-to-day management of the company
• Managed and supervised editor-in-chef
Editor-in-Chef at Alternative Informative Network (AIM), Podogrica
1993 — 1997
AIM was a network of journalists and media people from all over the former Yugoslavia that covered events during the wars in the former Yugoslavia.
• Created and managed editorial policy of the network.
• Coordinated the work of network journalists.
Journalist and Editor at Monitor, Podogrica
1991 — 1994
Editor Assistant at Monitor
1990 — 1991
Commentator at Radio France International (RFI), Desk for Yugoslavia,
Podogrica
1990 — 1994
Editorial Assistant at Nin Weekly Magazine, Belgrade
1990 — 1991
NIN was a leading current affairs weekly news magazine in the former Yugoslavia, focusing on domes-tic,regional and international politics, economics, and social issues.
• Coordinated and managed editorial content from Montenegro
Co-owner and Editor at KRUG, Podogrica
1989 — 1990
Krug was a first political magazine in Montenegro. The magazine covered issues related to society and the wars in the former Yugoslavia, with a strong anti-war emphasis.
HONORS
Transatlantic Leadership Network (TLN) award for commentary and criticism, Washington, D.C. September 2022
TLN is a nonpartisan, independent, international network of practitioners, private sector leaders and policy analysts dedicated to strengthening and reorienting transatlantic relations to the rapidly changing dynamics of a globalizing world, based in Washington, D.C..
Author of two books, Podgorica
• Montenegrin Disneyland (2002) – political satire, published in English and Montenegrin
• The Kite Runner (‘Lovac na zmajeve’) (2019) – book containing most notable columns published in newspaper Vijesti, from period 2010 to 2019