The official launch event marking the start of the operations of the CEED Serbia Center (Center for Entrepreneurship and Executive Development) was held last Thursday, February 27th, in Belgrade. At the event, CEED presented its new training and mentoring programs designed for the new generation of owners and managers of small and medium-sized enterprises in Serbia.

The event was attended by a large number of CEED members, mentors and associates, and the members of the panel discussion that preceded the presentation of the program. Members of the Panel included Ms. Ana Zegarac from the National Agency for Regional Development-NARD, Mr. David Shaw from the Serbian agency for private equity / private equity Serbian association SPEA, and Mrs. Sanja Popovic Pantic from the Association of business Women of Serbia.

The panel was opened by Mr. Danijel Pantic, Managing Director and founder of the European Consulting Group, which signed a five-year affiliate agreement last year for the opening to the CEED program in Serbia. Mr. Danijel Pantic, gave a brief overview of the origins of the program and its history – emphasizing the fact that CEED has been operating in 13 countries world-wide over the last 10 years, with over $7 million USD of investments, and over 60% of companies in the CEED network inter-operating. The fact that the program originated in the cradle of entrepreneurship, the United States of America, is of great significance to its efficiency, but Mr. Pantic particularly emphasized the flexibility of local conditions and objective economic conditions.

Ms. Jovana Savic, Manager of CEED Serbia, addressed participants with a brief overview of the three most significant components that constitute the functioning of the network: ‘Access to capital’, ‘Training and Mentoring’, and ‘Networking’. Since CEED is not a donor program, as Ms. Savic reminded, the intention is to stay long-term in Serbia as a core network to support local entrepreneurs.