Dragica Karaic
Business & Motivational Speaker
Biography
As head of the department for international institutions of the Croatian Ministry of Economy, Labour and Entrepreneurship, Dragica Karaic combines in-depth experience of SME management promotion with a career in government administration and international affairs. She is a lecturer at the Zagreb Entrepreneurship Economy training institute.
Karaic is a member of
- Croatian Technical and Scientific Translators Association since 1976;
- Croatian Phoneticians Association since 1982; and the
- Association of Trainers for Entrepreneurship since 2000.
A graduate of the University of Zagreb and the TSM Business School of the University of Twente, the Netherlands, Dragica also worked for three years for the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and headed up a liaison project with the Dutch SENTER government agency for joint ventures and SME project development in three countries.
She acquired specific experience when lecturing on Dynamic Entrepreneurship, enterprise economic development and growth, economic theories, principles and applications relating to the management of a growing company at the Undergraduate Study for Economy of Entrepreneurship at VERN, as well as on the private sector (working for the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development).
Before joining the Croatian Ministry of Economy as head of the Enterprise Promotion department in 1997, Dragica Karaic held various positions in the private sector, working first as Factory Manager at Agrokomerc, managing a hundred workers production under Liebig Brand Name, and then as Executive Marketing Manager for a major food group. Previously, from 1974 to 1979, she had worked as a presenter and journalist with the Zagreb Television Centre.
From 1994 to 1997 Karaic established her own, Zagreb-based business, AURELIA Ltd., and dealt with general food items, wholesale, retail shops and super market chains in Croatia.
From 2000 to 2001 Karaic worked as Head of Department for International Co-Operation at the Ministry of Crafts & SMEs, and was likewise Head of Department for Enterprise Promotion at the Ministry of Economy three years before.
Karaic claims many faceted qualifications her own, all of them relevant to Economic development & SME Management, like having experience of development processes in a transition economy, experience in creating country policy for SME support and development, experience in creating and implementing a program for SME long-term development on national, regional and local level; experience and knowledge in relations between central, regional and local governments and local entrepreneurs, network building, promoting and utilizing foreign spots and donors and setting up institutional support for SME development.
In her present position as Head of Department for International Institutions and the Ministry of Economy, Labour and Entrepreneurship and National Co-ordinator of EU Charter for Small Enterprises, Dragica Karaic acts as National Co-ordinator for the European Charter for Small Enterprises and is the national observer for the new Framework Programme for Competitiveness and Innovation of the European Union.
Expertise
Topics:
- Strategies for SME development and support
- Educating SME management in entrepreneurship
- The economies of the Western Balkans
- The government/business relationship
- Development processes in a transition economy
- Train the Trainers for Entrepreneurship
- Train the Advisers for Entrepreneurship
- Train the Promoters for Entrepreneurship
- entrepreneurship and SME development issues
- pedagogical methods in SME development work
Paper at International Conferences and Events:
1. EUROPEAN COMMISSION, DG Enterprise and Industry, Conference on the European Charter for Small Enterprises, Luxembourg, 15-16 June 2005, delivered a country presentation as a speaker on Workshop 2: Better Regulation and Impact Assessment. Published in Conference Summary Report and the presentation available on the conference website.
2. EUROPEAN COMMISSION, DG Enterprise and Industry, Conference on the European Charter for Small Enterprises, Dublin, 30 June-1 July 2004, delivered a country presentation as a speaker on Workshop 4: SMEs Representation in Parliament and Governmental Bodies. Published in Conference Summary report.
3. CEI INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE on Legal Aspects of SME Development & Best Practice in Simplification of SME Legal Environment", Maribor, Slovenia, April 6-7,2000. Delivered paper "Croatian Model of Small Business Development & Creation of SME Friendly Legal Environment".
4. `SME FORUM on "Best practice in Development of Entrepreneurship and SMEs in Countries in Transition , 1November 2000 at Palais de Nations in Geneva,and Expert Meeting on "Best Practice in Business Advisory, Counselling and Information, 2-3 November 2000 at Palais de Nations. Speaker on "SME Promotion, training, advice and counselling policy in Croatia".
5. UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE (UNECE)
Expert Meeting on Best Practice in Financing SMEs, Geneva, Switzerland, 14-15 May 1998 - within framework of Southeast European Co-operative Initiative (SECI) with assistance of the USAID Delivered paper and country group presentation on "Small Business Strenghtening Program - Croatian Experience" - published in Expert Meeting Summary .The Meeting created an Open-ended Ad Hoc Group of Experts for the elaboration of Conclusions and Recommendations on Best practices headed by Ms D.Karaic. Working Groups for SMEs (SECI and CEI) will implement these Conclusions and recommendations in programs which are subject for discussion between international organisations like OECD, UNIDO, EU, EBRD, UNECE. The Expert meetings are carried out on yearly regular basis.
6. CEI SUMMIT ECONOMIC FORUM - Prague, 3-6 November1999.
Delivered paper and presentation:on SME Promotion and Support with title: Program for Encouragement the Small Business Sector - Croatian Model. Main issues: SME definition, obstacles, existing institutions, supporting measures and activities i.e. promotion, education and training, counselling and Consulting services, institutional support, incentive financing.
7. CEI - OECD-IMO-UNECE
Women's Entrepreneurship- East-West Co-operation, Brijuni, Croatia, 21-22 October 1999
Delivered paper and presentation on "Women Entrepreneurship within the Croatian Model of Small Business Development" - published in CEI - IMO Conference Proceedings, Zagreb, May 2000
Ad-hoc Working Group were convened for General Recommendations on the Role of Central and Local Governments with Ms. D.Karaic as member and spoke-person.
8. CEI - International Workshop
Regional and Local Development and Small Business Promotion, Otočec, Slovenia, 5-8 October1999
Delivered paper and presentation on "Entreprenurship Promotion, Education and Training in Regional Economic Development"
9. EUROPEAN UNION – Conferences on EU Charter for Small Enterprises
Delivered paper: SMEs in the Republic of Croatia,29-30 June 2004, Dublin, Ireland
Delivered paper: Impact Assessment, 15-16 June 2005, Luxembourg
Publications:
|
Guide for Entrepreneurs, 1997 |
Revised II Edition by Ministry of Economy Position: Co-Author |
|
Guide for Innovators "From Idea to Profit", 1998 |
I Edition by Ministry of Economy Position: Co-Author |
|
Small Business and Entrepreneurship, 1998 – 2001 |
Monthly Newsletter Position: Chief in Editor |
|
Guide for Entrepreneurs, 1999 |
III Edition by Ministry of Economy Position: Co-Author |
For more information on Dragica Karaic and booking inquiries
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