Success Stories

From studying in Oxford and Harvard to producing healthy food in BiH

Lilijan Sulejmanović emigrated as a child to Great Britain during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Her story about investing in BiH gives cause for hope regarding the return and active involvement of the BiH diaspora in the economic development of the country.

"I finished my studies in Philosophy, Policital Sciences and Economy at the University of Oxford, where I also completed my postgraduate studies in Philosophy. I was thinking about an academic career, but the wish to work in practice was stronger. I was interested in management and after a few years of gaining work experience in different companiens in Great Britain, I went to the Harvard Business School, where I attained my MBA diploma", says Sulejmanović.
 
Afterwards, she continued working in the business sector and started also thinking about different possibilities to stay bound to Bosnia and Herzegovina and how to establish a business in her home country in order to create new jobs. 

"I stayed closely linked to Sarajevo and I regularly visit my city. Due to this fact, I opened a company that will focus on producing functional and healthy food. 'Te Ora' started its production and with the support of the USAID 'Diaspora Invest' program we are working on accessing the local market and developing the production. Currently, we are producing nutrive energy bars. This is just the beginning and I also hope, that this is a good and inspiring message for other pepole", emphasized Sulejmanović.

  • Lilijan Sulejmanović

She recognized the advantages of investing in BiH. She says that the workers are well educated, that the country is located near to developed european markets, which facilitates the production and distribution logistics. Nevertheless, it is necessary to improve the registration process and make it faster, but also to invest in the infrastructure. 
 
"The registration process is way too long and complicated, regulatory requirements seem only to exist to discourage potential investors. It is necessary to invest in the infrastructure, mainly to connect within the country, but also further, because it is hard to expect an increase of ecnomic activities without well-developed transport logistics", adds Sulejmanović.

It is necessary to invest in the infrastructure, mainly to connect within the country, but also further, because it is hard to expect an increase of ecnomic activities without well-developed transport logistics.
Lilijan Sulejmanović

"It is extremly important", she says, "to support the development of the mind-set and perception of active engagement within the community."

"I want to support our society with my own initiatives. Many small streams are needed to become a strong river - highlights Sulejmanović.

You will find more information about the energy bars "Bar Do" on their Facebook page. 

The article was translated from Fena.ba.

Photos - Source: Facebook page BarDo Energy Bar.