I began my career with a craftsman’s respect for detail and an academic’s love of evidence. After a Master’s in Conservation of Monuments in Split, I pursued a PhD in Art History and Cultural Heritage Conservation at the University of Ljubljana on a Marie Curie Fellowship. My early years moved between laboratories, archives, and classrooms: the Croatian Conservation Institute and the Ministry of Culture in Croatia; teaching and research in Split, Ljubljana, and Madrid’s Complutense. Those roles taught me two enduring habits: think rigorously, and make knowledge useful.

The turning point came when I realized how often excellent ideas stalled at the gate: brilliant teams struggled to translate science, culture, or urban ambition into EU-ready strategy. I moved into European funding and policy work to close that gap—first managing EU projects in Zagreb, then at the Universitat de Barcelona, where I supported research groups in mathematics and informatics. Industry-facing innovation followed: Senior Project and Fund Manager in industrial cluster and start-ups, helping convert technical promise into competitive, policy-aligned proposals. In parallel, since 2018 I developed the “evaluator’s eye” as a reviewer for national and transnational RDI programmes across Europe. Seeing proposals from the other side reshaped how I mentor teams: excellence must be legible, impact must be policy-true, and implementation must inspire trust.

Today I work at the crossroads of policy, finance, operations, and innovation. I help steer multi-million-euro portfolios and the organisational systems behind them. I also serve the European Commission ecosystem as Vice-Chair/Expert, contribute to city-level transformation as an URBACT IV Lead Expert, advise the market as a GLG Network Expert, and co-lead the Mental Growth Network in Barcelona as Co-Founder & CFO. Across these roles I partner with universities and research institutes, NGOs and cultural organisations, municipalities, startups/SMEs, and professionals pursuing careers inside EU institutions.

What I do now is simple and very practical: I help teams and people align with Europe—strategically, credibly, and competitively. For organisations, my EU Funding & Policy Strategy Services connect ideas to real opportunities: scanning the landscape and matching calls; pre-validating and redrafting proposals to evaluator standards; profiling and assembling cross-border consortia; and conducting policy-alignment reviews so a project speaks the language of current EU priorities. For individuals, my EuroCommission Career Coaching clarifies entry routes and expert roles, optimises CVs and EC expert profiles, and prepares clients for panel-style interviews so they can navigate the Brussels system with confidence.

If you are a university or research institute, you will find a partner who understands missions, work programmes, and the pressure of success rates. If you are an NGO or cultural organisation, you will find narrative discipline anchored in EU values. If you are a city team, you will find policy-true pathways through URBACT/DUT and consortiums that deliver for residents. If you are a startup or SME, you will find a funding strategy that links innovation to Europe’s agenda. And if you are building a career in the EU system, you will find clear pathways, sharper positioning, and the right preparation to step in.

My journey from academia to business and innovation has one throughline: turn expertise into impact by aligning with how Europe decides. That is the work I care about—and the work I would be glad to do with you.