Interview by: Ekrem Dupanović
On December 3rd, Ljubljana will host AI-phoria, a conference on strategic plans for the development of artificial intelligence in Slovenia, organized by the Institute for the Development of Artificial Intelligence (AI-D). The goal of the event is to connect key players in the AI sector – from start-ups to government institutions. The conference will combine discussions on how Slovenia can follow global trends while ensuring ethical and sustainable use of AI. As the domestic ecosystem grows stronger, more connected and more clearly directed, the organizers see this event as a gathering of everyone who believes Slovenia should play a more active role in developing artificial intelligence. This year’s slogan is direct: “Slovenians, this time we won’t miss the train.”
AI-phoria will bring together participants who are currently pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in Slovenia – representatives of government bodies, lawyers, professors, researchers, developers, entrepreneurs, experts in AI development, ethics and implementation, as well as authors. This diversity will open space for discussion on what Slovenia must do to become more competitive and more confident in the field of AI development.
Among the speakers on December 3rd will be Anita Srac, introduced by the organizers as an expert in marketing and the Arab business world. As a member of the AI-D Expert Council, she will present the AI Certificate – a tool for assessing organizational maturity, structure and adaptability in the use of AI technologies. The certificate evaluates a company’s working methods, responsibility, rules, and the effects of AI implementation.
Anita holds a master’s degree in marketing from the Faculty of Economics in Zagreb.
“I chose marketing because I believe it’s a field with the most room for creativity, and I’ve never regretted that decision. Marketing will have a central role in many organizations in the future. Every day, especially thanks to AI tools, we are becoming better at proving its effectiveness,” Anita says.
After 15 years spent in marketing agencies, mostly in the Real Group, she came to Lidl Slovenia six years ago and took over the management of a marketing team of 25 people. I asked her how different agency work is compared to working in a large international company like Lidl.
“Agency work and corporate work each have their pros and cons. I tried to bring the free spirit and team unity of agency life into the culture and atmosphere of my marketing team at Lidl Slovenia. Leading a team of 25 people was a valuable experience – I could influence their professional and personal development. Leadership inspires me the most, and I enjoy sharing those experiences. I would love to write a textbook on it one day,” Anita says.
The Lidl marketing team’s responsibilities included brand strategy, campaigns, and communication. Asked what she enjoyed the most, she answers:
“What excited me the most was creating new communication platforms – the process of developing something with a creative agency that has never existed before.”
During her tenure, Lidl Slovenia launched several successful campaigns, including the sustainability initiative “Tvoja izbira” (“Your Choice”) and well-known holiday campaigns. She is most proud of the platform “Tvoja izbira se začne v Lidlu” (“Your Choice Begins at Lidl”), especially for its ASMR approach and the ability to adapt the campaign across various European markets.
After 13 years working for Lidl (on the agency and client side), in four countries (Croatia, Slovenia, Portugal and Serbia), Anita founded her own company, Anantum, in Ljubljana. Her mission is to connect Slovenia and the Gulf countries through business and humanitarian projects, with a special focus on Qatar.
AI in Slovenia – Is it moving fast enough?
“I’m optimistic,” Anita says. “The Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at the Jožef Stefan Institute has existed since 1981 and is now a European leader in AI algorithms, analytics, cybersecurity and semantic technologies. The partners I work with develop new AI applications every week. One example in marketing is Reframe by Conversion Design, which generates effective static creatives in multiple languages of our region.”
The second part of the story: How did Anita enter the Arab business world?
The conference organisers also present her as an expert in the Arab business world – and that is no coincidence. In her life, this connection developed naturally.
She was born in Ivanić-Grad, known for oil fields and the Naftalan health resort. Her father worked on INA’s oil fields in Syria and told her stories about Bedouins who taught him Arabic.
“I learned my first Arabic words from him – insha’Allah, the numbers up to ten… He was forever moved by the hospitality he experienced in Syria,” Anita recalls.
She says that the prerequisite for doing business with “distant” cultures is openness and the absence of prejudice – something she had from the beginning.
The turning point was a chance encounter with a Qatari delegation at the Web Summit in Lisbon. They recognised her as someone who could “build bridges” and invited her to Qatar.
“I began connecting Slovenian and Qatari partners wherever I saw a good opportunity. I asked myself: What can Slovenia offer Qatar? And I found many answers – which later became projects.”
Today she works on IT, modern architecture, and engineering projects. She notes that Slovenia’s foreign policy, especially its support for Palestine, further enhances Slovenia’s reputation in the Arab world.
What are Arabs like as business people?
“Arabs devote much more time to gratitude and building trust. I’ve had equally positive experiences with both women and men. Women are often more agile and faster – likely universal across all cultures,” Anita says.
She adds that women in the Gulf’s business world have gained significantly stronger roles in recent decades:
“In Qatar they say: ‘A woman is half of society.’ Many women are company owners and directors, board members and board chairs, active in sports and enrolled in prestigious universities. For this status, the greatest credit goes to Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, mother of His Highness Emir Tamim – the personification of the modern Arab woman.”
Discovering that there are women in the Arab world who run companies, institutions and public life was a turning point for Anita – and helped her shed her own stereotypes.Most business people she works with are highly educated – mostly at American and French universities operating in the Gulf.
She plans to write a book one day about how to do business with Arabs. For now, she documents everything and prepares material.
“The foundation of everything is respect. Without sincere respect there is no relationship and no business. Building trust takes time, and once built – it must be protected.”
She adds one interesting detail: “Most communication takes place via WhatsApp – this is confirmed by members of the Slovenian-Arab Council at the Chamber of Commerce of Slovenia.”
Asked for advice on how to start doing business with Gulf countries, she says:
“Don’t rely on information from mainstream or social media. There is very little accurate information there. From my experience, Arabs and Muslims are extremely courteous and caring toward every woman. Their faith teaches them that. Even in the way they listen and focus in meetings, you can feel that respect for women.
As a parallel, I can say that my former colleagues from the Sarajevo agency Dotični, as well as my current partners from Qatar, Jordan or Syria, share the same traits – hospitality, warmth, and cordiality. That is something Bosnia and the Arab world have in common.”
I ended the conversation with Anita Srac with a strong impression that she still has much more to say in and about the business world of the Gulf countries, the position of women within it, and the advancement of artificial intelligence. Although it is difficult to expect AI to replace humans in the areas Anita pointed out as essential in working with Arabs – where emotions, trust, respect and kindness dominate.
