Drugi jezik na kojem je dostupan ovaj članak: Bosnian
By: Dejan Letić
Darko Lukić, a new regional COO of FCB Afirma, is anything but a man like those who you see every day on the street. The first thing that will attract you to him is his amazing energy and optimism that radiates from a wide smile.
Media Marketing: Your experience tells much more than your years. Is there a secret of some kind or is it all a combination of talent, hard work, and partially circumstances?
Darko Lukić: My life path made sure that I find in myself a lot of things that I did not know existed. Had life been gentler with me, it’s a big question whether I would discover all my potential. Various misfortunes that befell my family members, and at one point even seriously threatened myself, only helped me to quickly gain knowledge – that even in the most difficult moments we can do the seemingly impossible, and that problems, in fact, do not exist, and are actually walls that we raise by ourselves.
Media Marketing: I suppose this means that the transition to a new position is exactly that – a new and exciting challenge?
Darko Lukić: Exactly. This is just another way of discovering new paths in life. All these challenges continue to shape, define and complete us.
I’m happy that I’ve become part of a community of great creative people gathered under the world famous flag of FCB. I’m fully convinced that we have so much to give to each other, and that together we will succeed in achieving outstanding business results.
Media Marketing: You graduated from the faculty of Economy, where you also did your masters. Did you know already then that marketing will become your life’s calling?
Darko Lukić: Yes. Marketing has always been a great passion of mine, which is why I enrolled in this course at the Faculty of Economics. I always wanted to constantly develop in this area, so, after publishing a series of papers, in 2002 the Academic Council of the University of Belgrade approved my work on a doctoral dissertation. Because of family and professional reasons, I left the PhD as a goal for some different, more peaceful phase of life.
I started my career in advertising agencies, and then followed 15 years of experience in multinational companies such as ING Bank, Nestle and Henkel. In addition to working at home, I also had a chance to spend two years working and living in Vienna, headquarters of Henkel for Central and Eastern Europe. I’ve spent the past nine years at the position of regional director of marketing at Henkel (division of detergents and home care).
Media Marketing: Recently you’ve been very much dedicated to sport and physical activities.
Darko Lukić: It all started in 2010 when I came under a lot of stress. While many people in such situations eat themselves from the inside, I ate everything that came along. Soon I couldn’t recognize myself in the mirror. In a short time I gained more than thirty kilos. With 36 years of age, doctors were ready to prescribe me drugs that are usually given to people in their later years. That’s when I said to myself: No more!
After the change in diet and working out in the gym, I started running, and after three months I reached 10 km. The turning point in further physical activities was my participation in the half marathon race at the Belgrade Marathon 2012. That feeling when you pass the finish line, when you do something you thought completely impossible until that moment, when you triumph over yourself and throw the part of your personality that didn’t believe under the feet of that part of personality which never stopped believing you can do it – now, that’s something special!
Media Marketing: And then you decided to raise the bar to the clouds, and to beat the challenge called the Ironman?
Darko Lukić: Victory over oneself is the sweetest victory! When you prove to yourself that you can do something, that you are able to master a challenge you once thought impossible – it’s a fantastic feeling!
And for me, the Ironman was the highest peak in this. Of course, everything went gradually: over marathons (I ran 15 of them), to half-Ironman (5 races), and finally to the Ironman. It’s kind of an ultra-triathlon and is considered one of the most difficult sports activities on the planet. You first swim three thousand and eight hundred meters, then you cycling one hundred and eighty kilometers and finally you run a full marathon of 42.2 kilometers – without interruption, in a single day. After that, you really can’t say that some obstacle is insurmountable.
Media Marketing: Let’s connect that superhuman motivation and strength with your job – is iron will more crucial in finishing the Ironman or reaching the top in business? Can you find a connection between running for profit and running for health and strong spirit?
Darko Lukić: In the sport I deal with you are greatly oriented towards yourself, while in everyday business collaboration with colleagues and teams is key. But, in both of these, dedication and belief that nothing is impossible is crucial for success, no matter what you call it – passing through the Ironman finish line, the realization of sales growth or achievement of certain profit rate.