Project “D-HELP HR” is implemented within the framework of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan 2021–2026 and is financed by European Union funds through the NextGenerationEU instrument.
Research team
Dora Naletina is an Associate Professor at the Department of Trade and International Business in Zagreb and has 14 years of professional experience in higher education and scientific research. She teaches lectures and seminars in the courses Transport and Insurance and Humanitarian Logistics within the Integrated Undergraduate and Graduate University Study Programme in Business Economics, the course Transport and Insurance in the English-taught Graduate University Study Programme in Business Economics, the course Transport and Distribution Management in the Specialist Graduate Professional Study Programme in Retail Management and Marketing, and the course Transport, Freight Forwarding and Insurance in the Undergraduate Professional Study Programme in Trade Business. All courses taught by the project leader are closely related to the field of supply chains, and since the academic year 2023/2024 she has also been teaching and coordinating the course Humanitarian Logistics, which she leads together with Assoc. Prof. Kristina Petljak, PhD. Her experience as a researcher and collaborator on several projects, including Managerial Tools in the Digital Enterprise (funded by the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports; project leader: Prof. Marina Dabić, PhD), Innovations in Supply Chains in the Context of Retail Internationalization (funded by the University of Zagreb; project leader: Assoc. Prof. Blaženka Knežević, PhD), Reducing Food Waste by Retail Chain Supply and Store Management (funded by the Government of the Republic of Croatia and the Federal Government of the Republic of Austria; Prof. Gerald Reiner, PhD), Central European Network for Sustainable and Innovative Economy (funded by NAWA – National Agency for Academic Exchange in Poland; project leader: Dr. hab. Barbara Borusiak), and the ERASMUS+ Strategic Partnership project Teaching Sustainability in Higher Education in the Field of Economics and Management (project leader: Dr. hab. Bartłomiej Pierański), has enabled her to acquire knowledge and develop key competencies necessary for scientific advancement and for assuming the role of a project leader. Through her research work, she has developed all essential competencies required for leading a project team, including effective leadership and motivation of team members, clear task delegation, responsibility-taking, decision-making, and efficient time and resource management. Her main research interests are closely related to humanitarian logistics, humanitarian supply chains, supply chain management, transport management, and logistics mathematics, with a particular emphasis on process optimization and rationalization.
CRORIS: https://www.croris.hr/osobe/profil/30761
GOOGLE SCHOLAR: https://scholar.google.hr/citations?user=fcMHKvMAAAAJ&hl=hr
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6275-7039
Hana Horak is a Full Professor at the Jean Monnet Chair, Department of Business Law, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb, Croatia, and is internationally recognized for her academic and professional work. She has been employed at the Faculty since 1992, where she teaches and conducts seminars and tutorials in Commercial Law, International Trade Law, European Market Law, European Company Law, and Corporate Governance. She has served as Head of the Department for three terms and is currently a member of the Faculty Council. Hana is the Head of the postgraduate programme Legal and Economic Framework of Business in the European Union and lectures in various postgraduate programmes in the fields of company law and corporate governance, as well as European and international law. She was the coordinator and leader of the TEMPUS project InterEuLawEast – Implementation of European Law Master Studies (2013–2018), involving Croatia, Slovenia, Russia, Ukraine, and Latvia. She plays an active role in numerous national and international organizations and has recently worked extensively with public and private institutions and companies, providing legal advice in the areas of commercial law, company law and corporate governance, sustainability and its implementation, including projects related to these topics. She is registered as a legal advisor with the Croatian Bar Association in the fields of commercial law and company law. She is an active member of the Special Interest Group on Business and Financial Law of the European Law Institute and a member of the Advisory Board of the ELI Croatian Hub. Throughout her career, she has authored and published numerous scientific and professional books and papers. She is a sought-after speaker at international conferences and round tables on company law, corporate governance, sustainability, and ESG. Hana Horak is the Editor-in-Chief of the international journal Inter EU Law East, indexed in Scopus, and the Chair of the Programme Committee of the International Conference on European Company Law and Corporate Governance. She is also a member of the editorial board of the journal European Company Case Law published by Nomos.
CRORIS: https://www.croris.hr/osobe/profil/6173
GOOGLE SCHOLAR: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=kwv1L20AAAAJ&hl=en
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8985-2589
Prof. Sanda Soucie, PhD, graduated in 1991 from the Faculty of Economics in Split (major in Economics of Domestic Trade), obtained her Master’s degree in 1998, and earned her PhD in 2004 at the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb. She began her professional career in the aviation industry at Croatia Airlines, working in cost and tariff analysis. Since 2001, she has been employed at the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb. She was appointed Full Professor in 2014 and Full Professor with tenure in 2019 at the Department of Trade and International Business. She is the course leader and lecturer for courses such as Wholesale and Retail Business, Business Logistics, and Wholesale and Retail Business (in English). She has led and participated in numerous national and international research projects, including projects funded by the Croatian Science Foundation and the European Commission’s FP7 programme. She actively participates in international scientific cooperation and teaching. She is the author of a large number of scientific and professional publications and a member of the editorial boards of several international scientific journals. She is a recipient of the Mijo Mirković Award (2006 and 2020) and the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb Award (2024).
CRORIS: https://www.croris.hr/osobe/profil/4076
GOOGLE SCHOLAR: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=df-W6zsAAAAJ&hl=hr
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9529-7534
Ivan Kovač is a Full Professor at the Department of Trade and International Business, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb. He graduated in 1986 from the Faculty of Economics, J. J. Strossmayer University in Osijek, majoring in Management. He obtained his Master’s degree in 2006 from the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb, and earned his PhD in 2009 from the Faculty of Economics, University of Rijeka, with a dissertation in the field of marketing. Professor Kovač has more than twenty years of experience in senior management positions in Croatia and abroad. He held several key executive roles, including CEO of Essilor Hrvatska (2000–2001), CEO of Marin Getaldić – Ghetaldus (2001–2005), Executive Director of Badel 1862 (2005–2008), and Director General of the Croatian Bureau of Statistics (2008–2013). He began his academic career in 2014 and has since been active in higher education. His extensive managerial experience provides him with strong practical insight into the subjects he teaches. His scientific and professional interests focus on wholesaling and retailing, distribution channels, category management, and logistics. He has published more than 60 scientific and professional papers in these fields. At the Faculty of Economics and Business in Zagreb, he teaches courses in Wholesale and Retail Business, Assortment Management in Retail, Category Management, and Procurement Management. He is also the Head of the Department of Trade and International Business and the Director of the Study Programme in Trade and International Business.
CRORIS: https://www.croris.hr/osobe/profil/27394
GOOGLE SCHOLAR: https://scholar.google.hr/citations?user=dk_v68gAAAAJ&hl=hr
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-7993-2390
Prof. Najla Podrug, PhD, graduated in 2002, obtained her Master’s degree in 2005, and earned her PhD in 2010 at the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb, in the field of organization and management. Since 2003, she has been employed at the Department of Organization and Management at the same Faculty. She was appointed Assistant Professor in 2012, Associate Professor in 2017, and has been a Full Professor since 2022. She teaches courses in management, strategic and international management, and cross-cultural management at the undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate levels. She has been a visiting lecturer at universities in Sarajevo, Belgrade, and at National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan. She is the author and co-author of more than 75 scientific and professional publications, including university textbooks. She has received several awards for her scientific contributions, including the Mijo Mirković Award and the EDAMBA Doctoral Thesis Competition Award. She is a member of the editorial boards of several international scientific journals and actively participates in research projects as well as in mentoring students and doctoral candidates.
CRORIS: https://www.croris.hr/osobe/profil/1789
GOOGLE SCHOLAR: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=m6szfRwAAAAJ&hl=hr
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5920-4874
Ante Vuletić, PhD, is an Associate Professor at the Department of Organization and Management, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb, where he has been employed since 2007. He graduated in 2007 from the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb, majoring in Finance. He completed his Master’s degree in 2010 with a specialization in marketing, and earned his PhD in 2013 with the dissertation titled “Business Continuity Management and Strategic Flexibility of Croatian Companies.” He teaches courses in organization, management, strategic management, business security, and business continuity. His research focuses on business continuity, organizational resilience, security, and the digital aspects of management. He has published numerous papers in relevant scientific journals and conference proceedings. He is actively involved in international research projects and conference editorial boards. He is fluent in English and German.
CRORIS: https://www.croris.hr/osobe/profil/27817
GOOGLE SCHOLAR: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=hr&user=OaWR3roAAAAJ
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1431-6984
Kristina Petljak graduated in Marketing in 2007 from the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb, where she worked as a student demonstrator and participated in the international Global Business Case Study Competition in the USA. Since 2008, she has been employed at the Department of Trade at FEB Zagreb, first as an assistant and, since 2016, as an Assistant Professor. She earned her PhD in 2014 with a dissertation in the field of environmentally responsible supply chain management in retail. She is the course leader and lecturer for courses in trade, consumer protection, and entrepreneurship. She is the author of 30 scientific and 10 professional papers and a co-author of a textbook in business logistics. She has undertaken advanced training at several prestigious international institutions, including Oxford University, Copenhagen Business School, MIT, and WU Vienna. Kristina Petljak is an active member of several international professional and scientific associations in the fields of logistics and supply chains. She serves as Vice President of the Croatian Consumer Protection Association and participates in the work of several national and international advisory bodies. She has supervised more than 130 bachelor’s and master’s theses and is particularly recognized for her excellence in teaching and for strongly linking science with practice.
CRORIS: https://www.croris.hr/osobe/profil/28722
GOOGLE SCHOLAR: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Qs3J7joAAAAJ
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5785-1928
Ivana Štulec is an Associate Professor at the Department of Trade and International Business, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb. She graduated in 2007, completed her specialist postgraduate studies in 2009, and earned her PhD in 2013 in the field of economics. She has been employed at FEB Zagreb since 2007, where she progressed from Assistant to Associate Professor (appointed in 2021). She teaches courses in international business, commodity exchanges, retail supply chain analytics, and retail internationalization. She has supervised a large number of seminar papers, bachelor’s and master’s theses. She has participated in several national and international research projects. She is the author and co-author of more than 60 scientific and professional papers, two university textbooks, and one scientific book. Ivana Štulec has received several national and international awards, including the Emerald Literati Award and the Mijo Mirković Award. Her research interests include international business, commodity futures markets, risk management, sustainable retailing, and retail analytics.
CRORIS: https://www.croris.hr/osobe/profil/27991
GOOGLE SCHOLAR: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=oV1JRo8AAAAJ&hl=en
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6646-505X
Marija Jurčević PhD, is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Trade and International Business, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb. She graduated in 2003 from the Faculty of Science in Zagreb as a teacher of Mathematics and Physics, and completed the specialist postgraduate study programme Quality Management in 2009 at the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb. She earned her PhD in 2019 in the field of economics with a dissertation on the impact of integrated management systems on business performance in the trade sector. She has been employed at the Faculty of Economics and Business since 2008 and was appointed Assistant Professor in 2023. She teaches courses in International Business, Quality Management, and Integrated Management Systems, as well as several courses in professional study programmes. She is the author and co-author of 19 scientific papers and has participated in numerous scientific conferences and research workshops in Croatia and abroad. Her research interests include integrated management systems, quality management, and commodity exchanges. She is fluent in English and has a good command of German.
CRORIS: https://www.bib.irb.hr:8443/pregled/profil/32527
GOOGLE SCHOLAR: https://scholar.google.hr/citations?user=5dXl6NoAAAAJ&hl=en
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3473-7014
Dr. sc. Luka Buntić He graduated with distinction in 2017 from the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb, and is a recipient of the Rector’s Award and two Dean’s Awards. During and after his studies, he gained professional experience at Poslovni dnevnik, PBZ Croatia Insurance, and Microsoft Croatia. He completed the University Specialist Study Programme in Quality Management in 2019 and subsequently enrolled in the PhD programme in Economics and Global Security at the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb. He earned his PhD in 2022 with a dissertation titled “The Impact of Dynamic Capabilities and Market Factors on the Business Model of Companies in the Information and Communication Sector.” Since 2018, Luka has been employed as an Assistant at the Faculty of Economics and Business, and since 2024 as a Postdoctoral Researcher (Senior Assistant). His main areas of specialization are international business and quality management. He is a co-author of university textbooks and the author of scientific papers published at international conferences and in international journals. He serves as the Secretary of the University Specialist Study Programme in Quality Management and is a member of the Council of the English-taught Master’s programme Trade and International Business (MDiB). He has delivered guest lectures at the Shanghai University of International Business and Economics (2022), the Cracow University of Economics (2023), and the School of Economics and Business Sarajevo (2025). He is a certified Lead Auditor for ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 and a member of the Croatian Society for Quality Managers. In addition, he actively mentors young people through UNICEF’s socially responsible UPSHIFT workshops.
CRORIS: https://www.croris.hr/osobe/profil/34743
GOOGLE SCHOLAR: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=frubnRsAAAAJ&hl=hr
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3856-7160