A highly experienced, dynamic and entrepreneurial hands-on investor, CEO and Board Director with a track record of successfully turning-around and profitably developing businesses, brands and people.
Experienced at developing profitable working partnerships with blue-chip FMCG multinationals in South-East Europe.
A positive social and organizational change agent with marketing, sales & distribution, production and R&D background with a philanthropic interest in economic and human capital development in South-East Europe.
         
Professional history

Current positions
- Principal owner, Goody’s Burger House Franchisee for Macedonia and Serbia (2014 - present)
- President of the Management Board of Tikveš Winery (2003 - present)
- Managing Partner of M6 Investments (1998 - present)
- Honorary Consul of Finland (2005 - present)

Education
B.Sc. in Technology - University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius, Faculty of Technology (1976)

Languages
Fluent in Macedonian, English, Serbo-Croatian, Bulgarian


Roles and responsibilities in more detail

President of the Managing Board of Tikveš Winery
2003 — Present

Svetozar led M6 Investments’ acquisition of loss making Tikveš Winery in 2003 and the subsequent restructuring effort that turned the company into a profitable leading producer of high quality wines in South-East Europe. In 2008, Tikveš was recognized by the Wine Innovation Forum (Paris) as being among the top 30 innovative wine companies globally. In 2011 two of its wines received scores of 90 and 94 points respectively by world-renowned wine critic Robert Parker and in 2012 the company was recognized by Marketing and Advertising Global as one of the top 100 global emerging brands. In addition to the winery, four estates are today part of Tikveš, three in Macedonia and one in France, comprising the Tikveš Châteaux & Domaines brand of exclusive wines.

CEO, Skopje Brewery
1985 — 2005

Upon being appointed CEO, Svetozar initiated and led the restructuring of Skopje Brewery, turning it around from a marginally profitable, distressed company into one of the leading and most profitable branded brewers and soft-drink companies in the former Yugoslavia.
In 1996, he led the leveraged buy-out of Pivara Skopje and in 1998 negotiated a strategic partnership with Heineken and Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling (“CCHBC”) that included providing them with a 51% shareholding via a sale of existing shares and capital raising. He and his whole senior executive team remained on-board up to 2005 to lead the company through its subsequent development and expansion. In December 2011, M6 Investments agreed a sale of their residual minority stakes to Heineken and CCHBC at an equity value for 100% of EUR 195 million.

Founder and Managing Partner of M6 Investments
1998 - present

The M6 Investments is a private equity group with a portfolio of companies that employ around 1,700 people. Past and present investments include:
- Tikveš - the largest winery and leading high quality wine producer in the Balkans
- M6 Agrar - agriculture company with c. 1,000 ha of vineyards
- Property portfolio consisting of a chain of hotels, catering facilities, camping grounds, shopping centre, and property development projects
- M6 Educational Centre, an executive educational institution
- Skopje Brewery (Heineken and Coca-Cola producer and bottler, exit in 2011)
- Financial services - Investbanka and Investbroker (exit in 2007)

Other activities
Svetozar is active across the Balkan region in promoting regional stability, democracy, capacity building, economic co-operation, trade and integration. His roles have included:
- Co-Chairman, National Competitiveness Council of Macedonia
- Member of Business Advisory Council, Southeast Europe Cooperation Initiative under
the auspices of the European Union
- Council member of the Stability Pact for Southeast Europe
- Managing Board Member, Macedonian Olympic Committee
- Member of the board, National Bank of the Republic of Macedonia
- Honorary Professor, MBA and Public Administration programs, University of Pittsburgh