Investing in people and in their individual and career development at Pivara Skopje is one of the company’s key strategic commitments. As an organization, we strongly believe that the strength of Pivara colleagues is what makes Pivara Skopje unique. The company’s market-leading position is the result of continuous growth and development, strong brands, a significant market presence, innovation, and equally important, a strong team spirit and professional mindset among employees, built day by day through a range of development programmes.

We spoke with Emilija Velevska Arsovska, Talent Partner at Pivara Skopje, about the career growth and development of „Pivarci“, the opportunities employees have within Pivara Skopje, as well as within the two groups Coca-Cola HBC and HEINEKEN. Through a series of questions, we aim to present some of the programmes implemented at Pivara Skopje, the opportunities they offer to employees, and the personal experiences of participants in these programmes.

1. Emi, people development at Pivara Skopje is at the core of your work. The “Fast Forward 1” programme was recently delivered. Could you briefly tell us what this programme is?

The Fast Forward 1 (FFW1) programme is just one of the development programmes that Pivara Skopje AD, as part of Coca-Cola HBC, offers to its employees. It is intended for professionals who have not yet had the opportunity to lead a team but have demonstrated the potential for accelerated development toward higher roles within the organization.

Within the programme, participants work on and lead projects personally owned by them, yet outside their comfort zone, projects that promote cross-functional collaboration and are of significant importance for Pivara Skopje.

I lead the programme locally, with mandatory training sessions, Management Fundamentals (Project Management), Influencing Skills, Communicating with Impact (Presentation Skills), delivered by colleagues from the Group Learning and Capability team.

2. Who is the “Fast Forward 1” programme intended for?

In line with colleagues’ development pathways, the Fast Forward 1 programme is attended by Pivara colleagues in whom we see potential and capacity to grow and develop within Pivara Skopje and whom we can envision, in the foreseeable future, as team leaders.

The idea behind FFW1, as with all our development programmes, is to build leaders from within by investing time, energy, and resources in our existing employees who have the potential to develop and grow in our organization.

This brings benefits both for employees and for the company. For employees, it means seeing their future here, at Pivara Skopje, with clear space and opportunities to build their careers within the company. For us as a company, the programme ensures continuity in team development, supports employee retention, reduces the need for lengthy recruitment processes, and helps us keep delivering on our main goal — to be the first choice for continuous career development for our people. It also allows us to promote dedicated, high-performing employees who set an example for others and lead by example, while carrying forward the values and culture that define Pivara colleagues.

3. What is the purpose of “Fast Forward 1” and what benefits does it bring to participants?

The purpose of this programme is to accelerate participants’ readiness so they can more easily step into managerial roles in the future. It is designed to provide them with critical experiences that change how colleagues think, assess, and solve problem situations.

In addition, it shapes how they collaborate with colleagues, lead a project, and present both positive and less desirable information to a larger group of people.

Fast Forward 1 shortens the onboarding process when colleagues step into a new leadership role in the company. It helps them maintain a strong performance level, while preventing or reducing the risk of burnout caused by an overload of information and responsibilities in the new position.

4. From your perspective as a Talent Partner and someone with a broader view of training, learning initiatives, and employee development programmes, what other programmes exist at Pivara Skopje?

At Pivara Skopje, depending on the functional area, the target group, and their development readiness, programmes and trainings are structured into several categories:

• Different types of Core programmes, depending on the seniority of colleagues. Here, the primary emphasis is on leadership as the foundation for building stable, high-potential teams that deliver results and help Pivara Skopje remain the market leader.
• Multiple levels of development programmes that employees (identified as Pivara colleagues with potential to grow in the organization and take on higher roles within the company structure) complete before stepping into a more senior position.
• The Women in Leadership programme, through which colleagues receive support from the Group’s leadership team, aims to demonstrate how to increase their impact and encourage them to build an even stronger strategic perspective.

Additionally, at Pivara Skopje, supported by the Group Learning & Capabilities team, further functional trainings are implemented across various topics. The purpose of these trainings is to strengthen and enhance the skills required for colleagues’ current roles, helping them become even more effective and complete their responsibilities more efficiently.

All of these programmes are organized to ensure continuous growth for our employees, whether through improving functional skills for their current role or preparing them for a next, more senior position.

Kristijan Ilkov, Market Developer:

“FFW1 was an excellent experience for me, where I had the opportunity to learn and grow, while also being an ambassador of myself. The entire programme process, the tasks we had, and the timelines set, made an evident difference in my knowledge and skills in a short period between before the programme started and now.”

Jovica Trajkovski, Financial Analyst:

“This development programme enabled me to strengthen my skills and increase my self-confidence, because I believe that through this type of programme I can more easily handle the challenges ahead in my career development.

I am proud to be part of an organization where talent is recognized, and participation in this type of development programme provides enormous motivation to continue working hard to achieve personal development goals.”

Marija Taushanova, Team Leader:

“This programme helped me, together with my line manager, to clarify my development aspirations and focus on building them. Incorporating everything I learned through the programme gave me significant support for my development in my new role at Pivara Skopje. It prepared me for different circumstances I face now, as well as for overcoming all challenges.”