We are proud to announce that our good friend and distinguished colleague has left us temporarily to assume the prestigious post of Serbia’s Ambassador to Israel. We wish him and both countries best of luck and lot of success.
ZORAN BASARABA
Political and Risk Analyses and Marketing Director
Zoran, 55, moved to New York city in 1982 where he initially pursued Ph. D. in comparative politics and later made a stellar career in marketing and corporate communications. He was part of the team which successfully branded the "Yugo Mania" - first ever sales of a developing world mass-produced car on the U.S. market. In early 1991 he moved to the U.S. pharmaceuticals company ICN with interests across Eastern Europe and China. When ICN's CEO, Milan Panic, became the Prime Minister of Yugoslavia in 1992 Zoran served as his chief of staff. Despite maintaining family residence in the U.S., Zoran has been active in Serbian political and administrative affairs ever since.
Zoran has held a number of senior government positions in Yugoslavia and later Serbia: Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister, Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Secretary General of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, etc. His main area of expertise is political analysis and marketing; he was the manager for Panic's historic Serbian election campaign against Slobodan Milosevic. Zoran has proven himself to be an experienced hands-on manager with ability to communicate across cultural and hierarchical boundaries
Zoran is also a resourceful negotiator and has advised a number of stakeholders on negotiating strategies involving cross-cultural sensitivities. He usually commutes between San Diego, Belgrade, Munich and Podgorica. As of late 2011, he has assumed the post of Serbia’s Ambassador to Israel