Jelena Kulezić, certified auditor
Owner and director
PROFESSIONAL PROFILE
Owner and director of KULEZIĆ & CONSULTATION d.o.o. Beograd (recently founded), capitalizing on rich knowledge, demonstrated by over 17 years of experience in audits and consultations for over 150 multinational and domestic clients across a range of industries including telecommunications, manufacturing, real estate, technology, retail and wholesale, media and entertainment, insurance and other.
Regarded as an expert in auditing, her areas of expertise also include providing assistance to clients at various stages of growth, including business and strategic planning, determination of appropriate financing strategies, assistance with mergers and acquisitions as well as privatization processes, and selection and implementation of financial management and accounting systems. Some of the key clients Jelena has recently worked with include:
| • FIAT Srbija • Siemens • OMV • Telenor • Hewlett Packard |
• Oracle |
• Eaton Electric • Centar za Reciklažu Beograd • JKP Beogradske Elektrane • Kombinat Aluminijuma Podgorica • DDOR Novi Sad |
• Alltech Serbia • Scania • S&T Serbia • Dufry |
Jelena’s professional experience also includes due diligence projects, most notably Alpha Bank, Helenic Petroleum, Morgan Stanley, Heidelberger Zement, Mayr Melnhof Karton AG, TBI Holding, and financial restructuring projects - she participated in a project assigned by the National Bank of Yugoslavia in the context of analysis of the overall banking environment, responsible for an in-depth analysis of each individual bank that participated in the restructuring project (over 40 banks) and an analysis of the current banking system with guidance as to how the system could be improved.
Exposure to clients form a wide range of sectors has enabled Jelena to develop strong business acumen giving her a quality of insight what businesses should do now in order to bring about long-term benefits.
Jelena is a Certified Auditor and member of the Serbian Chamber of Certified Auditors since 2010, and is currently serving as the Vice-President of the Committee for Quality Control with the Serbian Chamber of Certified Auditors.
CAREER HISTORY
Executive Director (July 2012 - June 2015)
Ernst & Young, Belgrade, Serbia
Acting as Lead Audit Partner and key audit executive on a much diversified client portfolio including over eighty clients from small to large and complex operating across a range of industries
• Direction and oversight of all audit activities and hands-on involvement in audit transition, planning, execution and reporting
• Overseeing the proper application of risk management policies
• Key driver for ensuring local firm adherence with relevant local regulation, fostering both internal and external discussions on interpretation of new regulation and liaising with the regulator to provide insight on practical implications of new regulation
• Serving as an audit quality reviewer on audits conducted in the EU and other countries
• Effectively networking with extensive internal and external networks to maximize service offerings and improve brand positioning
• Ensuring proper team leadership and quality audit execution in accordance with strict guidelines and empowering high-performing teams to create career value and reach their potential through continuous coaching and mentoring.
Acting as the Financial Accounting and Advisory Services sector leader, working closely with regional leaders to develop this sector locally and leading projects related to finance function reorganisation, financial statements reporting process optimization, chart of account restructuring, analysis of system implementation impact on the finance function, etc.
Key achievements
• Creating meaningful relationships with clients and being a renowned expert in a range of financial reporting matters
• Regarded as a leader in identifying and developing talent in others, actively managed the development of several high-performing managers
• Panelist on Corporate Management, Family Business and Availability and Users of Financial Information within local professional institutions and international financial institutions (Serbian Chamber of Commerce, Serbian Chamber of Auditors, EBRD, etc).
• Coordinated and delivered lecturing and events on changes in corporate law, accounting regulation and the recently adopted IFRS for SME for a number of companies in Serbia
Senior Manager / Manager (June 2004 - June 2012)
Ernst & Young, Belgrade, Serbia
• Managing the execution of high-quality audits for complex client portfolios reporting directly to Lead Audit Partners
• Developing strong relationships across a network of clients, providing relevant insight and demonstrating a good understanding of their business
• Building and developing high-performing teams by creating a supportive environment providing opportunities and challenges for advancement and growth, recognized as a senior mentor and counsellor
• Participating in winning new clients by preparing proposals, estimating budgets and negotiating with clients
Key achievements
• Successfully managing the special purpose audit of Naftna Industrija Srbije and local company for production and sale of fruit juice product, “Fresh &Co Group”
• Independently winning two major local clients bringing significant additional revenues to the local firm
PREVIOUS EMPLOYMENT
Senior / Assistant (February 1998 – June 2004) - Ernst & Young, Belgrade, Serbia
QUALIFICATIONS AND EDUCATION
2014 - now: Vice-President of the Committee for Quality Control – the Serbian Chamber of Authorized Auditors
2010 - now: Member of the Serbian Chamber of Authorized Auditors
1997: Graduated from Faculty of Economics, University of Belgrade - Department of Finance, Banking and Insurance
TRAINING AND SEMINARS
• Strategic Management and Budgeting (Edge cutting –edgeknowledge, Belgrade) – June 2015
• Taking sales to a higher level (Mercuri International Workshop , Belgrade) – March 2014
• Strategic opportunity management (EY Belgrade) - May 2013
• Women’s Leadership Program (Cranfield School of Management, United Kindgom) – June 2011
• Global USGAAP Executive Update (EY Global)- December 2014, December 2013
• Global IFRS Executive Update (EY Global) - September 2014, September 2013, September 2012, September 2011
• Application of Quality Risk Management in Transaction Advisory Services, Bucharest, Romania- July 2006
• Banking Course, Sofia, Bulgaria-November 2000
PUBLICATIONS
• Eurozone Forecast –“Oporavak Evrozone zbog nižih cena nafte i kvantitavnog popuštanja“ (Biznis & Finansije, March 2015)
• “Uvođenje MSFI za MSP u Republici Srbiji“ (Dnevne Novine Danas, November 2014)
• Eurozone Forecast -“Uprkos povecanju investicija Evrozona je i dalje ranjiva” (Biznis & FInansije, E kapija, October 2014)
• “Kako analizirati performanse operatera u telekomunikacijama“ (Biznis & Finansije, October 2013)
• “Ključni poslovni rizici u neposrednoj budućnosti: Četiri Kako“ (Biznis & Finansije, May 2012)