The Croatian town of Ogulin in 1975: A young girl called Sanja hangs on to her father’s every word, fascinated by his job as a construction engineer. With precise calculations and teamwork, he builds homes for families like her own. After some 20 years at Wienerberger Adriatic, Sanja Peraković-Medved, now a Trade Marketing Manager, still has a passion for building – and wants even more of it in the future.

Even executives and experts with many years of experience under their belt want to grow professionally. This is why Wienerberger launched its Ready4Expertise 2.0 talent program. The first group began in summer 2022 with twelve participants from a number of different of countries and departments. One of the first places on the program was secured by Sanja Peraković-Medved. She is grateful to her boss Tomislav Franko for having nominated her: “I have participated in many training programs in the past but Ready4Expertise 2.0 is really something special. It is well structured and offers very useful methods and techniques for my daily work.”

The nine-month program organized by Wienerberger Corporate Learning and Development is based on the Go M.A.D. Results Framework^®, which improves results by changing the way people think and act. Support is provided in the form of webinars, check-ins, coaching and a pitch challenge. “These techniques help me to solve challenges quickly, structure my work and define umbrella goals. I have become more self-confident and now also make better decisions in my personal life that improve my sense of wellbeing”, the marketing expert revealed. 

Sanja Peraković-Medved is responsible for the marketing strategy for Porotherm, Tondach and Semmelrock in Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina at Wienerberger Adriatic. As Trade Marketing Manager she works with a team of five and oversees a wide range of tasks, including Point of Sale activities, PR measures, offline campaigns, brochures, trade fairs and conferences. She enjoys dynamic support from her department – especially where digital media is concerned.

“I work with a team of young, highly-motivated colleagues. They inspire me every day with their attitude and their ideas”, the 47-year-old says. She is proud of the close collaboration within her team and with the Sales and Product Management departments. “Good marketing requires a sympathetic ear for the needs of the customer and a knowledge of the market. That is only possible if we pull together.” And so, it comes as no great surprise that the marketing manager is a good judge of people and also enjoys spending her spare time with others – ideally, being active in nature or in one of the many Croatian cafés. 

Sanja Peraković-Medved passes on the knowledge she has acquired on the Ready4Expertise 2.0 program to her team. This means she is increasingly acting as an internal coach. She relies on motivation combined with targeted communication. “Because I have so many years of work experience, my team often thinks I have all the answers. But that is not the case,” says the Trade Marketing Manager smiling. She goes on to describe one of the techniques she has recently acquired: “If someone asks me for advice, I specifically reformulate the problem as an open question. If you get someone thinking, they’ll usually find a brilliant solution themselves.”

What does the film enthusiast and amateur gardener enjoy most about her job? The variety. “Whether I’m brainstorming in a group, developing concepts in the office or out and about at events – every day is different,” Sanja says. After obtaining her Master’s degree in International Business, she heard about a vacancy at Semmelrock, which is now part of the Wienerberger Group. Her workplace? Just five minutes from her hometown of Ogulin.

Administration, Product Management, Sales and Marketing: Since the day she joined Semmelrock, Sanja impressed people with her knowledge of German in a variety of positions and business areas. As well as working in Ogulin she can often be seen at the office in Zagreb and wherever else her work takes her. She has been with Wienerberger and Semmelrock for some 20 years. “I have been with the company almost my entire working life and it certainly supports my professional development.” 

The sporty manager is just as dynamic away from the office. From hiking to strength training to time spent with friends and family – she also enjoys variety when she is not at work. Her two children are now adults and are following in their mother’s footsteps. One of her sons is studying marketing, the other is a construction engineer. Sanja Peraković-Medved is optimistic about the future: “I’m passionate about the building industry and architecture. I am eager to see what opportunities await me in the future at Wienerberger.“