We cannot be prepared for the future, without first thinking about and working on digitalization and digital skills. Every country that strives to grow and develop and become an important cog in the global economy must focus on digitalization. The benefits of a fully digitalized and functional society are endless – and this is something that developing countries can use to make big leaps on their path to modernization. 

In Macedonia, there is a significant lack of people who have proper digital skills, and on average, are far behind their EU counterparts – and not just for professional use, but personal as well. 

Young Macedonians are the ones that are expected to be the driving force behind this digitalization process, spearheading digital transformation in all areas, but what challenges are they facing now? How can that process be more efficient? What do young people need in order to be able to reach the “next level”? 

The answers to these questions and many more will be part of the panel discussion titled “Digital Transformation – The Young People As Catalysts for Progress” which is to be held on 28.11.2022, starting from 02:00 PM CET in the IT Labs Office Arena – at which we’ll have the following experts: 

As moderator: 

Mihail Ognenovski is a financial analyst at NLB Bank, a holder of a master’s degree in finance and banking, and has extensive experience in the non-governmental sector, media, event organizing and planning, and is a holder of a variety of certificates and acknowledgements. 

As panelists: 

Prof. Nikica Mojsoska-Blazevski is the CEO of Macedonia 2025, having come into the position from her academic background as a Professor and the Dean at the Faculty for Business Economics at the University American College – Skopje. Her previous working experience includes working in the public sector – as the Head of The Macroeconomic Policy Department at the Ministry of Finance. She has more than 20 years of experience as a researcher, consultant, and advisor for economic policy, social systems and policy, labor market, and the educational system in Macedonia, as well as the Western Balkans region – focusing on the youth. 

Marko Serafimovski is a Senior Director and Head of the Cisco, Oracle, Java, and AWS, Education Department at Semos Education. A tech professional with more than 7 years of experience in the tech sector, having held managerial and executive positions in various companies. As part of the Executive Board in Semos Education, he has experience in strategic planning and business development in different markets across Europe, as well as the adoption and implementation of the newest trends in the tech sector. 

Andrej Petreski is a Team Leader at Cisco and is the designated manager in the country in charge of the team results and sales in two markets (North Macedonia and Kosovo). A proactive problem solver, he has experience and expertise in managing sales, marketing, legal, and logistics. He’s also a brand ambassador for Cisco, building relations between the brand and governmental agencies, such as committees and chambers. As the president of the Digital Transformation ttee at AmCham, he’s involved in developing better public policy, focusing on digitalization in both the public and private sectors, while also keeping an eye on compliance and keeping up with the newet practices and regulations.