• Former Minister of Finance of North Macedonia. Entrepreneur. UN Digital Trade Advocate.

    Hi. I’m Nina

    An eternal optimist, with high expectations of people and life in general. Happiness comes from solving problems. No matter where we go there will be “problems waiting for us” and the point is to find the problems we enjoy dealing with. I enjoy the challenges I face and the problems I solve--it’s what keeps me alive and kicking.

    Forbes 30 unctad
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My “e” Story

What we have in our mind (knowledge) and what we have in our heart (passion) makes us as unique as our DNA. My parent’s genes and the way my mother raised me account for my relentlessness, competitiveness and my “moving mountains” attitude. I am passionate about making a change, I see obstacles as challenges and believe that every struggle makes us stronger and more knowledgeable.

I fell in love with the big “E” during my e-business studies. It was a newly introduced department at the Faculty of Economics at Saints Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Macedonia. As I was looking to the future I was excited to learn about the new technologies. Since then and over the years I became very passionate about another “E”. E-commerce that was just beginning to develop at that time. Just before graduating in 2010, I won the most innovative business plan competition and got a small funding grant to launch my business. I guess that “win” was the key incentive for me to begin my entrepreneurial journey and launch Grouper.mk, the first deal platform in North Macedonia. It transformed the e-commerce industry in the country and became known as the game-changer of e-commerce.

My career path in the digital world was developing very “organically”. My impact and hard-work were beginning to be recognized home and abroad. I started speaking at events, mentoring young future entrepreneurs and working on various projects. In 2016, the German startup magazine, The Hundert recognized me as one of the “100 Female Founders Europe!” and in 2018, Forbes named me “Forbes 30 Under 30”. In 2019 UNCTAD appointed me as one of the seven global eTrade for Women Advocates.

After being an entrepreneur for almost 10 years in August 2019 my career path took a sharp turn when I was invited to join the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia as Minister of Finance. I was heading the public finances of our country and led the implementation of many economic and fiscal measures during the biggest crisis in history caused by COVID-19 until September 2020. Among the key priorities during my mandate as Finance Minister, I have put digitalization and technologies in the focus as a key to solving many problems and putting the progress and reforms of our country in "fifth gear".

Current and Recent Positions

Former Minister of Finance Government of the Republic of North Macedonia

CEO and Cofounder Grouper.mk

President & Chairman MKD Ecommerce Association | Ecommerce Conference

Board Member EMOTA | Economic Chamber of Macedonia

Member of the Advisory Board Ecommerce Foundation

Contributor Forbes

Speaker, Trainer & Consultant Events & Organisations

  • The game-changer of Ecommerce

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    It is not the technology, the product or the process that makes a company great, it is the people behind the solution. My team and I contributed to increasing online sales in North Macedonia by more than 350% and educated thousands of customers and businesses on how to shop and sell online. Today, Grouper.mk is the leading e-commerce platform in the country with a team of 20 people serving over 200.000 users and working with over 3000 merchants.

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    Grouper has been awarded as the best website in North Macedonia for 2018.

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  • President & Chairman

    AETM

    The mission of the Macedonian Ecommerce Association is to build a future for e-commerce growth and success in the country. I believe that the future for better Macedonia lies in a digital country and a smart society, and e-commerce is an integral part of such a society.

    • Ecommerce Conference

      Under the title “eCommerce: The eFuture for eMacedonia” I chaired the First E-commerce Conference in North Macedonia, bringing over 370 stakeholders from 8 countries at one place.

    • Ecommerce Analysis Report

      Author of "Readiness, potential, actual state, barriers and recommendations for the development of e-commerce in the Republic of Macedonia" (2018)

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Selected Speaking Events

I speak at various events--from high-level conferences to informal educational events, academies, tv shows and thematic official and unofficial events aiming to motivate and share experience and expertise. Spoken to over 300 events since 2012.

  • Forbes BG
  • AllWeb
  • Brainster
  • WBSummit
  • MKD2025
  • Ohridska Banka
  • RIGF
  • WBS London
  • Unlimited
  • Social Impact
  • Startup Grind
  • Startup Weekend
  • Telekom MKD
  • Unctad
  • Vrabotuvanje
  • Women in Digital
  • World Chicago
  • USAID
Forbes 30

Contributor

All articles

I write about leadership, e-commerce, marketing, entrepreneurship and lifestyle.

Experience in Working on Various Projects

Consulting brands and organizations seeking to boost growth, transform their processes and find new business solutions. Selected organizations I have worked with - Makedonski Telekom (Deutsche Telekom Group), USAID and Vrabotuvanje.com.

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    eCommerce

    Extensive experience in running the leading e-commerce platform in North Macedonia

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    Business Developement

    Implementing new solutions and adding new revenue streams pursuing constant growth

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    Marketing

    Experience in results-driven marketing solutions and event management including new trends and tools such as gamification

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  • Awards & Recognitions

    The ones who motivated me for further progress by recognizing my work.

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      Forbes 30 Under 30

      in Retail in Ecoomerce in Europe (2018)

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      The Hundert

      100 Female Startup Founders Europe!

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      1st Place

      in National Competition for The most Innovative Business Plan

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      Student of the Year

      Frank Manning Award for The Best Student of the Generation in Economic Sciences

  • eTrade For Women

    #UNCTAD - Advocate for women in digital trade

    As part of the #UNGA in NY, I was promoted as an Advocate for women in digital trade, along with six other women entrepreneurs from around the globe. I want to thank the people at UNCTAD who recognized my hard-work, constant learning, and passion for change and I want to congratulate the amazing women I met these days.

    Almost 10 years ago when I embarked on my entrepreneurial journey my drive was to change e-commerce in North Macedonia. Grouper was launched when only 1% of the population was buying online. Many thought the timing was not right but we believed that we will develop e-commerce. And we did! At the end of the day, that is what being an entrepreneur is - being able to see an opportunity where others can’t or don’t.

    I am very happy that the hard work that I have put all these years was recognized widely by many including Forbes, and now by UNCTAD. Recognitions are always a great source of motivation for even greater contribution. But it also brings great responsibility - to inspire, to encourage other women to use their potential, to be ambitious, to take initiative, to grab challenge, to harness the power of technology to make this world a better place. We need women’s potential, knowledge, leadership and technology to make this world smarter and better

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PhD in Management

Synergy Between Practice & Science

In 2010 graduated as a student of the year in E-business at the Faculty of Economics, University Ss. Cyrul and Methodius. In 2012 I got my Masters Degree in E-business Management. Aiming to turn practice into science I bacame a PhD in Management in 2016.

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Contact

Get in touch with me about speaking requests, consultancy, interviews.

Media Press Kit: Short Bio & Photo Download

After being an entrepreneur for almost 10 years, in August 2019 Nina’s career path took a sharp turn when she joined the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia as Minister of Finance. She co-founded Grouper.mk, the leading e-commerce platform, also known as the game-changer of e-commerce in the country in 2011. With her team, they contributed to increasing online sales in Macedonia by more than 350% and educated thousands of customers and businesses on how to shop and sell online. She completed her Doctorate Degree in 2016 aiming to turn practice into science. She has spoken to 300+ conferences and events striving to infuse passion and awake the potential of many young people. Her passion for change and e-commerce led her to co-found the first Macedonian Ecommerce Association in 2017. Her hard work and impact have been widely recognized. In 2018 she was named “Forbes 30 Under 30” in Retail and Ecommerce in Europe and in September 2019 at the UN General Assembly, she was recognized by UNCTAD as one of seven global eTrade for Women Advocates. She was heading the public finances of N.Macedonia and led the implementation of many economic and fiscal measures during the biggest crisis in history caused by COVID-19 until September 2020. Among the key priorities during her mandate as Finance Minister, she has put digitalization and technologies in the focus as a key to solving many problems and putting the progress and reforms of the country in "fifth gear".

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