The latest episode of the Business Club podcast focuses on the determination and radical decision-making of women involved in business and the operations of the Chamber. In this episode, the president of the Economic Chamber of North Macedonia, Branko Azeski, speaks with three women who have left their mark on the Chamber’s work and hold managerial roles in their companies: M.A. Angelka Peeva-Laurenčić, Director and Co-Owner of Image PR and Idea Plus 360; M.Sc. Marija Dukovska-Pavlovska, General Manager of Makstil Skopje; and Dr. Anita Blazhevska, Vice President of the ECNM Management Board.

“Women involved in the Chamber’s work succeed in pulling men forward and correcting them through their discipline. This is due to character traits such as precision, punctuality, discipline, and responsibility. We don’t like being late, as it’s not just impolite—it wastes others’ time. By setting an example, we help others follow suit. Because of our nature, we can sometimes be more radical in decision-making,” said Peeva-Laurenčić.

Angelka Peeva-Laurenčić, M.A., holds a master’s degree in Communicology from the Institute for Sociological, Political, and Juridical Research at UKIM Skopje and is currently pursuing a doctorate in Public Relations at UKIM’s Faculty of Law. Since 2006, she has been the director of the PR and communications agency Image PR and teaches undergraduate and postgraduate courses in public relations at the American College in Skopje. In 2002-2006, she was an MP at the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia. Beyond her professional engagements, she is active in various associations, including serving as a member of the ECNM Management Board, the Habitat Macedonia Board, and member of the International Public Relation Association (IPRA).

Makstil’s Manager Marija Dukovska-Pavlovska highlighted the challenges of being a woman in the metallurgy industry and emphasized the importance of breaking stereotypes about male versus female professions.

“It’s not easy being a woman in a male-dominated industry. Women offer different perspectives than men. We must ensure we are not merely numbers, but valued for our qualifications, abilities, and viewpoints,” she said.

She added: “Production has a special appeal, especially because the results of your work are immediately visible—you see the product and its impact firsthand.”

Dukovska-Pavlovska, M.Sc., has extensive managerial experience in the fields of finance and industry. She earned a degree in Business Management from the Faculty of Economics at UKIM, with a thesis titled "The Duality of Control over the Board of Directors." She completed her master's studies in Economics, focusing on Entrepreneurship, at the Josip Juraj Strossmayer University in Osijek, Croatia, with a master's thesis titled "Implementing the Entrepreneurial Spirit in Management."

She began her career in 2005 as an expert in improving organizational and financial performance of enterprises through an EBRD project (for two years) and as a coordinator for human resources and finance for projects in Southeast Europe at the East-West Institute – NGO (for two years). In 2016, she assumed the position of Managing Director at Kemet Electronics Macedonia in Skopje. Since February 2022, she has been the General Manager of Makstil AD Skopje and a member of its Board of Directors. Her focus is on waste minimization, aiming to make the company a zero-waste enterprise.

Dr. Anita Blazhevska shares the same view as her colleagues—that women are bolder, more decisive, and more radical in decision-making, and that they must not be seen merely as a statistic, as the ultimate measure is always the quality of the delivered product. According to her, being part of the Chamber inspires her to take steps to improve things in the interest of business and the Chamber's operations.

"Women will not just be a statistic in decision-making. The quality of the delivered product is always what matters most. It is truly an honor and privilege to be part of the Management Board, to work closely with you, with my colleagues on the Board, and with the Chamber’s employees. After every meeting, I feel inspired to think about what more can be done and how things can be improved," stated Dr. Blazhevska.

Dr. Blazhevska completed her master’s degree at the University of Cambridge with the thesis “What Determines the Level and Nature of Foreign Direct Investment in Middle-Income Countries – The Case of Johnson Controls AD in Macedonia.” She earned her doctorate at the Faculty of Economics at UKIM with the dissertation “Capital Outflows in the Form of Foreign Direct Investment from Large Emerging Economies (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) to the Rest of the World – Implications for the Global Economic Order.”

She has had the opportunity to experience the workings of both public and private sectors. From 2009, she worked at the Ministry of Finance of Macedonia in the area of macroeconomic policy, and since 2015, she has been employed at Philip Morris International in Skopje, initially as a Manager for External Affairs and later as a Manager for Fiscal and Economic Affairs for the Near East, Africa, South and Southeast Asia, and the CIS. Since January 2024, she has been a Manager for Fiscal and Economic Affairs for Southeast Europe.

Dr. Blazhevska plays an active role in the Chamber, representing its stance and that of its member companies before the Government and other stakeholders, both domestic and international. She has published over 10 papers and articles in national and international journals. She is a two-time recipient of the Executive Director award (in 2016 and 2022), the highest recognition for employees in her company (and the first for an employee from North Macedonia). In 2021, she received recognition from the President of the Economic Chamber, Branko Azeski, for her outstanding work and contribution to achieving the Chamber's strategic goals.