Under the leadership of Martina Biondić, Secretary of XEnergy, the second cycle of our mentorship program “Empowering Women in the Energy Transition” began at the end of last year.
Over the past six months, ten young women at the start of their careers were guided and supported by their mentors through monthly one-on-one sessions. We asked two of the program participants, Elizabeta Ćormehić and Mia Previšić, and two mentors, Nataša Mlakar — who took part as a mentor for the second year in a row — and Minea Skok, who joined the program as a mentor for the first time this year, to share their impressions.
“Participating in the XEnergy mentorship program was an extremely valuable experience for me. As a lawyer managing the development of solar and wind power projects, I deal daily with regulatory complexity, financial challenges, and the need for a broader understanding of sustainability and the strategic positioning of projects within the energy transition,” says Elizabeta, Project Manager at VSB Renewable Energy.“ In that context, mentorship with Nataša Mlakar was particularly valuable because it helped me better connect the legal, economic, and development aspects of my work.”
She adds that their meetings were concrete and focused on real challenges — from financing and project documentation to decision-making in complex situations and framing projects within a broader strategic context.
“Nataša openly shares her experience and focuses on what can be applied in practice, which is especially important given the fast-paced nature of my work,” emphasizes Elizabeta.
She highlights that discussing the importance of ESG criteria was particularly meaningful:
“ESG is no longer just an investor expectation — it’s becoming a tool that helps us build projects that are sustainable in the long term, accepted by the community, and aligned with European energy policies,” she explains.
“In a sector that is still predominantly male, this kind of program has additional value — it creates space for women to share experiences, support each other, and strengthen their position in an industry that should have no gender boundaries. I’m grateful to XEnergy for recognizing the importance of this and enabling such mentorship and connection, which is not only professional but also deeply human,” concludes Elizabeta.
Mia Previšić, employed as a Renewable Energy Engineer at JP Elektroprivreda Herceg-Bosne (JP EPHB), also shared positive feedback:
“The program gave me insight into real challenges and opportunities in the energy industry, knowledge exchange, support, and the chance to build relationships that I believe will be valuable in the future. It provided space for both personal and professional growth and gave me an extra boost for continued learning and development.”
She says her collaboration with mentor Marina Šaravanja was particularly meaningful:
“Marina was approachable, open, and always willing to collaborate. She introduced me to the basics of her company’s operations — TT Cables — and helped me understand the challenges of cross-sector cooperation within a large business system.”
“Her advice on understanding different perspectives within an organization — emphasizing that each department has its own priorities and challenges — left a strong impression and highlighted the importance of patience and effective communication,” Mia adds.
As the most important takeaway, she recalls:
“Marina emphasized how effort and persistence always pay off in the long run, which further motivated me to continue investing in my professional growth, improving my skills, and staying focused on my path in the energy sector.”
She concludes by sharing that she’s particularly glad they agreed to stay in touch after the program’s completion:
“When I visit Zagreb, Marina invited me to tour the TT Cables factory, which will be a great opportunity to see firsthand the production processes and practices we discussed,” Mia says with a smile.
