Air Serbia hosts students from the Stanford Graduate School of Business

Air Serbia was visited today by a group of 30 international MBA students from the Stanford Graduate School of Business ("Stanford GSB"), one of the most prestigious business schools in the world. The students toured Air Serbia's new headquarters and had a meeting with the airline's CEO, Dane Kondić.

The visit to Air Serbia is part of a student trip programme to the region and Serbia, where they will spend several days. The students are a truly diverse group, from a number of different home countries, educational backgrounds and professional experiences from some of the world's top universities and foremost companies.

What brought them together is an interest in the economic development of the region, in particular Serbia. The trip objective is to introduce the Stanford GSB students and faculty members to Serbian businesses, government and culture, in a mission to explore the country's transition to a free-market economy, the roles of private and public, as well as foreign and domestic institutions, and the opportunities for economic and political development. Trip participants find Serbia and the region attractive not only as a learning opportunity on their way to becoming global leaders, but also as a future career destination and investment opportunity.

Trip participants were specifically interested in visiting Air Serbia and learning about its business model and experiences, as one of the most successful examples of a company that has achieved a turnaround from a loss-maker into profitability in a short period of time, within an effective public-private partnership, involving a top-tier foreign investor. During their meeting, the graduate students had the opportunity to exchange ideas, knowledge and experiences with Air Serbia representatives in an open dialogue.

Dane Kondić, Chief Executive Officer Air Serbia, said: "It was a pleasure to welcome the graduate students of Stanford Business School, an accomplished group of true future world-class leaders. Air Serbia has come a long way since it was founded slightly more than one year ago and we are proud to already be able to serve as an example to the world of what can be achieved when the right business models, strategies and governance structures are put in place. We are always ready to share our experiences and knowledge with the young generations, both in Serbia and abroad, as we hope they can learn and benefit from them. We are grateful for the opportunity to bring together young people of such a rich variety of backgrounds and experiences and also benefit as an organization from the exchange of thoughts and ideas."

Jelena Djordjevic, a Stanford GSB student and both a Serbian and American national and one of the student trip leaders, said: "We are most thankful to Air Serbia for their hospitality and the great attention with which we were received. We are all very impressed with Air Serbia and the progress the airline has made. It can certainly serve as a solid case study to learn from and good example to other companies that could follow in their footsteps. Of course, for me this trip is significant and emotional on many levels, as I can show the beauty of my other ‘home' country to my colleagues and learn from the steps it is taking to ensure long-term progress of its society and economy."

The Stanford Graduate School of Business empowers individuals to envision what is possible and make it happen through principled leadership and creative problem solving. The school has built a global reputation based on its management and leadership programs, including the two-year MBA; the one-year Sloan Master's Program; the PhD Program; Stanford Ignite, a part-time program in innovation and entrepreneurship; and Executive Education. Each creates an experience that transforms people and prepares them to change lives, change organizations, and change the world. Programs engage the highest quality students with world-class faculty from across Stanford University's seven schools, as well as alumni, Silicon Valley professionals, global executives, and the broader world community. The state-of-the-art Knight Management Center offers flexible classroom spaces for hands-on experiential learning, small-group leadership labs, and team-based learning. It also serves as a convening space for major forums and discussions. Stanford is the most selective business school in the United States and is currently ranked number one by Forbes Magazine and U.S. News & World Report.