Our Team

Our Philosophy & Team

Our Philosophy

At Balkantina, we are driven by two things that we hold dear – travel and food. We believe that these two elements combined create the ultimate experience. Our goal is to bring people closer to the world’s most amazing travel and culinary adventures, showcasing it through the lens of food.

We are pioneering in offering unique food experiences, guided by our personal passion and commitment to creating positive change. Our approach is to always bring something new to the table, and we are proud to be known for our innovative ideas.
We take pride in introducing you to our country and its bountiful produce, grown by hard-working farmers. At Balkantina, we put a strong emphasis on supporting local production, and that is reflected in the high-quality, nutritious, and locally sourced food that we serve during our tours and events.

Our success is the result of continuous improvement, responsible actions, and a sense of empowerment among our team. We strive to inspire and support the best in ourselves and those we serve, always with a passion for travel and food.

Our Team

Who are we? Team of real foodies, creative and cheerful people who love life and everything it offers. Even though with different backgrounds, we manage to work together perfectly. Every day spent in the office is filled with so many joyful and wonderful, but at the same time very productive moments. An experienced board, strengthened by young, promising members keeps our perspective fresh and flexible. Definitely a team that can do both, have fun and nail the job!

Lana Novalić

Executive director
Lana is immersed in everything related to tourism and gourmet events in the Balkantina. She plans and carefully curates gastro tours and tastings to satisfy everyone’s taste buds! She has a real gourmet spirit and her love for gastronomy is truly contagious. Lana will thoroughly introduce you to every part of Bosnia and Herzegovina and its gastronomic scene. She is dedicated to creating unforgettable moments for every traveler she encounters. With so many successful tours and events behind her, she is certainly the best choice if you need detailed, well-designed experience.

Samir Ibišević

Founder
Samir Ibisevic is the founder of the gastro-cultural agency Balkantina based in Sarajevo and president of the Association PROI. Samir has years of food and beverage experience and knowledge. He is passionate about Bosnia and Herzegovina and the promotion of local tangible and intangible gastronomic, cultural, historical and natural assets. Moreover, Samir has 20-years of experience working in the civil society sector focusing on public health and community development

Nadira Sipović

Assistant director
Nadira, our passionate food and travel lover. Nadira is deeply immersed in the world of tourism and gourmet experiences. With her extensive knowledge and expertise, she plans and curates exceptional gastronomic tours and tastings that cater to every palate. Her love for exploring new flavors and cultures is reflected in her meticulous attention to detail and well-designed experiences. Her commitment to providing detailed and personalized experiences ensures that you'll have an extraordinary and memorable time.

Uliana Bakh

Co-founder
International expert in public health and Co-Founder of Balkantina. With a Masters degree in International Development Practice and 15+ years of experience in sustainable development policy, capacity development and project management, Uliana possesses a special ability of making each task simplified and facilitated. As the strategic leader of Balkantina, Uliana oversees the implementation of different, amazing ideas and empowering the rest of the team to give their maximum. She is ready to solve the most complex and cross-team prob… ummmm opportunities. Uliana is also a real foodie, always exploring and looking for new tastes of BiH cuisine

Alma Sušić

Financial manager
Alma takes care of Balkantina finances. As someone who is working with numbers, she manifests this thoroughness in everyday life and cannot miss a single detail. She takes into account all possible outcomes of the situation and has a ready solution for each one. Dedicated to her job, Alma is a real deal

INTERNS

Azra Pašalić

Assistant
A young finance student and a football referee, willing to improve every previous version of herself and learn new things everyday. Sports tremendously influence her lifestyle, so passion towards healthy food and cooking was born out of it. Responsible and hard-working, Azra gladly accepts new challenges and opportunities. She loves to explore different cultures and amenities so she is keen to travel.
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