Mrs Zajec Balažič holds a Master’s degree in Social and Economic Sciences from the Vienna University of Economics and Business and has extensive international experience in leading large teams, project management, international cooperation, strategic leadership, and business consulting.

Throughout her career, she has held executive positions in various companies and worked as a consultant in business development, management, and restructuring. Prior to her appointment, she served as Deputy Director and Acting Director at SPIRIT Slovenia, where she focused on digitalisation and internationalisation. Before that, she held leadership positions in international consulting and financial institutions, including serving as Senior Manager at EY-Parthenon, Executive Director for Processes and Business Support at Zavarovalnica Sava, and Advisor to the Management Board of Zavarovalnica Maribor.