Branka Pudrlja Durbaba, Senior Market Director at Vip Mobile

Vip mobile is the first company in Serbia to receive the Family Friendly Certificate, which enabled employees to maintain balance between their professional and private lives, as well as many other benefits. However, this isn’t the only area where this company is perceived as a positive example on the market, as that is also the case with projects that enable the development of services and technologies.

Vip mobile is part of the A1 Telekom Austria Group. What advantages does this connection bring to the local market and what are your plans for the period ahead?

– Operating under the A1 Telekom Austria Group has impacted on improving the quality of Vip’s work, the formation of a simpler and more efficient structure, as well as the exchange of experiences relevant to the Serbian market. Today, operators can no longer afford the luxury of only being a provider of infrastructure and support; they must also innovate.

Our users can already rely on our expertise and experience in implementing and applying various ICT solutions, and we will continue improving this segment in the period ahead.

Last year was the most successful year so far for Vip, but what will this year be like? Could you tell us more about the projects you’re currently working on?

– Precisely. Vip mobile has been constantly growing over the last few years and we are very satisfied with the results achieved. In 2019 we gained a market share of 24.6%, and in 2018 the company generated revenues of €249 million. This is another confirmation that today’s very demanding market recognises and rewards pioneers, innovators and those willing to invest their capacities and resources to change the market for the better. For us, our users and their needs have been of paramount importance from day one. Thanks to that, we today have more than 2.2 million of them.

We will continue to strive to be recognised as a leading innovator, particularly in the domain of digitalisation

We are committed to projects that enable the development of services and technologies, and we recently became the first company to commercially launch the new VoLTE service, which offers crystal-clear audio during conversations, a longer range and connections two and a half times faster. There is always room for growth in new business models, new services, in partnership with other industries and through digitalisation. That’s why we’ll continue to develop in new and non-traditional roles as a content and digital service provider. Apart from this, we are also committed to our socially responsible projects, such as Vip Kinoteka, the Safe Kids platform and projects in the area of environmental protection, as an important aspect of our operations.

Vip is also the first and only company in Serbia to have been awarded the Family Friendly Certificate for operations that are responsible to families. What does this certificate mean and how important is it?

– People are our greatest corporate advantage. Services and packages can be copied, but the culture that we nurture at Vip mobile is not easy to “adopt”. We are the first company in Serbia to receive the Family Friendly Certificate, because we’ve enabled our employees to maintain a balance between their professional and private lives, but also many other benefits.

This certificate guarantees that our operations are family-friendly and is awarded by the Ekvilib Institute from Slovenia. Thanks to this, we find ourselves with the “best ones”; among top companies that operate in Europe’s most developed countries. Care for the families of employees contributes equally to their satisfaction and the success of the entire company, and such practises lead to positive changes in the wider community, and I sincerely hope Vip mobile will be an example that other companies will follow.