Brief BIO

  • Born in Croatia raised in Australia went to 14 different primary schools and 3 different high school in Australia.
  • First job was as a part-time potato peeler and farm-hand in Australia.
  • University part-time work was at a plastic mould injection factory and doing furniture removals.
  • Sports at University included soccer, rowing and scuba diving.
  • Graduated Bachelor of Commerce degree in marketing and management information systems.
  • First professional job as a manager of a small promotional agency firm in Australia.
  • Worked as a marketing coordinator with a medium sized spring manufacturer in Australia.
  • Worked as an Australian Volunteer Abroad instructing marketing and economics subjects in Hunan Province, China for two years.
  • Lectured in marketing research and consumer behaviour at Ballarat University, Australia.
  • Instructed customs, controls and functions and international trade and documentation subjects at Outer Eastern TAFE in Melbourne, Australia.
  • Established a small business in Asian handicraft import and retail known as Asia Down Under.
  • Imported motorcycles from China to resell in Australia.
  • Established a small NGO called Sino Culture Exchange Association Inc. in Changsha Hunan Provence and in Ballarat, Australia. Primarily involved in education, health, arts and trade exchanges.
  • Lecturing marketing at La Trobe University in Australia delivering marketing subjects on- and off-shore in SE Asia.
  • Lived in Kigoma, Tanzania for two years finalising Master’s Degree on rural tourism development in China and volunteer lecturing of marketing to local woodcarvers.
  • Worked at UNHCR in Geneva for 2.5 years as a budget and administrative associate as well as assisted in the global roll-out of a custom result based management systems known as FOCUS.
  • Lived in Budapest, Hungary for four years working as an international marketing advisor for a start-up firm in Ptuj, Slovenia.
  • Lived in Yangon, Myanmar for four years completing PhD studies in sustainable livelihoods and market systems development within the handicraft industries.
  • Undertook consultancies with UNIDO and LuxDev in handicraft industry development in Myanmar.
  • Currently living in the outskirts of Geneva, in France. Submitted PhD thesis for examination and now seeking work doing consultancies in developing countries on sustainable livelihoods, market systems development or entrepreneurial/start-up market development, or doing project work in craft sector development or lecturing in marketing.
Joe - the long story