27 years at HELB: Our greatest asset are the people who make us a success

Željkica Cesar has been part of HELB for an impressive 27 years. From the very beginning, her career at HELB has been marked by diversity and dynamism. During her career at HELB, she has worked in various departments, starting in the secretary office, then moving through human resources, and finally into finance. Today, she works as a finance officer and points out that she hopes to receive her well-deserved retirement right there.
Given her extensive length of service and work experience, younger colleagues often see her as a teacher. They say she is always willing to share her knowledge and never refuses to help, so it’s no surprise that her office door is always open. Persistence, kindness and the ability to easily overcome new challenges are just a few of Željka’s virtues.

• How was your business journey at HELB?

When I first joined, HELB was a small family business. I was the twelfth employee and we faced numerous challenges. These were the post-war beginnings, and modern technology was just starting to develop. It was difficult work, but hope for a better tomorrow, new challenges, and positive results we achieved gave us strength. Years passed, the number of employees grew, the number of work tasks grew, new challenges came, and eventually the need arose to create a finance department where I still work as a finance officer.

• What does your job include?

My work is quite dynamic and varied. It consists of keeping a book of incoming invoices, receiving incoming invoices, completing invoices, creating travel orders, managing the cash register, and providing warranty documents for tender purposes. There is also obtaining financial and all other documents at the request of colleagues from other departments, completing financial documentation, and organizing its delivery to our accounting service for posting. Then, various coordinations and communication with our partners and payment transactions… Every day is a story in itself. Sometimes it is very dynamic and demanding, sometimes it is easy going with a dose of free time. It is difficult to plan the working day in advance because in most cases it does not depend on me but on the dynamics of the rest of the business. Sometimes just when I think it’s going to be calm, just one phone call or email changes the course of events completely.

• Are there any anecdotes that you like to remember that are related to working at HELB?

There were many interesting events that made us laugh to the point of tears, so I always remember them fondly. But I will never forget the first working day. Getting to know my colleagues confused me, as well as the others present. Namely, Vladimir Horvat guided me through the company and introduced me to my colleagues. We reach the last man and the introduction follows: “This is our engineer Cesar. This is our new employee Cesar”. Silence, strange looks, a colleague stands up and says: “I’m Željko”, and I, a little frightened by coming to a new environment, quietly, timidly say: “I’m Željka”. Silence again and then suddenly thunderous laughter. Even today, we sometimes mistakenly receive e-mail that does not refer to the person to whom it was delivered.

• What are HELB’s advantages and where do you see room for improvement?

HELB’s greatest strength are the people who make up the company. Each person has their own faults and virtues, but together they form a successful whole. They are sociable, accommodating, and ready to help… It’s hard to say what I would change, as changes occur naturally with the advent of new technology and new people. Maybe I would try to change something about myself. Encouraged by many years of life and work experience, I might just approach some tasks differently or express my views and thoughts differently. Because someone said: “If you can’t change others, then change yourself.”

• What do you do in your free time?

In my free time, I am dedicated to my family. I am the mother of two grown daughters and the grandmother of five wonderful grandchildren. I also love flowers and gardening, baking cakes, and traveling. I am also socially and politically active, and I sometimes find time to read a good book. In fact, my free time is a vital part of my life, which I live to the fullest. I advise others to do the same!