The years have passed so quickly—probably because they were beautiful—which makes it hard to believe it’s already been two decades. That’s how Branka Jokanović reflects on her 20-year journey at Mikrofin. She originally joined one of the first microcredit organizations in Bosnia and Herzegovina for what was supposed to be a six-month period, which turned into a long and fulfilling career.
Along with three other colleagues celebrating 20 years of service, and 33 employees marking their 10-year milestone, Branka attended a formal luncheon organized by MF Group in their honor. There, she received a valuable gift—a travel voucher. She admits that she knew her colleagues had prepared something, but didn’t expect to be so delighted by it. “That’s how it’s done in a workplace that has long since become a second home,” Branka says.
“What has always mattered most to me is the environment I work in, the team spirit, and the people. I found all of that here, and that’s why these 20 years have flown by. My colleagues have become my friends. It’s wonderful to work for a company you can be proud of, a company that is not only a market leader, but also socially responsible, always striving to raise the bar and invest in its people—from training to everything else. When I first joined Mikrofin, I had no idea I’d stay for 20 years, but when something is good, there’s no need to change it,” she adds.
Her colleague, Aleksandar Mijatović, notes that spending 20 years in the same organization may seem unusual these days, but just like Branka, he believes that when something is good—it’s worth keeping.
“This became much more than just a job. Over these 20 years, you grow with the company, develop, and build it together. When I started, there were around 70 of us. Today, we’re part of a strong group, and it’s a great sense of fulfillment to be a part of that. Those of us who’ve been here a long time remember what it was like in the beginning, how much has modernized and improved. When you look back and realize you’ve been part of that growth and progress—you can’t help but be proud,” says Aleksandar, who began his career as a loan officer and is now a regional manager.
Joining Branka and Aleksandar at the celebratory lunch in Banja Luka’s Kazamat were Dragana Kraljević and Branka Adamović, who also marked 20 years of service with MF Group and received travel vouchers. “The years went by quickly,” says Branka Adamović, who started her career at Mikrofin and continued it at MF Bank.
“All these 20 years, the atmosphere has been great, and I never once thought about leaving. I worked here back when there were only about 20 of us, when we all knew each other and celebrated every success—both professional and personal. Now we’re much larger, and communication has changed, but the essence hasn’t—we still feel like this is our second home, a place we gladly return to every Monday,” says Branka, who is still deciding with her family where to travel using her gift.
“These are just the first 20 years, and I hope for 20 more,” says Dragana Kraljević, who considers her Mikrofin branch in Vlasenica a second family.
“Mikrofin is a generous company that always takes care of its employees, and in smaller communities like ours, we truly feel like a family—with both our colleagues and our happy clients. I believe we’ll feel this way for the next two decades too,” says Dragana, who, like her colleagues, was thrilled with the gift.
