Top Women Business Montenegro Marks Five Years: From Visibility of Business Achievements to a Strong Community of Women in Business
Podgorica, 15 September 2026 – In its fifth anniversary year, the Top Women Business Montenegro platform is entering a new phase of development, with a stronger focus on connecting the experience, knowledge and influence of women in business, building on its previous work to increase the visibility of their business achievements. At a press conference organised to mark the anniversary, the TWBM Excellence Circle and TWBM Mentorship Program were announced, alongside a new special recognition, the TWBM Impact Award. The first recipient of the award will be Governor of the Central Bank of Montenegro, Irena Radović.
“When we launched Top Women Business Montenegro five years ago, we started from the observation that women in business and their achievements needed greater visibility. Five years later, the most important result for us is not just the numbers. What matters most is what has grown behind those numbers – a community of women with achievements, experience, knowledge and influence. That is why we are not marking our fifth anniversary simply by looking back, but by using it to open the next chapter of Top Women Business Montenegro,” said Ljiljana Burzan-Nikolić, Founder of Top Women Business Montenegro and BI Communication.
One of the platform’s key new initiatives is the TWBM Excellence Circle – a community of Top Women Business Montenegro award recipients, envisioned as a space for connecting women with significant business experience and achievements, exchanging knowledge, addressing important issues and launching joint initiatives.
The same idea of connection and sharing experience has inspired another new initiative – the TWBM Mentorship Program. Through a direct mentor–participant relationship, the program is designed to enable the experience of women who have already navigated different stages of business development to become practical support for women facing their own business challenges. The first generation will be implemented as a pilot program, with a focus on the quality of mentoring relationships.
To mark its fifth anniversary, the platform has also established a special recognition, the TWBM Impact Award, which is presented for contributions to the development of women’s entrepreneurship and the advancement of women’s position within Montenegro’s business community. The first recipient of the TWBM Impact Award will be Governor of the Central Bank of Montenegro, Irena Radović.
The platform’s 2026 programme includes the continuation of the TWBM Empowerment Forum, which will bring together women from different areas of the business community on 28 October. The Forum is developing as a space for exchanging knowledge and experience, building connections and opening new business opportunities. The traditional TWBM awards for business achievements will be presented on 18 November, when the fifth anniversary edition of the TWBM business magazine will also be launched.
President of the Chamber of Economy of Montenegro, Nina Drakić, said that the Chamber has been supporting Top Women Business Montenegro from the very beginning, and that this is no coincidence.
“We know that women’s entrepreneurship is one of the important resources for the development of Montenegro’s economy. When we talk about women in business, we are talking about how effectively an economy makes use of its knowledge, talent and potential. That is why our task is to support women who have an idea, the knowledge and the courage to start a business – from the initial idea through to business development and expansion,” said Drakić.
She assessed that the results achieved over the past five years are encouraging, but also emphasised that the full potential of women’s entrepreneurship requires continuous and systemic support – through improving competitiveness, digitalising business operations, ensuring better access to finance and strengthening connections between the business community and academia.
Microfinance institution Alter Modus has also been a partner of Top Women Business Montenegro since its establishment. Executive Director Ana Kentera highlighted the role of the financial sector in the development of women’s entrepreneurship.
“As a partner of the Top Women Business Montenegro initiative since its establishment, for five years we have witnessed its growth and the importance it has in increasing the visibility of women in business. We believe that the financial sector has an important role to play not only in providing access to finance, but also in creating an environment in which women can develop their business ideas and companies on an equal footing,” said Kentera.
The partner of this year’s edition of TWBM is also One Montenegro.
“At One, we have many women leading teams and important parts of our business, and I am particularly pleased that this is not a topic for us – it is simply a natural part of the company. We also have a responsibility to support initiatives beyond our own walls that connect people, create opportunities and bring good stories into the spotlight. That is why we are supporting TWBM,” said Ana Mihailović, Executive Director of Marketing at One Montenegro.
The Top Women Business Montenegro platform was launched with the aim of increasing the visibility of women’s business achievements and contributing to their greater representation and influence in the business and public spheres. Following five successful years of work, the platform’s next phase of development will focus on strengthening the community, sharing experience and creating new opportunities: from visibility to connection, from individual stories to community, and from recognising achievements to sharing experience.
