Bojana Otašević, Entrepeneur and Founder of Mille Baci brand
After almost two decades of living and working in Rome, where she absorbed the spirit of Italy a country that is itself a brand and a synonym for style, quality, and excellence Bojana Otašević decided to return to Montenegro and launch Mille Baci, the country’s first luxury ice cream brand. Her extensive diplomatic experience has shaped her vision of leadership and strategy, which she now applies in business, while her life in Italy instilled a passion for detail and dedication to authenticity. In an interview for Diplomacy & Commerce Montenegro magazine, Otašević speaks about the reasons for her return, the challenges and opportunities for entrepreneurs in Montenegro, the role of women in today’s business world, and how global trends can be strategically adapted to the local market.
After 18 years of living and working in Rome, what motivated you to return to Montenegro and create Mille Baci, the first Montenegrin ice cream brand?
Life in Rome had a huge impact on my approach to business and on the development of the Mille Baci brand. Italy is not only a country I love it is a source of inspiration. Rome is a city where refinement, culture, and tradition merge with a passion for life, and that directly influenced my approach to luxury products. I learned that quality is not only in what you create, but in the way you do it with dedication, attention, and deep love for what you do. Although Rome had an invaluable influence on my professional development, the desire to return to Montenegro was based on a deeper connection with my roots. Montenegro gives me unlimited potential for innovation, while at the same time allowing me to preserve authenticity and connect local resources with global trends. I decided to return so that through Mille Baci I could contribute not only to the luxury industry but also to the preservation of tradition using local raw materials and creating products that reflect the strength and beauty of our country.
How does your experience in diplomacy shape your vision of leadership and strategy in today’s business world?
Diplomacy teaches us that leadership requires a strategic perspective, an understanding of different interests, and decision-making with long-term consequences. Every diplomatic decision demands a balance between vision and reality the same skills I apply in running my business today. In the modern business world, a leader must know when to be firm and when to be flexible, when to listen and when to act. The strength of a leader is measured by the ability to turn their vision into a path that the team follows not out of obligation, but because they truly believe in it.
What key global economic trends do you consider most important for entrepreneurs, and how can they best be used?
The key global economic trends today are based on digitalization, innovation, sustainability, and user experience. Entrepreneurs who understand how technology and global changes affect the market can create a competitive advantage, but in Montenegro awareness and education must come first. The real challenge is transferring global trends to the local market: entrepreneurs must understand how to adapt technology, innovation, and marketing to their own context, without mechanically copying foreign models. Workshops and training, in cooperation with relevant state institutions, are particularly important where entrepreneurs can learn how trends work, how to implement them into a product, how to select a target group, and how to communicate strategically with consumers. It is important to understand that product quality alone is no longer enough the product must tell a story, be differentiated, connected to the brand’s values, and communication must build trust and long-term relationships with consumers.
Specifically, in Montenegro, entrepreneurs must analyze their competition, understand their capacities and markets, and then strategically apply global experiences by adapting them to local realities. Only then do trends become a tool and not just theory enabling the creation of brands that are both locally relevant and globally recognizable.
How do you see the transformation of Montenegro into a prestigious tourist destination, and what do you consider most important for its international brand?
The recognition of Montenegro as a prestigious tourist destination depends on the synergy of the state, major investment projects, and local entrepreneurs. We must develop infrastructure, service quality, and offerings in a way that attracts and retains visitors year-round. Montenegro still does not have a tradition of luxury tourism, and we must acknowledge that everything we are building now is only laying the foundation for the destination’s recognition. We must learn from our neighbors, primarily Croatia, and then look toward Greece, Italy, France, and Spain countries with strong traditions in luxury tourism. It is crucial to understand that we must provide added value for someone to choose Montenegro. Special attention must be paid to service pricing, as this plays a key role in the development of offerings and in regaining tourist trust. Urgently, air connectivity, service standards, and quality must be resolved, as well as clearly defining the tourism offer. Montenegro is not just the coast the north has incredible potential, with its nature, mountains, lakes, and eno-gastronomic offerings, which allow for the development of year-round tourism. We should not see investors as a threat, but as partners contributing to Montenegro’s development and positioning as a luxury and diverse destination. Only through a strategic approach, a serious vision, and consistent investment in quality can Montenegro regain the trust of guests and become a recognized destination throughout the year.
In your experience, what are the greatest challenges and at the same time the greatest opportunities for women in today’s global business environment, and how can they best be used?
When speaking about challenges and opportunities for women in today’s business environment, I would distinguish between two groups. The first are women who lead and manage businesses built by others they have the chance to show their managerial potential, experience, and leadership ability. The second group, which I personally find particularly inspiring, are women who create something from scratch. For them, much more than love and self-belief is required courage is crucial, as well as a certain dose of audacity, especially in Montenegro, where being a woman entrepreneur is still a challenge. Being a woman today is a challenge, and if you are a woman entrepreneur building your business from the ground up, that challenge becomes even greater. Women are still a minority in negotiations, business communications, and strategic decisions, and often face male counterparts in situations that demand careful balancing. But it is precisely there that the greatest opportunity lies: those who manage to overcome these challenges become strong leaders, able to build authority and respect in communication and leadership. When you add to that life experience, high education, and all the advantages that femininity brings something Montenegrin women often possess it becomes clear that these traits are both an advantage and an additional challenge, requiring courage, wisdom, and consistency in every business situation.
How do you balance vision and risk in entrepreneurship, while also drawing on the lessons you gained from living and working abroad?
Balancing vision and risk in entrepreneurship is one of the most important, but also most difficult tasks for every leader. Vision gives direction and meaning, while risk requires the courage to step into the unknown, accept uncertainty, and make decisions that can change the course of business. Without vision, there is no inspiration or strength to move forward, but without risk, there is no growth or real progress. The true skill lies in finding balance between these two poles building long-term foundations while at the same time being brave enough to take calculated risks that can bring transformation. Italy is a country that is a brand in itself a place where you learn at every step, from its culture, way of working, and approach to life. Made in Italy is not just a mark of origin, but a globally recognized standard of quality, style, and excellence. Anyone willing to learn can find countless lessons there on professionalism, attention to detail, creativity, and a constant striving for perfection. This experience taught me how important it is to look at the world broadly, absorb the best models, and apply them in your own business. In Montenegro, a developing market, entrepreneurs often have to create opportunities themselves. That is where the balance between vision and risk becomes particularly important because it is not enough just to dream big ideas, but to know when to be patient and build foundations, and when to take bold steps that can transform the entire project. Every decision carries potential challenges, but also opportunities, and the ability to align these dimensions is the essence of a successful entrepreneurial path.
If you could highlight one universal lesson from diplomacy that applies directly to business and strategic development, what would it be and why?
If I had to choose one universal lesson from diplomacy that applies directly to business and strategic development, it would be the art of listening. In diplomacy, I learned that true strength lies in careful listening not only to words, but to tone, context, and even the silence between sentences. This skill allows you to understand the needs, interests, and potential of the other side even when they themselves do not fully articulate them. In business, it is the same. An entrepreneur who knows how to listen to partners, the market, consumers, and their own team always has an advantage. Listening is not a passive act, but an active understanding and gathering of information that becomes the basis for making the right decisions. When you connect this to strategic development, you achieve stability and the strength to build long-term relationships, not just quick transactions. In diplomacy, as in business, compromise is not a sign of weakness but of wisdom. In both cases, the key lies in trust. And trust is built with patience, consistency, and clear communication. That is why I would say that this lesson listening that leads to understanding, understanding that builds trust, and trust that creates the foundation for success is the most valuable bridge between diplomacy and business.