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We exist so that family businesses last beyond a single generation
Since 2014 we have helped owners and successors professionalise operations, establish governance, and prepare the company for the next generation.
Companies Connected is devoted to one question: how can a company built by one family survive the handover to the next — and come out stronger, not weaker, along the way.
200+family businesses
€1B+combined client revenue
10,000+employees at clients
5countries in the region
20+years of experience
Trust
More than 200 family businesses have placed their trust in us
From local family firms to regional leaders, owners entrust us with professionalisation, governance and preparing the next generation.
Founder and mission
The firm is led by someone who has spent a career inside family businesses
Companies Connected was founded by Đorđe Petrović — family business advisor, author of two books, CEO of FBN Adria and EBRD consultant. His mission is simple: to make the knowledge that family firms usually learn through their own mistakes available in time.
CEOFBN Adria
The Family Business Network is the largest global network of family businesses, present in more than 60 countries and connecting thousands of owning families through the exchange of experience, education and best governance practices. As CEO of the Adria chapter, Đorđe connects local family firms with that global knowledge.
- Author of 2 books
- CEO, FBN Adria
- EBRD consultant
- 200+ projects
- 20+ years of experience
Why we exist
Most family firms don't fail because of the market — they fail because of the transition
The statistics are unforgiving: only a small share of family businesses survive the handover to the third generation. Not because the product is poor or the market isn't there, but because three things aren't settled in time — professional management, prepared successors, and clear rules within the family.
We founded Companies Connected because we had seen too many valuable firms wind down or get sold off at the moment of generational change. We believe that is not fate, but the consequence of a missing system — and that a system can be built.
Our approach
What sets us apart
01
Specialisation, not generalism
We don't do "everything for everyone". We work exclusively with family businesses and understand the logic that makes them different from any other company.
02
Business and family together
We combine strategy, governance and organisation with family dynamics. Few cover both sides — yet the problem lives precisely at their intersection.
03
From practice, for practice
Behind us are real companies, books, EBRD projects and the FBN network. We bring proven tools, not theoretical presentations.
Regional reach
Regional experience. Global perspective.
We work with family businesses across the Adria region and connect them with the best practices of the world's leading family companies — through international networks, experts and experience.
5countries in the region
200+projects
€1B+client revenue
Outcomes
Results in practice
Behind every project is a concrete change in the way the company is governed, organised, or prepared for the next generation.
BOARDS
Establishing management boards, supervisory boards and advisory bodies.
SUCCESSION
Preparing the owner, the successors and the company for the transfer of responsibility.
PROFESSIONALISATION
Organisational structure, KPI systems and performance management.
BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT
Lean, Kaizen, processes and greater efficiency.
How we work
What the engagement looks like
With every company we follow the same proven path — from diagnostic to preparing for the next generation. Each step builds on the previous one.
Diagnostic
Mapping the challenges, organisation and potential of the company.
Strategy
Defining the direction of growth and the priorities.
Organisation
Clear responsibilities, structure and governance.
KPIs and management system
Tracking results and making decisions based on data.
Succession
Preparing the family, the successors and the company for the next generation.
The methodology has been developed across more than 200 projects in professionalisation, governance and succession.
Team
The people behind Companies Connected
Alongside Đorđe, projects are delivered by a team of experienced associates covering the key areas of transformation — finance, marketing and business development, process improvement, and the organisation that holds it all together.
Igor Petković
Finance and corporate governance
A finance consultant and member of the Supervisory Board of EPS. He was CEO of the Belgrade Oil Refinery, CFO at Banka Poštanska štedionica, Head of Corporate at AIK Banka and CEO of FRUVITA.
Jelena Popović-Bujić
Marketing and business development
An ACIM specialist of London's Chartered Institute of Marketing, with over 25 years in marketing, sales and business development. CEO of Iceberg Salad Centre; previously international sales and development manager at ComTrade (HP Indigo).
Srđan Nonković
Lean & Kaizen · process improvement
Over 30 years of experience in process improvement projects. He has implemented Kaizen and Lean methodology in companies across the region, in both services and manufacturing, and passes that knowledge on through hands-on seminars and projects.
Slavica Ilić Petrović
Operations and client relations
A graduate economist. She leads the organisation of all our events, logistics and coordination, and is the first point of contact with clients. She ensures every gathering and meeting runs flawlessly, and that client cooperation flows smoothly from the very first contact — with attention to every detail.
Let's get to know your company
Every family business is a story of its own. Let's start with a conversation, no obligation.