Elena Presilska

• Providing strategic advice to the Minister for European Affairs on policies and initiatives crucial to EU integration.
• Conducting in-depth research and analysis on EU regulations, policies, and directives to inform decision-making processes.
• Coordinating high-level meetings and engagements with EU officials and stakeholders to foster relationships and promote alignment on integration goals.
• Crafting persuasive speeches and key messages for the Minister for European Affairs, enhancing communication effectiveness and alignment with EU integration goals.
• Developing and implementing strategic communication plans to promote government initiatives and achievements in EU integration.
• Preparing compelling press releases and media statements on EU-related policies and developments, ensuring accurate representation of government positions.
• Coordinating media relations activities, including interviews and press briefings, to disseminate key messages and enhance public understanding of EU integration efforts.
• Managing the Minister's public image and reputation through proactive media engagement and crisis communication strategies related to EU integration issues.
• Collaborating with public relations agencies and communication professionals to leverage media opportunities and maximize outreach on EU integration topics.

• Collaborated with the President to coordinate high-level foreign policy engagements, ensuring alignment with national objectives and optimizing outreach through strategic planning of major meetings and senior staff consultations.
• Advised the President on media engagements, including preparation for interviews, and facilitated media opportunities with international outlets to enhance diplomatic communication and public perception.
• Led press conferences during official visits of foreign delegations, moderating discussions to reinforce diplomatic narratives and convey key policy messages.
• Developed and executed comprehensive communication strategies for the President's international activities, effectively increasing visibility and influence through targeted messaging and public engagement.
• Oversaw the President's digital communications strategy, creating compelling content for domestic and international audiences, analyzing campaign performance, and driving impactful digital presence.
• Coordinated with Cabinet staff on speechwriting and talking points, ensuring cohesive messaging across the President's official engagements and public appearances.
• Maintained active liaison with EU Member State Ambassadors and Western Balkans diplomats, facilitating productive dialogues and relationship-building for the President's international meetings and official visits.
• Provided strategic counsel on the President's foreign engagements and trips, contributing insights that shaped the direction of external diplomatic interactions.
• Worked closely with the PR team on the 2030MKD Development Framework platform, focusing on enhancing visibility, public understanding, and support through effective communication.
• Supported the First Lady's foreign policy agenda by crafting speeches, public addresses, and social media content, contributing to her broader media activities and reinforcing her role in advancing foreign policy objectives.

• Managed schedules, business trips, and budgets and expenses
• Link between the cabinet's team and the civil servants represented by the State Secretary of SEA
• Supervised the overall activities of the Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs
• Advised Deputy PM on media and public engagements
• Cultivated and maintained excellent relationships with domestic and foreign media
• Responsible for all the activities of the Deputy Prime Minister in charge of European Affairs, preparation of speeches, presentations, discussion points and other materials as needed. Approved all communication materials
• Cooperation with the Sector for Integration within the Secretariat for European Affairs in the preparation and implementation of the National Program for the Adoption of the Acquis (NPAA) and implementation of the obligations arising from the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SSA) between the MKD and the European Communities and their Member States
• Participation in the annual preparation of EU projects supported by the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA), managing foreign aid and project portfolios
• Preparation of materials to improve the transparency of the work of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Secretariat
• As a Head of the Sector for Organizational Affairs and Public Relations, responsible in creating short-term and medium- term plans for strategic communication and public reporting
• Participation at international conferences and other public events in the field of European integration, developing cooperation with all stakeholders on related issues.
• Day-to-day operations includes liaising with other high government officials, European partners and the international community based in Skopje and abroad on matters related to North Macedonia's EU path, donor coordination and enabling conducive and inclusive dialogue with non-state actors, including civil society organizations, the academic and business community.
• Establishing the institutional framework for coordination of EU integration and negotiations process

Together with the State Secretary of the SEA:

• Coordination of national-level activities related to the transposition, approximation, standardization, and harmonization with EU acquis as per the National Programme for the Adoption of the Acquis
• Planning, drafting, and programming of IPA 3 strategic documents (strategic responses, thematic priorities, action documents, framework agreement).
• Drafting, coordination, monitoring, assessment of the implementation of various EU reform agendas adopted by the Government of North Macedonia (Plan 3-6-9, Plan 18, Agenda Europe at Home)
• Overseeing the implementation of numerous national strategic plans and international obligations, including, but not limited to SEA Strategic Plan; Government Annual Work Program; the National Programme for the Adoption of the Acquis; Stabilization and Association Council, Committee and Subcommittee conclusions and recommendations; IPA monitoring committee conclusions, etc.
• Responsible for the 100-employees civil service, especially in terms of assignment of work packages, approval of deliverables, monitoring and evaluation of work performance, HR management, administrative capacity building and quality assurance.
• Bringing to life SEA Training Center tasked with administrative capacity building and training the next generation of EU professionals
• Successful design, procurement, and implementation of a model for outsourcing translation and preparation of the national version of EU acquis.
• Developing and introducing Performance Assessment Framework - comprehensive macro-level indicator, milestones and targets system for monitoring and overseeing North Macedonia's sectoral reforms.

Core duties: creating the corporate identity of the Ministry through traditional and new media channels, overseeing the writing and editing of event scripts, speeches, and reports, overseeing advertising and promotional materials, and press releases, reviewing public communications and ensuring consistent identity and transparency.

• Managing public relations department (5 external advisors and 50+ civil servants at the Ministry as well as 30+ civil servants at the missions abroad who were responsible for their Embassy's communication activities
• Focal point for the national Ambassadors' media engagement activities
• Supervisor of the social media content for all the national Embassies as well as for Ambassadors' social media accounts
• In charge of the rebranding as well as the content of the MFA's web site (internally – day to day activity of the Minister, of the Ministry's 10 Directorates and the 56 national Embassies)
• Responsible for the Crisis Management strategy and its implementation
• Designing the new media strategy of the Ministry and the national Embassies
• Overseeing the creation of public relations strategies
• Organized press briefings, interviews and TV-appearances
• Maintained relationships and strengthen partnerships with domestic and foreign media
• Advised on relevant media appearances of the Minister, prepare him for press- briefings, interviews and TV-appearances
• Drafted press releases, speeches, articles, and comments for the Minister
• Drafted posts for the Minister's social media accounts
• Regularly analysed the Minister's media coverage and adjust media policy accordingly
• Alongside colleagues, provided strategic support, training, and direction for the communications team and the network of communications officers at the Embassies of North Macedonia
• Coordinated and supervised the public communications of the most important governmental and political developments and achievements of North Macedonia's foreign policy, such as the Prespa Agreement, European integration, Berlin Process co-chairing, NATO membership, dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, in particular with the repatriation of the stranded MK citizens as a main responsibility of the MFA during the pandemic and many others.
• Member of the negotiating team during the negotiation talks with Greece that led to signing of the Prespa Agreement
• Main contact for the national and foreign media during the negotiation talks with Greece

As a Key Expert responsible for proposing, creating, organizing, coordinating and implementing all public information and events for the Delegation of European Union to Montenegro. Providing feedback on each event to the EU Delegation (98 events on a yearly basis), providing an objective overview (with indicators) of participation and media coverage.

• Managed all daily communications on behalf of the delegation in European Union Information Centre (EUIC) matters.
• Responsible for the organization and facilitation of special events and activities including, but not limited to, press conferences, roundtables, panel debates, exhibitions, film festivals, and sport competitions. Draft speeches, press releases, presentations, and event reports. Provide logistical support for events produced within the EUIC.
• Organized a variety of events and meetings including visits of missions from Brussels, networking events, community outreach and leadership conferences.
• Hosted more than 30 Open Days, classified as themed events for pupils and students.
• Served as moderator for various events and EU-funded projects.
• Liaised with Member States to Montenegro for events held within and outside of the EUIC.
• Maintaining effective relationship with the government institutions and the NGOs
• Drafted presentations for the EU Delegation on topics including communications strategies and activities, project updates, and seminar topics.
• Organizing outreach events by visiting municipalities in Montenegro: meetings with mayors, panel discussion on various topics – specific issues related to each of the municipalities as well as visibility activities for the EU funded projects in those municipalities
• Creating, designing and bringing to life many of the creative events such as art exhibitions, musical happenings, poetry recitals, folk dances etc.at the EUIC
• Organizing high-level reception on the occasion of the Europe Day (invitees: representatives of embassies of EU Member States and other countries, international organisations, government, municipalities, MPs, CSOs, DEU friends and partners)
• Responsible for a number of events during Europe Month, given the increased number of related activities implying brainstorming, organisation, communication, reporting, lessons learned and campaigning
• Providing information on outreach events to the general public about the work of EU Info Centre, its purpose, EU integration
• Giving logistical and requested support to the events in the framework of the EU- funded projects in Montenegro, organised in and out of the EU Info Centre
• Writing extensive event reports
• Reporting to the DEU to MNE on weekly, monthly and yearly basis on all the PR & Event Management activities
• Assisting Team leader in writing Final reports for the implementation of the project

Outputs in numbers (Events I was responsible for):

• Numerous Press conferences (200+ throughout the project)
• 10 Thematic weeks
• 20 EU funds related events (IPA and other EU-funded projects)
• 20+ Round tables/Panel discussions/EU-related lectures
• 11 Municipality visits
• 14 Days with the Ambassador (events with MS)
• 6 Competitions
• 4 Exhibitions
• 5 Marking specific dates and topics
• 3 Marking the taking-over of the Presidency of the Council of EU
• 30 Open Days
• 6 Campaigns

• Numerous Cooperation with various cultural institutions
• In cooperation with the Information and Communication Officer as well as Social Media Officer worked on the:
• Daily maintenance, i.e. content creation and promotion of 6 social media accounts (EUD and EUIC Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and EUD and EUIC Youtube)
• Promotion of events, important developments in Montenegro and the Montenegrin integration process, through digital media
• Daily maintenance of the EUD website, supervision and promotion of web releases and other web publications
• Creation, launching and running of campaigns and competitions, in order to promote certain EUIC and EUD activities and EU values and policies, as well as boost the reach of social media posts and accounts
• Analysis and following of trends in social media communication and usage by the general public of the country, as well as by EU's, Member States' and local institutions and organizations.
• Production of Social Media and News trends, i.e. analysis of trending topics and audiences' reaction as well as insight in user generated content related to social, economic and political affairs.
• Contribution to creation and management of data base for contact points of key stakeholders of EU Funded projects, as well as media outlets in Montenegro
• Contribution to drafting of press reviews, occasionally in the form of the social media component, on high official visits or important events for EUD and Headquarters
• Contribution to drafting of media analysis on specific topics requested by EUD, such are coverage of Charlie Hebdo shootings, and perception of Ukraine crisis in Montenegrin media, in the form of the social media component

• Organized press conferences and match-day events including International, UEFA Qualifications, National Team, and various Cup matches. Drafted press releases on behalf of the Federation.
• Provided subject matter expertise in a marketing-related areas including strategic management, research, sponsorships, brand building, communications, fan engagement, promotions, event management, and digital marketing management of match events.
• Active role in the creation and distribution of the brand image of the Football Federation of Macedonia
• Preparation of annual plans and budget related to the Marketing and Media department of FFM
• Event planning and organization of the national and international media events
• Supervision of the PR, media, digital and social media activities
• Short-term and long-term reporting to top management

• Project Coordinator for the Local Development Pilot Projects
• Administrative support of a field station, implementing activities in the field of international assistance and cooperation, correspondence with international organizations and foreign partners.
• Administrative support of a field station, implementing activities in the field of international assistance and cooperation, correspondence with international organizations and foreign partners.
• Managed international assistance and cooperation activities while supporting a field station. Engaged and fostered relationships with international organisations and foreign partners.
• Facilitated promotional events to raise public awareness of the Ministry's mission.

• Directed all facets of the EU-funded "Evrzoum" television project, ensuring compliance with European Union standards and objectives, and effectively representing the program's mission and goals.
• Drafted, compiled, and submitted detailed monthly status reports and comprehensive season-end evaluations, providing data-driven insights and program performance analyses for review by the Delegation of the European Union in North Macedonia.
• Oversaw the full spectrum of digital marketing, online engagement, and communication strategies, optimizing the program's visibility and reach through targeted social media campaigns, multimedia content creation, and strategic audience engagement.
• Led the development and execution of a public relations strategy, coordinating press releases, media appearances, and promotional materials that effectively highlighted "Evrzoum's" impact on EU-related topics for the local audience.
• Managed a cross-functional team responsible for marketing and communications, ensuring streamlined project workflow, efficient resource allocation, and adherence to brand guidelines in all promotional activities.
• Collaborated closely with EU partners, stakeholders, and local broadcasters to enhance program visibility, align messaging with EU policy priorities, and ensure cohesive storytelling across all communication channels.
• Developed, implemented, and monitored a content calendar and communication schedule, aligning program releases with EU events and strategic moments to maximize engagement and informational impact.
• Conducted impact assessments and audience analysis, using data insights to adapt the communication strategy, optimize viewer engagement, and achieve measurable reach for EU information and narratives.
• Organized workshops, training sessions, and community outreach activities to engage viewers and foster greater understanding of EU integration topics, strengthening the program's educational and informational roles.
• Maintained budget oversight, tracking expenses for digital marketing, advertising, and media production, and ensuring efficient use of resources within EU funding parameters.

Account and Event Manager / PR and Corporate Communications

• Strategic Planning and Event Execution : Developed and executed over 100 high-profile public events for a broad range of global clients, designing creative concepts tailored to each client's branding and strategic goals. Directed end-to-end event management, from initial planning to post-event evaluation, with a focus on quality, client satisfaction, and impact.
• Vendor and Stakeholder Coordination : Oversaw third-party vendor relationships, including negotiations, contract management, and service quality assessment. Coordinated with local authorities, municipalities, and client representatives to ensure smooth logistics and adherence to client and regulatory standards.
• Public Relations and Media Strategy : Formulated and implemented public relations and media strategies for events and campaigns, maximizing media exposure and public awareness through targeted press releases, media kits, and outreach to key media outlets. Managed protocol arrangements and VIP engagements, ensuring brand alignment and positive public perception.
• Reporting and Analysis : Drafted comprehensive post-event reports detailing media coverage, audience engagement, and effectiveness. Conducted in-depth evaluations to assess event outcomes, documenting lessons learned and proposing corrective actions for continual improvement.
• Campaign Management : Spearheaded public information and awareness campaigns on behalf of government bodies, NGOs, and international organizations, raising awareness on critical issues such as healthcare, human rights, environmental standards, and social services through multi-channel strategies.

Highlighted Projects and Campaigns:

• Novo Nordisk New Year's Charity Event : Developed and managed the event's creative concept, coordinating with municipalities and elderly care homes. Oversaw media strategy and PR, delivering a detailed coverage report and post-event evaluation.
• OKTA Oil Refinery Opening : Directed event planning and team coordination for the desulfurization factory inauguration. Managed PR, protocol, VIP interactions, and media engagement, delivering a comprehensive evaluation and media report.
• Toyota New Yaris Launch : Designed and executed a product launch concept, integrating PR, event logistics, and media outreach. Conducted a post-event analysis, measuring media impact and audience reach.
• Electrolux Product Launch : Managed all aspects of the new product event series, from creative development to media strategy and PR execution, with detailed post-launch reports for client review.
• Dobra Voda Product Introduction : Conceptualized and launched a market-entry event for still water, handling all stages from planning to media engagement and impact reporting.
• Promotional Campaigns for Vitaminka, Dobra Voda, Imperial Tobacco, Germanos, and VIVA : Orchestrated a series of promotional events with an emphasis on engaging activities, brand presence, and targeted audience interactions.
• Public Awareness Campaigns :EU Standards in Standardization and Metrology (2004): Developed and managed a campaign to inform the public on EU compliance standards, increasing awareness of technical regulations.
  IFC, World Bank Group (2005-2007): Executed multifaceted public awareness initiatives promoting finance literacy and corporate transparency.
  Pension and Disability Insurance Fund (2005-2006): Conducted a series of informational campaigns aimed at enhancing public understanding of social security and pension reforms.
  "iDOZNAJ" for Local Self-Government (2005): Led a transparency campaign funded by FOSIM, aimed at informing citizens about local governance initiatives.
  "Police Close to Citizens" for Ministry of Interior and Proxima (2005): Organized a community-centered campaign to foster public trust in law enforcement.
  
  Public Campaigns for Social Causes:"Let's Help" Fundraising for Psychiatric Hospital Bardovci (2005): Directed a public awareness and fundraising effort to support mental health services.
  "We Are All Their Children" (2005): Managed a campaign to increase support and resources for elderly care.
  "STOP Woman Trafficking" (2005): Led a public awareness campaign in partnership with the American Embassy, raising critical awareness on trafficking issues.