Lately, I've been reverting more and more to some simple, archaic dishes, such as prebranca, jamra pie and stuffed zucchini.
Hello as a goal and indication, absolutely. Hi as an obsession, probably not.
Branko Đaković is the director Tomato Tomato Communication and a consultant with considerable experience in the IT sector in the USA, Canada, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy..., and is also the founder of numerous magazines in Great Britain. Branko Đaković currently collaborates with a large number of leading international companies from various fields and works on training professionals, teams and entire organizations.
As a businessman, closely connected with foreign clients, Branko Đaković traveled a lot and got to know different cultures, and of course, the specificities of local cuisines.
- You have been present in the IT industry as a consultant for years. Your company Tomato Tomato Communications is recognized as a business partner by many of the biggest players on the IT scene. Where did the idea for the name come from, which is more associated with a food industry?
It was our immersion in the IT scene that caused such an 'organic' name for the company, I suppose as some subtle desire to create a balance between our ultra-technical reality and what we really do, something simple, almost organic. By the way, the name itself comes from a lovely song that the Gershwin brothers wrote a little less than a hundred years ago, and which we believe most succinctly explains the challenges that we as consultants in the IT market faced. And we love tomatoes.
- If I'm not mistaken, your personal and company focus is developing skills, in company employees, who are your clients, with a special focus on sales skills? How do you perceive the average salesperson (popularly speaking Account Manager) in the IT industry in Serbia today?
Yes, the central part of our activities in the region is based on supporting the development of teams and professionals, with a special emphasis on sales and communication skills. Our clients are some of the world's largest IT companies, but also some very specific and engaged local teams. Our impression is that there is no average Account Manager in Serbia, there is such a rich mix of generations, experiences and professional orientations that each team and individual presents a challenge for itself. Which makes our work extremely interesting and often very passionate.
- What are your recommendations for young colleagues, your students, whom you teach every day?
Our recommendations are deceptively simple - commit yourself wholeheartedly to what you do, practice, practice and practice, and then find a way to enjoy the most you can in what you most want to do...or vice versa.
- What new projects are you working on?
We are currently in the middle of our first season of servicing Cisco as their official Business Learning Partner for Europe, Middle East and Africa. It brings us into contact with interesting partner teams from Casablanca to Beirut, from Kenya to Qatar, as well as an in-depth tour of our immediate neighborhood, and it is one of the more challenging and interesting projects we have worked on recently. We are also finalizing preparations for our traditional London Business Challenge, where smaller and select groups of our clients join us for a challenging and dynamic workshop in London.
- Your job requires a lot of commitment and a constant change of environment. How do you manage to overcome the constant changes in the way of eating, due to a large number of business trips?
Short answer - we fail, we simply give in and dive into local cuisines, which certainly becomes one of the charms of this nomadic-consulting life. Eating Dim Sum in Chinatown in London this week and then great lamb with quince in Morocco next week, trying four types of hummus in four different Middle Eastern countries within a week, is there anything more exciting?
- In such a stressful and dynamic business and life environment, do you manage to take care of a healthy diet?
Hello as a goal and indication, absolutely. Hi as an obsession, probably not.
- Given your extensive experience and constant travels, have you noticed somewhere that there is a concept of ecological food production as part of sustainable economic development?
Organic food production exists in traces, here and there, in some countries it is more, in others it is not there at all, but generally speaking, not enough. The name of our company is tomato, at least it is widespread around the world, we all know it and many people love it - and again, when was the last time you ate a tomato that tasted like the one you ate in your youth, somewhere in the countryside? It is difficult to recover what has been lost.
- Which national cuisine is your favorite/suits you the most?
Wow, where to start, - I adore Mediterranean cuisine in all its forms with a strong emphasis on Italian, Szechuan, North Indian and classic American steak vertical.
- Do you have a favorite chef / restaurant?
My list of favorite chefs and restaurants could only underline the general picture of my gluttony, it is very long. Also, I wouldn't be fair to my not-so-favorite restaurants, which I often like to eat at. Let's just say that I am extremely fond of the famous dim sum restaurant New World in London's Chinatown district.
- Finally, what is your favorite dish of local cuisine? What is your favorite dish at a restaurant?
Lately, I've been reverting more and more to some simple, archaic dishes, such as prebranca, jamra pie and stuffed zucchini. Whether it's a sign of aging or nostalgia or changed taste, I don't know, but I like it. I guess that's exactly what we're talking about here today.
New Belgrade, October 2014.
Interview led by: Miodrag Ilić
Recipes & Cookery, Linkom-PC doo, all rights reserved
