With over 20 years of experience in marketing and communications, Manja Gradišek leads the marketing communications department at NLB d.d., Slovenia’s largest banking group. She began her career in creative agencies, gaining valuable insights into public relations and advertising before moving to the client side. Today, she is responsible for the strategic management of the NLB Group’s brand and marketing activities, ensuring a strong and unified brand presence across all markets. In addition, her role spans the creation and implementation of comprehensive communication strategies across diverse customer segments, aimed at building brand identity, raising product awareness, and supporting business growth. Manja’s leadership focuses on positioning banking services in a customer-centric way, translating complex offerings into meaningful benefits that align closely with business objectives.
Throughout her career, Manja has worked on several initiatives that bring financial services closer to customers. She helped design an educational program for personal financial advisors and was involved in launching one of the first content marketing projects within the NLB Group, including customer workshops. She was also the co-editor of the book 73.000 bančnih dni, marking an important project in celebrating the history and milestones of the bank. Her work reflects a consistent drive toward innovation, simplicity, and customer empowerment — all critical elements in the evolution of NLB’s marketing approach. She believes in the power of simple ideas that generate tangible value and in creativity that improves everyday life.
Beyond her corporate role, Manja actively contributes to the professional marketing community. She has served as a juror for several marketing and advertising festivals, including Effie Slovenia and BalCannes, where she evaluates campaigns through the lens of strategic insight, effectiveness, and creativity. Manja holds a Master of Arts degree from the Faculty of Arts in Ljubljana and has completed the General Management Program at IEDC–Bled School of Management, further strengthening her leadership and business management skills.
