Arnes Hubljar – graduate

For me, the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, until I started it, was my father's job, where he often took me, his job was to maintain plastic injection machines and everything that goes with it. I found him interesting, but never too attractive. Throughout elementary and high school, physics, math and social studies were something I liked, but I never imagined that I would study technical sciences. I loved logical reasoning, a simple and quick approach to solving all kinds of challenges and tasks, a lot of communication and of course mathematics, so I planned to enroll in Economics and Management to make the most of it. In the end, I came to that through Mechanical Engineering, but through a sharper and more detailed technical and mechanical prism. So, in addition to the desire for something completely different, due to a combination of circumstances I ended up studying Mechanical Engineering and student life in Zenica. I took the most important skills with me from university: logic, mathematics and communication, which I later used in my career.

After graduation, I started working as an engineer in technical preparation, but that was short-lived, I quickly found a new challenge in production and project planning. The first major experience that led me to my current position was in Prevent Group as a Project Manager in the automotive industry of sewing auto upholstery, where a high level of "multitasking" was required, communication with many teams within the company, customers, suppliers, traveling throughout Europe where I met different cultures and people. Even then, I had the opportunity to lead projects and lead different teams of people, developing leadership. While doing that job, I quickly fell in love with the automotive industry, which is very dynamic and requires constant work and development. Such a big company gave a lot of opportunities and chances for someone who has ambition and desire to advance. After a few years of progressing, I got the opportunity to lead the company and a larger number of people.

Before my current job, I had a short jump of one year in machining at the company ATT in Gornji Vakuf, where I returned to the roots of mechanical engineering for a moment, and then I came to my current position again as a company manager in the automotive industry. This time, much different compared to the first experience, I had the opportunity to be at the very beginning of the company where we went from the first steps and 50 workers to 400 employees today. It is about the company Jifeng Automotive Interior BH, where we went from tailoring and sewing car upholstery, at the beginning, to foam injection and assembly of entire headrest products for one of the most important car manufacturers - BMW. We have two locations, in Žepč and Zenica, and big plans for the next couple of years to expand spatial and human capacities. Soon we will start with products that will be installed in electric vehicles, so that from Bosnia and Herzegovina we will be part of a big change in the world of cars.

I am proud of the fact that in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in Zenica and Žepč, we are working and preparing for big projects of the future, using as the main basis knowledge from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Zenica, because a large number of my work colleagues attended the same.