Milka Forcan - The most powerful lady in Serbia

(Milka Forcan)

When Milka Forcan was declared the most powerful lady in Serbia in the poll conducted by a daily newspaper, she did not let the public see she was enjoying that title: "There is no real power in Serbia, and it is not really supposed to mean anything, except to entertain the public". Now, after her business break-up with Miroslav Miskovic, she proved to be even more powerful than the Antitrust Committee and tax collectors, and maybe even stronger than President Boris Tadic who "invited" the richest tycoon in Serbia to pay the tax in Serbia and not in Cyprus, while Milka Forcan prevented him before the court on that island from selling Delta Maxi and paying taxes on that deal to local authorities.

The strength she showed confronting Miskovic was not surprising at all to even those who do not know who that woman is. Her appearance may make her seem fragile, the reason for which is maybe the fact that nobody has ever seen her without a smile.

Milka inherited her strength and determination from the Mileusnic family who lived near the Lika border. A record from Austrian archives says that duke Vukasin Mileusnic led the migration of 40 Serbian families to Siroka Kula near Licki Osik after the Viennese War and banishment of Turks from Lika.

Milka was born in 1969 in Belgrade, but she has never forgotten her origin. "I have been spending summer holidays in Lika over the period of 25 years", she explained. Now she takes her daughter Jovana and son Filip to her homeland. Milka Forcan and her father Jovan Mileusnić gather their countrymen in Srb on July 27, the former Day of Uprising of People and Nations of Croatia, and they also finance renovation of monuments that celebrate that rebellion of Serbian people against slaughter.

The Mileusnic family replaced their sabers and rifles long time ago with much more efficient means - business. Jovan Mileusnić was the Director of Jugohemija for 25 years, and that company is now the subject of conflict between Miskovic on one side and Milka Forcan and Smiljka Mileusnić-Adžić, current Director General, on the other side. Those well-informed say that Jugohemija, a pharmaceutical wholesaler, reached its business summit under the management of Jovan Mileusnić.

Milka graduated from the Faculty of Economics in Belgrade and went to London where she gained her first experience in the marketing sector. Upon her return to Serbia in 1992, she got a job at Delta M, the company that had only 12 employees at the time. She was hired because her father and Miskovic knew each other from the time the latter was still working in Krusevac-based Zupa.

The story of Delta M was started one year earlier by Mišković and another four people in a room of Belgrade-based Slavija hotel. One of those four people was Branko Forcan, Milka's husband, who has been so successful in hiding from the public until recently that most people did not even know that Milka is married.

During her 18-year career in Delta, Milka Forcan was the Financial and Marketing Director. She then became the Vice President of Delta Holding and the Chairman of the managing boards of Jugohemija and Novosti. When asked about that time, she only says that those years were tumultuous and that she primarily learned from Miskovic that the decisions in life and business must not be left for the next day.

(Miroslav Mišković and Milka Forcan)

She saw the break-up with Miskovic as a process: "We have already been evaluating certain people, situations and business agreements differently for a long time". It seems that one of those people was her husband Branko who expanded wood trading business to international market and got Delta's shares from Miskovic in return. After a conflict, Mišković sent him to Irkutsk in Syberya, which is eight hours of flight away from Moscow. Branko refused that position and was left without office, automobile and job after that. He was noticed in public with Milka for the first time at Davis Cup in Split, and they were sitting next to Brena and Boba Živojinović. Milka is, namely, the Vice President of the Managing Board of the Tennis Association of Serbia.

Milka also had the opportunity to realize how much hatred is attracted by somebody who creates an empire in Serbian way. Namely, a proposal that she be appointed as the President of the National Council for Branding Serbia was rejected because certain members did not like the idea of having her as their boss. However, it is difficult to identify with former employer, and it seems that the public does not hate her as much as Miskovic.

There is even a fun club on Facebook which gathers her fans from Serbia, Croatia, Republic of Srpska, and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Although they respect her success, it is obvious that they are much more impressed with her looks, and there are also those who believe she looks better with red hair. What definitely contributes to that is her elegance reflected in clothing that does not insist on wealth. Even her office in Delta was furnished in a minimalistic manner.

Milka Forcan's taste brought her Glorija's award for the woman with the best style in Serbia two years ago. She was also decorated with the Medal of St. Sava for her contribution to construction of the temple on Vracar.