Meet The Team

Branko Kokir is the Managing Director of the international company Merkur Games and is a retired Handball player. Thanks to his unmatchable dedication and love for the sport, the leaders of the Gauselmann company recognized his leadership potential. Branko ends his Handball career in 2009 and successfully fills the role of an entrepreneur carrying with himself great bravery, speed, calmness and an innovative spirit.

He is a proud father of three children who all share the same passion for sports and learning. After many played games, ups and downs, but many more goals, he is ready for a new adventure and one of his most beautifully played life games – conquering Mount Kilimanjaro alongside the love of his life, his colleague and most importantly, his friends.

One of the most important characteristics of a leader is willpower, spirit, emotional stability and calmness. We know who in the team will be responsible for spreading calmness, positive energy, motivation and the main guide on an unforgettable trip.

Ivana Blecic is a graduated engineer of the University organizational sciences, master of economics, trainer, NLP coach, ex-volleyball player, but she will always be in love with the sport.

She built her experience on many different managerial positions, and today she is the Operations Manager in the International company Merkur Games. Along the aforementioned roles, she is the mother of two boys and thoroughly believes that family is the key to happiness to any individual. She is always smiling, energetic, positive, and ready for action.

There is only one more thing that needs to be mentioned – she loves to sing!

We know what member of this winning team will be in charge of creating good fun! She will conquer Mount Kilimanjaro with a Microphone in her hand!  

Andras Zoltan Illes is the finance director in multiple countries of the International Company Merkur Casino and is a big sports fan.

Leading finance in such a specific branch demands among other things an analytic, responsible and creative person. The creativity comes to light in the way an individual analyzes the business, the way the finances are organized, which shows a certain charm which this kind of job brings.

Next to such a responsible and extensive work, Andras still finds time to enjoy different types of sports, and he shares this love for sports, specifically mountaineering, with his family and children.

He now shares this same wish, goal, Adrenalin and love with his colleagues and more importantly his friends. With Andras on our winning team is definitely filling with high level experts, but more importantly a group of friends who share the passion for a common goal.  

Gordana Kokir is a graduated engeneer of economics and a successful female entrepreneur, a proud mother of three children and a big lover of sport and socializing. Next to many different work and family responsibilities, the passion for friendship, fun and travel was always alongside her in her life.

She was a big supporter and the backbone for her partners long Handball career, while also growing proper family values. Even after her husbands ended his career, she continued to be his supporter and motivator, while also being a participant in the most beautiful life game in which both of them will be each other support. Whenever you think of Gordana, you immediately think of a capable, family-oriented, responsible, persistent and most of all, a brave woman.

Throughout this journey, all members of the team can be completely calm, knowing that there is a person that will take care of everyone involved and who will make sure that everything is organized, planned and realized up until the very end.

Damjan Blecic is a graduated engineer of organizational sciences, a retired Handball professional, who throughout his career played in an astonishing eleven different countries. He has decided to continue his traveling and exploration of the globe, but this time in Africa, where he has yet to get a chance to compete on the highest level. Damjan is now getting a new "opponent", one that is motivating and challenging, it's name? Mount Kilimanjaro.

Damjan, also called "Bleca", is responsible for the jokes and laughs wherever he is .

Today he is a successful entrepreneur developing his own business.

An analytic, familiar to argumenting his own views to others in a conversation, will most definitely challenge others to interesting intellectual discussions.

He is going on this adventure with his significant other Ivana, who as Damjan says, is his greatest motivation for this adventure.

Aleksandar Petrovic is a graduate engineer of architecture, creator, but also an athlete in his soul. He has been a part of the International company Merkur Games for nine years where he uses his knowledge, creativity and his sense for esthetics to take care of the exterior and interior of their slot machine clubs.

Next to his successful career, he enjoys many different sports, including running, motorcycling, kiting, snowboarding, skiing and diving, all of which carry with them Adrenalin and good fun.

He is one of the youngest members of the team and he is ready to fulfill his childhood dream and break all possible barriers on the way.

The team needs a member who is young, has an adventurous spirit, a good observer and good orientation, someone who will fire up the wish for adventure and Adrenalin in all members of the team.

Vladimir Maksa i a manager in the sports world, a sports journalist and a TV Commentator. He can be commended with a extraordinary long-lasting career as a journalist of the “SOS“ channels and “Arena Sport“, a witness of many great Handball moments and much more. Today he commentates Nordic skiing events on Eurosport. He is the author of multiple specialized TV shows, while also doing PR and being a marketing manager in the world of sports.

His favorite event: The Ski Jumping Four Hills Tournament

For a sports journalist and commentator to be successful, they need to be creative, efficient, ability to spot details and of course, sports knowledge. That is something that sets apart a true expert in the field.

Vladimir is someone who is known to have all aforementioned characteristics, and what sets him apart from the large pool of high level sports commentators is the unmatched love he has towards sports.

Sports are a key piece to his professional and personal life and that's why he came to the idea of, in a media driven style, following the rest of the group who love spending time together, good fun, Adrenalin,have a competitive spirit. Together they will push their mental and physical boundaries and definitely set an example and motivate the younger generations.

David Kovacevic is a graduated profesor of sports and physical education. He has countless experiences in many different sports, making him a true profesional at what he does.

He started getting involved in sports when he was very young, and after finishing his primary studies and defending his graduate thesis on the topic of mountain climbing, he begins leading mountain climbing trips and other outdoor adventures around Serbia and the world, which he has been doing successfully for the last 15 years.

There is no sports discipline that David has yet to try – starting of with diving, karate, fitness, kick box, running, teaching and coaching and so much more. However, he shows the most love and passion in leading a group of people who show the same love for mountain climbing.

Janez Kranjc is a diving instructor, photographer and videographer.

He used to be a cameraman and reporter for the TV channels “Studio B” and “SOS kanal”. The main reason for his interest in diving also started through photography and video fifteen years ago when he took his camera underwater. Capturing stunning underwater views sparked his interest in diving. It is well known that Janez takes his camera with himself every time he goes diving. The result are pictures that are being shown in countless magazines and also some author and group exhibitions, alongside featuring in a few award winning documentaries. He now works for the magazine national Geographic Serbia, and his reports are published in diving magazines around the world.

Next to the documentary photographs, he oftentimes shoots advertising photos and records videos for the needs of the diving industry.

He is also a brand ambassador for the company MARES.