RITAM POSLA Branko Roglić 2023

Guest Branko RoglićHosted by Lidija KiseljakMay 3, 2026

Branko Roglić

About this episode

What you'll hear in this conversation

Branko Roglić is a rare kind of entrepreneur: one who speaks his mind. He has built Orbico into a distribution powerhouse operating across eighteen countries, yet he has never shied away from openly assessing the challenges facing Croatian society, from cronyism to the difficult operating conditions for businesses. This conversation finds him reflecting on a period of relentless pressure — the collapse of Agrokor, two major earthquakes, a global pandemic, and a war in Ukraine. Each event, he notes, profoundly affected the economy. Yet, through it all, Orbico not only survived but thrived, achieving 3.2 billion euros in turnover and zero bank debt last year. The discussion goes beyond his company’s extraordinary resilience to explore the broader economic landscape, the true cost of government interventions, and the unique advantages Croatia now holds within the European Union. You will leave with a clear sense of what it takes to build and protect a multi-billion-euro enterprise, even when everything around it is shaking.

Insights from the conversation

What to take from this episode

Branko Roglić is known for speaking openly about societal problems — from crime to cronyism — that make business difficult. The leader who refuses to name the external dysfunctions that affect their enterprise is choosing comfort over clarity.

The sequence of crises — from Agrokor's collapse to two earthquakes, a pandemic, and a war — has given way to what Roglić calls 'crisis-mode operation as the new normal.' You don't build for stability; you build for continuous adaptation.

Orbico achieved 3.2 billion euros in turnover and zero bank debt by never paying out profits, with Roglić himself taking only symbolic amounts. The fastest path to a debt-free enterprise is often the slowest path to personal enrichment.

Orbico's new logistics centers in Poland and Sofia are digitalized and robotized, with a larger one planned for Den Čini. Regardless of whether sales are online or offline, cheap logistics is the non-negotiable foundation of any large-scale distribution business.

Roglić has received acquisition offers but refuses them all, calling Orbico 'my child.' For some founders, the enterprise is not an asset to be sold, but a legacy to be stewarded by the next generation.

Roglić considers himself fortunate that both his sons chose to join Orbico and are now deeply involved in the business. The hardest part of family succession isn't finding qualified heirs; it's cultivating the desire in them to stay.

Orbico's CEO, Jure, started at 19, never wears a tie, and is described by Roglić as the most loyal and capable manager he knows. Exceptional talent often comes in unconventional packages, built over decades of shared purpose rather than a resume.

Roglić observes that in the former Yugoslavia, 'the further south, the sadder' the business climate, while Slovenia and Poland are 'European countries par excellence.' Political stability and reliable institutions are not abstract concepts; they are direct multipliers of business opportunity.

The Croatian government's response to the pandemic, using taxpayer money to preserve jobs, was 'good,' Roglić says. Preventing irreversible job losses is a state's primary economic defense, as a destroyed workforce means a destroyed tax base.

Croatia's entry into the Eurozone and Schengen opens up a market of 500 million people, a 'chance to develop our own entrepreneurial ideas.' The true benefit of market expansion isn't just more customers; it's the demand for entrepreneurs to think on a scale previously unimaginable.

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