Martina Dalić
Episode · #390
RITAM POSLA Martina Dalić
Guest Martina DalićHosted by Lidija KiseljakMay 3, 2026
Martina Dalić
About this episode
What you'll hear in this conversation
Martina Dalić has served at the highest levels of both government and finance, but she says it’s in the daily grind of industry where goals become "much more practical, much clearer, because a result needs to be achieved." As the CEO of Podravka, a company competing with global food giants across fifty markets, she has no patience for "philosophizing" – the product simply has to sell. She discusses navigating the intense pressures of inflation, rising input costs, and global competition, all while making strategic choices that impact both market position and employee well-being. This conversation offers a candid look at the relentless focus required to lead a major food producer in a volatile economy.
Insights from the conversation
What to take from this episode
01
Martina Dalić describes her shift from politics and finance to leading an industrial company like Podravka. In the daily competition across 50+ export markets, she finds that "goals are much more practical, much clearer, because a result needs to be achieved." There is "not much room for philosophizing; the product needs to be sold." The business world demands constant focus on tangible outcomes, a stark contrast to other sectors.
02
In 2022, Podravka faced sharply rising costs for raw materials, transport, energy, and packaging. Instead of immediately raising product prices, they absorbed these increases "through internal reserves," by "careful management and more restrictive management of other costs, especially marketing, some administrative costs, sales costs." This allowed them to post results "without raising the prices of final products" for most of the year. Prioritizing internal efficiency can delay external price adjustments, buying time in a volatile market.
03
Despite immense pressure from rising input costs, Podravka increased employee wages twice in the past year, by an average of 20 to 28 percent. The leadership team "felt that the burden of rising raw material prices should not be passed on to workers, using wages as an absorber." This move, focusing on both the lowest-paid employees and highly skilled professionals, demonstrates that employee compensation can be a priority even when facing significant external economic headwinds.
04
Podravka's wage increases aimed to bring the lowest salaries above the minimum wage and to put highly skilled experts in a "comparative position with our competitors." This dual approach recognizes that while foundational fairness for all employees is crucial, retaining specialized talent requires competitive compensation that reflects their market value. It's about securing both the base and the strategic advantage.
05
When discussing product pricing, Martina Dalić highlights that the final retail price on the shelf is not directly controlled by Podravka. As an industrial producer, Podravka sets its prices with retailers, but the "retail price that our consumers pay... is not a price that Podravka as a producer has a direct influence on," because retailers add their own markups and controls. This distinction means producers must manage their costs and wholesale prices, while understanding the final consumer price is a function of the entire supply chain.