Leadership Begins in Childhood: Jelena Bulatovic Champions UNICEF’s “I Will” Campaign
The world is facing the most severe crisis affecting children since the founding of UNICEF. Record cuts in donations have left millions without essential protections: access to vaccines, food, education, and safe homes. In response, UNICEF has launched the global campaign “I Will”, a call for solidarity to ensure that children are not left behind.
Translation: “Who will give children the chance to succeed?,” “I will.”
Among the first to join this mission was Jelena Bulatovic, Executive Director of the Serbian Association of Managers (Srpska asocijacija menadžera), our member in Serbia.
Bulatovic is a member of UNICEF Serbia’s Business Committee. Beyond her professional achievements, Jelena has stepped forward as an ambassador of this campaign, embodying a conviction central to our understanding of leadership: that it begins in childhood, with education, equal opportunities, and the protection of fundamental rights.
“I’m ready to do the right thing for the kids,” Bulatovic declared, lending her voice to the millions of children who need one.
Her example shows us that leadership in the workplace is not only measured by business results, but also by the courage to stand with the most vulnerable.
Leaders have a social role to play – not only within their organisations but within society as a whole.
By ensuring children have equal chances to learn, to thrive, and to live in dignity, leaders invest in the very foundation of a sustainable and fair future.
This message is particularly powerful at a time when global challenges threaten to widen inequalities. The involvement of business leaders like Jelena Bulatovic shows that solidarity is not an abstract concept, but a responsibility to act.
It also demonstrates the critical role of managers as bridge-builders: between economic development and social justice, between business growth and human dignity.
CEC European Managers stands alongside UNICEF’s mission. Investing in children is the smartest decision for our common future. Leaders can form an indestructible force for every child.
