The work Mirjana Cvetkovska has been putting into Infinum Macedonia, building culture, driving results, and treating people strategy as inseparable from business strategy, has earned her the MHRA HR Manager of the Year title for 2025.
The HR Manager of the Year award has been running since 2014, organized by the Macedonian Human Resources Association — part of the European Association for People Management network. It is awarded to the professionals who have made people strategy central to the way their organization operates.
Candidates are evaluated on technical and functional HR competencies, personal leadership qualities, continuous professional development, and their ability to promote the HR function both inside and outside their organization.
Two roles, one track
While some fameous Offices have two managers for the same position, At Infinum Macedonia, the Managing Director and HR Manager is the same person. That’s not an oversight.
“Holding both the MD and HR Manager roles simultaneously has been the clearest proof of that for me. Strategy and people are not parallel tracks; they are the same track. Being recognized for that integration, not despite it, but because of it, is what makes this award personally significant.” said Mirjana when asked about what the recognition means to her.
In her approach, Mirjana combines people expertise with a real understanding of how the business operates: its processes, pressures, direction, and broader industry trends. That combination is what earns you a seat at the table as a trusted strategic partner to the business.
The same logic applies to employees. “Real listening, real follow-through, problem-solving, but without overpromising. People recognize the difference between genuine care and noise.”
But she’s quick to point out that the award doesn’t sit with her alone. “I see it reflected across our whole HR team, in every process they build and every situation they handle. That shared belief is what makes it an Infinum thing, not just an individual one.”
She’s also clear that the award doesn’t exist in a vacuum. 2025 was a strong year for the Macedonian office — their first Best Employer award, high people engagement scores, and real movement on talent retention. The team also joined MHRA as a corporate member this year. Results and commitments that don’t happen without a team behind them.
The long game
Tech moves fast. HR, if it’s not careful, doesn’t keep up.
“The moment HR starts operating on a delay, it loses credibility. Relevance comes from understanding where the business is going and shaping the people strategy around that direction in real time.”
The moment HR starts operating on a delay, it loses credibility. Relevance comes from understanding where the business is going and shaping the people strategy around that direction in real time.
Looking ahead, she sees organizational design in the age of AI as the defining challenge for the field, not AI as a tool for HR processes, but as a structural force reshaping how teams and roles are organized.
“The future belongs to HR professionals who think like architects with designing organizations that are adaptive, human, and built for what’s coming. Less administration, more strategy. That transition is already underway.”
The award was presented at a regional MACR event on the eve of International Human Resources Day, bringing together HR leaders and companies from across the Western Balkans.
Congratulations, Mirjana! Keep up the great work.