Radenka graduated in psychology in 2001 from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Rijeka and earned her master's (2007, in the field of emotional intelligence) and doctoral degrees (2011, in the field of clinical and health psychology) in Zagreb.

In addition to scientific research work, for the past 15 years she has been building a career in market research in the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors. For 7 years she worked at the renowned international company GfK, 5 of those as head of the Healthcare department, responsible for the entire Adria region. Her key competencies include industry development through coordinating USP client activities, managing divisions and promoting USP clients, organizing local marketing activities, identifying local client needs, planning and implementing complex research projects.

She successfully conducts local and regional qualitative and quantitative research through moderating highly specialized expert groups, interviewing KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders), or organizing complex field/online studies on targeted populations (ranging from patients and nurses to physicians, pharmacists, hospital directors, and others). Excellent knowledge of research methods and statistical analysis enables the design of client-tailored research frameworks and ensures that the data expands clients’ current insights and can be effectively used for making actionable business decisions.

Ivana has over 15 years of experience in market research.

She gained her experience at GfK, where she first worked as a field coordinator for healthcare and pharmaceuticals, FMCG, telecom, and finance, and then spent the last 3 years as a project manager in FMCG. As a field coordinator, she honed her skills in time and people management, and in situations with tight deadlines and demanding fieldwork, she carried out agreed tasks successfully and professionally. By recruiting and training external associates on projects, she does not compromise on quality, aligning the demands of the research team and the needs of external associates in a way that the work is always carried out in accordance with the set methodology.

She proved herself as a project manager on numerous qualitative and quantitative studies, ranging from various blind tests, brand tracking, concept testing, and ad testing before and after launch, among many others. Entrepreneurial and independent, she was always an invaluable member of the team. Communicative and ready for new challenges, she embarked on the adventure of starting her own business within a new dynamic team, expanding SmartUp’s capacities and reach beyond the healthcare industry.

Karolina graduated in sociology in 2011 from the Faculty of Croatian Studies. That same year, she began her career in market research. During six and a half years with the international company GfK, she gained extensive experience in quantitative and qualitative research and also worked on mystery shopping projects. She honed her skills primarily in the field of financial services but also gained experience in telecom and FMCG through numerous local and international projects. Shortly after its founding in 2018, she joined SmartUp, where she applies and continues to develop the knowledge and skills gained in the healthcare field and beyond. She is a person dedicated to her work, reliable and a true team player.

Jelena is a psychologist who has been navigating the research waters since 2012 and enjoys the variety of methods, topics and continuous opportunities for growth and learning. She built her career in successful global companies. During 6 years at GfK, she gained extensive experience with mystery shopping research as well as quantitative and qualitative research, primarily in the fields of finance and telecommunications.

After joining Ipsos, she focused on qualitative research and over the course of five years, gained extensive experience in both traditional face-to-face methods and digital qualitative methodologies. She organized and conducted complex qualitative studies such as understanding deeper human needs and motivations related to brands or products, customer journeys, employer branding research, concept/product/ad testing and facilitated client workshops with diverse goals (new product and solution ideation, bringing consumer segments to life and developing brand strategies).

Her interest in digital forms of research led her to incling (a UK company specializing in online market research), where she carried out studies for global companies across international markets (most often in the UK and US). During her time at incling, she acquired knowledge and experience in the online communities approach, which enables fast and agile qualitative and quantitative insights, as well as longitudinal tracking of consumers.

She joined SmartUp to share her expertise and further develop it in the context of healthcare and pharmaceuticals.