As BALFIN Group continues to expand across sectors and geographies, the need for disciplined, forward-looking investment decisions becomes increasingly critical. In this context, the establishment of the Group Investment Board (GIB) represents a key step in reinforcing the Group’s strategic governance and supporting its long-term growth ambitions.
GIB serves as the central authority for evaluating, endorsing, and approving all major investment proposals, ensuring that each opportunity is assessed through a consistent, rigorous, and strategically aligned framework. By consolidating decision-making at Group level, the Board strengthens capital allocation discipline and ensures that every investment contributes meaningfully to BALFIN’s expansion vision and value creation objectives.
A defining characteristic of GIB is its role as a constructive challenger. The Board rigorously tests assumptions, validates financial and strategic logic, and ensures that risks are clearly identified and appropriately mitigated. This approach reinforces a culture of objectivity, accountability, and high-quality decision-making across the Group.
The Board is chaired by Mr. Samir Mane, President of BALFIN Group, with Ms. Edlira Muka, Chief Executive Officer, serving as Vice Chairperson. The Board further includes Mr. Steven Grunerud, Vice President Strategy Development, contributing strategic perspective and market positioning, and Mr. Leons Tuda, Chief Financial Officer of BALFIN Group, ensuring financial rigor and funding discipline. A representative of the Shareholder’s family participates on a case-by-case basis, ensuring alignment with long-term priorities.
From early-stage opportunity assessment through to post-investment monitoring, GIB remains actively involved throughout the full investment life cycle. This continuous oversight ensures disciplined execution and sustained alignment with the original investment rationale.
The establishment of the Group Investment Board marks an important milestone in BALFIN Group’s institutional evolution, strengthening governance, enhancing strategic clarity, and enabling the Group to pursue its expansion with confidence, discipline, and long-term focus.
As part of BALFIN Group’s strategic vision for organising operations more effectively at regional and broader level, Neptun has entered a new phase of development. This evolution reflects the Group’s ambition to further strengthen Neptun’s position as the largest consumer electronics retailer in the Western Balkans.
In this context, Alexandros Kosenas, recently appointed CEO of Neptun International, has been entrusted with leading and implementing this new chapter. In the interview below, he shares his perspective on the priorities for the period ahead, the opportunities this development creates, and what it means for customers, employees, and partners.
Neptun has reached a stage of development where operating in a fragmented way no longer represents the most efficient model for us. Now, after more than 30 years, we have built experience, established a stable presence across the region, and developed capable teams. The next step is to connect these strengths within a unified structure in order to accelerate growth and create greater synergies.
My experience has helped me understand what works in practice, especially in areas such as competition, customer experience, and business transformation. My approach is not to apply one single model in every market, but rather to transfer best practices and a mindset oriented towards growth.
Our vision is to continue strengthening Neptun as a brand in the consumer electronics retail market, one that is customer-oriented and focused on the future. We want to build on our strong presence in the region and further improve the way we serve customers, develop our people, and work with our partners. This is about preparing Neptun for the future with confidence, clarity, and ambition.
The objective is clear: to build an organisation that is stronger, faster, and more scalable. A unified structure will enable better coordination and more effective execution.
Customers should experience a stronger and more consistent Neptun, both in stores and online. This means a continued focus on service quality, a relevant product assortment, convenience, and an increasingly integrated omnichannel experience. Everything we do should ultimately create more value for the customer and make the Neptun experience simpler, more reliable, and more engaging in all the countries where we are present.
The new structure will accelerate digital transformation, particularly in areas such as e-commerce, loyalty programmes, and customer data management.
It is essential. Customer expectations continue to evolve, and we must evolve as well. Digital development is not only about technology, but also about creating better experiences, improving accessibility, and ensuring that customers can interact with Neptun in ways that are convenient and intuitive. Our ambition is to continue evolving in a way that reflects the realities of modern retail and the expectations of today’s consumer.
This is a positive development that brings more opportunities for growth and a broader professional perspective. The change is intended to create a stronger and more sustainable organisation. A regional organisation opens up more opportunities for professional development, international collaboration, and mobility within the company.
A culture will be built based on shared values such as performance, collaboration, and customer focus, while at the same time respecting the specific characteristics of each market.
It strengthens our role as a serious and ambitious regional player with a clear long-term perspective. Neptun International has built strong foundations in the markets where it operates, and this new phase is about building on those foundations with greater consistency, a stronger value proposition for customers, and a shared direction for the future.
This new structure strengthens Neptun’s position as a more important and better structured regional partner, offering a more consolidated platform for cooperation.
It sends a message of confidence, maturity, and long-term commitment. Neptun is continuing to invest in its future, strengthen its capabilities, and build sustainable value as the largest and most trusted electronics retail network in the region. For our partners and stakeholders, this reflects a company that is focused, ambitious, and committed to sustainable growth. Neptun International represents faster growth for all partners and more choice for customers.
Many young people today dream of startups or remote jobs for foreign companies. Why should a Gen-Z individual choose a group like BALFIN? What is that “vibe” that makes you unique in the market?
Since its early days, BALFIN Group has built its success on young people. The Group’s President, Samir Mane, developed BALFIN by bringing in young individuals with the right ambition to learn and grow professionally.
Often when I speak with young people, they say: “I want something dynamic, not a traditional corporation.” And I tell them: BALFIN is probably the biggest “startup” you can find in this region.
Iliri started 10 years ago as a specialist at our NEPTUN branch in Lushnjë, and today he is a manager at one of NEPTUN’s branches in Skopje. International experience came to him — not the other way around.
I believe this is where we offer something more than other groups. At BALFIN, young people find the stability of a consolidated group, but also the adrenaline of new projects and markets every year. By joining BALFIN Group, you become part of a network of companies present in 12 countries, constantly evolving. For Gen-Z, this has special value: you never feel “stuck in one place.”
I’ll be direct: at BALFIN, we don’t believe in the idea of “waiting your turn.” Currently, over 50 individuals under the age of 30 lead key functions or projects. This isn’t a slogan — it has happened naturally.
Someone may join as a specialist, take on responsibilities beyond their role, show initiative, deliver results, and within a relatively short time find themselves leading a team. I’ve seen this pattern repeat many times.
What makes the difference? Not years, but how quickly you learn, how much responsibility you take, and the results you deliver. A “fast-track” exists, but it’s not a formal program — it’s a true culture of meritocracy.
A career within BALFIN Group companies is not linear — and this is not just rhetoric. Many young people have started in retail and are now part of projects in real estate development. Others have moved from one country to another to support new investments of the group.
Young professionals see the Group as a career platform, not just a single company. This means they are not limited by city or sector. You can start in IT in Tirana and continue in Skopje or Vienna in a completely different function — if you have the drive and deliver results.
For Gen-Z, this is essential. They want real experiences, not just titles that change on paper.
We try to maintain a simple principle: a good idea can come from anyone, anywhere. We’ve had concrete cases where ideas proposed by young employees were taken seriously and further developed.
Through mechanisms such as the Speak-Up platform or the BALFIN Innovation Summit, young employees have suggested operational improvements that were actually implemented. But beyond formal tools, what matters most is the culture — leaders who listen, space to speak, and no fear of proposing ideas.
I always say: if an intern or a new employee has a better idea than I do, the problem is not that they are “junior” — the problem would be if we didn’t listen.
CVs often look very similar, especially among young candidates. I’ve seen applicants with limited experience but who had worked on personal projects, taken initiative in volunteering, or completed online courses with real dedication. That tells you much more than a list of roles.
A personal project, a volunteer initiative, or well-committed courses show more than three years of routine experience — because they reveal character, not just a CV.
What we look for is energy and drive — someone who doesn’t wait for opportunities but creates them. And above all, someone who asks “why?” and “how can we do it better?” — because those are the people who grow fastest at BALFIN.
