Aida Soko je ekspertica za razvoj privatnog i javnog sektora sa više od 30 godina iskustva u unapređenju poslovnog okruženja u Bosni i Hercegovini i jugoistočnoj Evropi. Tokom svoje bogate profesionalne karijere uspješno je obavljala rukovodeće funkcije u privatnom sektoru i međunarodnim razvojnim organizacijama, sa posebnim fokusom na ekonomski razvoj, investicije i jačanje konkurentnosti tržišta. Njen doprinos razvoju tržišta počeo je još 1999. godine, kada je bila dio tima Svjetske banke na projektu uspostavljanja mikrofinansijskog sektora u Bosni i Hercegovini. Kroz tehničku podršku i jačanje kapaciteta organizacija specijalizirala se za razvoj privatnog sektora, umrežavanje na tržištu, izvoznu strategiju, pristup izvorima finansiranja, promociju investicija i javno-privatno partnerstvo. Posebno je fokusirana na prepoznavanje pokretača ekonomskog razvoja i pokretanje investicionih aktivnosti, uključujući kreiranje zakonskih i regulatornih izmjena koje podržavaju rast domaćih kompanija, privlačenje stranih direktnih investicija, razvoj brzorastućih biznisa i visokovrijednog preduzetništva. Kao aktivna članica brojnih poslovnih asocijacija i mreža, kontinuirano pruža mentorsku podršku start-up projektima, mladim poduzetnicima i ženama u biznisu. Trenutno obavlja funkciju ekonomskog savjetnika u Uredu specijalnog predstavnika Evropske unije (EUSR), gdje koordinira stub razvoja privatnog sektora u okviru Reformske agende i Plana rasta za Zapadni Balkan, te upravlja oblastima reforme javne uprave, upravljanja javnim finansijama, saradnje sa poslovnom zajednicom i reforme javnih preduzeća. Doktorirala je u oblasti poslovnog upravljanja i menadžmenta na Univerzitetu u Sarajevu, a magistrirala na zajedničkom programu upravljanja javnim sektorom univerziteta u Ljubljani i Sarajevu.

Aida Soko is an expert in private and public sector development with more than 30 years of experience in improving the business environment in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Southeast Europe. Throughout her distinguished professional career, she has successfully held leadership positions in the private sector and international development organizations, with a strong focus on economic development, investment promotion, and market competitiveness. Her contribution to market development began in 1999, when she joined the World Bank team working on the establishment of the microfinance sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Through technical assistance and organizational capacity building, she specialized in private sector development, market networking, export strategy, access to financing, investment promotion, and public-private partnerships. She is particularly focused on identifying drivers of economic growth and initiating investment activities, including the creation of legislative and regulatory reforms that support the expansion of domestic companies, the attraction of foreign direct investment, the growth of fast-scaling businesses, and high-value entrepreneurship. As an active member of numerous business associations and networks, she continuously provides voluntary mentorship support to start-up projects, young entrepreneurs, and women-led business initiatives. She currently serves as an Economic Advisor at the Office of the European Union Special Representative (EUSR), where she coordinates the private sector development pillar within the Reform Agenda and the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, while also overseeing public administration reform, public financial management, cooperation with the business community, and state-owned enterprise reform. She holds a PhD in Business Management from the University of Sarajevo and a Master’s degree in Public Sector Management from the joint program of the Universities of Ljubljana and Sarajevo.