ABConect was founded by Bettina Grassl and converted to an extensive, global network of experienced professionals in the financial and industrial world, acting as a comprehensive catalyst between Western European companies and Central and South Eastern European companies.

Bettina Grassl started her international career after her studies at the Sorbonne in Paris and Vienna. She holds a Master's degree from the University of Economics and Business Administration in Vienna, Austria.

For more than 13 years, Ms. Grassl worked in management positions for a number of renowned financial institutions in Austria, Spain and Hungary with working experience in London and New York. After that she moved into the fast moving consumer goods industry for 5 years in order to start her own consulting business. During the last three years she lived and worked in Belgrade, Serbia.

Ms Grassl's specialization is on sales and trading, building up of new customer segments in the markets of Western Europe, CEE and SEE and among others, pioneering/structuring of new and developing markets and implementing process change in companies, cost reduction programs, contract manufacturing and intercultural competence in cross-border transactions.

The skills and knowledge of seven languages (German, English, Spanish, French, Hungarian, Russian and Serbian), are key requirements for operating successfully in foreign markets. It underlines confidence and eases intercultural differences between international customers.

Ms Grassl has built up her international network over the past 20 years by working abroad in leadership positions at renowned financial and industrial companies.