Ognjen grew up in war-torn Bosnia. He studied International Sciences and Diplomacy at the University of Trieste where he also got his Masters degree in 2007. In 2008 he joined the UWC Adriatic Development Office managing EU-funded projects whereby the College was sharing the UWC teaching approach and spirit with other education institutions in various areas of the world. Ognjen is a keen abstract photographer, football/basketball enthusiast and speaker of many languages. From 2013 he has enjoyed helping the students face the challenges of the university applications process while maintaining the right focus on their UWC experience. In addition, he runs the basketball activity and supervises the students in the TEDx conference organisation.