The term in office of Croatian Heritage Foundation Director Mijo Marić expired on July 19 and, at its session held on June 27, 2025, the Government of the Republic of Croatia appointed Zdeslav Milas, M.Sc. as the new Director starting as of July 20, 2025 on the basis of the open call, the Government announced.
Zdeslav Milas, M.Sc. was born in 1969 in Zagreb and from 1975 to 1991, he lived and studied in Vienna, where he graduated from Schulbrüder Strebersdorf Catholic General Secondary School. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and obtained a Master’s degree in Public Relations from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Mostar in 2010. As a returnee from Austria, in the early 1990s, he was the co-founder and first President of the Croatian International Youth Corps (HMZM), an association that brought together young Croatian emigrants and returnees. Launched within this framework was Task Force, held since 1995 under the auspices of the Croatian Heritage Foundation, today known as Eco Heritage Task Force.
Starting from 2013, Milas was Vice Dean for Academic Affairs at Algebra Bernays University of Applied Sciences, which is in the process of integration with Algebra Bernays University, and headed the University Department of Communication Sciences. He teaches courses in public relations and corporate communication. He is the author of the first book on corporate communication in the Croatian language. He is a member of the National Council for Science, Higher Education and Technological Development of the Republic of Croatia.
From 2020 to 2024, he was President of the Court of Honor of the Croatian Public Relations Association, and is one of the authors of the new Croatian Code of Ethics for Public Relations (2023), which regulates the professional ethics of communication practitioners in Croatia. He also served as Vice President and Member of the Executive Board of the Education Branch within the Croatian Employers’ Association (2017 – 2024).
Milas is engaged socially, professionally and politically. He is the Honorary President of the Croatian Academic Union, the largest student and academic organization in Croatia, serving as national president from 2016 to 2022. He is a member of the Foundation Board of the Croatian Statehood Foundation (ZHDZ), The Society of Brethren of the Croatian Dragon, Matrix Croatica, the European Public Relations Education and Research Association (EUPRERA), the Dikovača Culture and Arts Association from Zmijavci, the Podgorac Croatian Peasant Singing Society from Gračan and the Posavac Chess Club from Ruščica. Since October 1989, he has been a member of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), he is a founder of Kroatische Demokratische Gemeinschaft in Österreich (HDZ in Austria), and is currently serving as Secretary General of the Dr. Franjo Tuđman Union of HDZ Founders.
