2010 graduate enjoys view from the top
Lakeland alumna Kristina Filipovic and her employer, the Milwaukee Bucks, have something significant in common: thanks to a lot of hard work and perseverance, they're both at the top of their game.
Filipovic, a 2010 Lakeland graduate, serves as director of service and retention for the 2021 NBA Champion Bucks, leading a staff of eight that provides world-class customer service to keep ticket holders in the Bucks' family.
She is in her 13th season in Milwaukee, a career that started as a group sales intern while she was still a Lakeland student that led to a position as a sales associate upon graduation with degrees in business and sport studies.
From there she's enjoyed a steady rise to a leadership role in retention and been part of some of the most exciting events in the organization's history. Filipovic helped her team transition with the opening of Fiserv Forum, implemented a new membership platform, helped lead a team that sold 10,000 full season memberships for the first time in franchise history and successfully navigated her team through the COVID-19 pandemic.
The foundation for her success was established during her time at Lakeland, where she made lifelong friends and strong connections with some faculty and staff that are still in her network.
"At Lakeland, I put myself in situations where I was stepping outside my comfort zone and it prepared me for the real world," said Filipovic, who served as an orientation leader and was a leader with the campus activities board.
"Lakeland was a place where I could step outside my comfort zone. I had opportunities to present to people, present my thoughts and ideas. I got to raise my hand to actively participate and have opportunities that I probably would not have gotten at other schools."
She recently returned to Lakeland to speak as part of the annual Business Colloquium, an event that allows successful Lakeland grads to share their stories with current and prospective Lakeland students.
A first-generation college student fueled by a competitive nature, Filipovic plans to continue to grow in her role with the Bucks. She aspires to one day be a vice president or president of an organization that puts people at the center of the workplace.
"Make connections here (at Lakeland) and step outside your comfort zone," she told the students at the colloquium. "Don't take yourself too seriously. If you do things right and put in the time, it will work out."
