Mimoza Kusari-Lila, Minister of Industry, Entrepreneurship, Trade and Innovation
Biography
Mimoza Kusari-Lila is a senior Kosovar political leader with over two decades of experience across government, business, and civic engagement. She currently serves as Minister of Trade, Industry, Entrepreneurship and Innovation of the Republic of Kosovo, while been elected for four consecutive term as a Member of the Assembly of Kosovo. She is the leader of the liberal political party Alternativa.
Prior to her current ministerial role, Ms. Kusari-Lila held several high-level executive and legislative positions. She served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade and Industry (2011–2013), where she led key economic reforms and promoted private sector development. From 2013 to 2017, she made history as the first and only woman elected Mayor of Gjakova, focusing on local economic development, governance reforms, and post-conflict recovery. She served as the caucus leader of the largest parliamentary group, LVV, during the eighth legislature (2021 – 2025).
Her political career began in 2003 when she was appointed Spokesperson and Political Adviser to Prime Minister Bajram Rexhepi, later becoming the official Government Spokesperson. Over the years, she has been a prominent voice in Kosovo’s political landscape, known for her leadership in economic policy, environmental initiatives—including chairing the Parliamentary Green Caucus—and strengthening democratic institutions.
Before entering politics, Ms. Kusari-Lila built a strong professional foundation in business and international development. She served as Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Kosovo, leading the organization to international accreditation with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C., and the Council of European American Chambers in Brussels. Earlier, she worked as a business consultant for USAID’s Kosovo Business Support project and as the first local Project Manager of the American University in Kosovo Foundation.
Her early career also reflects a strong commitment to humanitarian work. During the Kosovo War, she contributed as a translator for National Public Radio (NPR) and worked with Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders).
Ms. Kusari-Lila has been a longstanding advocate for women’s empowerment. While studying in the United States, she founded and served as the first President of the Business Women Association at Duquesne University, promoting women’s leadership in business.
Education
- MBA, Duquesne University, United States (Ron Brown Scholar)
- Fulbright Fellow, Georgetown University (2009), specializing in capital market development in emerging economies
- Bachelor’s Degree in Economics, University of Prishtina
Throughout her career, Ms. Kusari-Lila has championed economic development, entrepreneurship, good governance, and gender equality, playing a key role in shaping Kosovo’s institutional and economic progress.
Mimoza Kusari – Lila
President of Alternativa
Email: mimoza.kusari.lila@rks-gov.net
Tel: +383 (0) 38 512188