Peter Ribarič appointed chief supervisor of STA

Ribarič, one of the four members of the board appointed on 19 December by parliament after the term of the previous supervisors expired on 10 December, has a degree in computer science.

He has several years of experience in the IT field. He was for instance a financial analyst at NLB and later the assistant director of the bank's technology and organisation division.

Ribarič is currently the director of Planet GV, which is specialised in organising business events, and a managing director at Silicon Gardens Fund, an early-stage venture capital fund, according to his Linkedin profile.

After the session, Ribarič stressed the importance of the STA, describing it as an institution of broader social significance.

"I believe that its importance in society will only grow. As the traditional media are losing their power to cover the social space in its entirety due to the rise of the internet and the granulation of the media landscape, the STA is one of the few media institutions that can provide comprehensive coverage and thus a service to both the citizens and the state," he said.

While also noting the role the STA plays as a service to other media, Ribarič said that, externally, the agency is an institution that spreads awareness about "how we live in this country, what good things have happened and how we are developing the country for the benefit of all who live here, for the benefit of the citizens".

Along with Ribarič and Brankovič, the National Assembly appointed lawyers Matevž Klobučar and Mateja Fridl Stojanović to the supervisory board on 19 December with the required absolute majority. Moreover, Gregor Mlakar, a representative of employees, was elected by his peers for another term as the fifth member.

The supervisors, who have a four-year term at what is a fully state-owned agency, had been picked from among the candidates who applied for the job in a 13 October call for applications and endorsed by the government on 11 December.