Luka Lugaric
Senior Project Director | Energy & Decarbonization
12 recommendations
Salary / Daily rate
12 people recommend
Zagreb, Croatia
Freelance
Can come onsite
Skills
Languages
About me
Intro
Project Director with 15+ years delivering $25B+ energy transition and digital transformation initiatives for Fortune 500 clients including Amazon, 3M, and Booking Holdings. Proven expertise in supply chain reengineering, decarbonization strategies, and cost optimization achieving $1.2M-$2.2M savings. I help organizations navigate complex transformations with data-driven solutions and stakeholder alignment.
Work experience
Director
LumarasFreelance
Jun 2023 - Present
3 years 5 months
Delivering high-impact projects. Clients include Umicore, 3M, Amazon, expert networks and donor-funded projects. Projects span global supply chain reengineering, digital operations and transformation, GHG management, and energy transition strategies. Led decarbonization pilots, designed carbon tracking architectures, and built IoT-enabled monitoring tools. Regularly advising / consulting on policy, innovation, and stakeholder alignment.
Senior Project Manager, Strategic Projects
Booking Holdings (NASDAQ: BKNG)
Feb 2022 - Jul 2023
1 year 6 months
Bangkok, Bangkok City, Thailand · On-site
Managed automation and cost optimization through data-led, cross-border projects across Agoda, Booking.com, and Priceline. Managed $1.2M–$2.2M savings initiatives, led machine learning strategy, and enabled agile delivery across finance and ops. Positioned product and data teams to scale efficiently while integrating digital workflows.
Senior Manager
Supreme Council of Energy
Feb 2015 - Jan 2022
7 years
Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Led flagship energy efficiency and strategy projects, including Dubai’s $25B clean energy roadmap and $10B DSM portfolio. Directed multi-utility teams, managed stakeholder coalitions, and spearheaded the development of the Dubai Circular Economy strategy. Created a platform for multi-entity climate collaboration.
Project Manager
DOK-ING
Aug 2013 - Jan 2015
1 year 6 months
Croatia · On-site
Managed R&D and market entry projects in robotic systems and clean tech. Delivered a 200%+ ROI testbed project, oversaw product development, and led go-to-market for renewable energy tech line.
Project Specialist
Center for Monitoring Business Activities in the Energy Sector and Investments
Aug 2012 - Aug 2013
1 year 1 month
Lun, Croatia
Designed €4.5B renewable incentive restructuring and supported Croatia’s first LNG terminal investment case. Produced investor-ready materials and alignment plans for EU climate compliance and energy market integration.
Energy Research PhD Candidate
University of Zagreb
Oct 2007 - Jul 2012
4 years 10 months
Lun, Croatia
Led NATO-funded research in partnership with Politecnico di Milano on renewable finance and energy risk models. Published 10+ papers and mentored 200+ students in energy systems, installations, and technical design.
UNDP
Mar 2006 - Jul 2012
6 years 5 months
Lun, Croatia
Program Manager
Jun 2009 - Jul 2012
3 years 2 months
Lun, Croatia
Managed regional sustainability programs and donor-funded technical assistance in cities and public infrastructure. Secured EU funding for Smart Energy Cities, authored energy tendering tools, and co-wrote a Wiley-published book on industrial energy efficiency.
Technical Consultant
Mar 2006 - Jul 2009
3 years 5 months
Lun, Croatia
Delivered technical expertise and strategic guidance for national-level energy efficiency and performance initiatives, supporting public sector modernization and knowledge dissemination.
Education
University of Cambridge
Master degree
2017 - 2020
3 years 1 month
University of Zagreb / Sveučilište u Zagrebu
Post-graduate degree
2007 - 2008
1 year 1 month
University of Zagreb / Sveučilište u Zagrebu
Master’s Degree
2002 - 2007
5 years 1 month