Ivan Šarar was born in 1973 in Split. He graduated in Psychology at the Faculty of Philosophy in Rijeka, studied marketing at the postgraduate studies of the Faculty of Economics in Zagreb. He spent his entire professional career (since 1995) in the field of cultural and creative industries, as freelancer, private entrepreneur, professional musician, music promoter, marketing expert and co- founder of several NGOs and companies. Since 2000 he has been employed in managerial positions. From 2011 until today, he has been working as Head of the Department of Culture of the City of Rijeka. During the course of 2012, he has led the Strategy for Cultural Development of Rijeka from 2013 to 2020. From 2013 to 2016, he has led Rijeka’s candidacy for the European Capital of Culture 2020. From 2016 until today, he has been the President of the Supervisory Board of Rijeka 2020 d.o.o. He has been awarded multiple times on national level for his work in marketing and advertising fields, as well as in the music industry. He is an Honorable Lifetime Member of the Croatian Music Union.