Dr Zekulic was commissioned as an Infantry officer to the Croatian Armed Forces in 2002, after graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and Management of Information Systems from The Citadel, Military College of South Carolina. Given her additional bachelor degree in Criminalistics from Police College in Zagreb, she held numerous command and staff positions within the Croatian Military Police community, and deployed several times to NATO’s operational theatres. After completing the Croatian Command and Staff College in 2008, graduating first in her class, she was appointed an executive officer to the Croatian Deputy Chief of Staff. From 2010 until 2014, she commanded a battalion at the Croatian Defence Academy.
From late 2014 she served at the Allied Command Transformation, Strategic Plans and Policy Division, where she led the interoperation of high level political guidance and developed policy papers, strategies and inputs to NATO Military Authorities on issues including, but not limited to, challenges of a changing security environment, hybrid warfare, resilience and Readiness Action Plan. This work led to a posting as a deputy head of the Strategic Assessment Element in the Emergency Security Challenges division at NATO HQ, where she worked on initiating, developing and drafting strategic assessments aimed at identifying emerging crisis, enhancing situational awareness and providing early warning for use by the NATO Secretary General and the Chairman of Military Committee. Of special consideration are her assessments of the security challenges in Western Balkans and Africa.
In September 2017, LTC Zekulic transitioned to the International Staff Operations Division, developing assessments, policies and strategies relating to NATO’s Operational Preparedness particularly in relation to posture management and deterrence messaging, countering hybrid threats, and crisis management.
Parallel to her military career, she also continued with her academic education, gaining a Master of Science degree (2007) and PhD (2012) in international relations and national security. Having published more than thirty expert and scientific articles, she is also a Scientific Associate at the Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Zagreb, and a regular lecturer at the NATO School Oberammergau. She is a member of numerous associations, including the Atlantic Council of Croatia, the Board of directors for the Centre for International Relations, the Scientific Council of International Military Academic Forum, and World’s Council Affairs.
Dr Zekulic is the recipient of numerous personal awards and decorations from Croatian Chief of Staff, Minister of Defence and the President of Croatia, including the Order of the Croatian Interlace.