Her wealth today is estimated at around two billion dollars.
Ubavka Mitic, known worldwide as Rebecca MacDonald, is one of the most successful and wealthiest women from Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).
Her life story, which leads from Sarajevo and Belgrade to the top of the Canadian energy industry, bears witness to her determination and entrepreneurial spirit.
Born in 1953 in Sarajevo, Ubavka grew up in a family with strong academic and professional values. Her father Milos was an electrical engineer who spent the war years in a concentration camp, while her mother Ljubica was a successful manager at the National Bank in Sarajevo.
After graduating from the First Belgrade Gymnasium, Ubavka enrolled in medical school, fulfilling her parents’ wishes, although her personal ambition was journalism.
At the age of 22, she decided to leave Yugoslavia and move to Canada, seeking new opportunities and freedom far from the social and family expectations of the time.
Without knowing the language and with limited means, she started her life over in Toronto.
“When I came to Canada I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t know a word of English. I worked the night shift at Royal Bank, went to school, and learned the language. That’s when I met my husband,” Ubavka once said, describing her beginnings abroad.
Rise in the energy sector
After arriving in Canada, Ubavka married Pearson MacDonald, a Canadian of Scottish origin, and took the name Rebecca MacDonald. Her entrepreneurial career began in 1986 with the founding of the company EMI, which took advantage of the deregulation of the natural gas market in Ontario.
“Little girl Ubavka Mitic went to Canada and became Rebecca MacDonald. It was a thorny path. The West is not for everyone. It was an adventure. When you’re young, you don’t think much. I never regretted it. Surviving in the West is very difficult,” Rebecca said in an interview a few years ago.
After initial challenges and a drop in gas prices, in 1997 she founded Ontario Energy Savings Corp, which later evolved into Just Energy Group Inc. This company became a leader in the supply of gas and electricity, with more than 1.7 million consumers across Canada and the United States (U.S.).
“My decision to devote myself to my children and my work brought me to where I am today,” said Rebecca, describing the difficult period after the loss of her husband in a traffic accident.
Just Energy today employs more than 1.300 people, and Rebecca MacDonald’s wealth is estimated at around two billion dollars.
Her success has brought her numerous awards, including recognition as Entrepreneur of the Year in Canada and an honorary doctorate from the University of Victoria.
