Biljana Milenković-Mapes
Biljana Milenković-Mapes is a seasoned leader in the telecommunications industry, currently serving as Executive Vice President of Atlas Broadband, a family-owned business she is preparing to lead as CEO. Having immigrated to the United States at age eight, she grew up learning the ins and outs of the company—from building her first computer to understanding networking and telephony—gaining hands-on experience that laid the foundation for her future in operations and leadership. Over the years, Biljana has combined her early technical expertise with advanced education, earning a Master of Science in Project Management from the University of Southern California.
Her professional journey spans diverse industries, including e-commerce and plastics manufacturing, where she honed her skills in project management, product development, and engineering leadership. Prior to returning to Atlas Broadband in 2024, she spent over a decade leading teams and programs at CFS Brands, overseeing product development and engineering operations, driving innovation, and cultivating high-performing teams. At Atlas, she has guided the company through significant growth, doubling its workforce from 20 to 43 employees in one year, while leading government-funded fiber optic deployment projects across rural Oklahoma.
Biljana’s leadership philosophy centers on mentorship, operational excellence, and building a strong organizational culture. She prioritizes process development, leadership cultivation, and empowerment of her team while ensuring the company meets ambitious operational goals. As a mother of four and a dedicated professional, she balances the demands of scaling a technical business with fostering an inclusive, people-first culture, positioning Atlas Broadband for a transformative next chapter under her forthcoming tenure as CEO.
• OSHA 30 Hour Construction Industry Outreach Training
• University of Southern California - MS
• Employee of the Quarter
• INTEGRIS Health
What do you attribute your success to?
Honestly, I attribute my success to the people around me. First and foremost, God, but secondly, really the people around me. I have been blessed and fortunate enough throughout my career to have really, really good mentorship at some of the highest levels. I've worked for billion-dollar companies and I've worked for little companies. Coming back to Atlas, the most fortunate thing and the reason I'm able to be successful is the people around me allow me to fail and allow me to make mistakes. We grow together. Were it not for the great support and mentorship that I've had throughout my life, I wouldn't have been able to learn all this and do all this.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever gotten was to speak up and use my voice, and give myself the permission to be wrong. Earlier in my career when I had started leading people and was being asked to participate in rooms that I didn't feel like I quite belonged in due to imposter syndrome, I was told that these men sit around in boardrooms and they're wrong 75% of the time, so even if I don't know something 100%, I should speak my mind, use my voice, and give myself permission to be as wrong as any of the men in the room. What she was trying to tell me was that I was being very meek and playing very nice because I wasn't confident, where a lot of these men exuded confidence for no reason whatsoever. She really emphasized not to be afraid to be wrong and not to sacrifice having a good idea because I felt like I may not have it dialed in 100%. I took that very seriously.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would tell her to honestly forget about the fact that she's female. I would tell her to not walk around with a chip on her shoulder. There's a fine line between empowering women and walking around with a chip on your shoulder and being a victim. Just because you're a woman doesn't mean you don't belong in a male-dominated field. I've been in a male-dominated field my whole life. It may mean that you have to have a bit more grit than you thought you did, but it'll pay dividends in the end. If you're capable and you know what you're doing and you've put in the work and you've fought the good fight, you'll be recognized for that regardless of your gender. Hard work speaks for itself. I heard Kevin Durant say when he played for the Thunder, and it really stuck with me: hard work beats talent when talent doesn't want to work. If you're willing to put in the work, if you've got grit, hustle, and determination, do not shy away from male-dominated fields because you will get recognized and it'll pay dividends. I would love to see more women in STEM.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I think the biggest challenge is always walking the line between taking care of your people and empowering your people, and having to meet a deadline. For us, it is incredibly important that we meet our deadline to launch all these fiber projects by October 2026, which is no small task, not even for the big guys, and we're a little guy trying to do big things. So I really have to balance the demand for execution and excellence with the fact that we have real human beings working here and not robots. It's holding the line on setting the standard for excellence while still giving grace for people to be people, and things come up.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
One of the values that I try to emulate every day is to mean what I say and do what I said I was going to do. It's what I teach my children. Your word is all you have. If people cannot trust that when you say you're going to do something, or you're going to be somewhere, or you're going to take care of something, the rest of your character kind of speaks for itself. You might be kind, but if people can't trust what you say, you're kind of dead in the water. So mean what I say, say what I mean, and do what I said I was going to do.