Ivan Šarar is a cultural strategist and creative professional with over three decades of experience in music, media, culture, marketing, public administration, and cultural policy. His career began in 1996 at Svid Radio, Rijeka’s first private media outlet, where he worked as a radio producer, DJ, and head of production and technical operations for both the station and its affiliated club. From 2002 to 2011, he operated as an independent entrepreneur and cultural operator, engaged in promotion, marketing, and concert organisation. He was also a member of the avant-garde music group Let3 (1998–2008) and co-ran the legendary Hartera Festival (2006–2011), one of the region’s most influential music festivals.

In 2011, he took on the role of Head of Culture for the City of Rijeka, a position he held until 2023. During this tenure, he spearheaded major strategic and infrastructural cultural initiatives, including the development of the Rijeka Cultural Development Strategy 2013–2020, the city’s successful bid for European Capital of Culture 2020, and the execution of numerous EU-funded projects with a combined value of approximately €50 million. Following the conclusion of his public mandate in 2023, he relaunched his own company, Usta na usta, through which he works as a producer, co-producer, and consultant on various cultural projects across Croatia and the region. In 2025, he initiated the Slowmotion Festival in Opatija, continuing to shape the cultural landscape with bold, original programming. He has participated in over forty conferences and congresses across ten European countries, contributing as a speaker, lecturer, moderator, panellist, and active participant in cultural discourse.