Leadership Change at Ericsson Nikola Tesla

Gordana Kovačević is stepping down from the position of President of the Management Board of Ericsson Nikola Tesla at her own request. She will hold the position until November 1 this year. At this week's meeting, the Supervisory Board of the company appointed Siniša Krajnović as the new head of ENT.

Kovačević has submitted her resignation following nearly 21 years at the helm of the company. She has dedicated her entire professional career to ENT. She has started her career in the company as a talented engineer and was soon recognized as an expert capable of leading the most complex telecommunications projects in both domestic and international markets. As an accomplished executive, she subsequently assumed responsibility for managing the company’s largest line organizations.

Following Ericsson’s entry into the ownership structure, she became Vice President of ENT and Vice President of the Market Unit Central Europe, where she had responsibility for implementing Centers of Excellence both in Croatia and within the global corporation. She was named as the company President in 2005, leaving a lasting mark on the development of the company. Kovačević has successfully overseen the organizational restructuring, internationalization, and digital transformation of the company’s operations.

Krajnović is coming to his new CEO role in ENT from the current position of Partner in McKinsey & Company. Since 2022, he has been a core member of McKinsey & Company’s Technology, Media & Telecommunications practice. Drawing on his deep knowledge of technology and broad business experience, he has specialized in issues related to the telecom industry, research and product development, and digital transformation. Before joining McKinsey, he was Executive Vice President at Ericsson Northeast Asia, where he led operations in the world’s most advanced 5G markets. He started his career in Ericsson Nikola Tesla in 1994 in Zagreb, as an engineer in its R&D center, and spent 10 years in the company.

For most of his career, Krajnović has worked in Ericsson Corporation, and, among his various senior executive positions, he led Ericsson’s global R&D organization. He has extensive international experience in leadership and technology, and throughout his professional journey, except in Croatia, he has also worked in Sweden, China, Japan, Ireland, Hungary, and the United Kingdom.

“On behalf of the Supervisory Board of Ericsson Nikola Tesla and personally, I would like to thank Gordana for her exceptional leadership, vision, and dedication throughout her long and successful tenure at the helm of ENT. Her contribution to the development of ENT is measured not only by business results but also by the culture of collaboration, trust, and responsibility she fostered. It has been a privilege to work with such an extraordinary person and true leader. I expect her outstanding professional expertise to continue to be valuable support to us in the coming period,” said Stefan Kötz, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of ENT.

“At the same time, on behalf of the Supervisory Board and personally, it is my great pleasure to congratulate Siniša on his appointment as the new President of the Management Board (CEO) of Ericsson Nikola Tesla. I am confident that his extensive experience in the ICT industry, deep understanding of technological trends, leadership qualities, enthusiasm, and knowledge will be of great value in the continued development of ENT. I warmly welcome him to the team – we look forward to our future collaboration and shared success,” added Kötz.

“It has been a true honor and privilege to dedicate my professional journey to Ericsson Nikola Tesla and contribute to the development and growth of such a strong and respected organization, which for many years has been the leading ICT company in Croatia and the region. I am proud of all the achievements made by the great ENT team — our technological leadership, innovativeness, the numerous projects we successfully delivered together with our customers and partners, and the transformations we carried out to ensure the company’s long-term, sustainable future. Even in the most challenging circumstances, we consistently demonstrated resilience, perseverance, integrity, and professionalism — both individually and as an organization. I am glad that the company will be led by someone with such extensive professional experience, expertise, and knowledge as Mr. Krajnović. I wish Siniša, members of the Management Board and Leadership Team, and all my colleagues at ENT continued success in the exciting journey ahead,” highlighted Gordana Kovačević.

“I would like to thank the Supervisory Board for the trust placed in me to lead Ericsson Nikola Tesla into the next phase of the company’s development. My sincere gratitude goes to Gordana for her visionary leadership that has shaped the company’s success in recent years. I believe she will continue to contribute to the company with her exceptional expertise and valuable experience. With deep respect for everything that has been achieved and with great enthusiasm and responsibility, I step into this role with a clear goal – to strengthen Ericsson Nikola Tesla’s impact on the market, the industry, and the community. In times of rapid and constant change, our focus remains firmly on innovation, sustainability, and creating long-term value for all our stakeholders. I am confident in the strength of unity, expertise, and dedication of the ENT team and look forward to future collaboration. With shared commitment to excellence, we continue to develop technological solutions that enable progress in society and the economy,“ emphasized Siniša Krajnović.