Jelena Jurišić Named Engineer of the Year 2026

Jelena Jurišić, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Ericsson Nikola Tesla, has been named Engineer of the Year 2026 at a ceremony held as part of the German-Croatian Economic Forum in Zagreb.

This electrical engineering and computer science engineer was selected as Engineer of the Year 2026 from among ten candidates whose stories inspire young girls to pursue careers in STEM.

From a curious girl who used to take toys apart to Engineer of the Year 2026 – meet our Jelena Jurišić, inspiring new generations of girls to pursue STEM careers.

Ten finalists, one “President of the Generation”

The four juries participating in the selection process saw Jelena Jurišić as the “president of the generation” among the ten finalists. Her professional and personal story was assessed as the best example for young people to resist stereotypes, discover their talents and find their career path in STEM and engineering.

“This recognition is a confirmation of my work so far, but also a reminder of a journey that began in childhood. When as a little girl, I would take apart toys because I was more interested in how things worked than in playing with them. That curiosity and love for technology still follow me today. But this recognition is not mine alone. It also belongs to all the finalists: inspiring, strong and successful women whom I had the opportunity to meet during the selection process for Engineer of the Year. Each of our stories is unique and what we share is that we built our success through courage, perseverance and many sacrifices. A career in STEM is not a matter of gender, age or societal expectations, but of curiosity, dedication and the courage to follow our dreams and create a better future. And to every girl wondering whether she should choose engineering as her calling, I say yes, absolutely. Because your curiosity matters, and your voice is important,” said Jelena Jurišić, Engineer of the Year 2026.

Engineering as a driver of progress

This year’s competition received applications from across Croatia and from various economic sectors: from energy, digital technologies and telecommunications to the automotive industry, the food sector and the development of advanced technological solutions.

The focus of the selection is not only on professional achievements but also on role‑model potential and contributions to technology, innovation and society. The guiding principle of the initiative is not competition, but encouragement for younger generations to choose engineering professions for their future careers, thereby contributing to the development of Croatian society and the economy.

Alongside Jelena Jurišić, this year’s finalists were:

• Maja Bračić, AI/ML Engineer, Hrvatski Telekom
• Ivana Čuljak Arnautović, Chartered Geodetic Engineer, SupraNet
• Petra Golubić, Head of Production Department, Podravka
• Tajana Hrbud, Vehicle Validation and Verification Manager, Verne
• Vlatka Kos Grabar Robina, Senior Researcher, Energy and Climate Planning Department, Energy Institute Hrvoje Požar
• Ana Krmpotić, Software Engineer, dSpace
• Leila Luttenberger Marić, Head of Research Department, KONČAR Digital
• Sanja Svilković, Head of Business Excellence Department, Dalekovod
• Marija Todorić, Data Scientist, Mireo

Timo Pleyer, Director of the German-Croatian Chamber of Industry and Commerce (AHK):

“We are aware of how important it is today to make society and the economy more innovative and resilient. The key factor in achieving this is people. More than 250 applications from women engineers over the past four years, from all branches of the economy, show the strength of women in companies across Croatia, in society in general, and the enormous potential. With this initiative, we want to further empower and encourage young people to take an interest in engineering and highlight role models whose knowledge, expertise and dedication contribute to economic development.”

Medeja Lončar, CEO of Siemens Croatia and Managing Director of Siemens Slovenia, and initiator of the competition:

“The decisions we make today will significantly shape the world of tomorrow, even though no one can say with certainty what it will look like. To be prepared for different scenarios, it is not enough to invest only in technology, we must also invest in the people who will shape, use and apply it, who will drive change. The Engineer of the Year project shows that STEM belongs to everyone and encourages girls to follow their engineering spark and curiosity and find their place in a high‑tech future. This year’s winner embodies the values we aim to promote through this project: excellence, courage and readiness to create positive change. Together with the other finalists, she is an inspiration to girls and her spark will ignite a new passion for engineering.”

The “Engineer of the Year” initiative is organized by the German-Croatian Chamber of Industry and Commerce, with Siemens Croatia as the initiator and Mediade as co-organizer, and with the support of leading companies in Croatia: Henkel, KONČAR, Hrvatski Telekom, Scheer Adriatic, AD Plastik, Ericsson Nikola Tesla, NEXE, INA, Hansen Beck, and Coca-Cola HBC Croatia, as well as the strategic support of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, University of Zagreb.