Effective January 1, 2005, Gordana Kovačević, MSc, was appointed President and CEO of the company Ericsson Nikola Tesla. Currently, with her responsibility as the President and CEO of Ericsson Nikola Tesla, she is also the Chairperson of the Supervisory Board of Ericsson Nikola Tesla’s daughter company in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as of the company Ericsson Nikola Tesla Servisi in Croatia.

She graduated and obtained her Master of Science degree from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing at the University of Zagreb. Gordana Kovačević began her career by joining the then factory called Nikola Tesla, and as a respected professional, and later a manager, she led the company’s most complex telecommunications projects for the local and international markets, as well as the largest organizations of the company.

In 1995, when Nikola Tesla became a part of the Ericsson Corporation, Mrs. Kovačević was appointed the Vice President of the company Ericsson Nikola Tesla and the Vice President of the Ericsson Market Unit Central Europe. At the same time, she was the Director of the Centre for Communications Solutions and Sales Support Services. During her career, Gordana Kovačević has been engaged in strategic management, restructuring of the company and business development. On this journey, her innovativeness and an original approach were a part of her personal contribution to the local and global organization, which was recognized through Ericsson Centers of Excellence that were first implemented in Croatia and afterwards in the entire corporation. She completed several expert and professional leadership programs, among which is the Graduate School of Business, Columbia University, an executive education program attended by Ericsson’s top management.

Along with her corporate engagement, Gordana Kovačević has also been actively participating in the activities of several reputable institutions in Croatia. Due to excellent results achieved in cooperation with the leading representatives of the academic community, she was appointed as member of council of several faculties, and she is currently the President of the Economic Council of the University of Zagreb.

In her career, Gordana Kovačević received numerous awards and recognitions. For four years in a row, she was declared the most powerful woman in Croatian business, and she also received a special recognition for her overall contribution to Croatian economy. She received the Manager of the Year award from the Croatian Managers’ & Entrepreneurs’ Association CROMA, as well as the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024. Gordana Kovačević is the winner of the European LeaderSHE award and was named the best manager in Southeast and Central Europe. For her contribution to the development of cooperation between Croatia and Sweden, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden awarded Gordana Kovačević the Royal Order of the Polar Star with dignity Commander. She was also awarded the Order of Morning star of Croatia with the effigy of Nikola Tesla for special merits in invention, as well as the Order of Morning star of Croatia with the effigy of Blaž Lorković for exceptional contribution and special merits in the economy.