Predrag Cirkovic, general manager of SAP West Balkans - I do not look back at the past

(Predrag Cirkovic)

His first choice was to pursue a career in business and international management, but it seems that he realized on time that the IT sector was more lucrative. The decision to retrain, which he made in his twenties, has led him to the position of General Manager of the SAP company in the region. He is of the opinion that one should not regret anything in life and that investing in one's own development always gives results in the end.

After completing the First Belgrade Grammar School, he also graduated from the Faculty of International Management, the Department of Economics and Business in Belgrade, while simultaneously attending the International Business Management Program at the Manhattan Institute of Management in New York City. However, the life has taken Predrag Cirkovic in another direction, towards the IT sector.

- I chose information technologies for very pragmatic reasons. Having completed the Faculty of International Management, I failed to find an adequate job. Given that I've been in love with IT since childhood, I decided to combine pleasant and useful and retrain myself - Cirkovic explains to our journalist.

His first job was at EUnet, a leading internet provider at the time, where he served as a technical support engineer. The first salary was spent on a gift to his then girlfriend and now wife because all the credit for his employment went to her. Namely, it was his wife Zora who submitted his CV to apply for the job. And he has been gaining experience in the IT industry ever since.

- For more than 15 years I've been holding various management positions. I came to SAP in 2013 to work as Services Sales Senior Manager, and before that I had worked at ComTrade, International Management Group, Datagate Network Solutions Ltd., Coca-Cola HBC, and EUnet.

He has recently turned 40, assuming the position of General Manager of SAP West Balkans only few months prior to his jubilee birthday.

This company is one of the global leaders in its industry, and the position of GM for the entire region comes with huge responsibilities as well. Considering their seriousness, we were curious to find out if one can fully prepare oneself in advance for such a role?

- Responsibility is huge - he says and voices his belief that it is hard for a person to be completely ready for assuming one such position, but what is important is that this person has energy and a constant desire for improvement and advancement in order to be able to set example for others and help the company with their competences.

Current situation in the domestic IT sector is, as he says, such that the market is ripe for a quantum leap when it comes to the adoption of the latest global IT trends and solutions. However, on the other hand, small or non-existent budgets pose a major problem.

- I am also of the opinion that our country, although not big, can have a competitive edge in the implementation of E-government solutions - says eKapija's interlocutor.

He believes that a person must constantly make progress in various directions, either in the career or spiritually, as constant progress is what counts.

- The challenges that are overcome successfully give us inspiration for further work. As long as it is that way, it is good.

Team spirit, team work, positive attitude and positive energy towards work, precision and potential for professional development and advancement are some of the characteristics he likes his associates to have.

Parental advice

As he underlines, the greatest turning point in his life was the moment when he realized that everything his parents were telling and teaching him was really very important. They were constantly repeating that every investment in one's own advancement pays off.

- This sentence has proven to be absolutely right in my case.

His life motto is to never look back and mourn for past times.

Pride

And when he is not in the office, he does his best to spend most of his leisure time with the family and friends. His wife Zora and son Dusan are Predrag's greatest pride in life.

He loves to travel. Given that he is new in the position of General Manager at SAP West Balkans, his business plans are mainly related to the improvement of company operations. His private wish is that his family expands in the foreseeable time.

Jelena Djelic