Ivan Živić - from a loved colourful character to true leadership qualities

An almost typical story of leaving your comfort zone also marked the career of atypical Ivan Živić, one of Serengeti's top leadership strengths.

First development, then management

In his 3 years in Serengeti, our Ivan has followed a similar development path as many of his colleagues. From the initial position of a developer, in which he started after an invite from our director, he became a more-than-successful project manager and - Serengeti's best DJ. However, in order to completely free up his versatility and creativity, Živić has virtually replaced the degree of a graduate computer engineer by the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing with something else.

Luckily, he got his title, and brought his knowledge into an environment where employees are provided with not a sea, but an ocean of opportunity. And the rest, luckily for us, is history.

Wave by wave, full potential

Prior to the position of a project manager to which he was led by opportunities for growth and development within Serengeti, Ivan experienced the wonders of practical work and experience for the first time in the banking system. He maintained databases, developed his own applications, but his ambitions as well. The next stop in the following 365 days for our Živić was a state-owned company, after which he definitely decided to look for something new, something more dynamic. In this very moment, right for both him and Serengeti, his potential was noticed and he was provided with the opportunity to realize it in a smaller, but far more interesting IT environment.

Various projects for a wide range of knowledge

In our company, Ivan has worked on a variety of projects for different clients, from banks and government companies to Serengeti itself. It was under his leadership that Serengeti's most famous internal application - e-Sati, for recording working hours, was created. Leaving the comfort zone paid off several times over, said Ivan. The range of projects has also expanded his horizons and knowledge. It encouraged him to build connections, develop his qualities and self-confidence, all of which had an impact on his faster career advancement.

Reaching a leadership position with support

Skillful communication, remarkable attention to detail, good organization, and excellent knowledge of the specificities of Serengeti's operation have brought our Ivan a step further, to the function of a project manager. He is involved in project monitoring, communicating with the development team, assessing risks, writing documentation... And if we may add, he makes progress in the workplace every day. A two-month training in the field of development of managerial competencies, as well as the support from team leaders have also contributed to this progress.

Versatile in the full sense of the word

In addition to proving himself as a developer and then a project manager, Ivan established his position as the main entertainer in the team at the very start. He has a special sense of humor and an even more special ability to lighten the atmosphere wherever he can, especially if a joke or two go along with the music. Živić (eng. lively), as his last name suggests, does not stop just there.

Along with his career, he continues to develop his sporting side: he plays badminton and runs for the Serengeti running club. He is also a member of our book club and has been writing humour columns for the Serengeti's internal newsletter, which regularly amused all his colleagues. On behalf of faithful readers from the entire Serengeti organization, we hope that there will be more of Živić's columns - because we have no worries about his successes.