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Snježana Bahtijari
Episode · #177

PSIHOLOGIJA USPJEHA Snježana Bahtijari

Guest Snježana BahtijariHosted by Tanja PuretaMay 3, 2026
About this episode
What you'll hear in this conversation

When a global crisis begins, most organizations brace for impact. But for Ericsson Nikola Tesla, the crisis arrived on their doorstep before the world even grasped its scale: the first documented COVID-19 patient in Croatia was one of their own employees. This put Director of Marketing, Communications, and CSR Snježana Bahtijari and her team at the epicenter of an unprecedented situation, forcing immediate, transparent communication and operational pivots. Her account of navigating that initial shock, balancing employee welfare with business continuity, offers a masterclass in crisis management. Beyond the immediate, Bahtijari also shares her insights on building and sustaining a corporate identity over decades, drawing lessons from Ericsson Nikola Tesla's 70th anniversary celebration. This conversation explores what it means to lead through the unexpected and how to tell a company's story with integrity and impact.

Insights from the conversation
What to take from this episode
01
Ericsson Nikola Tesla had Croatia's "patient zero" for COVID-19, a young engineer who had been in Milan, before the country even formed its national crisis headquarters. A major crisis can knock on your company's door before it hits the wider public, making internal, proactive crisis planning and rapid response essential, not reactive.
02
The crisis team was discussing a travel ban to Italy when a member casually asked, "What about our employee?" revealing the patient was one of their own. Even with pre-emptive planning, the moment a public crisis becomes personal for your organization fundamentally changes the stakes, demanding an immediate human-centric response that often bypasses official channels.
03
Ericsson Nikola Tesla chose to openly communicate that the first COVID-19 patient in Croatia was one of their employees. In a public health crisis, radical transparency about internal incidents, even sensitive ones, builds trust with employees and the public more effectively than attempting to control or obscure the narrative.
04
After identifying 40 potential contacts, the company immediately disinfected all locations within two days and shifted employees to remote work. Decisive, rapid operational action – not just communication – is critical in crisis management. The ability to swiftly adapt physical workspaces and work models directly underpins business continuity and employee safety.
05
The crisis team, led by the company president, simultaneously managed employee health and safety alongside the imperative for business continuity and economic stability. Effective crisis leadership requires a dual focus: addressing the immediate threat to people while continuously safeguarding the long-term viability and operational rhythm of the organization.
06
Ericsson Nikola Tesla received calls from around the world requesting their protocols for managing the early COVID-19 outbreak. Successfully navigating an unprecedented crisis can turn an internal challenge into a global benchmark, establishing your organization as a leader in resilience and effective response.
07
The 70th anniversary project, which won a Grand Prix, was conceived as a "thank you" to all generations of employees who built Ericsson Nikola Tesla into what it is today. A significant corporate anniversary is less a marketing event and more an opportunity to affirm the company's identity by honoring the collective contributions of its past and present people.
08
For the 70th anniversary, the company published a monograph documenting its history and hosted 4,500 guests, including retirees, customers, partners, and government officials, at Arena Zagreb. To properly commemorate a long history, a company needs tangible records like a monograph and inclusive events that bring together all stakeholders to collectively acknowledge and reinforce its enduring legacy.
09
Ericsson Nikola Tesla defines itself as the "largest Croatian exporter of knowledge," employing 3,200 mostly highly educated individuals, with nearly 25,000 having passed through its doors. A company's true value and enduring identity are rooted in its human capital, its intellectual contributions, and its long-term impact on the wider economy, rather than just its current financial metrics.
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