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Ana Ivančić
Episode · #66

SLUŠAJ SEBE Ana Ivančić

Guest Ana IvančićMay 3, 2026
About this episode
What you'll hear in this conversation

Ana Ivančić spent 25 years at the highest levels of Croatian finance. She helped establish a pension fund, built an insurance company from scratch, and held an executive directorship at a national development bank. To an outside observer, her career looked like a steady ascent through an industry that values stability. But the view from the inside was different. What you hear in her voice today is the calm confidence of someone who found her professional fit after a quarter-century preparing for it. Ivančić left a secure, senior position to launch Garderoba, her own concept store. She describes the transition not as an escape from a bad situation, but a necessary shift away from "routine" work towards the dynamism she needs. The financial world taught her the mechanics of building businesses; now she applies that discipline to her own. This conversation reveals how a career that seems perfectly linear can contain the seeds of a complete redirection. You’ll hear how a lawyer became a finance executive, why the most structured environments can prepare you for entrepreneurship, and what it sounds like when someone finally finds the work that makes them truly content.

Insights from the conversation
What to take from this episode
01
The host's observation that Ana's smile was "never so radiant" now, two and a half years into running her own business, points to a clear truth. The deepest sense of professional fit often manifests physically, visible even to those who only know you from a distance.
02
Before launching her own concept store, Ana Ivančić spent decades "establishing firms" for others, including a pension fund and an insurance company. The experience of building new structures from the ground up for someone else, rather than merely managing existing operations, is often the most direct preparation for building your own.
03
Though many assumed she was an economist, Ana Ivančić trained as a lawyer, a background she describes as an "excellent lever" for her entire finance career. The most potent advantages in any field often come not from direct training, but from applying the rigorous thinking of an entirely different discipline.
04
Ana Ivančić started her career at HBOR in the 90s as an intern, ready to take on "anything from making coffee to photocopying," and six months later was leading the CEO's office. The quickest way to earn trust and responsibility isn't to wait for the perfect role, but to demonstrate competence and eagerness in every task, no matter its perceived status.
05
Ana credits her mentor, Antun Kovačev, with giving her "full trust" and letting her work "more and more independently," which shaped her into a "self-assured business person." The most effective mentorship isn't about constant guidance, but about creating space for someone to prove their capabilities and build their own confidence.
06
At HBOR in the early 90s, Ana Ivančić was working on "million-euro transactions" with foreign banks, an opportunity she believes is "hard to find today" for young graduates. The highest-impact career starts often occur when a developing market allows junior talent direct exposure to global-scale challenges, compressing decades of learning into a few intense years.
07
Ana Ivančić turned down an offer to run Todorić's bank because they "didn't agree on financing questions," specifically her insistence on recapitalizing the institution. Saying no to a high-profile role when fundamental financial principles are at stake isn't just a matter of personal integrity; it's a critical act of foresight that protects against future systemic problems.
08
Ana Ivančić ultimately left her successful career in finance not because anything was wrong with the industry, but because the work, once established, became "routine" and lacked the "dynamism" and "new challenges" she craved. For some, the ceiling isn't about title or compensation, but the rate of continuous learning and change the role provides.
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