EMBA UZH Alumni Stars – Ante Juric: Mastering the Field of Business and Leadership
Ante Juric’s story serves as a great example of how to leverage the UZH EMBA to enrich your professional journey. At 37, Ante embarked on a transformative path through the EMBA program that has led to a positive impact on both – Swisscom, the company he works for, and his career.
Ante’s story begins on the football pitch, where his passion for the sport began at the age of nine. “Football instills fundamental values like teamwork and perseverance,” he reflects. “It’s been a great companion throughout my life.” Today, Ante still plays the game, as a central defender in Switzerland’s top level Senior’s league; an achievement that reflects his leadership both on and off the pitch.
Beyond football, Ante’s leadership shines through in his home life, where lengthy and frequent Lego-building sessions with his two young sons stand to exemplify his nurturing spirit. While, in the business world, Ante’s leadership qualities have propelled him to a head of a department position at Swisscom, where his proficiency and strategic acumen have been instrumental.
Joining Swisscom in 2013, Ante brought with him a wealth of technical expertise gathered through years of focus on software development and project management. However, he sought a deeper understanding of the economic facets of business – a gap the EMBA program sought to fill.
“The EMBA UZH proved invaluable from the outset,” Ante explains. “The leadership module prompted introspection and growth, leading me to reassess my leadership style and seek feedback from peers. This was really a transformative process.” Each module of the EMBA curriculum expanded Ante’s skill set, culminating in a master thesis that explored the metaverse, examining nuances of digital realities and employee sentiment.
“My thesis lent itself to a significant response within Swisscom,” Ante recalls. “Feedback was great, especially after the launch of the Apple Vision Pro, which only served to raise interest in my research.” For Ante, the thesis was not just an academic exercise, it was a chance to give back to the company and an acknowledgement of those who supported him during his EMBA journey.
Recently, Ante had a chance encounter with a colleague who had participated in his thesis survey. This meeting led to a discussion where she revealed her plans to utilize Ante’s research findings in an upcoming strategy presentation. It was a poignant moment for Ante, underscoring the practical relevance and impact of his academic efforts in the real-world business environment.
Looking to the future, Ante envisions applying what he has learned from the EMBA to a landscape that is shaped by digital innovation and human ingenuity. “Trends in digitalization, particularly in generative AI and extended reality, underscore the evolving nature of business,” he observes, highlighting both the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.