From Corporation to Entrepreneurship: How the COTRUGLI Executive MBA Shaped the Career of Tomislav Kosanović
“The MBA title certainly helps, but what matters most are the concrete ideas, skills, and tools the program provides, which bring results right away.”
Tomislav Kosanović, Chief Business Officer at INGEMARK and owner of DigiMint d.o.o., has spent years building a successful career in the telecommunications and IT industries. After nearly two decades at Hrvatski Telekom, where he held the role of ICT Director, he felt the need for new challenges – a combination of corporate experience and entrepreneurial spirit. “The blend of working in large corporations and smaller IT companies gave me the greatest value – structure, but also an entrepreneurial mindset,” Tomislav emphasizes.
COTRUGLI Executive MBA as a Catalyst for Change
At that point, the COTRUGLI Executive MBA program appeared as the perfect solution. Recommendations from friends who had completed the EMBA confirmed its reputation: “I’ve invested in education my whole life, but honestly, COTRUGLI turned out to be the best choice.” What attracted him most was the experiential learning approach, practical working methods, and the opportunity to network with people from different industries and regions.
The program became a catalyst for both his professional and personal growth. Tomislav highlights that the exchange of experiences with fellow participants gave him the confidence to launch his own consulting company, while also advancing his career in leading IT companies – from GDI, through TeleLink Business Services, to INGEMARK, a firm exporting software solutions to demanding markets such as the U.S., Dubai, and Saudi Arabia.
Practical Knowledge and a Global Business Perspective
One of the greatest values of the EMBA program, as Tomislav points out, is not just the diploma, but the practical knowledge that can be applied immediately in a business setting. “The MBA title certainly helps, but what matters most are the concrete ideas, skills, and tools the program provides, which bring results right away,” he explains. Learning from professors and interacting with peers from diverse sectors shaped his strategic outlook, enabled him to expand business into international markets, and improved his decision-making capabilities.
Through the program, Tomislav came to understand the importance of continuously investing in knowledge and personal growth. “The program was so engaging that I looked forward to every lecture, and honestly, I missed it after it was over,” he recalls. The networking and connections made through the EMBA are still opening new doors for him today, while the knowledge and experience he gained continue to shape his leadership approach.
Leadership, Balance, and Mentorship as a Personal Philosophy
For Tomislav, being a successful leader means achieving inner balance: excelling at work while maintaining health and life equilibrium. His story confirms that the COTRUGLI Executive MBA is not just an educational program; it’s an investment that pays back many times over. The program shapes leaders, opens doors to new opportunities, and empowers professionals to turn knowledge into real, measurable results.
Today, Tomislav not only leads his company toward growth and innovation but also mentors future leaders within the COTRUGLI community. “I would love to share my knowledge and experience as a mentor; it’s a circle that keeps expanding and adding new value,” he concludes. His story perfectly illustrates the importance, necessity, and long-term value of investing in the COTRUGLI Executive MBA program.