SISTERS IN BUSINESS (2) How the Janković Sisters Led the Family Company Micro-Link into a New Phase of Development

Since taking over the leadership and complete operations of the family company Micro-Link 12 years ago, sisters Ivana Janković Šafarić and Lana Janković Darapi have successfully led the company into new phases of development. – It all started in 1992 when Micro-Link was founded as a small family startup, and the founders were our parents Milica and Dragutin Janković.

The initiation of the business at that time was driven by our father’s love for wireless communications and his business vision, with the impetus being the development of a wireless system – a microwave link for transmitting sound, data, and video. Since then, our love for microwaves and wireless communications has continued, which we are still engaged in today, says Ivana.

Their 30-year journey has not been simple, easy, or carefree. The current success of Micro-Link, headquartered in Zagreb, is primarily the result of a professional approach, engineering expertise, great enthusiasm, and love for what they do.

– The key to success all these years has been following new technologies and regulations and educating the market about global trends and the opportunities that advanced communication technologies provide for business improvement. In the decision to take over and continue our family business, many different factors, circumstances, and even seemingly random events came together, but the key role was played by the love for entrepreneurship that our parents spontaneously instilled in us, as we had the opportunity to experience it from a young age and from the very beginnings of Micro-Link’s operations. That feeling of being able to create something valuable with your own hands and mind brings an irreplaceable fulfillment compared to all other obstacles and challenges. It could be said that entrepreneurship is in our blood, the Janković sisters add.

Both have enthusiasm for pushing boundaries and a deep belief that new technologies stimulate societal development. – Given that we have both actively participated in the work and organization of Micro-Link from the very beginning and have gone through the development path in various roles and functions within the company, we took over the complete business and management of the company 12 years ago, while preserving the stability of operations and key competitive advantages. At the moment we took over the management of Micro-Link, we were a company with 15 employees, while today our group consists of two complementary companies with a total of 40 employees.

40 percent women in the team

We found our niche in the ICT sector in the segment of wireless communications where we developed our brand through a focus on applying the most advanced technological solutions, quality, innovation, and tailor-made approach to each client. Our parents primarily passed on to us the fundamental values and principles of business such as responsibility, proactivity, long-term business, continuous learning, and personal development.

Even in the ICT industry, unfortunately, as in many other industries, there are still significant prejudices. – We are aware of the environment we live in, still leaning on traditionally rooted values and orders from some past times. As we collaborate a lot with partners from abroad, we often see those fine differences in the perception of female entrepreneurship in some more developed and advanced countries, which is a refreshing encouragement. We do not see all this as an obstacle but as a challenge, and often even as additional motivation for improvement and influencing a change in paradigm.

Our personal mission is always focused on maximizing support for women in business and their professional growth through our work. We have strived to achieve a balance in the ratio of hiring female and male colleagues in our company, especially since we believe that women can contribute significantly to the development of the digital world with their qualities. Thus, the share of girls and women in our company is significantly above the average for this sector, which we are very proud of. Women make up as much as 40 percent of the Micro-Link team. We also employ women in engineering positions, with our female engineers constituting 37 percent of our engineering team, says Ivana.

—

Micro Link

photo

—

The operations of Micro-Link are based on the application and integration of wireless communication technologies and network solutions, and they have been positioned among the top 20 most successful ICT telecommunications companies in Croatia for years. They focus on providing comprehensive communication solutions tailored to the needs of our clients, which has proven to be extremely important today in the era of digitalization when complete solutions and the ability to integrate are becoming increasingly significant.

Currently, more than 400 business users and partners use their solutions and services, including prominent state companies responsible for public safety, energy, government bodies and ministries, telecom and infrastructure operators, transport, cities and municipalities, utility companies, manufacturing, education, tourism, and many other segments.

Immense trust and alignment of core values

Due to their long-standing expertise in the application of digital technologies and their love for exploring new technologies and innovations, Micro-Link is today an extremely active stakeholder in the digitalization of companies. They are a partner in the ‘100 Smart Factories’ project, which brings together top experts from various fields crucial for the digital transformation of factories towards Industry 4.0, and they are involved as experts for the implementation of IoT (Internet of Things) and wireless technologies for smart factories. Some of the interesting ‘pioneering ventures’ of Micro-Link in the application of the latest technologies include the implementation of the first WLAN network in Europe, the first 1 Gbit/s laser link in Europe, the first WiMAX networks in Europe, and recently the realization of the first IoT LoRaWAN smart city project for managing lighting in our region.

—

Micro – Link

photo

—

‘The greatest advantage of a joint business is immense trust and alignment of core values. We built the DNA of Micro-Link together with our parents, and participation in the family business came very spontaneously to us. When you feel how success is created, from the initial idea, concept development, business model, meeting necessary prerequisites, market approach and placement, process adjustments, to final realization, it is a wonderful feeling of achievement that is hard to step away from.

The family business is a conscious and secure choice for us. Through the Leader’s Club of family companies, we have had the honor of meeting and socializing with many family businesses. Through that experience, we gained good insight and greatly appreciate the qualitative characteristics of all family enterprises like ours. These are primarily clear values and the flexibility of the organization that allows for quick adaptation to changing market conditions, which has proven to be particularly important in recent years,’ the Janković sisters add.

From the early days of business, they have each profiled and perfected themselves in their direction – Ivana as an electrical engineering engineer focused on telecommunications, and Lana as an economist focused on organization and management. Ivana is in the position of a board member and director of strategy and marketing focused on business development, while Lana is the company director, responsible for the financial part of the business, human resources, process optimization, and risk management.

It is important to set a boundary between business and private life

Differences in attitudes primarily arise from the different personality traits that each of us carries within. Here we complement each other ideally, viewing key issues from multiple perspectives and making decisions optimal for the future of the company. Family entrepreneurship brings numerous advantages such as exceptional trust, flexibility, and care for alignment with the value system and nurturing organizational culture. It is a special discipline that requires many additional skills compared to classical entrepreneurship.

Advantages can easily turn into weaknesses, and there are often moments when emotions mix and perspectives blend, but this also gives us additional motivation to resolve all misunderstandings and problems at the moment they arise. Over time and experience, we have learned how important it is to set a boundary between business and private life, and we have a rule at family gatherings not to bring business topics to the table and to always be a strong support for each other.

The milestone of 30 years in business is a great pride for them and gives them confirmation that they are on the right path, or as they like to say at Micro-Link – ‘on the right frequency’. – We see that the need for wireless connectivity is growing day by day and we believe that our company will be an important stakeholder in the application of new technologies for digital transformation in the future. We want to continue to maintain quality at heights and ‘broadcast our frequencies with love’.