Living with TIS for 25 Years and Beyond: A Career in the IT Sector is Anything but Monotonous

 

In corporate-focused texts, it’s common to highlight an employee as the company’s “good spirit.” Thanks to employer branding and social media, we’ve seen and heard countless such stories. The problem is that these narratives often feel forced, shallow, and reduced to empty promotional constructs that lack genuine soul. But fear not—this will not be one of those stories, nor could it be, no matter how hard we tried.

Daniela Velčić has been with TIS practically since the beginning of her career, and it’s impossible to find a colleague who wouldn’t describe her as the heart and soul of the company in their first sentence. We’ve verified this, and empirical results are available upon request.

A would-be math and computer science professor—much to the dismay of children who never got the chance to fall in love with equations and code under her tutelage—Daniela traded the classroom early on for a career in the financial industry. Though she started as a programmer, Daniela has always been more drawn to people than numbers. However, she knew one thing for certain: if she wanted to succeed, she’d first need to master her technical skills.

A successful project manager, particularly one working in the IT sector on complex financial projects, must merge technical expertise with business analysis and then blend both under the guidance of an empathetic manager with strong social intelligence. Yet, the idea of ending up in sales—as a Key Account Manager & Senior Sales Consultant—was never even a remote possibility in her mind.

“Who actually plans to go into sales?” Daniela remarks with her trademark warm laugh while playfully striding down the hallway. “Nobody prepares you for the reality of making a set number of calls in a day or visiting a specific number of clients—not to mention meeting targets.” She comments with a reassuring smile beneath her round glasses, adding, “But don’t worry, sales in IT is never boring.”

Shaping the Future Through Projects

Over 25 years, Daniela has been involved, in one way or another, in projects of monumental scale—though she herself would never describe them that way. Not because she doesn’t see their value, but because humility is deeply ingrained in her nature. “At TIS, we’ve always operated at full capacity to deliver the best possible solution for the client. Sometimes that solution impacted a larger audience, sometimes a smaller one, but it was always of the highest standard,” she explains in her typically understated manner.

If you’ve ever heard of SEPA, NKS, EuroNKS, IBM Sterling, NKSInst, or more recently, considered how life changed with the introduction of the euro, then you’ve indirectly encountered Daniela’s work. Or, to rephrase, you probably haven’t heard her name because the projects she’s worked on have always been implemented so flawlessly that there’s never been a need for public scrutiny.

And let’s be clear—these aren’t minor systems, simple projects, or basic solutions. The tools we’ve mentioned form the backbone of Croatia’s entire financial system. Every transaction in the country is directly or indirectly tied to one of these systems. Truly monumental projects, without exaggeration.

Biggest vs. Favorite Project

“SEPA was a project that impacted all of Croatia. There was no room for error. On June 6, 2016, the system had to go live, and my greatest achievement was the praise we received from the entire SEPA community, emphasizing how seamlessly the transition was executed—quickly, efficiently, and flawlessly,” Daniela highlights.

While SEPA was the largest project she worked on, her favorite remains Dubrovnik Airline. After more than 25 years and countless demanding battles in the exciting IT industry, it still holds a special place in her heart. “Thanks to the people behind Dubrovnik Airline, I accidentally ended up in sales nearly 20 years ago,” she recalls with a laugh. “Following successful collaborations, those same people trusted TIS to help establish their new airline, Dubrovnik Airline,” she reminisces.

 

 

Daniela spent the next decade helping her team build Dubrovnik Airline, working long hours from various locations—Zagreb, Rijeka, Dubrovnik—while directly collaborating with the client. “For that project, we all lived and breathed it. Fixed working hours were a foreign concept, but we also never missed celebrating our successes. To be successful in your work, you need both,” Daniela notes.

Moments to Remember

TIS has always been a trendsetter in personalized client relationships. One initiative Daniela fondly recalls is sailing trips with business partners. “We’d rent several sailboats and host our key clients for four days—from Thursday to Sunday—sailing a different route each time.”

 

 

On her first trip in 2004, Daniela found herself sharing the tight quarters of a sailboat with two bank CEOs. “As the saying goes, friendships are tested on a sailboat—imagine being stuck with significant business leaders! But thankfully, the skipper set the rules immediately: on the boat, everyone’s on a first-name basis, and everyone works equally,” she recalls. “That experience taught me to approach my role as a KAM much more naturally, simply, and effectively. Plus, I got the chance to learn from the best.”

 

A Key Link in TIS’s Chain

Empirical proof from the story’s beginning backs it all up.

“For over two decades, Daniela has been the ‘good spirit’ of TIS’s projects in the financial sector. Her cheerfulness, honesty, professional approach, and unwavering dedication make even the toughest projects more pleasant. Her immense enthusiasm makes her an irreplaceable part of the TIS family,” says Business Manager Vjekoslav Martinčić.

Veteran colleague Sanja adds: “Throughout these years, Daniela has always found ways to connect business with personal, creating a small family atmosphere. She thrives on doing her best and hearing gratitude from colleagues. That’s what recharges her energy.”

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