Assoc. Prof. Ivana Đunđek is employed at the Faculty of Organization and Informatics as a member of the Department of Economics and the Department of Organization, where she teaches courses at the undergraduate, graduate, and professional study levels. She teaches subjects in the fields of finance and management, including Financial institutions and Markets, Personal finance, Entrepreneurial finance, Corporate governance, and Institutional investor management. She is also a member of the Entrepreneurship Laboratory and the author of numerous scientific papers in the fields of corporate finance, institutional investors, financial institutions and capital markets, business operations, corporate governance, and strategic management.
According to the HrAM Regulations on Awards and Recognitions, the Mentorship Award is granted to lecturers who have mentored students whose projects or results have achieved exceptional success in competitions or have received relevant recognitions.
“It is a great honor and pleasure for me to receive the annual award from the Croatian Academy of Management in the category of mentoring students in student competitions. I see this recognition primarily as confirmation of dedicated work with students, with whom—through joint effort, research, and preparation for competitions—we continuously push our own boundaries” said Assoc. Prof. Ivana Đunđek.
She added that mentorship represents much more than a professional obligation for her.
“Working with students at the faculty is much more than a professional obligation for me—it is an opportunity to develop their potential, but also for my own personal growth. This award is an additional motivation for me to continue creating a stimulating environment in which students can grow, especially in the areas of critical thinking, self-confidence, and taking on challenges” she emphasized.
A significant part of the success achieved by the students she mentored also took place at the Hackathon InnoFusion competition, jointly organized by the Faculty of Organization and Informatics and OTP Bank. One team won first place and another team won third place. The winning team consisted of students Karla Kulier, Larija Jukić, Petra Taradi, and Tihana Triplat, who developed a prototype of the OTP Student application. The goal of the solution was to present the bank to students as an attractive employer through a digital platform that brings career opportunities, internships, mentorship programs, and the bank’s organizational culture closer to students.
Third place was won by the team consisting of Patrik Šantek, Nino Kostel, Karlo Svetec, and Benjamin Šmitlinher, who developed the OTP Sync digital platform. The project focused on connecting students and the bank through career opportunities, as well as through an innovative idea of establishing an alternative closed-end investment fund that would enable students to invest in their own future.
In addition to competition successes, students mentored by Assoc. Prof. Ivana Đunđek have also achieved significant scientific results. Two student papers received the Rector’s Award of the University of Zagreb for the academic year 2024/2025 in the category of individual scientific and artistic work. One award was won by student Petra Taradi for the paper “Analysis of the Impact of Financial Leverage on Corporate Liquidity in Selected Industries in the Republic of Croatia,” which examines the relationship between capital structure and corporate liquidity across different economic sectors in Croatia.
The second awarded paper, “The Impact of ESG Sustainability Criteria on the Performance of Mandatory Pension Funds in the Republic of Croatia” authored by Nino Kostel and Patrik Šantek, analyzes the influence of ESG criteria on pension fund performance and develops an index for quantifying ESG reporting.
Speaking about the importance of mentorship in academic work, Assoc. Prof. Ivana Đunđek emphasized that it represents one of the most valuable aspects of teaching and research:
“I consider mentorship to be one of the most important segments of every teacher’s work because it is precisely through this process that knowledge gains its full application. In this process, it is not only about transferring knowledge, but about being someone’s support so they can achieve much more than they thought possible—precisely because they have a mentor who believes in them. I must especially emphasize that I share this award primarily with my students. Without their effort, motivation, creativity, and dedication, such success would not have been possible.”
This award further confirms the importance of mentorship in developing students’ potential, and we extend our sincere congratulations to Assoc. Prof. Ivana Đunđek, PhD.
