Jakub Krajcovic on reinventing your career with purpose 

From IT to private equity and now senior leadership, Jakub Krajcovic has reinvented his career through applied leadership insights in global investment and technology roles

Many professionals dream of pivoting their careers, yet few have the courage (or confidence) to do so. Meet Jakub Krajcovic, a 2018 AGSM @ UNSW Business School alumnus who boldly transitioned from IT into private equity, eventually leading tech investments in Slovakia’s premier alternative investment fund, Sandberg Capital, which focuses on scaling high-growth businesses across Central Europe. 

Having recently returned to his IT roots, Mr Krajcovic is now Chief Operating Officer at Soitron, a leading European systems integrator. His journey from data centres in Sydney to boardrooms in Bratislava is marked by determination, calculated risks, and the courage to reach out – and it all started with a cold email. 

Taking the leap into private equity 

Mr Krajcovic began his career in IT, managing significant digital transformation projects, including the overhaul of PwC’s computing infrastructure. Despite success in senior roles, he yearned for a new challenge, something with purpose. “I just felt like I wasn’t doing what I could do,” he recalls. “I got fed up… I wanted more.” 

At age 30, after exploring options as diverse as joining the Australian Defence Forces, he instead chose the AGSM MBA. Fully committing himself to the journey, Mr Krajcovic left his secure IT role to immerse himself in full-time study. “I quit my job, made arrangements with my wife, and said to myself – I’m doing this for me,” he explains. “I did extra work, volunteered, and researched beyond the syllabus. I networked and spoke to people. And when you give a lot of yourself into the process, you’ll get a lot back.” 

As luck would have it, a single guest lecture by private equity expert Daniel Belcher completely altered his career trajectory. Inspired by Mr Belcher’s philosophy, he structured his MBA around investing, including a pivotal internship under Mr Belcher's guidance. “So I got a mentor out of it… and a friend, and that positively changed my life.” 

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When it came time to seek employment, he knew exactly where he wanted to land: Sandberg Capital. Armed with newfound confidence and expertise, he took the initiative and reached out to one of the partners through a cold email. “There was this one private equity firm in Slovakia that I really wanted to work for. And so I did. I kind of knocked on their door literally, and said, ‘Hey, I'd love to work here. This is who I am, and we could do cool things together.’” 

His boldness paid off quickly. “I still have the email I sent,” he says, smiling. “The managing partner replied two hours later: 'Come over for a coffee.' And the rest is history.” 

Driving growth and innovation 

At Sandberg Capital, Mr Krajcovic quickly became a driving force behind the firm’s ambitious “10X” investment philosophy, which focuses on scaling small- and mid-sized companies with high growth potential. He played a key role in a buy-and-build strategy that led to the transformation of Webglobe, a Slovakian web-hosting company, into a dominant regional player. 

The outcome was extraordinary. “We grew revenue by over 500%,” he says proudly. “We expanded across Europe, and we exited to Group.One, a global player. It was one of Sandberg’s most successful exits, and it all started with my MBA assignment.” 

That assignment, originally completed during his MBA, served as the strategic foundation for the Webglobe investment. “It was during my time at the MBA when I came up with an investment thesis of investing in web hosting companies. And then this materialised when I started working at Sandberg Capital. “Half a year into working there, I basically took out my literal MBA assignment and said, ‘Hey, we should buy these companies and we should do this.’ And they said, ‘Okay, go buy those companies and do that.’” 

And it was his commitment to going beyond classroom expectations that made all the difference. “I decided to go the extra mile. When they gave us the assignment, I actually went through the trouble of doing my own market research. I spoke to people in those companies, I interviewed one or two CEOs, and I did actual market research that was relevant. And later on, that turned into one of the biggest successes of my career.” 

“That was an immensely successful deal. We exited that deal last year, and this year, it won the Deal of the Year award. We made triple money and returned over 31% IRR to our investors. And that all started at the MBA.” 

Mastering the art of leadership 

Now back in IT as the COO of Soitron, Jakub applies insights from his private equity experience to the leadership of a major tech firm. However, the most profound leadership lesson he learned wasn’t from any investment but from understanding himself. 

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Jakub recalls the old adage: “First manage yourself, then manage others,” admitting he used to dismiss it as overly simplistic. “Now, seven years after the MBA, after my time in private equity, and now being in a leadership position at a large company, I absolutely understand what this means, and it's critical.” 

He emphasises that true leadership requires self-management first. "If you need to be managed, if somebody needs to tell you, ‘Hey, there’s a deadline,’ then you’re not yet ready for leadership” 

Jakub describes leadership as a balancing act: “Leadership is hard work. You have to be consistent, be a role model, be fair, understand five different points of view, and push everybody just enough, but never too much.” He notes that the key skill is finding compromises that are effective, even if they’re rarely perfect. 

The AGSM MBA, he notes, equipped him with the vital communication tools needed in leadership roles. “Probably 80% of my job today is translation. One person says A, another says B, but they mean the same thing. I whiteboard it, help them find common language, and suddenly everyone’s aligned.” 

His advice to aspiring leaders just starting out their careers? “Start looking for mentors earlier. Surround yourself with people who know more than you. Listen to them.” He stresses the importance of preparation and initiative. “It’s understated, but we all need a bit of luck… but fortune favours the prepared, and the brave.” 

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And while leadership roles are demanding, Mr Krajcovic recognises the need to recharge. “I need sensory deprivation to relax,” he admits candidly. “Nature walks are a legitimate good tool. I love being out in nature – either walking or on my mountain bike. Where we live… 30 minutes on my bike, I can be deep in the forest. I spend a lot of my downtime just ploughing up and down those trails, surrounded by green. It really helps.” 

His work philosophy remains simple and powerful: "What you give is what you get," he says. “When you throw yourself fully into something – when you prepare, show up, and do the real work – good things come your way. Maybe not everything you wanted, but a lot. And sometimes, that's enough to change your life.”