EOTYA 2024 Finalist: Robert Jurcec

According to OneKloudX CEO Robert Jurcec, the company you keep is the biggest indicator of success. It’s a lesson he understood early on. As a youngster struggling with a serious injury and homelessness, Jurcec learned the value of having the right people around him in order to grow.

"The people that you spend your time with are the most important element as to whether or not you will make it as a leader in this world," Jurcec tells The CEO Magazine. "Having that foundation of people that can help you grow, whether it’s in your personal or business life, is really important."

Jurcec, who founded the company in 2018, reflects that above all else, having the right employees can make or break a business.

"Three years ago some hires were made and as we all know, a bad apple can spoil the bunch," he recalls.

"As a small business starting out, every single individual hire is one of the most important decisions you’ll make because each one of those people is an individual pillar. If that one pillar breaks, the whole business can fall."

Since then, Jurcec says a renewed emphasis on prioritizing the company culture and focusing on human resources to ensure wellbeing within the team has truly helped OneKloudX excel.

"It’s about hiring people that are like-minded, without ego or of some level of thinking that they know better than others," he explains.

"Funnily enough, having taken those people out, the business has more than tripled in the last two years as a result of that decision. People are everything, and the culture is everything. They are the most important asset – without people, you don’t have growth, regardless of what industry you’re in."

Growth and AI

When Jurcec made the decision to create his own business, he brought with him more than 20 years of experience implementing enterprise resource planning solutions and helping companies grow through the implementation of user-friendly, individualized technology, including working as a consultant across 18 European countries.

Now, just over five years later, OneKloudX has expanded to manage a portfolio of over 80 clients. A three-time finalist in the CRN Fast50 awards, ranking third in this year’s awards, and the winner of the Oracle NetSuite ‘Rising Star of the Year’ in 2023, the company has firmly positioned itself as a trusted partner for industries spanning manufacturing, wholesale distribution and biomedical technology.

As part of an industry that demands evolution and innovation at a rapid rate, Jurcec is perhaps more open than others to embrace AI and explore how it can improve OneKloudX’s operations.

"The solutions that we help organizations implement and support like NetSuite are growing the whole AI component within their product," he reveals.

"Things like executing functions and using agents through AI to have transactions entered into NetSuite, having reports generated, trends understood and analyzed are helping make business decisions more easily for the C-level executives like us."

Ultimately, though, for those worried about how AI can eradicate the need for certain jobs, Jurcec is optimistic that a personal touch will always be valued.

"Humans like to buy from humans," he insists. "People always want to be supported by a human. We all like to interact with one another."

Empowering culture

OneKloudX has proudly cultivated a positive work environment that empowers employees and promotes collaboration, and Jurcec enthuses that an honest approach to every aspect of the business is fundamental.

"Being transparent as to how the business is tracking, being transparent when we have to make difficult decisions and keeping all employees and partners abreast of what’s going on is one of the most important parts of being a leader," he says.

Mentorship programs have been initiated to nurture professional growth, and employees are also encouraged to pursue philanthropic avenues, such as fundraising activities for homelessness and mental health.

"We make donations in the names of staff members who participate in these efforts, recognizing their contributions and amplifying their impact," Jurcec says.

"Our initiatives and the support we provide for employee-driven fundraising efforts exemplify our commitment to creating a better society, positioning us as a role model in our industry. By leading with integrity and purpose, we continue to inspire others to join us in making a lasting positive impact on the world."

Jurcec reveals that it was a deeply personal, traumatic experience that set him on the path that led him to where he is today.

"My journey has profoundly shaped my understanding of the importance of giving back," he reflects. "Having faced a catastrophic injury as a teenager that ended my promising international sporting career before it began, I spiraled into homelessness and despair.

"However, I rebuilt my life through education. This personal transformation fuels my commitment to fostering a supportive, inclusive workplace where philanthropy is encouraged and ingrained in our corporate culture."