Andrei Crnkovic is the Founding Engineer at Ploy, Advisor at SmartAccount, and Vice President at HrOpen

With over 15 years of software development experience, Andrei brings a unique blend of technical expertise, financial acumen, and leadership to his roles. His mixed background as both a licensed accountant and seasoned developer allows him to bridge the gap between business needs and technical solutions.

Currently shaping the future of access management at an early-stage startup, advising a boutique accounting firm, and championing open source initiatives, he combines strategic thinking with hands-on expertise to drive impactful results across technology and business domains.

Founding Engineer at Ploy

2024 — Current

I'm deeply involved in building and shaping our access management and shadow IT platform from the ground up. As the first engineering hire, I work in Elixir to develop core features while staying closely connected to our customers' needs. My role bridges technical development with practical value delivery - essential for our growing startup.

Some of my key contributions include launching our AWS integration and creating an innovative graph visualization system that gives customers clear insights into their access patterns. I thrive on making complex access management more straightforward and actionable for our users, drawing on my full-stack expertise to build intuitive features.

Advisor at SmartAccount

2021 — Current

As the founder, I started up a boutique accounting firm with a vision to make accounting more approachable for SMBs. Today, I serve in an advisory capacity, guiding strategic decisions and company direction while having previously developed our user-friendly application that simplifies accounting processes for end users.

As a licensed accountant, I provide consulting to our accountants, helping them solve complex accounting challenges and devise innovative solutions for our clients. My current advisory focus ensures the company continues to evolve while maintaining its core mission of simplified, approachable accounting for growing businesses.

Vice President at HrOpen

2022 — Current

I help lead an organisation dedicated to promoting open source projects and principles in Croatia. My commitment to open source extends through multiple channels: I contribute to Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) initiatives, including the translation of children's educational materials and advocating for the "Public Money Public Code" campaign in Croatia. As a grant committee member for the City of Zagreb, I help shape the future of technology initiatives in our community.

One of my proudest contributions is my work with DORS/CLUC, Croatia's landmark open source conference celebrating over 30 years of community impact, where I'm deeply involved in everything from curating talks to hands-on event management. This combination of roles allows me to bridge grassroots open source advocacy with institutional support, helping to build a stronger and more inclusive tech community.

If you or your organization is seeking guidance on innovative technical solutions, needs strategic advice on business growth, or would benefit from expertise spanning technology and finance, I'd be glad to help. Whether you're looking to discuss specific challenges, explore potential solutions, or simply connect for a conversation about technology, business, or open source - please get in touch. I'm always eager to share insights, learn from people, and collaborate on meaningful projects.