Professionals in CFD with Iva Papeš from Vertiv

In this special edition of Professionals in CFD, we step outside Cadence to spotlight Iva Papeš, thermal engineering manager at Vertiv, a Cadence customer using the Cadence Reality Digital Twin Platform to support data center design. From computational fluid dynamics (CFD) research and thermal engineering to product design, automation, and leadership, Iva's career reflects the value of embracing new challenges and continuously expanding technical expertise. In conversation with Cadence marketing writer Veena Parthan, Iva shares her journey into CFD, how Vertiv uses Cadence tools to design data centers with greater confidence, and her people-centered approach to leadership and team development.

Veena Parthan: Iva, let's start with your story. You've had quite an interesting journey across different countries and engineering roles. Can you tell us a little about yourself and how you got to where you are today?

Iva Papeš: I'm from northern Croatia and, from a young age, I was fascinated by math and physics. I always enjoyed creating and building things, and to me, engineering is as much an art as it is a science—a way to combine creativity with problem-solving.

I studied mechanical engineering in Zagreb, where I completed both my bachelor's and master's degrees. I later moved to Ghent, Belgium, to pursue a PhD focused on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of twin-screw expanders for organic Rankine cycles at the University of Ghent. After my PhD, I worked in the Netherlands before returning to Croatia. Today, I live on the Croatian coast with my husband and our three children and work for Vertiv in Zagreb.

Veena Parthan: Your interest in math, physics, and building things seems to have naturally shaped your path toward engineering. What first sparked your interest in CFD? Was there a particular moment when you realized this was the field you wanted to pursue?

Iva Papeš: My first real introduction to CFD came during my master's studies. I was fascinated by the ability to visualize what happens in the fluids around us—whether air or water—and by the power of simulation to explain complex physical behavior. During my final year, I received a scholarship that gave me the opportunity to continue my studies in Ghent. There, I joined a highly respected and inspiring CFD research group. That experience gave me a strong technical foundation and showed me how broad and impactful the field could be.

Veena Parthan: It sounds like your time in Ghent helped you see the broader possibilities of CFD. From there, how has your career evolved over the years?

Iva Papeš: My career has moved across research, thermal engineering, product-oriented mechanical design, automation, and leadership. After completing my PhD, I joined a company in the Netherlands in a role connected to thermal engineering and CFD, working on photolithography machines crucial for manufacturing the most advanced chips today.

When my family returned to Croatia, I moved into a mechanical engineering role focused on motor-spindle design and industrial automation solutions. I have since returned to thermal engineering and CFD at Vertiv, and I now lead a team of thermal engineers. Each stage has broadened the way I approach engineering problems—from detailed simulation to production realities and, more recently, team development.

Veena Parthan: Simulation seems central to your team's work today. How are you using Cadence tools in your day-to-day projects, and what has been the biggest benefit of using them in your team's workflow?

Iva Papeš: My team uses Cadence Reality DC Design daily to optimize cooling solutions for data centers. We rely on CFD simulations throughout the design process to guide engineering decisions from the earliest stages of the project.

At a high level, we typically perform two types of CFD analyses: internal and external. Internal CFD focuses on the data center itself. We analyze airflow within data halls, evaluate rack inlet and outlet temperatures, assess containment effectiveness, identify potential hot spots in critical spaces such as power rooms, and validate whether the cooling system has sufficient capacity to meet the thermal requirements.

External CFD examines the interaction between the site and its surrounding environment. We use it to understand how wind conditions affect large outdoor cooling installations, such as chiller or dry-cooler yards. We evaluate whether heat rejected by the cooling equipment on the site could recirculate back toward the air intakes, reducing efficiency.

By using Reality DC Design to simulate both the internal and external environments of data centers, we can identify potential issues early, compare design alternatives, optimize system performance, and provide our customers with greater confidence that the cooling solution will perform as intended under real operating conditions.

Physics-based CFD simulation of Vertiv™ MegaMod™ HDX rendered in Cadence Reality Digital Twin Experience Powered by NVIDIA Omniverse Libraries.

Veena Parthan: One thing that really comes through in your story is your focus on supporting people. How would you describe your management style, and what has shaped that approach?

Iva Papeš: I would describe my management style as supportive, collaborative, and flexible. I enjoy sharing knowledge, but I also want team members to feel comfortable asking questions and contributing to what they know. A simple question can sometimes open the door to a much bigger insight, so creating a safe environment for discussion is important to me.

My role is to support people, help them develop, and create onditions in which they can succeed. I also value work-life balance and respect for personal time, especially for colleagues with young children. Ambition and flexibility can coexist, and I believe people do their best when they feel trusted, respected, and supported.

Veena Parthan: You've clearly found your calling in engineering, but if you hadn't taken that path, what do you think you would be doing instead?

Iva Papeš: Medicine would probably have been my alternative path. I considered it before choosing mechanical engineering, and it still interests me. What draws me to both engineering and medicine is the opportunity to understand complex systems—how they work, why something happens, and how individual parts influence the whole system or body. If I had more free time, I could imagine taking up a degree in medicine simply to explore that interest further.

Veena Parthan: Let's switch gears now. Outside of engineering and CFD, what do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Iva Papeš: I enjoy spending time with my husband, our three children, and friends. We spend a lot of time outdoors—hiking, swimming, and enjoying life by the coast. We recently spent a full week sailing together as a family.

I also enjoy baking birthday cakes. Even that becomes an engineering project for me: everything needs to be measured precisely, carefully assembled, and aesthetically pleasing. During my alone time, which is my two and a half hours drive to work, I enjoy listening to podcasts and catching up with friends.

Iva's Five Tips for New Managers

1. Embrace challenges and don't be afraid to solve difficult problems.
   Every leadership role comes with uncertainty and obstacles. I believe growth happens when you take ownership of challenges and focus on finding solutions rather than avoiding them.
2. Never stop learning.
   No matter where you are in your career, there is always something new to learn. I try to learn every day, whether it's from colleagues, new experiences, or technical challenges.
3. Respect your colleagues and create a safe environment for questions.
   I encourage open communication within my team. Sometimes the simplest question can spark a valuable discussion or lead to a better solution. People should feel comfortable sharing their ideas and asking for help.
4. Support your team both professionally and personally.
   I believe it is important to respect people's personal time and be flexible. When people feel supported, they are more motivated and able to do their best work.
5. Be patient—success is a long journey, not a race.
   Careers develop over time. My advice is to keep learning, enjoy the process, and trust that opportunities will come. Patience, persistence, and continuous growth are often more important than immediate results.

At Cadence, the future of simulation is shaped by people who combine technical depth with curiosity, leadership, and a drive to keep learning. Follow the Professionals in CFD series for more conversations with the experts behind that progress.