Prague Leaders Magazine Issue 03/2012

PRAGUE

leaders 3/2012 195 CZK

now available in Brussels

MAGAZINE

A New Vision For

CZECH ENERGY Ladislav Dráb, Chairman of the Board of The CE GROUP Photo: Aleš Petruška-Macciani

www.leadersmagazine.cz incl. electronic version Brno I Ostrava I Plzeň I Liberec I Olomouc I Ústí nad Labem I Hradec Králové I České Budějovice I Pardubice I Zlín I Jihlava I Turnov I Karlovy Vary I Mladá Boleslav

JE DOKONALOU LINIÍ KŘIVKA

Nové Infiniti FX K dispozici s celou řadou vysoce výkonných motorů od 238 po 390 koňských sil. Ať už jde o verzi s benzinovým nebo dieselovým motorem V6, či mocným V8 v benzinovém provedení, se 7stupňovou automatickou převodovkou a sekvenčním řazením si vždy budete užívat impozantní síly při zařazení jakéhokoli rychlostního stupně.

Od této chvíle se budete za volantem cítit přirozeně.

Od této chvíle je tu Infiniti.

Rezervujte si testovací jízdu na www.infiniti.cz Zobrazený model: Nové Infiniti FX30d S Premium. Oficiální kombinovaná spotřeba pro řadu Infiniti FX: 9,0 l/100 km. Emise CO2: 238 g/km.

A masterpiece only gains in value over time: like Mozart ´s music - and his stamps.

The Czech Post is introducing a new edition of art stamps with a M Mozart design.

These stamps can be used for sending letters or postcards to Europe or kept as a great souvenir that will grow in value.

On the occasion of the 10th anniversary Dallmayr Kaffee in the Czech Republic, we held a Vernissage exhibition of Venezuelan art in the Czech Republic. It was a unique experience of linking Venezuelan art with the irresistible taste of delicious Dallmayr coffee. Supporters of expressive paintings will appreciate paintings of Arnaldo Delagda Mancilla at the exhibition, which can be recognised by his typical grotesque, near horrid impressions of human bodies and faces.

Each of the authors has a unique style and novel expression for which it is worth visiting the gallery.

OF VENEZUELAN ART IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC

It was therefore not a surprise that the celebrations were attended by the Ambassador of Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in Prague, H.E. Victor Julian Hernandez. The images were further enjoyed by other distinguished personalities, such as Felix Slováček and you could also meet there Miss Princess of the World 2011, Miss Carmen Isabel Chavez Hernandez of Mexico. The vernissage was attended by 120 V.I.P. guests from the series of prominent ambassadors, consuls, politicians and figures from the cultural and political spheres.

From left From le : René enéé Si Simon mon,, Dall allmay mayyr Caff affee, eee, ee e Kater Kater Ka terina ina Bo Bohac hac LLiinna hac nar ar a ex, ex Latin Art Ga G llery, y Miloš oš Ja Janů nnů, ů, Pr ome mexim me xxim i , and Fel F ix i x Slo Sl váč áčč eek ek, k renown ren owned own ed Mus Musici ici ic cian an

Pošlete přání plné života S každým přáním UNICEF, které odešlete, zároveň pomáháte stavět školy, dodávat vakcíny a budovat studny v oblastech, kde to je zapotřebí. UNICEF pomáhá každý den měnit k lepšímu životy milionů dětí na celém světě. Pomozte i Vy: pošlete přání plné života!

Prodejny: Obchod UNICEF, Rytířská 31, Praha 1 • OD Kotva, náměstí Republiky 8, Praha 1 • IKEA Praha (Zličín a Černý Most), Brno a Ostrava (prodej v IKEA vždy 14 dní před Velikonocemi a 2 měsíce před Vánocemi)

e-shop:

www.unicef.cz

publishers note & contents

Dear Readers, Spring is here, and let me quote a poem by Barbara Stahly: SPRING Spring is here, I feel it in the air The days are longer, the sky so blue The trees are awake and the flowers too The weather is warmer and the air smells so good The beauty of Spring is magic to behold Year after year its beauty enfolds Flowers blossom and love does too The birds and bees are as happy as can be As they fly from flower to flower and tree to tree It’s a new beginning for all to enjoy Leave your woes behind Happiness is there for all to find On this beautiful day in Spring I hope you feel as I do when you read this poem, that with spring comes new hope, optimism and energy, which will give us new vitality when facing obstacles and problems. Take a moment to watch Mother Nature in springtime bloom, in the variety of its colours and the diversity of its fragrances. Nature is full of life and is the source that helps us to renew our inner strength. Nature gives us the spirit to overcome pettiness, narrowness, greed, envy and other vices that we are all, unfortunately, tempted by from time to time.

It is a great honour to have Mr. Ladislav Dráb on our front page accompanied with an interview. Mr. Dráb is Chairman of the CE Group which is behind the EGS24 Energy Gas Storage Summit 2012, under the auspices of Václav Klaus, President of the Czech Republic, and special guests like Bill Clinton, former President of the USA, and Mrs. Dilma Vana Rousseff, President of Brazil, to mention a few. It will be the event of the year, I would say, and of course Leaders Magazine will be there and provide you Dear Readers with a photo report.

Other prominent interviews in this issue are with Mr. Petr Zemánek, General Manager of the Association of Engineering Technology; Mr. Tomáš Vrba, Chairman of the Forum 2000; Mr. Ivo Kaderka, President of the Czech Tennis Association; and Mrs. Vendula Svobodová, President of Fund Kapka naděje to mention a few.

In this May issue we are proud to have coverage and photo reports from such prestigious events as the 20th EB&FF organized by Comenius; the Zlatá Koruna Forum; the CFO Club award for Best Financial Director of 2011; the Ceses Seminar for European Security and Defence at the Crossroads; the prestigious Manager of the Year 2011; Insurers of the year 2011; Victory Day at the Russian Embassy; Round Table Seminars by Comenius with Lord Mayor Mr. Svoboda, the Minister of Environment Mr. Chalupa, and President of the Senate Mr. Štěch; our own Advisory Board Dinner with many prominent guests and members; and Jazz at the Castle – again to mention a few.

I am also happy to welcome our new sales representative Ms. Silvie Palaščáková to our team and I wish her all the best of luck in her effort to secure new and old clients to our magazine. I would also like to congratulate our head of editorial Lenka Koeningsmark, and her husband on their new born healthy baby boy named Ben – perhaps a future team member as well.

Dear Readers, I wish you all a great spring season, and energy to inspire and to help and care for others.

Benke Aikell benke.aikell@leadersmagazine.cz www.leadersmagazine.cz 6 Leaders Magazine III/2012

events 14 18 24 27 30 33 36 50 52 60 68 72 74 80 90 94 98 110

12th Leaders Magazine Advisory Board Dinner Senate – Important Meetings of Mr. Milan Štěch, Chairman of the Senate of the Czech Republic European Banking & Financial Forum 2012, Special Dinner with H.E. Prof. Václav Klaus, President of the Czech Republic European Banking & Financial Forum 2012, Welcome Reception European Banking & Financial Forum 2012, Day 1 European Banking & Financial Forum 2012, Day 2 European Banking & Financial Forum 2012, Day 3 Lions Club Prague Bohemia Ambassador with Ing. Jan Lembas The Best Manager of the Year 2011 Financial Director of the Year by CFO Club Insurer of the Year Contest Round Table of Comenius in Ostrava with Tomáš Chalupa, Minister of Environment Round Table of Comenius with Dr. Bohuslav Svoboda, Lord Mayor of the City of Prague Conference Debate Distribution of Financial Products or So Called Education of Clients in Bohemia Lions Club Prague Bohemia Ambassador with Ing. Arch. Zdeněk Lukeš Round Table of Comenius with Milan Štěch, President of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic 64th WBCSD Branch Established in Prague Czechoslovak Foreign Institute – a Place to Meet Personalities/ČSÚZ

page 84 Russian Victory Day Reception

culture events 4

Vernissage of Venezuelan Art in the Czech Republic

64

New Season at the Alchymist Club Garden

93

Tom Segev at the Israeli Residence

118

1st Theater Performance in MIRO Gallery, April 2012

120

Jazz at the Castle with Roy Hargrove Q

123

Jazz at the Castle with Ondřej Pivec N.Y. Trio Featuring Paul Bollenback

126

The Sleeping Beauty, National Theatre

127

Gloriana, Mignon, National Theatre

128

Crazy Day or the Marriage of Figaro, National Theatre

129

Kolowrat – Letting, For 35 Years, We Stage Wonderful Circus, National Theatre

contents interviews

contributors

10

A New Vision for Czech Energy A talk with Ladislav Dráb, Chairman of the Board of the CE GROUP

12

Searching for – the Legacy of Václav Havel – Lives On A talk with Tomáš Vrba, Chairman of the Board of Forum 2000 Foundation

23 44 59 83 89 101

40

Czech Engineering is on the Rise A talk with Petr Zemánek, General Manager of the Association of Engineering Technology

46

Myths and Facts of the Pension Scheme A talk with Vladimír Bezděk, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Generali Slovensko – the Member of Generali PPF Holding

102 104

117 page 78 – Interview with Vendula Svobodová

48

Communication with Clients is Essential A talk with Kateřina Jedličková, Cosmetic Beauty Advisor

56

Manager of the Year 2011 Finalist An interview with Ing. Ivana Šachová, Owner and Director of the SILEX Company s.r.o., Home Textile Retail Chain SCANquilt

57

Manager of the Year 2011 Finalist An interview with Ing. Martin Doksanský, MBA, Chairman of the Board and the CEO of SMP CZ, a.s.

58

Fire Packed For Export An interview with RNDr. Roman Hrnčíř, CSc., Chairman of the Board and General Director of Severochema Liberec, Manager of the Year 2011 Finalist

58

The Team Is Essential An interview with Miroslav Závada, MBA, Manager of the Year 2011 Finalist

71

Allianz Reigns in Car Insurance An interview with Jakub Strnad, CEO, Allianz pojišťovna

78

More Than a Drop, “Charity Work Is Like Running a Normal Company” A talk with Vendula Svobodová, Founder, Manager and Owner of the Now Well-known Endowment Fund Kapka naděje

130

Vzdělání a zkušenosti vedou k úspěchu Rozhovor s Šárkou Fričovou, MBA, ředitelkou rozvoje obchodu, divize společnosti BeeConsulting

diplomatic events 21 84

The Fate of Industrial Regulators/Emanuel Šíp Innovative Leadership/ELAI What Needs Drive You?/Karin Genton How to Avoid the Janoušek Scenario/Cristina Muntean What Is Happiness? But a Golden Fly!/Ivan Pilný How do we Turn Consumer ‘Touch Points’ into ‘Passion Points’?/Emil Jimenez The Future Is Already Here – the Prophets of the Future, Part 2/Joseph Drebitko Cosmic Consciousness – A Journey To Well-being, Happiness, and Success, Part III: Everything From Nothing? A, B/James A. Cusumano Does Freedom Equal Responsibility?/Evžen Tošenovský

State Visit of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Russian Victory Day Reception

page 126 National Theatre

EU matters 112

I Used to Try Taking Care of Patients Rather than Just “Serve People” An interview with Zuzana Roithová, Member of the European Parliament

114

Cohesion Funds – Czech Priorities for the Next European Social Fund European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity Between Generations Business News

115 116

106–107

108-109

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info We are pleased to announce that we have considerably extended Leaders Magazine spread to include 80 topnotch restaurants in Prague.

Total circulation: cca 18.000 bi-monthly including electronic version.

Readership total: cca 500.000 Leaders Magazine is sent as a compliment to: Those who are the most influential, powerful and affluent readers in the Czech Republic. To representatives of the businesssphere, diplomatic corps and to top goverment and mayor’s officials.

We cooperate with Prague City Hall, CzechInvest, Czech Centre, The Czech Medical Chamber, all Chambers of Commerce, Forum Francophone Affaires, Česká Manažerská Asociace, CMC Graduate School of Business, University of New York in Prague, Anglo American School, University of Pittsburgh, CEELI Institute, Lions Clubs, Rotary Clubs, The Prague Society for Int. Cooperation, CZECH TOP 100, Czech 100 Best, CEBRE, CESES, Eurotelegraph, The Senate, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Culture, Ano pro Evropu, VIP lounges at the Prague aiport, Zlatá koruna, CFO Club, BLF, Czechoslovak Foreign Institute, Národní divadlo, ÚOHS, Comenius, and many more.

For sale in Luxor Bookstore at Václavské náměstí.

Leaders Magazine is available in all rooms of these top star fine hotels and their restaurants: (telephone number for reservation)

Alchymist Rezidence Nosticova Alchymist Club Restaurant 257 011 670 Aria Hotel Coda restaurant 225 334 791 Augustine Hotel 266 112 233 Crowne Plaza Harvest Restaurant 224 393 692 Grand Hotel Bohemia U Prašné brány 234 608 111 Hilton Prague CzechHouse Grill & Rotisserie 224 842 700 Hilton Prague Old Town Restaurant 221 822 303 Holiday Inn Prague Congress Center Esprit 61 175 030 Hotel Hoffmeister Restaurant Ada 251 017 133 Hotel Intercontinental Praha Zlatá Praha 296 631 111 Hotel Palace Praha Gourmet Club 224 093 111 Hotel Residence Alchymist Grand Hotel & Spa 257 286 011 Hotel Savoy, Restaurace Hradčany 224 302 150 Kempinski – Hybernská Hybernská 12, 110 00, Praha 1 hotel & restaurant 226 226 111

Le Palais Hotel Prague Le Papillon 234 634 611 Prague Marriott Hotel Brasserie restaurant 222 888 888 Radisson SAS Alcron Hotel La Rotonde 222 820 000 Restaurant Alcron

222 820 000

Rezidence Lundborg Praha 257 011 911 Top Hotel Praha Restaurant Bohemiatop Recepce 267 284 111 Audience Decision makers in the fields of business, public relations, independent professions and diplomacy, government officials, local officials.

You can find the Magazine in these fine restaurants: (telephone number for reservation) Ambiente – Ristorante Pasta Fresca 224 230 244 Ambiente – The Living Restaurants 222 727 851 Aromi 222 713 222 Azteca 257 327 389 Bar Restaurace Bílkova 13 224 829 254 Barock Bar & Café 222 329 221 Bellevue 800 123 553 Bugsy’s Bar 222 329 943 Cafe La Veranda 224 814 733 Cafe Savoy 257 329 860 Cafe De Paris 603 160 718 Casanova 257 535 127 Clementinum 224 813 892 Casa Andina 224 815 996 Dům vína U závoje 226 006 120 Francouzská restaurace v Obecním domě 222 002 745 Giardino Enoteca con Cucina 222 513 427 Hergetova Cihelna 257 535 534 Ichnusa – Plaská 5 Praha 5 605 525 748 Kampa Park 257 532 685–6 Kavárna v Obecním domě 222 002 764 King Solomon 224 818 752 Kogo – Havelská 224 214 543

Leaders Magazine is member of

Kogo – Slovanský dům

221 451 259

La Perle de Prague 221 984 166 Lamborghini PastaCaffé (Vězeňská) 224 813 257 Lamborghini PastaCaffé (Vodičkova) 222 231 869 Lary Fary 222 320 154 La Truffe 608 308 574 Le Café Colonial 224 818 322 Les Moules 222 315 022 Luka Lu Restaurant 257 212 388 Lví Dvůr 224 372 361 mama lucy 222 327 207 Marco Polo IV 224 819 668 Metamorphis 221 771 068 Mirellie Mediterranean Restaurant Korunní 783/23 Praha 2 222 521 814 V.P. Čkalova 502/14, Praha 6 222 959 999 Nostresscafe gallery 222 317 004 Orange Moon Osteria Da Clara

222 325 119 271 726 548 776 418 559

Pálffy Palác Parnas Passepartout Pravda

257 530 522 224 216 244 222 513 340 222 326 203

Restaurace Hanil 222 715 867 Restaurant bar Pod křídlem 224 951 741–2 Restaurant Michal 222 222 630 Restaurant Rybí trh 224 895 447 Restaurant U maltézských rytířů 257 533 666 Rio’s Vyšehrad 224 922 156 Ristorante Amici Miei 224 816 688 Ristorante Da Emanuel 224 312 934 Rusalka 224 934 109 Sahara Café/ Restaurant 774 557 763 Restaurant Kamenný most 224 097 100 U malířů U modré kachničky U Modrého Hroznu U zlaté hrušky U Závoje

257 530 000 257 320 308 222 221 185 220 514 778 226 006 122

Zátiší Restaurant Zahrada v Opeře Zelená zahrada – Šmilovského 12, Praha 2

222 221 155 224 239 685

222 518 159

Publisher: Benke Aikell Marketing/Advertising: Silvie Palaščáková Head of Editorial: Lenka Helena Koenigsmark Office Manager/Head of IT: Michael Serences Office Assistant: Tatiana Fominykh Webmaster: Nikoloz Bolkvadze EU Matters: CEBRE Czech Business Representation, CESES, Europlatform Contributors: James A. Cusumano, Iva Drebitko, Joseph Drebitko, Karin Genton – L´Epée, European Leadership and Academic Institute, Pavlína Holancová, Martina Hošková, Emil Jimenez, Zuzana Kasáková, Cristina Muntean, Ivan Pilný, Marco Sipione, Emanuel Šíp, Evžen Tošenovský Photographers: Tomáš Brabec, Barbora Ficalová, Pavel Hejný, Ronald Hilmar, Martin Janas, Zuzana Jirásková, Jakub Joachim, Martin Kubica, Aleš Petruška-Macciani, Ivan Malý, Petra Mohylová, Oto Palan, Filip Pokorný, Alessandro Russotti, Marie Schmerková, Hana Smejkalová, Lombardi Vallauri, Marek Velček, Vladimír Weiss Subscription service: Leaders Magazine, CEPONA, s.r.o.

Lužická 32, 120 00 Praha 2 We appreciate your opinions of Leaders Magazine.

Please send them to: Leaders Magazine Moravská 14, 120 00 Praha 2 tel.: 224 255 277 fax: 224 256 172 e-mail: info@leadersmagazine.cz www.leadersmagazine.cz Leaders Magazine comes out bi-monthly.

Licence: MK ČR E 13147 No reproduction is permitted in whole or part without the express consent of Leaders Magazine.

The advertiser is responsible for the advertising contents.

Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors or persons interviewed and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors or Leaders Magazine.

All editorial material and photos in Leaders Magazine is digitally stored and may be republished by Leaders Magazine either in printed form or in various digital media. All correspondence to Leaders Magazine may be published.

Graphic design and printing: D&S Design Prague, s.r.o. tel.: 274 774 131 prague@bigformat.cz www.bigformat.cz

Leaders Magazine Advisory Board The ppositive sitive itive tiv repu reputat reputation of Leaders Magazine continues to grow, however we realize that we must m maintain m ain to t improve and learn, particularly during these times of dynamic change.

That is wh Tha w whyy we ha have v decided to set up an Advisory Board for the magazine. I am convinced that creating ng a pplatform latf of high profile individuals will be an excellent opportunity for the magazine too acq acquire qui nnew quire ew id ideas and define new directions of future development.

Be Benke Aikell Aikel Your Yo our Publish Pu Publisher her Th re aare There r onl only few ew projects started in the Czech Republic by foreigners which I consider as usefu useful to this country as Leaders Magazine. The magazine has brought to the Czech Republic the ccompletely new concept of making important people – the decision makers be th they Czech or foreigners – visible and worthy of positive admiration.

As yyou o might know this is something not very common and perhaps even not very natural in the Czech Republic. It is therefore all the more of an achievement to start and successfully develop a project such as Leaders Magazine. I understand fully the intention su of Benke Aikell, the magazine’s founder and editor-in-chief, to progress further with Leaders Magazine, and for this purpose to form a team of experienced Czech citizens of different backgrounds to create a consulting body which would bring this project to aan even higher level.

I Karel Muzikář, CSc. Ing. President of Comenius I was pleased to be invited by Benke Aikell to cooperate on the preparation of the Advisory Boardd project. proj I personally see one of the main goals of the project in creation of a positive eenvironment envi nvirronme for networking, exchange of views, presentation of new ideas, experiences, proposals propos propo posa sal als or suggestions.

I am am con co convinced onnvin nvi vin that the formation of a platform of highly profiled personalities and potential discussion discu scuss on of different topics in very informal setting will be useful for both sides – for the magazine as a well as for the members of the Advisory Board.

IIng. ngg. Petr P rK Ku Kubernát Director D rectoor oof Pekos s.r.o.

Consulting C Consu o ult and Training Company ADVISORY BOARD COMITTEE B nkke A Benke Be Aikell, Publisher, Leaders Magazine Ing. In ng P ng.

Pet Petr Kubernát, Director, PEKOS s.r.o. and former Czech Ambassador to the Netherlands IIng. Kar Karel Muzikář, á CSc., President, COMENIUS HONORARY MEMBERS ABROAD AND GOODWILL AMBASSADORS H.E W H.E. William J. Cabaniss, former United States Ambassador to the Czech Republic Vincent Vinc e J. Derudder, Secretary General, The European Federation of Financial Advisers andd Financial F Intermediaries Frank J. Devlyn, Rotary International President 2000–2001 and Rotary Foundation Chairman Fr 2005–2006 H.E. Alexey L. Fedotov, former Ambassador of the Russian Federation tto the Czech Republic H.E. Richard Graber, former United States Ambassador to the Czech Republic H H.E. Jan Cornelis Henneman, Ambassador of the Netherlands to the Czech Republic H H.E. Athar Mahmood, former Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to the Czech Republic H.E. Zdravko Popov, former Ambassador of the Republic of Bulgaria to the Czech Republic H.E. Mati Vaarmann, former Ambassador of the Republic of Estonia to the Czech Republic Ája Vrzáňová, Czech World Champion in Figure-skating, Sport Legend H.E. Huo Yuzhen, former Ambassador of the People´s Republic of China to the Czech Republic

ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS PhDr. Zdeněk Čáp, Managing Partner, Equity Solutions s. r. o.

Josef Drebitko, CEO, D&COMM Prof. Ing. Jiří Fárek, CSc., Professor, Technická Univerzita Liberec and former First Deputy Mayor, City of Prague 6 Ing. Peter P. Formánek, President, Canadian Chamber of Commerce in the Czech Republic Mgr. Marta Gellová, Director, Česká pojišťovna and Member er of the Board, AFIZ Michal Heřman, General Manager, Star Communications Václav Hudeček, Violinist Plk. Mgr. Vladislav Husák, Deputy Police President, Policejní jní prezidium ČR JUDr. PhDr. Oldřich Choděra, Lawyer, Law Firm JUDr. PhDr. Oldřich Choděra & spol.

Prof. Ing. Kamil Janáček, CSc., CNB Bankk Boardd Mem Me Member mber and Chief Executive Director Otto Jelinek, former Canadian Cabinet Minister nist and current cuurren member of numerous international boardss Ing. Peter Jusko, MBA, Partner, London Market Ing. Petr Kalaš, Advisor to the Minister, Ministry of Agriculture re of the CR and former Minister of Environment Ing. Josef Kreuter, CSc., former Czech Ambassador to thee EU E Prof. Dr.h.c. JUDr. Jan Kříž, CSc., Partner, Law Firm Křížž a Bělina s.r.o.

Ing. Jaroslav Kubišta, Secretary, Lions Club Prague Eagle agl Genmjr. JUDr. Lubomír Kvíčala, former Director of the Department of Protection of Constitutional Officials, cia Police of the Czech Republic Ing. Vladimír Laštůvka, former M.P. Ing. Jan Mühlfeit, Chairman Europe, Microsoft Corporation atio Ing. Jiří Maceška, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Česká eská pošta a. s. and former Czech Ambassador to OECD George Parobek, Managing Director, Ifield Computer Consultancy Šárka Parobek, Director, Ifield Computer Consultancy Doc. Ing. Antonín Peltrám, CSc., Advisor Doc. Ing. Václav Petříček, CSc., Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Chamber SNS Ing. Jozef Piga, Member of the Supervisory Board, Omnipol a.ss.

Ing. Lucie Pilipová, Partner, Via Perfecta, s.r.o.

Ing. Ivan Pilný, President, TUESDAY Business Network JUDr. Čestmír Sajda, MBA, former Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Affairs MUDr. Richard Sequens, PhD., Head of Surgical Gast Ga stro roen ente tero rolo logy gy Cen ente terr, Nem emoc ocni nice ce Mililos osrd rdný ných ch ses este teer sv. Karla Boromejského v Praze and former Senator PhDr. MgA. Miroslav Smolák, Owner, Galerie MIRO Mgr. Albin E. Sybera, Managing Director, Sybera Enterprises spol. s r. o.

Brigadier General Ing. Andor Šándor (ret.), Consultant ant PhDr. Jaroslav Šedivý CSc., former Ambassador and Minister of Foreign Affairs JUDr. Josef Šesták, Assistant Professor, Vysoká škola kola obchodní obchoddn v Praze, o.p.s.

Ing. Radomír Šimek, President, German-Czech Chamber of Industry and Commerce Bc. Vladimír Šiška, MBA, 1stt Deputy Minister, Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs Jaromír Šlápota, President, Československý ústav zahraniční Ing. Pavel Štefka, MSc, 4-star General (ret.), Chief of Defence and Special Programs, Tatra Ing. Helena Švédová, HR Director, PSG International, a.s.

Ing. Josef Tauber, Advisor to the President, Czech Banking Association Ing. Jiří Vávra, Vice Chairman, STROJEXPORT, a.s.

JUDr. Petr Vyroubal, Partner, Law Firm Vyroubal Krajhanzl Školout

interview A talk with Ladislav Dráb, Chairman of the Board of the CE GROUP

A NEW VISION FOR

CZECH ENERGY The current profile of the CE GROUP was created in 2002 by the establishment of Česká energie, a.s. with its main focus on energy.

The market’s liberalization has significantly helped to expand the Group’s scope of activities, thus Česká plynárenská, a.s. was founded in 2007. Its wholesale activities are geared toward natural gas at present. In 2009 another company was established, GSCeP, a.s. (Gas Storage Česká plynárenská), aimed at the development and successful completion of the underground natural gas storage. Systemic changes in the European gas market led to the origin of the company České plynovody, a.s. Its main task is to prepare and implement project MOZART, i.e. a connection of the Czech and Austrian gas system of the North-South direction. Thanks to good business relationships and ties to the North American continent, the CE GROUP began its activities beyond European borders in 2009, when Česká energie, a.s. founded CZECH ENERGY USA, LLC in Florida, USA. Its aim is to explore new technologies within alternative sources of energy, and to create conditions for developing business activities of Česká energie, a.s. in the U.S. market as well.

10

Photos: Macciani

interview What is the main aim of the Summit EGS24?

Its primary goal is to map changes occurring throughout Europe in the gas market. Additionally, we want to open up discussions on how our country, much like Europe, is prepared for these changes. In the field of energy security, the Summit will assess cross-border connectivity, or the construction and operation of strategic buildings, such as gas storages.

The buildings built and operated by 24 European countries, including the Czech Republic, are playing an increasingly important role in both industry and household supply. Last but not least, the Summit should consider the energy infrastructure user’s viewpoint and contribute to a debate evaluating adequate investment, as well as non-investment measures, which will enhance the security and reliability of the energy market, and reflect the current needs of the fast-changing European energy market.

Many foremost guests will participate in the Summit EGS24. Could you name some of them?

The event is held under the auspices of the Czech president, Václav Klaus, who shall perform here as well. Among others, we are happy to welcome Ms. Dilmy Vany Rousseff, the President of Brasil and Mr. Dimitris Christofias, the President of Cyprus. Other participants are e.g. Jan Fischer, the Vice-president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development; Martin Kuba (ODS), the Minister of Trade and Industry; Tomáš Chalupa (ODS); members of NERV; and representatives of major energy companies such as ČEZ, NET4GAS a E.ON. As icing on the cake, on the eve of the major summit meeting, which will be held on Thursday, the 24th of May, in the Spanish Hall of Prague Castle, the former U.S. president Bill Clinton will speak at the Gala dinner. He will present his view of the world order within the energy field.

How was the Summit born?

This is actually not the first Conference that CE GROUP has organized. The European gas market has been facing important changes, and CE GROUP obviously does not want to stand aside. In this respect, we’d like to contribute to the discussion on forming gas infrastructure. There are several fundamental factors which need to be taken into account.

The key roles here are safety and reliability of supply, as these meet the essential parts of our lives. Europe is almost fully dependent on natural gas imports. In this respect, our company has been developing projects aimed at building of quick gas storages., and we are also working on a project of a pipeline interconection between the Czech and Austrian system via the MOZART pipeline. In this context, the Summit will present a unique project entitled “Advanced Energy Complex Rozna”, which combines stateof-the-art technology of large-volume electric power storage with ultimate-speed natural gas storage.

Can you be more specific about this project?

The “Rozna Storage” is going to be the fastest gas cavern storage system in Europe. Also, it is a practical value-for-money solution that combines technologies which enable active management and regulation of the gas and electric power supply networks, and enhances the security, reliability and liquidity of the energy market. Above that, it makes use of unique

geological structures, and a virtually ideal location, in terms of both national energy systems and their connection to the European gas and electric power networks.

How do you manage to cope with the project’s costs in times of economic recession?

The overall costs of the Rozna Complex won’t exceed 6 billion CZK. We succeeded in dropping the cost of storage largely thanks to the selection of a suitable location. Construction of the gas storage, in the form of excavation in granite massive, is influenced by the interplay of many positive factors. Yet, if we would have to look for a similar place on a green field side, we would have to undergo rather in-depth research. However, it would mean a further investment of billions of CZK. On the other hand, we have functional access roads at our disposal in the locality Rozna, and thus we can directly focus on exploration of the massif quality parameters. It saved us several years of work.

Is this technology safe?

As I’ve already pointed out, the storage’s safety is a factor on which we place a great emphasis. This type of storage is considered to be very safe. At present, we are building a system of tunnels within a very hard, compact and stable environment of massif, the range of which greatly exceeds the need for storage space.

In addition, the safety and reliability of the technology’s construction, as well as the operation of this unique type of system, was sufficiently verified through the observation of a similar storage system in Háje u Příbrami.

What do we need it for?

This type of storage is not aimed at strategic reserves or a seasonal stockpile of natural gas. Thanks to its construction, this storage enables a rapid

Soon, the Czech Republic is going to host the “global energetic market”.

The Energy Gas Storage Summit 2012 (EGS24), gathering many significant decision-makers from all over the world, will be held in Prague, on the 23rd–25th of May. There are several famous names on the guest list, including Bill Clinton, Jan Fischer and Vladimír Dlouhý, to name a few. The initiator and organizer of the entire event is one of our leading energy companies, CE GROUP. We talked to its representative, Ladislav Dráb, the Chairman of the Board (see also his featured interview in Prague Leaders Magazine, 1/2011).

He touched upon upcoming changes within the gas industry in both the Czech Republic and Europe, and about some of the key issues the Summit EGS24 is going to discuss.

change of operating pressure without damaging itself. In this respect, this is one of the few storage systems in Europe, or even in the world, with such a disposition. Essentially, this is an important safety feature within the gas system. Its role is growing even more at a time when other storage systems have limited injection and extrusion capacity with regard to the character of its technical limitations and its capacity. Moreover, the storage enables us to react to price fluctuations on the spot market for gas. Also, business within the spot market in Central Europe has been significantly on the rise. There are growing opportunities for profit making for those who are able to respond rapidly, and buy or sell gas under competitive prices. Thus, the storage contributes to higher liquidity of the market in question. And higher market liquidity entails a higher market security as well.

In this respect, can we expect a greater interconnection on the European market level?

The European Commission has adopted several measures to increase liquidity and interconnectivity of national markets, which have been isolated so far.

These measures lead to a better and more costfavourable access to transport capacity for discriminated short term spot transactions. Their application within the European gas infrastructure allows providing for effective daily flexibility of storage in neighbouring countries as well. Again, this means an enhancement of security and stability of the gas system in neighbouring countries. And that is of great importance to us.

By Pavlína Holancová český překlad naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.leadersmagazine.cz

Leaders Magazine III/2012 11

interview A talk with Tomáš Vrba, Chairman of the Board of Forum 2000 Foundation

Searching for – the Legacy of

VÁCLAV HAVEL  LIVES ON After studying philosophy and psychology at Charles University in Prague, Tomáš Vrba (born 1947) engaged in social work and research among the local Roma population, but he was dismissed immediately after the signing of the Charter 77 human-rights declaration. From 1977 to 1989 he was a construction worker, a translator, and the editor of non-official (samizdat) publishing networks. From 1990 to 1995 he was Editor-in-chief for the Czech and Slovak edition of Lettre Internationale, and in 1993 he was the founder of the Association of European Journalists/Czech section. From 1997 to 2000 he was the Editor-in-chief for the Czech and English editions of the monthly Přítomnost/The New Presence, and from 1998 to 2002 he was a member of the board of the Czech chapter of Transparency International. Since 1999 he has been lecturing at New York University, Prague. From 2002 to 2004 he was an international vice-president of the Association of European Journalists. He was also a member and president (from 2004–2007) of the board of the Czech News Agency (ČTK). Since 2007 he has been president of the board of the Forum 2000 Foundation, and currently he also chairs the board of Theatre Archa in Prague. He is translating both fiction and non-fiction from English into Czech, e.g. Yehuda Bauer (2009), Flannery O’Connor (2010) and Madeleine Albright, Prague Winter (2012).

How did you meet with Václav Havel?

We met in the mid-seventies, shortly before Charter 77 was issued. At that time, Václav Havel prepared the samizdat book series of the “Edice Expedice”. My task was to take one copy of each title and get it to France in a discrete way. In the second half of the eighties, Václav Havel offered me to become a member of the editorial board of the “Edice Expedice”. Thanks to that I talked to him and to his wife Olga more often. Yet, nobody had the slightest clue at that time that Václav Havel would one day hold such an important position. Thus, neither shyness nor high esteem were necessary. We all admired him for his consistency. When they brought him a passport in prison, followed by the words “If you want to, you can go abroad tomorrow”, he refused this on principle.

I consider this true heroism, and in this way he set a great moral example.

How were the “ordinary” people in Charter 77 accepted, who were, let’s say, outside the “intellectual elite”?

It was quite natural within Charter 77 that even an entirely unknown chartist from rural areas could have come straight to Ludvík Vaculík or Václav Havel. I mention it often as a model of an almost utopian democratic community. All views here were equal. At the same table could sit a Trockyist, an evangelical pastor, a window washer (a future Archbishop, actually), a future rabbi of Prague, a former communist or a worker. The workers were mostly workers from coercion, people who were not allowed to carry out their original professions, or young people who were not allowed to study. They then created their cultural underground. Real workers were the most abused class under the totalitarian regime; communists boasted of the working class, yet exploited it blatantly.

How do you explain that such a diverse group of

12

Photo: Vladimír Weiss

interview Originally, it was supposed to be solely one single people was able to work together, when we imagine his interest on the contrary reached the intensity of the first years, and it was he who suggested future topics. conference. According to witnesses, Václav Havel comthem as having a non-hierarchical structure?

In October this year, the already 16th Annual plained to Elie Wiesel in one of their talks that there was It was apparently through the fact that Charter 77 Forum 2000 Conference will be held, this time under not much opportunity to meet a wider range of interestembodied the solidarity of the shaken, as expressed by the title “Media and Democracy”. In your view, what ing people, because people are rather meeting within the philosopher Jan Patočka. There were still some inspired Václav Havel to select such a topic? particular fields. So, why not make a conference in structures within the Charter which were non-hierarIt is known that he worried about how the media Prague where people of different beliefs could meet chical, but it was represented by three spokespersons as a phenomenon has developed worldwide. How the people from different cultural areas. Then again, Václav since the very beginning, each of whom represented press became primitive in a relatively short time and is Havel had the experience of Charter 77. For this reason, a broader group. Later, when some other civic initiatives still influential, not to mention television. Unfortunately, interreligious meetings are the integral part of the and the seeds of future political parties had formed, this trend is global and it is not improving. Václav Havel Forum 2000 Conference. ideological disputes naturally began to emerge. Howwisely wondered: “Who actually owns the media, and What is so specific about them? ever, the common denominator has always been the isn’t it true that the media owns us?” We can suggest They are unique in many respects. When in October absolute respect for the opinion of others and the ability that the Conference is going to touch upon the infotainof 1997 London´s Chief Rabbi, a professor of Islamic to hear others. Tolerance does not mean that we all have ment problem, and moreover upon the fact that the dogmatic of Rabat, Protestants, Catholics, and the the same opinion, but that we can keep our own views. media can develop an active addiction, as In this respect, Charter 77 was unique. well as new electronic media and certainly These factors also appeared within the the responsibilities of journalists.

Havel asked the question: Who actually owns project Forum 2000.

What tasks is the Foundation Forum What do you think was a major impetus the media, and isn’t it true that the media owns us?

2000 facing at present? for the establishment of Forum 2000?

The departures of Václav Havel and Did the political marasmus of the midOldřich Černý are obviously for us two merciless blows. nineties, which prevailed in our country, contribute Dalai Lama all lit candles together, it was undoubtedly Paradoxically, we feel nonetheless strengthened as to its establishment? a great historic event. Since then, it has been repeated a team, whether it’s the Foundation itself or the Board.

Václav Havel saw advancing globalization, perevery year in various forms. In recent years, it took place We feel that we can give the best tribute to both preceived the world in full, in contrast to our “little pond” several times in Tomáš Halík’s St. Salvador Church. cious people and friends by continuing in their work. paralyzed by petty internal struggles. He expressed Also, debate panels have been organized aimed at reliInitially, we were a little worried if after a few weeks the a great regret about Czechs’ constant tendency to pergious issues within Forum 2000. But let me return to the wave of solidarity will not wane. It didn’t. The good news original idea of the Forum 2000 Conference: the key ceive themselves as permanent victims. Additionally, is that the main sponsors have already promised their idea was to invite former and active politicians, human he was sorry about the fact that we were not able support, and also the first attendance confirmations rights activists, religious leaders, and also scientists, to acknowledge that, despite all of the difficulties, we from invited guests are coming.

Nobel Prize winners and authors from all over the world, belong to the most privileged five per cent of humanSo, Forum 2000 keeps living along with the legacy in order to provide them a neutral ground to discuss. kind. He knew that people were interested in his views of its two foremost men, Václav Havel and Oldřich What was the role of Václav Havel in the preparaof the world, thus he wanted to bring the major debate Černý. tion of the Forum 2000 Conferences? on world issues home, in order to confront us with our Yes, we owe it to our great predecessors. Forum Václav Havel always presented his ideas and suggesplanet’s real problems. It is often said that man is 2000 has over the years become a cultural institution tions. Later, when Forum 2000 advanced to its later seldom a prophet at home. For this reason, until now itself.

Its part is not only the Annual Conference but years, the preparation proceeded smoothly thanks to Václav Havel has been revered and admired more other events as well.

Oldřich Černý. In some years, however, health unfortuabroad than at home.

Can you be more specific? nately did not allow President Havel to participate How did Oldřich Černý become a part of Forum The annual shows of non-profit organizations, the actively in the preparations.

But in the last three years, 2000?

“NGO Market”, or the so-called “Shared Concern He was an absolutely wonderful person and friend.

Initiative”, are related to Forum 2000 as well. The latter I was lucky that I already knew him from his studies.

The outgoing year always fi lls us with one is an initiative within which framework we even Then we’d been meeting with friends at the Odeon send observers to politically risky areas. They meet hope in our hearts for the upcoming year.

Publishers. Oldřich Černý then also worked in Albatros, with people from opposition groups, from government he knew English very well, and he interpreted films and However, at the end of the last year, we were circles, and possibly with local representatives of intertranslated for dubbing. He had a lot of friends within immensely hit by the unexpected departure national organizations. Then, they work out a report cultural circles. In stormy November 1989, and later at of Václav Havel, and this spring we saw the that serves as a basis for formulating an opinion on the the Prague Castle, he emerged as one of the closest situation. We sent such a mission to Kiev, and the SCI equally unexpected departure of Oldřich advisers to Václav Havel, as a security adviser. Thereposition on the situation in Ukraine was released last Černý, a close fellow of Václav Havel. Their fore he also became the Director of the Secret Service. year. Our people visited Venezuela this year where elecYes, he was a man behind the scenes on whom it was fates have been linked since dissent, and tions are about to take place, and the situation is very absolutely possible to rely on. On the one hand, he this connection continued on the Forum strained there. As an NGO we have the advantage of not was completely invisible because nobody knew him; 2000 platform, which Václav Havel founded being interconnected with a political power or with any nobody knew what he looked like. Yet at the same time, state. In addition to that, Forum 2000 is an internatioin the mid-nineties, and which has become he had plenty of contacts and friends among diplomats, nal platform, where a fair confrontation of views from the significant meeting place of prominent within MI5, the CIA, within the French and many other various cultural areas was the essential idea. The 16th Secret Services. Forum 2000 needed a man of his statfigures from all around the world. Oldřich Annual Forum will be a kind of touchstone, and will ure. When it was necessary to find out anything, Olda Černý was Director of the Forum 2000 show whether the Foundation has enough inner power, had the phone number of anyone who knew the answer.

Foundation. We talked to Tomáš Vrba, enough supporters, to keep going to the same extent.

He was simply a man of service. The fact that he met So far it seems it will follow the same successful path. the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Václav Havel is both essentially a coincidence and eviForum 2000 about the Foundation’s fi rst dence that miracles do really happen, and that people

By Pavlína Holancová who belong together find each other, which is then to steps and what challenges this significant the advantage of all. český překlad naleznete v elektronické verzi organization is currently facing. magazínu na www.leadersmagazine.cz How was the now historic first year of Forum 2000?

Leaders Magazine III/2012 13

networking/gourmet ne et or etworking/gour etwo orking/ ourmet eev event at the Alchymist Grand Hotel & Spa

From left: Benke Aikell, your Publisher, Dr. Josef Reiter, General Manager, BMW Group, Czech Republic, and Ing. Radomír Šimek, President, German-Czech Chamber of Industry and Commerce

12th Leaders Magazine Amon Am ongg ou ourr sp spec eciial ial gu g eessts thhiis ev even eniin en ing we ing were ree H.E .E. E V. Ash s ok ok,, Am Amba bass ba ssad ador or, Em Emba Emba bass ssyy ooff Ind ss ndia ia,, H.E ia H.E. H. E. Sou ouri riya ya Otm tman anii,i, Amb an m as assa sado sa dor,, Emb mbassy syy of Mo Moroocc ccoo, H.E. Nin H.E inaa Na Naka kash ka shid sh idze id ze,, Am ze mba basssad bass ador dorr, Em Emba bass ba sssy off Geo eorg rgia rg gia ia andd H.E E. M Mrr. Ai Aitz tzaz az Ahhm med ed, d, Amba Am mba b ss ssad ador ad or, Em or Emba bass sssy off the Islam sllamicc Reppubli ubblilc off Pak akkis akis ista stann too the h Czzeech Repu Repu Re p bl bliic ic who ho wer eree list lilist sten enin en nin ing ng to toge geth ge ther th er witithh ma many nyy more orre in inte t re rest stin st ingg gu gues ests es tss to the thhe sppea each chh of Mr M . Ja Jaro romí ro mírr Šl mí Šláp áppot ota, ota, a, Cha hair air irma man off the ma he Cze zech cho ch hoslo oslo lova vakk va Fore Fo ore reig ignn In ig Inst stitititut st utee, ut e, tal a ki k ngg abo bout utt his isto tory and tory to nd cur urre reent act ctiv ivitititie iv iess off the ie he Czzeech choosslo chos lova lova vak Fo Fore reiig re ign Inst ign nst stitititut utee.

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From left: Pavel Petkov, Vice Chairman of Credit Committee, ANO, Mgr. Marta Gellová, Director, Česká pojišťovna and Member of the Board, AFIZ and Jaromír Šlápota, President, Czechoslovak Foreigh Institute

nnetworking/gourmet etw etw tworki rking/gourmet rkin ingg/g g ou ourmet our urrme met even eve event vennt nt

From left: Albín Sybera, General Manager, Sybera Enterprises spol. s r.o., Adéla Syberová, Advisor to the President, Comenius, Ing. Petr Eisler, Czechoslovak Foreign Institute and Dr. Jan Campbell

From left: Ing. Petr Eisler, Czechoslovak Foreign Institute and Dr. Jan Campbell PhDr. Jana Kozmová, CSc., VŠE Praha and RNDr.Ing. Peter Kozma, DrSc., CEO, CRYTEX, s.r.o.

From left: Emanuel Šíp, Partner, Allied Progress Consultants, Prof. Ing. Jiří Fárek, Professor, Technická Univerzita Liberec, and JUDr. PhDr. Oldřich Choděra, Lawyer, Law Firm JUDr. PhDr. Oldřich Choděra & spol.

From left: PhDr. MgA. Miroslav Smolák, Owner, Galerie Miro and Ing. Radomír Šimek, President, GermanCzech Chamber of Industry and Commerce

Benke Aikell, Your Publisher and Helena Kohoutová, Agentura Helas

From left: Eva Anderová, Director of the Department of the International Relations, Ministry of Finance, Ing. Peter P. Formánek, President, Canadian Chamber of Commerce in the Czech Republic and G. Sukumar, Director, United Enterprises

The positive reputation of Leaders Magazine continues to grow, however we realize that we must maintain to improve and learn, particularly during these times of dynamic change. That is why we have decided to set up an Advisory Board for the magazine. I am convinced that creating a platform of high profile individuals will be an excellent opportunity for the magazine to acquire new ideas and define new directions of future development.

Benke Aikell, your Publisher

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networking/gourmet ne et or etworking/gour etwo orking/ ourmet eev event

H.E V. Ashok, Ambassador of India

H.E. Souriya Otmani, Ambassador of Morocco

From left: Eva Anderová, Director of the Department of the International Relations, Ministry of Finance, Jan Valdinger, Managing Partner, Change Partnership, and JUDr. Jaroslava Vítová, Judge, Court of Appeal

Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius

From left: JUDr. Ing. Otakar Schlossberger, Ph.D, Head of the Department of Banking and Insurance, Faculty of Economic Studies, Vysoká škola finanční a správní, o.p.s., and Miroslav Fous, Research Director, Factum Invenio

From left: Václav Baloun, Managing Partner, Baloun J.C. & Rosehill, Lenka Helena Koenigsmark, Head of Editorial, Prague Leaders Magazine, and Martin Opatrný, Advisor, PR and Media Expert

MUDr. Richard Sequens, PhD., Surgeon and former Senator and Helena Sequens, Visual Artist

16 Eva Anderová, Director of the Department of the International Relations, Ministry of Finance

Jaromír Šlápota, Chairman, Czechoslovak Foreign Institute in his speach

Ing. Antonín Peltrám, CSc., Advisor

nnetworking/gourmet etw etw tworki rking/gourmet rkin ingg/g g ou ourmet our urrme met even eve event vennt nt

From left: H.E. Souriya Otmani, Ambassador of Morocco and JUDr. Lubomír Kvíčala, former Director of the Department of Protection of Constitutional Officials, Police of the Czech Republic with wife

From right: Otto Jelinek, former Canadian Cabinet Minister and current member of numerous international boards and Ing. Petr Kalaš, Advisor to the Minister of Agriculture and Former Minister of Environment

From left: Miloš Janů, Promexim and H.E. Aitzaz Ahmed, Ambassador of Pakistan

From left: Jan Machálek, Foundation of Maltese cross, Michal Hrbata, Deputy Minister of Defence, and Ing. Fawad Nadri, President, Czech-Afghan Chamber of Commerce in ČR

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There are only few projects started in the Czech Republic by foreigners which I consider as useful to this country as Leaders Magazine. The magazine has brought to the Czech Republic the completely new concept of making important people – the decision makers be they Czech or foreigners – visible and worthy of positive admiration. As you might know this is something not very common and perhaps even not very natural in the Czech Republic. It is therefore all the more of an achievement to start and successfully develop a project such as Leaders Magazine. I understand fully the intention of Benke Aikell, the magazine’s founder and editor-in-chief, to progress further with Leaders Magazine, and for this purpose to form a team of experienced Czech citizens of different backgrounds to create a consulting body which would bring this project to an even higher level.

Ing. Karel Muzikář, CSc., President of Comenius

From left: Michal Hrbata, Deputy Minister of Defence, Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius, Ing. Josef Tauber, Advisor to the President, Czech Banking Association, and Prof. Ing. Jiří Fárek, Professor, Technická Univerzita Liberec

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senate insight

Important Meetings OF MR. MILAN ŠTĚCH, CHAIRMAN OF THE SENATE OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC

At the beginning of April, a conference on the economic situation of the Czech Republic and its outlook was held in the Wallenstein Palace. The event was organized by the Senate Chairman Milan Štěch, in cooperation with the initiative ProAlt. There, M. Štěch pointed out that the prevailing economic policy of reducing budget deficit that has been propagated so far by the government of Petr Nečas is only a weak substitute for an effective and comprehensive economic policy, which should encompass policies focused on encouragement of exports, competitiveness, education and Czech integration within the EU, above all. The Governor of the Czech National Bank (CNB) Miroslav Singer has stressed in his speech that by its actions, the government has significantly affected the Czech economy already last year. As a consequence of its policies, the growth fell by 0.6 percent to 1.7 percent. The so-called reforms of the Cabinet of Petr Nečas are projected by the CNB to negatively affect the Czech economy even this year; the growth of the economy is expected to shrink by CNB calculations by 0.4 percent.

The conference was also attended by Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Jaromír Drábek, spokesman for the ProAlt initiative Jiří Steg and others.

During April, representatives of the upper parliamentary chamber of the Czech Senate welcomed a number of international guests. Among them, there were, above all, the president of Azerbaijan Ilham Alijev with his wife, Chairman of the Senate of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Tahir Masri and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Sudan Ali Ahmed Karti.

On April 22 to 24, Chairman of the Senate Milan Štěch undertook an official visit to Georgia, accompanied by a business delegation. The state delegation met with President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili, Prime Minister Nika Gilauri, Chairman of the Parliament of Georgia David Bakradze, Vice-President of Parliament Rusudan Kervalishvili, Chairman of the Georgian-Czech Parliamentary Friendship Group Giorgi Goguadze, Mayor of Tbilisi Gigi Ugulava and former Georgian President Edward Shevardnadze. The main topic of their discussions was the possibility of increasing economic cooperation between the two countries and investment opportunities for Czech companies. In the words of its representatives, Georgia is trying to become as open economy as possible for foreign investors, and as a consequence, sets its conditions for business transparently, clearly and without unnecessary bureaucratic burdens. This matter was indeed addressed by the Czech-Georgian business forum, which was launched together by M. Štěch and D. Bakradze. An equally important theme of the meetings was also the effort of Georgia to integrate into NATO and the European Union. The talks further focused on the democratization of Georgia and implementation of reforms in the country, regional developments, the issues of Georgian-Russian relations, the situation in the separatist territories, visa policy and more.

An exhibition “Boots, Shoes, Little Shoes” was launched under the auspices of the Senate Vice-President Alena Gajdůšková in the Senate Exhibition Hall. The exhibition is open to public daily in the Exhibition Hall until the 17th of June. The admission is free.

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From left: David Bakradze, Chairman, Parliament of Georgia and Milan Štěch, Chairman, Senate of the Czech Republic upon signing a book for distinguished guests of the Georgian Parliament

From left: Jiří Šteg, Spokesman, ProAlt initiative (down left), Jaroslav Šulc, Advisor to the Senate Chairman, Jaromír Drábek, Minister of Labour and Social Affairs at the conference on the “Economic situation and its outlook” in the Senate, and Milan Štěch, Chairman, Senate of the Czech Republic in his speech

From left: Milan Štěch, Chairman, Senate of the Czech Republic with his wife held a luncheon for the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and his wife in the Wallenstein Palace

From left: Ali Ahmed Karti, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sudan, and Petr Pithart, Senate Vice President in the Wallenstein Palace

From left: Miroslava Štýbrová, Director, Shoe Museum in Zlín and Alena Gajdůšková, Senate Vice President at the exhibition opening of “Boots, shoes and little shoes”, which was launched in the Wallenstein palace

19 Milan Štěch, Chairman, Senate of the Czech Republic welcomes the Chairmain of the Senate of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Tahir Masri in the Wallenstein Palace

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The senate delegation with the members of the children choir and dance group after the cultural performance in the Palace of Youth in Tbilisi

Milan Štěch, Chairman, Senate of the Czech Republic while handing over an official present to Rusudan Kervalishvili, the Vice President of the Parliament of Georgia

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From left: Jaroslav Müllner, Director, Secretariat of the Senate Chairman, Jan Kohout, Advisor to the Senate Chairman, Petr Šilar, Senator and Miroslav Nenutil, Senator during the degustation of Georgian cognac on the premises of the manufacturing plant in Sarajishvili

In the middle: Milan Štěch, Chairman, Senate of the Czech Republic and David Bakradze, President, Parliament of Georgia at the opening of Georgia-Czech business forum

From left: Nika Gilauri, Prime Minister, Georgia, Jan Kohout, Advisor to the Senate Chairman, Miroslav Nenutil, Senator, and Jaromír Štětina, Senator

From left: H.E. Illham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Václav Klaus, President of the Czech Republic

state

At the invitation of President Václav Klaus, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan H.E. Illham Aliyev and his wife Mehriban Aliyeva, visited the Czech Republic, on April 5th–6th, 2012.

From left: Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva, Mrs. Livia Klausová, H.E. Illham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Václav Klaus, President of the Czech Republic

From left: Mrs. Livia Klausová, H.E. Illham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Václav Klaus, President of the Czech Republic and Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva

From left: Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva, H.E. Illham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Václav Klaus, President of the Czech Republic and Mrs. Livia Klausová

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21

infrastructure analysis

REGULATORS The need to develop industrial regulatory bodies emerged in the Czech Republic at the early stage of switching the economy to a market system. Restructuring of the Czech (more exactly, Czechoslovak) banking system with the creation of a central bank came even under the late Communism. The first years of economic reform, 1991, saw the origin of price regulation and of Úřad pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže (Office for the Protection of Competition, ÚOHS).

While the traditional concept of industrial regulators accented end price policy, product standardization and entry/exit conditions, today’s requirements shift more to the care for fair competition, equal distribution of scarce resources, network transfer prices and consumer protection. Public discussion keeps as hot topics the extent of dependency or independency of regulators on state institutions and political projects, or how to prevent regulatory capture, i.e. the state of things when regulators, often dependent on industrial information from and dealing constantly with powerful business entities gradually become more supportive to the special interests of the regulated instead of pursuit of public interest.

The Czech regulatory environment still has shortcomings stemming from a too short regulatory tradition. The origin of regulation was always attacked by “market hardliners” who believed that, in any case, the market would eventually solve all problems of any highly concentrated industry. Even if in some cases it really happened (see e.g. how mobile telephony erased the once irresistible power of fixed line telephony of SPT Telecom Company), industries still remain where the power of dominant entities can hardly be pacified by technology development only. Political influence is also strong and detrimental to the principle, as managers of regulators are often nominated by an arrangement within a coalition government transferred to the Parliament, so their independence can easily be put to discussion.

The power of regulators can be found the stronger, the more competitive the market

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structure is (which, of course, may bring at some stage a good reason to abolish regulation completely). So, for instance, Český telekomunikační úřad (Czech Telecommunication Office) seems to cope successfully with its tasks within the dramatically changing and competitive industry.

On the other hand, Energetický regulační úřad (Energy Regulatory Office, ERÚ), facing very concentrated structures in all its three subsectors – energy, gas and centralized heat – was not too efficient in tempering dynamically growing prices of electric energy, especially since the incumbent energy producer, ČEZ Company, had swallowed a good part of energy distribution companies by Government’s decision of 2002.

A recent threat of ERÚ to introduce electricity price caps is not a good recipe; additional regulatory powers to strengthen competition should be searched instead. Neither the ÚOHS was too successful in facing tendencies to bidrigging spreading within the publicly-procured construction industry during past years.

Even if the structure of regulators in Czechia looks stabilized, one more is to originate due to European legislation in preparation; it is a railway regulator, to be constructed on a different basis than the existing Drážní úřad (Rail Authority), the function of which is much more technical than market oriented. The new regulator will have a very difficult task: to develop and guard competition rules in this very strongly concentrated industry so as to invite new competitors – in fact investors – into this extremely distorted market.

It is clear that in spite of their problems industrial regulators have taken their justified place in the Czech economy. One question remains to be solved: whether it is necessary to conserve the existing sector specific regulators, or to try to concentrate them in more general ones.

Numerous examples of both models exist, the latter one e.g. in the German Bundesnetzagentur für Elektrizität, Gas, Telekommunikation, Post und Eisenbahnen (Federal Network Agency for Electricity, Gas, Telecommunications, Post and Railways). It seems that qualities of the

general model prevail: they can be found in developing unified techniques to combat antimarket tendencies, stronger resistance to regulatory capture as well as potential savings in auxiliary activities.

So as to have more functional regulatory agencies – not only in the Czech Republic – it is important to liberate them gradually from undue influence of sectoral ministries, grant them more independence as to the investigative, decision-making and coercive powers, and also equip them by generally respected and “obligation-free” personalities in their management.

This would pay especially to the end consumers of network industries’ products.

By Emanuel Šíp Partner Allied Progress Consultants Association český překlad naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.leadersmagazine.cz

Leaders Magazine III/2012 23

Comenius/ČNB event

Special thanks to Ifield Computer Consultancy and Laic Aktiengesellschaft for making this reportage possible

From left: H.E. Prof. Václav Klaus, President of the CR, Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius, and H.E. Pierre Levy, Ambassador of France

SPECIAL DINNER WITH H.E. PROF. VÁCLAV KLAUS, PRESIDENT OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC ON THE OCCASION OF THE 20TH ANNUAL

European Banking & Financial Forum 2012 AT THE PARNAS RESTAURANT

24

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH IFIELD COMPUTER CONSULTANCY AND LAIC AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT

Dinner at the Parnas Restaurant

Comenius/ČNB event

From left: Ilona Benešová Armentano, H.E. Prof.

Václav Klaus, President of the CR, and Benke Aikell, your Publisher

Lucie Vaclachova, Assistant of the Executive Chairman, China Investment Forum, and Wang Kejin, General Director, China Banking Regulatory Commission From left: Wang Kejin, General Director, China Banking Regulatory Commission and H.E. Prof. Václav Klaus, President of the CR

From left: Lucie Čadilová, Director, Representation of Prague in Brussels, Prague´s House and H.E. Renilde Loeckx, Ambassador of Belgium

From left: Michaela Chaloupková, Member of the Board, ČEZ, Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius, and Ilona Benešová Armentano

IN COOPERATION WITH LEADERS MAGAZINE

25 From left: Libuše Šmuclerová, CEO, Ringier Axel Springer CZ, Vojtěch Jirků, General Director, EURO News, and H.E. Yaakov Levy, Ambassador of Israel

MORE PHOTOS AND ELECTRONIC VERSION AVAILABLE ON WWW.LEADERSMAGAZINE.CZ

Comenius/ČNB event

Special thanks to Ifield Computer Consultancy and Laic Aktiengesellschaft for making this reportage possible

From left: H.E. Yu Qingtai, Ambassador of China, Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius, Wang Kejin, General Director, China Banking Regulatory Commission, and H.E. Pierre Levy, Ambassador of France

H.E. Prof. Václav Klaus, President of the CR

From left: Vladimír Vaněk, Partner in Charge, Management Consulting and Risk Services, Deloitte, Benke Aikell, your Publisher, and Miroslav Singer, Governor, Czech National Bank

26

From left: Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius and Igor Shamis, President, Pilsen Steel and Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Pilsen Steel United Group

From left: Igor Shamis, President, Pilsen Steel and Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Pilsen Steel United Group, Alexander Turov, Trade Representative of the Russian Federation in the CR, Anatoly G. Aksakov, President, Association of Regional Banks of Russia, and H.E. Prof. Václav Klaus, President of the CR

From left: Karel Muzikář, Managing Partner, Weil, Gotshal and Manges, and Jiří Weigl, Chancellor, Office of the President of the CR

From left: Benke Aikell, your Publisher, Wang Kejin, General Director, China Banking Regulatory Commission, Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius, H.E. Yaakov Levy, Ambassador of Israel, Igor Shamis, President, Pilsen Steel and Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Pilsen Steel United Group, Alexander Turov, Trade Representative of the Russian Federation in the CR, and Jiří Vaňhara, Vice Chairman, European-Russian Bank

Special thanks to Ifield Computer Consultancy and Laic Aktiengesellschaft for making this reportage possible

Comenius/ČNB event

Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius in his welcoming speech

IN COOPERATION WITH LEADERS MAGAZINE

WELCOME RECEPTION IN THE PALACE OF ČESKÁ SPOŘITELNA

European Banking & Financial Forum 2012

From left: Michael Hrbata, Deputy Minister of Defence, Jan Fischer, Vice President, Operational Policies, EBRD, and former Prime Minister of the CR, and Benke Aikell, your Publisher

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH IFIELD COMPUTER CONSULTANCY AND LAIC AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT

27

Comenius/ČNB event

Special thanks to Ifield Computer Consultancy and Laic Aktiengesellschaft for making this reportage possible

From left: Tomáš Čáp, Vice President, Comenius with his wife Karolína, Petr Eisler, Czech-Slovak Foreign Institute with his partner, and Marta Gellová, Director, Česká pojišťovna and Member of the Board, AFIZ

From left: Jan Fischer, Vice President, Operational Policies, EBRD and former Prime Minister of the CR and Martin Novák, Member of the Board and CFO, ČEZ From left: Pavel Kysilka, CEO, Chairman of the Board, Česká spořitelna, Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius, and H.E. Ivan Grytsak, Ambassador of Ukraine

From left: Miroslav Singer, Governor, Czech National Bank and H.E. Yaakov Levy, Ambassador of Israel

From left: Jitka Čápová, Czech National Bank, Vladimír Fišera, Czech National Bank, Debora Zvardonová, and Jan Málek, Director of Controlling, MF Eva Trotter, CFA, Member of the Board of Directors, PEM-Invest, and H.E. Pasquale D’Avino, Ambassador of Italy

From left: H.E. V. Ashok, Ambassador of India, H.E. Gabriel Oh, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea, and H.E. Pasquale D’Avino, Ambassador of Italy

28

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH IFIELD COMPUTER CONSULTANCY AND LAIC AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT

Stanislava Janáčková, Advisor to the President, Office of the President and Kamil Janáček, Member of the Board and Chief Executive Director, Czech National Bank

From left: Petr Hotovec, Sales Director, Zenova services and Peter Formánek, President, Canadian Chamber of Commerce in the CR

From left: Peter Smith, Eden Island with his wife, Alexander Akulinin, Project Manager, Russia and CIS Operation, Comenius, Konstantin Abesadze, Darley Select, Victoria Contoret, The Official Trade and Investment Representative, SIC, and Jana Štefánková, Eden Island Showroom

Comenius/ČNB event

From left: Pavel Kysilka, CEO, Chairman of the Board, Česká spořitelna, Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius, and H.E. Peter Brňo, Ambassador of Slovakia

From left: Karel Muzikář Jr., Managing Partner, Weil, Gotshal and Manges and Eva Zamrazilová, Member of the Board, Czech National Bank Daniela Dubná and Petr Severa, Weil, Gotshal and Manges

From left: Alexander Turov, Trade Representative of the Russian Federation in the CR and Libor Holub, Chief Executive Officer, Volksbank

From left: Jan Wiesner, Honorary President, SČMVD, Soňa van Deelenová, General Director, SČMVD, and Jozef Bogdan, Member of the Board, International Bank for Economic Cooperation From left: Zdeněk Macháček, Section Director Security, Česká spořitelna, Zdena Šimánková, Financial Director CZ and SK, Electro World, and Michal Janatka, Sales Manager, Ness

MORE PHOTOS AND ELECTRONIC VERSION AVAILABLE ON WWW.LEADERSMAGAZINE.CZ

From left: Miroslav Singer, Governor, Czech National Bank, Michael Hrbata, Deputy Minister of Defence, Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius, and Pavel Kysilka, CEO, Chairman of the Board, Česká spořitelna

29

Comenius/ČNB event The Jubilee 20th European Banking & Financial Forum, organized by Comenius Society in cooperation with Mr. Miroslav Singer, Governor of the Czech National Bank, commonly focuses on economic, financial and banking issues. The annually held EB&FF traditionally takes place at the Congress Center of the Czech National Bank by the end of March and this year the conference was entitled “Towards New Global Financial Order,” which was a visionary phrase widely reflected upon by the forum participants. The three days of the forum were elevated by contributions from wonderful speakers like Mr. Milorad Katnić, Minister of Finance of Montenegro, Mrs. Piritta Sorsa, Head of the Economics Department of OECD, Mr. Øystein Olsen, Governor of the Norges Bank, Mr. Kejin Wang, General Director of the Supervisory Rules & Regulations Department of the China Banking Regulatory Commission, Mr. Grigoriy Marchenko, Governor of the National Bank of Kazakhstan, Mr. Pavel Misiga, Head of Unit of Sustainable Production & Consumption at the European Commission for Environment and many others. In addition to a high number of admirable speakers, the forum was attended by a number of significant Czech politicians, ambassadors, personalities of the world of finance and other top professionals. This year’s conference touched upon issues like sustainable development, energy security for the EU and Hi-Tech in the world of finance. Over three hundred participants took part in the lively and open discussions following each panel of the forum.

Special thanks to Ifield Computer Consultancy and Laic Aktiengesellschaft for making this reportage possible

Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius

European Banking & Financial Forum 2012 DAY 1: TOWARDS NEW GLOBAL FINANCIAL ORDER

30

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From left: Milorad Katnić, Minister of Finance, Montenegro, Piritta Sorsa, Head of the Economics Department, OECD, H.E. Yu Qingtai, Ambassador, Embassy of China, Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius, Milan Štěch, President, Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, Anatoly G. Aksakov, President, Association of Regional Banks of Russia, and Jan Fischer, Vice President for Operational Policies, EBRD

Comenius/ČNB event

Tomáš Chalupa, Minister of Environment, Czech Republic

Alan Svoboda, Chief Sales Officer, ČEZ

Anatoly G. Aksakov, President, Association of Regional Banks of Russia

Piritta Sorsa, Head of the Economics Department, OECD

H.E. José Luis Bernal, Ambassador, Embassy of Mexico

Caroline Kuhnert, Managing Director, Wealth Management UBS

Pavel Misiga, Head of Unit, Sustainable Production & Consumption, European Commission for Environment

Juerg Klarer, Managing Director, Aequilibrium Consulting

IN COOPERATIO ON WITH LEADERS MAG GAZINE

From left: Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius, Grigoriy Marchenko, Governor, National Bank of Kazakhstan, Marcia De Wachter, Executive Director and Honorary Vice-Governor, National Bank of Belgium, Elena Muzyka, Deputy Head for Credit Institution Licensing and Financial Rehabilitation Department, Bank of Russia, and Miroslav Singer, Governor, Czech National Bank

31 MORE PHOTOS AND ELECTRONIC VERSION AVAILABLE ON WWW.LEADERSMAGAZINE.CZ

Special thanks to Ifield Computer Consultancy and Laic Aktiengesellschaft for making this reportage possible

Comenius/ČNB event

Elena Muzyka, Deputy Head for Credit Institution Licensing and Financial Rehabilitation Department, Bank of Russia

From left: Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius and Milan Štěch, President, Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic

H.E. Yu Qingtai, Ambassador, Embassy of China

Marcia De Wachter, Executive Director and Honorary Vice Governor, National Bank of Belgium

Miroslav Singer, Governor, Czech National Bank

Oystein Olsen, Governor, Norges Bank

Jan Fischer, Vice President for Operational Policies, EBRD

Grigoriy Marchenko, Governor, National Bank of Kazakhstan

32

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH IFIELD COMPUTER CONSULTANCY AND LAIC AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT

From left: Juerg Klarer, Managing Director, Aequilibrium Consulting, Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius, Caroline Kuhnert, Managing Director, Wealth Management UBS, H.E. José Luis Bernal, Ambassador, Embassy of Mexico, Alan Svoboda, Chief Sales Officer, ČEZ, and Pavel Misiga, Head of Unit, Sustainable Production & Consumption, European Commission for Environment

Special thanks to Ifield Computer Consultancy and Laic Aktiengesellschaft for making this reportage possible

IN COOPERATION WITH LEADERS MAGAZINE

Comenius/ČNB event

From left: Šárka Parobek, Director, Ifield Computer Consultancy, Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius, Jana Vozárová, General Director and Chairwoman of the Board of Directors, Barrandov Studio, George Parobek, General Director, Ifield Computer Consultancy

European Banking & Financial Forum 2012 DAY 2: TOWARDS NEW GLOBAL FINANCIAL ORDER

From left: Roman Cabálek, General Director, Microsoft Czech Republic, Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius, Mikael Munck, Chief Information Officer, Saxo Bank Group, Karel Janeček, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, RSJ, Jan Jaroš, Member of the Board, Unicorn, Zbyněk Pardubský, Deputy General Manager, Huawei Technologies Czech Republic, and Mirko Kalous, General Director, NESS Czech

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH IFIELD COMPUTER CONSULTANCY AND LAIC AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT

33

Comenius/ČNB event

Nicolas Fitaire, Director, Friedrich Wilhelm Raiffeisen Private Banking

Mikael Munck, Chief Information Officer, Saxo Bank Group

From left: Alexander Akulinin, Project Manager Russia & CIS Operations, Comenius, Libor Holub, Chairman of the Board, Volksbank, Sergey Gorkov, Deputy Chairman of the Management Board, Sberbank, and Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius

Zbyněk Pardubský, Deputy General Manager, Huawei Technologies Czech Republic

34

Jozef Síkela, General Director, Slovenská sporiteľňa

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH IFIELD COMPUTER CONSULTANCY AND LAIC AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT

Special thanks to Ifield Computer Consultancy and Laic Aktiengesellschaft for making this reportage possible

Vít Vařeka, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Executive Director, AMISTA

Jan Jaroš, Member of the Board, Unicorn

Peter Smith, Sales Director, Eden Island Development Company, Seychelles

Karel Janeček, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, RSJ

From left: Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius, Kamil Janáček, Member of the Bank Board, Czech National Bank, and Pavel Kysilka, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Česká spořitelna

From left: Jan Cienski, Bureau Chief, Warsaw Financial Times, Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius, Sergey Gorkov, Deputy Chairman of the Management Board, Sberbank, Pavel Kysilka, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Česká spořitelna, David Putts, Chief Executive Officer, Equa bank, and Jozef Síkela, General Director, Slovenská sporiteľňa

Comenius/ČNB event

Sergey Gorkov, Deputy Chairman of the Management Board, Sberbank

From left: Vít Vařeka, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Executive Director, AMISTA, Janka Vozárová, General Director and Chairwoman of the Board of Directors, Barrandov Studio, Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius, and Jiří Uklein, Head of Office, Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic

Jan Cienski, Bureau Chief, Warsaw Financial Times

From left: Kejin Wang, Deputy Director, Supervisory Rules & Regulations Department, China Banking Regulatory Commission and Erik Best, Publisher, The Fleet Sheet

From left: David Putts, Chief Executive Officer, Equa bank and Jozef Síkela, General Director, Slovenská sporiteľňa

Jörgen Hoolmé, Wealth Management, Luxembourg Erik Best, Publisher, The Fleet Sheet

MORE PHOTOS AND ELECTRONIC VERSION AVAILABLE ON WWW.LEADERSMAGAZINE.CZ

35 Martin Novák, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, ČEZ

Comenius/ČNB event

Special thanks to Ifield Computer Consultancy and Laic Aktiengesellschaft for making this reportage possible From left: Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius and Bohuslav Svoboda, Lord Mayor, City of Prague

IN COOPERATION WITH LEADERS MAGAZINE

European Banking & Financial Forum 2012 DAY 3: TOWARDS NEW GLOBAL FINANCIAL ORDER

36

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH IFIELD COMPUTER CONSULTANCY AND LAIC AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT

From left: Igor Shamis, President and Chairman of Supervisory Board, Pilsen Steel United Group, Filip Thon, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, RWE Poland, Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius, Petr Nečas, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Jaehyuk Choi, Director for Corporate Strategy, Škoda Power, Doosan Company, Dmitri Malyshev, Advisor to the President, Gazprom Neft, Václav Lerch, Director of Gas Supply Portfolio, Logistics and Storage, Vemex, and Alexey Martyanov, Associate, Russian Direct Investment Fund

Comenius/ČNB event

From left: Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius, Igor Shamis, President and Chairman of Supervisory Board, Pilsen Steel United Group, Kejin Wang, Deputy Director, Supervisory Rules & Regulations Department, China Banking Regulatory Commission, Lei Yang, Deputy Director of Poland Working Group, China Development Bank, Andrey Poletaev, Head of Division, Vnesheconombank, Tomáš Uvíra, General Director and Chairman of the Board, Czech Export Bank, and Alexey Martyanov, Associate, Russian Direct Investment Fund

Filip Thon, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, RWE Poland

Kejin Wang, Deputy Director, Supervisory Rules & Regulations Department, China Banking Regulatory Commission

Petr Nečas, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic

37 Lei Yang, Deputy Director of Poland Working Group, China Development Bank

Tomáš Uvíra, General Director and Chairman of the Board, Czech Export Bank

Igor Shamis, President and Chairman of Supervisory Board, Pilsen Steel United Group

Special thanks to Ifield Computer Consultancy and Laic Aktiengesellschaft for making this reportage possible

Comenius/ČNB event

From left: Miroslav Singer, Governor, Czech National Bank, Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius, and Petr Nečas, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic

Alexey Martyanov, Associate, Russian Direct Investment Fund

Václav Lerch, Director of Gas Supply Portfolio, Logistics and Storage, Vemex

Gulnara Yamileva, Chief Financial Officer, IRTEK Integrated Industrial Solutions, Russia

From left: Bohuslav Svoboda, Lord Mayor, City of Prague, Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius, Tomáš Uvíra, General Director and Chairman of the Board, Czech Export Bank, Kejin Wang, Deputy Director, Supervisory Rules & Regulations Department, China Banking Regulatory Commission, Gulnara Yamileva, Chief Financial Officer, IRTEK Integrated Industrial Solutions, Russia, Igor Shamis, President and Chairman of Supervisory Board, Pilsen Steel United Group, and Lei Yang, Deputy Director of Poland Working Group, China Development Bank

Dmitri Malyshev, Advisor to the President, Gazprom Neft, Russia

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interview

Petr ZemĂĄnek, General Manager of the Association of Engineering Technology Photos: VladimĂ­r Weiss

40

interview A talk with Petr Zemánek, General Manager of the Association of Engineering Technology

CZECH ENGINEERING

IS ON THE RISE Petr Zemánek (1961) was born into the family of a famous veterinary surgeon in Benešov. After graduating as a CNC machinery mechanic adjuster at the Specialized Secondary School, he started his studies at the Faculty of Foreign Trade, at the University of Economics in Prague, and at the same time, he worked in the company TOS Hostivař in the position of CNC programmer. He fundamentally changed his work activities in 1983, and he then joined the financial sector, in the foreign department of Stadtsparkase Duiburg. After graduating from the University of Economics and completing military service, he returned to TOS Hostivař, where he was responsible for domestic sales until 1990. He then came under the wing of mark Erwin Junker, where he had been preparing the privatization projects of the TOS races in Mělník, Čtyřkola and Středokluky. In 1992, he became Chairman of the Board and CEO of Erwin Junker Grinding Technology – the world’s manufacturer of grinders. It is interesting to note that during his career at this company he was also named, among other things, to a position where he was responsible for the operation of the corporate aircraft Junkerair. In 2010, after twenty years spent in the background of the Erwin Junker Company, Petr Zemánek left and was elected the General Manager of the Association of Engineering Technology by the Association’s Board. Petr Zemánek is married to a paediatrician specializing in the field of paediatric genetics, and he has a daughter Elsa and a son Peter. He has a penchant for new information technologies, especially for the MAC platform equipment.

In addition to English, Petr Zemánek speaks fluent German, Russian, French, and has a grasp of the basics of Chinese. In addition, he enjoys travelling in his leisure time. Recently he has taken a fancy to romantic cruises on the seas, and he likes playing several musical instruments, likes singing and he is also a great dancer.

How have the needs and goals of the Association developed since its establishment in 1990?

It must be said that the building, which today houses our union, has seen a lot. I mean particularly a long era, when its premises were housed by the former powerful Directorate General of engineering technology factories. After the Velvet Revolution and privatization of the vast majority of the Czech engineering companies, there was a major step: 21 leading manufacturers and suppliers formed a machine tools based interest group, which was then called the Union of Manufacturers and Suppliers of Engineering Technique. The association’s management, altogether with its employees, had strenuously sought the profile of this professional organization. Largely thanks to Ing. Antonín Kyncl, the first Director of our Association who was literally “the founding father”, the Association slowly began to transform to the Engineering Association of the European type.

Could you be more specific about this?

The Association has developed into an organization whose mission is to represent our field externally, harmonise the professional interests of our members, become a reliable partner for state institutions and government, and cooperate with

the Technical Universities. At this point, I’d like to mention that the first Director in the modern history of the Association is still a very significant and active member of the Association despite his old age.

In my eyes he represents kind of a living continuity of our Association.

Where is the Association heading at present?

The new millennium brought not only engineering development but also new requirements aimed at the expansion of our activities. The long-time successor to Ing. Kyncel in the position of Director, Ing. Zdeněk Holý, was supposed to focus his efforts on the search for new funding with which we could finance the Association’s activities. At that time, one of the key missions of the Association of Engineering Technology was also emerging. So, the main task is our members’ participation in international exhibitions and trade fairs. My predecessor in office, who was also very successful at this position, the former director of the Foreign Trade Company Strojimport, Ing. Ivan Čapek, was head of the Association in quite unenviable times of economic crisis. He must be granted a great credit for calming the stormy waters. At the same time, he was able to keep the membership together even at a time when a lot of businesses failed in doing as good as in the pre-crisis period. Additionally,

he managed to persuade business representatives that the strength of this area lies, among other things, in their ability to interact. Yet, the present period cannot be called quite idyllic either.

In what way?

The crisis has exacerbated competitive pressures, and our producers need to find adequate ways to use an absolute increase in demand and consumption of machines in the new markets in Asia, Latin America and Africa. On top of that, manufacturers must reflect the fall in demand in both Europe and the U.S. Thus, the Association’s key task is to aid its members with their production and consumption on the new market.

The Association obviously needs to find financial backup, in addition to a responsible selection of international fairs and efforts to ensure that the right trade fairs, organized in rapidly growing areas, are attended by as many Czech exhibitors as possible, with the Association’s help. I can say that this is beginning to flourish, and especially co-operation with the Department on Export Promotion of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, much like the co-operation with the Czech Chamber of Commerce, is bearing its fruit. Of course, I could talk on and on about tasks related to technical education reform, development of science and research

Leaders Magazine III/2012 41

interview support, and chiefly applied research which moves innovations as quickly as possible directly into production, and which will give us the lion’s share in maintaining engineering competitiveness in the future. I shouldn’t forget our involvement in projects of the European Association of Machine Tool Builders CECIMO, etc. We might perhaps touch upon other topics later on.

Who can actually become a member of the Association of Engineering Technology?

Even the name of our Association shows that our member can be a manufacturer of machine tools and related technologies. In a broader sense, a member can be a producer of tools, and a subcontractor applying production within the framework of our field. Currently, the Association of Engineering Technology has a total of 50 members, two of whom are located in the Slovak Republic. We do not aspire to become a mass organization in any way. Any proposal for a new member is strictly appraised and approved at the Board meeting, where all existing members are represented. Potential candidates’ representatives must ensure that their company shares the philosophy of our Association, intends to actively take part in the Association activities, and thus is going to contribute greatly to our Association.

Where do you see advantages of the membership?

During the Association’s existence, above all the SME´s realized that they themselves do not even have the strength or the resources to adequately monitor developments in international markets, obtain vital statistics, or to get acquainted with innovations in the field. Nor can they analyze current macroeconomic phenomena and their impacts on production activities, receive regular information on developments in the European standardization system (including adoption and application processes of technical norms), communicate with state institutions, or organize greater and more costly events within the PR field. At the same time, the Association allows its representatives to meet at regular business or technician meetings, which become informal platforms aimed at the exchange of views and experiences. I personally consider this to be very valuable for the prosperity of the whole field of machine tools. Moreover, member companies have especially highly appreciated in recent years the fact that the Association’s management and the experienced and linguistically proficient workers within particular departments have managed to break into the world’s major trade fairs, those events that were highly supported by the Ministry of Industry and Trade or by the Czech Chamber of Commerce. Members also highly appreciated favourable conditions for such participation. Additionally, the membership in the Association of Engineering Technology opens a wide range of options, such as coordinated co-operation with the sphere of science and research, in cooperation with the Research Centre of Manufacturing Technology and with the technical

42 Leaders Magazine III/2012

universities. Considerable benefits to the member firms also include the option of participating in projects co-financed from the EU funds.

You’ve mentioned that one of the strategic objectives of the Association is connecting the Association’s organizations to both the EU programmes and the state development programmes. Could you tell us what these programmes are about and to what extent are they available for your companies?

We obviously try to inform our member companies about all options that we know of, and those which we find relevant. For instance, we’ve considered the TIP programmes organized by the Ministry of Trade and Industry to be very successful. Unfortunately, they are finishing this year.

Another programme called Alfa, however, is offered by the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic. We consider the establishment of the Centre of Competence at the Research Centre of Manufacturing Technology and the Czech Technical University in Prague a great success.

The foundation will basically create conditions ensuring that the scientific centre, which is operated by a number of young and very talented technicians, will not only financially survive, but within its scope will arise a place aimed at the development of applied research. I find this necessary to maintain the competitiveness of our industry. Projects funded (or rather co-funded) by the European Social Fund of the EU are mostly targeted toward education. Last year a total of 7 project applications were aimed at promoting technical education, 3 of which were approved. By their nature, the projects fall under the operational program for Education and Competitiveness, which is announced by the regional authorities under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic. Since March 2011, a pilot project to support technical studies at secondary vocational schools in NC programming has focused on “Getting skills in programming CNC machine tools for students of secondary technical and vocational schools” in the South Bohemian Region.

Projects of similar thematic focus are now also taking off in the South Moravian and Ústecký Regions. A project taking place in the Central Bohemian Region is focused on mechatronics.

Another activity of the Association of Engineering Technology is to connect scientific and research activities with the business community. One of the first grant projects focused on this activity was a project called “Technology Platform” implemented under the auspices of the Ministry of Trade and Industry of the Czech Republic. Recent activity of this type was the presentation of a project within a sectoral cluster under the Operational Programme Enterprise and Innovation, once again under the auspices of the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

What does the term “Ecodesign” mean exactly? What should it stand for and what re-

quirements are imposed on manufacturers, in this respect?

This topic has been discussed in dozens of pages of technical journals, and is bound to a wide range of materials prepared by the technical committee CECIMO. Very simply put, it is an effort that machines tools, which are the basis for any further industrial production, and which will continue to be manufactured and supplied to the market – which should meet the most stringent technical specifications of functionality and efficiency. It should also be machines that use the most progressive technology, yet in their production, operation and liquidation should highly respect environmental policy, maximum energy savings, and safety and health principles. The aim of CECIMO, which closely follows the development of new legislation on the level of the European Commission, has been recently inclined to a socalled “Self-regulatory initiative” which is certainly a counterweight to directives arising in Brussels, often from scratch and without adequate links to manufacturing practices. CECIMO and its member associations are, at the same time, based on the fact that if Europe wants to maintain the position of a leader in the future within the field of production machines, and build long-term competitiveness, they must have a technically sophisticated, environmental and energy-efficient production. What is certain is that of all these criteria, which often imply considerable costs, will in the long run pay off for a manufacturing company.

So, in this respect, what is the competitiveness of Czech engineering technology within both markets, in the EU and globally?

The current level of competitiveness of Czech machine tools is perhaps best illustrated by the statistical results: for several years, the Czech Republic has ranked in 7th place in Europe, and in 12th place in the world in terms of exports, which, given the scale of our economy, are certainly more than respectable results. Within the European market, the Czech exporters of machine tools are good enough to maintain the position of the 4th biggest importer to the key EU market, which is Germany. Although it is quite difficult to hold these positions under the current unfavourable economic situation, Czech companies intend to do everything to ensure the attractiveness of their production portfolio via innovation and the introduction of progressive technologies, and thus increase the competitiveness of its production.

Can you evaluate, from the engineering point of view, the new Export Strategy of the Czech Republic for 2012–2020, adopted in March this year?

I’d like to point out that the importance of export activities and their irreplaceable contribution to the national economy was especially appreciated by the public in times of crisis. When states dispose of a competitive power with a strong potential for absorption, they have a much better starting position in the post-crisis period. State authorities,

interview particularly the Ministry of Industry and Trade, responded to the fundamental changes occurring in the world markets by issuing a new export strategy. The adopted export strategy is based on a logical description of the current situation and on foreseeable development trends. Another important part of it is a definition of our state priorities, and possible ways of achieving these strategic targets, which are to increase exports and the competitiveness of our production, largely in the new markets such as Asia and the BRICS group countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa). The Department of Export of the Ministry of Trade and Industry is working closely with our Association, and welcomes the experience of our companies, which are already exporting to those countries and also participate in major international trade fairs held in their respective territories. I personally have a very good sense of participation in the fair in Mumbai, India, and from a recent trip with the government delegation to Cairo, where the situation was similar with our participation at the fair in Nanjing, from which I returned in late April. On top of that, I cannot really complain about the co-operation of the service provided by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and our representative authorities’ employees either.

Finally, could you tell us about events that you are organizing in the near future?

In this respect, we have already recommended to our members a selection of key international trade fairs and exhibitions for 2012, based just on the already aforementioned 2012 Export Strategy of the Czech Republic. Also, we managed to find considerable support from the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Czech Chamber of Commerce for these events. Particularly, this includes participation in trade fairs in Sao Paolo, Buenos Aires, and also in one of the world’s largest specialized trade fairs for machine tools, in Metallobrabotka in Moscow, as well as at trade fairs in Kazan (Tatarstan), Almaty in Kazakhstan, in Istanbul and Kiev, and at the end of 2012 in Indonesia. Of course, I cannot forget the biggest trade fair held annually in the Czech Republic, which is the 54th International Engineering Fair in Brno. This year is already the 8th year of the international fair of machine tools. We are obviously looking forward to this event. Yet, its preparation, along with the selection and implementation of programmes supporting the fair, for which the Association of Engineering Technology is a guarantor, means the use of extraordinary strength of our staff. The official partner of this fair is India.

Thus, attended by hundreds of Indian companies, the prestigious India Show is going to take place in Brno. In addition to a regular press conference, the Association also participates in the organization and content of the 13th international conference – “Integrated Engineering in the Management of Industrial Companies”. We plan to have about 12 experts’ lectures this year, the

particular topics of which are going to address the necessary interconnection of technical and economic factors of products, as well as services such as business sales skills, which is a necessary prerequisite for the success of our companies on the global markets in terms of sharp global competition. There is also an organization of incoming programmes within the preliminary plan, with the financial support of the Ministry of Trade and Industry. We would like to focus this year on territories like Brazil, and obviously India. A mosaic of upcoming programmes completes the “CzechIndian Technology Forum” subtitled “Possibilities for mutual co-operation in the field of engineering, especially in the field of machine tools”. It should become a showcase of innovative technologies which member companies can offer to different segments within the Indian economy. Moreover, we definitely won’t neglect the promotion of the upcoming events either. A substantial part of the autumn issue of the Association´s magazine – “Svět strojírenské techniky” (World of Engineering Technology) – will be devoted to the business opportunities for our member companies in India.

And apart from the trade fairs?

At the end of last year, a contract was signed with the Council for Science and Research of the Chinese province Yunnan, which largely includes projects aimed at co-operation within the education field. In the Chinese city of Kunming, a subsidiary of our strong member company TOS Varnsdorf greatly prospers. Our interest is focused specifically on Russia (Tatarstan), as well as on former Soviet Union countries, particularly Kazakhstan. After Germany, Russia is our most important business partner, where we successfully utilise traditionally good relations, and have the advantage of common language over our Western competitors. The Association is preparing a great project of opening the Kazakh-Czech technology Center in Almata, the goal of which is to present excellent Czech machine tools and progressive technology to Kazakh customers, and thus lay the foundation for the future development of a regular business co-operation.

By Pavlína Holancová český překlad naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.leadersmagazine.cz

Leaders Magazine III/2012 43

analysis EUROPEAN LEADERSHIP & ACADEMIC INSTITUTE P R A G U E

INNOVATIVE

The ability to generate creative solutions is essential in business today, when a company´s survival and success may depend on how quickly it can respond to a changing world. Creativity involves not only coming up with original and innovative solutions, but also being resourceful by taking what is and making it better.

Creativity is a process that requires commitment and effort. By developing your ability to come with „new and improved“ ideas, you can dramatically increase your value to the organisation, helping to move it to a greater competitive position. By increasing the innovation of your people, you can improve the quality of the ideas coming out of your area.

Innovation is simply a fertile union of creativity and leadership. Thus you might say that the term ‘innovative leadership’ is redundant and all leadership is innovative.

That assumes people in leadership roles really are leading, as in visualizing the new and better and moving us in their direction.

Sadly, real world leadership is more prosaic, and less innovative. In fact, in almost every survey ever done on the topic, employees say that their leaders are holding them back, not drawing them ahead, in the quest of innovation.

So, there seems to be a need to focus on leaders and their role in innovation, especially at a time when the only thing everyone, at all ends of the political spectrum, agrees upon is that we ought to be innovating our way out of a half-hearted economic recovery.

What, then, is an innovative leader? And, more to the point, how can the many people holding leadership positions begin to tip their weight forward a bit more, and encourage the rest of us to innovate our way out of this economic funk.

To define an innovative leader, first differentiate between the two basic strategic orientations leaders tend to have. I call them basic orientations because they are expressions of a fundamental personality trait: How conservative or open the leader’s personality happens to be. Someone who tends to like stability and tradition has a conservative personality, while someone who likes change, asks lots of questions, and tends to be creative or into exploring is said by psychologists to be open to experience.

It happens that we tend to promote conservative personalities more often than open ones, because they fit our stereotyped notions of who should be our leaders.

44 Leaders Magazine III/2012

Photo: Archive ELAI

As a consequence, many of our institutions are not temperamentally very open to new ideas and experiences.

On the other hand, entrepreneurs are, by nature, quite innovative and open to experience, so new startups have the opposite personality, at least until they grow and prosper, whereupon the innovator is usually replaced by a more sober, conservative personality, and innovation slows down.

Can an entrepreneurial, creative innovator learn to create systems and manage large-scale businesses?

CEO of the BMW Group CR 2008–2011, regional manager at Skoda Auto responsible for sales in Great Britain, Ireland, Scandinavia and Baltic countries 2002–2007, CEO at Volvo Auto Czech 1999–2001.

Martin Saitz has led BMW Group CR to the first position among luxurious cars in the number of car sales, employee satisfaction, brand recognition and image. He has successfully implemented many changes, which led to the creation of a highly motivated, loyal, creative and innovative management and employee teams. Further, he led the Skoda Auto brand promotion in Great Britain, Ireland, Scandinavia and Baltic countries.

Sure, some do – the ones who are self-reflective and willing to learn new tricks. Similarly, conservative, stable business executives sometimes manage innovation quite well, but again, they are the ones who recognize when they need to flex their style and push their organizations in new directions.

Which style is your natural one? Does your personality push you toward being maintenance-oriented and a good custodian of successful businesses, or are you more of an innovator by temperament?

You need to be able to shift your orientation and not be stuck with just one approach. Knowing your basic orientation helps you understand not only your strengths but also your weaknesses.

A maintenance-oriented leader is great at keeping things running smoothly and doesn’t get bored with the pursuit of efficiencies during scale-up. However, he may tend to forget about creativity and fail to lead the way to the next big thing. Maintenance only makes sense as long as what you’re maintaining is worth it. At some point, you need to trade it in for a new model.

The innovation-oriented leader is a natural when it comes to finding the next great idea and working on it, but begins to lose focus and get bored just when the innovation’s kinks are finally ironed out and it’s time to profit by using it efficiently.

Which is your strength: innovating or maintaining?

Whichever it is, know your strongest and weakest qualities and make a point of hiring people who can help you with both.

Leaders who maintain a strongly optimistic and positive frame of mind are able to build and maintain innovative momentum, even when things go wrong. It turns out that a realistic optimist is far better at stimulating creative behavior or at leading a team through a tough implementation than any other kind of leader. Optimists are more creative and innovative, more motivated, and more satisfied with their work. They also live longer, healthier, happier, and more successful lives Enthusiasm is a great quality that open-minded innovators bring to any leadership role. Face it; it takes a lot more energy to create something new than to keep moving ahead on the same track. That means you need to recharge your own battery often and fully, by making sure you have a healthy, energizing lifestyle outside of work.

By Martin Saitz

IN COOPERATION WITH LEADERS MAGAZINE

20 YEARS OF RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC

THE FUTURUM AWARD

Business Leaders Forum, the leading platform of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the Czech Republic, is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Founded in 1992 in cooperation with the International Business Leaders Forum of the Prince of Wales, the platform has been working with the most important businessmen and businesswomen in the Czech Republic.

Together they have been pursuing responsible management, good corporate citizenship and a dialogue between the corporate and academic circles.

The Futurum Award is an annual competition organized by Business Leaders Forum that selects the best project in environmental protection and sustainable business development. The contest traditionally enjoys partnership with the Ministry for the Environment and the Czech Chamber of Commerce. The projects are evaluated by a jury consisting of five experts in the field, including prof. Bedřich Moldan, director of the Centre for environmental issues.

During its existence, the platform, with the help of its international partners, was the first to introduce the concept of CSR in the Czech Republic, as it is widely known abroad. Through its initiatives, BLF helped to raise public AND corporate awareness of environmental, social and ethical issues. The motto of BLF – People, Environment, Responsibility, Profit – states a clear vision for the platform. Today, Business Leaders Forum continues to be the leading platform in business ethics, while preserving traditions of the past and creating new ones for the future.

The celebratory event for the 20th anniversary of Business Leaders Forum will take place on June 27th, 2012. We are pleased to have Prague Leaders Magazine as a media partner for this event.

If you would like to join us for the celebration, please refer to the e-mail below.

Author: Markéta Magyarová magyarova@blf.cz +420 776 537 680

Business Leaders Forum was pleased to establish cooperation with The European Business Awards for the Environment for the Futurum Award. The best projects selected in the national contest will compete with international rivals in four categories – environmental management, product, process, and international cooperation.

The winner of the 21st annual Futurum Award will be announced during the celebratory event for the 20th anniversary of Business Leaders Forum in June 2012.

interview A talk with Vladimír Bezděk, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Generali Slovensko – the Member of Generali PPF Holding

Myths and Facts OF THE PENSION SCHEME “What I regret is the fact that the government did not find courage to introduce compulsory saving for retirement.”

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Photo: Marek Velček

Vladimír Bezděk – began his professional career in 1997 at the Czech National Bank. Over the course of more than nine years at the CNB he worked in a number of different departments and held various positions. His area of focus was fiscal policy analysis, starting at the Institute of the Economy and then continuing in the Monetary Department. From 2001 he served as an adviser to a member of the CNB Bank Board.

In autumn 2003 he moved on to the Independent Economic Research Department, where he coordinated research on fiscal policy, while at the same time acting as one of the advisers to the Bank Board. From July 2004 to June 2005 he was granted a temporary leave of absence to work for the Office of the Government of the Czech Republic. The Government appointed him to coordinate the preparation of the background materials for its decision on pension reform. He then returned to the CNB in the position of Fiscal Research Coordinator and adviser to the Bank Board. In addition to these activities, from October 2005 he also took charge of the Financial Stability Department. In late 2006 he left the CNB, and from January 2007 worked for the insurance company Aegon Pojišťovna, a.s. From October 2007 to May 2010 he was the CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Aegon Pojišťovna, a.s. and the pension fund Aegon Penzijní fond, a.s. At the request of the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, from January to June 2010 he then headed the Expert Advisory Group (EAG) focusing on the preparation of pension reform. Since September 2010 he has been the CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Generali Slovensko – the Member of Generali PPF Holding.

interview The discussion on pension reform within NERV has already been completed. So, your work in this advisory body is over?

NERV presented its recommendations regarding pension reform just before the end of 2010.

However, the scope of NERV´s interest is broader than solely dealing with pension reform issues, and thus NERV’s work keeps going. I must admit that my personal involvement in NERV’s negotiations was very rare in the last year. This has to do with the fact that I have been working professionally in the Slovak Republic since September 2010, and I am in Prague only very rarely.

What’s the primary goal of pension reform in the Czech Republic?

The goals recommended by NERV to the Government regarding pension reform are as follows: Diversification, budget sustainability, mitigation of intergenerational inequity and increase in the extent of merit.

So, in this respect, are you satisfied with the final version of pension reform as the coalition government managed to push it through?

Where do you feel that the approved version is mostly lacking?

Well, you cannot expect that professional advice will be accepted by the political system (ministries, government, and parliament) fully or at least largely. Political decision-makers must take into account a broader range of substrates than simply the “professional” aspect of a particular proposal. From this perspective, I particularly like the fact that the present Government in 2010 was the first government in many years willing to admit that the pension system must undergo profound changes. Moreover, it was willing to address it comprehensively. This means to focus not only on the parametric changes of the first pillar, yet also address the second and third pillars. What I regret is the fact that the government did not find courage to introduce compulsory saving for retirement. Also, those suggestions of NERV leading to greater competition within the second pillar, and its higher efficiency, were not accepted either.

The survey STEM released in the end of last year showed that pension system reform is losing support among the population in our country. Do you think it was an inevitable course which could have been prevented?

Honestly, I do not remember any particular way of pension system reform having received massive support from the population. After years of discussion of the unsustainability of the pension system, people suspect that something must change, and they admit it within polls as well. Yet, when it comes to a real discussion on what exactly needs to be changed, their opinions usually differ considerably. There still exist many myths and dogmas of the pension scheme that successfully obscure reality

and make it easier to manipulate public opinion on this matter.

So, in this context, is the general public adequately informed on changes that await it within pension reform?

In answer to this question I must state that I am following the Czech debate on pension reform from abroad, especially through the Internet. Therefore, it might happen that my opinion will suffer from a lack of contact with everyday reality. I suppose that the media and the private sector (pension funds, analytical webs, etc.) discuss this issue in detail and adequately. Yet, I would expect greater activity from the state, the Ministry of Labor, Ministry of Finance and the Government as a whole particularly.

Do you consider the existing pension system fair for all age groups?

The current pension system is definitely not equitable from the intergenerational point of view. I leave aside the fact that the term “justice” may be different in the economic sphere and have a very different interpretation… Yet, the fact is that if we do a major reform on the pension scheme, the present generation in their thirties, and the younger generation, including their children, is going to be burdened greatly, and I can say that even with the excessive and unsustainable intergenerational burden.

From 2013, the pension system should be supported by the so-called “second pillar” including the option of additional insurance with private funds. Can we definitely say for which age group or income group the new system is going to be favorable?

The articles and discussions over the second pillar often operate only within the view – “to whom it pays off”. I believe that such reasoning is too flat. We do not deal solely with profitability when making investments, but we also judge risk (and possibly liquidity). The same parallel should apply even with pension reform. I am convinced that even average or low income categories should consider participation in the second pillar. If they fail to do so, all their old age security depends entirely on the state, and thereby they are exposed to considerable risk. If the retirement savings was mandatory as recommended

by NERV, the diversification would be secured automatically.

Would you personally have 5% of your income in the second pillar?

Presently, I work abroad and I suppose that this will continue in 2013. Thus, I also have my tax residency abroad at the moment, much like the way that I take part in social security abroad.

In this case, I will have to firstly become familiar with whether and how pension reform and its second pillar addresses similar cases, and if I ever have the opportunity to participate in the second pillar. For now, I do not know about these legislative nuances. However, if I would

have the opportunity, I would very likely join the second pillar.

A much discussed issue within the pension scheme reform became, among other things, the issue of low revenues of existing pension funds. In your view, can we expect change in this area in the near future?

Allowing pension funds to achieve a higher yield was one of the goals of adapting conditions within the third pillar, which takes place this year.

So, in this respect I am an optimist.

At what age should we start saving for pension for it to be beneficial?

As soon as possible, ideally with the first regular income. Otherwise, one usually delays it for years because they want to travel first, then deal with housing, and then think about family… and suddenly one finds themself in middle age, and they cannot manage to save up much of their income for pension in such little time.

And finally, shall we expect that after the next election pension reform could be completely stopped, and the existing legislative form revised?

These things do happen, but I believe this will not happen this time. I remember the election in 1996, which the ČSSD party approached with a slogan promising to cut back the retirement age again (which had been growing since 1995 gradually). As we know, ČSSD won the party election at that time, however, went on to raise the retirement age and make other adjustments to the pension system in the end. So, the rhetoric and actions may not be the same things, especially in politics.

By Pavlína Holancová český překlad naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.leadersmagazine.cz

Prague Leaders Magazine III/2012 47

interview A talk with Kateřina Jedličková, Cosmetic Beauty Advisor

Communication with Clients is

Essential Ing. Kateřina Jedličková graduated from the Masaryk Institute of Advanced Studies, Czech Technical University in Prague in 1996, and from the Institute of Hospitality Management eleven years later.

In 2010 she completed a visagiste course. Mrs. Jedličková worked for various private companies, and since 2011 she has been carrying on business in cosmetic beauty advising, visagiste services, colour typology, and teaching foreign languages. Kateřina Jedličková is married with two children.

Foto: Vladimír Weiss

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interview What made you decide to start your own business in cosmetic beauty advising?

It was by accident. It was a result of my personal experience with various cosmetic brands, when even the most luxurious brands didn’t solve my skin problems. Finally I found my brand, let’s say in a medium-price range, which helped me and my skin to improve significantly.

Another reason was the situation in Czech shops, where almost nobody gives you advice on how you should use their products. All of this led me to the decision to engage myself in the area of cosmetics and visage.

How should we take care of our skin daily?

The essential step of daily skin care is treatment in the morning and evening. At present, the focus is on effectiveness, quickness and quality, which is why miraculous sets are very popular. These sets make our daily care much easier, because they contain all of the required steps that are necessary for skin treatment.

Also hydration is very important, because the solidity of insufficient skin is partly caused by the loss of moisture, and by damage of collagen and elastin fibres. These fibres are building components of skin structure.

What is your opinion on the use of serums?

It is very important to use serums. Serum for day care provides skin the necessary protections throughout the whole day, and night serum provides higher regeneration at night.

Night serum also enhances the ability of skin to renew its elasticity and reduce both fine and deep wrinkles. As for the illuminating serums – they are important for making the skin homogeneous, and they help reduce pigment stains.

From which age should women use the serums?

It is generally perceived that women should start using serums from the age of 25, when their skin begins getting older. However, I recommend their use from the age of 30. Of course, it depends on the person, but in general I prefer that you start with them later.

How often should we have a professional cosmetic treatment?

Again it depends on the person. I don’t go to the cosmetician at all and the cosmetician herself confirmed that I don’t have to. It is sufficient that I take care of myself, and once every two months I indulge in a face massage. However, everyday care doesn’t mean that I spend one hour before the mirror in the morning, and another hour in the evening. I spend five minutes at most. Currently efficiency, simplicity and quickness are necessary in cosmetics as well.

Professional cosmetic treatment is important for persons with problematic skin. I would recommend it once a month at least.

What is your “know-how” for keeping your clients?

I put a great emphasis on communication with clients. That means if the client leaves with some products, I contact her in two days, to make sure that she knows how to use them.

If she is not quite sure, we discuss the procedure.

Then I call her again in two weeks, but in a way that doesn’t intrude on her, to find out whether there is any allergic reaction. I don’t anticipate such reactions, but they can happen. If everything is fine, I get in touch with her two months later to agree on her next steps.

Is it difficult to get new clients these days?

The question is not about the time we are in.

Every period has its natural relations, its elasticity. I think that it is not quite easy to get new clients in any period. But currently it is more difficult, because people are much more distrustful and cautious. When they think about how to take care of themselves, they want to be sure to get excellent quality and safe products for their “invested” money. They want a product that brings them old-new beauty, and as quickly as possible.

Every woman wants to be pretty in every age.

I teach them how to take care of themselves, how to be more beautiful, pleased, self-confident.

I offer them the opportunity to change their existing lives. I perceive the current economic situation as a challenge and an opportunity. Always, when the going gets tough, there are many new opportunities. It is easy to earn and be successful in times of prosperity, when nobody is careful about money, or their spending respectively.

Only those who are not afraid have their gateways to success opened in times of recession.

How do you manage to harmonize business and family?

In an interview Meryl Streep replied to a similar question, saying that it is one big matter of logistics. And if you handle that well, it goes well. This is absolutely true. You have to plan all of your work – children and their nursery and primary schools, meetings, the household, family, etc.

Finally you find out that nobody takes on this responsibility but you, and that it is fully your responsibility. Of course, your family and parents can help you momentarily, but in a while they’ll have had enough, and very willingly give you the children back. And because I have always been used to a life full of work and fulfilment, business and motherhood allow me to harmonize my work and my personal life. My children are of course the fulfilment of my life, and they always come first. On the other hand I have a feeling that I don’t stagnate, and can actively follow the development of the world around us. It is sometimes demanding, but we are not bored at home.

What is the most important thing in doing business?

In general, it is to keep your given word. For me a “handshake” is important. I have been in the market for a long time and I have built my credit.

At several times during my career I was unable to afford it. You can build your credit in business for a long time, and then you can lose it completely in a second. The Earth is round, and it is not possible to escape from it. And secondly, I would not be able to work with dishonesty in my own business. You can look directly into a client’s eyes only if you know that you will carry out your duties. Moreover, there must be an open communication with clients, in a way that doesn’t bother them. And my goal is their complete satisfaction, which is my moral, and above all economic aim.

Because then comes financial assessment, for which we carry on business, to make a classic profit. The more the client is satisfied, the more this assessment is natural and interesting. Also, self-discipline is important, because we don’t always succeed. Occasional failure should not be regarded as a catastrophe, but as one of the milestones to final success. We all know that.

It is such in both life and business – ups and downs. If there were no failures, we could not rejoice in our successes, because we would not be able to recognize them. Every plus has its minus...

How do you assess the current government reform proposals concerning business?

I consider these proposals ill-formulated, because in my opinion they don’t support business much. Instead the government focuses on assistance to subjects that create the main part of this state’s GDP, which means companies and tradesmen, and I mean it seems to simplify their entrepreneurship by thinking up new restrictions.

It of course hobbles everybody. Instead of paying attention to development, all concerned businesses are focused on how to avoid sanctions or how to be best optimized. Of course, there should be limits to de-regulation, but to a reasonable degree, as anarchy is not possible. It is also not possible for a government to constantly punish others for its ill-considered steps, especially those who don’t have any influence on its decision-making. It is often said that we have the government which we voted for. Unfortunately, it does not remain true for very long. We have seen in the last several months that politicians are not able to lead our country; not only politically, but also economically. What has been shown here is merely politicking and profiteering. The transformation to something that will again fully represent democracy will be long and painful, because if we change something radically now, we will have to use defenestration again, as it has happened several times in our history. However, this is not humane, and besides, at present there is nobody on the horizon who would be able to immediately replace the current political elite.

By Zuzana Kasáková český překlad naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.leadersmagazine.cz

Prague Leaders Magazine III/2012 49

networking/charity Guest of Honor: Ing. Jan Lembas Director CET Capital s.r.o.

From left: Ing. Jan Lembas, Director, CET Capital s.r.o. and Ing. Ladislav Vaško, Commercial Director, DOSTAV Praha, a.s.

Topic: Auctions of free frequencies and their importance for the international competitiveness of the Czech Republic

IN COOPERATION WITH LEADERS MAGAZINE

Prague Bohemia Ambassador

From left: Ing. František Chaloupecký, President, LC Praha Bohemia Ambassador, Ing. Ladislav Vaško, Commercial Director, DOSTAV Praha, a.s., and Prof. MUDr. Václav Mandys, CSc., Head of the Institute of Pathology

50

From left: PhDr. Ladislav Říha, Owner, CK RI-Tours and former President, LC Praha Bohemia Ambassador and JUDr. Jaroslav Novotný, Lawyer, Membership Chairperson, LC Praha Bohemia Ambassador

From left: Mgr. Jaroslav Drápal, Analyst, ČSOB and MVDr. Pavel Hradecký, Health Council

From left: Ing. Ladislav Bouček, Enterpreneur, former Governor, LCI D 122 CR and SR and Ing. Jaromír Kaulfus, Enterpreneur

From left: MVDr. Pavel Hradecký, Health Council and Oldřich Hořák, Owner, Hotel Bílá Růže in Poděbrady

From left (at the table head): JUDr. PhDr. Oldřich Choděra, Lawyer, Charterpresident, LC Praha Bohemia Ambassador and former Governor of LCI D122 CR and SR, Ing. Jan Lembas, Director, CET Capital s.r.o., and Ing. František Chaloupecký, President, LC Praha Bohemia Ambassador

From left: JUDr. Jan Kotous, Pedagogue, Faculty of Law, UK and JUDr. PhDr. Oldřich Choděra, Lawyer, Charterpresident, LC Praha Bohemia Ambassador and former Governor of LCI D122 CR and SR From left: JUDr. Jaroslav Novotný, Lawyer, Membership Chairperson, LC Praha Bohemia Ambassador and Ing. Anton Gerák, Commercial Director, Secretary, LCI D122 CR and SR

From left: Ing. František Chaloupecký, President, LC Praha Bohemia Ambassador, Ing. Josef Čekal, former President, LC Praha Bohemia Ambassador, and Ing. Antonín Novotný, CEO, CSI

51 MOREE PHO HOTO TO OS AN AND EL E EC C TR RON O IC VER RSI SION ON AVAIILA AV L ABL BLEE ON ON W WW WW.L .LEA EAD DERS SMA MAGA GAZI ZIN ZI NE.CZ NE NE.

Miroslav Hříbal, Enterpreneur

From left: Ing. Ladislav Vaško, Commercial Director, DOSTAV Praha, a.s., Ing. Petr Kučera, Authorized Expert for the Construction Field, and Ing. Antonín Novotný, CEO, CSI

business event

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ĭĪ śĠĭ 1 ĩĜ 201

ĨĜ

ĨĜĩĜśĠĭ ĭĪĦİ 2011

MANAGER OF THE YEAR, Lubomír Stoklásek from Agrostroj Pelhřimov, a.s., and female MANAGER OF THE YEAR, Prof. MUDr. Eva Syková, DrSc., CEO and Chairman of the Board of the Institute of Experimental Medicine, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, public research institute

The Best Manager OF THE YEAR 2011 BECAME LUBOMÍR STOKLÁSEK, CEO AND CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF AGROSTROJ PELHŘIMOV, A.S. On April 26, 2012, the elite club of the MANAGERS OF THE YEAR inaugurated the 19th winner of the most prestigious managerial competition – Manager of the Year Lubomír Stoklásek of Agrostroj Pelhřimov, a.s. Mr. Stoklásek was selected by the national committee from 72 finalists in total, becoming the 48th person who achieved this prestigious title during the nineteen years of the competition´s history. The best female MANAGER OF THE YEAR became professor MUDr. Eva Syková, DrSc., CEO and the Board Director of the Institute of Experimental Medicine, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, public research institute.

The title Excellent Manager of a Medium Firm went to Ing. Ladislav Brázdil, Director of ZLKL, s.r.o., Loštice and the Excellent Manager of a Small Firm was Karel Vytřísal, Agent of Domat Control Systems, s.r.o., Pardubice. The Young Managerial Talent title was awarded to Mgr. Jan Rafaj, MBA, Director of the Human Resources and External Relations of ArcelorMital Ostrava, a.s. The competition is organized by the Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic (SP CR), Czech Management Association (CMA) and the Confederation of Employers’ and Entrepreneurs’ Associations of the CR (KZPS CR).

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The panel discussion with politicians was attended by from left: Jan Wiesner, President, KZPS, Pavel Kafka, President, CMA, Jaroslav Hanák, President, SP CR, Jaromír Drábek, Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, and Milan Urban, President, Economic Committee of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic

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From left: Welcoming the finalists Vice President Jiří Majer congratulates the finalist Jaroslav Šrajer

From left: Lubomír Dvořák, CEO, Dvořák svahové sekačky congratulates to Ing. Petr Nožička

President of the Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic (SP CR) Ing. Jaroslav Hanák enunciates the opening of the next 20th MANAGER OF THE YEAR competition.

LEAGUE OF THE ACHIEVERS – finalists of the 19th MANAGER OF THE YEAR competition

The project aims to objectively and independently select and highlight the best leaders in Czech management, the experts and prominent personalities whose methods are not only beneficial for the development of business and the economy, but also for the development of society. The best managers of the Czech Republic are traditionally inaugurated under the auspices of the Prime Minister in the Žofín Palace in Prague.

The morning program of the Day of the Successful Managers and Firms started with the conference of the CMA, titled “Great Challenge – Successful Managers take it different“. The outcomes of the conference channeled out into afternoon panel discussion with politicians, which was attended by Dr. Ing. Jaromír Drábek, the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, and Milan Urban, President of the Economic Committee of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic.

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Ing. Pavel Kysilka, CEO/Chairman of the Board of Česká spořitelna, Main Partner of the Competition watching the interview with MANAGER OF THE YEAR

From left: Prof. Dr. Björn Stigson, Honorary President, World Business Council for Sustainable Development, Geneva and Ing. Pavel Kafka, President, CMA

From left: Karel Vytřísal, Excellent Manager of a Small Firm up to 50 employees, and Ing. Ladislav Brázdil, Excellent Manager of a Medium Firm up to 250 employees

From left: Jan Wiesner, President, KZPS, Ing Pavel Pilát, General Manager, Metrostav a.s., Prof.MUDr. Eva Syková, DrSc., Female Manager of the Year 2011 and representative of the company Havel Holásek Partners

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MEMORANDUM of UNDERSTANDING was signed and the Czech branch of the WBCSD was founded as part of the DAY OF THE SUCCESSFUL MANAGERS AND FIRMS

The female MANAGER OF THE YEAR Eva Syková, DrSc., while being congratulated by from left: Jan Wiesner, President, KZPS, Ing. Pavel Pilát, TOP 10 and Line Manager of 2010, Marcela Augustová, Moderator, Česká Televize, partner of the competition, Mgr. Jan Holásek, and Dr. Rastislav Lukovič, Director, Project Management office, CMA

From left: Prof. Dr. Björn Stigson, Honorary President, World Business Council for Sustainable Development, Geneva and Benke Aikell, your Publisher

From left: MUDr. Eva Syková, Female Manager of the Year 2011, Ing. Pavel Kafka, President, CMA and Ing. Ladislav Brázdil, Excellent Manager of a Medium Firm up to 250 employees at the briefing

From left: Ing. Jaroslav Hanák, President, SP ČR, Ing. Pavel Kysilka, CEO/Chairman, Česká spořitelna, Prof. MUDr. Eva Syková, Female Manager of the Year 2011, Lubomír Stoklásek, Manager of the Year 2011, and Ing. Pavel Vajčner, Znovín Znojmo

From left: Prof. MUDr. Jan Pirk, DrSc. and ppl.

MUDr. Vladimír Bene, DrSc. at a discussion during the morning CMA conference

55 At Žofín Palace

interview

An interview with Ing. Ivana Šachová, Owner and Director off thee SILEX Coomppany s.r.o., home textile retail chain SCANquilt

Manager Finalist in 2011 CZECH ENTREPRENEURS AWARDS WINNER 2010 IN THE LARGE COMPANY CATEGORY

Could you please explain me, whether your company is called SILEX or SCANquilt?

The name of the company is Silex, and SCANquilt is a brand name, under which we market our products in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Everything started more than 20 years ago, when my husband and his former colleague from Centrotex decided to set up a company that would export textile yardage. Together with myself, the offer to work in the new company was also accepted by several other former colleagues and we started to build the company´s history. The name of the firm- Silex- came from a combination of two words- “silk”- and “ex”- an abbreviation for exports, for at the beginning we were exporting mainly lining made of artificial silk, but also woven fabrics for the production of quilts to Scandinavia. In this way, my husband got the idea that quilts made of hollow fibre could be also produced in the Czechoslovakia. He saw there was a room on the market, as at that time, there was no alternative for allergy sufferers to feather products. Foresight to this, he suggested creating his own trade name, and a new brand SCANquilt – combination of Scandinavian know-how and technology and quilted duvets – was born. SILEX is therefore the owner of SCANquilt brand.

When can we see the products of SCANquilt?

Over the last ten years, we have managed to build a retail network of 35 stores across the country, which offers a wide range of home furnishings. What we market in our stores is therefore not only a collection of more than ten models of duvets and pillows that excel in their lightness and softness and are, according to their type, suitable for variety of environments. We also sell other products. We might probably have the widest selection of bedding on the market, with more than 300 varieties.

In terms of materials, these range from smooth cotton, sateen in non-iron design, crepes, flannels, knits, fine percale, microfiber bedding, high-quality cotton damask, or structured fabrics. In terms of design, we are not afraid of distinctive geometric patterns, though you will also find in our representation floral and subtle motives, elegant and extravagant, suitable for all ages. Our colour palette is equally wide, spanning from pastel and light

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colours to bright or dark ones, and therefore fit to different settings. We recognise that each of us has a different taste and we would like everyone to choose what suits the one of his or hers the best.

The bedding in standard, extended or king size is complemented by matching varieties of bed sheets, in many sizes and materials such as terry, jersey with lycra, linen, satin and velvet, and fine linens mixed with bamboo fibre.

The terry line is represented by towels, bath towels, bath mats and bathrobes. For your kitchen, you can select from SCANquilt´s table cloths, table linen, quality tea towels or cushions, for the living room we offer a flood of decorative pillows and tartans. It may appear easy to have an offering and to sell it, in reality however, it means to fulfil one´s commitments connected with tenancies in shopping centres where we have to sign ourselves for five years, with employing a corresponding number of shop assistants across the country and training them so that the service level meets not only our demands, but especially the demands of our customers. Even though the past two years have been very challenging, and so it seems will be his year, this year, we have succeeded in expanding the numbers of our regular customers of new ones, precisely by the approach of our sales staff, quality of our products and the wide selection.

What would you recommend to your customers?

I would recommend them to visit one of our shops and Photo: Archive

to look around to see what is the selection like and what would catch their eye. Today, we don’t just look for functionality, but also to harmonize accessorize with the rest of the interior. Everyone would like to create a cosy home, to fall asleep well and to wake up well. I believe we can help in this respect with our selection of products and consulting. We closely follow the trends in housing, and every year we complete our collection of new trends.

At the same time, we keep the most successful products from past seasons, which are not subject to fashion and to which our customers like returning. To our Scandinavian designs, for example, we have added a romantic style, designs for teenagers and we have also enlarged our children collection.

What would you say is the most interesting aspect of your profession and the managerial role?

Certainly, it is the chance to influence the course of things, to create a collection, which we then sell, create promotional materials, participate in the design of store interiors, the opportunity to work with partners with whom you want to work, to choose your team colleagues, who then become sort of your bigger family, as they are the ones you spend the most of your time. I do not think I would have the courage to become an entrepreneur myself, because I could not imagine I would be able to manage this all. Only after years of practice, one finds out that it is possible, it is only about having the courage to take a part of a responsibility on you and dealing with task and various situations gradually, but decisively. To this day, however, I am learning the role of manager, wresting with lack of time and having to keep reminding myself of what my key priorities are. Manager can exist only thanks to the team of his colleagues, who listen to his voice, but equally, it is important to listen to their voice.

And how do you look to the future?

I always told myself that life is worth living and tried to stick to simple rules of politeness in relation to other people. I take an example from those, who have overcame great hardship of life and still remained charged with optimism and energy and keep moving forward.

I therefore try to look in the right direction, be prepared for the challenges of life and surround myself with people who think alike. I defend my principles of fairness, respect and modesty and I try to go my own way.

I look to the future with optimism and tell myself “if one door closes, another one opens.”

Compiled by LM český překlad naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.leadersmagazine.cz

interview An interview with Ing. Martin Doksanský, MBA, Chairman of the Board and the CEO of SMP CZ, a.s.

Manager of the Year 2011 FINALIST SMP CZZ has nearly sixty years of tradition in bridge construction. Since 2000, it began to penetrate into other construction specialties, such as underground construction, hydraulic engineering, industrial buildings and structures that remove environmental burdens.

Together with its three subsidiaries – ARKO TECHNOLOGY, FREYSSINET CS and STAVBY MOSTOV SLOVAKIA, SMP group is one of the leading construction companies in the Czech and Slovak construction market. It employs nearly 900 employees and its turnover is between 3 to 4 billion CZK. The sole owner of the SMP group is a French syndicate VINCI. How is SMP CZ doing in year 2012?

The year 2012 will be very similar for us as for the majority of other construction companies in the Czech Republic. We are alive, but it is not precisely a life we would like it to be.

By this statement I do not mean only the fact that the construction market shrank, that there are fewer orders for which we could apply. With this we are more or less reconciled; the era of abundance of the past ten years will not return for a long time. However, beside the lack of public finance, we are worried by other problems, and they are not few.

What are these specifically?

By majority, we are dependent on public procurement, therefore on municipalities, counties, and the state. And in this context, we are distressed by the lack of systematism, conceptuality and predictability of the future developments. We are also worried by the extent the culture of these institutions, their expressions and conduct unbelievably coar-

Ing. Martin Doksanský, MBA, Chairman of the Board and the CEO of SMP CZ, a.s., graduated from the Czech Technical University in Prague, Faculty of Civil Engineering – Water Management. From 1986 to 2000, he worked in Vodní stavby Praha; then between years 2000–2002 in Skanska IS, IPS Skanska and Skanska CZ. In 2002, he became the CEO of SMP CZ. In 1994, he received his ČKAIT authorisation. In 1996, he graduated from the Prague International Business School.

sened over the past months and how the use of media and modern recording technology became a common pressure tool and means for reaching personal goals. It is really terrible what standard behaviour became in the space of past few months.

To return back to the first part of my answer, however, and to focus on the commercial sphere, then if I want to successfully manage a company – no matter what type of business area it operates in – I must have an idea of its direction, some vision, and basic strategy.

This could be also applied to the management of state and its autonomous units. For each city, region and state there must exist a long term strategy of development, which will set priories no matter what colour is the batch on the lapel of at that time elected politician. These must be priorities that will ensure a steady improvement in the life of the region´s habitants and its development and that are not merely connected to a short electoral term. Unfortunately, this is not currently the case.

But such documents do exist – how about the land use plans, the State Energy Policy, or the recent and relatively respected document of the National Reform Programme of the CR for 2012?

It is true that the latter document is comprehensive, of a high quality and addresses all the key areas of our life. The document, which is of more than hundred pages, is, however, mainly a compilation of propositions about what should be done. Consequently these are to be developed into detailed steps and tasks, personal responsibilities etc. I fear that the document´s good base will start to dissolve for the lack of time to, first, develop

Foto: Archive

the propositions further, and later, to managed them and control them. Equally, the motivation on the lower level of state apparatus might vane.

To give an example, the issue of transport infrastructure, where a long term strategy is completely absent, is addressed on six pages.

We all know what happened with the awaited “Superconception” in the recent past.

What do you suggest to improve the state of affairs you just described?

The solution could lie in what minister Drábek called for at the Manager of the Year Award in 2011 – attracting more managers into public service, into leading state, regional and municipal roles. I liked his speech; question remains, however, how many managers were moved by this proposition and will set off to this intangible and often incomprehensible tangle of political cobwebs.

Compiled by LM ■ český překlad naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.leadersmagazine.cz

Leaders Magazine III/2012 57

interviews An interview with RNDr. Roman Hrnčíř, CSc., Chairman of the Board and General Director of Severochema Liberec, Manager of the Year Finalist 2011

Fire Packed For Export

Severochema Liberec cooperative will be celebrating its 60th birthday next year. Tradition is not however everything. What do you do thesedays to maintain customer´s interest in your products? What new products did you launch on the market?

Since the 1960s, the most famous product of our cooperative is the fire-lighter known under the brand name PE-PO. Currently, we sell a wide range of products designated for fire-lighting, barbecue and everything which relates to these things. In winter, these are especially fire-brands and cleaning products for cookers, chimneys, stoves and fume ducts. In summer, the selection is wider, for example with our lamp oils. In the last year we have introduced to the market an ecological fire-brand based on pure wood cotton balls. From this year onwards, we are also enriching our selection for charcoal and briquettes for barbecue. We regard quality as a fact and an attribute with which we would like to differentiate ourselves from our competitors.

Severochema was also known as a producer of diluents, is that correct?

Yes, that is right. Severochema is known as a producer of high quality diluents and engineering liquids. You can see our products in a majority shops in the Czech

Republic. Aside from retail market, we also supply diluents and other specialised fixturing to tradesmen and to the industry. In order to stay leaders on the Czech market, we constantly improve our services. In this area, logistics is as much as important as quality.

We talked about the Czech market. Does your merchandise sell abroad?

Just in the last few years, we have begun focusing on expanding our sales to abroad. The Czech market is no longer sufficient enough for our products, especially in the field of fire-lighters and barbecue. As a consequence, we needed to make several changes to our products, as well as to the thinking of our employees, so that our merchandise becomes more competitive on the foreign market, both in terms of quality and price. We ensure that all our products meet all the requirements for quality and environmental standards. Our exports have increased from few percent to more than 20% in the past few years. The fire-lighter PE-PO is number one not only on the Czech market, but also in Slovakia and Hungary.

We also export it to other countries, such as Croatia, Slovenia, Poland, Russia, France and others.

I saw a banner on your website www.severochema. cz, where you were offering anti-graffiti products.

Where can I buy those?

We consider our “anti-graffiti” line as very promising and we will continue expanding it. This programme offers not

only fixturing and technology for removing graffiti, but is also designed to protect against graffiti and to facilitate its further removal. We do not sell these products individually, for in many cases, the technology of application is considerably sophisticated. Instead we offer a complete service of prevention and removal. For example, we apply protective paint on newly renovated panel houses, and where it is demanded, we administer their further monitoring. In case the house gets sprayed, we clean it.

Compiled by LM

An interview with Miroslav Závada, MBA, Manager of the Year 2011 Finalist

THE TEAM IS ESSENTIAL Miroslav Závada, MBA became the finalist of this year´s 19th Manager of the Year competition, which is announced by the management association and which takes place under the auspices of the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Petr Nečas.

What does this award mean to you?

I regard this award with great respect and I am honoured that I was ranked among the most successful managers of the Czech Republic.

What do you consider as crucial to success in a managerial role?

A very important aspect is to set targets and have a vision, and, at the same time, put together

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a good team. For each position it is necessary to find the right person.

Managerial work is a very demanding occupation. How do you relax and how do you gather energy? What do you do when you are not working?

Although it is not possible to completely switch off and ignore work, I try to take time for my interests. These are yachting, golf, hiking, photography, film and underground culture. Together with my friends, I have also founded a civil association, with which we organise cultural and social events. In the last year, for example, we hosted a concert of the legendary underground music band The Plastic People of the Universe.

Compiled by LM český překlad naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.leadersmagazine.cz

the coach’s corner

What Needs Drive You? Abraham Maslow, the father of humanistic psychology, said that all living beings have basic needs that must be fulfilled in order to survive.

Building on Maslow’s ideas, world-renowned life coach and motivational speaker Anthony Robbins asserted that we are all driven by a combination of six core needs and that everything we do is aimed at satisfying some combination of these needs.

From years as a professional career coach and my own personal experience, I have learned that one of the best ways to know and understand ourselves is to identify what needs drive us most and, more importantly, to pay close attention to the way we meet these needs in our personal and professional lives.

By understanding and analyzing this fundamental aspect of human nature, we can gain new insights into what it is that really motivates and influences us. In turn, we can be more conscious of how we choose a career, life partner or environment to meet those needs.

OUR SIX CORE NEEDS Using Robbins’ six core needs as a benchmark to illustrate this concept, we can briefly examine each of them and look at the ways people generally try to meet them. It should be noted that these six needs can also be closely mapped to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.

Certainty is the first basic need and is simply about achieving order and control in life. Its chief function is to ensure an element of security and it is manifested in safety and physical comfort. Those of us with a deep need for certainty do our best to avoid chaos and the unexpected.

However, the desire for both chaos and uncertainty make Variety the second core need we all share. It is a physical and emotional need that encourages us to bring the new, unknown and sometimes disorderly into our lives.

The third need we have is that of Significance. It drives us to assert ourselves as individuals, look out for our own Karin Genton-L’Epée is a business coach with 30 years of extensive professional experience in the United States, France and the Czech Republic.

Based in Prague since 1995, for the past 13 years she has developed a range of coaching and training programs for mid- and top-level managers, focusing on leadership development, cross-cultural understanding and effective communication in a global environment. By providing a structured environment that supports people in clarifying who they are and what they want, Karin enables her clients to devise more effective strategies to achieve their personal and professional goals. Thanks to her knowledge, skills and range of international experience, Karin is in demand as a speaker at business conferences and educational institutions on both sides of the Atlantic. She is also a regular contributor to business journals and magazines. She works in English and French and can be reached at karin@coaching.cz.

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interests and put our own ego at the fore. To satisfy this need we find ways to prove our self-worth and can sometimes be judgmental of others.

The need for Connection is represented by the human desire to communicate with, relate to and receive love from those around us. We are motivated to share and develop relationships with people to meet this need in our lives.

Through personal development and learning we fulfill the need for Growth in our lives. This core need is what impels us to mature and evolve as human beings.

Finally, we all share the need for Contribution, which is manifested in our desire to serve those around us and give love rather than simply receiving it. Contribution is about sharing what we have with others.

All of us are influenced and motivated by a combination of each of these six needs. The challenge we are confronted with on a daily basis is how to identify which needs are dominant in our lives and what environments, situations and people we function best in and around to meet those needs.

Because these six needs have such an important influence in our decision making process, as a coach, I often have the opportunity to guide people through career or life changes and help them take a closer look at what really motivates them.

Professionally or personally, those of us experiencing any kind of transition can benefit greatly by identifying those needs that take precedence in our lives, and by using that information we can create and develop a strategy to ensure those needs will be met in a new environment or future situation.

NEEDS IN THE WORKPLACE Undoubtedly, our needs play an enormous role in how happy, satisfied and fulfilled we are at our jobs. During the coaching process, I support people who are looking to gain more satisfaction out of what they do. One way I try to help them is by ensuring that their core needs are aligned with the job they are doing, and if not, I assist them in finding ways to realign their job and their needs.

For me, the workplace is an ideal environment in which to observe whether our needs are being met or neglected.

A satisfying job should inherently present us with an abundance of opportunities to learn and grow, as well as the chance to contribute to something larger than ourselves. Moreover, the social nature of work fulfills our need for connection and relationships. Of course, the workplace is also an environment where people assert their need for significance by engaging in office politics or empire-building.

Managers for example, have a hard time finding a balance between a need of certainty and having enough variety and change in their work to maintain interest and be regularly challenged. The first-time managers I coach are often eager to work hard and get things done, thus fulfilling the need for significance, only to be disappointed by the daily routines of their work and a lack of variety in their jobs.

For someone contemplating a career change or the possibility of increased responsibility in a current position, it is

vital to anticipate what expectations need to be fulfilled first and whether a new position or company is going to satisfy those needs or leave them neglected. By looking at the career choices we have made in the past, we can easily see a pattern emerging, based on how a particular job met those needs and expectations.

NEEDS AT HOME In our personal lives, our needs again have an influence on the happiness we have with our partners, family and friends. In contrast to the workplace, where we can often be more individualistic in satisfying these needs, at home we frequently associate and partner with people whose needs complement our own.

Of course, conflicts between people, both at home and in the workplace, are really about the conflicting needs of each person. The drive to meet our own personal needs can be powerful enough to break down relationships and drive people apart. For that reason, the necessity of choosing a partner or a friend based on both our own and their core needs is vital for personal happiness and a successful, fulfilling relationship.

To meet our needs in a relationship, we can use the same principles as we would in our professional lives: determine which needs a potential or current partner satisfies, and vice versa. By doing this exercise and talking about it with our partners, we not only learn more about ourselves, but can also use this mutual understanding to help ease some of the tensions caused by conflicting needs.

Having worked as a business coach for 14 years, I have learned that the most satisfied people, personally and professionally, have achieved happiness by ensuring that their job, relationships and/or environment satisfies their core needs. They have discovered that by focusing on their needs, rather than their wants (as is the case with the majority of people), they will achieve far more satisfaction out of life. Moreover, by identifying and understanding our core needs, we can better know who we are and what motivates us.

Do you know which core needs are driving you?

Leaders Magazine III/2012 59

CFO club award

From left: CFO Club Financial Director of the Year Martin Novák, CFO and Vicechairman of the Board, ČEZ, a.s.; award presented by Dean Brabec, President, CFO Club and Managing Partner CEE, Arthur D. Little

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Financial Director ČEZ CFO Martin Novák won prestigious “Financial Director of the Year 2011” award. Winners of prestigious “Financial Director of the Year” award were ceremonially announced for the seventh time on April 11th in Grand Hotel Bohemia. Martin Novák, ČEZ CFO is the winner, since he got most votes of members of CFO Club, CFO Club Board and CFO Academy members. He was awarded by previous year winner, Michal Nebeský, CFO of České dráhy and Dean Brabec, President of CFO Club and Managing Partner CEE Arthur D. Little. Martin Rašík, CFO of PEGAS NONWOVENS was the second, award for third place went to Helena Hostková, CFO and Member of the Board of ČEPRO. Martin Vašek, CFO of Hypoteční banka was awarded as “Talent of the Year 2011”. Workshop “How IT can serve financial directors – Best IT projects in the Czech Republic” preceeded the ceremonial announcement. Radek Páleník, CFO of Hanácké železárny a pérovny and Hana Žaludová, Change Manager ICT of Prague Airport shared their experience with economic benefits of IT project their managed.

60 Bocaccio Room of Grand Hotel Bohemia

From left: Martin Herrmann, General Director and Chairman of the Board, RWE Transgas, a.s., Financial Director of the Year Martin Novák, CFO and Vicechairman of the Board, ČEZ, a.s., and Dean Brabec, President, CFO Club and Managing Partner CEE, Arthur D. Little

From left: Kamil Ziegler, General Director, SAZKA sázková kancelář, a.s., Marian Rašík, CFO, PEGAS NONWOVENS awarded second place in Financial Director of the Year, and Martin Herrmann, General Director and Chairman of the Board, RWE Transgas, a.s.

Helena Hostková, CFO and Member of the Board, ČEPRO awarded third place in Financial Director of the Year

From left: Jan Medřický, General Director, SAS Institute s.r.o., Kamil Ziegler, General Director, SAZKA sázková kancelář, a.s., and Milena Zieglerová

From left: winner of the CFO Talent of the Year, Martin Vašek, Member of the Board and Deputy General Finance Manager, Hypoteční banka, winner of the CFO award Financial Director of the Year, Martin Novák, CFO and Vicechairman of the Board, ČEZ, a.s., on the third place Helena Hostková, CFO and Member of the Board ČEPRO, Dean Brabec, President, CFO Club and Managing Partner CEE, Arthur D. Little, and on the second place Marian Rašík, CFO, PEGAS NONWOVENS

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From left: Radek Páleník, CFO, Hanácké železárny a pérovny, Jiří Lukáš, Czech Association of IT Managers, Dean Brabec, President, CFO Club and Managing Partner CEE, Arthur D. Little, and Hana Žaludová, Change Manager ICT, Prague Airport

From left: Dean Brabec, President, CFO Club and Managing Partner CEE, Arthur D. Little and Michal Nebeský, CFO, České dráhy

Larisa Francíková, RENOMIA, a.s. and Vilém Matyáš, CFO, RENOMIA, a.s.

From left: Dean Brabec, President, CFO Club and Managing Partner CEE, Arthur D. Little, Jan Stoklasa, CFO and Vicechairman of the Board, Synthesia, a.s., Martin Majer, CFO, CS CABOT, spol. s r.o., and Radek Strouhal, CFO, PROMET GROUP a.s.

From left Martin Vašek, Member of the Board and Deputy General Finance Manager, Hypoteční banka awarded CFO Talent of the Year 2011 and Petr Budinský, Vicerector, VŠFS

From left: Radek Páleník, CFO, Hanácké železárny a pérovny and Václav Loubek, Deloitte Czech Republic

From left: Martin Vašek, Member of the Board and Deputy General Finance Manager, Hypoteční banka awarded CFO Talent of the Year 2011 and Hana Pavlištová, CEO, Česká informační agentura and Vicepresident of CzechGerman Commercial and Industrial Chamber

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From left: Aleš Barabas, Vicepresident, CFO Club and Member of the Board, Chief Risk Officer, UniCredit Bank Czech Republic, a.s. and Július Kudla, CEO, Euler Hermes Europe SA

From left: Martin Majer, CFO, CS CABOT, spol. s r.o., Radek Strouhal, CFO, PROMET GROUP a.s., Martin Vašek, Member of the Board and Deputy General Finance Manager, Hypoteční banka, CFO Financial Director of the year, Martin Novák, CFO and Vicechairman of the Board, ČEZ, a.s., Helena Hostková, 3rd place, CFO and Member of the Board ČEPRO, Dean Brabec, President, CFO Club and Managing Partner CEE, Arthur D. Little, 2nd place Marian Rašík, CFO, PEGAS NONWOVENS, and Jan Stoklasa, CFO and Vicechairman of the Board, Synthesia, a.s.

politika • ekonomika • byznys

Máme vliv

Parlamentní magazín je seriózní politicko-ekonomick˘ mûsíãník s aktuálním a ucelen˘m zpravodajstvím z oblasti celé státní správy a podnikatelského sektoru.

Elektronickou podobu ãasopisu najdete na www.parlamentnimagazin.cz

gala opening

Passionate food lovers came on the night of the witches to the Alchymist Garden to celebrate the new season opening and to enjoy the creations of the new Chef of the Alchymist Club Garden, Andrea Crippa. Delicate food, excellent weather, an impressive fire show and smooth elegant music together with distinguished company created a unique atmosphere. Introducing the new casual dining concept, the Alchymist Club Garden certainly becomes one of the hot spots of the upcoming summer.

AT THE ALCHYMIST CLUB GARDEN

From left: Jan Troníček, Director, UniCredit Private Banking and Andreas Pieralli, Vernon

Martin Řezníček, Country Manager, Victorinox and company

6 64 Andoni Dentici, GM, Alchymist Luxury Group and Katerina Xhelo, Embassy of Albania

Moser presentation

From left: H.E. Yaakov Levi, Ambassador of Israel and H.E. Qazim Tepshi, Ambassador of Albania

View of the Alchymist Garden

Executive Chef Andrea Crippa serving the delicate dishes to Cyril Svoboda

Lucie Nizska, Resident Manager, Alchymist Residence Nosticova

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65 MORE MO RE P H HO OTTO OS A AN ND ELEC ELL EEC C TRO TR RON ONIC IC VEER RSI SION ON AAVVVAI AAIILA L ABL BL E O ON N W WW W W.LLEA E ADER DERS DE RSMA MAGA AGA GA ZZIIINE NEE.C N CZ

Alchymist Garden

Combining Design Creativity with

CRAFTSMANSHIP If you arrive in Milan on the third week of April you better have a room booked well in advance or at least have some good friends eager to put you up. As every year, the whole city is invaded by a throng of over 300 thousand visitors, mostly foreigners, for the International Furniture Fair. Since the 1960s the Salone del Mobile is the largest trade fair of its kind in the world, making Milan the international capital of design. In five days, it is almost impossible to see everything: the Design Week spreads over the whole city. There are over 500 events which take place in town between exhibitions, openings, cocktail parties and shows where you can meet the top architects like Philippe Starck and Zaha Hadid or rock stars like Lenny Kravitz who also presented his brand new line. There are two parts to the Design Week: the Saloni in the official exhibition grounds and the FuoriSalone which takes place in

several district of the city like Brera and Tortona. This is where the creativity of the young and established designers merges with the city as it comes alive with events that take place day and night.

SALONE 2012 The core of the Design Week takes place in the futuristic Milan Fairgrounds, designed by Massimiliano Fuksas, in Rho, just outside of Milan, where over 2,500 exhibitors cover the sold-out exhibition space. All the established designers and furniture companies are here. There are 20 enormous pavilions that you can visit, arranged by furniture style (from ultra-rich baroque or classical to modern) and including sections for bathroom, kitchen and young designers. The most innovative and experimental area is the Salone Satellite where you can go talent scouting among the prototypes

conceived by the under 35s. This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s theme is â&#x20AC;&#x153;Design<->Technologyâ&#x20AC;? with special installations by 15 designers and 17 design schools and an homage to technology in honour of Steve Jobs, a genius in combining the possibilities of technology and creativity.

Among the other sections, the Technology for the Kitchen exhibition presented some new interesting ideas while, in the International Bathroom section, the wellness area had many new types of gadgets and products for relaxation and muscle toning. The most intriguing one is the horizontal shower: while lying on a stone bed, you are stimulated by a variety of water jets by pre-programmed choreographies with different water temperature and intensity. Also remarkable is the accent posed on the recycling theme by many exhibitors. Among them is the Barrique display by the rehab community of San Patrignano, one the largest

and well-known in Italy, which realized, in collaboration with 30 renowned designers, a series of creative furniture objects made with 250 discarded wooden barrels used for the wine vintage.

BRERA After spending one full day at the fairgrounds of the Saloni it is nice to go back to town and check the more cosy streets around the Via Montenapoleone fashion district, the high-class shopping area in the historical centre of Milan, characterised by the presence of numerous boutiques and the world’s major fashion houses. Many shops take to the spirit of the Design Week and set up their own exhibitions and events. You can then easily stroll along and reach the artists’ neighbourhood of Brera, a place of bohemian atmosphere, sometimes referred to as “the Montmartre of Milan”. Here, you find the Brera Academy of Arts as well as its sophisticated and romantic restaurants and bars, antique and art shops and colourful street markets. If you get tired or are caught in one of the frequent Milanese rain showers, a nice refuge is the Missoni Home showroom for a bit of relaxation. You can sit on their comfortable designer sofas for as long as you want contemplating the charming winter garden among the specially designed textiles and carpets and then reach across the street for a delicious ice cream treat at the Gelateria Solferino. Close by is also the Spazio Boffi, which exhibits, in the daedalus of its old building, the most sophisticated yet simple and practical kitchens with its special designs and materials. A little bit further, in the gardens of the Viabizzuno showroom, you can then discover what seems a large field of beautifully illuminated red poppies, made of glassreinforced plastic, more than four metres tall, which have been realized by the Startt studio.

TORTONA If you still have energy left, you reach a little more outside of the city centre and get to the industrial neighbourhood of Tortona, among the recently reconverted industrial buildings, a bit like Holešovice, and you can then encounter the hustle and bustle of the whole city.

All the large workshops are open to the thousands of visitors, in this case mostly local. All the popular bars, hangouts and restaurant are also sprawling with people. There are also many points where you can enjoy the best produce of the local farmers of the region at the specially set-up Farmer’s Street Food restaurant points. Back into shape again, you can then fight your way to the always bigger Temporary Museum for New Design with its two Superstudio spaces with about 30 different exhibitions combining affirmed gurus with up and coming new names of the international design world.

INTERNI-LEGACY AT THE STATALE Once you get to the end of the day, don’t even think you can get some rest: before going for dinner, there is the obligatory stop at the beautiful Ca’Granda complex which is behind the Duomo and is open until midnight.

The Ca’Granda (Great House), originally conceived in the 15th century as a hospital, is one of the first renaissance buildings in Milan and currently houses Milan University. It hosts the Interni Legacy exhibition with installations by the world best designers, creators, architects and international studios, from America through Russia and China to Japan. These artists give their personal interpretation on the themes of legacy from the past applicable to future design. Zhang Ke’s three luminous peaks in the middle of the main courtyard reproduce the futuristic urban model of the village mountains. These “inhabited mountains” foresee self-

sustaining living cells for each family living inside of it.

In the next cloister you can find a reproduction of the photosynthesis process by Akihisa Hirata. It’s an installation of solar panels which look like leaves on trees which transmit energy to led flowers dispersed all around courtyard, translating, in a spectacular and technological way, the process taking place in nature.

Also six Russian artists, in their Verge exhibition inside the Aula Magna hall, are revisiting design object of everyday use into new artistic creations, like transforming an iphone into a baroque architectonic spiral like the one on S.Ivo alla Sapienza in Rome.

Once out of the Statale, time to head for the temporary restaurant on top of Piazza Duomo to taste the cuisine of Italy’s top chefs. The week after the Salone, this structure will be taken down and moved to Stockholm and then London. It is almost like a glass and steel spaceship, dominating the roofs of Milan. It comes out at night and then one morning it just disappears, like in a dream.

By Marco Sipione Pho hotos tos os:: LLomb omb mbbaard rdi Vall a aur au i, Alessa Ale ssandr ndr d o Russsott dr ottii – Co C urt r esyy Cosmi Co sm t spaa Dor smi Do nbr nbrach acht ach c t

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insurer of the year

The Gala Evening was opened by Prof. Vladimír Tomšík, Vice-Governor, Czech National Bank

IN COOPERATION WITH LEEADERS MAGAZINE

Jointly organized by the Association of Czech Insurance Brokers (AČPM), the Czech Insurance Association (ČAP) and the specialized information server oPojištění.cz, the 12th year of this professional contest culminated with a Gala Evening held in the Congress Centre of the Czech National Bank in Prague on May 10, 2012, under the auspices of the Czech National Bank governor Miroslav Singer. Out of the total five assessed categories, Kooperativa pojišťovna won three, Allianz pojišťovna reached for the first place in vehicle insurance category, while Evropská Cestovní Pojišťovna has reconfirmed its previous six-year´s victories in the specialized insurance category. Nearly three hundred VIP guests gathered in the historical CNB building to applaud the award-giving ceremony for 2011, opened with a speech by the ČNB vice-governor Prof. Vladimír Tomšík.

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From left: Ing. Martin Diviš, MBA, CEO and Board Member, Kooperativa pojišťovna, Ing. Konštantín Alexejenko, Personality of the Year, Jiřina Nepalová, President, AČPM and Director, RENOMIA, Insurance Broker of the Year 2011, RNDr. Jakub Strnad, Board Chairman, Allianz pojišťovna, Hana Axmanová, Board Member, Evropská Cestovní Pojišťovna, Mgr. Jan Paparega, Board Vice-Chairman, I.P. trust, Insurance Broker of the Year 2011 (regional), PhDr. Michael Neuwirth, Director, Property Insurance section, Kooperativa pojišťovna, and Ing. Stanislav Jelínek, Underwriting Director, Kooperativa

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Jakub Petr, Prague Art School student, receives his award for the design of the prizes from Ing. Zdeňka Indruchová, Executive Director, AČPM, and Ing. Tomáš Síkora,MBA, Executive Director, ČAP

RNDr. Jakub Strnad, Board Chairman, Allianz pojišťovna

The title Personality of the Year went to Ing. Konštantín Alexejenko

Lucie Urválková, Financial Director, Uniqua who celebrated her rounded birthday on the day of Insurer of the Year awards, with winners and wellwishers (from left): Martin Žáček, CEO, Uniqua, Jakub Strnad, CEO, Allianz, Martin Diviš, CEO, Kooperativa, and Jaroslav Besperát, CEO ČPP

For the first time in history of this oldest contest within the Czech insurance market, a special award went to the Insurance Broker of the Year 2011 − its happy recipients were I.P. trust (regional broker) and RENOMIA (national broker). As in previous years, the brokers also voted for “Personality of the Insurance Market” − a title awarded for an outstanding contribution to the development of insurance in the Czech Republic. This time the lot fell upon Ing. Konštantín Alexejenko, the now retired long-time member of Kooperativa Board. Furthermore, AČPM announced the winner of its own contest among UMPRUM (Prague art university) students to come up with an original design for Insurer of the Year 2010 glass prizes. The award together with a CZK 10.000 cheque, went to Jakub Petr, 5th grade student, for his special crystal ball design. The gala evening was preceded by Brokers´ Afternoon, a business-social networking event among insurance brokers and their counter-partners from insurance houses.

69 Nearly three hundred guests attended the gala evening

From left: Ing. Ivan Špirakus, Board Member, AČPM, Ing. Petr Kučera, Director, CCB with the finalists of the Specialized Insurance category – Mgr. Jitka Chizzola, D.A.S, Board Chairwoman, Ing. Marek Hrubý, CEO, AGRA, Miroslav Chlumský, CEO, Česká pojišťovna Zdraví, and Hana Axmanová, Board Member, Evropská Cestovní Pojišťovna (the winner)

Ing. Martin Diviš, MBA, CEO and Board Member, Kooperativa pojišťovna, winner of the Industry and Entrepreneurs Insurance category

From left: Ing. Gustav Vacek, Vice-Chairman, AČPM, Iva James, Director, Synergy Reinsurance Services, with the finalists of Life Insurance category: Mgr. Tomáš Ženíšek, Director, External Business, ČPP, Lucie Urválková, Board Member, Uniqa, Jaroslav Kulhánek, Board Vice-Chairman, Pojišťovna čS, Libor Novák, Director, Life Insurance section, Allianz, and Ing. Stanislav Jelínek, Underwriting Director, Kooperativa (the winner)

Romana Benešová, Partner, KPMG ČR and Ing. Ivan Špirakus, Board Member, AČPM with the prize

Industry and Entrepreneurs Insurance category finalists from left: Patrick Mahieu, CEO, Chartis Europe, Ing. Martin žáček, CEO and Board Chairman, Uniqa, Petr Hrbáček, Director, Top Brokers Dept, Allianz, Ing. Jaroslav Besperát, CEO and Board Chairman, česká podnikatelská pojišťovna, and Ing. Martin Diviš, MBA, CEO and Board Member, Kooperativa pojišťovna (winner)

Ing. Zdeňka Indruchová, Executive Director, AČPM addressing the audience

70 Joint photo of the winners

An interview with Jakub Strnad, CEO, Allianz pojišťovna

Allianz Reigns in Car Insurance In the last year´s professional survey of insurance brokers The Insurance Company of the Year 2011, Allianz won the first prize in the category “CAR INSURANCE”. The award was received by CEO of Allianz Pojišťovna, Jakub Strnad.

What is it that makes Allianz car insurance so successful?

Ten years ago, liability insurance was considered as a necessary evil, which does not bring people any benefits, but which still needs to be paid for. At that time, it protected exclusively people´s surroundings, instead of protecting the people themselves. Today, however, we offer a product, which has a very wide scope, and everyone can find in it whatever suits him or her the best. Those, who are interested purely in the mandatory protection of their surroundings, they can have it. Those, who would like to add to this an insurance against the risk of a car-wildlife collision, damage of car caused by animal or natural disaster, and to also have a guarantee of payment up to half a million for a new car and up to 30 thousand crowns a year for its operations in the event of a car accident and its subsequent effects, then why shouldn´t they? We can cater even for those drivers. Few years ago, this seemed as nonsense. Today, it is reality.

And what do you offer to the most demanding clients?

For those motorists, who demand the highest quality liability insurance, Allianz can offer the liability insu-

rance in the EXLUZIV variant. In addition to liability insurance with a maximum limit on damages, i.e.

100.000.000 CZK, this product also offers series of other complementary insurances and services. The inception will cover the client against the risk of a damage of a vehicle by an animal or natural disaster; clash with wildlife and guarantee payment of up to half a million CZK towards a new car and up to 30,000 CZK per year for its operation in the event of permanent health consequences after a car accident. Clients´ first damage will not impact their bonus and even if being culpable of an accident, clients will be reimbursed for

their expenditures on renting a new car up to 1000 CZK/ day, for up to five days.

Surely, there will be the issue of participation, territorial limits and other catches...

No, not at all. The damages caused by an animal on the car´s electrical set, the brake system and the cooling system will be reimbursed to clients up to 100.000 CZK, even without participation. In case of a car-wildlife collision, it is not conditional that the damage was caused by forest wildlife; it could be also cause by a freely moving domestic or farm animal. All this complementary insurance applies of course in most of European territories, including Turkey.

Car insurance also includes motor hull insurance.

What is your draw here?

Even in this case, Allianz offers the widest cover. And to answer your question on our biggest draw, it would certainly be the GAP insurance, which enables our clients to insure their new car against the loss of its value, which falls with every kilometre travelled. In case of its theft or damage we then reimburse our clients for the difference between the new and market price, and the participation from the motor hull insurance, so that they will immediately have enough funds to purchase a new car.

Compiled by LM Leaders Magazine III/2012 71 český překlad naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.leadersmagazine.cz

WIRETAPPING AS AN

Offensive Weapon Phone tapping or hacking is one of the highest reported issues in the media today.

It is used as a tool in industrial sabotage, blackmail or social defamation. We all know of the scandal that involved a high profile lobbyist and an ex-mayor, which brought unfavourable attention to the Czech Republic as a whole. Know you can protect yourself from this.

Many companies offer secure communication, but only one offers a simple solution to use yet complex in its technology to provide the highest levels of secure communication.

CryptoCult, the self-phone application brings you all you need to keep your personal life personal.

The application allows you to make calls, send messages or arranges meetings via calendar all through encryption technology. As long as the person on the other end of the line has the same application your communication is secure from eavesdropping.

CRYPTOCULTT works through data transfer. All you need is a data tariff from your provider. All information sent is encrypted. A unique key is generated for each phone call, and is valid only for that call. Thanks to this you don’t have to be afraid from additional data decrypt.

CryptoCult runs on phones using the Symbian operating system. An Android version is also being finalised.

For more details, latest news and contact information please visit

www.cryptocult.com

15:22

networking/discussion event IN COOPERATION WITH LEADERS MAGAZINE

Special thanks to Ifield Computer Consultancy and Laic Aktiengesellschaft for making this reportage possible From left: Tomáš Chalupa, Minister of Environment, Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius, and Petra Buzková, Partner, AK Vyroubal, Krajhanzl, Školout

Round Table of Comenius in Ostrava with Tomáš Chalupa, Minister of Environment

For the first time Comenius Society has organized a Round Table outside of the City of Prague. Due to the focus of the discussion with Mr. Tomáš Chalupa, Minister of Environment, the venue of the Round Table was the City of Ostrava. With over seventy participants, mainly from the Moravian-Silesian Region, the Round Table of Comenius with Minister Chalupa proved the rationale behind regional discussion meetings to be of great relevance for Czech politics. Throughout the evening Minister Chalupa showed his willingness to openly discuss issues the Ministry is facing and he also demonstrated his ability to elaborate upon relevant questions proposed by participants.

Kompresorovna in Landek Park, Ostrava

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The discussion primarily focused on the Ministry’s priorities in the MSK Region. After a successful premiere discussion dinner outside of Prague, Comenius Society is looking at organizing more regional discussion meetings in the future, to aid in uncovering issues that Czech regions consider important rather than problems we are facing in the capital city.

networking/discussion event

From left: Tomáš Úlehla, Vice Chairman of the Parlamentarian Committee on Environment, Josef Kotrba, Managing Partner, Deloitte Czech Republic, and Jan Světlík, Chairman of the Board, Vítkovice

Jan Rafaj, Director – Corporate Affairs, ArcelorMittal Steel Czech Republic

From left: Jakub Unucka, Deputy Mayor, City of Klimkovice, Martin Chromečka, Managing Director, Biodegradace, Ivo Hlavatý, Dean of Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, VŠB – Technical University of Ostrava, and Martin Lukš, Director of Sales, CS Data

From left: Jakub Kulíšek, 1st Deputy Minister, Ministry of Environment, prof. Bořivoj Šarapatka, Deputy Chairman of Committee for Environment, Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament, and Martin Lukš, Director of Sales, CS Data From left: Jan Světlík, Chairman of the Board, Vítkovice presenting his project of „Dolní oblast Vítkovice“ to Petra Buzková, Partner AK Vyroubal, Krajhanzl, Školout

From left: Jan Světlík, Chairman of the Board, Vítkovice, Tomáš Chalupa, Minister of Environment, and Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius

From left: Tomáš Chalupa, Minister of Environment, Jan Rafaj, Director, Corporate Affairs, ArcelorMittal Ostrava, Jan Březina, Chairman, Regional Chamber of Commerce of Moravian-Silesian Region, and Jakub Vít, External Relations Manager, ArcelorMittal Ostrava

From left: Lenka Urbánková Jarešová, LBU Manager, ABB Czech, Jan Světlík, Chairman of the Board, Vítkovice, and Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius

From left: Lubomír Káňa, General Director, Revírní bratrská pokladna, Petr Soukup, Managing Director, Stance Communication, Jan Smutný, General Director, ZPA Industry, and Martin Pecina, General Director, Vítkovice Power Engineering

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networking/discussion event

IN COOPERATION WITH LEADERS MAGAZINE

Special thanks to Ifield Computer Consultancy and Laic Aktiengesellschaft for making this reportage possible

From left: Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius, Vladimir Ermakov, President, Vemex, Pavel Dvořáček, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Rudolf Jelínek, Markéta Matějčná, Director for Special Sales, Rudolf Jelínek, and Miroslav Rychna, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Rudolf Jelínek

Round Table of Comenius Dr. Bohuslav Svoboda, Lord Mayor of the City of Prague

Comenius Society has organized a Round Table with the Mayor of Prague Dr. Bohuslav Svoboda. As the discussion dinner was under great demand, it was attended by over one hundred participants. The dinner opened with a detailed discussion about an effective use of Prague hospitals and the planned transfer of four state owned hospitals to the ownership of the city of Prague. Although this was a significant discussion topic, questions from the wide spectrum of participants opened debates in several other areas like the expansion of Prague public transportation, the use of alternative energy sources within the city public transportation and also street art and public space available for this art form. The Lord Mayor impressed with his positive attitude, willingness to reflect upon questions and comments brought up during the discussion and also openness to new encounters before and after the dinner. The whole event was marked by an enthusiastic atmosphere, appreciated by not only the participants but also the Lord Mayor, Dr. Svoboda himself.

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IN PARTNERSHIP WITH IFIELD COMPUTER CONSULTANCY AND LAIC AK TIENGESELLSCHAFT

Congress Hall, Top Hotel

networking/discussion event

H.E. Peter Brňo, Ambassador of Slovakia

From left: Miloslav Bělina, Partner, Advokátní kancelář Kříž, Bělina, Otto Kechner, Director, Domov pro seniory Krč, and Jan Oberman, Executive Head, Korado Consulting

Bohdan Wojnar, Member of the Board of Directors for Human Recources Management, Škoda Auto

Zdeněk Pelc, CEO, GZ Digital Media

From left: Karel Muzikář, Jr., Managing Partner, Weil Gotshal Manges, Jan Veverka, Partner, Touzimsky Kapital, and Marek Hanč, Personal Secretary of the Lord Mayor

75 From left: Radek Dohnal, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, Top Hotels Group, Benke Aikell, your Publisher, Bohuslav Svoboda, Lord Mayor of Prague, and Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius

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networking/discussion event

Special thanks to Ifield Computer Consultancy and Laic Aktiengesellschaft for making this reportage possible

From left: Vladimír Dohnal, Chairman, Top Hotels Group, Bohuslav Svoboda, Lord Mayor of Prague, and Jan Wiesner, Honorary Chairman, Union of Czech and Moravian Production Co-operatives

From left: Hugo Kysilka, Vice President for Marketing, Vemex and Vladimir Ermakov, President, Vemex

From left: Karel Muzikář Jr., Managing Partner, Weil Gotshal Manges, Jan Oberman, Executive Head, Korado Consulting, Marie Kousalíková, Mayor of Prague 6, and Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius

From left: Jan Zadák, Vice President, Hewlett-Packard and Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius From left: Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius and Petr Hotovec, Director, Zenova Services

From left: Tomáš Uvíra, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Czech Export Bank, Tomáš Čáp, Vice President, Comenius, and Jiří Uklein, Head of the Office of Senate of the CR

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Jitka Čiháková, General Director, Prague Investments Corporation and Josef Veselka, Head of Department of Cardiology, University Hospital Motol

From left: Milan Hampl, General Director, PRE distribuce, Roman Mužík, Executive Head, AVE CZ odpadové hospodářství, Bohuslav Svoboda, Lord Mayor of Prague, Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius, Pavel Dvořáček, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Rudolf Jelínek, Petra Buzková, Partner, Vyroubal Krajhanzl Školout, Patrik Roman, General Director, Pražské služby, Jan Wiesner, Honorary Chairman, Union of Czech and Moravian Production Co-operatives, and Vladimír Dohnal, Chairman, Top Hotels Group

Systém CESR spolehlivě ochrání vaše podnikání před nespolehlivými obchodními partnery.

The CESR system will reliably protect your business against unreliable business partners.

Rating českých ekonomických subjektů jednoznačně ukáže, na co si u dané společnosti dávat pozor a jaká rizika při spolupráci s ní očekávat

Rating of Czech economical subjects it will show unambiguously what to be aware of in particular company and what risks can be expected when cooperating with it

Hlídání insolvence program u zadaných subjektů sleduje, zda nebyl podán návrh na zahájení insolvenčního řízení, a informuje o všech změnách

Insolvency watch a program checking selected subjects for information whether an insolvency proceedings was not started against them, and informs about all changes

Hlídání změn v obchodním rejstříku program sleduje zadané subjekty v obchodním a živnostenském rejstříku a e-mailem zasílá informace o zjištěných změnách - např. likvidaci

Watching for the changes in business register a program watching selected subjects in business and trade register, and sends e-mails about noticed changes – e.g. liquidation

Registr dlužníků zadejte do systému své problematické dlužníky a dluhy se až do splacení promítnou do jejich ratingu

Register of debtors input your problematic debtors here and their debts will affect their rating until they are paid

Adresář subjektů kompletní adresář českých ekonomických subjektů, v němž lze vyhledávat podle regionu, oboru, obratu apod.

List of subject a complete list of Czech economical subjects, where one can search by region, field, turnover, etc.

www.cesr.cz

interview A talk with Vendula Svobodová, Founder, Manager and Owner of the Now Well-known Endowment Fund Kapka Naděje

More Than a Drop “Charity Work Is Like Running a Normal Company” Source: Kapka naděje Fund

Fate doesn’t handle all of us with kid gloves.

VENDULA SVOBODOVÁ, the founder, manager and owner of the now well-known endowment fund KAPKA NADĚJE (Shade of Hope), knows this very well. Her story, the life force, and last but not least, the foundation itself, are the source and inspiration for many who are just living in a difficult situation. We asked her how charity can be successfully done in the Czech Republic.

The endowment fund Kapka naděje was established in 2000, with the main aim to consistently and continuously support the Department of Paediatric Haematology and Oncology at the University Hospital Motol.

The endowment’s aid has been focused primarily on the improvement of diagnostic procedures and therapeutic methods, psychosocial care, the funding of construction and equipment for the transplant unit, support of scientific activities and support of regional hospitals. (See more info at wwww.kapkanadeje.cz)

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interview Being engaged in charity isn’t perhaps much fun in the Czech Republic…

Well, charity is not fun at all (laughs) … Yet, once you have already established your system, and put together a supporting team, you will definitely experience joyful moments. I founded Kapka naděje in 2000. It was based on personal experience, because I had been hospitalized with my daughter who was diagnosed with leukemia in the University Hospital Motol. We went twice through chemotherapy, and two bone marrow transplants, but to no avail. But the fact remains that the disease won’t unfortunately disappear from the world, and thus help is needed. At the same time, it was my first impetus to help the transplant unit and hematologic department in the University Hospital Motol.

How did the first steps go?

I would like to emphasize that we are talking about 1999–2000, and since then the media background has significantly shifted in the Czech Republic. In the past, there was not so much evil in the media. At that time, I was famous as the wife of Karel Svoboda – the woman in his background. And of course, I had far better access to artists and to people engaged in showbiz. Yet, I’ve learned how to do business by doing it, purely through the method of trial and error. At first I thought it consumed only a few hours a week, and then suddenly it became a full time job. Finally, I also completed my management and marketing studies. It helped me a lot professionally, but it certainly is not easy. Doing charity work is like running a normal company.

In what way particularly?

You have to behave so that your programmes and projects are meaningful, i.e. so that potential partners and sponsors will follow you. Obviously, a lot of things are based on friendship and personal relations. There were, however, companies and people whom I approached directly from the street. The great news is that it almost always came out well!

In this respect, are you facing great competition in the Czech Republic?

Photos: Lucie Vítková

I don’t want to call it entirely a competition, yet the fact is that there are about 65,000 charity organizations in the Czech Republic. That’s just too much.

I appreciate them immensely but sometimes one might fall into a trap.

How? For example, initially I wanted to do joint projects with various charities. But over time, I however found it impossible. In our field, the same rules have to be followed that apply in hard business, and sometimes it is simply incompatible to co-operate like this.

What project do you find the most successful from a marketing point of view?

These projects are numerous. Anyway, we’ve perhaps had the biggest success with our project “Vyvolení”. At that time, we approached about 22 million people live. On the basis of the success I have also unfortunately learned what it means to envy. Additionally, I personally obviously appreciate all donors. Anyway, companies are in a different situation, as a company always targets customers.

Yet, individual donors take me as someone who did not have an easy fate and who was able to fight with it. I do not want it to sound pretentious, yet Kapka naděje has done a lot of meaningful work during its 12 years of existence, in saving children’s lives.

I myself actually can’t believe that it works. Looking back, I still don’t know where I was actually able to gather such strength.

You started with the help of the University Hospital Motol and gradually expanded to support the regional hospitals…

We have obviously been doing many events within various regions. For me, it is important that when people contribute in a given place, that the funds should be used there too. It is true that a lot of financial means are still gathered for Prague. Thus, by creating PR articles or various TV programmes and events, Kapka naděje tries to focus on the entire Czech Republic.

How has Kapka naděje been hit by the economic crisis?

We’ve been perhaps mostly hit by a change of the Lottery Act. Thus, we have lost several millions in revenues. Beyond that, it is true that in times of economic crisis companies cut back on extra expenses, including charities. We’ve also partially felt the effects of this. On the other hand, for the vast majority of people who contribute and help us, i.e. ordinary people who send money via transfer from a bank or

by DMS, Kapka naděje is also a brand of fairness and trust. And people keep donating further.

How successful are you in approaching foreign companies?

In this respect, foreign companies are much more sophisticated because philanthropy has already been working there for many years. Meanwhile, the communist regime had completely destroyed philanthropy in the Czech Republic. Although Czech companies started to do charity here after 1989, it was also followed by a great number of troubles and failures.

This is also the reason why Czech charity is still working on its position and grandeur.

Is there anything you would still like to accomplish? Or do you feel that fate still owes you anything?

I would be happy if I stopped in my life to measure the depth of pain which is equal to the size of my love.

When bad things happen in life, a deep pain remains within you. One can be entangled in this pain, and may need reassurance that they won’t disappoint, that they are not alone in this world, that someone loves them.

Yet, unfortunately you will never find love to the same extent unless you are immensely lucky. Thus, I would love to get in return what I have invested.

By Pavlína Holancová český překlad naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.leadersmagazine.cz

Leaders Magazine III/2012 79

discussion forum Photo: Ro Pho Photo: Ronal naa d Hilm mar

On 27th of March 2012, the XII. Zlatá Koruna Forum titled “Distribution of financial products or so called Education of clients in Bohemia” has been hosted under the auspices of the Minister of Finance Miroslav Kalousek at the TOP HOTEL Praha.

The forum focused on the impact of regulatory measures on the work of financial advisors and intermediaries and sought answer to the question of how to increase transparency of the market for financial products.

The forum speakers included representatives of the Ministry of Finance, Czech National Bank, financial institutions and consulting firms.

Over 300 participants watched the debate of experts directly at the premises of the hotel, and thousands more live on the Internet.

From left: Pavel Doležal, Director, pdMEDIA s.r.o, Radek Urban, Deputy Minister of Finance for Financial Markets, Ministry of Finance CR, Vladimír Tomšík, Vicegovernor, Czech National Bank, Přemysl Čech, Moderator, Pavel Řehák, General Director, Česká pojišťovna, and Petr Zahradník, Head of the EU Office, Česká spořitelna, Member, NERV

8 80

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From left: Pavel Řehák, General Director, Česká pojišťovna and Petr Zahradník, Head of the EU Office, Česká spořitelna, Member, NERV

Milan Šimáček, Member of the Board and Deputy General Manager, EGAP Insurance

From left: Radek Urban, Deputy Minister of Finance for Financial Markets, Ministry of Finance CR, Václav Křivohlávek, Deputy Head of the Department of Banking and Insurance, VŠFS, and Vladimír Přikryl, Officer, Ministry of Finance CR

Vít Kalvoda, CEO, think-tank TANK and Analyst, Defense Association of Investors

Vladimír Tomšík, Vicegovernor, Czech National Bank

Prof. Michal Mejstřík, Director of the Institute of Economic Studies, FSV UK, Member, NERV

From left: Pavel Doležal, Director, pdMEDIA s.r.o, Petr Zahradník, Head of the EU Office, Česká spořitelna, Member, NERV, and Vladimír Dohnal, Chairman of the Board, TOP HOTELS GROUP

81 Participants

MOR M MO ORE RE P H HO OTO T S AN AND EL E EEC C TR T RON ON O NIIC C VER E SI S ON AVAI AV AILA AILA L ABLLE ON O W WW W W.L .LEA E ADE DERS RSMA RS MAGA GAA ZI ZINE NE.C NE CZ

From left: Helena Kolmanová, Director of Consumer Protection Department, Czech National Bank, Radim Štantejský, Alternative Distribution Department Director, UniCredit Bank, and Tomáš Macků, Research & Communication Director CR,SR, IPSOS

From left: Tomáš Síkora, Executive Director, Czech Insurance Association, František Klufa, Director of Strategy for the Mass Market, ČSOB, and Michal Knapp, Chairman of the Board and General Director, OVB Allfinanz

Pavel Řehák, General Director, Česká pojišťovna

From left: Prof. Michal Mejstřík, Director of the Institute of Economic Studies, FSV UK, Member, NERV and Petr Šafránek, Secretary General, AFIZ

From left: Radim Štantejský, Alternative Distribution Department Director, UniCredit Bank and Petr Scholz, Deputy Finance Arbiter, FA CR

Petr Kučera, Executive Director and Vice Chairman of the Board, CCB

82 Petr Šimerka, Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Affairs and former Minister of Labour and Social Affairs

From left: Hanuš Thein, Sales Director, M.C. TRITON and Daniel Köppl, Chief Editor, Marketing and Media

media power

How to Avoid the Janoušek Scenario AND DRIVE SAFELY THROUGH CRISIS COMMUNICATION

On April 24th the Czech news weekly Týden published an exclusive interview with a character who many reporters would have loved to have on their covers just a few months ago: Roman Janoušek.

The influential middleman – I stay away from the word lobbyist or entrepreneur, which are both respectable professions that have nothing in common with corruption, dodgy deals and lack of transparency – spoke for the first time in years about the car accident that turned his life upside down. If I hadn’t followed the affairs tied to Janoušek’s name, the interview would have almost managed to turn him into the victim of a wrong decision – drunk driving. Janoušek showed a human face, apologized, talked about the impact of the accident on his personal life and showed remorse.

I don’t know who is in charge of his crisis communication, but it’s obviously a good advisor: this interview was the right thing to do in such a situation. Yet, there is one situation when not even such human interviews work: when it’s too late.

THE WEIGHT OF PERSONAL HISTORIES We all carry with us a personal history; we all might have done things we are not proud of. It may have been a crazy party when we were teenagers, a former life partner who left us with a bitter taste, or a deal when we closed our eyes on certain aspects that were not truly ethically aligned. All of these little things can turn into big issues once we decide to step into the limelight.

That’s why spicy private details make the delights of American presidential campaigns. Fortunately, the

Cristina Muntean is a communication adviser with more than 12 years’ experience in the Czech, Romanian and international media. Between 2005–2010, Cristina worked for the English-language economic magazine Czech Business Weekly (CBW) in Prague. During this time she wrote more than 3,000 news articles, features and interviews. Cristina graduated in journalism from the University of Bucharest, Romania.

She also holds a master’s degree in project management. In June 2011 Cristina was elected president of the Czech PR Klub.

Currently, she provides reputation management advisory, media training, coaching and support to managers, communication specialists and public officials across Central and Eastern Europe. Cristina speaks Romanian, French, English and Czech and can be reached at cm@mediaed.cz.

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hard core tabloid news made in the UK missed the Czech market, but we never know where we will head with fresh direct presidential elections in the pipeline.

One thing is clear: we all have our skeletons in the closet, small or big, less or more relevant to the public interest. The question is: how do we deal with them when these problems arise?

Here are five steps that you should consider when you see your reputation in danger: Evaluate. Who brought the news to light? Which media covered the news? What would be an accurate response to the development? An excellent example is the construction company Skanska and its reaction to the negative campaign against it by the Czech Ministry of Transport. In less than 24h Skanska hired a crisis communication manager and decided on the steps to be taken. Skanska took 48h to analyze the allegations internally. Then, once things were clear, it answered the allegations publicly. Now, Skanska is still in business, while the former minister of transport Vít Barta is convicted for corruption.

Need for speed. When a bad thing happens to your reputation, your quickness to react is the key.

However, it doesn’t mean that you need to jump head-first and speak on things which you haven’t properly considered. Share with the public that you are aware and concerned with the situation, and that you are acting to evaluate the issue, then release a statement and go meet the press. As a recent post

by Rick Amme, the owner of Amme& Associates noted on Ragan.com, it’s not the speed of reaction that matters, but the speed of decision.

Speak up. Once you have it clear in your mind what happened, and once you have prepared what to say, go out and speak up. However, bear in mind that you need to keep a proper balance: it’s not in your interest to send a press release with your statement to the national media if your negative news appeared in a small local newspaper, and you clarified the issue after one phone call with the local reporter.

Be consistent. Once you decided what to say, share the same message on all communication channels, including social media, and remain faithful to your truth.

Remain positive. The wide public will appreciate the combatant who is open and willing to look for a positive solution in anything that may happen. This is why Vít Barta’s campaign against Skanska was seen as an attack rather than a move to defend public interests.

All these are useful tools to bring down a fire that may risk burning away a reputation that you’ve built

Photo: Jakub Stadler

over a lifetime. However, crisis management is nothing but the ultimate skillful approach of a good communicator. There are two more aspects to this issue.

One is preparation. Numerous Czech companies work with crisis management scenarios, where people know more or less what to do in a challenging situation; very often though these scenarios aren’t backed up by crisis communication scenarios that are clear to everybody. It’s true, we cannot foresee everything.

However, in crises you will want to have spent more time explaining to your employees why they shouldn’t cover their faces, push the camera and run away from the TV crew that just wanted to figure out where the manager’s office is.

The second aspect is prevention. This goes beyond manuals. Part of prevention is the fact that you develop a long-term trusted relationship with the key media of your interest. This is something you can do only if you speak with reporters on a regular basis, if you understand their needs, and try to accommodate them as much as you can. It comes down to a mutually respectful relationship. This is why I find Janoušek’s interview untrustworthy: one doesn’t change his view of the world over night. The interview is a work of art in terms of crisis communication – yes. However, will it help changing Janoušek’s reputation in the long-term, so that people he cares about won’t avoid sitting with him at the same table in the future? For that he needs more than crisis communication. No communication magician can take away the years of silence, disrespect for the media, public funds and human lives he showed in the past.

That is a reputation he will carry with him, accident or no accident.

By Cristina Muntean český překlad naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.leadersmagazine.cz

Leaders Magazine III/2012 83

diplomatic event

From left: H.E. Sergey B. Kiselev, Ambassador of the Russian Federation and Prof. Václav Klaus, President of the CR

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VICTORY DAY RECEPTION From left: Mr. Vladimír Laštůvka, MUDr. Přemysl Sobotka, Vice Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of the CR, and Dipl. Ing. Igor Střelec, Chairman of the Boad, STIG

Jana Kordačová, Deputy Executive Director, Chamber of Trade and Industry for CIS Countries and Ing. František Masopust, Executive Director, Chamber of Trade and Industry for CIS Countries

H.E. Valerie Raymond, Ambassador of Canada with her husband

84 From left: H.E. Jaroslav Bašta, former Czech Ambassador to Ukraine and PhDr. Miloš Balabán, Ph.D., Director, CESES

From left: Benke Aikell, your Publisher and Ing. Michael Hrbata, Deputy Minister of Defence with his wife

From left: H.E. Gabriel Oh, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea with his wife and Prof. Václav Klaus, President of the CR

From left: H.E. Yaakov Levy, Ambassador of Israel, and H.E. Sergey B. Kiselev, Ambassador of the Russian Federation

Oleg Varakin, Project Manager, OAO Strojtransgaz and Mrs. Anna Uljačenkova

H.E. Norman Eisen, Ambassador of the USA and H.E. Sian Christina MacLeod, Ambassador of Great Britain

From left: Edvard Outrata, former Senator, H.E. Nediljko Bilić, Ambassador of Bosnia and Hercegovina with his wife on the left, and Mrs. Outrata

On May 9th traditional Victory Day has been celebreated. Guests have remembered all who fought against the fascism. Soldiers of the Red Army and countries of the anti-Hitler coalition, patriots and anti-fascists, partisans – all of them were remmembered at the ceremony by H.E. Sergey B. Kiselev, Ambassador of the Russian Federation. H.E. Sergey B. Kiselev has also stressed long history of the Russian-Czech relations pointing out that this year marks the 90th anniversary of the Agreement on Establishment of Trade and Economic Relations between Russia and Czechoslovakia signed in Prague in June, 1922.

85 Invited guests

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85

From left: H.E. Jose Perreira Gomes, Ambassador of Portugal, H.E. Abdulrahman Al-Hamdi, Ambassador Of Yemen, H.E. Mohammad Kabir Farahi, Ambassador of Iraq, H.E. Mohamed Salaymeh, Ambassador of Palestine, H.E. Mohamed Ibrahim Abdel Hakam, Ambassador of Egypt, H.E. Abdullah Abdulaziz Al Alsheikh, Ambassador of Saudi Arabia, and Soltan Al-Duish, Kuwait Embassy

From left: Petr Kužel, MBA, President, Chamber of Commerce of the CR and Prof. Václav Klaus, President of the CR

From left: Jan Záruba, Deputy Mayor, Prague 6, Marie Kousalíková, Mayor of Prague 6, and Ing. Miroslav Sklenář, Magistrát hl. m. Prahy H.E. Bady Kedidi, Ambassador of Tunisia with his wife

From left: Ing. Miloš Janů, Managing Partner, Czech-Kuwait Trading Ltd., Ing. Milan Hovorka, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade and Prof. Jan Kříž, Partner, Law Office Kříž and Bělina s.r.o.

From left: H.E. Belaid Hadjem, Ambassador of Algeria, and Ing. Milan Hovorka, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade

86 From left: H.E. Ivan Grytsak, Ambassador of Ukraine and Martin Pospíšil, Director, European Countries Department, Ministry of Industry and Trade

From left: Alexander Akulinin, Project Manager, Russia and CIS Operations, Comenius, Anna Rudnitskaya, Member of the Union of Czech Photographers, and Anna Evsina, MKI KLÍČ

From left: Mrs. Kiselev, H.E. Sergey B. Kiselev, Ambassador of the Russian Federation, and Prof.

Václav Klaus, President of the CR

From left: H.E. Pierre Levy, Ambassador of France and H.E. Peter Brňo, Ambassador of Slovakia

From left: Ivo Kouklik, Vice President, Rosatom Oversea and Martin Pecina, CEO, Vítkovice Power Engineering

From left: Mgr. Shmyrov Dmitry Vladimirovich, Deputy Director, Chanty-Mansij Banka and Ing. Igor. V. Borisov, Representative in the CR, Russian Federation, Association of Regional Banks of Russia

From left: H.E. Yaakov Levy, Ambassador of Israel, H.E. Norman Eisen, Ambassador of the USA, and H.E. Daniela Anda Grigore Gitman, Ambassador of Romania

From left: Miro Smolák, Owner and Director, MIRO Gallery and JUDr. Igor Ivanko, Court Executor

87 From left: Roald Piskoppel, Head of Representation, Gazprom, Alena Vitásková, Chairman, Energy Regulatory Office, and Arnošt Thon, Managing Director, A.T. Plyn s.r.o.

From left: Alexey P. Katkov, 2nd Secretary, Russian Embassy, Alexander Ivanov, Russian Academy of Sciences, Roald Piskoppel, Head of Representation, Gazprom, Alexander Akulinin, Project Manager, Russia and CIS Operations, Comenius, and Nikolay Treshchalin, Chairman of České centrum pro obchodní spolupráci

From left: H.E. Sergey B. Kiselev, Ambassador of the Russian Federation, Ing. Jiří Weigl, CSc., Chancellor, Office of the President of the CR, and Prof. Václav Klaus, President of the CR

From left: PaedDr. Jaroslav Müllner, Head of the Secretariat of the President of the Senate, Senate Chancellery, Mgr. Kateřina Toperczerová, Senate Chancellery, and Jiří Krbel From left: H.E. Lembit Uibo, Ambassador of Estonia and H.E. Genz Pecani, Ambassador of Albania

From left: Dr. Kafka, Jiří Paroubek, former Prime Minister, now Head of LEV 21 and Anna Kafková, Municipality of the Capital City of Prague

88

From left: Jadran Šetlík, Photographer, Veronika Blažková, Spokesperson, Prague 1, and Ing. Oldřich Lomecký, Mayor of Prague 1

From left: H.E. Daniela Anda Grigore Gitman, Ambassador of Romania, H.E. Stefan Gorda, Ambassador, Embassy of the Republic of Moldova with his wife, Jindřich Forejt, Protocol Director, Office of the President of the CR, and H.E. André Regli, Ambassador of Switzerland

analysis

What Is Happiness?

But a Golden Fly! bellow the poverty line, 50 percent are illiterate and monasteries apply harsh corporal punishment even for five year old children and minors are forced into slave labour, is difficult to assess.

In developed word we are witnessing similar tendencies in relation to happiness.

The American Declaration of Independence, which is the foundation of the United States Constitution, explicitly provides for the right of life, liberty and happiness. Politicians, philosophers, economists, including the Nobel Laureates, are intensively seeking the definition of human happiness and its measurability.

How important is happiness for us? What it actually is and how it could be measured?

There have been a lot of talks about indicators of success recently, in relation to the “crisis” of capitalism. Traditionally, these are the gross national or domestic products (GNP or GDP) per capita. It seems that a parallel still exists between their height and satisfaction of the populace, but certainly not a direct correlation. One alleged attempt to define “gross national happiness” per head is said to be taking place in Bhutan, the tiny country in Himalayas. Its enlightened monarch pioneers its introduction. The reality of this measure in a country, where 75 percent of people live

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Psychologists lean towards several attributes of happiness: satisfaction from an object, engagement in certain pleasant activity, and finally happiness from achieving one´s goal. The definition may be exhaustive, though in real life hardly tangible. Economic definition, as I mentioned, also do not apply.

In communist states, for example, the GNP per capita was higher than in majority of developing countries, and yet happiness was afar. Religions base their concept on happiness on afterlife, or on nirvana.

Each of us knows that one wonderful and great experience is not enough to make us feel happy, be it finding a partnership, experiencing a big success or reaching a personal goal. These feelings are amazing, happiness is great, but it quickly vanishes. It is also evident, that definition of happiness is completely subjective; each of us has a different understanding of it, which, moreover, often changes with life.

Is it then possible to define and measure something so individual?

Psychologist Daniel Gilbert argues that it is. He likens the process of measure happiness to a situation of selecting the correct size dioptres according to one´s optical lenses. Your feelings lead the doctor to exchange lenses until you have the right ones. Similar situation occurs when measuring body temperature with imprecise thermometers. Individual measurements will not be accurate, but with a large sample you can reach an average, which is then useful. In other words, even with imprecise tools and subjective feelings one can work towards a general, meaningful result.

Psychologist Matthew Killingsworth conducts a research on a sample of 15 000 people, who are asked questions on their iPhone about their relative level of happiness on a scale of 1 to 10 that they feel in 22 different situations. First results confirm that feeling of real happiness arises as a series of small happy moments, one followed by another. Few moments a day of happiness are more amazing than one per month. Let us look for them.

They are everywhere around us. Maybe you will be surprised to find that they are present in situations where we have few reasons to feel happy.

I fear that happiness will not be brought to us by business, the less by politicians or perfect constitution full of warranted rights. We need to find it ourselves. What is now considered as a sign of success is an insufficient measure for happiness and is let down not only by the state of the current “elite”.

By Ivan Pilný President of Tuesday Business Network Former Chairman of Cze zech ch Tel elec ecom om

český překlad naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.leadersmagazine.cz

Leaders Magazine III/2012 89

networking/charity

Arch. Zdeněk Lukeš, Office of the President of CR

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Guest of Honor: Ing. Arch. Zdeněk Lukeš, Office of the President of the Czech Republic Topic: Architectural development of Prague in last decades

Prague Bohemia Ambassador

90 Members of Lions Club Praha Bohemia Ambassador listening to the speach of Mr. Lukeš

From left: JUDr. Jan Kotous, Pedagogue, Faculty of Law, Charles University and MUDr. Václav Poláček, CSc., Plastic Surgeon

From left: Ing. František Novotný, Director, TERRAMET s.r.o. and Mgr. Jan Haur, IS Administrator

MUDr. Václav Poláček, CSc., Plastic Surgeon

From left: Ing. arch. Petr Bílek, Architect´s Studio Bílek Associates, spol. s r.o. and Miroslav Hříbal, Enterpreneur

From left: Ing. Vladimír Páral, Writer, JUDr. PhDr. Oldřich Choděra, Lawyer, Charterpresident, LC Praha Bohemia Ambassador and former Governor, LCI D122 Czech Republic and Slovak Republic, and Oldřich Hořák, Owner of Hotel Bílá Růže in Poděbrady

From left: Petr Laštovka, Enterpreneur and Ing. Jiří Nejezchleb, Tax Advisor

91 MORE PHOTOS AND ELECTRONIC VERSION AVAILABLE ON WWW.LEADERSMAGAZINE.CZ

From left: Ing. Jiří Opichal, Executive Head, Allimex Trading s.r.o. and former President LC Praha Bohemia Ambassador and Ing. Jiří Málek, former President, LC Praha Bohemia Ambassador

From left: Ing. František Novotný, Director, TERRAMET s.r.o., MUDr. Blanka Seifertová, General Practitioner, and JUDr. PhDr. Oldřich Choděra, Lawyer, Charterpresident, LC Praha Bohemia Ambassador and former Governor, LCI D122 Czech Republic and Slovak Republic From left: PhDr. Karel Vondrášek, Theatre Scientist and Oldřich Hořák, Owner of Hotel Bílá Růže in Poděbrady

From left: Ing. Rudolf Kočí, Enterpreneur and Ing. Jiří Opichal, Executive Head, Allimex Trading s.r.o. and former President, LC Praha Bohemia Ambassador

92

From left: Mgr. Jaroslav Drápal, Analyst, ČSOB, PhDr. Martin Komárek, Chief Commentator, MF Dnes, and Miroslav Hříbal, Enterpreneur

From left: arch. Zdeněk Lukeš, Office of the President of CR, Ing. František Chaloupecký, President, LC Praha Bohemia Ambassador, Ing. Anton Gerák, CSc., Commercial Director, LCI D122 Czech Republic and Slovak Republic, and JUDr. PhDr. Oldřich Choděra, Lawyer, Charterpresident LC Praha Bohemia Ambassador and former Governor, LCI D122 Czech Republic and Slovak Republic

At the Residence of the Israeli Ambassador special cultural event took place â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Israeli Journalist and Historian Tom Segev presented his book Simon Wiesenthal: SkuteÄ?nost a Legenda that has been just published in Czech language by the Paseka publishing house.

From left: Tom Segev, Journalist, Karel Schwarzenberg, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, and H.E. Yaakov Levy, Ambassador of Israel

From left: Tom Segev, Journalist and Karel Schwarzenberg, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic

From left: H.E. Ferdinand Trauttmansdorff, Ambassador of Austria and Tom Segev, Journalist

IN COOPERATION WITH LEADERS MAGAZINE Tom Segev signing the book

93

networking/discussion event

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Special thanks to Ifield Computer Consultancy and Laic Aktiengesellschaft for making this reportage possible

From left: Milan Štěch, Chairman, Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius, Petr Suchý, Chairman of the Board, Chládek a Tintěra Havlíčkův Brod, and Jiří Běhounek, Governor, Region Vysočina

Round Table of Comenius

with Milan Štěch, President of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, Jiří Běhounek, President of the Vysočina Region, Radko Martínek, President of the Pardubice Region and Jan Birke, Mayor of the City of Náchod

94

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH IFIELD COMPUTER CONSULTANCY AND LAIC AK TIENGESELLSCHAFT

From left: Pavel Smutný, Partner, Císař, Češka, Smutný a spol., Vladimír Dohnal, Chairman of the Board, Top Hotels Group, Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius, and Milan Štěch, Chairman, Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic

networking/discussion event

From left: Jan Mühlfeit, Chairman, Microsoft Europe, Tomáš Novák, DACH Sales Manager, AMI Praha, and Jiří Mouček, CEO, AMOK CZ

From left: Jan Birke, Mayor, City of Náchod and Jiří Hejduk, Managing Director, SOFTWARE AG

From left: Vlastimil Hladík, Head of the Sales Department, Chládek a Tintěra Havlíčkův Brod, and František Vaculík, General Director, Chairman of the Board, PSJ

From left: Jiří Pech, Member of the Board and Director of Ground Buildings Department, Lucie Orgoníková, CEO, Orgmedia, and Oldřich Kožušník, CEO, Director, Development and Management Department, ČEZ Obnovitelné zdroje, s.r.o.

Coome Co menius me nius ni us Soc ocie iety ty has as had ad the h pleasurre too preese sent nt a liv ivel elyy di el disc sccussi ussiion us on foc ocus u ed us ppaart rtic rtic icul ular ul laarrly ly on re reggiion onall poollititic i al strrat ategie eggie iess aannd su sugg ggges estitit onns for for th t e im impr propr ovveem meent nt of inntteerrnnat atiioon atio ona naall tr trad a e. Thhee four ma main perrssoona nalililititities es of th es thee evvennin ingg to took okk turn tu urn rns iinn prese resent re seent ntin ing th thhei eeiir pr p es esent meth thhodds, s futtur uree vi visi sion o s an on andd al also soo cri ritititca call oppiinniioons n s. M ns.

Mrr. Ma Mart rtín íneekk haass dis iscu c ss ssed sedd the adv dvvan ance c meent n s of the Par a du dubi bice bi c reggio ce ionn with wi th a par artit cu c llaaarr fo focus cus on agr cu griccul ultu tural de devve velo lopm pmen ennt,t the reg egio i naal in io incr crea cr e se in ea expo ex porrtt anndd sch choo hoo ool rreefo effoorm mss.. Thhiis disc scus ussi sion on was a ext xten ende ded by Mr.r. Běh ded de ě ou oune une nek, k, who br wh broouugh ght ht uupp the he top opic ics of of puubblic heaal alth t car a e an and nd wa wate ter ma mana ana nage gem meent n.

MORE PHOTOS AND ELECTRONIC VERSION AVAILABLE ON WWW.LEADERSMAGAZINE.CZ From left: Petr Suchý, Chairman of the Board, Chládek a Tintěra Havlíčkův Brod, Lenka Horáková, Director, Regional Centre for Passenger Transport, ČD and Jana Fialová, Mayor, City of Bransouze

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networking/discussion event

Jana Fialová, Mayor, City of Bransouze and Libor Joukl, Deputy Governor, Region Vysočina

Petr Suchý, Chairman of the Board, Chládek a Tintěra Havlíčkův Brod

From left: G. Sukumar, Director, United Enterprises and Daniel Rous, Security Director, ČEZ

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IN PARTNERSHIP WITH IFIELD COMPUTER CONSULTANCY AND LAIC AK TIENGESELLSCHAFT

Special thanks to Ifield Computer Consultancy and Laic Aktiengesellschaft for making this reportage possible

Peter Kozma, CEO, CRYTEX

Radko Martínek, Governor, Pardubice Region

From left: František Vaculík, General Director, Chairman of the Board, PSJ, Lenka Horáková, Director, Regional Centre for Passenger Transport, ČD, Jana Fialová, Mayor, City of Bransouze and Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius

From left: Tomáš Novák, DACH Sales Director, AMI Praha, Jiří Mouček, CEO, AMOK CZ, Helena Rossi, Manager of Client´s Acquisition, Europe-Russian Bank and Alexander Akulinin, Project Manager, Russia and CIS operations, Comenius

networking/discussion event

From left: Jan Birke, Mayor, City of Náchod, Radko Martínek, Governor, Pardubice Region, František Vaculík, General Director, Chairman of the Board, PSJ, Milan Štěch, Chairman, Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius, Petr Suchý, Chairman of the Board, Chládek a Tintěra Havlíčkův Brod, Jiří Běhounek, Governor, Region Vysočina, Vlastimil Hladík, Head of the Sales Department, Chládek a Tintěra Havlíčkův Brod, and Miroslav Horňák , CFO, PSJ

Martina Brandová, CEO, Mestrey, and Martin Červencl, Specialist for Investment Diamonds, Diamonds International Corporation – D.I.C.

From left: Libor Joukl, Deputy Governor, Region Vysočina, Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius and Jiří Běhounek, Governor, Region Vysočina

From left: Benke Aikell, your Publisher and Rostislav Dvořák, Chairman, Union of Czech and Moravian Production Cooperatives

The debate so far focusing primarily on Czech market was taken up by Mr. Birke, who reminded of the importance of international trade and pointed out the worsened relationship with China. Mr. Štěch, who talked about general maintenance of the parliament and his long experience as its member, has joined the central discussion and called attention to the enormous export opportunity not only to China, but also to developing countries. All gentlemen have agreed that improving the Czech-China relationship and supporting international trade is one of the most important challenges for the future Czech government.

From left: Michal Knapp, Chairman of the Board and General Director, OVB Allfinanz, Rostislav Dvořák, Chairman, Union of Czech and Moravian Production Cooperatives, Radek Dohnal, Vice-chairman of the Board, Top Hotels Group, Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius, Tomáš Novák, DATCH Sales Director, AMI Praha, Zdeněk Liška, General Director, Confederation of Industry of the CR, and Jan Mühlfeit, Chairman, Microsoft Europe

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World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), the Czech Management Association and other six founding companies signed a memorandum of understanding and established a Czech branch of BCSD (Czech BCSD), on April 26th 2012. Agreement of Establishment of the Czech branch of WBCSD was officially signed in Prague under the patronage of the Czech Management Association and at the occasion of THE DAY OF SUCCESSFUL MANAGERS AND COMPANIES. The Czech branch became the 64th WBCSD branch worldwide and Czech business hereby adopted internationally accepted principles of economic, social and environmental sustainability and wider corporate responsibility, expressed by motto: “Think globally, act locally”.

event/workshop

TH

64 WBCSD BRANCH ESTABLISHED IN PRAGUE 98

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Prof. Dr. Björn Stigson, Honorary President, WBCSD at the act of signing

Pavel Kafka, Czech Management Association at the act of signing

Miroslav Ždánský, CEO, ŠKO-ENERGO at the act of signing

Ivo Gajdoš, Czech Management Association

The signing act was preceded by a workshop of the WBCSD Regional Network Director, Marcel Engel and representatives of the Czech Management Association and future signatories of major Czech companies and local subsidiaries – Jan Žůrek, MP KPMG, Stan Wiener, GM Procurus Europa, Miloš Malaník, Country GM of TNT Worldwide Express, Jaroslava Haid-Járková, GM Henkel Czech Republic, Miroslav Ždánský, CEO ŠKO-ENERGO, Jaroslav Žlábek, CEO of Schneider Electric and representatives of PricewaterhouseCoopers ČR and Třinecké železárny., in March this year. Representatives of other companies, such as Honeywell, Holcim, Skanska, ArcelorMittal and ČEZ also showed a serious interest in joining this initiative. The founding document was signed by Björn Stigson, Honorary President of the WBCSD, Pavel Kafka, President of the Czech Management Association and other signatories.

99 Members of the “preparatory committee”

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Petr Knap, Partner, Ernst & Young Czech Republic

Jaroslava Haid-Járková, General Manager, Henkel Czech Republic at the act of signing

Miloš Malaník, Country General Manager, TNT Express

100 Toast at the signing of the memorandum – wines from Res Vinia

marketing analysis

IN COOPERATION WITH LEADERS MAGAZINE

Emil Jimenez started working in the communications industry in 1998 as a web designer in NYC. After graduating Rutgers University with a degree in Psychology he moved to Miami where he continued his education and received a Masters in Creative Communications from Florida International Univesity and the renowned Miami Ad School. Mr. Jimenez has worked for United Bank of Switzerland, Citibank, MTV Latin America, Leo Burnett Budapest, Leo Burnett Prague, Lowe worldwide Prague and has recently opened Passion Communications. Passion Communications is a full service communications agency which specializes in bridging traditional media with the digital world. emil@passioncommunications.com

Emil Jimenez Photo: Brian Fleming

The technological revolution that we as a society are currently undergoing has sparked a phenomenal explosion in the number of technology-driven communication channels readily available to today’s advertiser. One only has to look at the rampant, all consuming expansion of the internet for validation.

The terminology used to unify this range of communication channels is commonly known as ‘touch-points’, which can be defined as the point of every interaction experienced between brand and consumer – either internal or external, both seen and unseen. While the number of available channels that originally defined the existence of touch-points throughout the 20th century numbered in the few, that figure today is now situated somewhere in the far reaches of the outer stratosphere.

The gleaming possibilities sown by this technological revolution lie waiting to be reaped by the marketing world, especially so in the field of brand building. However, when it comes to communicating the position of the brand through this shining sea of technology, the inevitable hazard of accumulating socalled ‘clutter’ lies in wait – fueling the very real possibility of diffusing one’s brand message to the point of non existence.

So how does one ensure that the coveted goal of increased consumer engagement will lead to the creation of a focused, brand-building campaign while avoiding the inevitable disaster spawned by the absolute diffusion of the brand’s message? Is there really a model that one could apply to integrating this new range of consumer touch-points and thus avoid a potential minefield of confusion in the heads of both the advertising department and consumer?

‘The world has changed, and we must change with it”, the words of Barack Obama in his own 2008 presidential campaign. This ‘change’, or ‘Wild-West’ that has been created through this digital revolution has lead to a gold rush in brand’s strategic arsenals, and just as it was in the original gold rush, not every participant is going to be a winner. The

race to use the latest tactics and technology available in the game has lead to an ever growing list of brands that have at best lost their desired brand message in the communication process, and at worst, the position they occupied in the mind of the consumer before the campaign was initiated. The rapid proliferation in the technological arsenal that the industry is now witnessing is leaving a treacherous path in its wake.

Given the amount of communication channels now available, it can prove fatally irresistible to employ every option available.

Today’s average consumer is bombarded every hour of the day by an incomprehensible number of brand messages.

“The average American is exposed to about 3000 advertising messages a day, and globally corporations spend over $620 billion each year to make their products seem desirable and to get us to buy them.” It would be an understatement to say only a fraction actually register in the prospect’s mind. The parody of this current state of affairs is encapsulated perfectly

by Al Reis and Jack Trout, “Communication itself is the problem. We have become the world’s first over-communicated society. Each year, we send more and receive less’. It is no wonder that many brands are toppling themselves from the very positions they originally occupied in the consumer’s mind pre-campaign. Furthermore – and somewhat ironically, the marketing industry is governed by the same natural laws as the technology industry – this evolution in existence is a one way street, reversal is not an option.

The million dollar question that can be drawn from this situation is simple. How can one use this expansive range of tools and channels available to tell a brand story like no other?

The keystone in building such a dream is embodying passion in every element of the brand’s message to the world, both outside and in – making employees and consumers alike passionate about the brands story, creating a desire to involve themselves with the product and more importantly share this passion with their community.

If a brand was to sit down every one of their employees and ask each of them to tell the story of the brand using less words than that available in a ‘tweet’, it is highly unlikely its managers will be motivated by the outcome. Very few will even have any idea what the story is. This simple yet de-motivational test will most likely provide two lessons. If people internally lack any passion about the brand’s identity, people externally most certainly won’t. More importantly, if the brand’s story and position cannot inspire the staff that work for the brand, its touch-points probably aren’t providing any inspiration for consumers either.

Today’s consumer relationship between brand and consumer is a romantically promiscuous one. While it may be love today, and an unforgettable night – they’ll be falling for the suitor banging at the door the next morning unless there’s good reason not to. Just like a good boyfriend, a brand has to

You can follow Emil Jimenez on twitter @passioncomm or on LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/in/emiljimenez1

be real, enjoyable and accessible. Without the emotional connection, there will be no love for the brand. Take Coca Cola, they have letters from G.I’s in World War II telling the company how their ration of Coca Cola represented the very values they were fighting for.

To be able to achieve market dominance in today’s overcommunicated society, a brand must turn their touch-points into ‘passion-points’. In the words of the storyteller E.M. Forster; “One person with passion is better than forty people merely interested.” This is how one stands out in this overcrowded market – by being the product that is created out of love, not spawned from an advertising model. Creating passion around every element of the brand provides the positioning solution presented by today’s marketing problem. It is the USP that saves a brand from drowning in a sea of overcommunication and sets it apart from its competitors, creating a touchpoint platform that consumers actively seek out, such is their desire to interact with, and associate with, such an entity.

To transform a brand’s touch-points into ‘passion-points’, one must merge every aspect of communication and initiate a regime change. Try looking at a brand like a country. What is its culture and heritage? What does the population that lies within know of its place in the world? For the country to be successful economically, its people must share a common belief, a story and a stand that they are passionate about. Try writing a story for a brand. Imagine writing it as if it were for a child, focusing on the core value of the message – children don’t care about the features and benefits or the corporation’s ‘traditional’ history. If brands were countries of this world, Apple would be one of the superpowers. Walk into one of their stores, not only will the people who work there know the story, they will be living it.

True passion is infectious, and done right – the company’s story will in turn be adapted by the consumer and turn into a passion for them. Just look at the miracle created by Steve Job’s story telling. This enforcement of brand ideology is but the first step to formulating ‘passion-points’. Unfortunately there is no science behind the model, marketers must trust their instincts – what does my demographic respond to? What excites them? Can I make my retail floor as exciting as my social media page? For every human relationship, be it material or physical, no matter what walk of life, passion is, and always will be, the ultimate catalyst in initiating a successful relationship.

By Emil Jimenez, CEO, CCO, Passion Communications, co-author Nicholas Brown

Leaders Magazine III/2012 101

the good things in life

The Future is Already Here

THE PROPHETS OF THE FUTURE

Part 2

“It is not living that matters, but living rightly” SOCRATES Raymond Kurtweil and other scientist have recently announced that thanks to modern technologies, advances in microbiology and medicine, we will soon be living a long life, transcending first 100, and later 200 years.

LONGEVITY IS NOT AN ISSUE OF A MIRACULOUS MEDICINE, BUT OF A SIMPLE RECIPE Longevity and full health are not based on miraculous healing preparations, but on a life lived in harmony with the rhythm of nature. According to the now widely recognized medicine of the ancient East and proven scientific research, the human organism is able to operate for 150 years. The question of health and longevity is therefore, fundamentally in our hands. Many of us would agree that it would suffice to live for a shorter period, but in a good physical and mental condition till the very end. We are the authors of our own happiness: roughly 15% of health one inherits from his

102 Leaders Magazine III/2012

parents, 15% can be returned by doctors, however, the majority, 70% is the result of our own life style. In theory and under specific conditions, our body cells are able to fully regenerate within 7 years. Human organism is one large energy system, where the function of all of its cells and organs are related to each other and it ages when the number of sick cells outweighs the healthy ones. There, energy flows along the “meridians”, forming the physical and mental state of the body. It is therefore interesting to learn about how our body works and to prevent the mistakes of life that lead us to illnesses and old age.

Nevertheless, it holds that majority of troubles with our physical and mental wellbeing

tend to occur to us before our resolutions and goals can materialise, for we often ignore the “warning signals” our body and mind send us.

Consequently, we focus on healing the consequences of these maladies without actually looking for their causes.

The body speaks to us, let us listen to it.

The symptoms of illness and the illness itself can in fact assist us in realising what is going on in our body, of which we would not normally have much knowledge. It is therefore on us to recognise this signal in time. It is the same situation as in a car when a control light flashes up, indicating a low level of gas. We are not aware of this fact, yet we understand the signal before getting into trouble.

Heavyweights 3.1–9.0

Eat Sparingly Middleweights 1.6–3.0

Watch Portion Size Lightweights 0.8–1.5

Eat in Moderation Featherweights 0.0–0.7

Eat Freely

Okinawa Longevity Food Diagram

“What we do not realise in time will always return to us in a worse form.” JUNG PARADOX OF MODERN WORLD We live in paradoxical times. Never before have people had such an easy access to information, never before have they travelled so much. We travel easily, more comfortably and more frequently, and yet our own body lives the life of settlers. We no longer run in the woods and hunt game; we do not work the land to feed ourselves. It is evident that obese people live shorter than otherwise and suffer from many maladies. And yet, we eat more and more and when we do put on weight, we go to the gyms, so that we irrationally waste our energy, and ruin our joints and spine. We travel so to flee from daily stereotype and stress, which nevertheless accompanies us on the move. If we do not stop, we will not escape it. We race to acquire ever increasing material gains and surround ourselves with unnecessary things.

Prosperity then ruins our physical and mental wellbeing and with all this, we shorten our lives.

For laziness and lack of time we postpone the search of our own values, which could make us happy. “In a healthy body healthy mind!” we say. While looking for the balance of body and mind, however, we tend to ignore the fact that the source of satisfaction and wealth commences first with an intellectual investment into ourselves.

FIVE CAUSES THAT RUINS HUMAN HEALTH AND OUR PROSPECTS FOR LONGEVITY Michail Tombak will probably not be very popular among the modern world of industry and marketing, as his acclaimed and simple system of personal health care would quickly bring to ruin the sprawling trade of medicines and vitamins, miraculous diets, plastic surgery, etc. According to Tombak, the five chief causes

that lead to premature aging are neglected backbone, incorrect breathing, improper diet, lack of internal bodily hygiene and lack of impetuses, which would make us feel happy. As a result, body´s “cleaning organs” (liver, kidneys, large intestine, lungs, skin...) slow down in their functioning, and cause feelings of tiredness, headaches, pain in the bones and joints, allergies and obesity. In this theory then, each illness has its own physical as well as mental causes. The body does not have enough strength and energy to digest and secrete toxins, the poisons then enter the blood instead of vitamins, health and immunity slackens, heart weakens and the brain withers away.

which can lead to his personal satisfaction on the basis of his own intuitive reasoning and judgment.

It is almost unbelievable how such two different approaches – intellectual consciousness and spirituality on one side, and contemporary quantum physics on the other – are able to reach the same conclusions and how they complement each other. Their combination now gives the man the most comprehensible explanation of our existence. Further, both approaches bring us closer to the understanding of our health and longevity and offer a guide for a pleasant journey in order to attain them.

Each person has his own metabolism however, and already the search for one´s suitable life style brings many joys and happiness from the first success. Today, we can inspire ourselves from an easily accessible eastern medicine, where the chief component is prevention of diseases, and cure and surgery are only the last of many solutions.

By Joseph Drebitko Photos: Drebitko´s archive

He who seeks, finds.

český překlad naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.leadersmagazine.cz

HE WHO SEEKS, FINDS Kipling´s statement that “East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet” no longer holds. On the contrary, many opportunities for comparison and lesson exist for the both sides. Both at first glance disparate approaches to life, values and philosophy and which, moreover, developed in various ways and without mutual influence, surprisingly arrive at similar conclusions.

On one hand, our “Western” approach, some combination of the Catholic religion, Greek philosophy, physics and cosmology, is highly “materialistic” and resulted in an unprecedented prosperity for the society, without however fully satisfying the basic human needs and the need of individual. Each person is how “God” created him, but often a little worse....

On the other hand, Eastern “way”, based on the teachings of Buddha, Taoism, etc., is more metaphysical and purposefully tries to give a man, an individual, a framework of rules,

Leaders Magazine III/2012 103

personal enlightenment

Cosmic Consciousness – James A. Cusumano, PhD

A JOURNEY TO WELL-BEING, HAPPINESS, AND SUCCESS Part III: Everything From Nothing? A, B

“The difference between fiction and reality? Fiction has to make sense.”

Tom Clancy – American Author KEY CONCEPTS: Cosmic Consciousness has nothing to do with the tenets or doctrines of organized religion, but everything to do with spirituality, a non-material reality experienced only by taking an inner path to discover your true reality and being.

Cosmic Consciousness is best described via quantum physics as the “off” part of a vibrational discontinuity, cosmic energy switching continuously from “on” to “off.” In the “on” state there exists energy, information and objects. In the “off” state, there exist infinite possibilities or “potentia.”

Cosmic Consciousness has five startling characteristic which quantum physicists have labeled: Infinite Possibilities, Non-local Correlation, Uncertainty, Quantum Creativity, and The Observer Effect.

Personal Consciousness or soul, or spirit – call it what you will – is a field of infinite possibilities; your soul is omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent; your soul embraces uncertainty; your soul is a source of infinite creativity; and your soul, in concert with Cosmic Consciousness, co-creates your universe.

DISCLAIMER The current series of articles on Cosmic Consciousness has nothing to do with organized religion, but everything to do with spirituality. By spirituality I mean a non-material reality which can be experienced only by taking an inner path that can enable you to discover your true reality and being and your connectedness to everything in the cosmos. So, when you see the words “spirit” or “soul” the intent here is to describe a personal non-material entity, namely Personal Consciousness, which is infinite and therefore cannot be contained within the confines of the human body. It has no beginning or ending in time and therefore is independent of both space and time.

The combined existence of all Personal Consciousness throughout the cosmos, co-creates Cosmic Consciousness, which also is infinite in space and

104 Leaders Magazine III/2012

time. This infinite existence of Personal Consciousness and Cosmic Consciousness is why all things are connected. As you will see in later parts of this series, when you understand how to intimately access this connectedness, you can manifest significant spiritual and material abundance into your life.

Some may choose to equate Cosmic Consciousness with “God,” which is fine, however, it should not be confused with the supreme male entity espoused and described by most organized religions. The character of Cosmic Consciousness can be described but not defined, for if we were to be able to define it, we would limit it, and in fact it is without limits.

RECONNECTION Let’s recapitulate a few key conclusions that follow from our discussions in Parts I and II of this series1, 2.

We have established that the world is not as we perceive it with our five senses. This follows from Cosmic Cosmology, and is supported by the fundamental laws of quantum physics, the most successful scientific theory – ever. Quantum physics is responsible for more than 30% of our global GDP – every device or product using electronic, optical or nuclear technologies – and in more than 100 years, it has never made an incorrect prediction3.

Cosmic Cosmology maintains that the consciousness that gives rise to your thoughts is also responsible for all of the intelligent activity of the universe (Figure 1). There is no such thing as an accident. Therefore, if you want to understand True Reality, you must do so through the “eyes” of your Personal Consciousness, and not through the perception of your five senses.

QUANTUM CHARACTERISTICS As we saw in Part 2 of this series, quantum physicists will tell you that even though the world appears as pictures, sounds, tastes, fragrances and textures, it’s really not like that. The best scientific description is that reality is a “discontinuity,” a summation of vibrating energetic signals, continuously and instantly switching from “on” to “off” and back again. In the “on” part of the signal, scientists know that there exist energy and information, basically everything we perceive with our five senses. The mystery is not with the “on” part of the signal, but what is in the “off” part of the signal? In the “off” part of the signal there is no energy, no information and no objects. The only thing that exists “there” is infinite possibilities, what quantum physicists refer to as “potentia” (Figure 2).

As disturbing as it may be to scientists who study this aspect of quantum physics, most would agree

that the “off” part of the discontinuity has the following five profound characteristics.

1. Infinite Possibilities – The “off” part of the discontinuity with its infinite possibilities is sometimes referred to as the “womb of creation.”

Everything – you, me, the planets, galaxies, the entire universe – is birthed from this field of infinite possibilities. Each of these possibilities can, in theory and sometimes in practice, be mathematically described by the famous Schrödinger Equation. In the end, everything is possible, and everything comes from nothing.

2. Non-local Correlation – The second aspect of the “off” part of the discontinuity is Non-local Correlation. This means that everything in the universe is synchronized, correlated, in harmony and coincidental with everything else. This interaction is instantaneous, i.e., faster than the speed of light, even over billions of light years and even though there appears to be no apparent force field between objects. Albert Einstein called this “spooky action at a distance.” It bothered him incessantly and he spent most of his life – unsuccessfully – trying to disprove it.

Non-local correlation has been experimentally demonstrated for numerous systems from small subatomic particles up through atoms and large molecules, and is currently being studied in living systems. All that is required for non-locality is that two entities be connected at some point in time.

Since everything in the universe was initially and intimately contained within an unimaginably small singularity just before it cosmically expanded as the “Big Bang” to form our universe, everything is therefore connected and expresses non-local behavior and synchronicity. Physicists call this connectivity, entanglement (Figure 3).

An important example is the functioning of a healthy human body, in which synchronization is constantly expressed. Your body is made up of A)

EDITOR’S COMMENT – This is the third article in a series based on the author’s recent book, “Cosmic Consciousness – A Journey To Well-being, Happiness and Success.” In this little book, published in both the Czech and English languages within one volume, and with an introduction by internationally-acclaimed author, Dr. Deepak Chopra, Dr. Cusumano explains in simple terms, the connection between Eastern Philosophical Wisdom, consciousness and quantum physics. He develops specific practices for living a successful and fulfilled life, regardless of your passion of pursuit.

B) The author may be reached at Jim@ChateauMcely.Com.

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LEADERS MAGAZINE

personal enlightenment Figure 1: Cosmic Cosmology maintains that the consciousness that gives rise to your thoughts is also responsible for all of the intelligent activity of the universe

some 100 trillion cells, a number greater than all of the stars in the Milky Way galaxy. Each cell is less than 1 micron in diameter and contains instructions within each strand of DNA in its nucleus that would fill one thousand 600-page books. Each cell performs 100,000 activities per second, and every cell constantly harmonizes with every other cell in your body. If it didn’t, you would be ill, or in the worst case, dead. This is why a healthy human body can think thoughts, play piano, kill germs, remove toxins, and make a baby all at the same time.

Meta-physicists refer to this non-local correlation and synchronicity as omniscience, omnipresence and omnipotence.

3. Uncertainty – The third attribute of the “off” part of the discontinuity is a proliferation of uncertainty, where the laws of nature become uncertain. This is known as the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle and was developed by Werner Heisenberg, one of the founding fathers of quantum physics. The very act of observation disturbs the system being observed in such a manner that it is impossible to ever determine a precise value or number. Furthermore, it is impossible to determine where or when a quantum event will occur. All we can do is calculate the probability of the event happening.

This is in contrast to classical physics of large objects in everyday life, where we can measure things very precisely. The classical world is deterministic; given sufficient information we can calculate the future, not so in the quantum world, which is probabilistic.

4. Quantum Creativity – In the quantum world, patterns of intelligence, information and energy can move from one expression to another in a quantum leap. For example, when an electron jumps from one energy level to another, it does so by dematerializing between the two levels. So first it exists in one level and then moves to another without ever existing in between levels. This is not unlike the science fiction movie, Star Trek, where Captain Kirk says, “Beam me up Scotty,” and Scotty pushes a button and the Captain disappears from here, then shows up there, and never appears between!

TO BE CONTINUED...

This is a form of non-analog creativity, which cannot be programmed in a computer.

5. Observer Effect – The fifth attribute of the “off” part of the discontinuity, first described in detail by the world famous quantum physicist, John Archibald Wheeler, and is known as the Observer Effect, which states that the physically-observed universe would not exist if there were not conscious beings looking at it. Without observation, it would remain a vibration, a discontinuity switching “on” and “off” continuously. It requires a conscious being looking at the discontinuity to somehow mysteriously collapse the infinite number of possibilities to a single one with human-perceivable attributes of sound, taste, color, form, smell, i.e., what we call the physical universe.

Wheeler noted that the cosmic constants of the universe such as the speed of light are so fine tuned that should they be just slightly smaller or larger, life and the universe as we know them could not exist.

We come now to the point where science and spirit truly merge into one. As mentioned above, when we speak of spirit or soul, we are referring to Personal or Cosmic Consciousness. Indeed, some physicists conclude that the “off” part of the discontinuity or vibration is Cosmic Consciousness itself. It’s the spirit, and your spirit or soul, i.e., your Personal Consciousness is part Figure 2: The “Off” part of the discontinuity is Cosmic Consciousness and it gives us access to infinite possibilities. Some might equate it to the concept of God

Figure 3: Because all energy-mass was intimately intact as a singularity before the “Big Bang,” everything in the universe is Connected and synchronized. Physicists call this entanglement.

Consciousness that co-creates with your soul or Personal Consciousness, because your soul is an intimate part non-local Cosmic Consciousness.

In summary, your Personal Consciousness or soul, or spirit – call it what you will – is a field of infinite possibilities; your soul is omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent; your soul embraces uncertainty; your soul is the source of infinite creativity; and your soul co-creates with the mystery that many call God. You have the potential and power to do much more than you could possibly imagine. Cosmic Consciousness is where we all start from and it is where we all yearn to return. As we shall see in future parts of this series, this interface of Personal Consciousness with what we perceive with our five senses to be physical reality, is best studied and understood with the tools of modern quantum physics.

James A. Cusumano, PhD 1

of Cosmic Consciousness. Your soul is not a thing. It’s a field of infinite possibilities. Your soul is the omnipresent (infinite in space, present everywhere), omniscient (has the power to know all), and omnipotent (capable of unlimited power) awareness that at this very moment is orchestrating with simultaneity the hundreds of trillions of things that are happening in your body as you read this sentence. Your soul embraces uncertainty even though your mind seeks to create certainty. Your soul says, “Let go, detach! There is nothing to worry about.” This uncertainty is the fertile ground of true creativity, which is infinite. With greater uncertainty, comes greater creativity, because if something is completely certain, creativity is non-existent.

Your soul co-creates the mystery that many call God the Unknown, the Infinite Being, i.e., Cosmic Consciousness, That which we cannot imagine, because if we could, we would limit It – that infinite, ineffable, eternal, transcendent, non-local Cosmic

James A. Cusumano, “Cosmic Consciousness – A Journey To Well-being, Happiness and Success – Part 1: Are You For Real?,” Prague Leaders Magazine, Volume 1, 2012, p. 78.

2 James A. Cusumano, “Cosmic Consciousness – A Journey To Well-being, Happiness and Success – Part 2: Where Do We Come From?,” Prague Leaders Magazine, Volume 2, 2012, p.

102.

3 James A. Cusumano, “Cosmic Consciousness – A Journey To Well-being, Happiness and Success,” Fortuna Libra, Prague, 2011.

About the Author: James A. Cusumano is Chairman and Owner of Chateau Mcely (www.ChateauMcely.Com), chosen in 2007 by the European Union as the only “Green” 5-star luxury hotel in Central and Eastern Europe and in 2008 by the World Travel Awards as the Leading Green Hotel in the World. He is a former Research Director for Exxon, and subsequently founded two public companies in Silicon Valley, one in clean power generation, the other in pharmaceuticals manufacture via environmentally-benign, low-cost, catalytic technologies. While he was Chairman and CEO, the latter – Catalytica Pharmaceuticals, Inc. – grew in less than 5 years, to a $1 billion enterprise with 2,000 employees. He is coauthor of “Freedom from Mid-East Oil,” recently released by World Business Academy Press (www.WorldBusiness.Org) and the author of “Cosmic Consciousness – A Journey to Well-being, Happiness and Success,” published in English and Czech by Fortuna Libri, 2011.

Leaders Magazine III/2012 105

Photo: Archive

SPRINGTIME INVITES people to the streets and the underground of Brno With the onset of spring, not only the nature, but also the streets and parks of the Moravian metropolis awaken from their winter sleep. This year’s tourist season invites visitors and citizens of Brno to places traditional and popular, but also new and mysteriously unknown.

The biggest highlight of this year’s tourist season undoubtedly has become the Villa Tugendhat, re-opened to the public on March 6th, after extensive heritage restoration work. This exceptional building, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001, was designed in the years 1928-1929 by architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and it is still impressive for its style, based on the principle that “less is more”.

Only a few towns can boast a famous prison as their dominant feature. The Royal Castle of Špilberk was called “a prison of nations” in the 18th century and it was the most fabled jail in the Habsburg monarchy. The castle has been literally changing under the hands of construction

workers in recent years; the park surrounding the castle has also benefited from a visible makeover. At present, reconstruction work on the south wing is in progress, but the castle’s famous casemates and the exhibits of the Brno City Museum are still worth a visit.

From April to October, boat cruises on the Brno Lake give an opportunity to hit the nature trail by non-traditional means of transport. The Brno Public Transport Company keeps upgrading its fleet systematically. Two new vessels have been launched this year, named Dallas and Stuttgart after Brno’s twin cities. Your trip can be enriched by a climb to the gradually renovated Veveří Castle or a visit to the Brno Zoo, where currently the biggest attractions are two brown bear cubs. Increased interest is still attracted by the completely new Beringia compound and other exhibits.

A tourist minibus will cruise the streets of Brno this season again. It will offer its passengers a view of the most interesting places and buildings around the outer circle of the historical downtown. Its journey begins at the Mahen Theatre and proceeds around the Zeman Café to the Villa Tugendhat. It will not miss the reconstructed Observatory, the Jurkovič Villa, Špilberk, the Exhibition Centre and famous villas such as the one of the Stiassny family, more commonly known as a “government villa”. Visitors can choose, depending on their time options, between a small and a large circle, which takes them also to the abovementioned Brno Lake.

THE UNDERGROUND REALM IS GROWING The most important event of last tourist season was the opening of the unique Labyrinth underneath Zelný trh (“cabbage market”). In addition, in 2010, the cellar of a former medieval house called Mintmaster’s Cellar in the

Dominican Square was opened to the public. This year, the Brno underground realm will be extended with a unique ossuary at St. James’ Church, which hides thousands of skeletal remains from a former graveyard surrounding the church. According to Aleš Svoboda, an expert on the Brno underground and discoverer of the ossuary, the St. James’ ossuary is the second largest in Europe, right after the Paris catacombs, as regards the number of skeletal remains.

According to historical sources, there used to be a cemetery at St. James’ already in the 13th century; burying finished in the 18th century, and just then, from 1722 to 1724, an ossuary was built there for burials only and skeletons from the cemetery were brought here. After filling the crypt and the ossuary below the cemetery, the entrance stairs from the main nave of the church was closed by a stone slab. Over time, the ossuary, its size and location was forgotten. That is also why it is so unique and moreover one of the best preserved in Europe. The anthropological analyses conducted so far showed that there are buried victims of medieval plague and cholera and also the dead of the Thirty Years’ War and the Swedish siege.

The ossuary was uncovered in 2001 by mere coincidence. During surface improvement works, the workers found a vault and a wall, behind which there were rooms filled to the ceiling with old bones. Originally an accidental discovery, the ossuary is now changing into an attractive tourist destination and an upcoming exhibition will illustrate the methods of burying at one of the largest cemeteries in Brno.

By Roman Onderka Mayor of the City of Brno 66th season at Brno damm has been officially started by traditional captains cruise

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IN COOPERATION WITH LEADERS MAGAZINE

Photo: Pavel Svoboda

Brno invites visitors to see traditional but also new places

S příchodem jara se ze zimního spánku probouzí nejen příroda, ale i ulice a parky moravské metropole.

Letošní turistická sezóna zve návštěvníky a Brňany na místa tradiční a oblíbená, ale i nová a tajemně neznámá.

Největším tahákem letošní turistické sezóny se stává bezpochyby vila Tugendhat, znovuotevřená veřejnosti po rozsáhlé památkové obnově 6. března. Výjimečná stavba, zapsaná od roku 2001 na seznamu UNESCO, byla navržena v letech 1928–1929 architektem Ludwigem Miesem van der Rohe a stále ohromuje svým stylem utvořeným na základě principu, že „méně je více“.

Jen málokteré město se může chlubit tím, že jeho dominantou je vyhlášená věznice. Královský hrad Špilberk byl v 18. století tzv. žalářem národů, nejproslulejší věznicí v habsburské monarchii. Hrad se v posledních letech doslova mění pod rukama stavebních dělníků, patrná je i úprava parku obklopujícího celý hrad. V současné době probíhá rekonstrukce jižního křídla, i tak ale stojí za to zavítat do proslulých kasemat či navštívit některou z expozic Muzea města Brna.

Příležitost vydat se do přírody a navíc netradičním dopravním prostředkem nabízí od dubna do října plavba parníkem po Brněnské přehradě. Dopravní podnik města Brna lodní flotilu postupně obnovuje. Na vodu byly letos spuštěny dvě nové lodě, Dallas a Stuttgart, pojmenované po partnerských městech. Výlet si lze

JARO ZVE DO brněnských ulic i do podzemí zpestřit výstupem na postupně opravovaný hrad Veveří nebo návštěvou brněnské zoo, kde jsou nyní největším lákadlem dvě hnědá medvíďata. Zvýšený zájem stále poutá celý nový komplex Beringie, ale i další expozice.

I v letošní sezóně vyjede do brněnských ulic turistický minibus. Nabídne zájemcům nejzajímavější místa a stavby ve vnějším okruhu historického centra města.

Svou jízdu začíná u Mahenova divadla a dále směřuje kolem Zemanovy kavárny k vile Tugendhat. Nevynechá ani rekonstruovanou hvězdárnu, Jurkovičovu vilu, Špilberk, výstaviště či proslulé vily, např. vilu rodiny Stiassni, známou možná více jako „vládní vila“. Návštěvníci mohou dle časových možností volit mezi malým okruhem či velkým, který zajíždí i na zmiňovanou Brněnskou přehradu.

PODZEMNÍ KRÁLOVSTVÍ SE ROZRŮSTÁ Nejvýznamnější akcí loňské turistické sezóny se stalo zpřístupnění unikátního Labyrintu pod Zelným trhem. A v roce 2010 bylo veřejnosti otevřeno sklepení někdejšího středověkého domu zvané Mincmistrovský sklep na Dominikánském náměstí. V letošním roce rozšíří brněnské podzemní království unikátní kostnice u svatého Jakuba, která ukrývá desetitisíce kosterních pozůstatků ze zrušeného hřbitova obklopujícího kdysi kostel. Dle znalce brněnského podzemí a objevitele kostnice Aleše Svobody je svatojakubská kostnice počtem kosterních pozůstatků druhá největší v Evropě

hned po pařížských katakombách. Hřbitov byl u svatého Jakuba dle historických pramenů už ve 13. století, pohřbívat se na něm přestalo v 18. století a právě tehdy, v letech 1722 až 1724, zde vybudovali kostnici pouze pro pohřbívání a kostry ze hřbitova sem přenesli.

Po naplnění krypty i kostnice pod hřbitovem bylo vstupní schodiště z hlavní lodi kostela uzavřeno kamennou deskou. Postupem doby se na kostnici, její velikost i umístění zapomnělo. I tím je unikátní a navíc patří k nejzachovalejším v Evropě. Z dosud provedených antropologických rozborů vyplývá, že jsou zde pochovány oběti středověkých morových a cholerových ran či válečných událostí z doby třicetileté války a švédského obléhání.

K odkrytí kostnice přispěla v roce 2001 náhoda. Při úpravách povrchu náměstí narazili dělníci na klenbu a zeď, za níž se skrývaly prostory zaplněné až po strop starými kostmi. Původní náhodný objev se nyní mění v atraktivní turistický cíl a připravovaná expozice bude dokládat způsob pohřbívání na jednom z největších městských hřbitovů v Brně.

Roman Onderka primátor statutárního města Brna Charnel house of St. Jacob, the 2nd biggest in the world, hides tens of thousands of skeleton remains

107 Photos: Marie Schmerková

moravian-silesian region

The Moravian Silesian Region Invites you to Investigate Its

Unique Industrial Riches Photo: Archive

The Moravian Silesian Region is an area full of attractive technical monuments and is consequently appealing to visitors from all over the Czech Republic who are interested in visiting technical points of interest. 12 technical monuments are currently part of the TECHNO ROUTE, these being Areál čs. opevnění Hlučín-Darkovičky (Czechoslovak Forti-fication Complex in Hlučín-Darkovičky); the Lower Area of VÍTKOVICE; Michal Mine; Landek Park – Mining Museum; the Fire Brigade Museum of the town of Ostrava; Kosárna in Karlovice in Silesia; Fort MO-S5 “Na Trati” (“On the Line”)

by Bohumín; the Radegast Brewery in Nošovice; the Tatra Kopřivnice Technical Museum; the Narrow Gauge Railway – Osoblaha; the Wagon Museum in Studénka and the Wesselsky Water Mill.

Spectacular weekend events with an interesting programme will be taking place at all of the sites included in the above-mentioned “TECHNO ROUTE” during the summer holidays. Weekends full of technology and

108 Landek in Autumn Photos: Archive MSK

The Moravian Silesian Region invites all technology enthusiasts to a unique event named “FAJNE LÉTO” (SWELL SUMMER). An attractive programme will be prepared at the sites of technical points of interest during a number of weekend events, which will take place this year in the months of August and September.

The whole event is assured within the terms of the new Moravian Silesian Region’s “Industrial Points of Interest in the Moravian Silesian Region” Project, which is co-financed by the European Union through the NUTS II Moravia Silesia 2007–2013 Regional Operating Programme. entertainment will be prepared for visitors of all age categories.

The “SWELL SUMMER” weekend event organised by the Moravian Silesian Region is connected to the project by the Silesian Duchy named “The Silesian Duchy’s Route of Technical Monuments” (“Szlak Zabytków Techniki Województwa Śląskiego”), within the terms of which the Silesian Duchy organises an annual unique event in June called Industriada. Tours of technical points of interest and fascinating programmes are prepared for visitors to technical monuments included in the “The Silesian Duchy’s Route of technical Monuments“. The Polish Industriada, which has become a tradition, will be connected to similar events this year held in other countries involved in the “European Route of Industrial Heritage“ (ERIH). The Mining Museum in Landek in Ostrava and the Lower Area of Vítkovice, also in Ostrava, have both received invitations to become members of ERIH. In the future we plan on connecting most of the technical points of interest in the Moravian Silesian Region with this European Route of Industrial Heritage (ERIH).

The Moravian Silesian Programme is planning a benefit programme this year for active visitors to technical points of interest, which people from all over the republic will be able to participate in by means of competition passports.

Participants will receive a stamp for each visited technical

point of interest located on the “Route of Technical Points of Interest”. Depending on the number of stamps they collect in their passport, children can win colour-in-drawings, coloured pencils, felt-tip pens, t-shirts or children’s encyclopaedias full of pictures, quizzes, mazes, riddles, stories and cut-outs. Other visitors can compete for a range of interesting prizes. Schools will also be able to enter the competition, during which time the best school will receive the main prize, which is a children’s day for the whole school, organised by the Moravian Silesian Region. Competition passports will be available at the individual structures included in the “Route of Technical Points of Interest”, or on the Moravian Silesian Region’s website at www.msregion.cz, where it will be free to download.

Visit the unique region of industrial points of interest and take the opportunity of combining a tour of a technical point of interest with a visit to other tourist sites, which are available in the Moravian Silesian Region.

More information about the industrial points of interest in the Moravian Silesian Region and other tourist activities is available at the website at www.msregion.cz.

Jaroslav Palas Governor of the Moravian-Silesian Region

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Moravskoslezský kraj Vás zve na průzkum unikátního

industriálního bohatství

Moravskoslezský kraj zve všechny příznivce techniky na jedinečné akce s názvem „FAJNE LÉTO“. V průběhu víkendových akcí, které se budou konat letos během měsíců srpna a září, bude v objektech technických atraktivit připraven lákavý program. Akce jsou zajišťovány v rámci nového projektu Moravskoslezského kraje „Industriální atraktivity v Moravskoslezském kraji“ spolufinancovaného Evropskou unií prostřednictvím Regionálního operačního programu NUTS II Moravskoslezsko 2007–2013.

Moravskoslezský kraj je oblastí plnou atraktivních technických památek, a proto láká návštěvníky z celé České republiky právě k návštěvě technických atraktivit. V současné době je do TECHNO TRASY zapojeno 12 technických památek, a to Areál čs. opevnění Hlučín-Darkovičky, Dolní oblast VÍTKOVICE, Důl Michal, Landek Park – Hornické muzeum, Hasičské muzeum města Ostravy, Kosárna v Karlovicích ve Slezsku, Pevnost MO-S5 „Na Trati“ u Bohumína, Pivovar Radegast v Nošovicích, Technické muzeum Tatra Kopřivnice, Úzkokolejná dráha – Osoblaha, Vagonářské muzeum ve Studénce a Vodní mlýn Wesselsky.

Na všech objektech zařazených do výše zmíněné „TECHNO TRASY“ budou probíhat v období letních prázdnin velkolepé víkendové akce se zajímavým programem.

Na všechny věkové kategorie čekají víkendy plné techniky a zábavy.

Víkendové akce „FAJNE LÉTO“ pořádané Moravskoslezským krajem navazují na projekt Slezského vojvodství s názvem „Stezka technických památek Slezského vojvodství“ („Szlak Zabytków Techniki Województwa Śląskiego“), v rámci něhož Slezské vojvodství připravuje každoročně unikátní červnovou akci zvanou Industriada.

Pro návštěvníky technických památek zařazených do „Stezky technických památek Slezského vojvodství“ jsou

připraveny prohlídky technických atraktivit a poutavý program. Polská Industriada, která se stala již tradicí, bude letos spojená s obdobnými akcemi konanými v dalších zemích zapojených do „Evropské stezky průmyslového dědictví“ ERIH. Pozvání ke členství v ERIH dostalo již Hornické muzeum na Landeku v Ostravě a Dolní oblast Vítkovice rovněž v Ostravě. Do budoucna plánujeme propojení většiny technických atraktivit Moravskoslezského kraje s touto Evropskou stezkou průmyslového dědictví ERIH. Moravskoslezský kraj připravuje již letos pro aktivní návštěvníky technických atraktivit benefitní program, do nějž se budou moci zájemci z celé republiky zapojit prostřednictvím soutěžních pasů. Za každou navštívenou technickou atraktivitu nacházející se na „Stezce technických atraktivit“ mohou soutěžící získat razítko.

Podle počtu nasbíraných razítek v pase jsou pro děti připraveny omalovánky, pastelky, fixy, trička a dětské encyklopedie plné obrázků, kvízů, bludišť, hádanek, pohádek a vystřihovánek. Ostatní návštěvníci mohou soutěžit o další řadu příjemných výher. Soutěžit budou moci taktéž školy, přičemž ta nejlepší získá hlavní výhru, kterou je dětský den pro celou školu, který pro ni Moravskoslezský kraj zorganizuje. Soutěžní pas bude k dispozici na jednotlivých objektech zařazených do

Kosárna in Karlovice

„Stezky technických atraktivit“, případně na webových stránkách Moravsko-slezského kraje www.msregion.cz, kde bude volně ke stažení.

Navštivte jedinečný kraj industriálních atraktivit a využijte možnosti propojení prohlídky technických atraktivit s návštěvou dalších zajímavých turistických míst, které Moravskoslezský kraj nabízí.

Další informace k industriálním atraktivitám Moravskoslezského kraje a k dalším aktivitám cestovního ruchu najdete na webových stránkách www.msregion.cz.

Jaroslav Palas hejtman Moravskoslezského kraje

109 Wagon Museum in Studénka

ČSÚZ

Czechoslovak Foreign Institute

A Place to Meet

PERSONALITIES The Czechoslovak Foreign Institute (ČSÚZ) has brought together a number of personalities since its foundation in 1928, such as A. Jirásek, T. Baťa, V. Klofáč, president of the State Statistics Office J. Auerhan, and other writers, artists, actors, and politicians who contributed to the fulfilment of the main task of the Institute – to co-operate with fellow countrymen. Interesting perso-

nalities have always liked to meet in the seat of the Institute, and today it remains the same.

The Czechoslovak Foreign Institute, the main mission of which is to support highquality education for the children of our countrymen abroad, and to spread the Czech language and culture around the world, is

still the place to meet personalities in its ninth decade of existence. There are social evening events that have become traditional, Moravian wine tastings, and discussions on given topics that have been held regularly for the last twenty years. The first one was initiated by the chairman Jaromír Šlápota in November 1992, when the first guest-speaker, a member of the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute, T he geener The neral al dir ector of Czeech TV al IInng ng. Petr tr D Dvvořá ořáák, MBA introduc duced edd pproopos poosedd and accompli plishe hedd change ch cha nges ge s in i the hee Czech TV conceept to the to h members of ČSÚ SÚZZ on 12 Apr prilil

Leaders LLe ead adeerr s Magazine Maaggaazin M zziine ne I/2012 I//2 20 01 12 110 Lead

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ČSÚZ

Professor Josef Polišenský, spoke on the topic of “emigration and co-operation with fellow countrymen in the world”.

Discussion meetings offer not only information about domestic and international political situations, as well as economic, social and cultural life, but also activities of Czechs living abroad. They also result in the formation of new contacts with important figures from cultural and social life, entrepreneurs, businessmen and foreign diplomats. Members of the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute, among their fellow countrymen, as well as Czechs living abroad, have the same opportunity. It has become natural for many of them to visit the seat of the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute in Karmelitská Street when they come to Prague.

There they can not only get updated information, but also contacts to many important institutions in the Czech Republic. Similar to the time of its foundation, the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute has members who are current and former senators, deputies, prime ministers, ministers, ministry officers, representatives of important institutions, entrepreneurs, professors, artists, and journalists.

Discussion meetings at the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute and gatherings of friends are attended by representatives of foreign institutions such as the Society of Arts

The Senate Permanent Committee for Fellow Countrymen Living Abroad chairman PhDr. Tomáš Grulich saw the photo of T. G. Masaryk’s bust that will be placed in the Czech House in Rijeka, Croatia

and Sciences, whose chairman, Professor K. Raška from the USA, has been an Institute member for several years. Other members include some from the Senate Permanent Committee for Fellow Countrymen Living

Abroad, whose present chairman T. Grulich visited ČSÚZ in April of this year. All the visitors find discussions at ČSÚZ enriching.

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Ing Ing. ngg. Anndr drr ej e BBab abišš spo pooke ke aabo b utt his hii ooppini pini inion o on on on the he pprr es he ese s ntt po polititical pol a an and econ c oomi co om mic ssitu itu tuuat tuati atitioonn inn the he CCzzech Reepub public pu lic icc at ČS ČSÚZ ÚZ inn Mar Maaarr ch M ch

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EU matters interview

An interview with Zuzana Roithová, Member of the European Parliament

I Used to Try taking care of patients rather than just “serve people” Photos Pho tos:: Arch tos rchivee rc of Zuz Zu ana a Ro an Roith ithová o ová

112

Dear Mrs. Roithová, you have been in politics for a long time, but at the beginning of your career you worked as a doctor. Doctors and politicians have a common mission – serving people. However, saving human lives can seem to be more concrete and operational. Or am I mistaken?

I used to try taking care of patients rather than just “serving people”. In politics, it also means to be able to understand the impact of my own concrete decisions on people. Nevertheless medicine gave me a good basis for my future career as a manager and a politician. Each of my key decisions starts with a patient diagnosis, or a thorough analysis of a public problem. Without this preparation it is not possible to treat a patient well or to make good legislative decisions. In both cases it is important to recognize the side effects of the chosen treatment on the individual patient, or the effects of a chosen legislative provision on various interest groups. This attitude proved to be successful for me both as a Head of a hospital, which was at that time the only one in Prague without debt, and as a Member of the European Parliament, where I devote myself to the protection of consumers and other rights.

You are also active in the field of human rights protection and the security of toys, which in the end can result in saving lives. Do you perceive it this way?

Yes, I do. However there is a difference between the life of a Cuban dissident and a Ukrainian political prisoner on one hand, and a child with a toy or shoes that are harmful to health on the other, but the common denominator is the protection of rights.

I am very sensitive to violations of the rights of those who are barely able to get justice by themselves – either because they are facing an uneven approach form the regime, or because they are not able to articulate their opinions precisely. And it does not always have to be a matter of life; I am against the violation of all civil rights, as well as commercial conditions, rules of a Single market,

EU matters interview and fiscal responsibilities of governments and states. Saying this with a hint of exaggeration, it is a game of guarding rights and rules.

You are in the middle of your mandate. How would you evaluate the contribution of the European parliament to society, and what issues were you able to “push through” in particular?

The European parliament is, among other political institutions, the most trusted body in the EU. In the Czech Republic the trust in this institution is a bit lower. In general, the public interest in the European parliament´s elections decreases according to the increase of argumentation of some governments and nationalist parties who say that “Brussels are the others”. This argument is backed by the fact that the European Union is too much tied in with regulations and directives that sometimes work against each other, as they were adopted in different periods, by different Member States, and by different governments with different priorities. Unfortunately there is very little discussion about the fact that European legislation has been consolidated and simplified mainly in cross-border business, consumer protection and in a business environment for small and medium-sized enterprises.

After MEP Jan Březina left the European People’s Party, you were the only Czech member of the strongest political group in the European parliament. Does it give you any advantage?

My colleague Mr. Březina has left KDU-ČSL for personal reasons rather than for political ones, and as far as I know he remains a Member of the EPP. One or two members really make no difference.

I take my task to communicate Czech Republic´s interest within the European Parliament´s strongest group very seriously, and I must admit that I feel great support from my colleagues – heads of other national delegations and also from the group presidency. This was also proven when I received immediate support in my fight against the establishment of Canadian visas for Czech citizens.

Consumer protection is one of your long-term topics. Nowadays there is an on-going debate about the ACTA, which should not only protect industrial rights and intellectual property, but in the end consumers themselves. Do you think that the advantages of producer and consumer protection will overcome the protection of fundamental human rights?

If we want to take the protection of rights seriously, we cannot just trade it “quid pro quo”. I personally do not see any conflict between the IPR protection and the protection of human rights. On the contrary, the right to protect intellectual property is clearly a part of human rights, and a liberalized market does not mean that we are allowed to steal. The problem of ACTA is that it mixes two things and I have been emphasizing this from the beginning. For the necessary fight against piracy it proposes unacceptable tools, for instance the inspections of personal belongings transported in-between different states within the Schengen area. Nevertheless, the legislation must fight those groups profiting from illegal trade with electronic data, and not the individuals who are exposed to their activities. When we are considering a car theft, we are primarily interested in the individuals who steal them and in which way they do it, and not in the people who buy them in good faith.

What is your opinion on the refusal of the Czech Republic’s entry into the new fiscal treaty of the EU? Can this decision have a negative impact on the Czech economy?

For me, participating in fiscal stabilization of the European Union is a natural thing. The Czech economy is not an island – on the contrary, it is significantly linked to German industry, which is the engine for the European economy. A disapproving attitude to the fiscal agreement harms us not only politically, as it appears to be an “alibi” waiting for advantages (even economic) that we may gain from a potential approval or disapproval, but also economically, because without a system of rules and actions for their enforcement, and this is very important, the financial stability in Europe will recover much slower.

Almost 80% of aggregate export of the Czech Republic goes to the European Union markets.

A large amount of these products is exported to euro zone countries. Do you think that the Euro should be introduced in the Czech Republic, and if you think so, when?

The Czech Republic voluntarily agreed to accept the Euro when it entered The European Union. So the question of whether it should be done is answered for me already, and any questioning of this obligation I perceive as a populist trick played on Czech citizens and as a dodgy demeanour toward European citizens.

The question of when the Euro will be introduced should be answered technically – by the readiness of the Czech Republic to fulfil the convergence criteria, and by the readiness of the euro zone to accept new members. What I have in mind is the determined compliance with fiscal rules on both sides.

Not long ago you announced your decision to run for Czech president. You would be the first female president in the history of the Czech Republic. Is it a challenge for you? As head of the Czech state, on which priorities would you focus the most?

I am not used to comparing myself to others according to the fact that I am a woman. I compare myself with others using my opinions, my attitudes and my work. I used to apply this principle as the Head of a hospital, as a nonpartisan Minister of Health, and even as a Senator and an MEP; and I still apply it as a candidate for president. However, it is true that among the individuals who publicly announced support for me, there was an opinion saying “it is

Zuzana Roithová, Czech Presidential Candidate: “It is a high time that a guardian of rights and values, who does not put personal interests above his/her constitutional duties and whose program is not to divide but to unite citizens both in the Czech Republic and in the European Union, sits at the Castle”.

time that a woman should sit at the Castle (Prague Castle – seat of a Czech President)”. But I claim that “it is high time that a guardian of rights and values, who does not put personal interests above his/her constitutional duties, and whose program is not to divide but to unite citizens both in the Czech Republic and in the European Union, sits at the Castle ”.

The reactions of the Czech Republic on various European issues are full of contradictions. We do not have clear priorities for our membership in the Union, nor on its further integration. In case you are elected president, would you be as active in the field of European issues as is the current president of the Czech Republic?

You are instigating me to make ironical notes, but I do not think that this issue is very funny: I have already mentioned the consequence of questioning our full membership in the European Union from both economic and political points of view. It has a devastating impact on Czech society. When a Head of State for personal reasons – even though honestly intended – puts his/her interests and opinions above presidential duties, then how can the others approach their own responsibilities?

The President should be resistant to immediate moods and to the pressure of interest groups, and should represent the country with dignity and respect to its long term leadership. That we have been integrating in the West for two decades, and are now shifting suddenly for preferences in a relationship with Russia, with the promise of uncertain business contracts, seems to me short-sighted behaviour.

By Alena Vlačihová CEBRE

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IN COOPERATION WITH LEADERS MAGAZZIN NE

From left: Martin Šimáček, Director, Agency for Social Inclusion, Soňa van Deelenová, General Director, Union of Czech and Moravian Production Co-operatives, and Vladimír Kváča, Director, EU Funds Section, Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of CR

COHESION FUNDS Reepres pres pr esen eenntaatiive vess off the Cze zech chh Min inis istr is tryy off Labbour andd So tr Soci Soci cial all Affffai airs ai rs,, regi rs regi re g on o s, s emp mplo loyye yers rs’’ or o ga gani n sati saationns, s the he goovernnmen gove ment age genc ncyy for social inclusion and difffe nc f rent inter e est groups ps dis iscu cuss cu ssedd Czzeechh prior ssed riiorrititiees ffoor th thee neext Euro Eu rope peean Socia iall Fund on 3rdd Ap Apri r l in Praguue. In October 2011,, the Europeann Coom mmisssioon pu publ b is bl i he hedd thhe Co Cohe hesi esiion on pac acka kage ka age for the per erio iod 20 io 2014–220, whi hich hi chh inc n lude d s thhe Re Regulation on th the he Euuro rope rope pean a Sociaal Fund (ESF SF). ). Effffectitive use of ES E F moneyy in i the h Cze zech ch Rep epub ublilc iss a maj ajor or prooblem in th the he peri riodd 200 007– 7 13 7– 13, paart rtic icuula ic ulaarrlyy forr thee Ope pera rational Programme Educatitit on foorr Com om mpe pe pe petitiveness.

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MORE PHO MORE HOTO TOS TO S AN ND EL ELEC ECTR EC TRON TR RON ONIC IC VERSIION AVVAI AVAI A LA LABL BLE ON N W WW.LEA LEADE DER RSMAGAZINE.CZ

From left: Tomáš Novotný, Director, Office of the Regional Council of Central Bohemia, Martin Šimáček, Director, Agency for Social Inclusion, Soňa van Deelenová, General Director, Union of Czech and Moravian Production Cooperatives, Vladimír Kváča, Director, EU Funds Section, Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of CR, and Alena Vlačihová, Director, CEBRE

EUROPEAN YEAR for active ageing and solidarity between generations Representatives from business organisations, NGOs, local and regional authorities and other interest groups gathered on 7th March in Prague to discuss the issue of active ageing and solidarity between generations in the Czech Republic. Young graduates and people aged 50+ are the two most sensib sensible gro groups facing discrimination in the labour abour mark market. ke In 2006, for every 100 active people ople of prod productive age (20–64 years) in the Czech ech Republic, Republ there were 55 people aged over 65 or under 220 years old. This dependency cy ratio should drastically drast change to 105 dependent persons pers for 100 active. The participants of thee debate d agreed that it is necessary to find a solution, l which will enable senior citizens to live well while being an active and integral part of society.

OECD recommendations for the Czech Republic say “Findd jobs for the eelderly and ease access to the laboourr market et fo for those who wish to and can work”. ”. To draw dr w tthe attention of society to such an alarming problem, the European Commission mmission announced announc this year as the European an Year for active ageing age and solidarity betw be twee eenn ge gene nera raation onss. on

Tomáš Dombrovský, Spokesperson, LMC and Lucie Vidovičová, Masaryk University, Brno

The debate was organized by the Confederation of Employers’ and Entrepreneurs’ Associations of the Czech Republic and CEBRE – Czech Business Representation to the EU, in coop co oper erat atio ionn wi with th the Rep epre rese sent ntat atio ionn of the

European Commission in the Czech Republic and the Information Office of the European Parliament in the Czech Republic.

Sour So urce ce:: CE CEBR BREE

From left: Tomáš Dombrovský, Spokesperson, LMC, Lucie Vidovičová, Masaryk University, Brno, Richard Falbr, Member of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs of the European Parliament and Alena Vlačihová, Director, CEBRE

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EU matters business

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LEADERS MAGAZINE

BUSINESS NEWS DID YOU KNOW THAT… …The EU is going to cut mobile phone roaming charges?

The European Commission is planning to cut charges in mobile phone roaming this summer. The aim is to reduce the rates between domestic and foreign calls almost to zero by 2015. Text message prices will fall from 0.11 EUR to 0.06 EUR. From July, consumers going to another EU country will pay no more than 0.29 EUR per minute to make a mobile call, 0.08 EUR to receive a call, 0.09 EUR to send a text message and 0.70 EUR per megabyte to download data or browse the internet while travelling abroad, charged per kilobyte used. …SMEs require removing barriers in their access to public procurement?

During a meeting held in Brussels at the end of March, delegates of small and medium-sized enterprises called for actions leading to the removal of barriers to SME access to public contracts. Delegates require a review of European procurement rules. These rules should be facilitated, so that SMEs can easily engage in public tenders. They encourage SMEs to take advantage of all opportunities provided by the so-called green economy. According to statistics, only 26 percent of SMEs operate in the so-called green markets.

The value of the global market for environmental goods and services is estimated at approximately 1000 billion EUR per year and is expected to triple by 2020. …The Commission wants to approve new law on public procurement?

The European Commission wants to introduce new measures on public procurements to provide European companies with the same opportunities as their global competitors. The Commission wishes to change current unfair conditions in accessing public procurements on global markets. A company from anywhere in the world can bid for the majority of contracts offered by public authorities all over the EU. But a European company can only bid to supply goods or services in certain countries. The proposed law would create a more level playing field while also increasing business opportunities for European companies within the EU and elsewhere, helping Europe’s smaller companies bid for contracts abroad, and increasing employment within the EU. …Bulgaria and Romania are still not ready to join Schengen?

The Schengen area does not extend so far. Last year, Bulgaria and Romania’s bids to join Schengen were blocked by the Netherlands. Now there are still some Member States, led by the Netherlands again, which consider Bulgaria and Romania’s fight against corruption and organized crime insufficient and a serious obstacle. The summit of EU leaders held at the beginning of March has brought a more positive approach to the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the Schengen area. The Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, agreed that home affairs ministers should revisit the matter in September. The positive monitoring reports from the European Commission on the sufficiency of the fight against organized crime and corruption are the main requirement. They also discussed measures to assist Bulgaria and Romania in joining Schengen later this year. …The Commission’s proposal to rotate credit rating agencies will be revised?

The European Commission’s plan to take actions against credit rating agencies could get complicated. Some of the EU Member states are against the so-called rotation rule, which would force companies to change their credit rating agency

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on a regular basis. Some countries have doubts that it would have a sufficient effect. The idea and main aim of the Commission is to increase the level of competition in the rating agency market. The UK and Germany are among a group of countries that are against the suggestion to oblige rotation every three to six years. They fear that new measures would have negative consequences.

LET’S TALK NUMBERS The Mechanical Engineering Industry has a big contribution for the EU The European Commission published a new study on the competitiveness of European industry in the field of engineering. The study shows that the area of engineering has a huge contribution to the EU, through its innovation, productivity and customer orientation. The study provides a description of the mechanical engineering sector in the EU’s major competing countries, and complete figures of the share of the manufacturing industry in world trade. In 2010 the EU share was 37.2%, which is about 3% more than in 2000. In contrast, shares of main competitors such as the US and Japan fell to 17.4% (from 25.6%), and to 15.6% (from 21.3 %).

Euro area unemployment rate at 10.8% Unemployment across the eurozone reached a record high of 10.8% in February, its highest level since the euro was introduced 13 years ago. These figures are published by the statistical office of the European Union Eurostat. In the last year, the number of unemployed persons in the EU was 10.2%, which means that 24.5 million people have lost their jobs since. Bulgaria is among the countries with the highest unemployment rate (12.4%) exceeding the EU average.

The Commission opens e-Skills Week 2012 In March, the European Commission launched e-Skills Week. This event will focus on providing young people with information on how to gain internet skills and find work in the digital economy. The Commission’s studies show that 90 percent of jobs in 2015 will require knowledge of the Internet environment. In 2007, 4.7 million job opportunities required the use of the Internet. The Commission expects that it will be 5.26 million in 2015 and 16 million jobs in 2020.

The required qualification can be achieved only by e-learning.

The European Commission plans a number of special events within e-Skills Week 2012, which are going to help job seekers and employers learn more about Internet skills and how to improve them.

The decline of construction output in the EU The European Statistical Office published a study monitoring the construction output in the EU and the eurozone in January 2012, compared with December 2011 and the same period in 2011. Eurostat figures show that construction output fell in January by 0.8% in the eurozone and 4.1 % across the EU. The largest decline was recorded in the Czech Republic – 20.1%. The second position is held by Slovenia, where a decrease was 17.4% and the third was the United Kingdom with a 13.8% decline. The comparison showed that the worst situation is in Slovenia with a decrease of 19.7% and Portugal with a decrease of 11.9%. In the Czech Republic, a decrease of 6.6% was recorded. By contrast, in Poland construction output grew by 34.2%.

EU IN THE WORLD EU Business mission to Brazil TAt the end of April, the European Commission Directorate General for Enterprise and Industry (DG ENTR) is organising a business mission to Brazil. The mission is open

to representatives of European companies, as well as local, regional and national chambers and European companies, which have their headquarters in Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Chile. The main part of the mission will be focused on searching for business partners in Brazil, involving both entrepreneurs and representatives of the Brazilian government.

EU freezes aid to Mali The European Union has frozen development aid worth hundreds of millions of EUR in response to a military coup that brought down Mali’s civilian government in March. The European Commissioner for development, Andris Piebalgs, suspended the aid programme for the West African nation, worth 583 million EUR for the period 2008–13. The EU also called off a mission from the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) to confront the coup leaders. An Ecowas summit at the end of March suggested to Mali’s neighbours to use force to restore democracy in the country.

The European Parliament wants to strengthen Partnership with Eastern countries At the beginning of April, the EURONEST Parliamentary Assembly, responsible for the supervision and monitoring of the Eastern Partnership, was holding a meeting in the Parliament of Azerbaijan. A delegation of 37 Members of the European Parliament and their Eastern partners (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine) discussed the strengthening of their cooperation.

The main topics included the future of democracy and free and independent media, energy infrastructure, cooperation between governments and civil society in both the Eastern Partnership and in the EU countries. The participation of Belarus was also discussed during the meetings.

EU and Vietnam prepared to improve trade relations EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht and Vietnamese Minister for Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang have concluded preparations for starting negotiations on a bilateral free trade agreement. The completion of this preparatory stage is an important step because it lays down the framework for the trade negotiations. It helps to improve the business environment and trade relations between the EU and Vietnam.

New opportunities for importers, exporters and consumers will be guaranteed. In 2011, EU-Vietnam trade in goods was over 18 billion EUR, with almost 13 billion EUR in exports from Vietnam to the EU. What’s more, the European Union is one of the largest investors in Vietnam.

The EU and Ukraine finalised negotiations establishing a Free Trade Area In December 2011, at the EU-Ukraine Summit, the leaders of the EU and Ukraine announced that they had finalized negotiations on an Association Agreement. The aim of the agreement is to establish political association and economic integration between the European Union and Ukraine. The agreement will embody provisions on the establishment of a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area as an integral part. Chief trade negotiators from both sides agreed to complete the legal verification of the text, including technical annexes and protocols. Both sides demonstrated their strong commitment to the conclusion of the Association Agreement.

Brought by CEBRE – Czech Business Representation to the EU (kindly supported by CzechTrade), www.cebre.cz

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energy analysis

DOES FREEDOM Autumn of next year will mark an incredible twenty years since I entered highlevel politics – when for the first time I became the mayor of the city of Ostrava.

Two decades of experience have also passed for my maternal party ODS. Although I do not recommend looking back at passed time, the current turbulent political scene caused me to evaluate the past twenty years. For me this period has been unbelievably long. I have changed physically quite a lot, but internally I have still the need to search for truth and justification for my opinions.

However, I feel that to be able to accept the system established after 1989, two decades are a short period of time.

In thinking, I see many things that we have not achieved as representatives of the rightwing political spectrum on the Czech political scene. I wonder if we did not focus too much on our vision of the capitalistic world, and at the same time underestimate the explanations and persuasions about the justification for such a system. I am deeply convinced that the fundamental ideas about liberty and responsibility of a human being are still at the centre of right-wing political views.

But perhaps we have only managed to support that part of personal liberty, without increasing personal responsibility. I know how this is difficult to explain to people, as I know about solidarity in complicated situations.

Solidarity is needed when people have health issues, suffer accidental tragedies, or leave abandoned children, among other problems.

Solidarity in hard times is part of the democratically perceived world. And it is difficult to explain that a system based on the principle of minimizing public expenditure, on ensuring the basic administrative functioning of the state, also leaves enough finances for the solidarity we need.

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LEADERS MAGAZINE

Over these two decades people have become used to a certain standard of living, without the perception of how much financial pressure has increased. Expenditures were usually provided by increasing the debt of the public budget. In fact, that is the essence of the problems that Europe is facing; over many decades there have been political efforts to create a more secure life, guaranteed by the state, and these efforts have gained popularity with voters. Such a system worked, until it became obvious that the mentioned securities were financed not only from the balanced public finances (which could have been possible), but they were financed by loans, taken to pay for the promises. Therefore many European countries are dealing with their accumulated debts, which were largely caused by long-term debt-financing, which paid for the promises of better lives. Some countries drew loans for more than their economic performance. Now the consequences have arrived, and they have brought economic problems on a global scale.

With these developments in mind, I return to my initial reflections about the essential political discussion – the direct connection between the personal liberty and responsibility of a human during his lifetime. I believe that such a political debate is a never-ending debate between right-wing and left-wing politics. Currently such discussions are returning, and they are crucial. Today’s situation requires communication from the highest levels on our vision about the functioning of the state. On one hand it is necessary to communicate the economic possibilities of the state – what the state, under current conditions, is able to finance. On the other hand there are the ideas of the political parties. The parties need to decide what solution models they will present to their citizens. It is obvious that promises, covered by debt, will no longer be possible, because they will not be accepted by the rules of the financial world. Such a scenario would

Photo: Archive

mean an immediate loss of trust, and this would lead to similar situations known in Greece, Spain, Portugal and others.

We do not live on an isolated island. Opening up the discussion on social solidarity, personal responsibility, people’s social securities and all related subjects will be crucial for us, and it will determine the future prosperity of our nation. Political parties need to clearly explain to their citizens how they view the future functions of the whole system. Personally, I will always be interested in the balanced relationship between liberty and personal responsibility. I would like to point out that it is necessary to inform the public about the possible dangers of limiting personal liberty, due to higher administrative controls, increasing social securities, and controlling many other things. This may be the second time, since 1989, that such a question for our society has held such importance.

By Evžen Tošenovský Member of the European Parliament To be continued... český překlad naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.leadersmagazine.cz

Leaders Magazine III/2012 117

culture event

1st Theater Performance in MIRO Gallery, April 2012 famous Slovak Actress and Writer

Milka Zimková

celebrated 35 years of One Actor Theater

IN COOPERATION WITH LEADERS MAGAZINE

Miro Smolák, Owner of the MIRO Gallery and Organizer of the One Actor Theater congratulates to the Actress Milka Zimková

From left: PhDr. Josef Gáfrik, Journalist, Weronika Surma, Student of Sculpture at the Warsaw University, and Vladimír Skalský, Chairman of the World Association of Slovaks Abroad

From left: MUDr. Jan Lešták, Owner of the JL Eye Clinic Prague and Mirek Karas, Consul of the Slovak Republic in the Czech Republic MUDr. Martin Papáč, Military Hospital in Střešovice with his wife Erika

118 From left: Dominik Biľo, Director of the MIRO Graphic Studio with Milka Zimková

Mgr. Svatopluk K. Jedlička, Rotary Club Prague

From left: Ildiko Obrcianová with her daughter Sarah, Ing. Andriana Matúšová, Project Manager, Limes Romanus, S.E., and Barbora Jandová, Businesswoman

From left: MUDr. Jan Lešták, Owner of the JL Eye Clinic Prague, his son Tomáš, and his brother Pavel

From left: Dr. Viliam Paulíny, Chairman, Czech Union Prague and Pavel Obrcian, Vicechairman, Czech Union Prague

MIRO Gallery iinnvite invi vviite tes yo you to to the he Exhibition of Paintings & Sculptures ooff Phe hela lan O O’’Ha Hara ra (**11994400,, Grreeaatt Bri ritain rita tain ta in), ), Paauul Ro Roxxii ((**11994488, G Geeerm rrm man anyy)), Jo Joac achi hiim m EEllzzm man ann ((**19 1953 53, G Geerm rmany) aannyy)) TThhe eexxhi hibbiiti ittiioonn las asts t s unttilil 3 Jun une, e, 201 0122..

The ggaalllleerr y is Th is oppeen ddaaiilly ffrrom om 10 a. a .m m.. to 5 pp..m m.. www.galeriemiro.cz, www.trebbia.eu

From left: Iveta Demjanová, KA Contracting ČR s.r.o., PhDr. Josef Gáfrik, Journalist, and Ing. Jan Gonda, Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Czech Republic

Milk Mi lkaa Zi Z mk m ov ováá inn mon o od o ra rama ama m :

Milka Mi lkka ZZiimk mkov ová in in mon onooddraam maa:

Millkka ZZiim Mi Milk mkkoovvá inn moonnnod odrraaam od odra m a: ma

CCAATH HER E IIN NE GR GREA EAAT (660 mi min))

FFEEW EW O OFF US GO GO, O, WE W E DO ON N’TT NEE EEED D MUCH MU CH (40 40 min in)

SSO OJK JK A (3 (35 mi min) n)

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Roy Hargrove – Trumpet, Flugelhorn Justin Robinson – Alto Saxophone, Flute Sullivan Fortner – Piano Ameen Saleeem – Double Bass Quincy Philips – Drums

prague castle event

IN COOPERATION WITH LEADERS MAGAZINE

with Roy Hargrove Q

From left: Nick Bolkvadze, IT Web Manager, Leaders Magazin, Quincy Phillips, Drummer, and Petr Kubernát, Director, Pekos s.r.o.

From left: Prof. Václav Klaus, President of the CR and Zbygniew Czendlik, Roman Catholic Parish in Lanškroun

From left: Jindřich Forejt, Protocol Director, Office of the President of the CR and Zbigniew Czendlik, Roman Catholic Parish in Lanškroun

120 Stanislav Skřička, Photographer, Cameraman, Miss Princess of the World and Nora Stříbrná, Business Coordinator, Al Harbi Group, Saudi Arabia

In the middle: Quincy Phillips, Drummer, and Tomáš Kozelský, Researcher, RILSA with his partner on the left

From left: Prof. Václav Klaus, President of the CR, Lukáš Martínek, Musician, Karel Vágner, Music Publisher, and Kateřina Kadlecová, Director, USSPA, s.r.o.

From left: H.E. Jose Perreira Gomes, Ambassador of Portugal and Ladislav Mravec, Director, Foreign Affairs Department, Office of the President of the CR

From left: Mrs. Kolář, Kateřina Kadlecová, Director, USSPA, s.r.o., Prof. Václav Klaus, President of the CR, Petr Kolář, Owner, USSPA, s.r.o., and Jan Kadlec, CEO, USSPA, s.r.o.

H.E. Marie Chatardová, Czech Ambassador to France and Jindřich Forejt, Protocol Director, Office of the President of the CR

H.E. Peter Brňo, Ambassador of Slovakia with his wife

121 MORE PHOTOS AND ELECTRONIC VERSION AVAILABLE ON WWW.LEADERSMAGAZINE.CZ

Group photo with Prof. Václav Klaus, President of the CR, sponsors of the event and their friends

From left: Mrs. Kolář, MUDr. Radek Mounajjed, Jitka Mounajjedová, D.C.M., Kateřina Kadlecová, Director, USSPA, s.r.o., and Petr Kolář, Owner, USSPA, s.r.o.

Roman Kuchyňka, Estetico sr.o. with his wife

From left: H.E. Pasquale D’Avino, Ambassador of Italy and Prof. Václav Klaus, President of the CR

From left: Alena Konopíková, Managing Director, ROOF Press, s.r.o., Marie Kalousová, Marketing Manager, USSPA, s.r.o., Jan Kadlec, CEO, USSPA, s.r.o., and Kateřina Kadlecová, Director, USSPA, s.r.o.

122 Chudoba Family

Natali Ruden, Fashion Designer and Viktor Dvořák, General Manager, Gray Line

Ondřej Pivec – Hammond B3 Jason Marshall – Baryton, Saxophone Russell Carter – Drums Paul Bollenback – Guitar

prague castle event

Photos: Jaroslav Tatek

IN COOPERATION WITH LEADERS MAGAZINE

with Ondřej Pivec N.Y. Trio Featuring Paul Bollenback

Launch of the CD Benny Golson Quartet in the Old Hall of the Prague Castle, from left: Mgr. Kristýna Hrubá, PR Manager, PROMINECON CZ a.s., Ing. Peter Kuchár, President, PROMINECON CZ a.s., Karel Vágner, Musician and Producer, Prof. Václav Klaus, President of the CR, and Emil Viklický, Musician

123 MORE PHOTOS AND ELECTRONIC VERSION AVAILABLE ON WWW.LEADERSMAGAZINE.CZ

Launch of the CD Benny Golson Quartet in the Old Hall of the Prague Castle, from left: Mgr. Kristýna Hrubá, PR Manager, PROMINECON CZ a.s., Ing. Peter Kuchár, President, PROMINECON CZ a.s., Karel Vágner, Musician and Producer, Alena Veliká, Press Service Head, Office of the President, Prof. Václav Klaus, President of the CR, and Emil Viklický, Musician

From left: Prof. Václav Klaus, President of the CR, Ing. Zdenka Mrvová, Director of Pharmaceutical Engineering, ZENTIVA k.s., and Karel Vágner, Musician and Producer

Launch of the CD Benny Golson Quartet in the Old Hall of the Prague Castle, from left: Ing. Michal Štefl, Chairman of the Board of Directors, OHL ŽS, a.s., Prof. Václav Klaus, President of the CR, and Ing. Peter Kuchár, President, PROMINECON CZ a.s.

124 Launch of the CD Benny Golson Quartet in the Old Hall of the Prague Castle – Prof.

Václav Klaus, President of the CR

Launch of the CD Benny Golson Quartet in the Old Hall of the Prague Castle, from left: Ing. Peter Kuchár, President, PROMINECON CZ a.s., Alena Veliká, Press Service Head, Office of the President, Emil Viklický, Musician, and Karel Vágner, Musician and Producer

Launch of the CD Benny Golson Quartet in the Old Hall of the Prague Castle: JUDr. Kristina Stiefelová, Co-Owner, Axial Personal Agency and Prof. Václav Klaus, President of the CR

From left: Prof. Václav Klaus, President of the CR, Russell Carter, Musician, Drummer, and Paul Bollenback, Musician, Guitarist

Launch of the CD Benny Golson Quartet in the Old Hall of the Prague Castle, from left: Mgr. Kristýna Hrubá, PR Manager, PROMINECON CZ a.s., Prof. Václav Klaus, President of the CR, and Klára Sierra, Marketing & Business Development Manager, APOGEO s.r.o.

From left: Ondřej Pivec, Jason Marshall, Russell Carter

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Sleeping Beauty, Edita Raušerová and Desiré, Adam Zvonař

culture event

IN COOPERATION WITH LEADERS MAGAZINE Hundred years of fear and sleep, awakening to love...

First night on March, 29, 2012 at the National Theater

The Sleeping Beauty Syrene, Jade Clayton

Gold Stag, Francesco Scarpato Mrs. Markéta Kyliánová, dancer Rita-Rita and a mother of the world-renowned choreographer Jiří Kylián, has celebrated her 100th birthday on the first night showing

126 Carabosse, Nikola Márová and Aleksandre Katsapov

From left: Wife of the President of the CR, Mrs. Livia Klausová, Minister of Culture of the CR, Alena Hanáková and Director of the National Theatre, Ondřej Černý

culture event

Opera dedicated to Elisabeth I, composed for the coronation of Elisabeth II. First night on March 3, 2012 at the National Theatre

Queen Elisabeth I, Gun-Brit Barkmin

From left: H.E. Sian Christina MacLeod, British Ambassadress, Gut-Brit Barkmin, first night creatress of Queen Elisabeth I, and Jiří Heřman, Director

Earl of Essex, Martin Šrejma and Queen Elisabeth I, Szilvia Rálik

From left: Philine, Jana Sibera, Laërte, Martin Šrejma, and Fréderic, Galia Ibragimova

Concert adaptation of the opera – April 1, 2012 at the State Opera Gala Evening on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the State Opera Prague

From left: Lothario, Jiří Sulženko, Wilhelm Meister, Octavio Arévalo, Philine, Jana Sibera, Mignon, Jana Sýkorová, Conductor Tomáš Brauner, and State Opera Orchestra and Chorus

127 From left: Lothario, Jiří Sulženko, Wilhelm Meister, Octavio Arévalo, and Mignon, Jana Sýkorová

First night on April 27, 2012 at the Estates Theatre Classical French comedy has not aged. The set is inspired not only

by Beaumarchais´s theatre play, but also by Da Ponte´s libretto and the music of divine Mozart.

From left: Zuzanka, Pavla Beretová, Figaro, Richard Krajčo, Countess, Kateřina Winterová, and Count, Miroslav Donutil

MARRIAGE OF FIGARO

Countess, Kateřina Winterová

128 Zuzanka, Pavla Beretová and Figaro, Richard Krajčo

Zuzanka, Pavla Beretová and Count, Miroslav Donutil

On March 31, the Director of the National Theatre PhDr. Ondřej Černý has handed over a symbolic 1 CZK to JUDr. Dominika Kolowrat-Krakovská and her children at the benefit concert of the endowed fund Kolowrátek at the Estates Theatre. The 1 CZK was a symbolic rent for the lease of the Kolowrat palace for the year 2012.

culture event

For 35 Years, We Stage Wonderful Circus On April 14, we have commemorated the 35 years since the first night of the oldest (premiere on April 15, 1977), the most famous (tour visits of 50 cities in 16 countries) and the most staged (6170 reruns) title of Laterna magika, at the New Stage. In this way, WONDERFUL CIRCUS by Evald Schorm, Jan Švankmajer, Jiří Srnec, Josef Svoboda, Zdeněk Seydl, Emil Sirotek and many other rank itself among the oldest productions that are uninterruptedly staged in repertory around the whole world. As part of the celebration, former and current protagonists of Wonderful Circus were photographed on the piazzetta of the National Theatre.

129

interview

Rozhovor s Šárkou Fričovou, MBA, ředitelkou rozvoje obchodu, divize společnosti BeeConsulting

Vzdělání a zkušenosti VEDOU K ÚSPĚCHU

Jaké byly Vaše profesní začátky?

Začínala jsem ve finanční účtárně a po roce 1989 jsem dostala nabídku do oblasti řízení lidských zdrojů, ve které pracuji dodnes.

Jaké služby zahrnuje společnost BeeConsulting?

Naše společnost nabízí pro své zákazníky zejména tyto služby: kariérní poradenství, HR systémy – 360 stupňovou zpětnou vazbu a Learning Management system, Nábor pracovníků, Outsourcing pracovníků, Vedení Asessment Center, Poradenství a koučink, Psychodiagnostiku, Odborná školení, Řešení krizových situací v oblasti lidských zdrojů.

Zaměřuje se firma BeeConsulting na specifická pracovní odvětví nebo Vašich služeb může využít opravdu kdokoliv?

Našimi zákazníky jsou mezinárodní i české společnosti ze všech odvětví – hotelovým odvětvím počínaje, přes telekomunikace, FMCG, IT, bankovní sektor až po odvětví těžkého průmyslu.

Portfolio vašich služeb jste rozšířili o novou službu, která se týká ověřování referencí a pravdivosti uvedených údajů. Mohla byste popsat, o co přesně se jedná?

Tato služba je určena klientům, kteří si potencionální kandidáty vybírají přímo sami, často z několika různých zdrojů, např. doporučením, pomocí inzerce, atd. – provádí se zpravidla před nástupem vybraného uchazeče do pracovního poměru, často k němu ale dochází až v průběhu zkušební doby. Tato doplňková služba je určena výhradně k ověřování osobních údajů dobrovolně poskytnutým uchazečem a vyžaduje jeho písemný souhlas se zpracováním osobních údajů. Nejčastěji ověřovanými údaji jsou: osobní údaje, ukončené vzdělání, předchozí praxe, střet zájmů, bezdlužnost a bezúhonnost.

Šárka Fričová, je názorným příkladem toho, že lze radikálně změnit kurz kariérní plavby. Její profesní začátky jsou ve znamení práce s čísly, kterou vyměnila za oblast řízení lidských zdrojů. V té působí dodnes a spolu se svým týmem pomáhá klientům opětovně nalézt místo na slunci v rámci pracovního zařazení.

BeeConsulting je jednou z divizí společnosti BeeMedia, s.r.o., se zaměřením na poradenství v oblasti personálního managementu. Tato divize byla založena s cílem zužitkovat rozsáhlé znalosti a zkušenosti pracovníků této divize. Její úsilí směřuje k budování dlouhodobého vztahu s klienty s cílem poskytnout ucelenou službu, podloženou vysokou profesionalitou, solidností a kvalitním servisem.

Setkala jste se vy osobně během své praxe s kandidáty, kteří ve svých životopisech uvedli nepravdivé údaje? Dá se toto lhaní pochopit, řekněme alespoň z lidské stránky?

Bohužel ano, kandidáti se domnívají, že pro sebe takto získají jakousi „konkurenční výhodu“, jedná se však o velmi krátkozrakou úvahu, pravda vyjde velice rychle na povrch a následné řešení je ve většině případů radikální.

Další novinkou z Vašeho portfolia služeb je varianta individuálního outplacementu. Komu je určená a o co přesně se jedná?

Jedná se o určitou formu kariérního poradenství, určeného odborníkům, kteří hledají nové pracovní uplatnění či novou zajímavou výzvu. Mezi hlavní přínosy této služby patří zvýšení hodnoty konkrétního jednotlivce na trhu práce a omezení rizik při hledání nového pracovního uplatnění. V neposlední řadě máme správné vazby na prestižní zaměstnavatele a ucelený přehled o trhu práce.

Garantujeme důvěrnost veškerých informací. Ochranu osobních údajů uchazeče považujeme za jednu ze svých priorit, neboť nám napomáhá vytvořit dlouhodobý vztah založený na vzájemné důvěře a úctě.

Pro společnosti organizujete i odborná školení. Je obecně známo, že prokletím většiny těchto školení je nuda, spojená s promítáním grafů a čtení ze skript.

V čem tkví úspěch nejednoho školení, které Vaše společnost pořádá?

Je to jednoduché – naši lektoři jsou pouze z řad „praktiků“, mají tedy to co školí skutečně „zažito“, do školení vždy vnesou vlastní zkušenosti, znalosti a dovednosti.

Představme si, že vaše služby vyhledá, do té doby vysoce postavený manažer, který přišel o práci. Má samozřejmě rodinné závazky, hypotéku, leasing a ztrátu zaměstnání bere jako tu největší osobní prohru, která kráčí ruku v ruce i se ztrátou jisté společenské prestiže, a ten člověk je psychicky zlomený. Jak v takovém extrémním případě probíhá pomoc z Vaší strany?

Jedná se vždy o ojedinělý proces, připravený na míru pro konkrétního klienta. Musím však potvrdit, že největší odměnou je, když vidíte, jak se tento klient opět mění ve vyrovnaného profesionála, který se díky naší odborné pomoci vrací zpět na své „místo na slunci“...

Vaše profese je psychicky náročná, jak relaxujete?

Snažím se aktivně hýbat, věnovat čas rodině a přátelům.

Máte nějaké oblíbené motto, kterým se řídíte ať už v pracovním nebo soukromém životě?

Již mnoho let se v pracovním i soukromém životě řídím „Co mě nezabije, to mě posílí“.

Je z personálního hlediska možné, aby klient, který strávil například deset let v hotelnictví, a poté radikálně změnil obor a začal působit například v odvětví telekomunikací?

Foto: archiv

Hotelnictví je obor, který Vás pohltí. Mám ve svém okolí mnoho příkladů, kdy kolegové po několika letech v tomto odvětví odešli do jiné sféry, kde byli rovněž úspěšní, následně se však do tohoto oboru vrátili a působí v něm dodnes. Sama jsem v tomto odvětví v oblasti řízení lidských zdrojů působila více než 5 let...

Jaké jsou současné trendy v oblasti řízení lidských zdrojů?

V personálním řízení se stále častěji objevují dvě klíčová témata, a to koncept řízení talentů a časté fúze a akvizice.

Obě tato témata mají velký dopad na řízení lidských zdrojů ve společnostech. Globalizace s sebou přináší tlak na snižování cen spolu s růstem produktivity. Efektivní personální řízení je a bude jednou z podmínek, aby firma prosperovala a obstála v konkurenci ostatních společností.

Jaká je největší motivace kandidáta při hledání nového zaměstnání? Dá se říci, že jsou kandidáti motivováni ve většině případů mzdou a dalšími benefity nebo berou ohled také na prestiž konkrétní společnosti?

Záleží na úrovni pracovní pozice. Jiný pohled priorit v tomto ohledu má začínající řadový pracovník, jiný pohled nalezneme u vedoucího pracovníka, který v oboru na vedoucí funkci pracuje již řadu let.

Dá se říci, zda jsou cennější zkušenosti nebo vzdělání v daném oboru? Pomineme-li specifické profese jakými jsou například lékaři či právníci.

Obávám se, že ne. Jde to spolu ruku v ruce... Říká se, že štěstí přeje připraveným. Komu přeje současný trh práce, jakým kandidátům?

Trh práce vyžaduje v současné době od kandidátů mnohem větší flexibilitu, pracovní „mobilitu“ a v neposlední řadě ochotu neustále se vzdělávat a pracovat na svém profesním růstu.

Zpracoval LM ■

Stručný sumář pracovních zkušeností v níže uvedených společnostech: 130 Leaders Magazine III/2012

Japan Tobacco International, Head of HR, ČR; GE Money Bank, Senior HR Manager, ČR; Marriott International, Human Resources Director, Prague cluster; TESCO Stores, Head of HR, Hypermarkets ČR&SR; The Document Company XEROX, Country HR Manager, ČR; SmithKline Beecham, HR & Finance Services; ČEDOK, Accountant, HR.