Czech & Slovak Leaders 01/2019

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Czech & Slovak Leaders IV/2018

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018

Ivan Bartoš, Chairman of the Pirate Party

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INTERVIEWS | EVENTS | PR | EU MATTERS

The most important thing in politics is to keep learning

available worldwide online

P hoto : A rchive

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P ublisher ’ s

note

&

contents

DEAR READERS, Coldness, snow and the winter weather are upon us and my advice to you all is to light some candles at home and try to achieve that homey atmosphere, which helps brighten the Christmas spirit. To have that spirit means to care about your nearest and dearest as well as those who have less, nowhere to go, who may be feeling lonely in a time when families get together and celebrate.

events 8

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President of the Czech Republic Miloš Zeman on the Occasion of the Czech National Day on the 28th of October Reception for all Czech Ambassadors at the Senate Conference Transportation 2018+ "Another 100 Years in Motion" Round Table of Comenius Discussion meeting with Miroslav Toman, Minister of Agriculture Farewell Party to H.E. Aldo Amati  page 10

What we should do is to be more generous, share a little bit of what we have, show kindness and interest in those who have less or nothing. This is the real Christmas spirit and when you share that spirit it gives so much back to you – a smile, a look of understanding, a thank you from the heart – and you feel part of the human family, regardless of religion or color.

Among the many events which we covered in this issue, I would like to mention a few.

All Czech Ambassadors gathering in the Senate, concert Everlasting Hope, Comenius Discussions at Top Hotel, Opening of National Museum, ELAI Innovation event, SBP Security Conference, IEC 2018 in Ostrava, PragArtworks, MIRO Gallery Exhibition and Concert with Ms Jiebing Chen, Franz Kafka Award, Hanno R. Ellenbogen Citizenship Award 2018 and many more.

On our front page we are very happy to have the extremely charismatic leader of the Pirate Party Mr. Ivan Bartoš, accompanied with an interview, we have also very interesting interviews with H.E. S. King, new US Ambassador, Mr. Zdenek Lukeš, Head of National Museum, Mrs. Alena Schillerová Minister of Finance, H.E. Sandra Linkenseder, new Czech Ambassador to Brasil, Mr. Philipp Zielke from SAP, Mrs. Louise Beer, the woman behind PragArtworks, Mr. Ondřej Mynář, Nafigate, Mrs. Andrea Klimko, Slovak Architect, Mr. Opher Brayer, Israel Mentor, Coach and Teacher, Mr. Pierre Gattaz, President of Business Europa to mention a few.

State awards ceremony

40 44 47

SAP NOW Week 2018 14th Prague Security Conference Senate International scientific conference: Czechoslovakia in Transformations of 20th Century Europe 56 ELAI Entrepreneurship week returns to the Czech Republic 59 Peruvian Gastronomy Festival A melting pot of cultures and flavors 62 Hanno R. Ellenbogen Citizenship Award 2018 66 IEC – International Energy Club 2018 86 Third International Week of the Italian Cuisine in the World 104GARI Launch  page 47

That’s it, ladies and gentlemen. I wish you all a very pleasant and relaxing Christmas Holiday. The same also goes to my team, Lenka, Linda, Šárka, Martina, Petra, Radka, Tanya.

Fantastic team – what would I do without them?

Benke Aikell benke.aikell@czechleaders.com www.czechleaders.com

View of Wallenstein Palace’s Main Hall at the opening of the conference “Czechoslovakia in Transformations of 20th Century Europe”

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C ontents

interviews

culture events  page 5

16 Everlasting Hope (Věčná naděje) The first annual music festival 52 Opening of the Historical Building of the National Museum 72 PragArtworks Arts in the house pop up exhibition 75 Art Builds Bridges at the Lobkowitz Palace 82 MIRO Gallery Prague The Jiebing Chen concert 84 The Franz Kafka International Literary Prize 2018 92 Blossoms 2018 102MIRO Gallery Prague Míla Fürstová – All my Rivers

Ivan Bartoš, Chairman of the Pirate Party

 page 16

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Interview with Ivan Bartoš The most important thing in politics is to keep learning Interview with Philipp Zielke Never leave out the people aspect Interview with H.E. Stephen B. King Life is work and work is life Interview with Michal Lukeš We tell stories Interview with Alena Schillerová I welcome any substantive discussion Interview with H.E. Sandra Lang Linkensederová It is our responsibility to reach the goals Interview with Louise Beer Buying and collecting art should be part of one´s upbringing 78 Interview with Ondřej Mynář Nafigate will become a world-renowned cosmetics brand 94 Interview with Opher Brayer I am here to give back 98 Interview with Andrea Klimko Poetry in architecture  page 54

Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra (Concert – August 24th, Rudolfinum)

diplomatic events 28

30 39

National Day of Mexico La Calle Mexicana, Día de la Independencia National Day of Austria Events of the Embassy of Mexico Czech academics awarded with the highest honors for foreigners 53 National Day of Korea  page 30

From left: H.E. Alexander Grubmayr, Ambassador of the Republic of Austria with his wife Dr. Bettina Fink and Tomáš Petříček, Ph.D., Minister of Foreign Affairs with his wife Alena Schillerová, Minister of Finance of the Czech Republic

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2018

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contents

contributors 27

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Cristina Muntean From personal branding to personal leadership Linda Štucbartová The first women´s mission from the Czech Republic to Israel, October 2018 Linda Štucbartová A dialogue between Linda Štucbartová, chief interviewer and Judi Challiner, a teacher, a writer and a storyteller 70 Alena Huberová Hate sales? You’re in trouble…

76 James A. Cusumano Life is beautiful! Part XI: live the life you want 80 Lenka Čábelová One day for passion: from corporate responsibility to social innovation 88 Jan Mühlfeit and Kateřina Novotná Unlocking children’s potential: a guide for parents who want a little bit more for their children 100 Tereza Urbánková Subconscious bias makes the journey to gender parity longer 101 Elisabet Rodriguez Dennehy Are you keeping track of engagement at work?

106 Iva Drebitko Alphonse Mucha

Jan Mühlfeit, Kateřina Novotná

 page 88

Publisher: Benke Aikell Head of Editorial: Lenka Helena Koenigsmark Office Assistant: Tatiana Fominykh Webmaster: Petra Kubernátová DTP: Šárka Krausová EU Matters: CEBRE Czech Business Representation, CESES, Europlatform Contributors: James A. Cusumano, Martina Hošková, Lenka Helena Koenigsmark, Jan Mühlfeit, Lenka Čábelová, Linda Štucbartová, Tereza Urbánková, Alena Huberová, Elisabet Dennehy, Jan Muhlfeit, Cristina Muntean Photographers: Vladimír Weiss, Hana Brožková, Martin Janas, Katarina Gritt, Stanislav Milata, Jaromír Zubák, Eva Davidová, Tereza Šlápotová, Stanislava Kyselová Subscription: Czech & Slovak Leaders, Rumunská 1, 120 00 Praha 2 We appreciate your opinions of Czech & Slovak Leaders.

Please send them to: Czech & Slovak Leaders Rumunská 1, 120 00 Praha 2 tel.: +420 773 515 111 e-mail: info@czechleaders.com www.czechleaders.com

EU matters 116 EU matters interview Interview with Pierre Gattaz, President of BusinessEurope 110 EU debate Credit support to companies from the EU budget Taxation of digital companies Czech business mission to Belgium 112 EU matters business

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The most

important thing in politics is to

keep learning Interview with Ivan BartoĹĄ, Chairman of the Pirate Party P hoto : A rchive

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2018

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I nterview

with I van

B artoš , C hairman

of the

P irate P arty

Ivan Bartoš is the Chairman of the Czech Pirate Party and the Deputy Representative in the Parliament of the Czech Republic where he chairs the Committee for Public Sector and Regional Development. He has been a member of the Pirate Party since its foundation in 2009. Even though people believe Mr. Bartoš had studied mathematics and informatics, in fact he studied psychology and information science at Husite Theological Faculty, and he ended up with a PhD degree from the information studies and librarianship from Charles University, which is a combination of information, society and systems on the social level. His working experience ranges from public institutions to NGOs and large multinational corporations. Ivan Bartoš has had a long-lasting interest in social topics and quality of life even prior to entering the politics. When Ivan Bartoš had more spare time, he enjoyed being a DJ, playing accordion and singing in a band, but these days he is too busy. He is married to Lydia Franka, also a member of the Pirate party.

Ivan Bartoš says that the Pirate party is the only truly democratic political platform that reflects the reality of the 21st century. „Technologies we have at our disposal can help us and make our lives easier to a great extent. However, we should avoid that they become a tool for a digital totalitarian régime“. Understandably, freedom and mutual respect are the values most important to him.

I was lucky to meet Ivan Bartoš not only at a time when the Parliament was in session but also during the times of interpellations. Our interview was interrupted and, on a screen, I could watch Mr. Bartoš interpellating Prime Minister Babiš regarding the non-transparent ownership of Agrofert and the possible consequences with regards to the EU sanctions. The atmosphere in the Pirate party club in the Parliament was relaxed and less formal on one hand yet buzzing with activity on the other. No wonder. After 10 years on the political scene, the Pirate party has many reasons to celebrate. Thanks to their results in the last municipal elections in September, they have become key players for many coalitions in various towns and cities, including Mr. Zdeněk Hřib who later that day was announced as the future Mayor of Prague.

Mr. Bartoš considers himself a true European. Given his age and experience, he is one of the few top-ranking Czech politicians who speaks English fluently. I am proud that you, the readers of the Czech and Slovak Magazine, can enjoy this interview in the original version, not the translation. Enjoy this unique opportunity, reading an interview with a leading Czech politician in English!

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I nterview Mr. Bartoš, it has been 10 years, since the Pirate party was established and 10 years, since you entered the politics. Congratulations! Were you aware of the anniversary?

We started the Pirate party as a rather spontaneous action and I was not the founder.

We were not aware of the consequences, however we believed in fast success. If you do something that you believe in, you hope for fast victory, not a long-distance run. Thanks to Facebook reminders, and it is necessary to mention that Facebook has existed longer than our party, we are reminded how much the party has grown. We still manage to keep the joy in doing politics, one thing that differentiates us from the other parties. The party itself is changing, a younger generation of people is coming and joining the party, which means that they are 18 years younger than me. I must admit, that little by little, I seem to less understand them and their way of living. Imagine, they were born and grew up in an era of having the internet in every household, since childhood they are used to the cellphones. The founder of the World Pirate Party Movement himself, Rick Falkvinge, predicted the generational change and appealed to us to “let them do their work” whenever we find out we do not understand the latest issues and trends.

Overall, I must say that I feel very proud and thankful to all the people who have helped us. If I compare us to a product, we have become a very good product, an easy one to market as well.

We are not the ones to spend hundreds of million crowns on a campaign just to keep the results from the previous elections. We are the most costefficient party with regard to campaigns.

From your personal anniversary to the anniversary of 100 years of Czechoslovakia.

What are your thoughts - nostalgia, hope or something else?

I must admit that I am not having any other or different thoughts about the way I think about society in general just because of this special day. We do have many interesting personalities, in terms of politicians or scientists, but the heritage of the nation is embedded in the every-day work of the ordinary people. My social media status for this occasion deals with the issue of bravery. Many people talk about this trait but in fact bravery depends on the options people have. People in the Czech Republic have their own problems like everywhere in the world. For someone, bravery might be demonstrated just by getting up, going to work, raising their children. I am happy that thanks to my family and my education, I am equipped to try to change things. However, I would like to stress one thing. The anniversary is not only for the Czechs and Slovaks, but we should also mention all foreigners who either live here or abroad but have made a considerable impact on society.

Based on the results of the fall elections, the year 2018 for the Pirates will not be remembered as the symbol of centenary, but as a substantial victory in regional and municipal elections, that brought the Pirates to the position of the Mayor of Prague.

with I van

B artoš , C hairman

Again, I have to point that we started from zero.

We had no major funding from large corporations.

Each election is, to some extent special. The proof of how wide-spread our concept is in how the party grows and functions“. We currently have 22 women and men representatives in Parliament.

The most important thing in politics is to keep learning. You can make mistakes, but you need to learn from them and build on the knowledge consecutively. I am known as a sci-fi and a Star Trek fan, so now a very useful story comes to my mind. An intelligent star is approaching the earth; a star which calls itself VGer and which is looking for its creator. The Americans treat it as a threat and make contact with the artificial intelligence only to discover that it is a probe that NASA sent into space many years ago in order to investigate space and acquire knowledge. There was space dust on the probe and once it had learnt so much that it was able to look at itself, it saw the name VGer – the original inscription for Voyager. With the aim to improve its ability to learn. Sometimes, I feel like Pirates are a satellite thrown to the politics that learns and tries to improve with each mistake.

In general, I can say that politicians lose the ability to do so, once they enter the politics; they usually accept the status quo and the rules of how politics is done, and they do not dare to challenge it. The more we are trying to improve the system, the more we need to be better educated, as we are not an artificial intelligence, but we are intelligent people who like to learn. I believe this is the foundation for our growth and our good results in the elections. Again, all by ourselves, without any PR agency or external advisors.

I must say that I find your system, that allows anyone interested to approach you and become active on an issue they find relevant, quite remarkable. A year ago, I attended your conference on education and social affairs that was opened for many key players and stakeholders not only from various institutions but also with truly different viewpoints. I know if I want to approach any of your members of parliament, I just open their diary on-line and make an appointment. Your meeting minutes of the party leadership are also on-line.

This is the hardest way to do politics, as anyone can approach you anytime. In the future, this might even become an issue of personal security.

We have started with complete transparency and everyone around just kept saying that this is not the way to do it. Some areas where politics is done behind the scenes can actually be closed for us, as we are not part of that. In the long term, such openness has helped us, especially every time there was a campaign against us. The transparency on the other hand protects us. Every Pirate shares their contacts with lobbyists, so there is little that someone can expose about us.

This openness is also essential for out of the box thinking. In case you are preparing a legislation challenging the status quo but applicable to the “real world”, you have to accept feedback from the “real world” from the beginning, not after you are done with the proposal. It is only natural

of the

P irate P arty

to get upset after you have worked hard on something alone for a long time. Therefore, we involve as many stakeholders as possible from the very beginning, to end up with a solution that is acceptable for everyone who has participated.

That is how we will run cities in the future.

I come from Jablonec nad Nisou and as a citizen, I am informed about the finished result. This is the passive way of communication. However, the world is an interactive place. It is not an evening movie where you just consume the final product.

Therefore, we want to get people involved in the first place. If we take the field of construction as an example, the projects are finished much faster when you deal with any objections and concerns in the beginning compared to already presenting the future visualized project and being sued by various non-governmental organizations and interest groups. We invite and even challenge the experts to criticize our program, right now in particular on the topic of accessible housing.

Some scientists are sometimes still a bit shy and reluctant to share their opinion, being afraid that we will be upset that they come with a different point of view. You do not have to accept everything but definitely you should be able to deal with a different point of view. We are also challenging the fact that we have no access to the data owned by various ministries, as we are not part of the government. We always have to ask the ministers for the data, however the data does not belong to them. When we get to some relevant data, we immediately share them to improve awareness.

You talked a lot about learning. Where do you get your inspiration from?

Everything is a copy or a remix. Even for the Prague elections, we sent Mr. Zdeněk Hřib to visit several European cities that are unique in specific approaches to green fields, transportation, intelligent systems, parking lots, etc. Since we are in the European Union, we look mainly there.

I myself, do not distinguish between the EU and the Czech Republic, I am European. Politically, the Pirates are based on the traditional principles of direct democracy, dating back to the ancient Greek society. Let me also mention that we also want to inspire others, that is why everything we produce is open and copy-left. We promote open data and open-access.

Who is Ivan Bartoš, when he is not a politician, and a leader, but when he is by himself, just as a private person?

I do not think I am a different person, I cannot be. I am aware of the fact that I am under public scrutiny all the time. Sometimes, I find I am perhaps less spontaneous and more sensitive about my sense of humor. I do not have time for my hobbies anymore. Other than that, you will find no difference. Otherwise, the media would have already disclosed it. I am simply transparent and open. I believe that this has already become the DNA of the Pirate party.

By Linda Štucbartová české znění naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.czechleaders.com

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2018

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P residential

President of the Czech Republic Miloš Zeman on the Occasion of the Czech National Day on the 28th of October

H.E. Miloš Zeman, President of the Czech Republic meeting the diplomatic corps

H.E. Miloš Zeman, President of the Czech Republic meeting the diplomatic corps

H.E. Miloš Zeman, President of the Czech Republic giving a speech during the grand opening of the National Museum

H.E. Miloš Zeman, President of the Czech Republic at the grand opening of the National Museum Traditional Oath of Enlistment for Military Service

Traditional Oath of Enlistment for Military Service

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P residential

Appointment of generals

H.E. Miloš Zeman, President of the Czech Republic at his speech during the Military parade held on the occasion of the centenary of the Republic

Appointment of generals

Newly appointed General Tomáš Tuhý

Military parade on the occasion of the centenary of the Republic

Military parade on the occasion of the centenary of the Republic

Brigade General Milan Schulc

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P residential

State awards ceremony

State awards ceremony

The address of the President of the Czech Republic at the festive ceremony on the occasion of the Czech National Day on the 28th of October

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State awards ceremony

P residential

H.E. Miloš Zeman, President of the Czech Republic with his wife Ivana, surrounded by distinguished personalities whose deeds were awarded with state honors

H.E. Miloš Zeman, President of the Czech Republic with his wife Ivana

The address of the President of the Czech Republic at the festive ceremony on the occasion of the Czech National Day on the 28th of October

H.E. Miloš Zeman, President of the Czech Republic

State awards ceremony

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2018

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diplomatic event

RECEPTION

FOR ALL CZECH AMBASSADORS

AT THE SENATE Martin Tlapa, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and H.E.Ivana ฤ ervenkovรก, Ambassador of the Czech Republic in the Republic of Austria

H.E. Radek Matula, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Ukraine

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H.E. Radek Pech, Ambassador of the Czech Republic in Denmark

diplomatic event

H.E. Rudolf Hykl, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Malaysia

H.E. Jaroslav Siro, Ambassador of the Czech Republic in Uzbekistan

From left: Benke Aikell, your Publisher, Eva Anderová, Vice President for PR, UNYP and Honorary Consul to Zambia, and Vladimír Bärtl, Deputy Minister for Foreign Trade and the European Union

From left: Benke Aikell, your Publisher, Eva Anderová, Vice President for PR, UNYP and Honorary Consul to Zambia, and H.E. Petr Kubernát, Ambassador of the Czech Republic in Luxembourg

H.E. Vítězslav Grepl, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the Vietnam Socialist Republic

H.E. Tomáš Kuchta, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Serbia

From left: Tomáš Kryl, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic and H.E. Milan Hovorka, Ambassador of the Czech Republic in the Republic of India

H.E. Radek Matula, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Ukraine

Tomáš Petříček, Deputy Member of the Government at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

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diplomatic event Milan Štěch, President of the Senate, Parliament of the Czech Republic

Jitka Pilaříková, Secretary of Standing Senate Commission on Rural Development and Miroslav Nenutil, Chairman, Standing Senate Commission on Rural Development , Member of the Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs

H.E. Viktor Lorenc, Ambassador of the Czech Republic in Morocco

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H.E. Miroslav Toman, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Macedonia

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2018

From left: H.E. Petr Šelepa, Ambassador of the Czech Republic in Portugal and Ivo Bárek, Vice President of the Senate, Parliament of the Czech Republic

H.E. Milan Hupcej, Ambassador of the Czech Republic in Democratic People's Republic of Korea

diplomatic event

Miloš Vystrčil, Senator, Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic and H.E. Eva Filipi, Ambassador of the Czech Republic in the Syrian Arab Republic

From left: Thomas Grulich, Senator, Chairman of the Standing Senate Commission on Compatriots Living Abroad and Bořek Lizec, Consul General, Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Chicago

From left: Tomáš Kafka, Deputy Director of the European Section of Department of Central European Countries, H.E. Vlastimil Tesař, Chargé ď Affaires a. i., Embassy of the Czech Republic in the Kingdom of Cambodia, and David Král, Director of the Department of Foreign Policy Planning

From left: Zdeňka Hamousová, Senator, Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, Eva Syková, Senator, Vice Chairperson of the Committee on EU Affairs, Vice Chairperson of the Standing Senate, Commission on Media, and H.E. Lenka Pokorná, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Algeria

From left: H.E. Jiří Doležel, Ambassador of the Czech Republic in Tunisia, H.E. Josef Koutský, Ambassador of the Czech Republic in Jordan, and Pavel Klucký, Director, Middle East and North Africa Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic

Eva Anderová, Vice President for PR, UNYP and Honorary Consul to Zambia and H.E. Jiří Slavík, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Bahrain, Sultanate of Oman and Republic of Yemen

From left: H.E. Hynek Kmoníček, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the United States and Milan Štěch, President of the Senate, Parliament of the Czech Republic

From left: Marie Chatardová, Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the UN, Ivo Šrámek, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Security and Multilateral Issues, and H.E. Věra Zemanová, Ambassador of the Czech Republic in Slovenia

From left: H.E. Emil Ruffer, Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the Council of Europe, Martin Smolek, Deputy Minister for Legal and Consular Affairs, and Bořek Lizec, Consul General of the Czech Republic in Chicago

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cultural event

The first annual music festival

EVERLASTING HOPE (VĚČNÁ NADĚJE)

Marta Nováková, Minister of Industry and Trade with her partner

From left: Lars Klett, Partner, UEPA advokáti and Jiří Polák, Music Festival Founder

Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra (Concert – August 24th, Rudolfinum)

The first annual music festival Gustav Mahler and the Terezín Composers took place following last year’s Prologue. The concerts took place in Rudolfinum, the House of Culture in Terezín and at the Magdeburg Barracks in Terezín. The programme culminated by a concert by the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester, which also marked the official launch of Austria’s EU presidency.

Both the Austrian Ambassador and the Minister of Culture of the Czech Republic greeted the audience with welcoming speeches.

The festival’s main partners are PRE, LOM PRAHA TRADE and the City of Prague.

doc. Mgr. Antonín Staněk, Ph.D., Minister of Culture

JUDr. Tomáš Kraus, Secretary, Federation of Jewish Communities in the Czech Republic with his friends

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CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2018

From left: Dr. Andreas Schmidinger, Director, Austrian Cultural Forum in Prague and H.E. Dr. Alexander Grubmayr, Ambassador of Austria to the Czech Republic

cultural event

Karel Košárek and Jana Podlipná (Concert – August 19th, Rudolfinum)

From left: Alexander Meraviglia-Crivelli, Secretary General, GMJO and prof. Lubomír Spurný, Director, The Terezín Composers´ Institute

Ivo Kahánek (Concert – August 20th, Rudolfinum)

Audience at Wihan Quartet´s concert at the Magdeburg Barracks

The festival’s focus was on the works of Terezín’s Composers. Music by Viktor Ullmann, Pavel Haas, Gideon Klein, and Hans Krása resonated at different venues in Terezín this August to commemorate the Ghetto Theresienstadt music.

From left: Alexander Meraviglia-Crivelli, Secretary General, GMJO, Gautier Capuçon, Cello Soloist, Lorenzo Viotti, Conductor, and Jiří Polák, Music Festival Founder

From left: Karin Zehetner, Waltraud Strommer, Deputy Director, Austrian Cultural Forum in Prague, and Georg Zehetner, Deputy Ambassador, Embassy of Austria in Prague

From left: H.E. Dr. Alexander Grubmayr, Ambassador of Austria to the Czech Republic and Sylva Pauli with her husband, ORYX architonic

Jiří Polák, Music Festival Founder with his wife Martina Jankovská

Gautier Capuçon, Cello Soloist, Lorenzo Viotti, Conductor and Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester

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conference

Transportation 2018+

“… ANOTHER 100 YEARS IN MOTION”

Karel Muzikář, President of Comenius opening the conference

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the foundation of Czechoslovakia Comenius has organized very successful conference with transportation as the main topic.

Transportation 2018+ “… another 100 years in motion” has taken place in TOP HOTEL Prague on October 11th, 2018.

4 panel discussions, each with 5 panelists have covered all means of transportation such as air, water, roads and railway and focused on visions and future development.

From left: Lubomír Fojtů, General Director, Ředitelství vodních cest ČR and Daniel Takáč, Moderator From left: Ladislav Němec, Deputy Minister of Transport, Mojmír Nejezchleb, Deputy General Director, Správa železniční dopravní cesty, Radek Dvořák, Deputy CEO, Member of the Board, Czech Railways, and Lubomír Fojtů, General Director, Ředitelství vodních cest ČR discussing in the panel „Railways & Water Transport“

More than 100 participants, including politicians, ambassadors, journalists and transportation business people and professionals have participated and actively discussed all topics.

Introductory speech was given by the Speaker of the House of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, Mr. Radek Vondráček.

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conference

Radek Vondráček, Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament

From left: Ivan Bednárik, General Director, ČD Cargo and Ladislav Němec, Deputy Minister of Transport

Mojmír Nejezchleb, Deputy General Director, Správa železniční dopravní cesty

From left: Lubomír Fojtů, General Director, Ředitelství vodních cest ČR and Daniel Takáč, Moderator

Hana Šmejkalová, Executive Director, East Bohemian Airport

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conference

From left: Martin Kačur, General Director, Letiště Vodochody, Hana Šmejkalová, Executive Director, East Bohemian Airport, Václav Řehoř, Chairman of the Board, Letiště Praha, and Jan Klas, General Director, Air Navigation Services of the CR

From left: Václav Řehoř, Chairman of the Board, Letiště Praha, Jan Klas, General Director, Air Navigation Services of the CR, and Aleš Konrád, Managing Director, UpVision

From left: Martin Kačur, General Director, Letiště Vodochody, Hana Šmejkalová, Executive Director, East Bohemian Airport, and Václav Řehoř, Chairman of the Board, Letiště Praha discussing in the panel „Air Transport“

From left: Aleš Konrád, Managing Director, UpVision and Daniel Takáč, Moderator

Vladimír Starosta, President, ČESMAD Bohemia

From left: George Parobek, General Director, Ifield Computer Consultancy, Radek Mátl, Deputy General Director, Ředitelství silnic a dálnic ČR, and Vladimír Starosta, President, ČESMAD Bohemia discussing in the panel „Road Transport“

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CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2018

conference

Radek Mátl, Deputy General Director, Ředitelství silnic a dálnic ČR

George Parobek, General Director, Ifield Computer Consultancy

From left: Pavel Hrubeš, Dean of Faculty of Transportation Sciences, Czech Technical University in Prague and George Parobek, General Director, Ifield Computer Consultancy Viktor Sotona, ERA Pardubice

Miloslav Zámečník, Economist & Analyst

From left: Karel Dobeš, Government Envoy for Cooperation with the GNSS and Daniel Takáč, Moderator

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2018

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D iscussion

event

Round Table of Comenius Discussion meeting with Miroslav Toman, Minister of Agriculture

October 31st 2018, TOP HOTEL Praha

From left: Jiří Havelka, Director, Renomia Agro, Josef Vojáček, General Director, Lesy ČR, Miroslav Toman, Minister of Agriculture, Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius, and Simona Sokolová, General Director, Olma

On Wednesday October 31st, another traditional Round Table of Comenius discussion took place in the TOP HOTEL Praha. This time with the Minister of Agriculture as the main guest speaker, whose presence attracted unique audience including more than 70 VIP guests.

From left: Josef Tománek, Owner, Javorník, Lucie Bedrníčková, Director, ČEZ ESCO, and Jan Oberman, Owner, Korado Consulting

From left: Pavel Dvořáček, General Director, Rudolf Jelínek and Hynek Strnad, Vice President, Federation of the Food and Drink Industries of the Czech Republic

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From left: Tom Čáp, Executive Vice President, Comenius and Tero Loukonen, Head Analyst, Passerinvest Group

From left: Josef Postránecký, Supreme State Secretary, Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius, Josef Vojáček, General Director, Lesy ČR, prof. Petr Sklenička, Rector, University of Life Sciences (ČZU), and Jan Sixta, State Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2018

Jan Vokurka, Owner, Kitl

Magda Teresa Partyka, PR Manager, Huawei Technologies Czech and Petr Mrkvica, Key Account Manager, Huawei Technologies Czech

From left: Jiří Vacek, Co-Owner, Avanti, Miloslava Procházková, Co-Owner, Avanti, and Libor Suchánek, Owner, Sulko

D iscussion

From left: Petr Coufal, Director, SPV Pelhřimov, Michal Jedlička, General Director, Kostelecké uzeniny, Simona Sokolová, General Director, Olma, and Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius

František Bednařík, Scientist and Owner, BednaCo

From left: Jiří Havelka, Director, Renomia Agro, Josef Vojáček, General Director, Lesy ČR, Miroslav Toman, Minister of Agriculture, Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius, and Simona Sokolová, General Director, Olma

Jan Kolář, Managing Director, Konkordia

Ladislav Šimek, General Director, SG Geotechnika

event

From left: Jan Wiesner, Chairman, Confederation of Business and Employer Associations, Vladimír Dohnal, Owner, TOP HOTEL Praha, Miroslav Toman, Minister of Agriculture, Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius, and Rostislav Dvořák, President, Union of Czech Production Cooperatives

Overall view of the Round Table of Comenius

Karel Kuthan, Farmer

Jiří Neudörfl, Owner, Zemědělská společnost Dobříš

Jan Wiesner, Chairman, Confederation of Business and Employer Associations

Rostislav Dvořák, President, Union of Czech Production Cooperatives

Mrs. Zuzana Šimonková Pavlíková with a question

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2018

23

diplomatic event

FAREWELL PARTY

to H.E. Aldo Amati, Ambassador of the Republic of Italy

From left: H.E. Aldo Amati, Ambassador of the Republic of Italy and Ing. Ivan Pilný, former Minister of Finance

From left: H.E. Aldo Amati, Ambassador of the Republic of Italy and Ing. Jaroslav Faltýnek, Member of Parliament

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CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2018

From left: Prof. Tomáš Zima, MD., DSc., Rector, Charles University in Prague and Dalibor Balšínek, Publisher and Editor-in-chief, Echo24.cz

diplomatic event

From left: H.E. Aldo Amati, Ambassador of the Republic of Italy, Eva Anderová, Managing Director, Franz Kafka Foundation, Vice President, UNYP and Honorary Consul to Zambia, and Ing. Jaroslav Faltýnek, Member of Parliament

From left: Mr. Zdeněk Fischer, H.E. Aldo Amati, Ambassador of the Republic of Italy, and Ing. Jana Fischerová, CSc., Deputy Governor for Culture

From left: Ing.Arch. Radmila Iblová, Architect, Ing.Arch. Michal Ibl, Architect, and Col. Radek Stránský, Liaison officer of Director General for Officer of the President of the Republic

From left: Karel Dobeš, Government Commissioner for European GNSS Agency, Office of the Government of the Czech Republic , Ing. Ivan Pilný, former Minister of Finance, and Benke Aikell, your Publisher

From left: Dr. Nino Altomonte, Real Estate Developer and Ivan A.F. Hodáč, President, Aspen Institute Central Europe

From left: Mrs. Elisabetta Maraspin and Karolína Bosáková, Director, UNIQUE ONE events

From left: Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius, H.E. Leonora Rueda Gutiérrez, Ambassador of Mexico, and Ivan Pilný, former Minister of Finance

Vojtěch Matějček, President, Beroun Golf Club with his wife Štěpánka

From left: Mrs. Daria Borghese and Mrs. Federica Verdecchia

Ivana Kaucká, Business and Marketing Director, CZECH TOP 100 and Jan Struž, Chairman, CZECH TOP 100

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25

diplomatic event

From left: Roland Leisztner, Real Estate Entrepreneur, Helena Kroftová Leisztner, President of FNMWA-Washington, Ing. Jaroslav Faltýnek, Member of Parliament, Eva Anderová, Managing Director, Franz Kafka Foundation, Vice President, UNYP and Honorary Consul to Zambia, and Ing. Jiří Kolbaba, Supreme Council of Minister

Mrs. Daria Borghese and H.E. Aldo Amati, Ambassador of the Republic of Italy

From left: Mr. Petr Kolář and H.E. Aldo Amati, Ambassador of the Republic of Italy

Dr. Eliška Fučíková, Historian of Art and Vlastimil Harapes, Actor

Linda Kočová, Client Team Lead, TRANSPERFECT and Prof. Marc S. Ellenbogen, Businessman, Diplomat and Philanthropist

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H.E. Barbara Catherine Richardson, Ambassador of Canada and H.E. Aldo Amati, Ambassador of the Republic of Italy

I,

the

B rand

From Personal Branding to Personal Leadership Cristina Muntean is a consultant, trainer, mentor and coach who specializes in personal branding, strategic communications, emotional and systemic intelligence for leadership. A former journalist with more than 12 years of experience in the Czech, Romanian and international media, she founded Media Education CEE, a PR advisory and training agency in Prague in May 2010. Her clients are executive level managers and entrepreneurs with Top100 companies in the Czech Republic and Central and Eastern Europe. Cristina is also an internationally certified trainer and coach with the Enneagram, a complex system of personal development, and a facilitator of systemic dynamics in business organizations. She provides her services in English, Czech, French and Romanian, her mother tongue. Cristina can be reached at +420 776 574 925 or at cm@cristinamuntean.com.

This year the Czech Republic celebrated 100 years of its existence. As such, it was a time to remember the great deeds – and names - of the past. Numerous people I’ve been talking to agree that today Czechs should be very proud of their achievements, much more visible and more present on the local and world scene. Why therefore, for a country with a solid history and many a reason to be proud, there is something holding the Czechs back when it comes to showing up and taking their rightful place in the world?

Tough decisions I dare asking this question because I am confronted with it daily in my personal branding training and coaching practice. That’s why a recent story of one of my clients stuck with me. This gentleman – let’s call him Mirek - built his IT company from scratch starting in the early ‘90s. The company, obviously, carried his name. A few years ago, Mirek decided to expand the company through acquisitions of smaller, complementary IT businesses. Yet he hit a roadblock. For some reasons discussions weren’t moving forward and it was quite hard to put his finger on the real reason why negotiations were stalling. Soon Mirek realized that there might be some hidden dynamics in the background that could be connected with the name of his company – actually, with his name. By moving into buying other, smaller IT companies also named after their founders, all of a sudden business became more personal. The sellers were experiencing a subtle sense of loss similar to when we step into a marriage that expects that we change who we are, including our own name. As entrepreneurs committed to building businesses as a lasting legacy, the merger was a pill too hard to swallow for many potential sellers. So, in order to secure his own legacy moving forward, Mirek set for a bold move. He listened to his advisors and decided to change the name of his company into something more generic. Miraculously, the merger bottlenecks started to disappear. Five years later Mirek’s company has expanded successfully not only in the Czech Republic, but on a few markets in Central and Southern Europe as well. As for Mirek, he learnt to accept that, in today’s world, we need to be able to play the rules of the game. “Even though I know it, it was still one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make,” he says.

Why we need fatherly figures In today’s business landscape we need to accept that companies are not so much about the name

of their founders or about the original intention of changing the world with a business idea anymore, but about cold, hard cash, capital and profits.

Maybe that’s also why it is so hard for employees to connect with the missions of their companies.

As long as these missions remain a statement on a wall, people cannot project their own journey, their dreams and ideals onto something or someone concrete. Having someone to look up to is not only a matter of personal leadership. It’s a vital ingredient in maturing as a human being. As we become more empowered, we paradoxically look for more mentors. We acknowledge that we need them and we embrace their presence. Our mentors become our personal Virgil, like the great Roman poet in Dante’s Divine Comedy, who can be there for us, in reality or in our projections, in order to help us figure out our own answers to the many challenges that today’s world is throwing our way. Our mentors can, yet they don’t have to, be fatherly or motherly figures. What we need, in fact, is the hope they bring us through the simple fact that they went through our challenges and survived. Seeing them coming out of a life challenge empowered and transformed – better human beings - brings us hope as well.

That’s why mentors are so important. And that’s why we need more of them in our world today.

A Personal Branding Responsibility Yet, for us to achieve our own potential and sense of glory, mentors are not enough. We also need to admit that each of us are in a leadership position.

If we are to influence and inspire our children, our spouse, our neighbors, our team or our own managers, we can do things that can reflect more of who we are and thus trigger a positive change around us. This requires a shift in our mindset. We need to understand that we already are personal brands. From the day we were born and got a name, we were personal brands. From the first moment we interact with someone new we are already building our reputation. Developing more self-awareness around the way we impact others and the world is not easy though, as it opens the Pandora’s box of personal responsibility. But that’s exactly what we need more of today. We simply need more people who are able and willing to take personal responsibility for their lives and thus inspire more of the others to do the same. In a climate of fear and discord sown by shrewd politicians moved by personal, egocentric agendas, we need to be able to create a counter-pole of inspiration, connection and hope through our own actions.

Simple Personal Branding Steps for a Better Future If you wonder how you can do that practically, here are a few thoughts: 1.

Increase your self-reflection. Be aware – someone would say mindful – of your own appearance, body language, your voice qualities and your overall impact on others.

2.

Ask for feedback. If you don’t know how your presence influences people and the world around you, just ask. Find the courage to expose yourself to others’ points of view. Remember that all feedback is an opinion, not a cold fact. Allow yourself to be seen and transformed in the light of others’ reflections of who you are.

3. Care. There is no real personal branding without empathy. How can you make a positive impact through a presentation, an article, a media interview or simply facilitating a meeting unless you genuinely care about the needs of your audience?

4. Change. Dare to experiment with new things and new approaches not only in communications. If you are not on a communications platform, join it and see what it does to you. If you are – maybe a bit too much – on a social medium, perhaps you can take a break and see how you could pour more meaning into your communications as opposed to more quantity. If you are silent around new people, change your approach.

Be bold, be curious. Ask questions. Allow the tremendous transformation happening today to touch not only your communications and personal brand, but also your soul.

As you see, the bottom line of personal branding is not just some hullabaloo lastminute strategy on how to be more present on LinkedIn. It can be that, but it’s so much more. Personal branding is our capacity to consciously touch the minds, hearts and spirits of everyone around us with every physical or virtual interaction. Thus, we leave behind meaning and a lasting legacy.

And that is so much more than personal branding. It is personal leadership at its best – precisely what we need more of so we can be proud of our history, but also of our future.

By Cristina Muntean české znění naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.czechleaders.com

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2018

27

diplomatic event

La Calle Mexicana

DÍA DE LA INDEPENDENCIA

Celebration of the National Day of Mexico took place on September 15th at “La Calle Mexicana” in Prague From left: General Antonio Fernández Álvarez, Military Attaché, H.E. Leonora Rueda, Ambassador of Mexico, Miguel Angel Vilchis, Deputy Head of Mission, and Alejandro Tamez, Mariachi Azteca de Praga

Guests of the ceremony

Dvorana folk dance group

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CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2018

diplomatic event From left: Lukáš Kaucký, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Leonora Rueda, Ambassador of Mexico, and Eliška Kaplický Fuchsová

From left: Hermann Dietrich, CEO, CEMEX, H.E. Leonora Rueda, Ambassador of Mexico, and Vesselin Barliev, Communication Manager, CEMEX

Embassy of Mexico with the Czech Republic team

H.E. Leonora Rueda, Ambassador of Mexico during the celebration of “La Calle Mexicana“ in Americká street

Speech of H.E. Leonora Rueda, Ambassador of Mexico, next to her Lukáš Kaucký, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Eliška Kaplický Fuchsová

Ceremony of“El Grito“ by H.E. Leonora Rueda, Ambassador of Mexico

H.E. Leonora Rueda, Ambassador of Mexico with Dvorana folk dance group

H.E. Leonora Rueda, Ambassador of Mexico with Jana Černochová, former Mayor of Prague 2

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2018

29

diplomatic event

From left: H.E. Alexander Grubmayr, Ambassador of the Republic of Austria with his wife Dr. Bettina Fink and Tomáš Petříček, Ph.D., Minister of Foreign Affairs with his wife

From left: Eva Anderová, Managing Director, Franz Kafka Foundation, Vice President for PR, UNYP and Honorary Consul to Zambia and H. E. Livia Klausová, former Ambassador to Slovakia

From left: Mag. Christian Miller, Trade Commissioner, Embassy of Austria with his wife and H.E. Leon Marc, Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia

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CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2018

From left: Pavel Bělobrádek, Member of the Parliament, Chairman, KDU -ČSL party and Ing. Petr Sedláček, CEO and Chairman of the Board, Lenzing Biocel Paskov with his wife

From left: Dr. Erwin Hanslik MRICS, Partner, TaylorWessing, Claudia Bock, Attorney at Law, Schoenherr Attorneys at Law, and Martin Kubánek, Partner, Schoenherr Attorneys at Law

diplomatic event

From left: Jan Kněžínek, Minister of Justice with his company and H.E. Alexander Grubmayr, Ambassador of the Republic of Austria with his wife Dr. Bettina Fink

From left: Mgr. Radek Vondráček, President of the Chamber of Deputies, Eva Anderová, Managing Director, Franz Kafka Foundation, Vice President for PR, UNYP and Honorary Consul to Zambia, and Benke Aikell, your Publisher

From left: Mgr. Radek Vondráček, President of the Chamber of Deputies, H.E. Alexander Grubmayr, Ambassador of the Republic of Austria with his wife Dr. Bettina Fink, Mag. Christian Miller, Trade Commissioner, Embassy of Austria with his wife, and Dr. Erwin Hanslik MRICS, Partner, TaylorWessing

H.E. Alexander Grubmayr, Ambassador of the Republic of Austria with his wife Dr. Bettina Fink and Adam Vojtěch, Minister of Health

From left: Tomáš Petříček, Ph.D., Minister of Foreign Affairs with his wife and H.E. Nicholas Stewart Archer, Ambassador of the United Kingdom

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2018

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diplomatic event H.E. Alexander Grubmayr, Ambassador of the Republic of Austria at his welcome speech

32

Mgr. Helena Peychlová, Attorney, Peychlová & Partners and Dr. Franz Pruckner, MBA, CEO, Waldviertler Sparkasse Bank AG

From left: H.E. Mr. Omer Hussein Thabet Saba´a, Ambassador of the Republic of Yemen and H.E. Fouad Bouattoura, Ambassador of the People´s Democratic Republic of Algeria

From left: Jan Sechter, EU and Foreign Policy Advisor of Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies and Jakub Kulhánek, M.A., Deputy Minister, Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic

Marta Nováková, Minister of Industry and Trade and Ing. Martin Frélich, Advisor, Ministry of Industry and Trade

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2018

diplomatic event

From left: Jan Sechter, EU and Foreign Policy Advisor of Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Václav Klaus, former President of the Czech Republic, H.E. Livia Klausová, Ambassador to Slovakia, and Mgr. Radek Vondráček, President of the Chamber of Deputies

From left: H.E. Alexander Grubmayr, Ambassador of the Republic of Austria with his wife Dr. Bettina Fink and Professor Jiří Drahoš, Senator

From left: Cyril Svoboda, Director, Diplomatic Academy, H. E. Livia Klausová, former Ambassador to Slovakia, H.E. Leon Marc, Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia, Tomáš Petříček, Ph.D., Minister of Foreign Affairs, and H.E. Alexander Grubmayr, Ambassador of the Republic of Austria

From left: Jiří Zavázal, Director, Hotel Rezidence Golf , Renata Brýdlová, Golf Teacher, and Andrea Brožová, Spokesperson, Mattoni

From left: H.E. Rosaura Leonora Rueda Gutiérrez, Ambassador of Mexico, Mrs. Nicole Keulers, wife of the Ambassador of Holland, and H.E. Olga Liliana De Olarte Paredes de Torres Muga, Ambassador of Peru

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2018

33

S enate

P hoto : S enate C hancellory

Milan Štěch awards twenty individuals the Senate’s silver medal

President of the Senate Milan Štěch upheld the tradition on the eve of the Day of Czech Statehood of awarding selected individuals in science, culture, sport and other fields of community life the Silver Commemorative Medal of the Senate.

This year marked the seventh time the Czech Parliament’s upper chamber has honoured the extraordinary contribution to society of over twenty individuals.

Awarded personalities with the President of the Senate Milan Štěch in the Wallenstein Palace’s audience chamber President of the Senate Milan Štěch during his speech at the Silver Commemorative Medal award ceremony

Catholic priest, scientist and educator Ludvík Armbruster

Author of the Sfumato blended reading method Mária Navrátilová

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Teacher and politician Jiří Brýdl

Teacher and lifesaver of four children Darina Nešporová

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2018

Physicist and educator Martin Černohorský

Musician, educator and choirmaster Theodor Pártl

Singer and composer Vladimír Mišík

Lawyer, anthropologist and advisor to American presidents Leopold Pospíšil

P hoto : S enate C hancellory

Political prisoner Jaroslav Vrbenský

Rowing coach and lifesaver of two drowning people Martina Součková

Scout resistance fighter Otokar Randák

M ilan Š těch

awards twenty individuals the

Doctor, biochemist and Charles University rector Tomáš Zima

Educator and disabled sports pioneer Vojmír Srdečný

S enate ’ s

silver medal

Pioneer in educating senior citizens Petr Vavřín

Educator and history competition organiser Miroslav Stulák

Historian of architecture Vladimír Šlapeta

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2018

35

I nterview

with

P hilipp Z ielke , C hief F inancial O fficer , SAP CEE

P hoto : A rchive

Never Leave Out the People Aspect

Philipp is the CFO of SAP’s business activities in Central Eastern Europe, supporting 16 legal entities in 11 countries.

After graduating in Business Administration at the University of Mannheim, Philipp joined SAP in 2004 as Executive Assistant to SAP’s former Group CFO, Werner Brandt. Later on, he joined SAP’s Corporate Development organization, specializing in supporting and executing mergers and acquisitions for the SAP group. Philipp gained his first experiences as CFO during his assignment as group CFO of SAF AG, a software company headquartered in Switzerland, followed by his appointment as CFO of SAP Austria. Before taking on his current position back in 2015, Philipp was heading a global post-merger integration project for two keystone acquisitions, SAP Ariba and SAP SuccessFactors. I was looking forward to interviewing Philipp, as I was told that he has a great sense of humor and did not succumb to the stereotype of an introvert number cruncher. Philipp started his presentation with a joke (making fun of Germans while being German himself) and ended up with the plea to “never leave out the people aspect in the transformation journey”. Welcome to the future of finance!

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CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2018

I nterview One of the topics of the SAP NOW Week conference is the future of finance in times of digital transformation. In your keynote speech, you actually mentioned that the future of finance is already here.

The trends of this everlasting challenge are already visible. In particular, there are two driving forces related to digitization with regards to the CFO function. The first aspect deals with the operational part of finance work, which is becoming more automated, and with the help of new technologies like machine learning and digital networks, the process of automatization will continue to increase. As a consequence, we will be able to use the freed-up capacities for value-added services. Each finance function carries three different hats: a steward who is taking care of the compliance part of the role, a business partner who is supporting the business and providing the services needed, and a transformation agent who helps the organization become an intelligent enterprise.

For us at SAP, we have maintained and stressed for a long time that digitization is a topic for the whole management board, not only the IT department. The primary task is not to define the company strategy for digitization but to define the strategy for the digital age, as this touches every function in the company.

I really appreciated that you shared the transformation journey SAP has taken.

From processes to people and then systems, from one business model to multi-business models. You have also mentioned several phases of the transformation. Which one do you consider to be the most challenging one?

For SAP, the journey started several years ago and since then we have been going through a continuous transformation and innovation process. The crucial message is to take it step by step, from the process side, then streamlining, harmonizing, standardizing, digitizing to pairing it with new technologies and innovations.

Each phase brings its own challenges. I see quite frequently that the mindset challenge is breaking with the past, as there is often the tendency for autoresistance in terms of thinking “we have always been doing it like this” or “we are so unique and therefore special”. Therefore, standardizing and harmonizing across the whole company presents a challenge. One cannot stress enough the people aspect, to develop people to be able to cope with new challenges and to truly help them to evolve to the next level, so they can start performing in the role of the transformational agent.

Speaking of employees, the most admired innovative companies share all relevant data with their employees, so they know how the company is doing in financial terms, how their particular team is contributing, and so on. How does the SAP system and Digital Boardroom enable this?

We have to be careful, as a New York and Frankfurt Stock Exchange listed company, about sharing the corporate key performance indicators in

with

P hilipp Z ielke , C hief F inancial O fficer , SAP CEE

real-time. We share these after the results have been published, but then on all different levels, countries, market units and regions. Of course, the leadership teams receive all information that is relevant for them in real-time. In addition, the most important figures to steer the business have already been gamified. As regular reports show “end of the race” comparisons, you see how you are doing compared to your targets but also how your peers are performing. The transparency often provides some extra needed motivation towards the end of the quarter to not only meet the budget but also to come first!

What a change to the times when I started my corporate career. I remember how only few privileged ones had access to several printed excel sheets at their hands that they kept debating for long hours behind closed doors.

This has totally changed. From hidden links on the sheets shared on a corporate portal to info shared via emails handed from generation of controllers to the next ones, we have created a huge analytical layer and an organization being responsible not only for defining KPIs (key performance indicators) but also for providing all the reports necessary for steering the company.

These reports are stored at what we call the enterprise analytical store, in one place that every employee has access to and can look via a search for the reports he needs. Of course, you have to have the authorization to see what you are supposed to see but the analytical assets are available to everyone.

You have already mentioned gamification, motivation and the end of quarter adrenalin race. How can spreadsheets be fun for someone outside the finance department?

I might be biased on this issue, as I truly enjoyed building complex financial models, designing these and making sure that everything was linked, it reminds me of an art piece. This being said, I also understand those who do not understand it. Spreadsheets are still powerful tools, providing flexibility in manipulating or simulating data. On the other hand, we see the tendency of moving away from spreadsheets.

In former times, if you were preparing a presentation for the management team, you took several reports from the system, combined and compared them in Excel, enriched them and finally you exported the view you wanted to present to the management to be included in a PowerPoint presentation. We are moving away from these and towards our Digital Boardroom, which provides real-time insight into all company performance elements, so we can look at the online reports according to our needs in real-time, not as of several days ago when the presentation was being prepared. The days when every piece of management information and data had to go through Excel and PowerPoint are definitely over! Furthermore, the use of the SAP Digital Boardroom presents additional advantages. It stimulates live collaboration between board members, as participants all see the same data

regarded as one single source of truth for all with no data duplication needed, no separate Excel or PowerPoint files. Total transparency is increased by the fact that standard-based reporting on key functions such as financials, operations, marketing and sales and the analytics is no longer done by stakeholders (who might be biased individuals), but by an independent system.

Digital Boardroom is simple to use, has intuitive user interface and - as the next generation is said to be a visual one - rich visualizations of live data eliminate static presentations. Last but not least, Digital Boardroom can be used not only for reporting, but also for fast, flexible, precise decision-making using pattern recognition, simulation and predictions which again brings the transformational agent function that we have discussed already.

We are reflecting on 10 years since the Lehmann Brothers crash this September.

Speaking not only about data, but also about the ability to use them, how was SAP prepared for the crisis? What have CFOs learned since then? Can you predict the next crisis coming?

I was with SAP and living in the United States in the Bay area, so I truly had first hand experience.

I would not say the crisis came out of nowhere but for sure the fall of such a large bank was a shock. I do remember when the news started and suddenly the whole financial industry was affected. I think no one was prepared for that crisis and it caught us by surprise. Not overnight but over a few weeks, roughly 50 % of our pipeline had disappeared in certain markets. Everyone was stopping IT projects and investments. SAP got through the crisis not only managing costs but also having a stable backbone thanks to the reoccurring maintenance revenue scheme.

The lesson that CFOs had learned was to build more robust, more predictable and more flexible business models. The transition of SAP to become a cloud company was accommodating this ambitions. By 2020, we expect up to 75 % of our revenue from the cloud and maintenance services. I believe that many companies have done a similar thing reinventing their business models and moving towards subscription-based consumption models. I also must mention cost flexibility. The topic of contingent labor is highly sensitive and political, but from the financial side a reasonable one. Last but not least, I believe the crisis was a point of awakening. Opportunities come with risk. Mitigating the risks has the same relevance as managing the opportunities.

In 2020, another crisis is being predicted.

Are companies in better shape to face the potential upcoming financial crisis?

Although economically we are in a slightly better shape, a crisis is a crisis. We have seen certain economical and financial crises in the past and each of them brought some learning effect with regards to a run for profitability and opportunities to make money. The next financial crisis will be different, the fire is likely to start somewhere else, but in this globalized world spill over is quite easy

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2018

37

I nterview

with

P hilipp Z ielke , C hief F inancial O fficer , SAP CEE

not only geographically but also industry-wise.

There are plenty of potential contentious sparks, such as a US-China trade war or China and its booming economy with its lending, and the Euro crisis has not been solved either. Plenty potential candidates but if I were to name the one and when, I would be running my own hedge fund and would have missed the opportunity to work for SAP and do this interview for the Czech and Slovak Leaders Magazine.

Does it make you nervous somehow to be an expert, to know that we are approaching the top and from the top you can only go down?

That is a very good question. I look at it from a “circle of life” perspective: It is in our nature to push for growth and profits, to run for the opportunity and money. But this comes very often with a self-fulfilling side-effect that risks are being under- and market values are being overestimated combined with the hope or believe that the rally will not end. Although our outlook might be more optimistic, the history shows many crises, such as the great depression which started in 1929, that one could not have been fully avoided. Getting nervous does not help. You need to prepare yourself as best as you can and then take every crisis as a new challenge and learning opportunity, question your performance and turn the crisis into advantage.

You were heading a global post-merger integration project for two keystone acquisitions, SAP Ariba and SAP SuccessFactors,

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being responsible for the financial aspect.

Each merger is said to have three phases – analysis, implementation and then postimplementation phase. What have you learned? Is one phase more important than the other?

As I was supporting the merger and acquisition execution for more than three years earlier in my career, it was an interesting learning experience to also be responsible for the back-side of it, namely the post-merger integration. While the first part mainly deals with the identification of financial targets, followed by financial models to the final contract negotiations and decision to acquire the company, the post-merger integration is all about realizing the expected synergies while merging process and organizations – in my humble opinion the for sure more challenging part and where you can win and lose a lot. My take-away from the post-merge can be summarized in the following statement: “One size does not fit all”. The post-merger and acquisition phase is more about careful hand-tailoring of the integration to the corporate strategy, to the challenges of the market and most of all, to the purpose of the acquisition and to the acquired company itself. With regards to SAP SuccessFactors and SAP Ariba, we had two goals: becoming a cloud company and therefore we wanted not only to protect their agility in the market, the knowledge about cloud and the business thinking connected to cloud solutions, but we also wanted to take all these components and infuse them within the SAP environment as such, to become a true cloud company in our

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2018

DNA. The focus of integration is definitely centered around people. Do not underestimate the topic of change management, talent management, clear communication, all these are important, as the value of the company comes with the people.

Philipp, in your surroundings, you are known to be a CFO with a great sense of humor. Are you aware of that? Why are CFOs often labeled as boring, pessimistic and introvert managers?

Are they? I would agree with the introvert dimension, but that does not mean lacking a sense of humor. I am a forced extrovert during presentations and I always make sure to include jokes, as you could see. I find humor truly essential, particular in the work place. You cannot have just business facts and reports without a chance to laugh with your colleagues. I laugh a lot, sometimes with tears. How do you manage to keep your optimism, even when looking at “bad numbers”? I take not-so-good results as a challenge for improvement. I get a lot of energy from the people I work with. SAP has a truly wonderful work culture, combining a high degree of professionalism with a lot of personal touches. I also love sports. Cycling, playing golf and I am already looking forward to skiing in the winter.

By Linda Štucbartová české znění naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.czechleaders.com

diplomatic event

Mexico

EVENTS OF THE EMBASSY OF Czech academics awarded with the highest honors for foreigners

Ambassador of Mexico H. E. Leonora Rueda awarded the Order of the Aztec Eagle to two renowned Czech academics, Prof. PhDr. Josef Opatrný, CSc. and Prof. PhDr. Pavel Štěpánek, Ph. D. in recognition for their work spreading awareness of Mexican culture and history.

From left: Prof. PhDr. Josef Opatrný, CSc. and Prof. PhDr. Pavel Štěpánek, Ph.D.

From left: BG Antonio Fernández Álvarez, Military and Air Attaché of Mexico, Miguel Ángel Vilchis, Councellor, Embassy of Mexico, and H.E. Leonora Rueda, Ambassador of Mexico

H. E. Leonora Rueda, Ambassador of Mexico and Prof. PhDr. Pavel Štěpánek, Ph.D.

H. E. Leonora Rueda, Ambassador of Mexico during the interview for Czech TV

Prof. PhDr. Pavel Štěpánek, Ph.D. during the interview for Czech TV

H. E. Leonora Rueda, Ambassador of Mexico and Prof. PhDr. Josef Opatrný, CSc.

Prof. PhDr. Pavel Štěpánek, Ph.D. during the interview for Czech TV

H. E. Leonora Rueda, Ambassador of Mexico and Prof. PhDr. Josef Opatrný, CSc.

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2018

39

digital event

SAP NOW Week 2018

brought an interactive truck to Prague,

showcasing the possibilities of an intelligent enterprise SAP Czech Republic organized the SAP NOW Week 2018 conference that took place in the Prague Metronom offices from September 17–20. With the main theme of an Intelligent Enterprise the event focused on 6 major areas of IT, finance, business and marketing, logistics and manufacturing, human resources and the public sphere. Over eight hundred guests attended more than seventy presentations during the four-day conference, enjoying the opportunity to see three dozen demonstrations and simulations of business scenarios.

SAP NOW Week 2018

Hana Součková, Managing Director, SAP CZ

During the SAP NOW Week, customers and partners could also see the possibilities and impact of smart business through the SAP Intelligent Enterprise Truck that was brought to Prague for a two-day stop as part of its European tour. We had the pleasure to be in the truck for the press opening on Monday morning when Rok Magister, CTO SAP CEE, and Peter Demuth, Head of Presales SAP CZ&SK showcased several smart city scenarios starting with Guttenberg’s invention of book printing as a bridge for how technologies change our lives. As a surprise moment, Hana Součková, the newly appointed Managing Director of SAP Czech Republic mirrored her phone on the screen and entered the truck, sharing local insights and her plans for the Czech market. Following the press opening, various customers as well as Czech Chamber of Commerce representatives were eager to try out the features and experience the intelligent enterprise.

SAP Intelligent Enterprise Truck

40

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2018

In SAP Intelligent Enterprise Truck from left: Jakub Černý, Demand Manager, SAP CZ, Rok Magister, CTO, SAP CEE, Hana Součková, Managing Director, SAP CZ and Peter Demuth, Head of Presales, SAP CZ&SK

digital event

„Thanks to the SAP Intelligent Enterprise Truck we showcased new technologies both from the technical and architectural point of view and enabled our customers to try these innovations directly. As they said they were inspired and learned new ways to use smart technologies for their businesses. The academic sphere representatives who visited the truck also appreciated the practical side and the possibility of connection to their development and research programs, resulting in a roadshow around the Czech Republic,” commented Hana Součková.

The fourteen-wheeler mobile lab was situated at the Eden Arena and offered a 360-degree experience with a touchpad, voice control and live demonstrations. This allowed the visitors to easily understand how technologies such as blockchain, IoT and machine learning can help businesses to become an intelligent enterprise.

Peter Demuth, Head of Presales SAP CZ&SK with Rok Magister, CTO SAP CEE

There were also practical workshops dedicated to SAP Fiori interface lead by the SAP Labs Czech Republic development team, as well as demo versions of various SAP solutions.

SAP Labs Czech Republic team together with the marketing team of SAP Czech Republic that was organizing the conference

In addition to Czech experts on IT, finance, human resources, marketing, industry and other industries, international guests including Dagmar Zoder, Head of SAP Cloud Platform SAP MEE, Philipp Zielke, Chief Financial Officer SAP CEE, Mark de Bruijn, Senior Director & Head of EMEA Marketing SAP, and many more shared their knowledge with the Czech customers and partners.

Philipp Zielke at SAP NOW Week

Panel discussion focused on HR and customer experience with SAP SuccessFactors

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41

I nterview

with

H.E. S tephen B. K ing ,

the

US

ambassador in the

C zech R epublic

Stephen B. King, the US ambassador to the Czech Republic, is a prominent public servant and businessman. He studied political science and worked as an investigator for the FBI and later as a special liaison between the United States Department of Agriculture and the Committees of the House and Senate. As a businessman, he successfully acquired, built and sold a specialty chemical manufacturing business and founded a family investment business. Ambassador King served as a National Committeeman for the Wisconsin Republican Party from 2007-2017.

He is married to Karen Ruyle, they have three grown children and seven grandchildren.

Dear Mr. Ambassador, as you studied political science, let me start from a broad perspective. This interview is to commemorate and celebrate 100 years of Czechoslovakia coming to existence and also 100 years of US-Czechoslovak ties. However, looking at the world today, what is left of the idealism of Woodrow Wilson in terms of US foreign policy?

I believe that the idealist motion set forward by both Wilson and Masaryk lives on and has transformed into practical reality. Let us not forget that not only has the American-European alliance survived over the course of the century, but after World War II, it reemerged as the most powerful and meaningful alliance on the planet. Top American leaders and representatives, including President Trump, Assistant Secretary of State Mitchell and myself, call this alliance a union of freedom loving people. It is the very foundation of freedom in the world. There is not any major challenge that freedom loving people could face successfully without the Alliance of the United States and the European continent.

From idealism, let us move to trade and commerce, the second passion of yours.

I recall my final exams at the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva and a question about the United States in the era of splendid isolation of the 1920s and 1930s. I passed successfully by pointing out that the US did not retreat completely from world affairs, it only shifted its attention from international politics to trade and commercial relations. However, the same relations seem to be questioned and threatened nowadays.

These perceptions might come from some media outlets on both sides of the Atlantic, but personally

42

I do not agree. I believe that trade relationships are as strong as ever, although we might face some rocky moments. I would compare current trade to the movement of a glacier - it moves slowly as it moves ahead, and nothing can stand in its way. The United States and the European Union are each other’s major trade partners, our trade combined creates one third of global GDP. However, the President, being a business person himself, is concerned about the fact that there is not a level playing field for free trade. Let the statistics speak for themselves. The simple average tariff in the US is 3.5%, while the simple average tariff for the EU is 5.2%, which means that the EU imposes almost twice as many tariffs as the US. President Trump and his administration promised that something must be done for the American worker, as many American factories are laying people off because they cannot compete with unequal, draconian import duties. Therefore, increases in tariffs were proposed to many countries for certain products around the world. We hope that the negotiations will be successful. We already see progress in negotiations with Mexico and Canada.

With the USMCA agreement to replace NAFTA, the attention will turn to the EU. A fair and level playing field is the only thing the US is looking for.

Let the free market and competition win the day.

This leads me to conclude that I can be optimistic about both economic relationships and a future on hopefully more equal terms. We are not in a dire economic confrontation over trade. The trade between the US and the EU reaches the volume of one trillion dollars and certainly no one wishes to disturb that reality. Prudent, reasonable representatives of respective countries will eventually come to the table, realizing that they will give up a bit of the advantage they have enjoyed over the decades to secure and profit from mutually beneficial outcomes.

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2018

Friendship, security and economic prosperity are the three legs of a stool that represent your vision to move Czech-US relations from above average to excellent. We have discussed economics, what about the other two areas?

I have chosen the three-legged stool as a parallel to illustrate a very stable object. The first leg of friendship is important as it is based on shared values. Let me stress that this is true not only with regards to the Czech Republic, but also the EU. The values we share are freedom, democracy, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, government transparency, and many others. Values are important with regard to any relationship, starting with marriage all the way to relationships between countries. They are the cornerstone of our relationship and the reason why we are proudly celebrating 100 years of Czechoslovak-US relations.

The second leg, particularly important in this era, comes out of friendship and it is our rock solid security relationship. Friends look out for friends.

That is why we have both multilateral as well as bilateral security agreements. NATO is an example of a multilateral framework; on the bilateral level we have numerous partnerships, exercises and agreements. The US is very appreciative of Czech sacrifices and support for both NATO and US efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Czech Republic is also the US protecting power in Syria. Together we participated in the Baltic exercises and we highly value Czech expertise in its chemical warfare units.

It is great to see that the security leg is also firmly in place. The third leg is the one that I call the glue.

This is the one that supports the others; without it none of them would last long. This leg is about economic prosperity and it is another aspect of our relationship that can still grow. There is a reason that the US became the most powerful nation in the world. The reason was not sheer size but the

fact that the US was economically prosperous. Free markets and the concept of capitalism allowed us to become the most powerful engine in the world, and it is also what will keep us there. We enjoy strong economic relations with the Czech Republic. The amount of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the Czech Republic is growing, and the same is true about Czech FDI in the US. I hope that my legacy will translate into the growth of GDP based on our economic relationship. I do not expect that the Czech Republic will dramatically impact the US GDP, but I would love to see growth based on the development and enhancement of mutual economic cooperation. The US has already made considerable investments in the Czech Republic. Companies such as IBM, Honeywell, GE and Amazon all combine to provide more than 50 000 jobs. Conversely, I have met with many Czech investors in the United States who are looking to grow their businesses there. I am here to advocate and support both sides.

You often describe your vision as 2+2+2+2 equals thousands, not eight.

I hope that by now all readers of Czech and Slovak Leaders Magazine are clear that I am speaking about thousands of jobs created. The formula stands for growth in a calendar year made by two new Czech direct investments in the US, two expanded investments by existing Czech businesses in the US, and two new US direct investments in the Czech Republic as well as the expansion of two existing U.S. businesses here. Finding new Czech investors might be a bit challenging but I keep telling everyone that now, when the economy is booming, is the best time to invest. I am confident that it is going to stay that way for a couple of years. Do not hesitate to invest in the world’s largest market. My team and I are ready to assist with partnerships and the opportunities.

The previous administration concentrated a lot on Asia. How can we make “good old Europe” attractive for the US younger generation again, so they do not see it only as a good place for vacations but also a great place for a business?

First of all, you are not appealing just to the young generation, you need to attract the young business people and young investors who are able to invest. We have a saying “strut your stuff”, meaning the Czech Republic should present itself more proudly. Your economy is one of the fastest growing in the EU in terms of GDP. The size of a country does not always matter; moreover, the Czech Republic has a central location. It is a safe country. Present opportunities to start a business or expand a business into a country that is doing well. The only challenge you are facing is the potential availability of work force. I am trying as much as I can to “strut your stuff” and advocate for your beautiful country.

You and your wife have been in the Czech Republic for eight months. To further strengthen mutual understanding between Czechs and Americans, what is it that the

P hoto : A rchive Americans should know about the Czechs and conversely, the Czechs should know about Americans?

As far as Americans and their understanding of Czechs is concerned, I believe that the wonderful Czech work ethic should be stressed. Czechs are very industrious and the well known saying about the Czechs having golden hands is true.

Throughout the centuries, the Czechs have had the reputation for being the best manufacturers.

The times have changed but the manufacturing, automotive in particular, has still remained the leading industry. ŠKODA-AUTO has both an incredible reputation and quality production.

Often, if you talk about quality skilled labor and production in Europe, Germany comes to people’s mind. I put the Czech Republic right next to Germany. As far as Czechs and their understanding of America is concerned, I definitely mention the American love of freedom. We are a nation that is 242 years old, which is a drop in a bucket compared to more than a thousand years of European history. Czech and Slovak history is full of iterations, moments of oppression and lost sovereignty. We have never had that, we founded our country based on a desire and love for freedom and we still cherish that. I do not know if people appreciate how strong and how advantageous that feeling is. Rule of law is another element that is particularly acute in our country. No matter who you are or where you are, if you are not following the law, you will suffer a penalty. Transparency is another important element to recognize, although there is still room for improvement. The

last thing I need to mention is the American belief in a strong defense. We know we have something valuable and we need to protect it. We will always try to have the strongest possible defense against any potential adversary. We have an advantage as we have got two big ponds on both sides of us, and we are big. Since we are strong, and we have shared values, we are willing to make sacrifices for others.

Remember the amount of American blood that has been shed on this continent or the amount of treasure used to rebuild this part of the world.

Last question will be on a personal note. How do you maintain work-life balance?

Life is work and work is life. I enjoy life. When I speak to young people, I end my remarks by suggesting that they consider the following: “Fulfill the promise of what you are good at.” Then I ask: “How many of you have figured out what you are good at?” Only a few hands usually appear.

I continue: “Don´t worry, sooner or later there will be someone who will tell you, either a parent, a teacher, a manager, a religious person, a coach, a friend. Someday, somebody will tell you that you are good at this particular thing. Once you realize what you enjoy, pursue that gift, talent or skill with passion. Once you find what you are good at, life will not be work anymore. By doing that you will fulfill the promise of what you are good at, why you are on this planet. And on top of that, you are going to enjoy it.”

By Linda Štucbartová české znění naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.czechleaders.com

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2018

43

conference

14TH PRAGUE SECURITY CONFERENCE

CZECHIA AND EUROPE 100+ On November 16, 2018 the House for Professed hosted the 14th Prague Security Conference. Center for Security Policy (Institute of Political Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University) traditionally organized the conference in cooperation with the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, with kind support of European Commission representation in the Czech Republic and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The conference attracted more than two hundred participants.

From left: Jaroslav Šonka, Journalist; Daniel Kopecky, Defence Attaché of France to the Czech Republic; Peko Baxant, Member of the Vienna City Council and the Vienna Provincial Parliament; Lubomír Zaorálek, Chairperson of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Chamber of Deputies, former Minister of Foreign Affairs; Miloš Balabán, Head of Center for Security Policy; Erhard Busek, Chairman of Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe, former Vice-Chancellor of Austria; Michal Pullmann, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Charles University; Aleš Gerloch, ViceRector of the Charles University; and Libor Stejskal, Center for Security Policy

From left: Erhard Busek, Chairman of Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe, former Vice-Chancellor of Austria; Peko Baxant, Member of the Vienna City Council and the Vienna Provincial Parliament; Tomáš Petříček, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic; and Miloš Balabán, Head of Center for Security Policy

44

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2018

Michal Pullmann, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Charles University

conference

From left: Josef Středula, President of Czech-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions; Ivan Hodač, President, Aspen Institute Central Europe; and Miloš Balabán, Head of Center for Security Policy

From left: Peko Baxant, Member of the Vienna City Council and the Vienna Provincial Parliament; Miloš Balabán, Head of Center for Security Policy; Benke Aikell, your Publisher; and Vladimír Vlk, Member of the Energy Regulatory Office Board

Tomáš Petříček, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, and Alice Němcová Tejkalová, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University

Anne Seyfferth, Director of the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Representation in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and Tomáš Petříček, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic

Jiří Svoboda, Director General of Správa železniční dopravní cesty, a.s.

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2018

45

conference From left: Miloš Balabán, Head of Center for Security Policy; Vladimír Kampík, European Affairs Director, AŽD, a.s.; Josef Středula, President of Czech-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions, Michael Fischer, Head of Policy and Planning Unit, United Services Trade Union (Ver.di); Pavlína Bláhová, Center for Security Policy; Ivan Pilný, Special representative for digital education, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic; Vladimír Mařík, Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics, Czech Technical University; Michael Šebek, Head of the Department of Control Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University

Lubomír Zaorálek, Chairperson of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Chamber of Deputies, former Minister of Foreign Affairs

From left: Dana Kovaříková, Head of the Representation of the European Commission in the Czech Republic, and Anne Seyfferth, Director of the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Representation in the Czech Republic and Slovakia

Dita Charanzová, Member of the European Parliament From left: Vladimír Vlk, Member of the Energy Regulatory Office Board; Eduard Muřický, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic; Jaroslav Ungerman, Adviser to the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic; Petr Pavel, former chairman of the NATO Military Committee; Ivan Hodač, President, Aspen Institute Central Europe; Dita Charanzová, Member of the European Parliament; Petr Moos, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of České Dráhy, a.s.; and Jiří Svoboda, Director General of Správa Železniční dopravní cesty, a.s.

From left: Petr Moos, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of České dráhy, a.s., and Jiří Svoboda, Director General of Správa Železniční dopravní cesty, a.s.

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CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2018

International scientific conference: Czechoslovakia in Transformations of 20th Century Europe

S enate

The end of September saw the culmination of this year’s celebrations of the hundredth anniversary of the formation of the Czechoslovak state in the Senate, with a scientific conference with international participation taking place in Wallenstein Palace. Under the auspices of the President of the Senate Milan Štěch and President of the Academy of Sciences Eva Zažímalová, members of the Senate met with experts in 20th century history within Parliament’s upper chamber.

View of Wallenstein Palace’s Main Hall at the opening of the conference “Czechoslovakia in Transformations of 20th Century Europe”

Historian Dušan Kováč of the Slovak Academy of Sciences with the conference’s academic co-ordinator, Jan Němeček of the Czech Academy of Sciences

President of the Senate Milan Štěch during his opening speech

Historian Dušan Kováč of the Slovak Academy of Sciences

P hoto : S enate C hancellory

President of the Czech Academy of Sciences Eva Zažímalová during her speech in the Senate

Statutory Deputy Director of the Czech Academy of Sciences’ Institute of History, Jan Němeček

Amongst others to speak at the introduction was Slovak Ambassador to the Czech Republic, H.E. Peter Weiss

Vice President of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Miroslav Morovics

The ceremonial gathering was accompanied by music from violin virtuoso Václav Hudeček and pianist Lukáš Klánský

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2018

47

L inda ' s M ission

The First Women’s Mission

P hoto : A rchive

from the Czech Republic to Israel, October 2018 The first women’s entrepreneurial mission to Israel took place from the 12th to 20th of October 2018. The mission’s goal was to learn about the start-up ecosystem in the “Start-Up Nation,” to gain inspiration from relevant examples, and to establish personal contacts for future collaboration. Twenty-two women participated in the mission, including CEOs, investors, and top managers from corporations, NGOs, and academia. Gender diversity of the mission was also ensured by the participation of a male student from a private graphic arts high school.

Linda Štucbartová organized and led the mission in collaboration with Igor Neumann from CK Kareta Tour, both as members of the Czech-Israeli Chamber of Commerce.

The mission visited ten different companies and institutions: Herzliya Accelerator, Pico Investments, Maskit, Red Hat, IDC Beyond, Pearl Cohen Advisory, Amazon, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel, OurCrowd, and Mobileye. In the space of only five days, the mission participated in eighteen presentations and meetings with more than forty Israeli contributors from select start-up incubators, accelerators, investment funds, large corporations, as well as academia and the non-for-profit sector.

The Israeli participants always greeted the mission with enthusiasm and appreciated the mission

48

members’ proactive approach to learning and their desire to discuss potential mutual support and collaboration in the future. The mission got attention from media and was mentioned by the Israeli ynetnews.com portal.

The mission also visited the Czech Embassy to Israel in Tel Aviv and met with the Charge d’Affaires, Kateřina Moravcová, and the diplomat in charge of science and technology relations, Delana Mikolašová. The Israeli-Czech Chamber of Commerce organized an informal evening networking session that introduced the Chamber’s activities and women members, as well as the new concept of Pepper banking. The representatives of the Israeli-Czech Chamber of Commerce promised to reciprocate and visit the Czech Republic in 2019.

The cultural program consisted of excursions in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Massada, and a one-day trip to the Dead Sea. Most of the participants were visiting Israel for the first time and appreciated the opportunity not only to learn about the Israeli start-up ecosystem, but to also experience on their own a country whose image is often distorted by the media.

It is impossible to summarize all the insights and presentations that we had in this short briefing, and that is why I have extracted ten inspirational insights that were most often cited to explain

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2018

how Israel, which began by exporting oranges, became a nation of start-ups and innovative new technologies: 1. “Tachles” or “let’s do it” approach is fundamental for fast and effective connection with Israeli partners.

2. The Israeli market is limited. All products and services are therefore conceived with the global market in mind.

3. Failure and lack of success is not a stigma, it is only a step towards improvement and success.

4. Status quo is not good enough. Even top-level services and products must be constantly improved upon.

5. Every book has many pages. Do not be afraid to write your own story.

6. Diversity is not only a slogan. Israel’s success is the result of more than 70 different nationalities and they like to emphasize this fact.

7. Solidarity with others and the need to give back to society are very important in Israel. Large corporations allow their employees to spend up to 20% of their working capacity on practical projects with social impact.

L inda ' s M ission

8.

The recipe for success according to one of the most successful investment companies: V+M+C+A = S² Values + Mission + Creativity + Action = Success Squared.

9. The role of the government and state institutions is not to regulate. Rather, their role is to provide optimal conditions so that businesses and other entities can fulfill their role to their best ability.

10. The friendship between the Czech Republic and Israel is longstanding and built on common traditions and firm foundations. However, in the dynamic conditions of the 21st century, these are not sufficient for growth. Let us therefore build on this extraordinary friendship and continue to develop and nurture it.

The success of a mission is often measured only by the satisfaction of its individual participants. In this case, the mission was successful because it led to both high satisfaction as well as specific follow-up programs that will be launched thanks to our Israeli inspiration. The participants were very impressed by, for example, the concept of the Herzliya Accelerator

and OurCrowd and their implementation in the regions, the automotive security system of MobilEye and the company’s efforts to promote safety in public transport, and the increased support given to projects focused on combining technology with health prevention.

Linda Štucbartová and Diversio will continue to actively promote Czech-Israeli relations, make connections, and support individual projects. Future projects include a high-school initiative to develop students’ entrepreneurial skills in combination with robotics, a second mission to Israel in 2019, and the founding of the first Israeli-Czech accelerator focused on technology and supporting women.

This mission would not be possible without the support of His Excellency, the Ambassador to the Czech Republic, Daniel Meron, and his deputy Irit Amitai from the Israeli Embassy in Prague; the Charge d’Affaires, Kateřina Moravcová, and the diplomat responsible for science and technology relations, Delana Mikolašová, from the Czech Embassy in Tel Aviv; Dr. Raviy Zadok and Dr. Andy David from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel; Karel Kortánek and Tomáš Pojar from the Czech-Israeli Chamber of commerce, and David Hercky and Assaf Dovrat from the Israeli-Czech Chamber of Commerce.

Credit to Mrs. Marcela Janíčková, founder of Visual Coach, who, as one of the participants, kindly provided active life sketch noting of all presentations

On behalf of all the participants I would like to cite feedback from Jana Hrstková, Operating Principal of Keller Williams, Member of the Board of the Jan and Meda Mladek Foundation, and President of the Harvard Alumni Club in Prague: “Missions are generally the modern way to support new projects and represent an effective tool for making personal connections with foreign partners. Another goal is to create synergies and a program that will satisfy the maximum number possible of the delegation participants. I think that this first women entrepreneurial mission to Israel fulfilled the vision very well. We had the opportunity to meet with partners from the Herzliya Accelerator Center, PICO Investment Fund, RedHat, IDC Beyond, OurCrowd, and MobilEye, among others. Personally, I was most taken by the example of the most successful Israeli start-up MobilEye, which offers a very sophisticated technology that assists drivers, and which can serve as inspiration for the Czech Republic. The program was very professional and thorough. A huge thank you to Linda Štucbartová from Diversio who prepared the program and supported it professionally, as well as to the Czech Embassy in Tel Aviv, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel, and the Israeli-Czech Chamber of Commerce. I would recommend the mission to all those who are interested in new trends in technology, investment opportunities, start-ups, and education. I’m already looking forward to the next mission which Diversio plans for Fall 2019.”

By Linda Štucbartová české znění naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.czechleaders.com

Finally, a poem written by Lenka Čábelová, Communication and Storytelling Expert:

Welcome home Welcome to the city Whose backbone is a bike path Where balconies breathe And town squares smile Welcome to the city of white round corners A garden in the desert Despite the fragility of being Again and again It opens its whole heart to you Abstract beauty composed in concrete Modestly covered by a green veil Like a pearl diver I float through the streets And one by one string them on a thread of wonder Many cities show off their street art The art of city astounds in the white city I am here for just one day And I am not a stranger Even I have the right to return Welcome home, it whispers…

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2018

49

I nterview

with

M ichal L ukeš , D irector

of the

N ational M useum

in

P rague

At the age of 26, Michal Lukeš was the youngest director of a national cultural institution in Europe, and after over 15 years in the position he is one of the longest-serving museum directors. Under his management, the National Museum has repaired most of its dilapidated buildings, such as the National Monument at Vítkov, the Czech Museum of Music and the Ethnographic Museum. He pushed through the renovation of the National Museum building on Wenceslas Square and secured funding for it, and acquired the former Federal Assembly building for the National Museum. He has managed to repair the National Museum building in an incredibly short time – just 42 months – and open it for celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the founding of Czechoslovakia on 28 October 2018.

What feelings did you have as an individual – as a husband, as a father to two daughters – when celebrating the 100th anniversary of Czechoslovakia, coincidentally also the first day of standard operations after the official re-opening of the National Museum?

I did not have much time to celebrate for myself during the 100th anniversary celebrations since I had a lot of work and official duties. My wife and daughters symbolically baked me some gingerbread with icing in the colours of our national flag. I try to educate my children about history, and ever since they were small I have brought them up in a traditional spirit and with love for our country. My feelings on 28 October were celebratory, and I’m glad our celebrations went well and people commemorated the 100th anniversary of our Republic spontaneously and on their own initiatives. I’m glad we have the good fortune to live in a prosperous, safe and, above all, democratic republic.

Do you remember the first time you visited the National Museum? How do you attract your youngest generation of visitors? What about the oldest? And what would you suggest foreigners visit?

Probably like everyone else I remember the whale skeleton and loads of animals. We attract the youngest generation with a whole range of special programmes for schools and families, and all our exhibitions have kids’ and educational features. We try to make the museum intelligible and fun for them. We attract adults through unique experiences and exhibits which they won’t find anywhere else. I’d invite everyone to visit our New Building to see our Celts exhibition, or our fascinating Noah’s Ark zoological exhibition. In our Historical Building, besides our renovated interiors you can admire the 200 rarest exhibits of our museum at our 2 x 100 exhibition. But there are also fascinating exhibitions at the Czech Museum of Music and the Náprstek Museum. Anyone who wants to learn more about modern Czech history should visit the National Monument at Vítkov, where they can combine a museum visit with admiring a fantastic view over Prague from the roof of the monument.

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You’re well known for often using your sense of humour in your role. Were there any times during the renovation when you lost your sense of humour?

I haven’t yet lost my sense of humour, not even during the renovation, and even in the most serious of moments I have always tried to encourage colleagues with humour. Although I am a fan of black humour, so I don’t know whether I’ve always succeeded (-: You´ve had the honour of being first in two areas – at the age of 26 you were the youngest director of a large national cultural institution in Europe, and now after over 15 years in your position you are one of the longest-serving museum directors. In terms of leadership, what stage is the most difficult?

I can’t say what stage was most difficult.

When I took on the role at a very young age, I had the task of shaking up and modernising a somewhat dusty institution. And we did a pretty good job. We managed to push on with loads of innovative projects and investments, both in museum infrastructure and buildings.

The museum is growing dynamically, but running these projects requires a lot more management work and responsibilities. Each stage of my leadership here has had its pros and cons, but together I think they form one of the most coherent and positive stages in the history of the institution.

What museums in Europe / in the world do you like visiting? What museums could be a model for the National Museum?

We visit, find inspiration in, and above all cooperate with, a wide range of worldwide institutions such as the British Museum, the Natural History museums in New York and London, the Smithsonian Institute in the USA, the National Museum of Scotland, and also museums in smaller countries such as the Estonian National Museum. Polish museums are very inspiring, such as the Warsaw Rising Museum. Naturally, our closest partner museum is the Slovak National Museum. But it’s not about which specific museums can be a model for us; we endeavour to find inspiration from the best of them, while also learning from errors others have made.

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2018

I had the opportunity to visit the Friends of Zion Museum in Jerusalem in October, and this is at the absolute cutting edge in terms of using modern technologies, appealing to visitors, working with stories, emotions and literally drawing visitors into the story.

On the other hand the museum has no real exhibits or collections. Probably little will remain of our generation except in the digital world. How do you see the future of museums and collections?

The job of a museum is to look after the cultural heritage of our ancestors, document our era and preserve as objective an image of it as possible for the future. Museums’ collections and original objects will always remain at the core of their purpose. Naturally, in today’s modern era we store a lot more digital information besides objects. In our exhibitions, we don’t just showcase individual objects, but rather aim to tell stories. Our exhibitions also include multimedia technologies, both to expand the information they provide, and for fun and to interest visitors. Methods of presentation have changed, but the meaning of museums has remained the same for centuries, and I think it will continue to do so.

I’d also like to ask about the much-debated Pantheon of leading Czech figures. I feel a lack of women there. Which women would you like to see there?

You’re right; there aren’t many women in the Pantheon. But the Pantheon represents the intellectual and social legacy of the 19th century. It’s not about which women I would like to see there. The Pantheon is essentially a kind of museum document showing how our ancestors saw the world.

What future career/personal challenges have you got in store?

I definitely want to build a complete new National Museum exhibition. We’ve managed to repair the beautiful Historical Building, and open a number of exhibitions within it, but it is the museum’s permanent exhibitions which give it its spirit. That is currently my greatest challenge.

By Linda Štucbartová české znění naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.czechleaders.com

I nterview

with

M ichal L ukeĹĄ , D irector

of the

N ational M useum

in

P rague

P hoto : A rchive

We Tell Stories CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2018

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Opening

of the Historical Building of the National Museum One of the most important buildings in Prague has been listed as part of its national heritage since 1962.

Loved by Czech nationals, admired by foreign visitors, and deeply linked to modern Czech history, the building became considered over time as part of the National Museum Institution itself.

The historical building underwent a major reconstruction and was re-opened on 28 October 2018 – the day of the 100th anniversary of the Czechoslovak Republic.

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CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2018

diplomatic event

Korean National Day Reception and Hanji Exhibition on the occasion of 100th Anniversary of the Establishment of Czechoslovakia The Embassy of the Republic of Korea held a special National Day reception and an exhibition of Hanji, traditional Korean hand-made paper, marking the 100th anniversary of the establishment of Czechoslovakia.

At Korean National Day Reception on 3 October at Žofín palace, Hanbok, traditional Korean clothing, was presented during the fashion show prepared by designer Kim Hye-soon. All guests enjoyed Korean food and traditional Korean liquor as well.

The exhibition “Hanji, Journey to Czechia (Hanji, cesta do Česka)” opened from 6 to 8 November at Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague.

It consisted of framework exhibitions of memorable photographs in the histories of the Czech Republic and the Republic of Korea, paper sculptures made by artist Kim Young-hee and historical artifacts. In addition, workshops for students and seminars for the restoration of old books took place.

H.E. Seoung-hyun Moon, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea and his spouse receiving Ivan Pilný, former Finance Minister of the Czech Republic

Visitors enjoying the framework exhibition of historical photographs of the Czech Republic and the Republic of Korea Czech models walking on a runway in royal court Hanbok

Korean dancers in Hanbok

Korean dancers performing on the stage Paper sculptures from the Hanji exhibition

H.E. Seoung-hyun Moon, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea, and Lukáš Kaucký, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic

H.E. Seoung-hyun Moon, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea, and his spouse with paper sculpture artist Kim Young-hee

H.E. Seoung-hyun Moon, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea, and Jan Fischer, former Prime Minister of the Czech Republic

H.E. Seoung-hyun Moon, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea, and Roman Bělor, Director of the Prague Spring International Music Festival

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2018

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I nterview

with

A lena S chillerovรก , M inister

of

F inance

of the

C zech R epublic

P hoto : A rchive

I welcome any substantive discussion

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CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2018

I nterview

with

A lena S chillerová , M inister

of

F inance

of the

C zech R epublic

How and with what feelings did you celebrate the 28 October 1918 anniversary?

The hundredth anniversary of Czechoslovakia’s founding which we celebrated this year inspired me to remember those who helped the newly emerging state to attain its place in the heart of Europe. Our predecessors weren’t just involved in the formation of our independent state, but also helped ensure that Czechoslovakia was recognized as an island of democracy within Central Europe. Although we certainly shouldn’t disregard the darker periods of our history either, because as Winston Churchill once said: “A nation that forgets its past has no future.”

This interview is for readers of Leaders magazine. How do you perceive leadership, what kind of leader are you, and do we have enough leaders today?

I think good leaders are drivers who believe in themselves, in their people and in what they’re doing. They can choose the right people and give them the space to show what they have within themselves. They can motivate their team and give it positive energy and inspiration. I have tried to adhere to these principles the whole of my career. And even in my professional life, I’ve had the opportunity to encounter loads of people who exactly meet these characteristics.

Forbes magazine has described you as the third most influential woman in the Czech Republic. Congratulations on behalf of the Czech and Slovak Leaders editorial board.

How do you perceive this award?

It’s a great honour for me, and also proof that our work at the Finance Ministry is noticed and appreciated. At the same time, I consider the award a great commitment, and I take it with the same humility that my colleagues and I feel in working for the citizens of this country. We still see many things here we want to improve.

You are the first female Finance Minister.

How do you perceive the debate about equal representation for women in top positions in the Czech Republic? Can you say what the new perspective you have brought to this role is?

Being a woman in charge of a department might seem like an advantage, because as women we have a somewhat different method of communication than men. But I’ve never tried to deliberately exploit this. Over my whole life, I’ve endeavoured to ensure that it is my abilities and my work which speak for me. I hold the position that if you do your work well, it doesn’t matter whether you’re a man or a woman.

Let me yet avail of your expert perspective – how do you see the gender pay gap problem, which is the second highest within the EU here in the Czech Republic?

According to Eurostat, on average women here earn 22 % less than men, which seems really appalling. There are many reasons for this difference. It is almost exclusively women here

who take parental leave, putting their career on hold for a number of years during which time men reach higher positions. These differences are less clear in the over-55 age category however. Also, more women work in education and health, fields where people earn less in general than in fields where more men work – e.g., in construction. But I certainly don’t want to downplay the problem. On the contrary. By law, employers must follow an equal treatment principle in rewarding their employees, but unfortunately this principle is still quite often breached. Women’s lower earnings are reflected in the size of their pensions – women receive pensions of around a fifth less than men and, as such, are more frequently at risk of poverty.

As Finance Minister, you are mainly linked to the introduction of electronic sales records. The Finance Minister isn’t exactly popular right now, nor is the electronic sales records concept. What is it like in general to enforce unpopular measures?

I don’t think electronic sales records are unpopular. On the contrary, sociological research suggests it is consistently supported by around two-thirds of Czechs. But of course, I regularly meet many people with different opinions to me on many matters. And that’s okay. I relish my work, and thus I welcome any substantive discussion and I don’t object to reasonable suggestions. From time to time I also encounter criticism which I consider unfair and full of misrepresentations, but I certainly won’t let it frustrate me. That’s why I also think my mission is about clearly and matter-of-factly explaining the what, why and how of what we’re doing.

I know you’ve given lectures in the past. Do you still find time for them?

I currently lecture at various specialist seminars or at meetings with entrepreneurs. In the past I was an external lecturer at the Faculty of Law’s Department of Financial Law and Economics at Masaryk University in Brno, but now my busy schedule means I just don’t have the time. But I’m always happy to return to academia, and

I will certainly be happy if the opportunity again arises in future to lecture to students.

As a member of the Brno University of Technology’s Scientific Board, I’d like to ask you how you’re managing to link science and the practical world.

As Finance Minister, I think it is important we are able to give more money to this field. In the draft state budget for next year, we have boosted expenditure on higher education by 2 billion crowns, and education overall has also seen significant improvement – by 29.6 billion crowns. Besides that, we are also increasing expenditure on science and research by 1.5 billion crowns to a total of 36 billion crowns. And as a former member of the Faculty of Business and Management Scientific Board at the Brno University of Technology, I can confirm that when I held that position it was very common for students to acquire practical knowledge during their master’s studies. The faculty’s doctoral studies and science and research activities have continued to develop, and I believe that co-operation with the practical world and the business sector is today expanding. I trust that other economic and technical faculties are doing similarly well.

What would your advice be if you were mentoring yourself twenty years ago?

To be honest, I wouldn’t give my younger self any specific advice. I’ve made progress in small steps over my career, and I truly appreciate what I have finally managed to achieve. Now I’m Finance Minister, and that didn’t just come out of thin air. It’s the outcome of the decisions I made at crucial forks in my previous life. And it’s also because I’ve managed to overcome various challenges. Building a career is a life-long path during which one acquires the necessary experience and learns from one’s mistakes.

Looking back, there’s nothing I would change.

By Linda Štucbartová české znění naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.czechleaders.com

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2018

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Between Monday, November 12th and Sunday, November 18th, approximately 10 million people from 170 countries celebrated the importance of business through the Global Entrepreneurship Week, and the Czech Republic was part of this global event. The European Leadership and Academic Institute (ELAI) has organized the Entrepreneurship Week CR for the 6th time.

From left: Lukáš Sedláček, Director, European Leadership and Academic Institute (ELAI), Jan Procházka, CEO, HE3DA, Martin Wichterle, Owner, Wikov Industry, Zbyněk Frolík, Founder, Linet, and Zdeněk Hostomský, Director, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS

The main event was scheduled for the first day. After a brief introductory speech by the US Ambassador Stephen B. King, leading Czech experts participated in a discussion on the topic of the circular economy at the Prague networking center Opero.

H.E. Stephen B. King, Ambassador of the United States of America in the Czech Republic

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CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2018

Soňa Jonášová, Director, Institut of Circular Economics (INCIEN)

ELAI A number of accompanying events took place throughout the entire week, all over the Czech Republic. On top of that, a discussion titled 100 Years of Free Czech Entrepreneurship, Ingenuity and Inventions was held by successors of famous Czech inventors as well as current top innovators.

From left: Jan Procházka, CEO, HE3DA, Martin Wichterle, Owner, Wikov Industry, and Zbyněk Frolík, Founder, Linet

From left: Jan Procházka, CEO, HE3DA and Martin Wichterle, Owner, Wikov Industry

From left: Lenka Mynářová, CEO, Nafigate, Soňa Jonášová, Director, Institut of Circular Economics (INCIEN), and Cyril Klepek, Senior Innovation Designer, Direct People

Zdeněk Hostomský, Director, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS

From left: H.E. Stephen B. King, Ambassador of USA in the Czech Republic and Erik.

W. Black, Cultural Attache, Embassy of the United Stated of America

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2018

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ELAI

From left: Lukáš Sedláček, Director, European Leadership and Academic Institute (ELAI), Vladimír Víšek, Manager for Sustainability, IKEA , Lenka Mynářová, CEO, Nafigate, Soňa Jonášová, Director, Institut of Circular Economics (INCIEN), Cyril Klepek, Senior Innovation Designer, Direct People, and Petr Jonák, Member of Board, Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic, and Director for Public Affairs, Communication and Sustainability, Coca-Cola Zdeněk Hostomský, Director, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS

Pavel Šťastný, Art Director, Design factory Plechárna, Author of the Civic Forum logo

Lukáš Sedláček, Director, European Leadership and Academic Institute (ELAI)

Tomáš Sedláček, Economist, Philosopher, Writer

From left: Cyril Klepek, Senior Innovation Designer, Direct People and Petr Jonák, Member of Board, Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic, and Director for Public Affairs, Communication and Sustainability, Coca-Cola

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diplomatic event

Peruvian Gastronomy Festival A Melting Pot of Cultures and Flavors

Held under the auspices of H.E. Liliana De Olarte de Torres-Muga, Ambassador of Peru to the Czech Republic Peruvian delicacies

Adam Vojtěch, Minister of Health of the Czech Republic and H.E. Liliana De Olarte de Torres-Muga, Ambassador of Peru to the Czech Republic

Ivan Bartoš, Chairman, Pirate Party with Vladimír Mana, Deputy Minister of Environment H.E. Miklós Boros, Ambassador of Hungary

From left: H.E. Roberto Alejandro Salafia, Ambassador of Argentina and H.E. Leonora Rueda Gutiérrez, Ambassador of Mexico with a welcome drink

H.E. Moon Seoung-hyun, Ambassador of Korea to the Czech Republic From left: H.E. Liliana De Olarte de Torres-Muga, Ambassador of Peru to the Czech Republic and H.E. Rola Hamdan, Ambassador of Lebanon to the Czech Republic

H.E. Liliana De Olarte de Torres-Muga, Ambassador of Peru to the Czech Republic and H.E. Lačezar Petkov, Ambassador of Bulgaria with his wife

H.E. Kaoru Shimazaki, Ambassador of Japan to the Czech Republic

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2018

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A D ialogue between L inda Š tucbartová , C hief I nterviewer and J udi C halliner , a teacher , a writer and a storyteller

The fate of Czechoslovakia on the background of personal stories 1918, 1938, 1948, 1968 and beyond P hoto : L inda Š tucbartová The most powerful stories are written by life itself. In order to commemorate the 100 years of the state of Czechoslovakia coming into existence, I decided to dedicate this article not merely to important historical events but to link it to the fates of individuals. As I have not lived through much of the period, I asked Judi Challiner, my dear friend and mentor, to cowrite the article. It also serves as the sequel to “My Life as Defined by Two Quotes”, published last year which received many positive reactions as well as requests for Part 2.

Linda: “We concluded our interview one year ago about you applying for Czech citizenship. Let me quickly summarize your story. Your father was a Czechoslovak citizen, and a medical doctor at the clinic of Baťa Shoe Factory in Zlín, before his escape to England in 1938. There he served as a medical doctor in the Czech Airforce and fought alongside the British. Your grandmother together with twenty-five members of your family could not escape and were murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust. What are the recent updates not only with regards to your request for Czech citizenship, but also your journey to discover more about your Czech roots?

Judi: On February 8, 2017 I remember walking with you, as my (friend) Power of Attorney, to the Prague 1 municipal office. That began a long and a complex journey until I was finally granted Czech Citizenship on October 17 last year! Since then, quite a few British citizens have done the same, in protest against Brexit and to remain EU citizens.

I often say that 8 is my lucky number. Look at the date of the beginning of this process! The address where I was granted Czech citizenship is the Office of Prague 1, Vodičkova 18. Also, the digits of October 17 add up to 8. This was a very happy turning point in my life! Receiving the official papers, I listened to Mrs. Stanislava Sábová, an incredibly helpful and professional Czech official, summarizing the documents of the Zlín archive about my father's family and my grandmother's desperate attempts to remain a Czech citizen in 1938. There was even a mention of me, as a three-year old girl, being granted permission to take the journey back to Great Britain with my English mother in spring 1948. A flood of emotions swamped me.

What would my grandmother and father have thought of me re-claiming the very citizenship

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they were forced to renounce? Flying back to Manchester with my proud husband , I thought of my easy life compared with my grandmother and father. For them, 1938 and 1948 completely changed their identities, their belonging to their beloved Czechoslovakia. They became in the words of our Prime Minister, Theresa May 'Citizens of Nowhere.' The consequences for them both in those two years were brutal.

Judi: It was Madeleine Albright who said: “Years ending in 8 are of outsize importance in Czech history.” As we are celebrating the centenary of the first Czechoslovak Republic this year, what can you tell me about Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk?

I remember from our conversations that thanks to your grandmother, you have many special memories.

Linda: I remember very well my grandmother Rose recalling Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, the “little” father of the nation (tatíček), as he was nicknamed. My grandmother was 11 years old when Czechoslovakia declared independence and the spirit of the First Czechoslovak Republic very much determined her values and memories. The same is true for me with the Velvet Revolution. I was only 13, yet it has influenced my life profoundly. But back to my grandma Rose. She taught me about Masaryk and the First Czechoslovak Republic. She always remembered the three principles on which the First Czechoslovak Republic was built. The first one was that daily work, however small and mundane it might seem, if done continuously, can achieve great results overtime. The second part was the high ideals on which the republic was built. The third part was patriotism, not as destructive nationalism as we experience it today but as an attachment and commitment to one’s country; throughout her life my grandmother reminded me to be a proud daughter of a small country that has given so many leading personalities in all spheres to the world.

Linda: I must mention that the fact we can talk about this history without any ideology and any repercussions still means a lot to me. More than ever before, we should recognize how democracy and freedom of speech is precious and should be protected.

I remember quite vividly grandma proudly showing me Masaryk’s Encyclopedia

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2018

mentioning my relatives and acknowledging them for their patriotic and economic achievements. By the way, did you know that this Encyclopedia was the second largest encyclopedic volume after Encyclopedia Britannica to be published in 1930’s? I think this illustrates the degree of development of the Czechoslovak society at that time and the values put on education, history and learning.

Listening to my grandmother and her accounts was so interesting and so very different from what I learned in school. It was in the early 1980s, before the Gorbachev era, shortly after the martial law had been declared in Poland, a period of a fierce “normalization in the Soviet Bloc”. Naturally, I could not wait to share it with my classmates at school and with my civic and history class teacher. After I bragged about my family history not only to my classmates but to my teacher, who happened to be a zealous communist, my parents were summoned to school. My grandmother was forbidden to share anything with me, my true historical upbringing had to wait until the regime change in 1989.

Linda: The first Czechoslovak Republic was only allowed to prosper for 20 years.

The next date to mention is 1938, the year when the so called Second Czechoslovak Republic came to existence. This year also marked the first wave of Czechoslovak immigration abroad in 20th century, which consequently led to the loss of élites, the fact that still can be felt in the Czech society one century later.

Judi: 1938 marked the end of my relatives’ existence as well–liked, respected citizens in Karlovy Vary. My father was working as a young doctor in Zlín, so he was not around when the Nazis marched into his home town and ordered my grandmother, great grandmother, aunt and her young son to get out of the family home.

They tried to get registered in Semily but ended up in an over-crowded flat in Prague. My grandmother only thought of the safety of her sons and insisted they leave Czechoslovakia. As for her, she had to look after her mother who was in her 80s and thought nothing would happen to them – they were too old. How many people of a certain age thought that, only to be brutally deceived and murdered? Her life ended in the gas chambers in Auschwitz.

Linda: Your father and your uncle, serving in the Royal Air Force, survived. It took

A D ialogue between L inda Š tucbartová , C hief I nterviewer and J udi C halliner , a teacher , a writer and a storyteller

P hoto : A rchive

almost 60 years to build a memorial for them. How does visiting the memorial feel?

Judi: When I first came to the memorial of the Winged Lion, it did not take me long to spot the two precious names among 2,500 inscriptions on the bronze tiles listing all the Czech and English personnel who fought for freedom in World War II. POSNER Erich Alfred F/O 311 POSNER

Jan

W/O 311

Medical Officer Pilot

There, immortalized forever, were my father and his brother. I wonder what they would have thought of me, bursting with pride, looking at their memorial. Yet I was filled with a huge sadness too. Two decades ago, in 1997, I had stood in the Pinkas Synagogue on the other side of the Vltava river staring at a wall with tens of thousands of names. At eye level I had found my grandmother's last official record POSNEROVA ANNA 24 X1 1877 18 X11 1943.

In a bizarre way, I, Judi Challiner, born Posner, have paid tribute to them all and carry my Czech citizenship with even more pride because of them.

Linda: “Much as we celebrate the centenary of the Czechoslovak Republic, we should also remember 80 years that marked the event that I remember being lauded in the communist textbooks as a Victorious February of Working Class. In fact, after the nationalization of the property, the communists took away the prestigious pharmacy located at Pohořelec Prague Castle Area from my grandparents. My grandfather, a successful pharmacist and an entrepreneur, never recovered from this loss. Your father, on the other hand, had to

escape his fatherland for the second time.

It was the second wave of immigration that the country suffered.”

Judi: I completely understand this sense of loss.

70 years ago, my father made his second escape from Czechoslovakia. Again, he was working as a doctor in Bata’s hospital in Zlín but this time he was married and had a three-year old daughter – me! The grim discovery of what had happened to his mother and family haunted him for the rest of his life. Before escaping in 1948, he had returned to the family home Rossini in Karlovy Vary and managed to ship furniture and family possessions which had been hidden in the cellar to England. In England, he became an eminent consultant of chest diseases in Stoke on Trent.

He was part of the “Lidice Must Live Working Party” with Sir Barnet Stross, set up a fund for Czechoslovak students at Keele University in 1968, wrote many papers including studies of Johann Gregor Mendel's work in Brno. Yet unlike many similar Czech naturalized British citizens, he always, always yearned for his beloved Czechoslovakia and like your grandfather never really recovered from the loss of his mother, his home, his country and his life there.

The communists in 1948, built a dossier of lies about him and his family, which I discovered when applying for my Czech citizenship. They recorded that his mother, and father went to Australia to escape the Holocaust. His date of escape from Czechoslovakia was completely wrong and he was branded as a criminal, even worse, a Jewish criminal. Leaving in 1948 meant that he escaped the infamous Slánský’s trials and almost certain execution.

Linda: “Let us talk about 1968, as we celebrated 50 years since the Prague Spring and your first visit to Czechoslovakia that you remember. You visited Prague once by yourself in April and later with your father, mother and sister in August 1968, just before the Russians invaded again.”

Judi: I returned to Prague in the euphoric days of the Prague Spring. I made contact with my father's old friends, doctors he had worked with and journalists who had helped him in the dark days of 1948. Wonderful people who were delighted to entertain me with trips to castles, theatres, wine cellars, restaurants, etc. However, all these treats were eclipsed by one afternoon of coffee and cake at Kampa, with none other than Jan Werich. He and my father's student group were all part of the theatrical milieu in Prague. During the 1960s Jan Werich regularly visited London and whenever he was in town my father would meet him. Going to his flat on beautiful Kampa to have coffee and cake is still etched in my memory. He appeared from his study, wham! Layer upon layer of funny, sad, satirical anecdotes meant the coffee went cold, the very dry sacher-torte was left untouched.

Werichova Vila opened in June 2017 for all to enjoy and on Oct 7, my birthday, I went to pay my respects! The goosebumps began when

I climbed the stone stairs to the floor which had been his flat. Sitting at his desk looking at photos, I could hear his voice, his laugh, I could see his expressions. I remembered a quote of his that I had written down years ago, "One woman often sees more than five men with binoculars."

I don't know whether I saw more than those binoculared men, but the pictures which I had in my mind from that visit in 1968 were countless!

After 1968, the pictures stayed in my mind until a short visit in 1997 when I made a promise to the Pinkas Synagogue's inscription of my grandmother's name to return more permanently. In 2004, I came back to live and work and move back and forth between Manchester and Prague. 14 years later I am still dividing my time between the two cities.

Linda: Both, you and the country you are now a citizen of, have in common the pattern of events which happened in years ending in 8. So how has your 2018 been so far?

Judi: 2018, has been an extraordinary year for me. At the beginning of January, I wrote to the Jewish Museum in Karlovy Vary to find out more about my Posner family. In a matter of days, I had the address of the house, Rossini on Bulharská 17, photos of my grandfather's tombstone with the commemoration of his wife underneath and an invitation to go and see the curator Lukáš Svoboda to find out more. In March, my husband secretly booked a hotel two blocks down from Rossini, the hotel manager arranged that we could cross the threshold and go inside my father's family home and we spent three amazing, educational hours at the Jewish Museum. After that whirlwind, kaleidoscope of events I know this is where my Czech roots are and a bit of me belongs. Later, at the end of June, we had a family party at the Karlovy Vary Film festival. This time my sister, her daughter and I, represented three generations of Posner women, who are proud to be descendants of this great family.

In September, I went with my power of attorney to collect my Czech passport and ID. In October, I finished the book which I am co-writing with you, my friend. The title of my story is 'Grandmothers are forever'. Although I never met her, Anna Posnerova has led me on a lifelong, pathos filled yet exhilarating journey.

When I crossed the threshold of Rossini on March 11, 2018, I walked on the same tiles, held the same wrought iron banisters and looked through the same windows that she did. Then I knew that years ending in 8 are truly magic.

Whatever happens with the populist lies of the Brexit debacle, I know one thing. I am a citizen of somewhere, where Václav Havel's eternal quote is still my favorite message for us all.

“Truth and love will overcome lies and hatred.”

By Linda Štucbartová

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Under the patronage of the Czech National Bank

Hanno R. Ellenbogen

Citizenship Award 2018

From left: His Eminence Vincent Nichols, Cardinal, Archbishop of Westminster, Marc S. Ellenbogen, President, Prague Society, and General Wesley Clark, former Supreme Allied Commander, NATO

The HRE Award is presented jointly by the Prague Society and the Global Panel Foundation. The most recent recipients were Zdeněk Tůma, Magda Vášáryová, Tony Fitzjohn and Souad Mekhennet in 2016.

Previous recipients include Andrés Pastrana, Gen. Wesley Clark, Jiří Dienstbier, Madeleine Albright, Václav Havel, Adam Michnik and the 14th Dalai Lama.

From left: Philip J. Crowley, former Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs (US) and former Pakistani Ambassador H.E. Mustafa Kamal Kazi

From left: Hon. Mark Pritchard, British MP and Dr. David Ryall, Catholic Bishops’ Conference

From left: General Wesley Clark, former Supreme Allied Commander, NATO and former Pakistani Ambassador H.E. Mustafa Kamal Kazi

The Award was presented to the Santa Marta Group for combating modern slavery and human trafficking globally. In particular it focuses on bringing together the heads of national and international police and law enforcement agencies along with international organisations to look at how they can work with the Catholic Church to help victims.

The Santa Marta Group is named after the home of Pope Francis and was initiated by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference for England and Wales. It was established in Rome in 2014 when police chiefs and Catholic bishops came together in the presence of Pope Francis.

From left: Roger Johnson, V.P. Republicans Overseas and General Petr Pavel, until recently Chairman of the NATO Military Committee

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From left: Alexander DesForges, Press Officer, Catholic Bishops’ Conference, His Eminence Vincent Nichols, Cardinal, Archbishop of Westminster, and Prof. Dan Maffei, former US Congressman

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Marek Mora, member of the ČNB Board

Special Awards for 2018 include: Ján Kuciak and Martina Kušnírová receive a Special Award in memoriam for their courageous commitment to Kuciak’s work as an investigative reporter. The couple were murdered in their home in February 2018 in an attempt to silence them. Kuciak, in his work, focused on politically related fraud. At the time of his death he had been working on a story on the influence of the Calabrian mafia, the ‘Ndrangheta,’ on business and politics in Slovakia.

General Wesley Clark, former Supreme Allied Commander, NATO and Marc S. Ellenbogen, President, Prague Society

From left: Markus Hermann, Prague Society, Zdeněk Tůma, former Governor of the Czech National Bank and Juan Jr. Dayang, First Secretary, Head of Consular Section Embassy of the Philippines

From left: Dr. Karel Janeček, Philantropist and Juan Jr. Dayang, First Secretary, Head of Consular Section Embassy of the Philippines

Panel discussion on Modern Slavery

Marc S. Ellenbogen, President, Prague Society and Pavla Holcová, Investigative Journalist Marc S. Ellenbogen, President, Prague Society

From left: Mr. Jozef Kuciak, father of Jan Kuciak, Mrs. Jana Kuciaková, mother of Jan Kuciak and Mrs. Zlatica Kušnírová, mother of Martina Kušnírová RNDr Petr Nečas, former Prime Minister of the Czech Republic

Cyril Svoboda, Director, Diplomatic Academy His Eminence Vincent Nichols, Cardinal, Archbishop of Westminster

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Participants from the panel discussions on Modern Slavery and Fake News

From left: His Eminence Vincent Nichols, Cardinal, Archbishop of Westminster and Marc S. Ellenbogen, President, Prague Society

Award presented to Santa Marta Group and its President His Eminence Vincent Nichols, Cardinal, Archbishop of Westminster

by Marc S. Ellenbogen, President, Prague Society

Pavla Holcová, Investigative Journalist, introducing a special award in memoriam of Jan Kuciak and Martina Kušnírová

From left: Marc S. Ellenbogen, President, Prague Society, Dr David Ryall, Catholic Bishop’s Conference, RNDr Petr Nečas, former Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, His Eminence Vincent Nichols, Cardinal, Archbishop of Westminster, and General Wesley Clark, former Supreme Allied Commander, NATO

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From left: RNDr Petr Nečas, former Prime Minister of the Czech Republic and His Eminence Vincent Nichols, Cardinal, Archbishop of Westminster

General Petr Pavel, until recently Chairman of the NATO Military Committee

All together – invited guests, members of Prague Society, and Award recipients

From left: General Wesley Clark, formerly Supreme Allied Commander, NATO, Marc S. Ellenbogen, President, Prague Society, Mrs. Jana Kuciaková, mother of Ján Kuciak, Mr. Jozef Kuciak, father of Ján Kuciak, Katka Stryčková, Executive Director, Global Panel Foundation, Mrs. Zlatica Kušnírová, mother of Martina Kušnírová, Adam Fecunda, brother of Martina Kušnírová, and Michael Stimson, Vice President, Prague Society

From left: Imogen White, Erasmus Coordinator, Charles University, Floor Doppen, Prague Society, Michael Stimson, Vice President, Prague Society, Artthur Braun, Vice President, Prague Society, Chris Lettner, Prague Society, and Dr. Jochen Wittmann, Board Member, Global Panel Foundation

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International Energy

Club 2018

12 – 13 September 2018 Ostrava

Representatives of the largest energy companies met in Ostrava alongside leaders within government administration and European institutions for the 9th annual International Energy Club Conference. Expert discussion took place on topics linked to the current state of the national and European energy industries, including their further decentralisation, support for renewable resources, reform of the gas industry, and opportunities for storing energy.

Over thirty speakers took part in the panel discussion over the course of the day. Alexandra Rudyšarová, Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Industry and Trade, looked at the construction of new nuclear reactors and the approved State Energy Policy. Daniel Beneš, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors at ČEZ Group, spoke about the future of electricity production in the Czech Republic.

Evžen Tošenovský, Member of the European Parliament and ITRE member, provided details on European programmes supporting energy infrastructure development. Capacity needs and related investments in developing the energy system were also addressed by Vladimír Outrata, member of the Energy Regulatory Office board. Lubor Veleba, Managing Director, innogy Gas Storage, s.r.o and President, Gas Storage Europe (GSE), Michal Šafář, Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors at E.ON Energy and Tomáš Hüner, Director of the Energy Management Division, Siemens, s.r.o., focused on anticipated scenarios for possible development in energy storage systems.

Over half the conference’s time was reserved for open discussion by all experts taking part. Guests also had an opportunity to view operations at Cylinders Holding, the largest worldwide producer of steel cylinders and pressure vessels. These are used for transporting and storing industrial gases and include tanks for storing compressed natural gas (CNG) for vehicle propulsion, and pressure vessels for CNG filling stations.

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I nternational E nergy C lub 2018

A joint toast by conference organisers and patrons (from left): Martin Herrmann, Member of the Board of Directors responsible for trade at innogy SE, innogy Česká republika a.s., Michal Dolana, Managing Partner, DDeM, s.r.o., Alena Vitásková, Chairwoman, The Institute of Alena Vitásková

From left: Tomáš Hüner, Director of the Energy Management Division, Siemens, s.r.o., Aleš Tomec, Chairman of the Board, OTE, a.s., Tomáš Drápela, Chairman of the Board, Plzeňská Teplárenská, a.s.

From left: René Neděla, Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Alexandra Rudyšarová, Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, and Jan Kalina, Chairman of the Board, ČEPS, a.s.

From left: Mirek Topolánek, Chairman of the Executive Board, Association for the District Heating of the Czech Republic, Jiří Feist, Member of the Board of Directors of EP Power Europe, René Neděla, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Industry and Trade, Alexandra Rudyšarová, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Industry and Trade

From left: Lubor Veleba, Managing Director, innogy Gas Storage, s.r.o., Prezident, Gas Storage Europe (GSE) and Tomáš Hüner, Director of the Energy Management Division, Siemens

Jakub Skavroň, Member of the Board, ČEPS, a.s. and Martin Hájek, Director, Teplárenské sdružení České republiky

Lenka Kovačovská, CEO, Czech Gas Association

From left: Martin Slabý, Chairman of the Board, Pražská plynárenská Distribuce, a.s., Jan Nehoda, Independent Consultant

From left: Martin Herrmann, Member of the Board, SE, innogy Česká republika a.s. and Jan Valenta, CEO, Company Directors Chairman, GasNet, s.r.o.

From left: Jan Světlík, General Director, Vítkovice Cylinders a.s., Managing Director and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Cylinders Holding a.s., Daniel Beneš, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors at ČEZ Group

Michal Šafář, Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors at E.ON Energy

From left: Jiří Čírtek, CEO, TRANSTECH CZ, a.s., Aleš Tomec, Chairman of the Board, OTE, a.s., and Jan Zaplatílek, Director of Gas and Liquid Fuels Department, Ministry of Industry and Trade

Evžen Tošenovský, MEP and ITRA member, European Parliament

From left: Jan Světlík, Managing Director and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Cylinders Holding a.s., Daniel Beneš, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors at ČEZ Group, Radek Lucký, Vice-President, Czech Smart City Cluster

Tour of the operations of Cylinders Holding, the largest worldwide producer of steel cylinders and pressure vessels

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I nterview

with

H.E. S andra L ang L inkensederová ,

I have known Sandra Lang Linkensederová since the beginning of her diplomatic career in 2002, which started with her training at the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

After the Diplomatic Academy, she worked at the Department of Security Politics at the so called “headquarters”, abroad, she served on various postings in Lisbon, Peking and Brussels.

Parallel to her postings, she continued her university education in Lisbon and Moscow. She is married and has a son. In her free time, she likes photography and playing tennis.

In May, she was appointed the Ambassador to Brazil, Guyana and Surinam. She has served in Brazil as the deputy ambassador since 2017 and in August 2018, Sandra Lang Linkensederová received a special medal for the Peacemaker for the advanced development of the CzechBrazilian relations.

P hoto : A rchive

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the

A mbassador

to

B razil , G uyana

and

S urinam

I nterview

with

H.E. S andra L ang L inkensederová ,

Dear Sandra, congratulations on your first ambassadorial posting, being appointed the Ambassador to Brazil, Guyana and Surinam. Can you share with the Czech and Slovak Leaders Magazine readers what does it feel like to receive the credentials as an ambassador from the President?

Receiving the credentials from the Head of State is undoubtedly a very special moment.

It is a great honor to be trusted. It might be also a joy or a certain relief because it is the end of the process called agrément, meaning that the hosting state does not object to your appointment.

However, above all you realize that you have accepted an enormous responsibility towards your country. The solemn moment of presenting my credentials to the president of Brazil is still to come. Due to various circumstances, I am likely to present these already to the new Brazilian head of state who shall be elected in the presidential election to be held in the month of October. Presentation of my credentials in Suriname and Guyana will follow.

You became an ambassador in May and already in August you received a special medal for the development of Czech – Brazilian relations. What is the current state of bilateral relations and what is your agenda for further development?

Latin America, and particularly Brazil is one of the most natural and logical overseas partner for the Czech Republic, having rich and long cultural as well as historical ties with Europe.

Our mutual relations have been very friendly and stable for centuries. The first footprints of the Czechs in Brazil can be traced back to the 17th century when the first Jesuits came into the New World, followed by court scientists and adventurers. In the 19th century, Brazil had opened the door for European colonists, including Czechs, seeking a fertile land to cultivate. It is important to mention that Brazil was the first Latin American country to recognize the newly founded state of Czechoslovakia in 1918. Since then Czechoslovak products gained a very good reputation and the Czechoslovak companies were able to seize a part of the large Brazilian market. The Czech Republic was not only able to further develop cooperation based on favorable conditions but also add new dimensions of cooperation in other areas, such as academics, military, and research and development or joint development in industries such as aviation, just to mention few examples. My natural ambition is to further strengthen our cooperation, supported by high level visits exchanges. Supporting the Czech business and Czech companies and finding new stimuli for economic cooperation ranks at the top of my agenda.

When speaking about Czech-Brazilian relations, it is worth mentioning that both countries do not have any geopolitical antagonisms. This

the

A mbassador

fact permits partnerships in the area of defense and security industry. Therefore, the Czech Republic opened a Military Attaché Office in Brasilia in 2015 to further strengthen the area of cooperation. I was decorated with the medal called Medal of the Peace-Maker (Medalha do Pacificador) and is intended to reward, among others, those who contributed to the amicable relations between the Armed Forces of Brazil and the nation they represent. I am restrained to believe I have already contributed significantly, however, it is a great and unexpected honour and I will continue to do my best to prove that I deserve this gesture of enormous value.

My frequent question to ambassadors is the following: what is it that Brazilians do not know about Czechs and what Czechs don´t know about Brazilians?

I was very pleased to find out how many Brazilians had already visited the Czech Republic, despite the fact that my country is not that close and the touristic competition in Europe is quite high, and Brazilians returned very satisfied. Many Brazilians know famous Czech beer and the Czech crystal glass. Prague’s Infant Jesus represents a special spiritual value for historical reasons and his little statue can be found in many Brazilian households. Many Brazilians are aware of a very particular detail in Brazilian history – Brazilian president who had founded the new capital Brasilia (inaugurated in 1960) was called Juscelino Kubitschek and, indeed, he had Czech roots. As for the Czech people, their notion about Brazil depends on what area they are from. If we speak about the general public, most of Czechs have heard about beauties of Rio de Janeiro, Brazilian carnevals, Bossa Nova music or the breathtaking beaches. Last but not least, let us not forget the art of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.

Let us continue with a retrospection. It has been 16 years since you entered the Diplomatic Academy of the MFA to pursue the diplomatic training. Looking back at your beginnings, what beliefs and hopes you had have stayed the same and which ones changed?

I actually wished to join the foreign service at the age of eight, when I lived in India and I met diplomats for the first time in my life.

From my childish perspective, they had a highly exciting profession, super-secret, tremendously important, and in addition to that, they were allowed to travel to abroad. Of course, this reflects the times of late 1980’s, during Czechoslovakia and the Cold War. This reality has changed soon after, but my determination stayed. The reality in the age of on-line media and on-line social platforms is changing very fast. Before we get used to a new world order, it is being changed again. That is why I usually do not create expectations. I like to face reality without any preconceived ideas, which was the case with my beginning of the diplomatic training.

to

B razil , G uyana

and

S urinam

However, I am convinced that everything we get in our life has a great added value because it creates a substance that can be further expanded. I remember being very happy at the Diplomatic Academy, I enjoyed new people, new experiences and new perspectives. The Diplomatic Academy management had a great approach, creative and highly professional. In a friendly environment, it was our tutors’ ambition to make us the best possible prepared.

However, every school gives only the basic guidelines. It is our responsibility to reach then the goals.

If someone told you that in 16 years you would become an ambassador, how would you react? Looking at the new generation of diplomats, what is the career advice you would give them from a position of a senior mentor?

Had someone told me that, I would have said: “that is good news because it confirms that I chose the right professional path, where I will succeed by working hard and having some luck at the same time.” My advice to the new generation of diplomats is simple: “Do not rush with regards to career positions, stay humble and try to place the information into the right context in order to understand the reality”.

For many women, you might be a role model. Working mothers in leading positions are still rather an exception than a rule, both in public as well as in private sector. What is your secret sauce?

Frankly speaking, I consider myself a traditional woman and I have no doubt that my family and my little son is my clear priority. If I want to perform demanding and time-consuming work without abdicating to the effort of creating a cozy and thriving family place, I must strive for good time management and a rational list of priorities. Offering compromises in order to get them back is also something I would stress. However, choosing the right and a strong partner is the condition above others and I confess I would have never accepted this challenge without the consent and support from my husband.

Last but not least, we are celebrating 100 years of Czechoslovakia. Being a representative of a state, what is your anniversary greeting to the state?

Well, Czechoslovakia does not exist anymore.

However, a new and a beautiful child named the Czech Republic was born. I wish to the Czech Republic admirable achievements, hardworking people and may their intellectual potential can bring not only the deserved portion of the world market but also prosperous and fulfilled future.

By Linda Štucbartová české znění naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.czechleaders.com

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Hate sales?

You’re in trouble…

Remember the last time you asked for a budget approval from your boss?

Or a few hundred euros more on your monthly paycheck? And what about the time that you got a brilliant idea and tried to get people buy into it?

If you normally get what you want, fabulous! You can turn the page right away because evidently there’s nothing new that you’ll learn from my article. But if there are times when you ended up frustrated by not getting the support you need, or worst still, if you stopped trying to push your ideas through because you can’t face yet another rejection, let’s see if I can give you some fresh hope!

The reality is that even if the word ‘sales’ is not part of your job title, you always sell. Whether asking your boss for a new headcount or asking your partner to join you on a sightseeing trip to Afghanistan, you always sell! And so you might as well understand how this works and test some of my tips to increase your chances of getting peoples’ buy-in.

When you need to convince someone of something…

So how do you convince someone to do something, to change their opinion or behaviour or simply make them quit wearing that bright orange tuxedo to your board meetings? Let’s first consider what motivates people and drives their decision making.

You may believe in the power of logical reasoning and why not? After all, giving people all the facts and reasons for why they should do what you’re asking them to do is… well, logical. But then, have you ever wondered why people give you blank stares when you talk excitedly about the ins and outs of your fabulous solution? Or when you take them through an impressive set of data, facts and figures to back up your latest research?

The truth is that peoples’ decision making is largely unconscious. People make up their mind based on their subconscious mind and only then rationalise their decisions. Why? Because that’s how we’re all wired…

The human mind is a funny thing Let’s talk about the super machine that we all possess and that resides inside our scull, our

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brain. I don't pretend to be a neuroscientist of any kind, but I know enough to understand what triggers people. And that’s what we need to know if our persuasion efforts are to come to fruition.

There are three parts to our brain. For our purposes, let’s call them our three brains: The reptilian brain, that’s the oldest of the three. It controls our body's vital functions such as heart rate, breathing, body temperature and balance. Its prime concern is our survival and our reproduction. The reptilian brain neither feels nor thinks – it simply reacts. When we’re under threat for instance, it mobilizes the body - that’s our fight-flight-freeze response to stress.

The emotional (limbic) brain is the ‘feeling’ part of the brain. It records memories of behaviours that produced agreeable and disagreeable experiences; it connects these experiences with emotions, associating feelings to specific people, things or events.

The emotional brain is the seat of the value judgments that we make, often unconsciously, that exert such a strong influence on our behaviour.

The neocortex is the most ‘recent’ addition to our brain. It’s our two hemispheres. The left hemisphere, our left brain, which operates around language. It’s more analytical, and

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P hoto : A rchive orderly than the right brain. It’s better at things like reading, writing, and computations.

It’s connected to logic, sequencing, linear thinking, mathematics, facts and thinking in words. It’s the part of the brain that makes decisions in a rational way. Then, there’s the right hemisphere – our right brain - which is more visual, intuitive and creative – thinking in a more symbolic manner. It has a more creative and less organized way of thinking.

It’s connected to imagination, holistic thinking, intuition, arts, rhythm, nonverbal cues, feelings visualization, daydreaming.

6.

Show enthusiasm and passion. Because they are contagious. Let your passion for your idea shine through and people will feel as excited about it as you are!

7.

Show them that ‘you can’ and that ‘you care’: To say yes, people need to perceive you as someone who cares, is competent and trustworthy.

Read my article ‘Your Body = Your Story’ to learn more about managing the signals you transmit by your presence.

8.

So what?

This is good to know. Because when you’re talking to someone trying to convince them of the brilliance of your idea, you’re essentially talking to the person’s three brains. The decision that the person will make about you, your idea or your solution is largely based on what ‘feels’ good to them rather than what the most logical thing to do is.

Rational argumentation has its value, no doubt (the neocortex will applaud you with excitement!) but unless you tap into the depth of the person’s subconscious, appealing to the other parts of the brain, your persuasion efforts may come in vain.

Here’s eight ways to leverage the power of the subconscious and increase your chances to get people to say yes!

1.

Appeal to peoples’ needs and hidden emotional desires: People don't care so much about you or your idea (nothing personal), they care about how your idea can make their life better; how it can alleviate their pains or give them something that they need, want or secretly desire. Appeal to their emotions, because logic alone won’t do it.

Don’t make it about you or your idea, make it about them!

2.

Paint a positive picture of the future: Talk about how their decision will lead to a positive outcome, to a bright new future. Make them see themselves in the future and feel what they’ll feel once they get there.

3.

Calm down their emotional & reptile brains: Careful with what you say and how you say it (and how you look when you say it)! Because you don't want to trigger the ‘reptile’ response. If people perceive you (or your idea) as a threat, you can forget about getting their buy-in.

Instead you’ll get either a defensive reaction (FIGHT), or a polite smile and sudden change of topics (FLIGHT), or no reaction at all (FREEZE).

4.

Make them feel safe: Propose a concrete solution, a clear path to follow. This makes people feel more secure about the new direction in which they’re heading. People also respond well when they believe an idea was theirs in the first place. Let them know it was them that gave you the idea.

5.

Link your idea to the person’s deeper values and beliefs. If they think it fits with the kind of person they are or they want to become they’re more likely to go along with it.

Align your body & voice & words: You always want to make sure that your body language and voice tone match the words that you say.

Subconsciously, people will pick up any incoherencies and will perceive uncertainty and lack of conviction from you. And the result? They won’t buy.

Next time you’re about to embark on a rally to persuade others, put these simple tips to the test. If you do it well, your success is (almost) guaranteed. It would be a great shame if you and your brilliant ideas didn't get the chance they deserve just because you hate sales….

Best of success!

By ALENA HUBEROVA Presentation coach, speaker and communications trainer www.alenahuberova.com alena@alenahuberova.com

ABOUT ALENA HUBEROVA Alena assists business leaders all over Europe in developing a powerful personal presence on and offstage, and delivering presentations that get people’s buy-in and inspire action. She also acts as a mentor for startups helping them design and deliver winning business pitches.

She has a professional background in sales, marketing and communication in a variety of sectors including IT, travel and tourism, wellness and beauty.

She lived and worked in 5 different countries in Europe and Asia.

In collaboration with Presenation.com, she coached the X.GLU Czech Team to win the world title at the Microsoft Imagine Cup in 2017. Alena’s other achievements include being a speaker at the TEDx UNYP 2017 conference and winning the second place in the 2017 Czech National Championship of Public Speaking.

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s k r o w t r A g Pra culture event

ARTS IN THE HOUSE POP UP EXHIBITION

From left: Kristin Laronca Parpel, Executive Coach and Consultant, Ondřej Parpel, CEO, Tiger, Louise Beer, PragArtworks, Aleš Spáčil, Green Buddies, and Monika Ruprechtová, Partner, EDM Utilitas Audit + Tax

From left: Alena Oniscenko, Director of Sales, PragArtworks, Louise Beer, Art Consulting, PragArtworks, Nicole Vavrecká, Freelancer

Pavel Baňka, Photographer

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Leny Aardse, Artist

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2018

From left: Linda Štucbartová, Journalist, Chief Interviewer, Czech and Slovak Leaders Magazine, Benke Aikell, your Publisher, and Eva Anderová, Director, Kafka Museum, Vice President for PR, UNYP

From left: Pavlos Olziersky, Counsellor of Economic Affairs, Embassy of Greece, Alena Oniscenko, Director of Sales, PragArtworks, Mr. Thorsten Kalinowski, H.E. Efthymios Efthymiades, Ambassador of Greece, and Louise Beer, Art Consulting, PragArtworks

culture event

From left: Claire Frijs-Madsen, wife of the Ambassador of Denmark, Ivo Krýsa, Dpt. Director, Public Health Authority of the City of Prague, H.E. Leonora Rueda, Ambassador of Mexico, Louise Beer, Art Consulting, PragArtworks and Mr. Paco Hernandez

From left: Taťána Čechovská, Managing Director, Panart, H.E. Seoung-hyun Moon, Ambassador of Korea with his wife Myung - Ji Suh, and Leny Aardse, Artist

From left: H.E. Barbara C. Richardson, Ambassador of Canada and Louise Beer, Art Consulting, PragArtworks

Dadja Altenburg-Kohl, Mécène and founder of MUMO museum and Daniel Pešta, Artist

From left: Mrs. Mína Muchová, Louise Beer, Art Consulting, PragArtworks, and Marcus Mucha, President, Mucha Foundation

Vladimír Bachorík, Glass Artist and Hana Sedláčková, Tiffany & Co

From left: Pedja Djakovič, Painter Artist, Werner Ebm, Co-founder, CEO of EPG and Chairman of the Advisory Board, Maya Lukáš, Cumarte, William Lobkowicz, Alexandra Lobkowicz, and Isabella Ponta, Co - founder of EPG

From left: Mrs. Chloe Geitmann and Grace Wilkinson

From left: Bethany Strauzz, David Strauzz, Artist and Jana Alfery, Alfery and Partners

From left: Alena Oniscenko, Director of Sales, PragArtworks, Lenka Bizková, My Hive Pankrac House, Lukáš Kozdera, Director of Marketing, IMMOFINANZ, Louise Beer PragArtworks, and Jan Jungwirth, Country Manager Finance and Administration, IMMOFINANZ

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I nterview

with

L ouise B eer , P rague A rt W orks , A rt C ollector

Buying and Collecting Art Should Be Part of One’s Upbringing

As I entered Louise Beer’s apartment in the Prague Vinohrady quarter, I felt like I was traveling through time. At first, it reminded me of the end of 19th century or even the early stage of the first Czechoslovak Republic, as we were under the spell of preparations to celebrate the centenary anniversary. I was transported back to the era when nobility and the bourgeois supported artists by buying their pieces. Buying art at that time was not a speculative task to make fortune, as it is nowadays suggested by business magazines; art was simply a part of life. As soon as I sat in the living room decorated with modern Czech art, an elegantly designed electric fire place, old and modern furniture combined together, and Louise started passionately sharing her purpose in demystifying art for the younger generation, I realized that instead of the past, I entered hopefully the near future. Times when middle and upper-middle class realizes that not only attending classical music concerts or theatre plays are part of the upbringing. Buying art to surround oneself with artistic inspirational pieces while supporting artists will come naturally hand in hand.

Louise Beer has had a remarkable career and during the last decade she has managed to turn her life passion of arts into a profession. Born in Montreal, she studied at a prestigious hotel school and built a career in hotel business. She was the Director of International Affairs at the Montreal Convention Centre and she was the first woman on the Board of Directors of L’Institute de Tourisme et d’Hôtellerie du Québec. In 2002, she followed her husband to Prague. She remembers the year and the period quite vividly. As Prague was heavily devastated by the August floods, she soon found herself helping homeless people on the streets. She admits donating about one-third of the furniture that was shipped to Prague, as suddenly she realized she did not need that much. Surrounded by art and inspired by many galleries, Louise turned into a collector and expert on Czech art, getting to know Czech artists personally.

Even Olbram Zoubek, who typically did not enjoy talking to strangers, became Louise’s friend, since he enjoyed speaking French to her. Since 2010, Louise has established several art companies, currently managing Prague Art Works.

Since 2017, Prague Art Works has organized an annual event showcasing art. This November works of 37 Czech contemporary artists will be presented at the modern, industrial looking premises Pankrác House.

Are you curious how the office space of 1 500 sq metres will become a pop up Art Gallery? The event is by invitation only, however, Czech and Slovak Leaders Magazine readers are invited to request their entry ticket to the exhibition at info@pragartworks.com. Make sure to reserve Wednesday November 21 or Thursday November 22 from 11 am until 4 pm to experience such a unique event.

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Louise, many people think that passion for arts comes with age and wealth. Your journey proves the opposite to be true. When did you discover a passion for art?

My passion for art started during my late teenage years, when I was a student at a prestigious hotel school in Montreal.

My friend’s mother ran her own gallery and I just loved visiting it. Not only did I get the best advice regarding art, being that "art does not go out of fashion" , I also had the option to buy a piece of art on an installment plan. As a student, I had already gotten used to saving money, so I could afford to buy one piece of art per year. Little by little, I started to build my own collection.

Your purpose is to demystify art particularly for the younger generation. Your rule is simple: Buy the art that you love!

Definitely!

Go to a gallery, see a piece you like, talk to the artist, and then make an arrangement to buy a piece. Follow your heart. I am not a supporter of “investment art”, of buying a piece I do not like, just because it might become fashionable and valuable someday. Everything you buy should be able to be hung on a wall or put on display, to enjoy the pleasure of looking at it. That is the true purpose of art, as it cultivates our lives. Start early. Not after your house is completely furnished and you have no place left. By starting early, you also set an example for children. The same way as you do when you go to concerts, theatres or museums. Children should see art being part of everyday life.

You have started specializing in Czech art. What do we not know and should know about Czech art?

Czech art is truly unique and multifaceted in many ways and it can cater to everyone’s taste. I still insist that you should buy the art you love, but let me also mention the business perspective. As many Czech artists are still not very well known abroad, you get excellent art for an affordable price, compared to western European or Chinese art.

For those of us who want to become art lovers, can you share with us your favorite galleries and some hidden gems?

That’s like asking a parent which child is the most favorite. There are so many different galleries. One more specific about Prague is that it is quite easy to get to an opening night.

Definitely they are not a VIP red carpet event, accessible to few privileged ones, as in many cities. As for big or well-known galleries, I always suggest Rudolfinum, Kampa Museum, Dox, MUMO or Veletržní palác. For small gems, I like Gemma, Art in the Box, Havelská Gallery, Prague Cabinet and Zdeněk Sklenář Gallery. I could continue since it seems that new galleries are almost mushrooming, to reflect the Czech reality and favorite past time.

Last but not least, you generously decided to extend the invitation to your exhibition in November. Readers interested in attending should write to info@pragueartworks.com. Who can they look forward to seeing?

I feel like a parent who needs to single out one favorite child out of a few. I will mention the artists I have known for a long time and had the pleasure working with.

I have had the pleasure of knowing Pavel Roučka, and as we became friends, he kindly introduced me to many of his artists friends as well as his family. The same was true about Pavel Forman from Ostrava who introduced me to Marek Schovánek, Dan Trantina, Petr Sadovský and Ivana Štenclová. It is worth to mention that all these talented artists also have had studios in Berlin and have become famous there.

Kateřina Štenclová has further introduced me to Anna Neborová and Kristýna Šormová. It was an enormous pleasure to see how this small group started to grow and good friendships based on trust have resulted in great business relations.

I am also proud to have worked with the younger generations of upcoming stars like Matěj Lipavský, Tomáš Tichý, Jakub Flejšar, Lukáš Rais, David Strauzz.

I love their energy and spirit and it is a great pleasure to do business with them.

All 37 artists I am now working with made my work a delightful business and help my mission to promote Czech Art across cultures and generations.

By Linda Štucbartová

culture event

Chinese – Czech Art Project; Imperial Hall of the Lobkowicz Palace in Prague Castle 27th of November, 2018 The exhibition is a part of the Chinese - Czech Art Project, showing for the first time together works by two painters: A Hai from Shanghai and Pavel Roučka from Prague. Both of them, experienced and well known artists in their own countries, have their own way of artistic expression which is quite different from one another. Although the exhibition could look full of contrast and contradiction, it is a brave and fascinating beginning of the artistic dialogue, connecting two distant cultures.

The opening event took place, November 27, 2018 at the Imperial Hall of the Lobkowicz Palace in Prague Castle. The organizers were Shanghai Bamboo Art Center and L’Étincelle Art Space from Shanghai and Cum Arte from Prague.

Visitors at the exhibition

From left: Benke Aikell, your Publisher, Eva Anderová, Honorary Consul of Zambia, Vice President of PR, UNYP, Director, Kafka Museum, and Dr. Erik Slingerland, Managing Partner, EAS International S.A.

From left: Jennifer Zhang, Founder- Curator, L´Etincelle Art Space and Zixiao Pu, Vice President, New iPicture Media

Dr. Erik Slingerland, Managing Partner, EAS International S.A

Chen Manfu, Chinese Art Curator

Pavel Roučka, and A Hai, Artists

Chantal Poullain, Film and Theatre Actress

H.E. Barbara Richardson, Ambassador of Canada in the Czech Republic and Pavel Roučka, Artist

From left: Heinz Knotzer, independent Advisor & Investor, Silvia Lepiarczyk, Entrepeneur & Philanthropist, Leny Aardse, Artist, Maya Lukas, Art Curator, Cum Arte, and Jaap Aardse, former head of Philips in ČR

From left: Alexander Groenhuijzen, Managing Director, Rakord, Alice Humlová, Collection Curator, Cum Arte, MuDr. Nataša Pašuld, Dalibor Pašuld, Architect, and Otto Dvořák, AIA Architect

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2018

75

T he P ower

of

G ratitude

Life

Is Beautiful

Part XI: Live the Life You Want1,2

James A. Cusumano, PhD Chairman Chateau Mcely s.r.o.

Prague, Czech Republic “The key to growth is the introduction of higher dimensions of consciousness into our awareness.”

The Source

Lao Tzu

Some 5,000 years ago, Wisdom Seekers in the east spent nearly all of their waking hours at high levels of consciousness through the power of deep meditation. They were interested in gaining fundamental knowledge about the nature and workings of our universe. They subsequently made a number of valuable findings. The most significant of these they felt would be one of the greatest of scientific discoveries – ever. They called it the Akashic Record. The word “Akasha” can be translated from Sanskrit to mean “ether.” The Akashic Record is an infinite compendium which exists in a non-physical etheric dimension and contains a record of all human events, thoughts, words and emotions ever to have occurred in the past, present, or future (Figure 1). In this etheric plane time and space do not exist.1 Using the Akashic Record, these Wisdom Seekers were able to manifest apparent “miracles.” However, as they astutely recognized, these were not miracles, but outcomes explainable by advanced scientific principles based on the knowledge they had discovered. They made it clear that using guidelines they had discovered, anyone with good intentions could access this knowledge (Figure 2).

The degree of access by any specific person would depend on their level of consciousness – higher levels mean greater access.

Figure 1: The Akashic Record is a compendium in a non-physical, etheric dimension. It contains a record of all human events, intentions, thoughts, words and emotions ever to have occurred in the past, present, or future. Time and space do not exist in the world of consciousness.

Since then, those who have followed this practice have found a means to create long-term abundance and fulfillment, namely happiness, in their lives and in the lives of others.

This methodology is based on the fundamental idea that all material and non-material things come from the same Source. Although not related to any religion or theology, some might refer to this Source as God, the Holy Spirit, the Cosmos, the Unified Field or Cosmic Consciousness. I will use the latter term to dissociate from any connection with organized religion. If you embrace this concept and the guidelines provided below, you too can manifest into your life whatever you see as necessary to create your long-term abundance, fulfillment and happiness.2

Our Purpose

According to the Wisdom Seekers, the purpose of all material things throughout the universe, including you, is to provide Cosmic Consciousness with total and complete awareness of the wonders and beauty of its creation, just as the material world provides you with your five-sense awareness. The key to living a happy and fulfilled life is to embrace the fact that all abundance

comes from Cosmic Consciousness of which you are an intimate part (Figure 3).3 We are all connected to each other and, in fact, to all things.

Within Cosmic Consciousness, and therefore within you, there exists infinite creativity and possibilities that can bring you the best of friends, joy, health, wealth and much more.

However, it is necessary to eliminate the “noise” and “camouflage” of the physical world in order to access this capability.

The Way

There are specific guidelines for practicing this philosophy and methodology successfully. First, it should bring no harm to you or anyone else.

Also, it should add value to the world in some way. It need not be a large contribution, but must not be negative. The reason for this guideline is that just as physical evolution is directed towards more complete, unified and effective species, the evolution of consciousness throughout the universe is directed towards more complete, unified and effective levels of awareness.

There are some who maintain that you must be lucky to achieve personal success. However, luck is simply a principle invented by those who have

1. EDITOR’S COMMENT – This is the eleventh article in a series based on the author’s book, “Life Is Beautiful: 12 Universal Rules”, Waterfront Press, Cardiff California, 2015.

2. The author may be reached at Jim@ChateauMcely.com.

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CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2018

T he P ower never discovered the power of living in alignment with Cosmic Consciousness to manifest a life of fulfillment.

To bring what you desire into your life and achieve the abundance or fulfillment you seek, starts with a thought, a clear understanding or intention. This is followed by consistent attention, namely a complete expectation of achieving your goals.

In modern terms, this is the so-called Law of Attraction in action. However, many people often fail to succeed because the Wisdom Seekers discovered a third important guideline, which if absent, can prevent your success. This is detachment, which means you must relinquish the desire to manage the details and force solutions in order to bring about your goal. Instead, you should mentally focus on your goals; take the necessary overall steps to achieve your dreams; and find security in the wisdom of uncertainty by letting go of any specific attachment to the outcome, leaving the details to the universe, or more accurately – Cosmic Consciousness. If you don’t do this, you are actually working against the role of Cosmic Consciousness to bring about the best solution.

Our Challenge

Throughout life, we inherit the beliefs and ideas of those with whom we spend the most time – parents, family, teachers, friends, the media and colleagues. Their philosophies, values and ideas often become a major part of our subconscious mind. Some of these beliefs may, at first, serve us well. But in time they may not be in our best interest to achieve the goals we set for ourselves and therefore may work against our personal fulfillment.

Although research has shown that we function primarily with our subconscious mind, which has

G ratitude

Figure 3: All abundance comes from Cosmic Consciousness of which you are an intimate part.

been programmed by others, as human beings, we have the unique ability among all species to reprogram our subconscious and change any past conditioning to that which favors our personal needs and goals. We can do this by releasing negativity, interacting with like-minded conscious people, experiencing inspirational events and engaging in uplifting activities.

The most powerful tool for reprogramming our subconscious is the frequent practice of meditation.

By using this approach, we can develop new positive ways of living and begin to clear the subconscious of all that does not serve us well in following our path to abundance and fulfillment.

The Path to Happiness

To summarize, there are five distinct steps inherent in a conscious life that can enable you to create with least effort those things you seek as a means to fulfillment and abundance.

Attention – This is the first step in any personal transformation. It starts with a thought. Placing your attention on exactly what you want in your world, whether it is love, prosperity, a job, a new home, improved health or anything else, will, through the power of Collective Consciousness energize that object, the individuals associated with it, and as a consequence begin to draw it to you.4 Intention – Intention is the second step. It’s a crystal-clear and specific vision of a desired outcome. Based on your intention in step one, you develop a clear picture of what you would like to have happened. You must believe that you can obtain your goal, as long as it brings no harm to anyone including you.

Figure 2: Anyone with the right intentions can access the knowledge in the Akashic Record simply by practicing the required guidelines.

of

Imagination – Imagination, one of the most powerful forces in human consciousness, is the next step. You should consistently imagine what

you desire and truly believe there is no barrier to prevent it from becoming part of your life.

Belief – It is not what you want that you attract into your life; it is what you believe to be true. To make the transition from imagination to belief you must experience the intense pleasure of having accomplished your goal. In quiet moments, best done in physical stillness immediately upon awakening from sleep or after meditation, you should picture your accomplishment as already achieved and revel in your success. It’s here and it feels great!

Detachment – Detachment is arguably the most difficult step. You might say, “I have done all the work necessary to get this far, and now you want me to detach from the outcome?” Yes. The reason is simple. If you don’t detach from the desired outcome, i.e., achieving your goal or objective, your logical conscious mind can very easily fall back to the fear of failure. And fear is a powerful negative attractor. In no way do you give up on success. You simply disconnect from the outcome and let the “Universe handle the details” – namely the how and the when.

The reason that people fail to achieve their desired goals by simply practicing “positive thinking” is that success requires a commitment to all five of these steps.

With practice, these steps can be carried out in a seamless consecutive path that requires minimal work. In time, manifestation becomes an increasingly shorter process. As mentioned above, the practice of daily meditation – just 30 minutes in the early morning and again in the late afternoon – will significantly help all of these elements come together so that you achieve the fulfilled, abundant and happy life you deserve.

Sat, Chit, Ananda!

Enjoy your journey, make a difference!

References: 1. Irvin Laszlo, Science and the Akashic Field: An Integral Theory of Everything, Inner Traditions, Rochester, VT, 2007. 2. James A. Cusumano, Cosmic Consciousness: A Journey To Wellbeing, Happiness and Success, Fortuna Libri, Prague, 2011, in Czech and English within the same volume. 3. James A. Cusumano, Life Is Beautiful: 12 Universal Rules, Waterfront Press, Cardiff, CA, 2015. 4. Op. cit., References 2 and 3.

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77

I nterview

with

O ndřej M ynář , CEO, N afigate C osmetics

NAFIGATE

will become a world-renowned cosmetics brand

In October 2018, the Czech company Nafigate Cosmetics launched a new cosmetic product that does not use microplastics.

This product has secured world primacy for Czechs in access to cosmetics. The new peeling shower milk with the natural polymer P3HB is based on a unique development by Czech scientists.

There is a picture of a sea turtle on the product packaging, reminding the consumer of the serious problem of microplastics in water.

As we deal with innovations in business regularly in Czech Leaders, I happily accepted the invitation to lunch from Ondřej Mynář, CEO of Nafigate Cosmetics.

A work lunch has never passed so quickly. I admired how young and successful Ondřej is, while remaining modest and humble in spite of his success. He started as a summer worker in the company, slowly working his way up to the CEO chair and fully taking over the management from his mother, Lenka Mynářová. Ondřej Mynář faces the future with optimism.

He has travelled nearly the whole world, but decided to continue doing business in the Czech Republic. He speaks of Czech scientists with enthusiasm, as he does of his dreams. Personally, I am glad that this special issue dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Czechoslovakia can feature him, a representative of the new young generation of leaders who are picking up the industrial tradition of the First Republic while having global experience and ambitions.

Ondřej, what was the path from academic research into nanofibres to a cosmetic product that is unique in the world?

The research started in Nafigate Corporation and focused on development of nanofibre applications for water and air filtering and on the application of nanofibres in biotechnologies. As part of its activities, Nafigate Corporation worked on developing nanofibres designed for skin use. Examining the transfer of active substances using nanofibres was one part of the medical research that appeared very promising. It showed that nanofibres can in fact actively bind pus from acne, for example. Eventually, a team of about 15 scientists decided to make a bold innovative leap: shift the research into cosmetics. Medical research

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P hoto : A rchive

I nterview

with

O ndřej M ynář , CEO, N afigate C osmetics

is both money- and time-consuming in terms of approval and regulatory procedures, and it takes decades; we have to be able to respond within weeks. And it was based on this nanofibre research for cosmetics that Nafigate Cosmetics was established in 2015.

started dealing with very different issues relating to legislation and base products. After three years, I can say in all conscience that we have everything working smoothly and the team’s well on its way! We employ 15 people and our turnover target for this year is over 8 million.

The story of Nafigate Corporation and Nafigate Cosmetics can be used as an example of combining primary and applied research. At the start, however, your key product failed rather than succeeded, which goes to confirm the well-known fact that initial failure is common in start-ups and means nothing.

Research into nanofibres and their effectiveness was indeed the foundation for Nafigate Cosmetics.

Nafigate Cosmetics started as a spin-off project with the product AcneInvisible.

Building a company on a single product was in itself not the best idea. AcneInvisible didn’t do well as a product. It cost us a lot of money and energy, but on the other hand we learnt a lot from it. We removed the product as such from the market after a year and a half, because it fell short of our high expectations. During the product modifications, however, we confirmed the effectiveness of nanofibres in cosmetics, customers began asking for more products, and eventually they demanded a whole product range. So we gradually developed Nano-Eye Lift, used for immediate wrinkle reduction.

A study verified by the National Institute of Public Health proves a reduction in wrinkles of up to 75% after a 30-minute application. At the same time, the nanofibres open up pores, enabling penetration of more active substances into the skin. Gradually, we’ve marketed creams, serums and other products, as is common with other cosmetics companies. The total number of our products has grown to 36 in three years. We have not only thousands of customers but also more than 350 partner parlours, where customers can test out our entire product range. We thus offer not only products focused on wrinkle reduction and hydration, but also a cream with active substances containing hyaluronic acid.

We continue to market not only new products in the form of cosmetics but also technological innovations that make our products unique.

Let’s now look at your brand new product, which you launched in October and is unique in the world of cosmetics.

It’s a shower gel based on a biopolymer that’s never been used in cosmetics so far. This means our product doesn’t contain microplastics, which are microparticles that enter water and severely contribute to upsetting of the ecosystem, because microplastics take centuries to break down in the environment. The Hydal technology again originates from Nafigate Corporation.

By the way, the Hydal technology won first place in this year’s competition Innovations for Sustainable Development. It’s a new technology, the only one in the world that can process industrially and reuse spent deep-frying oil and turn it into a brand new, high-value raw material, a PHB-type biopolymer. It’s used either as a raw material for bioplastic production, or as a naturally decomposing microplastic. Nafigate Cosmetics has been successful in grasping the ideas of excellent Czech scientists and linking them to the end market. I’m glad to bring to the market innovations coming from Czech scientists, who can do world-class science at a fraction of the cost. That said, the transfer of innovations from laboratories to the end market is very complicated.

Your career story somehow reminds me of the American dream. You joined Nafigate Corporation as a summer worker and then you worked your way up to marketing manager and marketing director. At Nafigate Cosmetics, you’re the company coowner, chairman of the board of directors and you manage the whole company.

Yes, I started by preparing documents and presentations.

Communication in Nafigate Corporation ran at a scientific level, proceeded at professional trade fairs and focused on development. After establishing the cosmetics company, I was the only one with the basics of communication marketing, and I was able to communicate over social media and adjust communication to the end customer. Suddenly I

It looks like you’ve found the Holy Grail of linking primary and applied research. Even big corporations have a hard time finding an answer to that. For you, it’s the customer who’s at the fore, not science as such.

There’s an underlying united effort of all those involved. We all strive for the best product for the customer. We face numerous challenges, legislation being the first one. If you’re a pioneer in something, for example in using biopolymers in cosmetics, you have to design special testing, because no-one’s ever done this procedure before you. The readiness of the whole team for action is shown when the first non-standard procedure comes. I’m really proud of the composition of the teams in both companies, Nafigate Corporation and Nafigate Cosmetics.

Nafigate Corporation pays great attention to talent management; resolving the problem of not using microparticles involved an array of absolutely brilliant postgraduates, supported by more experienced corporate employees.

The other team, at Nafigate Cosmetics, then literally dived into resolving the legislative issues connected with marketing the product.

The point is that the customer demands all the standard properties in a product; innovation is secondary only to that. To give an example: when you use a shower gel, you have to get a pleasant feeling from using it, a gentle touch, foaming ability, and so on; the innovation really comes second in this case. The product’s properties

have to be identical, to which we add a second value, namely an environmental approach, since the product is fully degradable in water. We have one stage in the product development cycle that not many companies have. None of our products will reach the market until we have favourable comments from customers. We use a network of cosmetics parlours for this, in which we regularly test our products. We pay great attention to feedback from our customers, and adjust our formulations based on it. Frequently we do this repeatedly. On the other hand, we’re very fast and capable of responding within weeks or several months. Sometimes we don’t market the product at all, because we know we wouldn’t be able to keep our promises and corporate values.

We make our products without parabens, and if we use perfumes, then only natural ones.

Another frequently debated issue is successorship. You took over from your mother, but originally she wanted you to do sociological research. What’s it like working with your mum?

You know, sometimes it’s hard to have your mum at work. On the other hand, I realise many of my achievements are only thanks to her. She allowed me to travel, organise trade fairs in China, and try dealing with important business partners. As for business, each of us is different. I’d describe my mother as an energy hurricane. She handed the company over to me completely, as I don’t think having multiple leaders is viable. I was well prepared for successorship; I’d worked hard for it.

All the employees knew me, as I’d hired some of them myself. The fact that I’d helped build the company and had an expert understanding of the issues helped me a lot. I often see cases where someone from the outside arrives to manage a company. Personally I don’t think it’s appropriate; you have to know the company from the inside.

It’s also easier to gain people’s confidence if they’ve known you as a hard-working person with a vision for moving the company forward.

What is your vision?

To build a world-renowned cosmetics brand based on technological innovations. To use the magnificent potential of Czech scientists in the Czech Republic, which is a great country for doing business. I’ve travelled all over the Czech Republic. At present, we have facilities or collaborating institutions in Ostrava, Hradec Králové, Liberec and Prague. What we are lacking is better PR, and I’m glad to be able to contribute with my vision for a company that has the potential to change the world.

By Linda Štucbartová české znění naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.czechleaders.com

(This interview is a loose continuation of the series on innovations. We recommend the previous interviews about nanotechnologies with Jiří Kůs and about circular economy with Soňa Jonášová. The interviews are available online at www.czechleaders.cz/interviews)

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79

ONE DAY FOR PASSION: From corporate responsibility to social innovation

Lenka ฤ รกbelovรก

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P hoto : A rchive

The 100th anniversary of Czechoslovakia made me think about one of the famous quotes of T. G. Masaryk and how it applies to business. I believe that it is not only states but also organizations that are sustained by the values upon which they were founded. If we talk about corporate responsibility, this is the place to start. Being responsible does not mean doing “good projects” on top of business that is intrinsically irresponsible or indifferent to its impact on society. And, on the contrary, a company that was started with a focus on strong societal values may not need additional programs to be responsible – if it cultivates its founding principles across the whole business.

Life is more complex and colorful than this simple thought. Yet, especially as new generations enter the workplace and marketplace, the need for value-based entrepreneurship climbs up the ladder of corporate priorities. Millenials and gen Z change our paradigm. Consider for example the rising appetite for sharing as opposed to owning things as a response to consumer society. Or the desire to buy things with a story – as esoteric as it may sound, it leads to much more thorough “investigation” of where and how the product was created, what materials were used and who made it and why. Focus on how a product or service impacts the world spreads across generations and forces companies to go back to basics – to the core values that drive them. Equally important, it creates the need to rethink business models and fundamentally innovate how they operate.

Responsibility disrupted These trends also impact the non-profit sector.

Over the summer I took part in a workshop focused on accelerating social transformation in Seattle, USA, and one of the topics we discussed was the changing nature of philanthropy in the age of digital disruption. The traditional world of philanthropy is based on institutionalized help and operates within standardized regulations and practices. Usually established as wellorganized non-profit organizations who seek long-term impact and strive to enable lasting systemic change. Among their key challenges has always been scarcity of resources, dependency on government or corporate funding and limited ability to stir emotions and actions of individuals. How long does it take for a typical non-profit, whom we can imagine as a whale, to raise $ 100 million? The Ice bucket challenge of 2014 did it in just about a month without any institutional background.

In a digitally networked world, an individual can trigger an inconceivable wave of action – like a spawning salmon that swiftly swims against the current. By directly tapping into the hearts of a broad digital community, salmon easily overcome the hardships of whales, achieving amazing scale and impact and engaging those who used to remain passive. Yet, can we rely on such moments of action, that are so hard to sustain and replicate? The domino effect of compassion is a much-desired rain in a dry garden but once the last brick falls, it is over. Just

like we see large organizations being inspired by agile start-ups to drive disruption from inside, fast growing start-ups need to adopt sound governance and processes - whales and salmon need to befriend each other to make sure the garden remains green.

How to release the passion of salmons?

Why is this lesson important to corporations?

Because it is much smarter and more impactful to drive social innovation within the organization to creatively address societal challenges than to implement complex CSR programs on top of core business. The big challenge for a corporate whale is to release the creative power of its own people (salmon) and allow for a less restrictive approach to innovations, in terms of funding as well as openness to failures.

All this came neatly together last October, when I got the opportunity to visit an Israeli venture capital fund that focuses on progressive entrepreneurs. They gave us a sort of mathematical welcome – showing their formula for success:

V+M+C+A=S2: value plus mission plus creativity plus action equal success squared There is hardly a better way to express a responsible approach to business. The equation also provides a handy checklist for companies who want to evolve from traditional CSR to making social innovation part of their DNA. Let’s look at each variable and why it matters. We start from the end because action is what it all heads towards. As the classic saying goes, even the greatest idea without action is but a dream.

Action is deeply individual. Let me paraphrase a famous joke: Who wants action? Everyone.

Who wants to lead action? A few. Who will act now? No one. Companies often hit a wall when they try to drive change and creativity. I see two elements that hinder bright ideas being turned into reality – a too complex system to analyze, evaluate and approve any novelty and a paralyzing fear of failure. Dr. Andy David, Director of Innovation of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign affairs, shared that a government-run incubator in Israel considers a 60–70% fail rate a success. If we fail less, we know we do not take enough risks, he stressed. Many organisations claim they embrace failures but they only reward achievements. How about making “failure rate” in relation to innovation the main success indicator?

The next factor is creativity. It is not taught at schools unfortunately. In a world that may go through an industrial revolution every decade, where most kids will hold a job that does not yet exist today, and where society faces a variety of brand-new challenges, schools need to hit refresh. And companies as well. At Microsoft, we recently conducted a research focused on skills needed to succeed in the future. The top

two themes were social emotional skills, namely self-management and responsible decisionmaking, and personalized learning, meaning the ability of students to navigate their own learning and make personal choices that unlock their curiosity and potential. Organizations start to understand that creativity and innovation can hardly be planned as a 5-year project with fixed milestones. It takes courage to allow for a bit of entropy in the system – setting clear goals, providing right tools and encouraging environment and then letting “salmon” find their own unique ways.

I was intrigued when I learned that the investment fund who invented the success equation invites their employees to spend one day a week pursuing their own projects.

Many companies struggle to engage people and many employees long to have an impact.

Creating a space to follow individual passions is a great trigger for creativity and purpose that will benefit both society and businesses, and deliver a much stronger impact than volunteering as most firms run it today.

It starts and ends with trust Creativity and action, however, are not a goal per se. If they shall have lasting impact and benefit to society, they need a purpose, a mission. When driven only by the desire to have a(ny) business and make profit, an entrepreneur or a manager get easily stressed or derailed by changing conditions and occasional downswings. If all you want is to succeed as a start-upper or innovate because it is trendy, you end up jumping from topic to topic without getting anywhere. Unless you have a lot of luck.

But luck is not enough to sustain a business over time. A clear mission and the need to “change the world for better” is a foundation that will take your business much farther.

What I liked most about the equation is that it decidedly starts with value. An excellent example of how essential as well as intricate this topic is in relation to innovation, is a fastmoving start-up using AI-based sound solution to protect people in various critical situations.

Fantastic idea and a great mission to achieve, yet when asked about protecting privacy during their expansion to China, they gave us a rather evasive answer: It will sort out itself. It will not. In the technology-based world of today, privacy is fundamental for any business to be successful.

If there is a value that any business must be founded upon, I believe it is trust.

I thus propose to adjust the equation as follows: Vx(M+C+A)/p=S3. Foundational values are the multiplicator (or killer if missing) of all the other variables, p stands for “space for passion”, expressed as a portion of work time (one day a week, as PICO does it, would be 0.2). And success is raised to the third power.

By Lenka Čábelová Communications and Philanthropies Lead at Microsoft Czech Republic and Slovakia

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81

P artners

cultural event

The Jiebing Chen concert,

of the

MIRO G alllery 2018:

12 / 11 / 2018 at the MIRO Gallery Prague

Chinese virtuoso on the Erhu, an ancient Asian musical instrument

Sharon Resch, American patron of Slovak and Czech musicians in USA, Canada, Czech and Slovak Republic; Miro Smolák, Director of the MIRO Gallery Prague and Founder of the TREBBIA Foundation

Alina Martynova, Piano Player with Jiebing Chen, Erhu Player

Sharon Resch during her opening speech

From left: Wang Qian, Attaché, Embassy of the People's Republic of China to the Czech Republic; Benjamín Szakál, Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic; Chen Jianjun, Political Counsellor, Embassy of the People's Republic of China to the Czech Republic

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Reverend Monsignor Mambé Jean-Sylvain Emien, Counsellor, Vatican - Apostolic Nunciature with Mrs. Martha Amoako

©

photo

O to P alán

cultural event

Jiebing Chen during her concert

From left: Miro Smolák, Sharon Resch, Eva Blahová, Member of the BHS Bratislava Art Council and Director Emeritus of the Janacek Opera in Brno; Aleš Kaňka, Director, Prague Conservatory

From left: H. E. Virginia Hesse, Ambassador, Embassy of the Republic of Ghana in Prague with Jiebing Chen

Lukáš Hakoš, Co-Founder & CEO, Clever Monitor s.r.o

From left: Kim Douwes, MBA & TEFL Certified English Instructor; Jana Blount, Owner of the 5th Avenue Boutique; Alena Miro, Opera Singer

From left: Václav Hybš, Conductor with his spouse; Vlastimil Harapes, former soloist of the National Theater Ballet

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cultural event

The Franz Kafka

INTERNATIONAL LITERARY PRIZE 2018

The Franz Kafka Society was proud to announce this year´s laureate of the prestigious Franz Kafka Prize, the Czech poet Ivan Wernisch awarded on Monday, 22nd October 2018 in the Old Town Hall in Prague.

Ivan Wernisch became the eighteenth laureate of this international literary prize awarded by the Franz Kafka Society in cooperation with the Capital City of Prague.

The mission of the Franz Kafka Prize is the evaluation of artistically exceptional literary creation of contemporary authors whose work addresses the readers regardless of their origin, nationality and culture, as well as the work of Franz Kafka himself, one of the greatest authors of modern world literature.

From left: Jan Wolf, Councelor, City of Prague, Adriana Krnáčová, former Mayor, City of Prague, Vladimír Železný, President, Franz Kafka Society, Miroslav Nenutil, Senator, Marianne Gruber, Chairlady of Jury of Franz Kafka Prize 2018, and Lucie Bransten, Interperter

Tomáš Chlebeček, Deputy Director of Franz Kafka Center

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From left: H.E. Vitalie Rusu, Ambassador of Moldavia in the Czech Republic, Vladimír Karfík, Author of Laudatio, and Jan Placák, Antiquarian and friend of the Laureate Ivan Wernisch

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Bronze statuette - a miniaturized model of Franz Kafka Monument in Prague

cultural event Bronze statuette, a miniaturized model of Franz Kafka Monument in Prague

Jan Placák, Antiquarian and friend of the Laureate Ivan Wernisch

Eva Anderová, Director, Franz Kafka Center, Vice President for PR, UNYP, Honorary Consul to Zambia

Brožík Hall in the Old Town Hall in Prague

Guests of Franz Kafka Prize in the Brožík Hall in Prague

From left: H.E. Vitalie Rusu, Ambassador of Moldavia in the Czech Republic, Josef Čermák, Member of Commitee of Franz Kafka Society, and H.E. Virginia Hesse, Ambassador of the Republic of Ghana in the Czech Republic

From left: members of Franz Kafka Society and H.E. Efthymios Efthymiades, Ambassador of Greece in the Czech Republic

Beata Hlavenková, Pianist

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gastronomic event

Third International Week of the Italian Cuisine in the World

The third edition of the Week of Italian Cuisine in the World, which was held from 19 to 25 November 2018, aimed to promote internationally high-quality Italian cuisine and the agri-food sector, the distinctive traits of “Brand Italy” in line with the big themes which were launched by EXPO 2015 Milano and which characterise Italy’s agri-food sector: quality, sustainability, food safety, right to food, education, identity, territory and biodiversity.

In the Czech Republic, an eno-gastronomical gala dinner, held by the Embassy of Italy, was dedicated to the promotion of the products and of the territory of the region Lazio. In the course of the event, which took place in the suggestive baroque chapel of the Italian Culture Institute in Prague, there were presented some of Lazio´s excellences with a menu which enhanced the region´s typical products fashioned by starred chef Lele Usai and four stars of the Italian cuisine in Prague: Matteo de Carli, Leonardo Di Clemente, Riccardo Lucque and Emanuele Ridi.

From left: Matteo Mariani, General Secretary of the Italian – Czech Chamber of Commerce, Federico Bernardi, First Secretary of the Embassy of Italy and Gianfranco Pinciroli, President of the Italian-Czech Chamber of Commerce

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H.E. Francesco Saverio Nisio, the Ambassador of Italy at his welcome speech

gastronomic event Jan Kodeš, Wimbledon winner with his wife Martina

From left: Federico Bernardi, H.E. Francesco Saverio Nisio, the Ambassador of Italy, Adéla Rubešová and Kateřina Šromová, MFA

From left: Gianfranco Pinciroli, President of the Italian-Czech Chamber of Commerce, Matteo Mariani, General Secretary of the Italian – Czech Chamber of Commerce, and Enrica Onorati, Representative of the Region Lazio

From left: H.E. Francesco Saverio Nisio, the Ambassador of Italy and Giovanni Sciola, the Director of Italian Culture Institute

Greeting the guests

From left: H.E. Francesco Saverio Nisio, Ambassador of Italy, Elisa Selmi, Sales Manager, "La Collezione", Hana Babak, Artist, Enrica Onorati, Councellor of Lazio Region, and Giovanni Sciola, the Director of Italian Culture Institute

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UNLOCKING CHILDREN’S POTENTIAL: A GUIDE FOR PARENTS WHO WANT A LITTLE BIT MORE FOR THEIR CHILDREN Kateřina Novotná, Jan Mühlfeit A few years ago, when we met for the first time, neither of us had ever imagined the path that had been awaiting us. However, we soon realized that we will walk this path together. Within a very short time we managed to combine our knowledge and create a unique system for the education of parents and their children. Now for more than two years we have been conducting special workshops for children and students aimed at developing their talents; it’s been a joy to have nearly three thousand participants in these workshops.

Due to the quality responses received, we have decided to expand the program a little further and make our experience even more accessible to people. All our accumulated knowledge and effective methods, which are key to the proper use of our strengths are condensed in more than two hundred pages of our new book entitled Unlocking Children’s Potential that we launched on October 1st.

In the book, we discuss not only discovering what is in us, but also the functioning of brain synapses, creating synergies and building selfconfidence. Parents and educators will be able to see how the latest findings of positive psychology help children in their development and self-awareness, which lead not only to success, but also to happiness in their life.

Why is self-knowledge important?

It's simple: when we do what we are good at and what we enjoy, we feel good and are able to perform better. Feeling good and enjoying learning and work help prevent stress or the accumulation of negative emotions.

Where to begin to learn how to find out what our talents are? And how to help children to discover them?

For these purposes, psychometric talent tests have been developed. These tests contain statements and examples of real life situations, from which we select those responses that best define us. Most of these tests are based on the intuitive responses and preferences of each respondent. The results will highlight which areas are the strongest and where we could succeed.

For those who do not want to go through the tests, there are also simple exercises in which we ask ourselves what gives us energy and what helps us recharge. Such activities are likely to overlap with areas of our talents.

It is natural to have both strengths and weaknesses. Identification of our weaknesses helps us: these are activities that we should learn at least at such a level that they do not limit

88 More information to be found via www.janmuhlfeit.com and www.odemykanidetskehopotencialu.cz

us in the future. However, these are not areas that we should focus on in life. Additionally, it’s important to recognize that this is why there are diverse work teams. We continue to work with strengths and talents – through verification, development and learning how to use them best.

Discovering hidden talent We believe that every child has a talent.

Discovering their talent is the first and crucial step on the path to success. It's just as important as nurturing the talent and developing it further. Obsolete thinking systems in this area sometimes hinder, instead of supporting strengths, children in schools learn to be better at what they struggle with.

When a baby is born, it has hundreds of millions of brain cells, called neurons, which communicate with each other and connect through synapses. These are then activated by the innate talents. Children mostly play with what is fun for them. Why is it like this?

These synapses are linked to two formulas. In the first one, they play the role of enjoyment, experience and what surrounds humans. In the second one, it is linked to what humans think about.

By the age of three, the child has already created half of their synapses; by the seventh year there are almost complete connections. If the discovery of talent happens later than that, it can still be extremely useful. Thanks to brain neuroplasticity, a process where new synapses are created, our brain can be "reprogrammed" at any time. It's just slower than in childhood.

Talent instead of compass It makes no sense to give ourselves only the highest goals, instead we must give ourselves the right ones. When a person does something to succeed and has a natural talent, they are not only successful but also happy because they are engaged in areas that engage them.

It is therefore necessary to have a balance of motivation (external incentives that motivate us) together with inspiration (i.e., an internal motivation that is characterized by love for a certain activity). You can receive gold medals, make money, receive golden globes and you can have fun. Jaromír Jágr was recently interviewed by Forbes in the Czech Republic and the journalist asked him: "Jaromír, how can you be motivated to perform after all these years?" And he said: "You didn’t understand what this is about. It's not just about external motivation." The essence lies in that journey because he simply loves hockey.

The talent that is genetically given to us by our ancestors is the potential. If we do not find it, we will not be able to unlock it. We try to not only discover the talent, but also to show how to develop it. Only by means of talent can you achieve the so-called state of flow, where even if you are doing something complicated, your talents make the most of it. When in flow,

people are not only successful, but also happy because they are themselves.

School as an obstacle course According to NASA, 98% of children at the age of six show very high creativity. By the age of ten, it's been reduced to 30% and during puberty it is only 15%. At school there is no time or space for creativity. School does not allow thoughtful questions or the search for innovative or “out of the box” solutions and angles to issues.

That kind of thinking is extremely important.

Many teachers seek the fastest way to achieve the prescribed outcome, which is a fulfilled goal for them, but that doesn’t mean it is also a fulfilled goal for children.

Knowledge itself is not as important as how one can relate to and apply the actual knowledge.

However, the school teaches pupils in boxes - one contains mathematics, another history and the third language, but they are not linked to each other. Nowadays, information is easily accessible, but the competitive advantage lies in what you are able to do with that data.

The last but not least problem that obstructs developing children's potential is the desire to improve children’s weaknesses. People are afraid of failure, therefore, in the ratio of 10: 1 they try to break their weaknesses, often at the expense of developing talents. However, the ratio should be exactly the opposite. Only ten to twenty percent of a person’s time and energy should be devoted to improving their weaknesses. The rest of their time and energy should be focused on what they are particularly good at and develop their strengths.

Publication as a guide The book Unlocking Children's Potential helps to fill these shortcomings and serves as a guide for parents who want something more for themselves and their children. Our mission is to help parents and children discover talents so that they can live better lives and be happy, successful and satisfied with themselves. This is why we conduct our courses, and have written a book which provides detailed elaboration, extension and specification.

The publication is supplemented by a series of interviews with personalities such as violin virtuoso Jaroslav Svěcený, psychiatrist Cyril Höschl and Dagmar Svobodová, mother of three successful sons. They share about their children, talents and life experiences. Therefore, every reader should be able to find a part that inspires them and leads to better selfknowledge.

By Jan Mühlfeit, Global Strategist, Coach and Mentor, former Microsoft Chairman for Europe české znění naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.czechleaders.com

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H.E. Marie Chatardová Seventy-Third President of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations

H.E. Marie Chatardová chairing the Partnership Forum on achieving 2030 Agenda

The following selection of photographs represents the year-long presidency of Ambassador H.E. Marie Chatardová over the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC). ECOSOC is the third most important body within the United Nations and the Czech Republic gained presidency after 20 years. Ambassador Chatardová became only a third woman to ever preside over this distinguished body.

H.E. Marie Chatardová chairing the National Voluntary Review during High-Level Political Forum of ECOSOC

H.E. Marie Chatardová with former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger

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H.E. Marie Chatardová during a special meeting of OECD on the SDGs with OECD President Ángel Gurría

H.E. Marie Chatardová presides the ECOSOC Forum on Financing for Development

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H.E. Marie Chatardová during a meeting with key stakeholders on SDGs in Colombia

H.E. M arie C hatardová

H.E. Marie Chatardová with UN Secretary-General António Guterres and DSG Amina Mohammed

H.E. Marie Chatardová during the High-Level International Conference on International Decade for Action in Dushanbe

H.E. Marie Chatardová with the UN Secretary-General António Guterres

H.E. Marie Chatardová during a meeting with press

H.E. Marie Chatardová with AI robot Sophia during the Future of Everything meeting of ECOSOC

H.E. Marie Chatardová with UNGA President Miroslav Lajčák and Minister for Regional Development of the Czech Republic, Klára Dostálová

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cultural event

BLOSSOMS 2018

To celebrate and commemorate 100 years of Czechoslovakia 26 leading artists and designers were proud to present the biggest exhibition of unique porcelain originals.

The exhibition was complemented with paintings, drawings, sculptures and graphics.

More than 200 originals were presented at the Gallery Topičův Salon, Národní 9, Prague 1.

BLOSSOMS 2018 From left in the top row: Pavel Opočenský, Sculptor, Lada Chrástná, Business Development – Blossoms 2018, Milan Kunc, Artist, Olga Maler-Kunc, Artist, Jarmila Hla Shwe, Owner AIA-Blossoms 2018, Eva Synková, Artist, Klára Stodolová, Artist, and Pavel Piekar, Artist Bottom line: Kurt Gebauer, Artist, Vlastimil Elšík, Artist, Adam Kašpar, Artist, and Jana Šárová, Artist

From left: Kurt Gebauer, Artist, Jarmila Hla Shwe, Project organiser, Owner AIA, Blossoms 2018, Helena Kroftová Leisztner, Artist, and Richard Kočí, Artist

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From left: Jana Šárová, Artist and Jarmila Hla Shwe, Project organiser, Owner AIA, Blossoms 2018

cultural event

From left: Roland Leisztner, Owner Rolei, Helena Kroftová Leisztner, Artist, Eliška Hašková Coolidge, and Roland Leisztner jr.

Artwork by Helena Kroftová Leisztner

Boris Nosek, Artist, Art Expert and Guarantor of the project and Helena Kroftová Leisztner, Artist

Artwork by Boris Nosek

Helena Kroftová Leisztner, Artist with one of her masterpieces

Artwork by Boris Nosek

Artwork by Boris Jirků

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I nterview

with

O pher B rayer , I sraeli

mentor , coach and teacher

P hoto : A rchive

I am here to give back

Opher Brayer is a leading Israeli expert on talent development, mentor, coach and teacher, known for his activities in both the corporate and educational world. In 2016 he started his educational activities in the Ústí nad Labem region. In his interview he does not only discuss his activities but also his views of Czechs, today’s world and philanthropy followed by business opportunities.

For more information, go www.stages.global or to YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/ UCFo7YVscr2S6us7GKuCG0cg.

Opher, you started your educational activities in Ústí nad Labem. To use an Israeli parallel, will Ústí nad Labem become the second Ber-Ševa?

Each country has its own specifics. Ber-Ševa in fact can serve as an example of a city built in a desert, which thanks to a great university and continuous support of the Israeli government became a technology hub for many IT companies and is now leading in cyber security. Ústí nad Labem will have to find its own model.

In general, I see the great potential the Czech Republic has to offer. Strategically, its position between the West and the East can truly impact Europe. Czechs are intelligent people with great intellectual capabilities. You need to add entrepreneurship, in the form of both action and courage, and then Czechs can make an impact on the European Union level. Having said this, I need to stress one important element

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that Czechs are lacking: the vision. I see that the country is living on its past results. You have many entrepreneurial icons, such as Baťa, but his success dates back more than a half of the century. Since then, the world has profoundly changed. Look at companies such as Amazon, Apple or Google that have emerged in the US. From many discussions with Czechs, I have the feeling that you want to live in the past which you tend to romanticize. I was not surprised to find out that the Czech Republic is a country being officially branded as a land of stories. However, the stories are based on past successes, not the current ones. Let us take an example of contact lenses. Such a great invention, but who made money out of it? Americans did. Regardless of nationalities people have the need to feel proud. What are Czechs proud about in regard to current achievements? What is the leadership they demonstrate with regards to a particular

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industry? I do not see any. On the other hand, I tend to see a focus on the comfortable life style. You tend to retreat to private life a lot, you go and pick mushrooms, ride bicycles, have a nice time with family, you smile, and you choose to be happy.

You mentioned that without a vision, there is no future. What is your vision for Czechs to achieve relevant results with regards to today’s value?

In the past, you were a successful country of engineers. Those were times where you had vision, you worked hard to achieve it and you succeeded. You were amongst the best in chemistry and engineering. This seems to be lost now. My aim is to take the Czech Republic and to change ten cities. It is hard to change the whole country. But if you take ten cities, you change the country. My project consists

I nterview

with

O pher B rayer , I sraeli

mentor , coach and teacher

supported by the Israeli government either.

The investment money will follow later but not from the education system. I came to change the education because this is what I know the best. Let us assume I will help to raise 2000 geniuses, true experts in science, technology and AI. They are most likely to leave the country because there is no ecosystem ready to absorb them. There is no need to raise the geniuses if you do not have the system ready to support them. That is why I talk about the ecosystem.

I can illustrate this by a very moving story. In one of the teachers training, a teenage boy aged 16, came to me and begged the teachers to use “Stages System” to support his little brothers not to leave the region. He said: “You have already lost me as I see I have no future here. I wish I could change this for the others.” Had this statement appeared in the US on the Oprah Winfrey show, all the US would be crying. In the Czech Republic, it seems that no one cares, that is why we make money in Singapore, Silicone Valley and other countries. of four elements and it is centered around the very ecosystem of cities. Cities represent an ecosystem for growth. If you take an example of Ústí nad Labem, 30 percent of people left the city in the past seven years. There are no jobs, which means no future. More cities are likely to follow a similar path of decline, as the companies will be closing their subsidiaries due to international competition and other reasons, such as often mentioned Amazon factor.

The first thing to do is to educate people about what is going in the world to prepare them for the future. I talk to many parents and they themselves do not know what is happening or understand the current world. Most people do not speak English in the Czech Republic.

Most information regarding the latest research and development, is easily accessible on the internet, but it is in English. I myself study every morning for two hours about the latest developments. Czech teachers do not know English. They cannot follow the latest trends at a YouTube channel, for example in the sphere of robotics which will take people’s jobs. If teachers do not know themselves, they do not feel the need to prepare children for the future.

Therefore, educating the people is the first step to the system change. Since people will be driving the change, they need to be engaged and to do so, they need to be aware.

Your project is called Stages. Your work with teachers represents only the first stage.

I started with educating the teachers as they impact the children. Teachers spend up to six hours with children every day. Currently, I work with 26 teachers at eight different schools in the area of Ústí nad Labem and Mnichovo Hradiště. These 26 teachers teach 531 kids.

I started this project in three months, after I came as a visitor to the Czech Republic. I trained the teachers, they started to teach the kids and we have phenomenal results. All the information is available on our YouTube channel documenting

the Stages project. We have many stories about how teachers transformed themselves and the children.

Now, we go to the second phase, when the parents will be educated through teachers and other parents. In August, I spent oneweek training eight “Master Teachers” who will become the teachers of the teachers in the future. Next year, I plan to work with 15 cities and our aim is to train 400 teachers, which will impact already 8 000 children. We did not change anything in the school curriculum, as the systemic level change is the most difficult one to pursue. We simply enhance the children’s ability to learn. The teachers spend three to seven minutes in the beginning of the lesson playing games that enhance the ability to learn. In addition to the numbers of teachers involved and teachers impacted, I am proud to say that we have received positive media coverage, without paying any PR agency.

Currently, we are discussing the possibilities to get government support. We hope to spread the concept into adult education and new professions. I intend to bring investors from the United States to invest in the cities to change the whole ecosystem, as I have mentioned in the beginning. We have volunteers, we have supporters, such as ICUK (Innovation Centre of Ústí nad Labem Region) and UJEP University and until now all the investments have been made by me and my partner. So far, we have not received any financial support at all.

You mentioned that the reason why you came to the Czech Republic is to pay back the help Czechoslovakia provided to Israel by providing arms during the War of Independence. I understand this emotional part. However, Israelis are also known as good businessmen and investors.

What is the business side of your project?

I maintain that coming to the Czech Republic and helping to advance the educational system is purely my personal motivation. I am not

Working with underprivileged children is a feature that makes your project unique.

Often, educational projects concentrate on finding and cultivating the top talents.

Again, Israel can serve as an example. A unique project Unistream was founded approximately 30 years ago, bringing Jewish and Muslim children together to build start-ups. These teenagers are helped and mentored by CEOs of major companies, and they also get investments from venture capital. Imagine that children from underprivileged environment have much better ideas than some talented adults. The project was started by an individual who came from a similar poverty-stricken environment and he decided to launch the project to help others. It proved to be successful. In the Czech Republic, we work with Roma kids. What is their main challenge? The same faced by the majority of population. Remember how I talked earlier about people’s need to feel proud?

Roma children have very low self-esteem.

Working with my methodology, they realized that they are talented and that they can solve riddles very easily. In mixed classes, Roma kids see they have the same abilities as other kids, because they can problem solve like their peers.

We are back to the self-esteem. In the Czech Republic; I hear everywhere “It is not possible”.

Only people with low esteem have a fear of failure and that is why Czechs are obsessed with waiting for the academic proof. There was not academic proof behind Google, Facebook, and Airbnb before they were invented. We live in the disruptive world. In the US, people say “Yes, we can”. The world can change. In Israel, we say “Just do it”. This is what I do. I am always interested in partnering, get in touch if you know about an educational institution, city or a region that is interested in joining Stages or if you are interested to partner as a business.

By Linda Štucbartová

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ČSÚZ

In cooperation with Czech & Slovak Leaders

As in previous years, the representatives of the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute were invited to the festivities of Harvest, this time held in the Croatian Končenice.

The mayor of Daruvar Damir Lneniček met with the chairman of the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute and honorary citizen of Daruvar Mr. Šlápota in the town hall.

Pictured in front from left: MP for the Czech and Slovak minority in the Croatian assembly, Vladimír Bílek, a member of the managing board of the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute Hana Hlaváčková, chairman Jaromír Šlápota, the chairperson of the Union of Czechs in the Republic of Croatia Anna-Marie ŠtrumlováTučková, director of the Czech elementary school J. A. Komenský in Daruvar Mgr. Marie Válková, director of the Czech elementary school J. Růžička in Končenice Jaromír Vrabec, the ambassador of the Czech Republic in the Republic of Croatia H. E. Vladimír Zavázal and the chairman of the Czech beseda in Končenice Alice Vaněčková.

Summer in the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute Representatives of the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute were invited to the festivities of the Harvest in Croatian Končenice, which took place in Croatia for the fifty-ninth time this year. Countrymen appreciated the financial support which the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute on long-term bases provides to the schools in which they teach their children. In the town hall, the mayor of Daruvar Damir Lneniček met with the chairman of the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute Jaromír Šlápota, who was appointed an honorary citizen of Daruvar two years ago. The meeting was attended by a number of Croatian celebrities. In his speech, the mayor stressed the gratitude for the long-term Czechoslovak Foreign Institute´s organization of the substantial financial support to the expatriate community in Croatia.

A respected member of the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute Michael Josef Pojezdný, the abbot of the Strahov monastery, reached 75 years of age in July and following the rules, he ended his mandate of the head of one of the most beautiful cultural gems in Prague after 31 and three quarters of years. The members of the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute celebrated with him his important life jubilee and wished him yet many years of health and maintaining a positive wisdom that he shares with them.

On 2 August at a reception at the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Prague, the chairman of the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute Jaromír Šlápota presented the Chinese ambassador J. E. Ma Keqing a member certificate of honorary membership of the Institute as an expression of respect for her work for the improvement of Czech-Chinese relations and the evaluation of her interest in the activities of the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute. Cooperation and mutual relations of the Chinese embassy and the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute have been very cordial in the past four years. When on 25 February 2014 China's new ambassador in Prague J. E. Ma Keqing gave her accreditation charter to the president of the republic, she immediately began to establish contacts with important Czech institutions. Among the first was the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute, which had maintained friendly relations with the Chinese embassy for more than twenty years.

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ČSÚZ She visited headquarters of the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute for the first time in May 2014 and in October of that year, a few days before the visit of president Miloš Zeman in China, she came for a conversation with members of the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute. She introduced them with the changing situation in China, with plans of its foreign policy and possibilities of improvement of Czech-Chinese relations and cooperation.

Members and friends of the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute celebrated 75th birthday of the abbot of the Strahov monastery and a member of the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute Mgr. Michael Josef Pojezdný, O. Praem.

Cooperation and mutual relations of the Chinese embassy and the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute have been in the past four years very cordial. Confirmed it was on 2 August at the reception of the embassy of the People's Republic of China, where the chairman Jaromír Šlápota presented a member certificate of honorary membership of the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute to the Chinese ambassador H. E. Ma Keqing. Pictured from left: members of the managing board Hana Hlaváčková and Ing. Jiří Vodička, Ph.D., chairman Šlápota, H. E. Ma Keqing and attaché Wang Qian.

The chairperson of the Union of Czechs in the Republic of Croatia Anna-Marie Štrumlová-Tučková, other members of the bureau of the Union, MP for the Czech and Slovak minority in the Croatian assembly Vladimír Bílek and other expatriate personalities from Croatia visited the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute on 6 September and they were welcomed by the chairman Jaromír Šlápota, the vice-chairman PhDr. Libuše Benešová and a member of the managing board Hana Hlaváčková.

At the conclusion of the friendly discussions with H. E. Ma Keqing in the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute on 3 July, the chairman Jaromír Šlápota presented the ambassador a large silver memorial lion with the words: "It was an honour, that we could meet with you".

Representatives of the Union of Czechs in the Republic of Croatia, a member of the Czech and Slovak minority in the Croatian assembly Vladimír Bílek and other expatriate personalities from Croatia made a four-day trip to the Czech Republic early in September, during which they visited the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute on 6 September; they were welcomed there by the chairman Jaromír Šlápota, the vice-chairman PhDr. Libuše Benešová and a member of the managing board Hana Hlaváčková. The chairperson of the Union of the Czechs Anna-Marie Štrumlová-Tučková and MP Vladimír Bílek sincerely thanked for assistance in the furnishing of expatriate schools in Croatia with the modern technique in order to create the conditions for quality teaching in Czech and, in particular, the teaching of the Czech language, which they get from the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute. Just in the last two years, the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute equipped the Czech primary school in Daruvar and Končenice with interactive whiteboard with accessories, three laptops and a panel with a touch screen, the Institute sent to Czech nursery schools in Daruvar region art supplies and children of compatriots from Croatia were given a financial contribution to the trip to the Czech Republic.

The modern technical equipment is provided by the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute also to the compatriot schools in Vienna.

In the past two years, it sent two interactive whiteboards with accessories, eleven projectors, teaching aids, toys and furniture for nursery, art supplies for 8 classes clubs and crèches, sports facilities and money to purchase computers for the high school to the Comenius Education association in the Austrian capital. On 21 September the next delivery went to Vienna – a therapeutic swimming pool in the shape of a boat filled with plastic balls, a gift from the company Aurednik cs. from Trubín.

The Czechoslovak Foreign Institute donated a set of art supplies for first-graders in the Czech schools from Zagreb, Daruvar, Končenice and Vienna.

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I nterview

with

A ndrea K limko

Andrea Klimko:

Poetry in Architecture Andrea Klimko considers herself a true “Czechoslovakian”. She was born and grew up in Czechoslovakia, in the heart of Europe and graduated from the Slovak Technical University in Bratislava, Slovakia. As her interest became a passion she continued her studies in Vienna, Austria further fine tuning her skills as an Architect.

Andrea has been Director of her own award winning design studio Andrea Klimko Architects which now has multidisciplinary team in London, Prague and Bratislava. Across her practice she has successfully designed and delivered over 150 projects world wide that include residential and mixed use projects and acclaimed sports and leisure facilities.

She is not only a successful architect but also a passionate urban traveller having visited 35 countries across Europe, Asia, America and Africa. Andrea uses her travel experience as the foundation for her design concepts. Keen to help the next generation of Architects Andrea also writes a blog discussing design values from around the world helping others to discover the spirit of cities and the beauty of the cultural diversity. This she hopes will encourage others to seek travel experience in order to broaden their own horizons.

Andrea Klimko is a member of the Royal Institute of British Architects which has been a leading professional body within the industry for 185 years. It is considered the arbiter of the world-class architecture and selects its members purely on the quality of their work. Andrea is also an active member of Czech and Slovak Chambers of Architects and has recently joined the American Institute of Architects.

On top of this Andrea and I share the same passion about supporting women within the industry, bridging the gender diversity and encouraging women who want to take control of their careers. By doing this she founded the non-profit professional organization Women Architects and Engineers, aiming to encourage women's enthusiasm in architecture as well as other construction disciplines.

Andrea, you have recently returned from the United States. You travelled all over the East Coast, one of the reasons was to attend a conference in New York, as a new member of the American Institute of Architects. What were your impressions?

It was my first visit to New York and my expectations were fulfilled. Particularly with Manhattan and Lower Manhattan also known as Downtown. I like the area around the World Trade Centre and the design of the newly constructed buildings such as Oculus. I was able to enjoy the skyline at sunset from the One World Observatory. I made sure to visit all the elevated scenic places in New York. I will definitely be returning to the

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P hoto : I vana Š ataník

I nterview city that never sleeps. As you mentioned in my introduction, I am a urban traveller. I do not mind crowded, busy places such as large cities. For me, people represent life and as we live in a virtual world, people often tend to make impressions based on photos of the cities and architecture found on internet. Even the best picture cannot reveal the complete feeling from a particular place.

Is a city friendly for pedestrians and those travelling by public transport? Does the city energize people or does it drains them? I enjoy experiencing and discovering the haptic dimension of architecture and how tangible it can be. Travelling for me is a substitute of learning, it enables me to study languages and cultures which I could not discover due to the fact of spending my adolescent years behind the Iron Curtain.

You studied in Bratislava, then in Austria and Germany. One of your offices is in London.

Your projects are in more countries. How do you define yourself?

I do not like to put myself in a box. I like to consider myself European. I truly enjoy the ability to travel without borders. I enjoy the comfort of being able to pay in Euro currency and the European Union is a wonderful ambitious project, however I leave aside politics. The European culture and history that can be felt from city to city still amazes me.

I would like to elaborate on the conference theme Blueprint for Better Cities. How do you perceive the two cities that are the closest to your heart, Prague and Bratislava?

Being born in the heart of Europe in Czechoslovakia, I still have strong feelings about the fact that the two countries split up without people having a say in a referendum. It was a decision made by politicians. Therefore I perceive Czechoslovakia as one entity. Since my childhood I learned Czech as I was used to watching Czech television and movies. Prague is a beautiful city and has a special place in Europe, not only thanks to the historical buildings but also some of the more recent building. Prague is not only big but also it is a more international city compared to Bratislava, you hear English being spoken on the streets quite frequently. Prague also attracts many international students and the sheer size of the market brings more opportunities. Bratislava is a smaller city but it has changed considerably, there is an enormous amount of construction going on with some quarters being almost unrecognisable. By the way I am asked this question frequently and I personally do not like comparing or contrasting these two cities, I like to think about them as two cities belonging to one country.

When you talk about your work, you say the following. “The philosophy of my work is to find the poetic language in architecture, an interface connection between poetry and reality. I like to feel pure tectonic, dynamic context and physical presence.”

How was your work impacted by the fact that you started to work in a specific period

of communist transition to democracy and market economy?

The period of 1990s was quite unique. I remember this as a period of scarcity of work for Architects, there was a chaos and uncertainty in the market. It was hard even to study architecture as a discipline, old textbooks were the only resource available and just imagine not having any internet and proper software for drawing! At that time there was not even a possibility of internships abroad and student exchanges such as Erasmus were not available. I missed the opportunity to experience the feeling of not only designing but also seeing the construction process. The changes you have to make as an architect during construction represent a unique learning experience.

Architecture and construction go hand in hand and both are essential particularly for a young architect to experience.

Speaking of this challenging period, what was the impulse for you to become an architect?

At first I wanted to study either philosophy or psychology, the mystery of the human mind has always intrigued me. I am glad that both disciplines have remained areas of interest to this day. I still manage to read a lot, next to reading I have always enjoyed drawing so I decided to go to Bratislava to study architecture at Slovak Technical University (STU) and then continue at Technical (TU) in Vienna. I liked the fact that the result of an architect’s creation is represented by a visible object / building and so I enjoy being able to bring my abstract visions to life. I have a personal and close relationship to each of my projects, they are more to me than just design work. The element of architecture as the physical outcome of my creative ideas was the element I missed in both philosophy or psychology.

You are a very successful female architect in the field that is traditionally considered a domain of men. On top of that, you are also a mother of a son. Zaha Hadid or Eva Jiřičná, to name some of the world most famous female architects do not have children. What was the moment you realized that you are different? In 2012 you were nominated for a Crystal Wing Award, not only as the first woman architect to be nominated but also as the youngest one. Next to managing a studio, you are also regularly invited to be a jury member and keynote speaker.

I have never thought about being special. I have simply tried to create the best architecture, I like what I do so I concentrate on my work and the rest is a bonus. There are two types of architecture: the good one and not so good one.

It does not depend whether it is created by a man or a woman and that is simply how I see it. For a long time I was hesitating whether to initiate any group with regards to women Architects, if one was to achieve something then he or she should dedicate himself or herself to it. In Central Europe we have conditions for both genders to be successful, however the phenomenon of leaking pipeline occurs also in the field of architecture.

with

A ndrea K limko

We have about 50% of female graduates in architecture and only about 5% of them make it to top positions or start their studio on their own without a male business partner. I do not want to complain that women have more challenging position but I believe that men and women can both defend their positions. That being said, I admit that I sometimes find it tiring being a mother, a wife and also an Architect at the same time. The work of an Architect is a demanding one particularly due to combination of the high level of stress, responsibility and deadlines it commands. I dedicate myself fully to the profession, often sacrificing either time for myself or for my family. Often people tend to think that the low number of top women Architects is due to motherhood and I think that this perception touches only top layer of the problem. I see the attitude as the main challenge, women are simply much less risk averse than men and it’s hard to live permanently in uncertainty while supporting a studio. Will I have enough clients? Will my projects succeed? Will I be able to pay all people working for me?

I’ve also had to get used to uncertainty. I tend to challenge myself and I know that learning happens outside the comfort zone, I have learned out side of my own comfort zone many times but unless you try you will never know.

I never understood people who do not try new things but who have an expert opinion on most issues. I borrowed my life motto from Marc Twain: "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrowmindedness" and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts.

How do you define success?

For me success lies in finding a balance among three elements dear to me – my family, work and my personal development. We often hear attributes such as money, growth and fame linked to success and hardly anyone recognizes that for a woman, a success can be the upbringing of a child. Upbringing children who will become happy, fulfilled and stable individuals who will continuously develop themselves is an amazing achievement and a gift for society. Today such result is considered normal, even ordinary but it is not, even a modern mother needs to put in a lot of energy, time and effort. I enjoy my work but I do not measure it by ordinary criteria such as budget size, square meters or the number of awards. The inner quality is what matters, let us aim for the success measured by the quality of authentic conversations, new relationships, new journeys taken and new horizons experienced.

I just wish to remain healthy and active so I can continue working on inspiring projects. It does not depend only on me but also on the clients that will give me the opportunity. My aim is to create projects that will make others happy.

Architecture can contribute a lot to improving our lives by making our cities, buildings and public spaces appealing and enriching.

By Linda Štucbartová české znění naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.czechleaders.com

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P ublic

relations

Subconscious bias makes the journey to gender parity longer The World Economic Forum estimates gender parity globally may now be over 170 years away.

Previously they estimated an 80-year time, then 120 years. It keeps slowing down and the Forum's Annual Gender Gap Report shows little progress in many countries worldwide.

There are numerous obstacles that can lengthen the time required for desired systemic change, one of them, still alive and kicking, is subconscious bias.

The Serena Williams’ dispute with umpire earlier this year and the criticism which followed reminded me of a case study about Heidi/Howard carried out by the Harvard Business School some years ago. Two groups of students were presented with the identical story about a real-life entrepreneur, but one had a Heidi name in it and the other’s main protagonist was called Howard. This test clearly demonstrates we evaluate people based on stereotypes and a negative correlation between women and power/success. Both sets of students thought Heidi and Howard were equally competent; Howard, however, was seen as a more likeable colleague while Heidi was perceived as selfish and not ‘the type of person you would want to hire or work for’. This story remains relevant nowadays.

When a woman is powerful, assertive, fierce and competitive, she is deviating from her expected behaviour, so people dislike her.

When a man is like that, he is hailed strong, competitive and decisive.

I believe when people feel injustice is done in the workplace, or elsewhere, the only solution is to speak up. Serena Williams should have probably chosen a better moment if she wanted to fight for equality but the reaction of some media that dubbed her reaction ‘tantrum’ or ‘hysteria’ perpetuates sexist attitudes. Billie Jean King, a former Wimbledon winner, succinctly summarised such behaviour in her tweet: When a woman is emotional, she’s ’hysterical’ and she’s penalised for it. When a man does the same, he’s ‘outspoken’ and there are no repercussions.

It is important to remind ourselves that the word hysteria comes from the Greek root hystera, meaning 'uterus'. Originally, it was believed that hysteria and hysterical symptoms were caused by a defect in the womb, and thus, only women could become hysterical.

So, one may ask a question: how can we fight gender bias when such word is in use?

There is indeed a great deal of subconscious gender bias with regard to how society views strong, authoritative women. Often, women are punished by our society for speaking with confidence. And they seem to be perceived far more negatively than men for communicating in the same forceful way and manner as men do.

Drawing on my own experience, not so long ago, and this did not happen at work, I was told that I am too demanding and aggressive, so I will never make it in the country where I just arrived and the life of which I was desperately trying to learn and understand. The opposite was true. I was only defending my rights as a customer dealing with a bureaucracy-heavy, inflexible German organisation that puts a process before a customer. I could imagine if a man behaved like this and succeeded, which I did, he would have been applauded for standing up, persevering, and getting what he truly deserved.

In the area of women in leadership, we find similar attitudes. Kathryn Stanley, PhD (Cofounder of Navigated Breakthrough Analytics Group and Professor of Organizational and Leadership studies) says: “The fundamental attribution error is that when women lead with a confident direct style, they are self-serving.

Equally, when men lead in this same manner they are well-intended strong leaders.”

There are a lot of studies which demonstrate subconscious gender bias related to female leadership: one interesting psychological research has been recently mentioned in Forbes (May 2018).

The research was conducted by Madeline Heilman, Professor of Psychology at NYU, who has been researching sex bias topic at work for her entire career. She confirms that gender bias has not shifted a lot even with the huge strides women have made in the workplace.

Professor Heilman describes two important aspects of gender stereotyping in the workplace – one called descriptive bias, the other prescriptive bias. Descriptive bias is a result of culturally shared beliefs about women and men and how they differ: women are considered to be people-people, who take an interest in other people and relationships, and are kind. Men are thought to have the socalled ‘agentic’ qualities such as taking charge, getting things done, confronting conflict, and not letting emotions get in the way. This is not true for all, of course, but the perception is that women cannot do agentic roles. Women are not considered to be good at them, and if they happen to be put into these roles, people tend to undervalue them.

When it comes to prescriptive bias, women’s behaviour is perceived differently than men’s.

If, for example, a woman in a sales or finance role asks questions about the business pipeline, her colleagues may describe her as ‘worrying’ or being ‘emotional’ whereas they would describe a man behaving exactly the same way as ‘prudent” or ‘proactive’.

On the other hand, the study’s learning may make you wonder what our gender biases are towards men in a traditionally female work environment, and this is something to take into account as well.

Subconscious bias is omnipresent, slowing progress of gender parity down. So, let’s talk about it as understanding it, including its pervasiveness and impact on perceptions and interactions, is critical for achieving the change which is long overdue.

By Tereza Urbánková

Tereza Urbánková is a PR, communications and marketing professional with 20 years’ experience and proven success in delivering award-winning communications programmes for multinational companies operating in industries such as hospitality, retail, IT, defence, broadcast, logistics, pharma and engineering. After having lived and worked in the UK for 11 years, she now works in Germany for Boehringer Ingelheim, a global pharmaceutical company as Head of Global External Communication, Animal Health. Tereza is a member of the Executive Committee of the Czech British Chamber of Commerce in London. She can be reached through her LinkedIn profile.

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Are you keeping track of Engagement at Work?

P hoto :

archive

Lately I have been getting a lot of comments from managers regarding how to enhance engagement at work.

With a work environment that creates so much stress and demands it is easy to overlook this topic.

The critical issue is, that without engagement you are in a very vulnerable position.

Engagement dictates how much individuals like what they are doing, how happy they are with what they do and how they see their future in the organization.

So what can you do to create an atmosphere of engagement?

One suggestion is to start to take a hard look at the engagement program you have in place. If you lack a program, may I suggest you start looking. There are many great resources on line that help you get an idea of how to start and who to call.

Second, make sure you are thorough with your onboarding process, making sure employees have a good understating of expectations and how things get done.

Third I suggest you spend time observing your employees. When in a meeting take a little more time to ask individually how are they enjoying work, what could be done differently, etc. Focusing on employee development pays back in so many ways. Not only engaging the individual but also creating a sense of collegiality and team work.

Take a look at business units that seem to be doing very well and ask what types of incentives are working.

Make sure you have a good and clear understanding of your corporate culture. Align your incentives with these values to give your team true traction.

Be aware that you want to offer incentives that work for your employee, don’t project your preferences, this is about the employees. What they want and what they need.

Make sure you survey your employees and once you get results act on the feedback you have received. Surveys are great tools if you use them wisely. Do not use surveys if you are not ready to implement change, it will definitely create negative feelings and lack of trust.

Remind yourself not to micromanage, specially young employees, they like room to think.

Engagement is critical for innovation to surface, it is the antidote to attrition, it enhances a positive work environment, it makes employee to take the extra mile.

I hope this information is helpful. Don’t let this issue go to the sidelines. Take action, you can’t afford to ignore this!

Elisabet Rodriguez Dennehy President, Rodriguez and Associates LLC

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P artners

cultural event

of the

MIRO G alllery 2018:

A special screening of the documentary film directed by Peter Hirjak “Míla Fürstová – Wings for Coldplay” at the Dlabačov Cinema

Peter Hirjak, Film Director and Míla Fürstová, Artist during their speeches

From left: Ulf Landeberg, General Director, Lindner Hotel Prague Castle; Benke Aikell, Your Publisher; Eva Anderová, Vice President for PR, UNYP and Honorary Consul of Zambia

From left: Miro Smolák, Director, MIRO Gallery Prague, during his opening speech; Míla Fürstová, Artist; Petr Štěpán, Art Historian Miro Žbirka, Singer with Míla Fürstová, Artist

From left: David Bimka, Co-Owner, Indeco s.r.o. with his spouse; Marek Kralkowski, Co-Owner, Indeco s.r.o. with his spouse

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From left: Jiří Hošek, Foreign Analyst and Moderator, Czech Radio; H.E. Libor Sečka, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; Petr Ježek, Member of the European Parliament

©

photo

O to P alán

cultural event

From left: Helena Leisztner, Artist; Roland Leisztner, CEO, Linea Úbok a. s.; Juraj Matula, Architect, Znamení čtyř – architekti s.r.o. with his partner Monika Rohlenová, Senior Account Executive, AMI Communications

Oldřich Uttendorfský, Honorary Consul, Honorary Consulate of the Principality of Monaco, Art Collector and Míla Fürstová, Artist

Tereza Šnoblová, TV Moderator with her partner

From left: Vladislav Kučík, Writer; Lucie Gelemová, Artist; Felix Slováček, Musician; Vladislav Stanko, Director, European Institute of Business and Public Management, s.r.o.

Ivana Dupalová, Director, hostesky.cz s.r.o. and Martin Varga, Attorney, Varga Legal

Michal Donath, General Manager, Donath Business & Media s.r.o.

From left: Ing. Václav Fürst; Anička Fürstová, niece of Míla Fürstová; and Miluše Fürstová

From left: Jiří Kornatovský, Artist; Petr Štěpán, Art Historian

From left: Lucie Eleyanová and Marcela Řezničková, Marketing Department of the Prague Castle Administration

Petr Zahradník, Psychiatrist and Art Collector with his spouse

Adam Sigmund, Zdeňka Sigmundová, Žižlavský Law Office, Alena Miro, Opera Singer; Matylda Hirjaková; Stella Sigmundová; Adéla Sigmundová; Žofie Hirjaková and Sofia, cocker spaniel

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GARI

GARI Launch

launch

On Wednesday, 3rd October, GARI celebrated its official launch in Prague.

Blood Love and Rhetoric

The event, held at Opero, was widely attended by high-profile people from various sectors including government, diplomatic, scientific, corporate, financial, academic, non-profit and the media.

An opening panel explored "Humanity and Tech-driven Futures: Responsible Globalization, Governance, and Innovation" with Aleš Chmelař, (State Secretary for European Affairs, Office of Government, Czech Republic), Arzu Geybullayeva, (Freelance Journalist, former OTF Fellow at Berkman Center for Internet and Society, Harvard University) and Josef Urban, (Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics, Head of European Research Council project AI4Reason), moderated by GARI Founder Michal Kořan (Fulbright Alumni - WCFIA, Harvard University).

From left: Michal Kořan, Founder and President, GARI, Aleš Chmelař, State Secretary for European Affairs, Arzu Geybullayeva, Journalist, and Josef Urban, Principal Researcher, CIIRC

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Michal Kořan, Founder and President, GARI at his speech

GARI

Aleš Chmelař, State Secretary for European Affairs during the panel discussion

launch

From left: Michal Kořan, Founder and President, GARI, Aleš Chmelař, State Secretary for European Affairs, Arzu Geybullayeva, Journalist, and Josef Urban, Principal Researcher, CIIRC

Global Arena Research Institute GARI connects ideas, people and institutions with the goal of establishing a revolutionary interdisciplinary research centre that will alter the way we understand global processes and interactions. The Global Arena Research Centre (GARC) aims to combine pioneering ways of analysing global-scale data on flows, interactions, and political and regulatory frameworks.

Blood, Love and Rhetoric improvisation comedy

Michal Kořan, Founder and President, GARI is welcoming Petr Kolář, Squire Patton Boggs, former Czech ambassador to the United States and Russia

Odessa Primus, Executive Director, GARI during a vivid discussion

Tomáš Kafka, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs

Odessa Primus, Executive Director, GARI and Michal Kořan, Founder and President, GARI

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Gismonda poster, 1894, starting point of Mucha´s career in Paris

“The purpose of my work was never to destroy but always to create, to construct bridges, because we must live in the hope that humankind will draw together and that the better we understand each other the easier this will become. I will be happy if I have contributed in my own modest way to this understanding, at least within our Slav family.”

Virtual illustrator and monumental painter, renowned Parisian artist and convinced Czech patriot, Alphonse Mucha, it would seem, lived a hundred lives, and he did so particularly intensively during the Art Nouveau period.

All it took was just one poster to make him the most fashionable Parisian artist at the end of the nineteenth century. But what a poster!

Portraying the “divine Sarah Bernhardt” as Gismonda, the role she was playing in Victorien Sardou’s play, Alphonse Mucha could not have remotely imagined it would launch a style which would bear his name.

It sounds like a fairytale. Mucha, who had left his native country at the age of 17 to slowly build up somewhat of a reputation as an illustrator, on Christmas Eve 1894 while working at a publishing house discovered that the actress required a new poster for Gismonda which had to be ready before the New Year. Mucha, 34 years old, did not hesitate, created his poster and immediately sent it to the artist at the Théâtre de la Renaissance. The famous actress was thrilled by the result, wanting to meet Mucha immediately, and shortly thereafter signing an exclusive six-year contract with him giving him ten times the earnings he had made at the Lemercier publishing house. The artist ordered posters, theatre decorations, costume designs and a number of pieces of theatrical jewellery.

Overnight, the whole of Paris was enthused by the new artist, and people even cut off the corners of his street posters as keepsakes.

What was it about Mucha that captivated people so much that he deposed leading artists such as Toulouse-Lautrec and Jules Chéret, previously undisputed masters of poster artistry?

Mucha’s new format was an innovation; an almost life-size poster, and so especially was his portrayal of a woman with an ethereal silhouette, with lilies in her hair and a gold hair-band, the figure of a woman from the Byzantine world and also a flower-adorned muse. In particular it was his new palette of colours, far removed from the usual rich bright tones. His posters stood out with their new palette of pastel colours and incredibly fine nuances of blues, greens and pinks, etc…

This poster was followed by 9 further posters: La Dame aux Camelias, Lorenzaccio, Hamlet, Medea, La Tosca, Orlík, and others. Mucha’s career was launched. He became famous because he was different.

His thick haired Slavic girls enchanted with the freshness and joy of beautiful youthful women, Slavic princesses embodying the feminine ideals of the Art Nouveau period.

Even before Bernhard, however, the young Mucha had already experienced life as an artist. He had been employed at the age of 19 in Vienna as an apprentice scenery painter in a company which made theatre sets. He had also worked for Count Khuen-Belasi for three Sources: Press release on the opening of the Alphonse Mucha exhibition in Paris, 11 September 2018. Interview with John Mucha, Alphonse Mucha’s grandson.

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Goldsmith George Fouquet´s boutique interior, 1900

Mucha and his family, wife Maruška Chytilová and children Jaroslava and Jiří in Zbiroh, 1917

years decorating Emmahof Castle and the Count’s brother’s residence in Bolzano. Khuen-Belasi funded his studies in Munich (1887) and later the Academie Julien in Paris, where he met Bonnard and Sérusier. He found life in Paris inspiring in many ways. He admired Japanese art and esotericism. In 1898 he was admitted to the Freemasons. He was interested in photography, modernism, and met the Lumière brothers.

He was keen on Rodin, and Paul Gauguin became a close friend.

He was a versatile artist, with his art in high demand. He worked with

Dream, color lithograph, 1897

leading goldsmiths, and his drawings adorned Job cigarette packets, Lefevre-Utile wafers, Ruinart champagne and Meuse beer. His work was to found on calendars, restaurant menus and ordinary posters decorating the home. He made a lot of money for those who used his work to advertise anything at all they were selling.

At the turn of the century, he received a commission from the Austrian government to decorate the Bosnia and Herzegovina pavilion at the 1900 World Exhibition in Paris. This job led him to consider dedicating his artistry and talent to his homeland. A few years later he realised his dream and the famous Slav Epic was produced, a series of twenty monumental paintings. In the end, he found a backer for the work in the USA, where he regularly travelled and taught between 1904 and 1910. Although Mucha was a cosmopolitan artist and polyglot, he remained a committed patriot his whole life. One should bear in mind that the political context of 1890 meant that Mucha was officially a citizen and artist of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and his homeland of Moravia was not recognised as an independent state at that time.

The Czechs had lost their autonomy in the Battle of White Mountain in 1620, with the Czechs living under Habsburg rule until the end of the First World War in 1918 when the Czechoslovak state was formed with Tomáš Masaryk as its first President, someone who was also close friends with Richard Crane, a millionaire, admirer of the Slav culture and an influential American politician. It was Crane who provided the financial support which enabled Mucha to produce the Slav Epic.

Mucha finally returned to Prague in 1910. In 1918 he designed the first bank notes and postage stamps for the new independent Czechoslovak state. A major job he undertook was the decoration, furnishings and interiors of the Municipal House in Prague, completed in 1926. In 1931 he designed two famous stained-glass windows for St Vitus Cathedral in Prague Castle, showing the sages Saints Cyril and Methodius.

Shortly after the Czech Republic’s occupation by Germany in 1939, he was imprisoned by the Gestapo for his covert nationalism. As a result of his imprisonment and suffering, he died in Prague a few months after his release.

Author: Ing. Arch. Iva Drebitko; Photos: author’s archives české znění naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.czechleaders.com Note : the Alphonse Mucha Exhibition can be viewed in the Musée du Luxembourg, 19, rue de Vaugirard, 75006, from 12 September 2018 to 27 January 2019

Photos: Press release on the Alphonse Mucha Exhibition in Paris, September 2018.

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I nterview

with

P ierre G attaz , P resident

of

B usiness E urope

P hoto : A rchive Mr. Gattaz, you were elected the president of BusinessEurope at a time when the EU is facing a lot of challenges. What are your main priorities for the mandate?

As entrepreneurs, we know that Europe is not an option but an absolute necessity. I believe we are at a turning point for Europe’s future and its place in the world. It is an honour, but also an immense responsibility to take the leadership of BusinessEurope and speak on behalf of the European business community in these challenging times. One of the key priorities I want to tackle during my presidency is to ensure that the European Union can play its full role in this changing world. My main task will be to make sure that the unprecedented uncertainties we are facing lead to a new global order rather than global disorder. In a world undergoing profound changes, companies are a crucial factor of adaptation while ensuring stability. They bring 80% of the solutions to the problems that people are facing. Companies are also a link between countries and a tensions absorber because doing trade allows to understand each other better and to find common solutions.

Europe is not an option but an absolute necessity 108

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2018

The whole EU and especially businesses are watching carefully the Brexit negotiations.

According to recent analyses, the Czech Republic would be the 5th most negatively impacted country in the EU by Brexit. What is the outcome of the negotiations that the business community hopes for?

First, we have to tell that, from a business point of view, Brexit is bad news, for the United Kingdom and for all the EU members. But we have to manage it in the most rational way possible. Our first priority is to avoid a “cliff-edge” with the UK leaving the EU in March 2019 without a deal. This would create major disruptions for business in the EU and the UK. To have a smooth UK’s exit, we need to get the withdrawal agreement done in time for ratification by parliaments in the EU and the UK. This agreement includes a transition period that lasts until December 2020 with the UK staying in the customs union and the Single Market.

This will allow time for companies to adjust and prepare for the new situation of the UK as a third country. Companies have to plan ahead and need certainty and a level playing field to mitigate the impact of Brexit on trade and investment. In the medium term we want to maintain as close as possible economic relation with the UK without jeopardising the integrity of the Single Market.

Choices will have to be made, particularly in the UK between regulatory independence and maintaining comprehensive access to the EU market. A free trade agreement cannot provide the same level of frictionless trade as a customs union, nor a similar level of regulatory alignment as staying in the Single Market.

Recently the EU-US relationship has taken a very different path than expected couple of years ago and instead of concluding TTIP, the US decided to implement protectionist measures. What should be the response of the EU according to businesses?

The EU is trying to maintain a positive trade

I nterview agenda with the US despite the very disruptive trade policy pursued by the Trump administration. We are cooperating on the reform of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and how to address overcapacity, subsidies and other market distortive practices. We are also negotiating bilaterally following a joint declaration signed in July by Presidents Juncker and Trump. These bilateral negotiations cover fields that are important for European business and were already discussed during the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations, in particular regulatory cooperation. Non-tariff barriers are still hampering trade between the EU and the US in a number of industrial sectors, like automotive, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, engineering, medical devices, textiles. If we manage to address some of these barriers reducing costs for companies on both sides of the Atlantic, it would be a major achievement.

The possibility of a tariff agreement on industrial goods is also on the table. To be meaningful and compatible with the WTO, the agreement needs to cover all industrial goods including cars. We hope this positive agenda will avoid other unilateral measures from the US, in particular the imposition of additional duties on our car exports. However, if this is not the case the EU will have to respond in a balanced and rational way.

The energy transition in the EU is mainly driven by the need to tackle climate change. Are businesses ready for the kind of transition which is promoted by the EU institutions and the uptake of low carbon technologies?

The energy transition is indeed very much driven by the need to combat climate change.

We have witnessed evolutions in positions within the business community, reflecting new market realities, technological developments and also public perception. European industry at large has clearly embraced the need to transition to low-carbon economy.

BusinessEurope and our members strongly support the EU ambition on climate action and the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

We expect nothing less from our international trading partners in terms of ambition. As it was clearly stated in the recent report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) we all need to be equally ambitious to reach this objective. The EU has a solid set of policies in place to reach its ambitious targets and EU business stands ready to provide the solutions, as it has always done. Now we are working with our members on an energy and climate vision in view of the European elections. We intend to provide the newlyelected decision-makers with solutions to make the energy transition in the EU a success for companies and society at large.

The Czech Republic has the lowest unemployment rate, the economy is performing well, yet the Czechs remain to be among the biggest Eurosceptics in

with

P ierre G attaz , P resident

the whole EU. What do you think needs to be done to change the Eurosceptic tendencies and the mindset in the EU as such?

It is indeed a paradox to have such Euroscepticism in a country that benefitted so much economically from its integration in the European Union. This shows that this Euroscepticism is the expression of different fears. In some countries it is the fear of poverty or unemployment. In other countries, it is a fear of losing the national identity. These fears are then exploited by populists who propose simplistic solutions that do not work, things that cannot be delivered and use the EU as a scapegoat to explain their failure. The business community has a strong responsibility to speak up, and say very clearly that the EU is the solution and not the problem. We need to repair the damage of years of blamegame concerning the EU. Also, the national government must demonstrate the capacity to act when an issue is truly European by agreeing on common solutions. For example, we need to move away from ad hoc crisis management and build a coordinated European solution to better manage migration. The other obvious example is trade policy. European countries are stronger together than when acting alone in today’s world. We must remain united to achieve political, economic and social progress and maintain the European way of life.

The EU Parliamentary elections are rapidly approaching. What will be the main messages of BusinessEurope to future Members of the European Parliament?

The European elections 2019 will be crucial for Europe. Citizens will vote for new Members of the European Parliament, then a new European Commission will be appointed for the next five years. We will call on entrepreneurs and citizens to go and vote because these elections will be shaping the European landscape for the next years. And to the future members of the European Parliament, we will say that there is an urgent need to put our European house in order. In a world where geopolitical hardball is played and with geo-economic competition, the EU must invest more in its own capacities and help its companies to face tomorrow’s challenges. We need business competitiveness, simplification and skills to be at the heart of the European strategy.

BusinessEurope is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. What is the vision of European businesses for the years to come?

We want to see Europe where companies can fully play their role in society. And for that we need a European Union that is strong and independent globally. A European Union that is a global leader in innovation and digitalisation. An energy efficient European Union, which reconciles security of supply, affordability and sustainability. A European Union with a functioning Single Market and Economic and Monetary Union. An inclusive

of

B usiness E urope

European Union, where prosperity is shared across society. I have no doubt that our businesses can drive innovation, digitalisation, the circular economy and sustainability. We have key players in robotics, automotive and other manufacturing activities. We are at the forefront in technological solutions to tackle climate change. If we join forces and are supported by a business-friendly environment, we will be able to deliver the economic and social progress that EU citizens experienced in the last six decades.

By Tomáš Hartman Pierre Gattaz became President of BusinessEurope on 5 July 2018.

Until then, he held the Presidency of BusinessEurope’s French member federation MEDEF. A graduate of Telecom Bretagne (l’Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Télécommunications de Bretagne) and holder of a Certificate in Administrative Management from the George Washington University (USA), he was a project engineer and export project manager at Dassault Electronics from 1984 to 1989.

From 1989 to 1992, he was Managing Director at Fontaine Electronics, then Convergie (a subsidiary of the Dynaction Group). Pierre Gattaz became Managing Director at Radiall in December 1992 and has been the Chairman of the Board since January 1994.

He was President of GIXEL (Professional Association for Electronic Components Systems, Digital Identity Industries) from 1999 to 2003, and then President and founder of the FIEN (Digital and Electronic Industries) from 2002 to 2007, before being elected President of the FIEEC (Federation of Electrical, Electronic and Communication Industries – 30 industrial unions) in 2007, when he also joined the Executive Committee of MEDEF (Movement of French Enterprises). From June 2010 to July 2013, he was also President of the GFI (Group of Industrial Federations - 17 industrial federations representing 80% of French industry) and a founding member of La Fabrique (the Industry’s Think Tank).

Pierre Gattaz is Knight of the French Legion of Honour and Officer of the Order of Merit.

BusinessEurope, founded in 1958 in Brussels, is the leading advocate for growth and competitiveness at European level, standing up for companies across the continent and campaigning on the issues that most influence their performance. We speak for all-sized enterprises in 34 European countries whose national business federations are our direct members.

EU

Czech Business Representation to the EU

debate

Credit support to companies from the EU budget The European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), the main pillar of the so-called Juncker Plan launched in 2014, has been a great success so far. The first phase of EFSI that was supposed to leverage 315 bn. EUR in investment with 26 bn. EUR worth of guarantees from the EU budget and an additional 7.5 bn. EUR from European Investment Bank’s own capital, exceeded expectations and managed to trigger 344 bn. EUR in investment from the private sector. That’s why, the EU institutions agreed to extend the Fund until the end of 2020 with a target of 500 bn. EUR in investment. The opportunities for Czech companies to use the EU financial instruments as well as the InvestEU programme were the main topics of a seminar organised by the Representation of the European Commission in Prague and CEBRE on 2nd October in Brno.

From left: Zdeněk Čech, Representation of the European Commission in Prague, Hana Nylander-Kaloudová, European Investment Bank, Vladislav Kopečný, ČSOB EU Centrum, Karel Havlíček, Association of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises and Crafts of the Czech Republic, Michal Pluta, Czech-Moravian Guarantee and Development Bank, Petr Zahradník, Czech Chamber of Commerce

Participants of the debate

From left: Zdeněk Čech, Representation of the European Commission in Prague, Hana Nylander-Kaloudová, European Investment Bank, Vladislav Kopečný, ČSOB EU Centrum, Karel Havlíček, Association of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises and Crafts of the Czech Republic

Taxation of digital companies

The global economy has changed significantly in recent years and the wave of digitalization has influenced almost every sector of the economy. In such an environment, a single company can have a global impact and create profits even without being physically present in the country where the profits are made. However, corporate tax rules still define that companies tax their profits in the country where they are registered. That’s why the European Commission in March 2018 presented its proposals on a directive laying down rules relating to corporate taxation of a significant digital presence and a directive on a common system of taxation of revenues resulting from the provision of certain digital services. The proposals were discussed at a debate organised by the Representation of the European Commission in Prague, the Office of the European Parliament in Prague, the Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic and CEBRE on 5th October in the European House in Prague.

From left: Vladimír Štípek, Economist, Taxes Manager, Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic, Petr Ježek, Chairman of the Special Committee on financial crime, tax evasion and tax avoidance, European Parliament, Roberta Grappiolo, Head of Sector TAXUD.D3.1, Monitoring of EU law and state aids, DG Taxation and Customs Union, European Commission, and David Slížek, Editor-in-Chief of Lupa.cz

From left: Vladimír Štípek, Economist, Taxes Manager, Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic, Petr Ježek, Chairman of the Special Committee on financial crime, tax evasion and tax avoidance, European Parliament, and Roberta Grappiolo, Head of Sector TAXUD.D3.1, Monitoring of EU law and state aids, DG Taxation and Customs Union, European Commission

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CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2018

EU

Czech Business Representation to the EU

debate

Czech business mission to Belgium

Czech Business Representation to the EU

A total of 12 Czech companies and 3 representatives of universities spent 2 intensive days in Belgium. During the business mission, the Czech representatives met with their Belgian partners, heard about Belgium's very successful projects in the field of artificial intelligence and participated at meetings in the European Parliament.

The business mission took place on October 9 - 10, 2018 thanks to the project to support economic diplomacy of the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Brussels with the support of MEP Martina Dlabajová in cooperation with CEBRE - Czech Business Representation to the EU and Czech Chamber of Commerce.

Meeting of the participants of the mission with MEP Martina Dlabajová

H. E. Jaroslav Kurfürst, Ambassador, Head of the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Brussels and Caroline Pauwels, Rector of the Vrije Universiteit Brussels - VUB

Participants of the mission visiting the BruBotics lab

Participants of the mission visiting the IoT Factory

Participants of the mission in the European Parliament

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2018

111

EU

matters business

Did you know what?

Highest support of EU membership in the last 25 years According to the results of a Eurobarometer survey released in October, EU membership support has reached a record high. 62% of EU citizens think it is beneficial for their country to be a member of the EU, which is the best result since 1983.

The highest support to the EU was registered in Ireland, where 85% of respondents think that EU membership is good and 92% considers that Ireland has benefited from its EU membership. In the Czech Republic, EU support has also grown - 64% of Czechs think that the Czech Republic benefits from being a member of the EU, which is the best result so far. Great influence on this positive trend has had the referendum on Brexit.

Consumer research shows low confidence in services The European Commission released its 2018 Consumer Markets Scoreboard which shows that only 53% of consumers in the EU believe that service companies are fulfilling their obligations under consumer protection rules. As for goods sold in the EU, this rate is slightly higher and reaches 59%. In addition, the survey shows that the most problematic area from the consumers’ point of view relates to internet and mobile services providers. The financial sector is yet again a sector where, in the event of problems, consumers suffer the most damage, both financially and time-wise.

New fuel labelling in the EU As of mid-October, a common fuel labelling for road vehicles will be used in the EU to provide drivers with better information on the fuels they use. The new labelling does not replace current names of fuel, but unifies and simplifies them. At the same time, manufacturers will start using the new symbols for newly manufactured cars.

Commission harmonized spectrum for the development of Internet of Things The European Commission adopted an implementing decision to harmonize the radio spectrum for use with short range devices in the frequency bands 874-876 and 915-921 MHz. This will facilitate the expansion of a variety of Internetbased applications, such as smart cities, smart homes, transport systems, or smart farming. Up to now, these bands have been used by Member States, for example, for rail communication.

Commission presented strategy on bioeconomy The European Commission released in October an Action Plan for the development of a sustainable and circular economy, which aims to improve and increase the use of sustainable resources, thus contributing to sustainable growth and reducing the impact of the climate change. As part of the Action Plan, the Commission will launch 14 specific measures with three main objectives.

These include the scale up and strengthening of biotechnology-based industries, the rapid deployment of bio-economy within the EU and the protection of the ecosystem. According to the Commission, intensive cooperation between public authorities and businesses is required for the success of the Action Plan.

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Let´s talk numbers!

Industrial production increased slightly According to information from the Eurostat, industrial production in the EU increased by 1.0% in the euro area and 0.8% in the whole EU in August 2018 compared to the previous month. Malta (+9.9%), Ireland (+8.0%) and Hungary (+3.8%) recorded the largest month-on-month increase. The only country where industrial production has declined in the given period is Denmark (-4.5%). Compared to August 2017, there was an increase in industrial production of 0.9% in the euro area and 1.2% across the EU. Euro area foreign trade showed surplus of EUR 11.7 billion European Statistical Office Eurostat informed that according to the first estimate, the euro area reached a surplus of foreign trade with the rest of the world in August of this year of EUR 11.7 billion.

Exports in this period were estimated at EUR 181.5 billion, 5.6% more than in August of last year, and imports amounted to EUR 169.8 billion (an increase of 8.4% as compared to August 2017). Foreign trade of the EU28 in the same period, on the other hand, recorded a deficit of EUR 8.4 billion. Last August, the deficit was EUR 6.1 billion.

Retail trade of the euro area slightly declined The European Statistical Office released the results showing that the volume of retail trade in euro area declined slightly in August 2018 compared to July of the same year, by 0.2%. The situation has not changed in the whole EU. Compared to August 2017, the volume of retail trade increased by 1.8% in the euro area and 2.4% in the EU28. In August 2018, the highest increases in retail trade were recorded in Sweden (+1.2%), Portugal (+1.1%), Ireland, Hungary and Slovenia (all countries +1.0%), while decline was seen in Latvia (-1.2%), Poland, France (both -0.7%) and Finland (-0.6%).

Industrial producer prices rose by 0.3% in euro area and EU28 Estimates by the European Statistical Office show that industrial producer prices rose in August 2018 compared with the previous month by 0.3% both in the euro area and the whole EU. Prices increased in all Member States, the biggest increase was recorded in Latvia (+2.1%), Romania (+1.0%) and Denmark (+0.8%). Year-on-year comparison with August 2017 shows that industrial producer prices grew by 4.2% in the euro area and 4.7% across the whole EU. Czech Republic still has lowest unemployment rate in the EU According to Eurostat data, unemployment rate declined to 8.1% in August 2018 compared with 8.2% in July. In the whole EU, the unemployment rate remained unchanged and reached 6.8%. The lowest unemployment rate in August 2018 was seen in the Czech Republic (2.5%), Germany and Poland (both 3.4%). Greece (19.1% in June 2018) and Spain (15.2%), on the other hand, recorded the highest rates. Year-on-year comparison with August 2017 shows that the unemployment rate fell by 0.9% in the euro area and 0.7% in the EU28.

In the world!

Commission adopted Trade and Investment Protection Agreements with Vietnam

The European Commission adopted on 17th October Trade and Investment Agreements with Vietnam, opening the way for their signature and final approval. Thanks to the trade agreement, virtually all customs duties on trade in goods between the EU and Vietnam will be removed. In addition, the agreement includes commitments on sustainable development, respect for human rights, workers' rights and the fight against climate change. The Agreement on Protection of Investments will replace the 21 bilateral agreements that the EU Member States have signed with Vietnam.

Council agreed to sign a Trade and Investment Agreement with Singapore The Foreign Affairs Council agreed at its October meeting to sign the Free Trade Agreement and the Investment Protection Agreement with Singapore.

It is the first EU bilateral trade and investment agreement with an ASEAN country. In particular, the trade agreement will remove remaining tariffs and technical and non-tariff barriers to trade, especially in the area of standards, by recognizing EU test methods for products such as electronics, pharmaceuticals or automotive components in Singapore. The agreements were signed at the ASEM summit that was held on 19th October in Brussels.

Council endorsed strategy for connecting Europe and Asia The Foreign Affairs Council adopted in October conclusions a strategy called Connecting Europe and Asia – Building block for an EU Strategy. The Council, in its conclusions, states that the EU will support sustainable, comprehensive and rulebased interconnectivity and will seek to increase the volume of trade and investment with Asian countries. In addition, the EU will promote high social and environmental standards in Asian countries.

Commission extends anti-dumping duties on imports of seamless pipes and tubes from Russia and Ukraine The European Commission announced that it has decided, based on the results of an investigation, to extend the anti-dumping measures already in place on imports of seamless pipes and tubes from Russia and Ukraine for another five years. Antidumping duties range between 24.1% and 35.8% for imports from Russia and between 12.3% and 25.7% for imports from Ukraine. The Commission's investigation carried out at the request of the European Steel Pipe Association showed that, should the anti-dumping duties be abolished, subsidized products would most likely enter Europe and endanger European producers, particularly in the Czech Republic, France, Germany and Italy.

One year with CETA In September 2018, the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) has been provisionally applied for one year. Although the agreement is only applicable for a short period of time, the European Commission has seen positive trends. In general, EU export volumes grew by 8% year-on-year, with machines and machinery, pharmaceuticals, perfumes and cosmetics, clothing and furniture among the most rapidly growing sectors. Exports of fruit and nuts, chocolate and sparkling wine also increased.

Brought by CEBRE – Czech Business Representation to the EU

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