Czech & Slovak Leaders 04/2016

CZECH & SLOVAK

OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2016

An interview with

Andrej Kiska, President of the Slovak Republic

Helping and Serving

the Society is THE BEST LIFE PURPOSE

available worldwide online

P HOTO : A RCHIVE

Andrej Kiska, President of the Slovak Republic

www.czechleaders.com incl. electronic version Praha I Bratislava I Brno I Ostrava I Plzeň I Liberec I Olomouc I Hradec Králové I České Budějovice I Pardubice I Zlín I Jihlava I Karlovy Vary I Mladá Boleslav

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DAVID GYORI:

CEO of BANKING REPORTS “Banks all over the world are working on adjusting to the new age of DIGITAL. But digital is complex. It is complex because it is driven by a new segment of clients – the Millennials; it is dominated by a new group of competitors – 15 000 FinTech startups globally. It requires a new approach towards innovation. While innovation is inherently risky, banks are understandably riskaversive. Bankers are criticized widely for their conservativism; banks are often characterized as incapable of winning the 21st Century.

Yet, the ground reality is different. Bankers, during my FinTech Training Programs are keen on embracing innovative concepts, ready to implement best practices, powerful in roleplays, creative and informed in debates. Banks are capable of winning the 21st Century. But only those which understand the new global trends and what they exactly mean for their local markets.”

David Gyori, CEO of Banking Reports on the future of financial services with a global perspective

15 Years in Banking David started his first consultancy, targeting banks and insurers in the Central and Eastern European Region in 2002. He received his diploma from the Budapest Corvinus University, focusing his studies on Finance, Economics and Management. The early 2000s were unprecedentedly dynamic years in the region. The banking system in the CEE region was getting modernized with huge steps, often overtaking Western-European competitors.

Going Global After over 150 banking projects in 7 countries of the CEE region David decided to go global. He established Banking Reports Limited in London and started to write market reports about globally relevant banking trends. He quickly became widely respected member of the global FinTech and banking innovation community.

From Reports to Training Programs By 2015 it was clear that there is international demand among bankers for in-depth training programs explaining and extending the market reports written by David. Topics such as Digital Banking, New Trends in Marketing of Financial Services, Banking Transition and the Future of Banking became demanded training programs.

Quality, Dynamism and Relevance in Training David uses Group Exercises, Debates and Role Plays as tools to shake up frontal teaching. But even the frontally explained concepts are exciting at his training programs: he uses highly visual high quality slides, speaks and explains things in a dynamic manner and uses dedicated and exciting videos. While the training programs are absolutely serious and the work is highly focused, bankers are often caught laughing and fully enjoying the programs.

Faculty Member of the Retail Banking Academy David’s talent in delivering complex training programs in the area of banking innovation was soon discovered.

This is why he was invited to become Faculty Member of the Retail Banking Academy in London – one of the most prestigious banker-training facilities globally.

Co-Author of ‘The FINTECH Book’ After 189 abstracts being submitted by over 160 authors from 27 countries, David’s essay on the Future of FinTech was selected as part of ‘The FINTECH Book’ to be published by Wiley & Sons. The book quickly became a global category-bestseller on Amazon.

Founding Member of the World FinTech Association David is one of the key founding members of this global industry body of FinTech. He is also the representative of the United Kingdom in the World FinTech Association as well as the Chairman of the P2P Lending and Crowdfunding Committee of the Association.

Bringing the Best Together from 5 Continents David explains: “To provide truly top quality FinTech and Digital Banking insights it is paramount to combine and bridge global differences in excellence.” This is exactly what he does. David points out: “Just some examples: The USA is ahead in researching and piloting new interbank standards for Blockchain. Europe is the most progressive on API-banking. Asia is furthest ahead in tech-companies crossing over to financial services.

Africa – often underestimated – is clearly providing the best examples of how Mobile Network Operators can master financial services. Australia and New Zealand are ahead of all other continents in providing models of intra-bank innovation.”

P UBLISHER ’ S

NOTE

&

CONTENTS

DEAR READERS, Leaving the beautiful autumn and its wonderful colours behind us and heading for winter gives me mixed feelings. Not so much due to the darkness and cold, which can be cured with cosiness and candle lights at home and the warmth of the Christmas spirit, but because of all those who don’t have a home, or those who have left their war stricken countries seeking a new future.

Dear Readers, keep your hearts open to those who have less, who have nowhere to go, who may be feeling lonely at the time when families get together to celebrate Christmas.

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 – a smile, a look of understanding, a thank you from the heart – and you feel part of the human family, irrespective of religion or colour.

On the front page we are proud and happy to have the President of Slovakia Mr. Andrej Kiska whose thought-provoking interview you can read in the magazine. Other very insightful interviews are with Managing Director of SAP Mr. Roman Knap; SAP Executive Board member SAP SE Mr. Stefan Ries; CEO of the very successful company Kapsch Mr. Karel Feix; Head of The Prague Concert agency Mr. John Tregellas; very well-known personality Tomáš Halík; JUDr Dominika Kolowrat-Krakowská; Czech jewellery designer Mrs. Kateřina Reich; Mrs. Silvia Gavorníková; very well-known lawyer JUDr. Radek Pokorný; Chairman of the Union of Czech and Production Cooperatives Rostislav Dvořák; physician Dr Iva Holmerová and finally Mr. Michal Horáček who has been recently making headlines.

In this issue of Czech & Slovak Leaders you will also find photo coverage from various events such as Czech 100 Best Winners by Comenius with a spectacular Gala Dinner at the Castle; several Round Tables by Comenius with guests such as Head of the National Bank Mr. Rusnok, Deputy Minister of Finance Mrs. Schillerová, and Minister of Transport Mr. Ťok; Austrian National Day; Miro’s 65-year birthday with an extraordinary exhibition; farewell to Canadian Ambassador H.E. Otto Jelinek; Business Day winners; Prague Security Conference

by Ceses, Cacio and Oracle Conferences; Diplomatic Forum; CFO Excellence in Finance; Elai event and Sananim Charity event at the Intercontinental Hotel, to mention a few.

In addition, we feature highly interesting articles written by our contributors: Mrs. Tereza Urbánková, Mrs. Elisabet Dennehy, Mr. Jonathan Wootliff, Mr. Jan Mühlfeit, Mr. and Mrs. Drebitko, Mr. Jim Cusumano, Mr. Ondřej Hlaváček, Mr. Emanuel Šíp, and Mr. Ivan Pilný and I must not forget to mention cooperation with the Senate and President's Office and Diplomats without Passport, this time with Mrs. Strachová, a famous skier.

Finally I wish you all a very merry, happy and joyful Christmas and a prosperous new year.

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

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events 8 10 12 14 16 26 28 30 34 54 56 62 64 70 80 86 88 92 99

Presidential Senate Silver Commemoration Medals Senate – Welcome to New Senators Comenius Czech 100 Best – conference Comenius Czech 100 Best – Prague Castle gala evening Round Table od Comenius Discussion with Jiří Rusnok Round Table od Comenius Discussion with Alena Schillerová Round Table od Comenius Discussion with Dan Ťok Business event Day of Czech Entrepreneurs 12th Prague Security Conference 5th International Conference of EFPA Czech Republic CACIO Forum Czechoslovak Foreign Institute Best IT Project of the Year held by CACIO Networking/Charity LIONS Club CFO Conference Excellence in Finance ELAI Global Entrepreneurship Week Charity Gala SANANIM

President Miloš Zeman, representing the Czech Republic

Alois Dubec, receiving the highest state order, the Order of the White Lion

X page 8

interviews 3

Interview with Andrej Kiska Helping and Serving the Society is the Best Life Purpose 32 Interview with Roman Knap I Do Not Only Set Targets for Myself, I Fulfil Them 42 Interview with Karel Feix Being Loyal to the Company is Paramount to Me 48 Interview with John Tregellas On Youth Orchestras and Music as Diplomacy and Partnership Opportunities

C ONTENTS 52 Interview with Tomáš Halík Man shall not live on bread alone 60 Interview with Michal Horáček Exclusive interview with a potential Presidential candidate 72 Interview with Stefan Ries Prague is a success story for SAP 76 Interview with Silvia Gavorníková Authentic leadership has changed my attitude to life 84 Interview with Rostislav Dvořák New career challenge came after my 59th birthday celebration 90 Interview with Radek Pokorný The power of argumentation 94 Interview with Iva Holmerová Aging is a gift and a chance for the whole society 96 Ambassadors Without Diplomatic Passports Šárka Strachová 102 Interview with Dominika Kolowrat-Krakowská On the origins and traditions, duties and pleasures 106 Interview with Kateřina Reich Less is more

An interview with Tomáš Halík

GALA EVENING CZECH 100 BEST, PRAGUE CASTLE November 25, 2016

Ladies Pro 2016 with the First Deputy Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and Karel Muzikář, President of Comenius

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diplomatic events 22 Austrian National Day 44 BBQ party with diplomatic corps Canadian Ambassador to the Czech Republic Otto Jelinek hosted an informal farewell reception for Prague Ambassadors 67 Diplomatic Forum With H.E. Tajammul Altaf, Ambassador of Pakistan 68 Diplomatic Forum With H.E. Dr. Alexander Grubmayr, Ambassador of Austria 69 Diplomatic Forum With H.E. Abderahman Salaheldin, Ambassador of Egypt

Austrian National Day

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culture events 36 Openning Ceremony in Gallery MIRO From Classical Modernism to Contemporary Art 82 Jour du Chateau Margaux October 12th, 2016, Salon Bellevue and Galerie vín in Millenium Passage Prague Bordeaux Millésimes 2002 – 2012 4th annual degustation Grand Cru Classé in the Czech Republic, October 6th-7th, 2016 Salon Bellevue, Passage Millenium Prague

From left: H.E. Dr. Alexander Grubmayr, LL.M., Ambassador of Austria with his wife and Brigadier General, Daniel Pregl, Defence Attaché CZE/SVK/HUN with his wife

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CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016 3

CONTENTS

contributors 35 Jonathan Wootliff Food waste must be prevented for the sake of our planet 41 Tereza Urbánková The power of social collaboration 47 Ondřej Hlaváček Does the higher education on offer correspond to the market demand? What competencies are taught at schools?

51 Elisabet Rodriguez Dennehy Focusing Illusion Can you afford not to challenge your decision making process?

59 Emanuel Šíp High-speed rail concept again on the Czech stage 74 Jim Cusumano Life is beautiful; Part IV: Legalize LSD? 78 Jan Mühlfeit Every kid is a genius, we have to find out at what 98 Ivan Pilný What to expect in the future – OBVIOUS MATTERS 104 Iva Drebitko Venice Biennale of Architecture 2016

James A. Cusumano Life Is Beautiful Part IV: Legalize LSD?

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

X page 74

Contributors: Elisabet Dennehy, James A. Cusumano, Iva Drebitko, Joseph Drebitko, Ondřej Hlaváček, David Giyuri, ELAI, Martina Hošková, Lenka Helena Koenigsmark, Jan Mühlfeit, Ivan Pilný, Linda Štucbartová, Tereza Urbánková, Jonathan Wootliff Photographers: Vladimír Weiss, Marian Majik, Hana Brožková, Pavlina Schulz, Tereza Šlápotová, Michal Pavlík, Martin Vlček, Michal Linhart, Martin Janas

Figure 3: LSD expert Dr. Stanislav Grof believes that LSD enables your Personal Consciousness to tap into what has been called the Akashic Field by Dr. Irvin Laszlo and the Morphogenic Field by Dr. Rupert Sheldrake. He maintains that in this field there exists a record of every physical action and mental thought that has ever occurred.

EU matters 108 EU matters interview An interview with H.E. Jaroslav Zajíček, Deputy Head of the permanent Representation of the Czech Republic to the EU Renationalisation tendencies are dangerous for the future of EU’s Internal Market 110 EU debate Czech business mission to Antwerp and Brussels The Czech Republic must be ready to block certain topics in the EU Revision of the Posting of Workers Directive 112 EU matters business

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P HOTO : A RCHIVE

I NTERVIEW

WITH

A NDREJ K ISKA , P RESIDENT

OF THE

S LOVAK R EPUBLIC

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016 5

I NTERVIEW

WITH

A NDREJ K ISKA , P RESIDENT

OF THE

Mr. President, having the opportunity to talk to you at the 20th anniversary of the Forum 2000 conference, what are the biggest challenges the today’s society faces?

I am going to share with you several topics that I find very relevant and therefore I used the opportunity to discuss them with his Holiness Dalai Lama. The first broader topic that we discussed was the globalisation and the fact that we are closer to one another. The second topic was how to engage young people to become more active and engaged in politics to change the world. The third topic was dedicated to the situation in Europe. We have witnessed the rise of nationalism, extremism and racism. It seems that Europe might not be the continent where every citizen and visitor could enjoy a high level of prosperity and protection of human rights anymore. Many of us feel deeply worried today. Our societies just got used to living good and peaceful lives. As it is often said, every generation has to fight its own battle for future and freedom, so it is our turn now to do so.

Despite a rather pessimistic mood of the wide public, both general trends as well as statistics are quite promising and optimistic. Isn’t it rather the case that politicians fail and forget to deliver the good news and spread optimism?

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CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016

S LOVAK R EPUBLIC

I NTERVIEW Yes, you are right. Politicians play with fire. On a global level, there are fewer wars and people kill each other less frequently than ever before.

More people have access to healthcare, girls attend schools more than ever in the past. We see people more interested and engaged in volunteer work. The assistance programmes to help the sick, poor and needy have been attracting large resources, coming not only from the government but also private donors.

Have we ever read the headlines in the news that the scope of generosity and humanity in today’s world in unprecedented in history?

Besides you being a very optimistic politician rather than one who scares people and makes them feel less secure, you are also known for your positive attitude to the European Union. Have we forgotten one important lesson that leadership is about - that you grow when facing difficult and challenging moments rather than when you are in your comfort zone?

I still believe that the European Union, Schengen and Eurozone are shining examples of successes. That does not mean we have not faced two crises. The first one was the financial one, the other was the migration one. And still, I believe that we are doing fine and when looking at predictions, I do not see a single objective reason why we should not continue doing fine. It is not all sunshine and rainbows but I also see the threat that is present; in using fear and politically fuelled animosity, criminalisation of Muslims who are fleeing their home countries to Europe to save their lives or

WITH

A NDREJ K ISKA , P RESIDENT

the increasing number of strikes on Brussels, and the EU in general.

You mentioned that “words can be very powerful, words can bring joy but they can also harm”, “they can make peace but also the war”. You have raised your concern about the level of rhetoric following Brexit.

Populists in the United Kingdom have repeatedly referred to the Poles, Slovaks and Czechs as the biggest problems they face. They even argued that our people should go home as they are the cause of the problems British public is now facing. These populists’ words of politicians inspired action. Young people from our region living in the UK were killed there. And it is precisely the words behind the violence.

Words by politicians, so now we are afraid of using words against any religion, against group of any people, because after the use of words bad reaction can follow very easily.

Let us now turn to Václav Havel, as the founder of Forum 2000. What part of his legacy do you see most relevant for today?

I will continue to answer along the lines of my previous thoughts. Shortly before the Velvet Revolution, Václav Havel mentioned that historical horrors can follow words. Applying his warning to the current situation, even in the hands of democrats, the genuine purpose of the right to vote, free elections and referendum is getting weakened and twisted.

I have already mentioned Brexit. I do not intend to question the free will of British people who made their decision. However, at the same time I dare say that the proponents of the idea of Brexit, had a different outcome in their minds.

Many British citizens were fairly shocked about the outcome of their will. This can apply to other cases, such as when the Dutch voters who blocked the association agreement between the EU and Ukraine in the referendum. They also had different motives and reasons in their mind while making the decision than the European future for Ukrainian people. By the same token, I could mention the case of my country, Slovakia, those voters who made the decision to send the fascist to the parliament during the parliamentary elections did not intend to introduce the fascist regime in Slovakia.

Can we say that popular votes are bringing the opposite outcome than desired, and instead of strengthening democracy, they are weakening it?

Election and referendum campaigns have turned into a festival of negative emotions amplified by modern communication techniques. I find very disturbing how many so-called standard democratic

OF THE

S LOVAK R EPUBLIC

politicians are willing to both adopt and inspire an irrational emotional trend in public discussions and campaigns. Just notice how many politicians are ready to raise emotions which are in deep contrast with the spirit of our democratic constitutions. And they are in sharp contrast with the founding values that our European civilisation was based on and also against the goals of our European integration.

Sociologists are more and more discussing the phenomenon of communication bubbles and the danger of parallel parts of societies not speaking to each other…

Let me mention a specific example from Slovakia where 30% of Slovak citizens believe that vaccination is a conspiracy of pharmaceutical companies. This is thanks to social networks. We live more and more in a virtual reality, we have lost perspective and the scope of the variety of parallel worlds our neighbours, friends and relatives live in. I would say we now live in parallel universes which fail to communicate with each other, refuse to understand each other, and step by step are losing the ability to agree with each other on the question of common public interests. This is all happening at the time when Europe is under a heavy crossfire of the information war, a war we observe but yet do not fight back.

Let us end on a positive note and mention one more quote by Václav Havel. “Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out.”

I got the same answer from his holiness Dalai Lama, or my inspiration from father Srholec, a priest imprisoned during the totalitarian period. I believe that there are many people who ask the same question – what we should do, what our place in the quest for better world is, how to behave. And the answer is rather simple: that we need to get aligned with our values and that people with the same values should stay united. Father Srholec used to say: “I do not know what will happen in the future, what will happen tomorrow, but today I know how I would behave.” Our values define our actions so if we stick to them, we should know how we will behave in the future.

Mr. President, thank you very much. And also, thank you for being also a strong role model for many Czech people. Many of us follow your leadership and comments very closely. Just to mention one case among many - remembering Věra Čáslavská with your famous tweet: “With her victories, dignity and courage, she will stay in our hearts forever. Thank you Věra Čáslavská".

BY CL

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016 7

PRESIDENTIAL

Mr. President with award-winning personalities

P HOTO : A RCHIVE KPR, H ANA B ROŽKOVÁ

Alois Dubec, receiving the highest state order, the Order of the White Lion

Military oath

International Engineering Fair

At the 71st United Nations General Assembly in the USA

Official visit of the President of Bulgaria in the CR

Official visit of the President of Bulgaria in the CR

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Visiting the Zlín Region, meeting the representatives of the Region

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016

Act of reverence at Vítkov

PRESIDENTIAL

Ceremonial awarding of state decorations

Moravian-Silesian Region, National Monument of the World War II in Hrabyně

Act of reverence at Vítkov

From left: Andrej Babiš, Minister of Finance, Miloš Zeman, President of the Czech Republic, Karel Havlíček, Chairman of the Board, Sindat Group, and Jan Mládek, Minister of Trade and Industry

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016 9

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Jana BalcĂĄrkovĂĄ, award-winning woman, who did not hesitate to save human life during a car accident

RenĂŠ RoubĂ­Ä?ek, internationally respected glass artist, during the ceremony in Wallenstein Palace

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Award-winning Professor Jan StarĂ˝ signing a commemorative book

Professor LuboĹĄ PetruĹželka, an outstanding oncologist with a broad international proďŹ le

S ENATE

mmemoration Medals

Great Czech skier Šárka Strachová taking over the award from Milan Štěch, President of the Senate

The silver commemorative medal is being awarded by President of the Senate Milan Štěch to Professor Jana Hajšlová, who is an international expert in the analysis of food and natural products

Milan Štěch, President of the Senate and Jiří Ježek, the most successful Paralympic cyclist in the Czech Republic

Milan Štěch, President of the Senate next to award-winning Ludmila Formanová, one of the Czech most successful female athletes

Professor Jaromír Kolář, a leading expert in the field of radiology, accepting the award of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic

Milan Štěch, President of the Senate with Professor Richard Hindls, excellent statistician, economist and a very important person for education at Czech universities

President of the Senate Milan Štěch with a successful composer and performer of popular music Petr Janda

Milan Štěch congratulating Professor Miroslav Ryska, who is one of the most respected Czech surgeons.

Professor Vratislav Rybka, leading czech orthopedist

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New Senator Renata ChmelovĂĄ signing the oath on November 16

The Presidents of the ďŹ ve Caucuses signing a memorandum of mutual cooperation

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CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016

New Senator Jiří Cieńciala signing the election oath

The Senators elected in the October elections accepting a certiďŹ cate of election

The ďŹ rst plenary session of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic in its 11th term of oďŹƒce

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Press brieďŹ ng of the Presidents of the ďŹ ve Caucuses after signing a memorandum of cooperation

President of the Senate Milan Štěch receiving the oath from Våclav Chaloupek, new Senator of the Upper Chamber

President of the Senate Milan Ĺ tÄ›ch handing over a certiďŹ cate of election to Jiří Oberfalzer, re-elected senator of the Parliament of the Czech Republic

New Senator of the Parliament of the Czech Republic TomĂĄĹĄ Czernin signing the oath at the ďŹ rst plenary session

Senator Jaroslav Doubrava receiving a certiďŹ cate of election at the ceremony accepting new or re-elected senators

Election of President and Vice Presidents of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic; from left Jiří Šeståk, Miluťe Horskå, Mila Štěch, Ivo Bårek and Jaroslav Kubera

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016 13

COMENIUS CZECH

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Key Factors of Success

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WEBCAST OF THE CONFERENCE IS AVAILABLE AT WWW . COMENIUS . CZ

From left: Hana Machková, Rector, Prague School of Economics, H.E. Gary Koren, Ambassador, Embassy of Israel, Ladislav Vitoul, Owner, Vápenka Vitoul, Kateřina Černá, Secretary of the Office of the Municipal District of Prague 13, Lubomír Šabatka, CEO, IDEA RS, Jan Mládek, Minister of Industry and Trade, and Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius

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Kateřina Černá, Secretary of the Office of the Municipal District of Prague 13

Lubomír Šabatka, CEO, IDEA RS

From left: Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius and Tom Čáp, Executive Vice President, Comenius

Alena Schillerová, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Finance of the Czech Republic

14

Ivan Baťka, Chairman of the Board and CEO, Fosfa

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016

Ladislav Vitoul, Owner, Vápenka Vitoul

IN

COOPERATION WITH

C ZECH & S LOVAK L EADERS

Ladislav Vitoul, Owner, Vápenka Vitoul gives award – Golden Oscar for 21 years of elegant presidency to Karel Muzikář

Hana Machková, Rector, Prague School of Economics

COMENIUS CZECH

From left: Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius and Jan Mládek, Minister of Industry and Trade

From left: Ivan Pilný, MP & Chairman of the Economic Committee of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament and Radoslaw Kedzia, Managing Director, Huawei Technologies Czech

From left: Jiří Vacek, Coowner, Avanti, Tomáš Březina, Statutory Director, Best, and Pavel Krůta, CEO, Korus EU

100

BEST / CONFERENCE

H.E. Gary Koren, Ambassador, Embassy of Israel

H. E. MA Keqing, Ambassador of the People's Republic of China

Ivan Pilný, Chairman of the Economic Committee, Chamber of Deputies, Parliament of the CR

From left: Ivan Baťka, Chairman of the Board and CEO, Fosfa, H. E. MA Keqing, Ambassador of the People's Republic of China, George Parobek, CEO, IFIELD COMPUTER CONSULTANCY, Tomáš Březina, Statutory Director, BEST, Alena Schillerová, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Finance of the Czech Republic, Ivan Pilný, Chairman of the Economic Committee, Chamber of Deputies, Parliament of the CR, and Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016 15

THE BEST IS TO BE THE BEST

GALA EVENING CZECH 100 BEST PRAGUE CASTLE November 25, 2016

Gentlemen Pro 2016 with Karel Muzikář, President Comenius and the First Deputy Prime Minister Andrej Babiš

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Awarded production cooperatives with the First Deputy Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Michaela Marksová

16

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016

Main photo of Czech 100 Best 2016 with Milan Štěch, President of the Senate, Andrej Babiš, First Deputy Prime Minister and Karel Muzikář, President Comenius

IN

COOPERATION WITH

THE BEST IS TO BE THE BEST

C ZECH & S LOVAK L EADERS

Ladies Pro 2016 with the First Deputy Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and Karel Muzikář, President Comenius

From left: Erik Best, Publisher, The Fleet Sheet, Mr. & Mrs. Baťka, Karel Muzikář, President Comenius, and Ivan Baťka, Chairman of the Board, Fosfa

From left: Benke Aikell, Your Publisher, Eva Anderová, and Erik Best, Publisher, The Fleet Sheet

From left: Antonín Pačes, Chairman of the Board, Excon, Kateřina Čapková, Executive Director, Excon, Miloslava Procházková, Co-Owner, Avanti, Jiří Vacek, Co-Owner, Avanti, Mrs. Simona Procházková and Mr. Lukáš Procházka

Karel Muzikář Jr., Managing Partner, Weil, Gotshal & Manges and Adriana Krnáčová, Mayor of the Capital City of Prague

Mrs. Monika Babišová and Andrej Babiš, the First Deputy Prime Minister

Jan Mládek, Minister of Industry and Trade with his wife Maria Mládková

From left: Michaela Marksová, Minister of Labor and Social Affairs and H.E. Ma Keqing, Ambassador, Embassy of PRC

From left: Milan Štěch, President, Senate of the Parliament, Maria Mládková and Jan Mládek, Minister of Industry and Trade

Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius with his introductory speech

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016 17

THE BEST IS TO BE THE BEST

Imed Jeddai, Owner, Blue Style and Adriana Krnáčová, Mayor of the Capital City of Prague

Ondřej Havelka and his Melody Makers

Jaroslav Řehůřek, Executive Director, Student Agency and Adriana Krnáčová, Mayor of the Capital City of Prague

From left: Milada Dohnalová, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, TOP HOTELS Group and Adriana Krnáčová, Mayor of the Capital City of Prague

Winners of the Category „Tourism & Hotels“

Miloslav Čermák, Chairman, Sněžka and Michaela Marksová, Minister of Labor and Social Affairs

Awarded category „Production Cooperatives“

From left: Radoslaw Kedzia, General Director, Huawei Technologies Czech and Ivan Pilný, MP and Chairman of the Economic Committee of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament

Awarded category „Information & Telecommunication Technologies“

18

Roman Kovář, Chairman, ASV and Michaela Marksová, Minister of Labor and Social Affairs

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016

From left: Ivan Pilný, MP and Chairman of the Economic Committee of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament and George Parobek, Owner, Ifield Computer Consultancy

Winners of the category „Building Industry & Transport“

THE BEST IS TO BE THE BEST

From left: Jan Tašek, Owner, ASE and Jan Mládek, Minister of Industry and Trade

Winners of the category „Health – Education – Humanity“

From left: Jiří Skalický, Member of the Supervisory Board, East Bohemian Airport and Jan Mládek, Minister of Industry and Trade

From left: Milan Svoboda, Owner, SVOBODA- homemade dumplings production and Miroslav Toman Jr., President, Agricultural Chamber and Federation of the Food and Drink Industries

Fashion Show by Tatiana

Ota Schütz, Owner, Žilní klinika and Michaela Marksová, Minister of Labor and Social Affairs

From left: Mojmír Čapka, Chairman of the Board, Brisk Tábor and Jan Mládek, Minister of Industry and Trade

From left: Ivo Valenta, Founder, Synot and Jan Mládek, Minister of Industry and Trade

Adriana Krnáčová, Mayor of the Capital City of Prague, Lady Pro 2016 and Andrej Babiš, First Deputy Prime Minister

H.E. Ma Keqing, Ambassador, Embassy of PRC, Lady Pro 2016 and Andrej Babiš, First Deputy Prime Minister

Michaela Marksová, Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, Lady Pro 2016 and Andrej Babiš, First Deputy Prime Minister

Awarded category „Innovation – Effort – Export – Revenue“

Awarded category „Dynamic Growth & Stability“

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016 19

THE BEST IS TO BE THE BEST

Tatiana Kovaříková, Fashion Designer

From left: Libor Chrobok, Chairman of the Board, Geco and Milan Štěch, President, Senate of the Parliament

Best of the Czech 100 Best

20

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016

Elena Pasquale, Member of the Board, Karlovarské minerální vody and Milan Štěch, President, Senate of the Parliament

THE BEST IS TO BE THE BEST

From left: Tomáš Březina, Statutory Director, Best and Milan Štěch, President, Senate of the Parliament

From left: Martin Diviš, Chairman of the Board, KOOPERATIVA Pojišťovna and Milan Štěch, President, Senate of the Parliament

From left: Bohdan Wojnar, Member of the Board, ČEZ and Milan Štěch, President, Senate of the Parliament

Pavel Kavánek, Gentleman Pro 2016 with his partner

Ondřej Havelka and his Melody Makers

Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius, Stanislava Kortánová, Owner, PECU Stana with her husband

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016 21

D IPLOMATIC

EVENT

From left: H.E. Dr. Alexander Grubmayr, LL.M., Ambassador of Austria with his wife and Brigadier General, Daniel Pregl, Defence Attaché CZE/SVK/HUN with his wife

From left: Klaus Pilz, Regional Director CR, Vienna House CR, Mag. Christian Miller with his wife, Commercial Counsellor, Austrian Embassy, and Christian Lang, General Manager, Porsche Inter Auto CZ

Austrian National Day From left: Eva Anderová, Honorary Consul of Zambia and Business Consultant to Czech & Slovak Leaders and Ing. Lucie Orgoníková, Deputy Vice Minister for Science, Research and Innovation

From left: Friedrich Lennkh, Attaché, Austrian Embassy, and Ing. Lubomír Sýkora, Honorary Consul, Austrian Consulate České Budějovice

From left: Eran S. Yuvan, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Israel, Martin Gärtner, Deputy Head of Mission, Austrian Embassy, and H.E. Gary Koren, Ambassador of Israel

22

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016

From left: Mrs. Diana Püribauer and Mrs. Hana Procházková

From left: Dr. Erwin Hanslik, MRICS, Partner, TaylorWessing, Mag. Georg Stöger, Auditor, and Klaus Pilz, Regional Director, Vienna House Czech Republic

D IPLOMATIC

EVENT

H.E. Dr. Alexander Grubmayr, LL.M., Ambassador of Austria

Ing. Rudolf Rabiňák, Vice Chairman of the Board, Corporate Banking, Raiffeisenbank with his wife

From left: H.E. Dr. Alexander Grubmayr, LL.M., Ambassador of Austria and JUDr. Pavel Smutný, Císař, Češka, Smutný

Harald Hölzl, General Manager, BMW Group CR with his wife

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016 23

NETWORKING / DISCUSSION EVENT

IN

COOPERATION WITH

C ZECH & S LOVAK L EADERS

From left: Jiří Kunert, CEO and Chairman of the Board, UniCredit Bank Czech Republic and Slovakia, H.E. Vladimir V. Zmeyevskiy, Ambassador, Embassy of the Russian Federation, Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius, Jan Žůrek, Managing Partner, KPMG, Jiří Nekovář, President, EURO-Trend, and Rostislav Dvořák, President, Union of Czech Production Co-operatives

HgparppglkxsgqfxNgŅļxVrpklh´xKltcokloxldxqfcxGwcafxR_qglk_ixF_kh´x Wcmqcj`coxz ´x{yz ´xTo_ercxGlkeocppxGckqoc The traditional event “Round Table of Comenius” took place in the Prague Congress Centre with the guest of honor Mr. Jiří Rusnok, who serves as the governor of the Czech National Bank. Uncommonly, the event was held in English as the primary language and was mainly focused around the topics of foreign investment and the adoption of the EURO in the Czech Republic. Over 50 prominent figures of business and political backgrounds joined to create this very successful discussion evening.

From left: Jiří Uklein, Chancellor, Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic and Jiří Kunert, CEO and Chairman of the Board, UniCredit Bank Czech Republic and Slovakia

From left: Miroslaw Kastelik, CFO, Unipetrol and David Szesztai, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Hungary

H.E. Ed Hoeks, Ambassador, Embassy of the Netherlands with a question

26

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016

From left: Pavel Krůta, Owner, Korus EU and Tom Čáp, Executive VP, Comenius

H.E. Gary Koren, Ambassador, Embassy of the State of Israel with a question

NETWORKING / DISCUSSION EVENT

From left: Klára Kodua, Deputy Managing Director, Renomia, Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius, and Jiřina Nepalová, Managing Director, Renomia

Romana Benešová, Partner, KPMG with a question

H.E. Alexander Grubmyar, Ambassador, Embassy of Austria with a question

From left: Jiří Nekovář, President, EURO-Trend, H.E. Ed Hoeks, Ambassador, Embassy of the Netherlands, Jiří Rusnok, Governor, Czech National Bank, Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius, and Jiří Kunert, CEO and Chariman of the Board, UniCredit Bank Czech Republic and Slovakia

From left: Jiří Rusnok, Governor, Czech National Bank, Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius, and H.E. Ma Keqing, Ambassador, Embassy of the PRC

Ing. Jan Oberman, CEO Korado Consulting s.r.o and Benke Aikell, your Publisher

From left: Jiří Kunert, CEO and Chairman of the Board, UniCredit Bank, Jiřina Nepalová, Managing Director, Renomia, and Jiří Rusnok, Governor, Czech National Bank

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016 27

NETWORKING / DISCUSSION EVENT

IN

COOPERATION WITH

C ZECH & S LOVAK L EADERS

From left: Stanislav Kouba, Director, Department of Direct Taxes, Ministry of Finance of the CR, Alena Schillerová, Deputy Minister for Taxes and Customs, Ministry of Finance of the CR, and Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius

HgparppglkxsgqfxEick_xWafgiicoltİ´xHcmrqvxQgkgpqcoxldxJgk_kac´x Saql`cox}th´x{yz ´xXSTxLSXIPxTo_f_ On this day at TOP Hotel Praha the well-known traditional event “Round Table of Comenius” occurred, this time with a special guest of honor, Ms. Alena Schillerová, the Deputy Minister of Finance for Taxes and Customs. Over 50 prominent guests witnessed a resourceful debate with variety of opinions mainly concerning the “hot topic” of recent months, the establishment of “EET” revenue reports. Nevertheless, the discussion spread into other relevant topics regarding the financial management of the Czech Republic.

From left: Petra Pospíšilová, President, Chamber of Tax Advisors, Stanislav Kouba, Director, Department of Direct Taxes, Ministry of Finance of the CR, and Alena Schillerová, Deputy Minister for Taxes and Customs, Ministry of Finance of the CR

28

From left: Bohumír Bárta, General Director, JLV and Pavel Švagr, Chairman, Administration of State Material Reserves

From left: Martina Osvaldová, CFO, Pretol, Libor Joukl, Deputy Governor, Vysočina Region, and Hana Dluhošová, Director of Investments, Czech Railways

From left: Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius, Alena Schillerová, Deputy Minister for Taxes and Customs, Ministry of Finance of the CR, and Miroslaw Kastelik, CFO, Unipetrol

From left: Petr Havelka, CEO, AWIS Holding, Petr Menclík, Director, Dotykačka, and Hynek Pášma, Managing Director, Smart Software

NETWORKING / DISCUSSION EVENT

From left: Bohumír Bárta, General Director, JLV, Antonín Fryč, Owner, Warex, and Tomáš Rutrle, General Director, Komix

Martin Kult, SVP Strategic Sales, Ness Czech with a question

Libor Joukl, Deputy Governor, Vysočina Region with a question

Petr Havelka, CEO, AWIS Holding with a question

From left: Jiří Maceška, Vice President, Czech – Israeli Chamber of Commerce and Martin Kult, SVP Strategic Sales, Ness Czech

Milada Dohnalová, Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board, TOP HOTELS GROUP and Pavel Krůta, Owner, Korus EU

Vladimír Dohnal, Owner, TOP HOTELS GROUP with a question

Bohumír Bárta, General Director, JLV

Tomáš Rutrle, General Director, Komix

29

NETWORKING / DISCUSSION EVENT

IN

COOPERATION WITH

C ZECH & S LOVAK L EADERS

From left: Hana Šmejkalová, Executive Director, East Bohemian Airport, Zbyněk Fibich, Deputy Director, Planning and Development, Air Navigation Services, Dan Ťok, Minister of Transport, Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius, and Pavel Surý, General Director, Správa železniční dopravní cesty

HgparppglkxsgqfxH_kxĀlh´xQgkgpqcoxldxXo_kpmloq Rltcj`cox|´x{yz ´xXSTxLSXIPxTo_f_ On Thursday 3.11.2016 the event Round Table of Comenius took place in TOP HOTEL Praha. Over 60 people of various political and economic background were part of the traditional event, this time with Dan Ťok, the Minister of Transport. The main topics regarded the driving penalty system, its current status and potential development, as well as the current state of roads and highways in the Czech Republic. In addition the development of Czech airports was another significant topic. The entire event and very lively debate was moderated by the founder and president of Comenius, Karel Muzikář.

Jan Řehounek, Deputy Mayor, City of Pardubice and Gabriela ben Ahmed, Co-owner, C.O.T. Media

30

From left: Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius, Dan Ťok, Minister of Transport, Petra Buzková, Partner, VKS Legal advokátní kancelář, s. r. o., and Josef Kotrba, Managing Partner, Deloitte

From left: Libor Joukl, Deputy Governor, Vysočina Region, Tom Čáp, Executive Vice President, Comenius, and Tomáš Nielsen, Partner, Nielsen Meinl

From left: Petr Hotovec, Executive Director, ZENOVA Services and Jan Oberman, Director, Korado Consulting

From left: Jan Míka, Director, Krajská správa a údržba silnic Vysočiny, Martina Osvaldová, Director, Sabeko, Václav Jakeš, Owner, Pretol HB, and Pavla Zelená, Pretol HB

NETWORKING / DISCUSSION EVENT

From left: Jan Oberman, Owner, Korado Consulting, Rostislav Dvořák, Chairman, Union of Czech and Moravian Production Cooperatives, Karel Fiex, General Director, Kapsch Telematic Services, and Gabriela ben Ahmed, Co-owner, C.O.T. Media

Libor Joukl, Deputy Governor, Vysočina Region

From left: Pavel Míka, Executive Director, Pados, Jan Míka, Director, Krajská správa a údržba silnic Vysočiny, Jan Řehounek, Deputy Mayor, City of Pardubice, and Jaroslav Kašický, Delor International

Vitězslav Jedlička

Hana Šmejkalová, Executive Director, East Bohemian Airport

Ladislav Brázdil, Director, ZLKL

Josef Kotrba, Managing Partner, Deloitte Vladimír Dohnal, Owner, TOP HOTELS GROUP with a question

Martin Durčák, Director Business Development, Unipetrol

Jan Plaček, Assistant to the Deputy Mayor, Capital City of Prague

Overall view of the Round Table of Comenius

31

R OMAN K NAP , M ANAGING D IRECTOR SAP, C ZECH R EPUBLIC

MxHSxRSXxSRP]xWIXxXEVKIXWxJSVxQ]WIPJ´ When I interview leading personalities from IT corporations I sometimes feel like being on a different planet. This is not only due to the range of topics related to new technologies, disruptive trends and discussions about cloud or IoT (internet of things), but also due to many of these being beyond common comprehension of most users. I very much appreciate positive energy, optimism and passion that leaders in IT authentically show. Interviewing and photo shooting Mr. Roman Knap, MD SAP Czech Republic, was no exception.

As we come to the end of 2016, let us begin with a review. How was 2016 from the IT and SAP perspective?

This year has been for us, as well as for our competitors, very successful. As the economy is growing, so is our industry. Today, all investments and projects are linked to IT in one way or the other. Even in areas that are not primarily linked to IT, we cannot avoid IT completely, be it on a private or business level, and it is essential to make this clear. Based on this reasoning, when SAP is doing well, both our partners and also our competitors prosper. I am always being careful when someone claims he is doing fine while the rest of the industry is negatively affected.

Talking about competition, is there still such thing in IT? In this field, many former competitors were forced to collaborate, so it seems that the paradigm shift from collaboration to completion has proven to be working…

Yes, competition still exists; however, now we talk about a new type of competition. After a period of consolidation and purchases of smaller players by large multinational corporations, new competition has emerged in the form of dynamic, young start-up companies. These new players and challenges have built their business using IT principles. Multinationals usually react in two ways, either they try to change the way they themselves operate to become more flexible and dynamic, or they start to support young companies to secure markets also for themselves. And so we are back to the claim that IT technologies are backing up all ideas and projects and so everybody is using technologies from big IT companies.

Your saying “there is fun in IT” has attracted a lot attention. I had the opportunity to attend the SAP Forum in September and I can confirm that it was a lot of fun. The computer selected a beer for me, when using 3D glasses I was able to ride on a scary roller-coaster and I passed the test proving I am not suffering from IT dementia…

32

MxJYPJMPxXLIQx

This statement has been quoted quite often and I have the feeling that there is even more fun than ever in IT. When I was appointed the MD of SAP in the Czech Republic, after being MD in Slovakia, I had two priorities. The first one was to give SAP a human face. The second priority was to invite people from other industries to collaborate, so the labelling “these are those from IT” would not be valid anymore. And such approach has also affected the way we organise our events. We started to pay more attention to people coming from various backgrounds and industries and directly from our customers, we stopped using IT language, those facilitating our events are not from IT and to our regular SAP Forum in spring we invite various customers to speak about their user experience. The feedback from customers confirms that our different approach is working.

Before, they had no clue how much fun they can have with us, how much interesting and also enjoyable the IT segment as such can be.

And as we discussed diversity of backgrounds, I would like to mention also gender diversity.

I am proud to announce that SAP has gained the global certification for its gender equality and the Czech Republic was one of the branches that met the criteria.

Let us now take the pink glasses off for a while. It is a sad fact that the Czech Republic, albeit a leader in exporting digital technologies, cannot IT use efficiently. How can we improve the use of IT in the public sector?

Well, even this situation can be viewed as an

P HOTO : V LADIMÍR W EISS

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016

opportunity. This can be a role just for us.

I personally do not believe in voluminous strategic documents, as these might be great projects only for consulting companies, the reality is simply different. Many things have already been designed and discussed, so why starting from scratch over and over again?

I believe that it is important to start with baby steps. We have enough visions and strategies, so let us start implementing them. Alternative solutions will always exist. It is only an illusion to divide the project part from the realisation part.

And one more thing is important – to set an example. If top leaders start using technologies

I NTERVIEW and so will start explaining the benefits to others, everything will be easier. Right now, with regards to the young generation not willing to participate in the elections, e-government is often cited as a solution. As a citizen, I know how I am being served. I still have to run to various offices. Information is not shared. I do not see my balance account vis-à-vis (towards the state). Starting a business is a very lengthy and complicated procedure, which becomes even more difficult in case of a foreign body that wants to start own subsidiary here.

Your optimistic approach is also based on the claim that the Czech Republic is an attractive country. Compared to the others, you do not cry over the lack of qualified IT specialists since you are able to attract enough foreigners to come and work here.

The Czech Republic is attractive thanks to its location, history and I often stress that we have many clever and educated people here. It is true that as SAP is growing we would need even more people, because we ran out of local sources. All foreign employees confirm that they have a good life in the Czech Republic. It is a safe country with good infrastructure and the cost of living is not enormously high. So most of the conditions needed for people to feel good are fulfilled.

By now, I truly perceive that optimism and positive approach is inherent to you.

However, it is often the difficult moments that define great leaders, the moments when one has to overcome a barrier. Which moments do you recall as transformative and challenging ones?

I remember that when five years ago I was appointed a new MD of SAP in Slovakia, it was a new country for me, a new team and a company that had no history on the market.

At this moment all people coming to me were mentioning all possible problems which could arise. I was warned that the Slovaks rarely accept Czech managers, I was told how specific a Slovak market is, and how MD is the position with the least stability, even with the negative affects on the personal life and much more…

All various risks in many forms. However, for me, this was an enormous opportunity. How many times can you get such a challenge? What was the worse thing that could happen? To return back to the Czech Republic. Personally, I really like Slovakia and I really enjoyed working there.

I was able to get the support from the team, build relations with customers and so I started to build upon the first successes. I promised my team maximum support in return for the support from them. And together we were really successful.

What is your definition of a leader? And do you see leaders around?

Each leadership training starts with a definition and so I could also cite a few. However, I would

like to make a parallel to a good salesperson.

A good salesperson is the one who customers like to buy from. Well, and a good leader is the one who is being followed with joy.

I see many leaders around myself at SAP and I like to learn from them. As long as they are on their positions, I have a reason to believe that everything will be ok. You know, IT environment is truly unique. Making a parallel to IT from the point of implementation of a complicated system, you work on a testing system and when everything runs smoothly then you apply it in real case scenario. Can you give me any other industry where you can do the same? Can a doctor afford to test a new approach on a patient? Or an architect or an engineer?

Let us discuss the theme of Corporate Social Responsibility that we share.

Nowadays, corporations, thanks to their activities in this sphere, are considered bearers of value of civil society.

Our mission is “Run simple to improve people’s lives” and this can be fulfilled in many ways. One of them might be enabling creative people world-wide to fulfil their vision for SAP company.

The second level might be represented by charity or volunteering. Each October, we have “a month of service” when employees take part in a specific project to help raise money for charity organisations. We are glad to see how many and how much employees are interested. As I have already mentioned, I very much appreciate being recognised for the diversity and the certification we have received is the proof. The third level of best practice is best documented by the project Autism at work. At SAP Services (former SAP BSCE) we employ people with autism at various positions. The main motif of this programme is not CSR as such but the unique chance to hire very talented people. These people will on the other hand get an interesting and stable job, so it is a truly win-win situation. Large corporations simply must lead by example and prove that embracing diversity brings benefits to all concerned. I am personally a Board member of Junior Achievement. I have already been involved in Slovakia and now I am looking forward to continuing the cooperation.

And now the last question – where do you see yourself and SAP in twenty years?

Such long term horizon is a bit hard to grasp for me. Allow me to simplify it as we all know that corporations tend to operate on a quarterly basis. Personally?

As opposed to some determined people, I do not set targets for myself, I’d rather fulfil them. In order to be able to fulfil the targets, I need to work with teams in such an environment that enables me to react in a flexible manner to a fast changing environment. And SAP is definitely such an organisation. I am not afraid that in a couple years our products will be outdated. It is incredible

to be able to witness the transformation we have been able to partake during last five to ten years. And this is true from the point of view of products, customer communication or market reputation. SAP is no longer a system tracking late invoice payments, accounting financial consolidation or materials used. Now, SAP is present and active in areas that were not connected to IT at all, such as health care or sport: for example, the link between SAP and football, ice hockey or tennis is common. Czech people must be happy to know that SAP has the solutions as to how improve efficiency and performance of a football team. Analysing game situations increases the quality of training and helps in video-coaching. During the ice-hockey world championship there were cameras installed analysing game situations. This helps not only coaches during training but also fans who can access real-time statistics and so they are able to enjoy the match much more. Strategies are again backed up by data. No coach can afford that players just skate in the arena without having necessary information. SAP was the only sponsor of Ice-hockey World Cup. I can share another example – from the Formula 1 environment. In each racing car from McLarenHonda is more than 200 sensors sending information to technicians. Processing and visualisation of 50 MB data runs on SAP HANA in real time. All these are examples of positive disruption mentioned by Stefan Höchbauer.

For me personally, the topic of Industry 4.0 is fascinating. Such topic is as attractive as sport because it affects the whole society.

I would rather use the term initiative Society 4.0, as this agenda talks about education, employee qualification, changes at the workplace, implementing new technologies in production, making use of Internet of Things and overall robotic automation. Until now, there have been machines working on one side and humans on the other side. The next wave will affect the very direct collaboration between machines and people. I am looking forward to technological innovation programmes that will help to prepare society for all these changes. I hope that by now I have managed to persuade readers that IT is everywhere but it is now about experiences.

I personally very much enjoy the industry and I am looking forward to enjoying it even more in 20 years.

Linda Štucbartová české znění naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.czechleaders.com Note. The interview with Stefan Höchbauer “Digital Transformation and Its Impact on Businesses and Society” can be accessed at www.czechleaders.com.

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016 33

BUSINESS EVENTS

CZECH BUSINESS CLUB

Guests at Business Club

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Romana Šedá, President, Czech Business Club and Dominik Hašek, world Hockey Golie

34

From left: Richard Nezval, Solgen and Dominik Hašek

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016

From left: Pavel Kneppo, CEO, PosAm, Karel Fíla, IT Consultant, and Dominik Hašek

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

FOOD WASTE MUST BE PREVENTED FOR THE SAKE OF OUR PLANET We are all participants in one of the biggest and shocking scandals on earth. Almost 40 percent of food produced for human consumption, gets lost or wasted globally. In the Czech Republic, almost 730 000 tons of food are wasted each year.

According to the United Nations data, if the amount of food wasted around the world was reduced by just 25 percent, there would be enough to feed all the people who are malnourished.

Every year 1.3bn tons of food, about a third that is produced, is wasted, including about 45 percent of all fruit and vegetables, 35 percent of fish and seafood, 30 percent of cereals, 20 percent of dairy products and 20 percent of meat.

Meanwhile, nearly 800 million people suffer from severe hunger and malnutrition, many of whom will surely die.

Well-publicised attempts to combat the loss of food – such as recent laws in France that legally mandate supermarkets to distribute unsold food to food bank charities – have highlighted the issue of food waste, identified by the UN as one of the great challenges to face the world.

Estimates suggest that by 2050 food production will need to be increased by 60 percent from 2005 to feed a growing global population. Reducing food wastage would ease the stress on valuable land and other finite resources as the world attempts to meet future demand.

The problem is international, but it manifests itself differently depending on where you are.

In developing countries, there are high levels of what is defined as “food loss”, which is unintentional wastage, often due A former director of Greenpeace International, Jonathan Wootliff lives in Prague and works throughout the world as a sustainability consultant to business. He chairs the Board of Experts of the Czech Business Council for Sustainable Development. He has consulted many large corporations including BP, Colgate-Palmolive, McDonald’s, Procter & Gamble and Whirlpool, and providing counsel to companies on the development of sustainability strategies that benefit the environment, society and business. Among his many activities, he helps companies to resolve disputes, forge productive relationships with non-governmental organizations, and build long-term sustainability strategies. A qualified journalist with a subsequent background in public relations, Jonathan commonly assists companies with their sustainability communications. He can be contacted at jonathan@wootliff.com .

to poor harvesting equipment, inadequate storage, lack of refrigeration, transport and infrastructure weaknesses.

In the wealthier countries like ours, there are low levels of unintentional losses but high levels of “food waste”, which involves food being thrown away by consumers because they purchased too much, or by retailers who reject food because of aesthetic standards.

In developed countries, consumers and retailers throw away around 40 percent of all food purchased, whereas in poorer countries less than 16 percent of food is thrown away.

According to a recent report, in Europe and North America every individual wastes approximately 115 kilograms of otherwise edible food annually, whereas in sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia the equivalent waste was not more than 11 kilograms.

Alarmingly, food waste is happening in countries where people can apparently afford to throw away food. One breathtaking statistic is that the amount of food wasted by consumers in industrialised countries is almost the same as the total net food production of sub-Saharan Africa of around 230m tons.

For us to discard perfectly edible food while poor people starve is deeply perplexing from a moral perspective. But the environmental impact of food loss and waste is quite devastating.

The reality is that food waste is an important contributor to climate change.

The carbon footprint of food produced and not eaten is estimated at 3.3 gigatons of CO2, meaning that if food waste was a country it would rank as the third highest national emitter of greenhouse gases after the US and China.

In fact, about 1.4bn hectares, or close to 30 percent of available agricultural land, is used to grow or farm food that is subsequently wasted. And more surface and groundwater, or “blue water”, is used to produce wasted food around the globe than is used for agriculture by any single country, including India and China.

Farming may look attractive, but it is one of the biggest production sectors in the world.

With one-third produced in vain, it doesn’t take a genius to imagine what a huge impact this has on the natural resources, like on land conversation, water, energy and greenhouse gas emissions.

90 million tons of food is wasted in Europe each year – an average of 100 kilos per person.

Tesco, one of Europe’s largest food retailers, has

just revealed that the amount of food waste generated by the supermarket giant increased to 59,400 tons last year, which equates to nearly 119 million meals.

The company is the only one of the major supermarkets to publish its food waste data, and the increase came despite numerous initiatives designed to tackle the problem. The amount wasted is the equivalent of one in every 100 food products sold by Tesco during the last financial year.

With companies like Tesco together with a growing number of non-governmental organisations now tackling the problem both at the logistical and educational levels, this terrible tide of waste can turn in the Czech Republic.

There’s encouraging news from Britain where between 2007 and 2012, the amount of avoidable food waste produced by UK households decreased by 21 percent, largely due to greater awareness thanks to campaigns such as Wrap’s Love Food, Hate Waste.

Tesco is beginning to take remedial steps in the Czech Republic and there are credible civil society organisations like Glopolis that are now seriously working on solutions.

There is now a clear opportunity for this country to take a lead in tackling the challenge of food waste. If we can get all the major food retailers to use their brainpower to find solutions, it is quite possible for the Czech Republic to become an exemplar for Europe and the world.

It’s time for everyone involved in the food chain, from farmers to processors to retailers and consumers to act decisively. Our planet has resource limitations. We are running out of land for agriculture. People are starving.

There can be no doubt that the world is facing a major crisis. We simply cannot afford to go on wasting food.

By Jonathan Wootliff

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016 35

O PENING

CEREMONY

CATERING SPONSOR

Balthus 1908–2001 Peter Blake *1932

On the occasion of the 65th birthday of the gallerist Miro Smolák September 12th, 2016 at the MIRO Gallery Prague

Georges Braque 1882 – 1963

From left: Miro Smolák, Michael Haas, Owner of the Michael Haas Gallery Berlin-Curych, Jiří Kornatovský, Artist, Jiří G. Dokoupil, Artist, and Karel Kovařík, Artist

Marc Chagall 1887– 1985 Edgar Degas 1834–1917 Jiří Georg Dokoupil *1954 Jean Dubuffet 1901–1985 Jean Fautrier 1898–1964 Martha Jungwirth *1940 Per Kirkeby *1938 František Kupka 1871–1957 Henry Moore 1898–1986 Jacques Lipchitz 1891–1973 Markus Lüpertz *1941

From left: H.E. Vladimír Remek, former Astronaut, Ambassador of the Czech Republic in the Russian Federation, Jana Kordačová, Deputy Director, Chamber of Trade and Industry for CIS Countries, and František Masopust, Director of Chamber of Trade and Industry for CIS Countries

Veronika Blažková, Head of Department – Spokesperson, Municipal District of Prague 1 and Oldřich Lomecký, Mayor of Prague 1 Miroslav Novotný, Businessman with his wife Alexandra

A. R. Penck *1939 Pablo Picasso 1881–1973 Georges Rouault 1871–1958 Julian Schnabel *1951 Antoni Tàpies 1923–2012 Andy Warhol 1928–1987

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Indira Gumarová, Art Manager and her husband Hynek Kmoníček, Chief of Foreign Affairs Department, Office of the President

From left: Natalia Filonova, European Investment Holding Inc., Alicja Huziuk - Raith, General Manager, Hotel Savoy Prague, and Alexei Filonov, European Investment Holding Inc.

OPENING CEREMONY

From left: Taťjána Vojtová, Law Office, Miro Smolák, and Vadim Petrov, Music Composer with his wife Marta

From left: Jaromír Schling, former Minister of Transport with his wife Věra and Radek Dohnal, General Manager, TOP Hotels Group

From left: Benke Aikell, your Publisher and Ulf Landeberg, General Manager, Lindner Hotel Prague Castle

Jaromír Šlápota, Chairman, Czechoslovak Foreign Institute with Mrs. Jana Hlaváčková

From left: JUDr. Andrea Gorelčiková, Růžena Nechanská, Entrepreneur, Jiří Georg Dokoupil, Artist, and Andrea Verešová, Miss Slovakia 1999

From left: Cyril Svoboda, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Founder and Director of Diplomatic Academy in Prague and H.E. Vladimír Remek, former Astronaut, Ambassador of the Czech Republic in the Russian Federation

37

O PENING

CEREMONY

From left: Miro Smolák, Benke Aikell, your Publisher, Radek Dohnal, General Manager, TOP Hotels Group, and Vladimír Dohnal, Owner and Chairman of the Board of Directors, TOP Hotels Group

Pavla Melanová, Operations Director, TOP Hotel Praha and MUDr. Ján Lešták, Owner, Eye clinic JL

Joska Skalník, Artist with Luna Isis, Artist Alena Miro, Opera Singer and Juraj Filas, Music Composer

MUDr. Martin Jan Stránský, Owner, Polyclinic at Narodni and Eva Anderová, Honorary Consul of Zambia and Business Consultant to Czech & Slovak Leaders Jan Vodňanský, Writer, Actor, Singer with his wife Jitka

38

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016

OPENING CEREMONY

From left: Natali Ruden, Fashion Designer, Růžena Nechanská, Entrepreneur, Eliška Coolidge-Hašková, former Office Director for Public Relations of American presidents, and Mr. Joseph K. Barba

From left: Arnošt Tabašek, Writer and Karel Sýs, Poet

MUDr. Martin Papáč with his wife Erika

Mrs. Milka Jarová, Miloš Jaro, Owner, MJ Agency, and their son Lukáš

Michael Svoboda, Businessman and Art Collector with his wife Alena

Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius and Miro Smolák

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016 39

Vojtěch Filip, Chairman, Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia

Alexander Hemala, TV Moderator with his wife Vlasta

Július Aszalay, General Director, MPOWER Group with his wife Miroslava

René Sion, Director, Alois Dallmayr Automaten- Service s.r.o. with his wife Victoria

MUDr. Pavel Pafko with his wife Hana

MUDr. Soňa Krauskopfová and her son MUDr. Jaroslav Krauskopf

JUDr. Jan Černý and JUDr. Dagmar Raupachová, Law Office Černý- Raupachová

Ksenia Ivanova, Attache, Embassy of the Russian Federation

Danuše Siering, Owner of the Art & Event Gallery Černá Labuť with her son Jan Ferdinand Siering

Helena Leisztner, Artist and her husband Roland Leisztner, Entrepreneur

Mr. Keith Murray-Jenkins with his wife June

Martin Horák, CEO, MyCompanion

Jiří Svoboda, Film Director with his wife Milena

Václav Hybš, Musician with his wife Jarmila

Prof. Pavel Štěpánek, Art Historian with his wife Vlasta

Tomáš Zapletal, Cermak Eisenkraft Gallery

IN

COOPERATION WITH

SOCIAL COLLABORATION

C ZECH & S LOVAK L EADERS

THE POWER

of social collaboration “We need better collaboration.” That phrase has become frequently used in a corporate setting but what exactly does it mean and is it any more important now than it was in the past? Here are some of my thoughts why I believe collaboration, and particularly social collaboration, in business today is more of a survival trait than a buzzword.

I have recently read an amusing observation that collaboration is like teenage sex as: • everyone is talking about it, • everyone thinks everybody is doing it, and • in reality, nobody is doing it very well.

Collaboration is what it says on the tin – people and teams working together, usually towards a common goal. It is about combining knowledge, experience, expertise, simply our intellect to create better ideas and move the business forward.

Didn’t we call this teamwork? Sure, teamwork is still key but advancements in technology have changed the game. Technology is now helping us build global connections and combine ideas of many different individuals around the world.

And technology is also shifting collaboration towards social collaboration.

In my opinion, social collaboration should matter to any business looking to maintain its competitive edge now and in the foreseeable future. More social collaboration leads to more ideas. More ideas lead to more innovation.

Innovation leads to better products or services, which in turn leads to higher customer satisfaction. And that leads to positive outcomes, such as more revenue and profit, growth, a bigger impact on society: it simply results in success. So you’d think everyone would be pursuing social collaboration; however, that is not the case.

So, what is preventing particularly big enterprises from establishing strong and effective social collaboration?

There can be a lot of reasons. First, the word ‘social’ itself can be a barrier and many fear it, thinking it may disrupt their business. In addition, limiting factors can include silo mentality as a result of people being stuck in their old ways of working as well as lack of IT systems encouraging collaboration and engagement across the business. Another blocker may

be lack of effective internal communication, which I believe is a key component of social collaboration, fully focusing on the internal workforce. Last but not least, a rigid hierarchical structure can hinder collaboration progress as it conflicts with the non-hierarchical world of social collaboration where everybody can create and consume content.

I believe IT technology is an enabler of social collaboration. It is very positive that companies see value in technology that will help them get better aligned, with the two main drivers for adoption generally being the need to solve communication issues by giving people an easy way to connect and create discussions, and the agility they offer across entire teams to stay informed.

However, technology alone will never make collaboration happen. Great collaboration involves people working with other people, so they must accept the tool and use it. Some may find these platforms more of a hindrance than help first and may refuse to adopt them. This boils down to changing the way we work and subsequently corporate culture, and introducing a new way to share knowledge and expertise within an organisation. That will be effective only if also driven from the top, by the leaders of the organisation; then it will become part of the DNA of the company. It takes time though - you don’t get a collaborative mindset nor become a collaborative organisation overnight.

That’s why it matters to let it also grow naturally: bottom-up, top-down, lateral, you name it.

In terms of tools available in the market, there are many that can improve knowledge sharing and build the social collaboration spirit into ways of working. One of them is for example Yammer that works quite well in my company – Yammer helps break down communication barriers, support sharing experience and expertise, find the right people to work with worldwide, forge productive business relationships beyond natural working group, and basically transform employee working experience.

Social collaboration is ultimately about people and empowering employees in a peoplecentric way to effectively collaborate. The digital age naturally helps engage all stakeholders customers, partners and employees - and keep them engaged while working together from their mobile devices from anywhere in the world.

In many companies, teams are global, the workplace is virtual. The more multicultural, multilingual, multinational you are, the harder it is to achieve knowledge exchange. Social collaboration is not only the glue holding together people, data, content and processes to simplify work, it is key to driving knowledge sharing, learning and ultimately innovation and growth.

As a business solution, social has evolved into an important tool for addressing business challenges across the organisation. Moving forward, it will be more crucial to rethink practices to ensure that they include a social element aligned with a company business strategy and its objectives as social will simply become ‘how business works’.

By Tereza Urbánková české znění naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.czechleaders.com

Tereza Urbánková is a PR, communications and marketing professional with over 15 years’ experience and proven success in industries such as hospitality, retail, IT, defence, broadcast, logistics and engineering. For the past 10 years she has been working and living in London, UK; currently, she is Head of Global Communications for Amec Foster Wheeler plc, a large international engineering and project management company. Tereza also works as a freelance communications and PR consultant. In 2015, she became a member of the Executive Committee of the Czech British Chamber of Commerce in the UK. She speaks Czech, English, Spanish and Russian and can be reached on terezaurbankova@yahoo.com or through her LinkedIn profile.

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016 41

I NTERVIEW

WITH

K AREL F EIX , M ANAGING D IRECTOR , K APSCH , C ZECH R EPUBLIC

eing Loyal to the Company

is Paramount to Me

0\ SHUVRQDO PHHWLQJ ZLWK 0U .DUHO )HL[ ZKR DOVR KDV WKH QLFNQDPH ´0U .DSVFK¾ GXH WR WKH TXDUWHU RI D FHQWXU\ ORQJ KLVWRU\ DVVRFLDWHG ZLWK WKH FRPSDQ\ RQ WKH &]HFK PDUNHW ZDV YHU\ IULHQGO\ , DGPLUHG KLV KLJK ZRUNLQJ DWWLWXGH DV ZH ZHUH WU\LQJ KDUG WR ÀQG D VXLWDEOH GD\ WR PHHW DQG ÀQDOO\ ZH RSWHG IRU )ULGD\ PRUQLQJ DP , ZDV DVWRQLVKHG WR ZLWQHVV QRW RQO\ KLP EHLQJ OR\DO WRZDUGV WKH FRPSDQ\ DV WKLV LV UDWKHU UDUH TXDOLW\ LQ WKH &]HFK 5HSXEOLF EXW DOVR KLP EHLQJ YHU\ PRGHVW ZLWK UHJDUGV WR WKH HDUO\ EHJLQQLQJV RI WKH FRPSDQ\ This year, Kapsch is celebrating 25 years since it entered the Czech market. As you were the first employee, how do you recall the beginnings?

I very often reect on the early days, when the company consisted of one oďŹƒce with two desks, a few chairs and one phone. I used to bring my own type-writer on which I used to write the ďŹ rst oers from my house. I share these reections of how we began together with my new colleagues so they do not have the feeling that everything the company has achieved was achieved easily.

I came to Kapsch from Czech Telecom where I was in charge of digitization. There I was in contact with foreign companies such as Alcatel, Erickson and Kapsch which made an oer to me. For me, at that time it was coming from a stable environment to a newly established company and at the beginning I used to question a lot whether I had made a step in the right direction. However, after we won the ďŹ rst contracts, we started to hire not only sales people but also technology experts. Kapsh was oering telco solutions, telephone switchboards, and appliances connected to communication and the market was totally unsaturated from today’s perspective. After a while and thanks to positive references, we were able to win big projects, such as switchboard for Motol Hospital, solution provision for PlzeĹˆskĂ˝ Prazdroj brewery or Grandhotel Pupp in Karlovy Vary. Already at that time Kapsch was the key Central European Partner for Nortel as well as the second largest telco company in the world, and Kapsch as a local partner started to provide the solutions for public telecommunication; in fact, we

42

have built the ďŹ rst national data network in the Czech Republic. Today, Kapsch is a global company, and the Czech branch is the largest foreign branch with regards not only to the success but also the complete product portfolio. We have standard oers for the enterprise segment in the area of data network and data security for banks, public institutions, hotels as well as various industrial companies. Some of our big customers include Czech Railways and the Railway Infrastructure Administration where we act as a supplier of solutions for railway infrastructure.

The project is called GSM-R (Global System for Mobile CommunicationsR a i l w a y ) representing the worldwide standard solution and by the way, Kapsch is the number one company in the world in the domain of

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016

GSM-R technology. And last but not least there is the area of railroad telematics where the infamous toll project falls into; however, we oer other solutions, for example for public transportation.

You have mentioned that the subsidiary in the Czech Republic is the most successful, both from the product portfolio point of view as well as its success. What are your relations with regards to the headquarters?

Prague is a place for many subsidiaries of large corporations and from talking to top managers the relations between headquarters and subsidiaries are often far from being harmonious ones‌ It is a fact that after 25 years working for the company, I have become a part of its inventory and I will be glad to answer this question openly. Kapsch is a family-owned company, today owned by the fourth generation and currently there are three siblings, two brothers and one sister responsible for managing the company. The attitude of a family company from

P HOTO : A RCHIVE

I NTERVIEW neighbouring Austria is much different from the attitude of US or British companies very often held by anonymous stock-holders. Although Kapsch is a global business, one can feel that family ties between employees and owners are still being present. Even the average time span of an employee is much longer. The fact that the owner is part of the executive management feels much more personal for me. My boss is simply Georg Kapsch as the main owner of the company.

Approvals, processes, decision-making is much more simple, faster and flexible. Communication is also direct, according to the need we call each other every other day or once in two weeks. And another advantage is the possibility to invite Mr. Kapsch to key discussions, where as the owner he can give a personal guarantee to any offer.

Personally, Mr. Kapsch visits the Czech Republic once or twice per year; he tends to be very busy as he also holds various other positions, such as the President of Austrian Industry Association.

From almost ideal relations, let me ask a question that I tend to ask frequently. Can you share with us the challenging moments in your career, as these are the ones that help us grow?

I will start with the crisis after the year 2000, which was not an economic one, but IT crisis. It was the time where the old order was coming to an end and older technologies were substituted with new ones. Kapsch as a company had an advantage of being in various segments and industries having a wide-range product portfolio and solutions, so thanks to the wide portfolio we managed and overcame the crisis. Already at that time we were offering solutions for railway and road transportation, in addition to enterprise solutions.

We stood on several legs, so the old saying about diversification proved to be true again. Personally, my biggest accomplishment is the fact when I look back when we started from scratch and now we reach annual turnover 120-130m EUR, 2.5-3bn CZK. I tend to underline this fact to younger colleagues who join the company having the feeling to receive all benefits and bonuses.

I remember well my own discussions with my parents when they used to say “Cherish the times you live in” but I still believe that it is essential to be modest and to remind oneself of the humble beginnings.

So how do you perceive the new generation, the so called millennials, coming to the workplace?

Well, they are different. They demand certain comfort and standard level in exchange for dedicating a certain amount of effort to the task.

They often do not realise that others might have a different opinion based on own experience, such as the humble beginnings I have mentioned.

On the other hand, I also understand that for young people it might be difficult not to receive immediately whatever they believe they are entitled to. It is difficult to explain such a thing to a person that has not lived without a mobile.

However, I also want to add certain positive traits,

WITH

K AREL F EIX

such as the fact that young people are more advanced both theoretically but also with regards to language competencies, they have better understanding of working abroad, many of them have such experience, they are more confident when presenting. To the extent that confidence sometimes is more important than the real content. During recruitment interviews I often find them rather superficial while we actually try to build expertise in the long term. We tend to reflect the family company environment in our hiring practices. Leaving after two years should not be the case in our company. We tend to search different kind of personalities, we value loyalty and on the other hand we try to offer long-term career perspective and feeling of certainty.

need not to underestimate dealing with the media.

We have focused on technical solution and on preparing the best offer possible and we even managed to complete the project in only nine months, which until today represents the world record for such a large project – yet, we underestimated the need to pay attention to the media. We left the space to our competitors or political opponents and until today we still bear the “stigma”. The fact there was not even a single failure in ten years of functioning - not even for one second - of the system proves that the system was very well prepared, in comparisons to all failures of other systems at the civil service, banks, telco providers and other institutions…

You do not seem to be a controversial person, however, you have become one in the media due to the toll system. How did you handle such situation?

I believe I was influenced by the fact that I was doing sports, I played tennis and competed at various tournaments. Sport taught me how to lose, how to learn from it and how to move on.

Such was the attitude I used while building a company. I dedicated all my energy to it, I sacrificed a lot. At that time, we had small children and it was my wife who sacrificed her professional career, despite having economical background from the university. Until today, I hear the claims that I was not at home when needed. I definitely would not be able to achieve so much without the help from family and support from my wife. So I have identified with the company and naturally I enjoyed the success that was coming.

When Kapsch was new to the market, we used to compete against the companies that were more established at the market, such as Siemens, Alcatel, Erickson and I very enjoyed winning against those multinationals. I remember then competing about the project Prague Airport and we were considered an outsider next to these big companies. Then we won and this project was not only prestigious but also very successful.

Wining such a competition was for me much bigger satisfaction then the financial rewards. I just wanted to stress that I was ready to fight and to sacrifice.

The situation that arose with regards to the toll system was totally shocking. Making business with state administration is not easy by all means. But one realises how much other circumstances play role in case of such a large project. The politics was the most difficult for me. We were offering a technical solution that was not supposed to be a problem. There was a general consensus about the toll being introduced, at that time it was a world-wide trend. Then not only interests of competing companies did enter into the game, but also the political interest and the issue has grown totally out of proportions. Kapsch has installed similar projects in Poland, Austria and even South Africa. The Czech project was unique in terms of its character in Central and Eastern Europe and turned into a unique battle. If I was to name one lesson learned than it would be the

What kept you there, present and moving forward during these challenging times?

Only a few people can feel how difficult it is to be chased by the media…

Let us come back to my family and the support I have already mentioned. In the Czech Republic I am the executive director and director of several companies, which presents an advantage so we can integrate and create synergies. The fact that I was personally linked to the company kept me going. For many people I was Mr. Kapsch, not Mr. Feix and such a tongue slip often happens from the side of our partners. I took all negative articles in the media very personally, once there was even a photography of the house that my father-in-law built 40 years ago and which I helped finish under the title “This is how Kapsch’s managing director lives on the expense of state money”. Naturally, my wife and even my children at school were negatively affected and bothered. Such is the dark side of success. Then I realised how important for me it was to have a stable background, support from family, friends and even company. And to all others who might be facing such unpleasant situation I recommend to pay attention to careful presentation of real results of their own work in media. Success and being different is not forgiven in the Czech Republic, there are too many enemies.

As the year 2016 is coming to an end, what is your seasonal greeting?

I wish health and success to my close relatives, family and to my grandchildren. I really try to spend time with my grandchildren and being close to them gives me another view on the world and a different perspective when it comes to priorities.

From the point of view of the company, I am very pleased to say that we are doing well and that we have had the 25th year that was more successful than the previous one. I am glad that the company has a stable perspective and this is also thanks to the fact that the Czech economy is growing because that naturally helps the business. And to all of us I wish white Christmas and a pleasant winter!

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

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016 43

D IPLOMATIC

P HOTO : J IŘÍ K UPKA

EVENTS

AND

A RCHIVE

OF THE

S ENATE

From left: René Beauchamp, General Manager at Four Seasons Hotel Prague, Leata Jelinek, Louise Beer, Director of Czech This Art, and H.E. Otto Jelinek, Ambassador of Canada to the Czech Republic

O N S EPTEMBER 7, C ANADIAN A MBASSADOR TO THE C ZECH R EPUBLIC O TTO J ELINEK HOSTED AN INFORMAL FAREWELL RECEPTION FOR P RAGUE A MBASSADORS .

BBQ party with diplomatic corps

H.E. Serzhan Abdykarimov, Ambassador of Kazachstan to the Czech Republic on left, H.E. Narong Sasitorn, Ambassador of Thailand far left

44

H.E. Andrew Schapiro, Ambassador of the USA to the Czech Republic

H.E. Jan Thompson, British Ambassador to the Czech Republic and H.E. Otto Jelinek, Ambassador of Canada to the Czech Republic

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016

H.E. Jean-Pierre Asvazadourian, former French Ambassador to Prague in the middle surrounded by his friends

H.E. Siri Ellen Sletner, Norwegian Ambassador to Prague

From left: Jan Mládek, Minister of Industry and Trade, George Furey, Speaker of the Senate of Canada , Terry Mercer, Canadian Senator, David Wells, Canadian Senator, and Mrs. Monica Petru Vesela with Leah Takata, Coordinator and Head of Canadians in the Czech Republic group, far right Jiří Uklein, Secretary General, Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic

The Honourable Speaker of the Senate of Canada Mr. George Furey and H.E. Otto Jelinek, Ambassador of Canada to the Czech Republic

JogckbpxldxG_k_b_xFFUxVcacmqglk O N S EPTEMBER 8, C ANADIAN A MBASSADOR O TTO J ELINEK HOSTED AN INFORMAL BARBECUE RECEPTION FOR F RIENDS OF C ANADA FEATURING SPECIAL GUEST OF HONOUR , T HE H ONOURABLE S PEAKER OF S ENATE OF C ANADA . T HE EVENT WAS ALSO A FAREWELL PARTY FOR A MBASSADOR J ELINEK AND HIS SPOUSE L EATA AS THEY ARE RETURNING TO C ANADA , THREE YEARS AFTER M R . J ELINEK ASSUMED HIS RESPONSIBILITIES AS C ANADIAN A MBASSADOR .

From left: Jan Mládek, Minister of Industry and Trade, Hynek Kmoníček, Director of the Foreign Affairs Department of the Office of the President of the Czech Republic, George Furey, Speaker of the Senate of Canada, David Wells, Canadian Senator, and Terry Mercer, Canadian Senator

H.E. Otto Jelinek, Ambassador of Canada to the Czech Republic with his wife Leata

Friends of Canada

From left: H.E. Otto Jelinek, Ambassador of Canada to the Czech Republic and Hynek Kmoníček, Director of the Foreign Affairs Department of the Office of the President of the Czech Republic in his much applaused speech

From left: H.E. Otto Jelinek, Ambassador of Canada to the Czech Republic and Jan Mládek, Minister of Industry and Trade.

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016 45

D IPLOMATIC

EVENTS

The Honourable Speaker of the Senate of Canada George Furey met his Czech counterpart Milan Štěch, President of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic. From left: H.E. Otto Jelinek, Ambassador of Canada to the Czech Republic, Terry Mercer, Senator, Milan Štěch, President of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, George Furey, Speaker of the Senate of Canada, David Wells, Senator, and Zdeněk Škromach, Vice President of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic

The Honourable Speaker of the Senate of Canada George Furey met his Czech counterpart Milan Štěch, President of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic.

The Honourable Speaker of the Senate of Canada George Furey met his Czech counterpart Milan Štěch, President of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic.

The Honourable Speaker of the Senate of Canada George Furey met the Committe on Education, Science, Culture, Human Rights and Petitions.

From left: Terry Mercer, Senator, George Furey, Speaker of the Senate of Canada and David Wells, Senator

46

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016

The Honourable Speaker of the Senate of Canada George Furey met the Committe on Education, Science, Culture, Human Rights and Petitions.

E XECUTIVE

SEARCH

Does the HIGHER EDUCATION

on offer correspond to the market demand?

:KDW FRPSHWHQFLHV DUH WDXJKW DW VFKRROV" The economy is growing, unemployment is falling.

Employers must dig deeper into their pockets to find the right specialists with the appropriate education and skills. Measured by the ratio between costs or, more precisely, investments into studies, and professions with the highest salary, the offer seems to be adequate.

When looking at the professions with the highest income (i.e. executives of large companies, CEOs of companies operating in the financial services and insurance fields, in IT, advertising, and sales directors*), it seems quite logical that the number of, for the most part, private universities, of which there are now about 40 in the Czech Republic, is growing. Nevertheless, it is evident that their focus correlates with the most profitable professions, whether it is economic, administrative, or marketing fields or fields focused on international relations. Everything, therefore, appears to be in order. The educational system is generating professional candidates valued by the labour market. But is this not just a case of meeting the labour demand in the short-term?

Everyone who has anything to do with education knows of, or at least suspects, the fact that the today’s education system can no longer make do simply with the traditional concept, i.e. to teach students to read, write and count. However, some facts support the claims made by some evil tongues that the new teaching methods remain, to date at least, at the talking phase only.

I have yet to come across a detailed analysis on the topic of why companies that were considered a symbol of success for many years, are now tottering on the edge of viability, or even beyond. It is sufficient to name companies such as Vítkovice Holding or Kovosvit MAS. What managerial competencies were missing in these cases?

Let us name a few such competencies that should be an integral part of preparing young people before they become the workforce and before they start to influence the lives of the people who they will manage.

First of all it is the responsibility, co-operation and the communication related thereto, as well as critical thinking, humility and self-criticism, and, on the other hand, confidence as well as pride and patriotism. Correct or strategic judgment, i.e. long-term decision-making, must certainly not be lacking the chain of many competencies. If we take into account the fact that strategic decisions of selected companies include or included driving a significant part of their commercial activities towards risky markets, we are left with a little choice but to conclude that the senior managers‘ barometer of a political and economic development failed. It is beyond a discussion that some decisions are complex and undergo a detailed analysis. However, in the case of the Russian or Chinese market, it must be evident that these do not represent standard markets in the European or American sense of the word.

Let us teach the youth attending our schools to also evaluate risks from a different perspective than that of an immediate profit, and to deepen not only their exact (hard skills) but also their soft competencies.

Ondřej Hlaváček Principal, Pedersen & Partners

* Source: ISPV

0U 2QGőHM +ODYiÿHN brings over 18 years of extensive experience in the Executive Search industry with the main focus on Industrial, Energy and Oil & Gas Practice Groups. Before entering the field, he was responsible for the regional Sales & Operations Department at a multinational conglomerate 3M/Imation.

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016 47

Photo: Vladimír Weiss

On Youth Orchestras and Music as Diplomacy and Partnership Opportunities +DYH \RX HYHU WKRXJKW DERXW WKH SDUDOOHOV EHWZHHQ D ERRN DQG D FRQFHUW" 'R \RX know what it takes to bring over a large orchestra from overseas and make sure WKDW LW SHUIRUPV DW WKH VROG RXW 6PHWDQD +DOO" Meet John Tregellas who is celebrating 25 years of living in Prague and successfully working in the realm of classical PXVLF :KHQ \RX YLVLW KLP LQ KLV RI¿FH ORFDWHG LQ KLV EHORYHG 9LQRKUDG\ \RX FDQ LPPHGLDWHO\ VHQVH WKDW KH LV WKH W\SH RI SHUVRQDOLW\ ZKRVH SDVVLRQ KDV WXUQHG LQWR D IXOO WLPH MRE +H EHOLHYHV WKDW ³D FRQFHUW LV QRW RQO\ DERXW WKRVH SHRSOH ZKR DWWHQG LQ SHUVRQ EXW LW DOVR H[LVWV RXWVLGH WKH FRQFHUW KDOO 3HRSOH VHH SRVWHUV WKH\ UHDG DUWLFOHV DQG EORJV WKH\ PD\ WDON DERXW DQ HYHQW HYHQ LI WKH\ ZHUHQ¶W WKHUH WKHPVHOYHV ± LW¶V OLNH D EHVWVHOOHU WKDW QRW HYHU\RQH KDV UHDG EXW ZKLFK SHRSOH DUH HDJHU WR GLVFXVV 7KHUHIRUH ZKHQ D IRUHLJQ RUFKHVWUD FRPHV WR YLVLW LW LV QRW RQO\ D FXOWXUDO HYHQW LW FDQ DOVR EH D SROLWLFDO HYHQW ´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ÀXHQWO\ KH KDV EHFRPH DQ H[SHUW RQ WKH UHJLRQ RI &HQWUDO (XURSH FRYHULQJ WKH DUHD IURP WKH %DOWLFV WR WKH $GULDWLF FRDVW 3HUKDSV LW LV QR FRLQFLGHQFH WKDW VXFK DQ DUHD FRUUHVSRQGV WR WKH .LQJGRP RI &KDUOHV ,9 DQG LW SURYHV WKH VD\LQJ WKDW music and arts have no borders.

48

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016

Mr. Tregellas, can you share with us your career journey that took you from the beautiful seaside county of Devon all the way to the City of Prague a quarter of a century ago?

The countryside of the Southwest of England is beautiful and I still love to go there but it was a bit of a small world for me. I had been influenced by travelling to continental Europe a lot since early childhood. I studied French, German and Czech at university in England. I chose Czech partly because of family connections - my ancestry goes back to Northern Moravia, to a village close to Králický Sněžník. When I attended my first Czech lesson at the age of 19, I did not know how profoundly it would influence the course of my future career. During the 1980s, I started visiting Czechoslovakia regularly. And early in 1990, after the Velvet Revolution, a friend of mine urged me to come over, saying that “anything was now possible”. After a few weeks’ consideration, I took her advice. Overnight, I became a journalist working for the English language division of Czechoslovak Radio which was very exciting. In addition to this European dimension, I must mention another passion of mine, which is classical music. I played and still play the piano, and spent a lot of time making music, singing in choirs, and so I had a lot of musical connections back in the UK. When I moved here, these people started to contact me asking for help with organising concert tours. One of my first big projects was to help organise and promote Vladimir Ashkenazy’s debut piano recital in the Czech Republic, which took place in the Spanish Hall of the Prague Castle as a benefit concert for the Václav Havel Foundation. As the number of musical projects continued to grow, I had to choose between journalism and concert promotion. I decided to follow my passion.

And so The Prague Concert Co. was born in 1994. What was it like being an entrepreneur in Prague in the early 1990s?

To sum up, it was me alone in a room without a phone. First, I had to find a suitable place and fix it up, since there was very limited availability of office space at the time. I found a semi-basement room in Vinohrady, without a phone line.

Not really an ideal way of starting an agency, without the possibility of receiving phone calls or faxes. And no mobile phones of course! As some readers might remember, to get a phone line back then was a lengthy and difficult process. So a friend of mine, living across the street, organised for his home phone line to be hooked up “unofficially” to my office, so that I could use it. However, it was a shared line with one of his neighbours. So when the neighbour was speaking, we were again cut off. It took about 18 months to improve the phone situation. As for geographical development, in the beginning, we focused on Prague but we quickly expanded our activities to take in the rest of the Czech Republic, Slovakia naturally came next, followed by Poland, Germany, Austria, Hungary and in recent years Slovenia and Croatia.

Naturally, the number of projects has risen. We dealt with about 10-15 tours per year in the early years, we now handle some 80 projects per year.

With such a large number of touring ensembles, you need to identify those which are the most prestigious and give them a separate identity.

Five years ago, we launched the Musica Orbis concert series which presents the most distinguished groups under a separate brand. In addition to the two orchestras already mentioned, the Staff Band of the Norwegian Armed Forces and the Turkish National Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, Musica Orbis has presented the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra with their inspiring conductor Ben Zander and world-renowned cellist Natalia Gutman as soloist, the Wind Ensemble of the Eastman School of Music, the Eton Symphony Orchestra from Eton College, England, and the Bard College Conservatory Orchestra with soprano soloist and 5-times Grammy

winner Dawn Upshaw. In 2017, we are looking forward to welcoming the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra and the World Civic Orchestra amongst others. The latter is a fascinating group which brings together musicians from around the world to bridge cultural differences and they will be performing a newly commissioned work

by Czech composer Jiří Trtík as well as the everpopular Dvořák Violin Concerto.

You mentioned many projects that introduce young orchestras. What is it that you find special working with young musicians?

I feel very fortunate that my business has developed in this direction. Working with young musicians means working with people who have enormous reserves of talent, commitment and drive. There is a magical sparking moment when these young people come to perform in major concert halls and engage with great repertoire for the first time. This releases a palpable explosion of musical energy, which is what you can often feel at our concerts!

What is the secret to make sure these orchestras that are not widely well known manage to get the attention of the public and turn into sold out events?

Audience building is an important element of a promoter’s work. Our unique approach to this challenge was to form our Concert Club ten years ago. Today, we have more than 3500 core sympathisers in our database that spread our news further. They form an interested and enthusiastic community of people following classical music. This is a very powerful tool and thanks to e-mail communication with the majority of club members we can fill a concert hall within 48 hours. Our members are very loyal and respond fast. As a result, we are happy to work with other promoters to assist them in distributing tickets.

Of course there are many ticket portals offering ticket distribution services, but our relationship Photo: Michal Gschwandtner

Doshisha University Orchestra (Japan) in the Reduta Hall, Bratislava

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016 49

with Concert Club members is a more personal one: they trust our recommendations and guarantee us good attendance at the events which we promote or co-organise.

You invite musicians from all over the world and they come. Are there any cultural differences they should be ready for when facing a Central European audience?

We present orchestras and choirs not only from English-speaking countries, but also from Africa, Turkey, Israel, Australia, Russia, China, Japan. And one thing that is special for the Czech Republic, to some extent for the region as a whole, is the particular type of audience response. This is generally a very informed, educated audience who will show their appreciation very thoroughly. Our visiting ensembles are often surprised that the audience will not let them leave the stage without an encore, or even two or three if they liked the performance. This may be diďŹ&#x20AC;erent from what they would experience at home, so it is our role to advise them to have a few encores prepared.

On the other hand we also need to recognize and respect the customs of our visiting groups.

For example in the Chinese-Czech Music Festival that we have co-organized for the last 3 years, we have become attuned to the importance of ceremony in Chinese culture. Therefore all participating ensembles receive an oďŹ&#x192;cial diploma on stage, ideally from a municipal representative at an oďŹ&#x192;cial ceremony at the end of the festival day.

It is said that music has no borders but what is it like to bring over a 100-piece orchestra for a tour, not only in one country, but to the whole region?

The thought that music is a language that crosses borders is very nice as far as it goes, but when an orchestra actually crosses borders, then things get more complicated. So logistics is in fact the essence of our work. It is not glamorous and it does not make headlines but you need to get hundreds of little details right so that the orchestra, the conductor, the soloists and their instruments end up on stage at the right time in the best state of mind (for performers) and in perfect condition (for instruments). And then the conductor takes over and we can hopefully breathe a sigh of relief. Yet every minute on that journey can be jeopardised.

Volcanic ash causes ďŹ&#x201A;ights to be cancelled, airline staďŹ&#x20AC; go out on strike and ground entire ďŹ&#x201A;eets, a group coach gets caught up at a border crossing where refugees are blocking the route. Then there is the whole issue of instrument transportation. As

air freight has become very expensive, we often need to rent instruments for our young players â&#x20AC;&#x201C; imagine renting at the same time seven cellos, ďŹ ve double-basses, percussion, and a harp. These instruments are very valuable and we have to persuade the owners to trust us to take care of them â&#x20AC;&#x201C; which means transporting them in air-conditioned comfort using experienced instrument handlers. Fortunately, with the EU customs union in place, our job has become much easier. In the old days, I had to send colleagues to the CzechGerman border to explain to oďŹ&#x192;cials that we were not smuggling valuable instruments but just transporting part of a bona ďŹ de orchestra which had somehow got separated from its paperwork.

Besides the logistics, we also have to manage many peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s expectations, whether those of musicians, executive directors, promoters or audiences. We have to prepare young musicians for the fact that they will be playing rented instruments which might be diďŹ&#x20AC;erent to those they are used to. Much the same holds true for organs and organists. Choirs from the US often travel with their organists, but they are generally used to playing rather more modern instruments. And then we take them to a church in Prague that might have a 16th or 17th century organ. Even the way an orchestra comes on stage diďŹ&#x20AC;ers from country to country. Orchestral musicians in the US come on stage randomly, at the same time as the audience and start to warm up. In Europe, all the musicians process on together at the start of the performance.

You have already touched upon the importance of partnerships when organizing a concert tour. So who are your partners and who are you looking for?

The enterprise is a collaborative one on many different levels, we partner with musicians, hotels, venues, other promoters when placing concerts outside of Prague, reliable local partners who share not only our enthusiasm for young musicians but also our production standards. In addition, concerts or projects above a certain level attract the attention of the diplomatic community which enhances the impact of the event.

For example this year we co-organized the Prague Regional Conference of WASBE (World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles), a major event involving over 1200 participants from 20 countries, 20 wind ensembles from 7 countries, 12 musicological lectures, 28 concerts (including a gala in the Spanish Hall of the Prague Castle)â&#x20AC;Ś naturally many partnerships had to be built to make

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CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016

it happen and all the embassies of the performing bandsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; home countries were invited to join this unique event.

I also feel very strongly about supporting worthwhile initiatives in our community. We have promoted many beneďŹ t concerts to support Cesta domĹŻ (The Homecoming hospice), Portus (sheltered housing), Post Bellum and similar organizations.

Such co-operation can be viewed as a two-way process since fundraising helps the organizations; on the other hand they raise awareness about the event and help to promote it. Much of the impetus for these relationships with charitable organisations comes from our own members of staďŹ&#x20AC;.

Partnerships within our agency are also a dimension I am proud of. We are currently a team of 12 people, with various abilities and experience â&#x20AC;&#x201C; from music to logistics, ďŹ nance, marketing, linguistic competence, and a big dose of â&#x20AC;&#x153;people skillsâ&#x20AC;?spread around the oďŹ&#x192;ce. All this has to pull together to create the perfect concert tour. But most of all, everyone needs to have that spark which makes them strive for the best results for each unique and exciting project which we undertake. And you have to have this in the back of your mind whether you are organizing transport, commissioning a poster layout, enhancing the atmosphere of a concert venue, because all of this comes together to create an overall impression both for your audience, and for your musicians.

What are your final words for the Czech and Slovak Leaders readers?

I would like to stress the important role which cultural exchange plays as soft diplomacy. Musicians are cultural ambassadors and the message which they bring is all the more powerful because it does not need translation. We are happy to partner with embassies, cultural organisations and other institutions to enable local audiences to explore the cultural heritage of other countries. If you have an interesting musical project, please share it with us. Join us through our Concert Club, experience the unique atmosphere and energy of our orchestras, choirs and other music ensembles from around the world.

By Linda Ĺ tucbartovĂĄ Ä?eskĂŠ znÄ&#x203A;nĂ­ naleznete v elektronickĂŠ verzi magazĂ­nu na www.czechleaders.com

The leading Performance $UWV 7RXUV 6SHFLDOLVW IRU &HQWUDO DQG (DVWHUQ (XURSH www.concert.cz, www.koncertniklub.cz, 1D .R]DĂžFH 3UDJXH &]HFK 5HSXEOLF

C ONTRIBUTORS

Focusing Illusion Can you Afford Not to Challenge your Decision Making Process?

I have been teaching a class on Critical Decision Making, which explores in great detail the impact of bias and stereotypes in business as well as in our private lives. We take a deep look at the “anatomy of the way we make decision”.

In my world of gender integration understanding and analyzing how our brain works as it pertains to decision making in the context of gender is vital.

A very interesting article (study) – published in VOX on September 9th, of a piece of research conducted by workforce analytic Visier, Why the genders wage gap explodes when women hit their 30’s? suggests that women’s compensation is most adversely impacted when they are starting families or raising children.

The study looks at why women suffer this impact at this time in their lives.

Research by the Journal of American Sociology shows that the job application process can discriminate against mothers. They were viewed as less competent and offered less compensation and opportunities for advancement, even though the resumes with their male counterpart’s showed the same competencies and skill.

So, let´s take a look at how focusing illusions work so you can prevent this bias from impacting your decision making.

People will make judgments based on their attention to

only a subject of available information to overweight that information and to underweight unattended information. In other words we focus on one specific piece of data or information and come to a conclusion without looking at ALL the variables and circumstances around the issue…more so, we dismiss other available information.

There is a cultural tendency by both men and women to “assume” that young women will not show or be as committed to work as they will be to family, (this is the focusing illusion). This is the assumption we need to challenge.

What is the antidote to fight this assumption? Ask, talk, observe, educate your young women and get to know them well enough to understand who and what they want to be in the organization.

You will be surprised to see, in the majority of cases, how your assumptions were wrong.

ALL of us are subjected to this process. All of us have these propensities. What we need to do is become aware so we do not allow for a quick response to situations like this one, automatically assuming that young women will not be as committed or interested in more opportunities. We run the risk of attrition, loss of engagement and ultimately potential derailment of high performers.

I hope this article drives you to learn more about biases and stereotypes. Can You Afford to ignore them?

By Elisabet Rodriguez Dennehy

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016 51

I NTERVIEW

Professor Halík, let me begin with the question about you becoming a candidate for the office of the president of the Czech Republic. I know your previous answers were negative ones, yet, the circumstances have changed. In June, you received Honorary Doctorate from Oxford University. You are the fourth Czech citizen to be given such an award, following the three former presidents - Thomas Garrigue Masaryk, Eduard Beneš and Václav Havel. Have you changed your opinion now that you belong to the same category?

It was Václav Havel in 1998 who mentioned me as a possible successor to the press. We were close friends and we had been cooperating for many years. Since then I have been frequently asked about my willingness to become a presidential candidate. I tend to answer in the following consistent manner: I have very deeply assessed the pros and cons and still, the arguments against are stronger. I believe that for the Czech society I might be more useful in my current role. The role of a “public intellectual”, i.e. a writer, a priest and a university lecturer, gives me freedom of expression based on my moral sense and wisdom and I am completely free, having no constraints imposed by political institutions. During this very year, I have realised that I refuse to share hysterical and panic reactions against both refugees and Muslims (albeit scarce in our country), and I am against the mainstream opinion in the society. In order to win the votes in the atmosphere that is

currently prevailing in the Czech society – and that is most likely not going to change within next two years – I would have to use the same proclamations as politically successful populists – something that counters my conscience and my experience that I have gathered travelling and studying all around the world. The ability to stay true to my conscience is the most precious thing above anything, including a presidential seat at the Prague Castle.

Since we are discussing speculations about you becoming a candidate, you mentioned that you would need to get a “dispens from Vatican” or “to be temporarily released from the priest service”. Can you be more specific with regards to priests and their involvement in active politics? You are also a part of a society, so you should have both rights – to vote but also to be elected.

According to the Czech constitution, a priest has the same rights as any other citizen. However, the Canon law does not allow a priest to hold posts linked to political power while exercising priest service at the same time. In case he/she wants to become a candidate, a priest must ask the Bishop or the Pope for exception – the so-called dispens from the Codes of Cannon law or to give up priest service or priest office for a certain period (or definitively). Even if the priest gives up (or is released from) the priest office, the sacrament of priestly ordination stays.

According to the Canon law such sacrament is “signum indelibilis (indelible sign)”, but he cannot perform tasks linked to ordination and he can be released from priest obligations, including celibacy.

For me, personally, the priest mission is a source of profound happiness. In my Academic Parish of Prague, that I have established, I have ordained more than 1000 adults, most of them being university students. This parish has become an important cultural centre and also a centre of an ecumenical and intercultural dialogue; we have had the opportunity to host many important Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Buddhist leaders, including Tibetan Dalai Lama. I feel a deep responsibility for such place, being a unique formation of cultural, spiritual and moral backgrounds of more than two generations of young people. That serves as a reason that I would consider the possibility to become a candidate for the president only in an extreme case – only if I had not seen someone else to defend similar values with a bigger or equal chance to be elected.

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CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016

Now, let us discuss the second significant award – The Templeton Prize - you have received in 2014. The Templeton Prize is an equivalent to Nobel Prize for Religion and you have received it not only for your attitude during the totalitarian regime, but also for “an attempt to bridge a gap between different religions, for leading their protagonists for more conciliatory relations and for mutual understanding”. Are we truly on a way towards understanding or rather towards a big inter-religious conflict as could be judged given the recent summer incidents that were marked by the murder of a priest in France?

Secular societies have forgotten that religious symbols and religious rhetoric serves as an accumulator of an enormous energy, which can be used for both good and bad causes. Just due to the very fact that religion, and now particularly Islam, is abused by criminals, it is essential to nurture an interreligious dialogue as well as a dialogue between religion and secular culture.

Criminals from the so-called Islamic state, which has been strongly condemned by all important religious authorities of Islam, want to spark a conflict between the West and the Islamic world. They are assisted by those who cannot distinguish between Islam and jihad criminals.

The majority of the current “jihadists” are not religious people, they usually know only few cut out sentences from the Koran. The point is not that religious Muslims are becoming radical, but rather that political radicals use religious rhetoric. This can change if the substantiated anger of the West against terrorists transforms into anger against Islam as such. The Catholic Church can play a significant role, since it can understand both sides – Islam on one hand side, as they have many values in common, and secular humanism on the other side, since this was born on the roots of Christianity. Therefore, the Catholic Church can help mutual understanding and help prevent disastrous conflict, and for that reason, I am very much engaged in this dialogue of cultures nowadays.

Being interviewed for the Czech and Slovak Leaders Magazine, how do you define a leader yourself? How do you define leadership skills? And do you see enough leaders ready for challenging times in the Czech Republic, Europe and today’s world?

With regards to the Czech political scene, I do not see many leaders who could be true lead-

I NTERVIEW ers, i.e. credible moral authorities, not only pragmatic power managers.

I know many people who could grow to become leaders among young people, especially among those who studied and gained experience in the West. The challenge is that many capable individuals studying abroad at top universities do not wish to return home. They do not like the local political climate and particularly scandalous talks and views of Miloš Zeman and those who surround him who try to sway the helm from the West to the East.

As far as European scene is concerned, I value Angela Merkel and German president Joachim Gauck. By the way, Mr. Gauck is a former Christian pastor and Mrs. Merkel is a daughter of a pastor, similarly to Theresa May, Prime Minister of United Kingdom.

A leader, as opposed to a mere manager, is capable of forming a long-term vision and to get other people to support them, particularly by setting a personal example. Unfortunately, in the current atmosphere, there are many successful political clowns and even hard psychopaths, such as Donald Trump.

Expanding on my previous question and you personally, how do you find the saying “no one is a Prophet in his own land”? Do you feel sad about the difference how accepted you are abroad and the kind of derogatory debate you face in the Czech Republic? Why Czechs do not value their elites sufficiently?

Yes, I feel sorry that instead of a substantial debate I have to face personal attacks and slander, prejudice, stupidity and hatred, especially in the anonymous environment of social networks. I feel sorrow when I imagine in what kind of a moral and spiritual world these people live so they are able to write such things. My father, a literary historian and a publisher of Karel Čapek’s files, once showed me a basket full of anonymous letters that Karel Čapek received prior to the World War II. And it was the very raid of the rabble that chased him to death. That style is quite similar to the style I receive from Czech anonymous writers. The hatred against intellectuals and critically thinking people is very much encouraged by president Zeman who knows that majority of educated people would not vote for him, so he constantly insults them, he calls them “coffee-house idlers” etc., uses feelings of inferiority and the worst there is in the society and human sub-consciousness.

I did not agree with Václav Klaus and I do not agree with him almost on any issue, but at least, I feel that he truly believed in whatever he said. With Mr. Zeman I feel that he says whatever will bring him votes and power.

I cannot judge to what extent such dirt is present in other countries, but based on the success of nationalists in Poland, Slovakia and Hungary, and the extent of support to Donald Trump in the USA, I believe that the Czech Republic is no exception. The growth of populism and demagogy in Europe is not less disconcerting to me as the growing number of refugees, jihad terrorism and dangerous imperial ambitions of the Putin’s regime. And just to add - I truly do not underestimate particularly Putin’s aim to control former Soviet satellites.

What are your final words for Czech and Slovak Leaders readers?

I am in touch with numerous entrepreneurs in our country who understand that economic and political democracy depends on moral climate in society and such cultural biosphere depends on the courage of leading personalities to “sail against the tide” and to represent values through personal examples. If these are lacking, human society changes into an uninhabitable jungle. Relying on the “invisible market hand” causes the invisible corruption hand. We need reliable people who understand that “man shall not live on bread alone” and who are willing everyday to fight for the benefit of the whole society, bear responsibilities for the culture of interpersonal relationships without which no free society is conceivable.

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

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016 53

BUSINESS EVENT

Skxz~xRltcj`cox{yz ´xqfcxH_vxldxGwcafxIkqocmockcrop´x_xm_o_jlrkqxvc_oivxctckqxldxqfcxEpplag_qglkxldxWj_iix_kbx S z~ R ` {yz f H dG fI i d f E d W ii b QcbgrjÎWgwcbxIkqcomogpcpx_kbxGo_dqpxldxqfcxGwcafxVcmr`igax¢EQWTxGV£´xqllhxmi_acxgkxTo_erc³xR_qglk_ixLlrpcx ldx[gklfo_bvxs_px`ropqgkex_qxqfcxpc_jp´xqfcxctckqxs_pxtgpgqcbx`vxjlocxqf_kx yyxckqocmockcropx_pxsciix_pxqfcx fgefcpqxpq_qcxocmocpckq_qgtcp´xgkairbgkexqfcxTocpgbckq³xXfcxH_vxpq_oqcbxsgqfxqfcxKckco_ixEppcj`iv´xalkqgkrcbx sgqfxqfcxGwcafÎMq_ig_kxIalkljgaxJlorjx_kbxalkqo_aqgkexF{Fxjccqgkepxsfcocx_eoccjckqpxldx_aqgtcxallmco_qglkx scocxpgekcb³xGcocjlkg_ixK_i_xItckgkexs_pxlmckcbx`vxqfcxbgparppglkxsgqfxqfcxTocpgbckqxQgiląx^cj_k´xJgopqxHcmrqvx TogjcxQgkgpqcox_kbxQgkgpqcoxldxJgk_kacxEkbocÍxF_`gą´x_pxsciix_pxqfcxQgkgpqcoxldxMkbrpqovx_kbxXo_bcxN_kxQiİbch³ Xfcxlmckgkexbgparppglkxs_pxdliilscbx`vxqfcx_s_obxacocjlkvxsfcocxqfcx`cpqxd_jgivx`rpgkcppcp´xgbc_pxldxpq_oqgkex ckqocmockcrop´x_kbxnrcckpxldxpj_iix`rpgkcppxscocx_kklrkacb´xqfcxocmocpckq_qgtcpxldx{|xmoldcppglk_ix_pplag_qglkpx q_hgkexm_oqxgkxqfcx]c_oxldxGo_dqpx{yz xscocxbcalo_qcb´x_kbxqfcxvc_ox{yz xs_pxbcai_ocbxqfcx]c_oxldxGlrkqovpgbc³x Smckxbgparppglkxldxfrkbocbpxldxckqocmockcropxqfckxalkqgkrcbxgkxqfcxmocjgpcpxqgiixqfcxi_qcxctckgkexflrop³xXfcxK_i_x Itckgkexs_px_aaljm_kgcbx`vx_aqglkxariqro_ix_aqp´xtgbclxmolÍcaqglkxldx`rpgkcppxgbc_p´x_kbxalkqcpqp³

From left: Ing. Jiří Švestka, CEO, Lamberga, Eva Čejková Vašková, Founder and CEO, Ženy s.r.o., Eliška Hašková Coolidge, First Lady of Etiquette, and Karel Havlíček, Managing Director, SINDAT and Chairman of the Board, AMSP CR Czech-Italian Economic Forum

H.E. Aldo Amati, Ambasador of Italy in the Czech Republic

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CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016

Ceremonial signature of the Memorandum on Cooperation between ENEA and ÚJV Řež

BUSINESS EVENT

XIV year of the Day of Czech Entrepreneurs, political debate - From left: Andrej Babiš, Minister of Finance, Miloš Zeman, President of the Czech Republic, and Karel Havlíček, Managing Director, SINDAT and Chairman of the Board, AMSP CR

XIV year of the Day of Czech Entrepreneurs, political debate - From left: Andrej Babiš, Minister of Finance, Miloš Zeman, President of the Czech Republic, Karel Havlíček, Managing Director, SINDAT and Chairman of the Board, AMSP CR, and Jan Mládek, Minister of Trade and Industry

XIV year of the Day of Czech Entrepreneurs

Family Business of 2016, 3rd place - BEZNOSKA, s.r.o.

Enterprising women of 2016

Ceremonial decorating of 23 associations taking part in the Year of Crafts 2016

Family Business of 2016, 3rd place - BEZNOSKA, s.r.o.

XIV year of the Day of Czech Entrepreneurs, political debate - From left: Miloš Zeman, President of the Czech Republic and Karel Havlíček, Managing Director, SINDAT and Chairman of the Board, AMSP CR

Family Business of 2016, Public Award - GUMEX spol. s r.o.

Family Business of 2016, 2nd place - Navláčil stavební firma s.r.o.

Start-Up of 2016, Public Award – Course of Effective Advertising

st

Start-Up of 2016, 1 place - MATEMÁG - Joy of Math

Family Business of 2016, 1st place - Ollies dorty s.r.o.

Start-Up of 2016, 2nd place - eParkomat

Ing. Vladimír Kopačka, MBA, on the left, who was randomly chosen among the audience and received a GALAVITO HEATING TABLE, a table with heated base, donated by the company Galavito s.r.o.

Start-Up of 2016, 3rd place - SENS – Cricket Sticks

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016 55

12 TH P RAGUE S ECURITY C ONFERENCE

P HOTO : M ICHAL P AVLĂ?K

Science ɸ Research ɸ

$ NH\ WR WKH SURVSHULW\ DQG VHFXULW\ RI (8 &]HFKLD DQG 6ORYDNLD Pavel BÄ&#x203A;lobrĂĄdek, Vice Prime Minister of the Government of the Czech Republic for Science, Research and Innovations, and representatives of Hyundai

O N N OVEMBER 4, 2016 THE N ATIONAL T ECHNICAL L IBRARY HOSTED 12 TH P RAGUE S ECURITY C ONFERENCE .

T RADITIONALLY ORGANIZED BY THE C ENTER FOR S ECURITY P OLICY (I NSTITUTE OF P OLITICAL S CIENCES , F ACULTY OF S OCIAL S CIENCES , C HARLES U NIVERSITY ), IN COOPERATION WITH THE F RIEDRICH E BERT S TIFTUNG , THE CONFERENCE ATTRACTED MORE THAN TWO HUNDRED PARTICIPANTS .

Anne SeyďŹ&#x20AC;erth, FES, and H.E. Peter Weiss, Ambassador of the Slovak Republic to the Czech Republic

Pavel BÄ&#x203A;lobrĂĄdek, Vice Prime Minister of the Government of the Czech Republic for Science, Research and Innovations

56

From left: Petr JĂźptner, Director, Institute of Political Studies, Charles University, and MiloĹĄ BalabĂĄn, Head of the Center for Security Policy

LubomĂ­r ZaorĂĄlek, Minister of Foreign AďŹ&#x20AC;airs of the Czech Republic

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016

Jan MĂźhlfeit, former Microsoft Chairman Europe

Prof. Michael Ĺ ebek, Head of the Department of Control Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University,

12 TH P RAGUE S ECURITY C ONFERENCE

Innovations ɸ Education From right: Prof. Michael Šebek, Head of the Department of Control Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University, Jaromír Pastorek, Office of the Government of the Slovak Republic, Pavel Bělobrádek, Vice Prime Minister of the Government of the Czech Republic for Science, Research and Innovations, Lubomír Zaorálek, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, and Jan Mühlfeit, former Microsoft Chairman Europe

Audience of the 12th Prague Security Conference

From left: Prof. Zdeněk Hanzálek, Department of Control Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University, and Hanuš Weisl, Huawei Technologies

From left: Libor Stejskal, Center for Security Policy, Štěpán Chalupa, Chamber of Renewable Sources of Energy, Bernd Biervert, Cabinet of EC Vice President, Pavel Cyrani, ČEZ, and Lutz Mez, Freie Universität Berlin

Prof. Vladimír Mařík, Director of Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics, Czech Technical University

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016 57

12 TH P RAGUE S ECURITY C ONFERENCE

From left: speaking Mr. Daniel Stach, listening Prof. Zdeněk Hanzálek, Department of Control Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University, Hanuš Weisl, Huawei Technologies, Prof. Vladimír Mařík, Director of Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics, Czech Technical University, Jan Mládek, Minister of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic, Rastislav Chovanec, State Secretary of the Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic, Lucie Šestáková, Czech Government Office, Vít Samek, Czech-Moravian Confederation of the Trade Unions, and Eduard Palíšek, Director General, Siemens

Rastislav Chovanec, State Secretary of the Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic, and Lucie Šestáková, Czech Government Office

Miloš Balabán, Head of Center for Security Policy

From left: Jan Ludvík, Center for Security Policy, and Zdeněk Petzl, Automotive Industry Association of the Czech Republic

58

Dita Charanzová, Member of the European Parliament, and Aleš Chmelař, Czech Government Office

Jan Mládek, Minister of Industry and Trade

Agata Waclawik-Wejman, Institute for Law and Society Warsaw

Jiří Hůlka, National Radiation Protection Institute

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016

Karel Janeček, Philantropist, and Štěpán Chalupa, Chamber of Renewable Sources of Energy

As the Czech economy has overcome a major part of the impact of the financial crisis, expert groups begin again thinking of future.

One of the themes that transpired from time to time in discussions of Czech transport professionals and even provoked the origin of several specialized studies is high-speed railway transport. Since 1964, when the first Shinkansen trainsets commenced their operation in Japan, the high-speed rail had raised admiration and desire all over the world, but in all the countries where it was subsequently put into operation it became a highly practical means of transport offering fast and reliable linkage between cities and towns with remarkable travelling comfort.

With the average cruising speed of 150–200 kmph the high-speed rail can successfully compete with air transport at a distance up to 500 km, as it links directly urban centres, evading trips to distant airports and a disturbing check-in, and is, of course, significantly faster than a journey on the motorway. Also its ecological score is relatively favourable with low emissions, tolerable noise pollution and less land consumption than a motorway, and its average cost of construction is only moderately higher than for a thorough modernization of an archaic and worn conventional rail line. In Czech conditions new high-speed lines can also create a remedy against exhausted capacity of existing lines, offering more space there for regional, suburban and freight transport.

The strive for high-speed rail not only in the Czech Republic, but in more Central European countries got also an impulse by the EU transport White Paper of 2011. It proposes tripling the length of the existing high-speed rail network by 2030 while the entire European high-speed rail network should be completed by 2050, when also, where possible, all core network airports should be connected to the high-speed rail network.

The Czech country was always an intersection of European routes and should remain so also in the future. But especially in railway transport it has been more and more gone

round through neighbouring countries, as the Czech historical rail network lags, in spite of an absolute progress, still behind West and some Central European countries.

This is particularly due to an extremely extensive network (first place in density among European countries) consuming immense maintenance and improvement costs, an often fully engaged capacity on main lines and relatively low speed limits connected with former suboptimal projects and unsolved network bottlenecks.

Protracted stagnation of the Czech rail system would have a negative impact on economic growth, investment and welfare of the population, and it would also enhance regional disparities in the country.

Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka, in view of existing situation, expressed his interest in the preparation and following construction of high-speed lines in Czechia at the meeting with Minister of Transport and the management of the Rail Infrastructure Administration (Správa železniční dopravní cesty) in June 2016. According to his opinion, a priority should be given to the construction of new high-speed lines Prague – Brno and Prague – Dresden – Berlin. The first highspeed line with a speed reaching up to 350 kmph could be set into operation in 2030. He asked the Minister of Transport to produce an analytical document, which has to assess the opportunities arising from the implementation of this system in Czechia, taking into account its cost. The document is to proceed to a discussion in the Government in the beginning of 2017.

Another impetus to the topic came from the Czech Chamber of Commerce (Hospodářská komora ČR). Its President Vladimír Dlouhý has declared that the Chamber takes seriously the attitudes of its members, who lack quality rail infrastructure and competitive transportation. He decided to invite experts from the railway industry, government, transport business and finance, to discuss how to accelerate the preparation and construction of high-speed railway lines in Czechia. The first such round table was held in the second half of June 2016, and further ones followed soon.

The project of high-speed rail network in Czechia, if materialized, will have far-reaching consequences on the entire transport network in the country. It could not serve its purpose, if not widely interconnected with the other means of passenger transport, such as conventional fast and regional trains, bus and urban transport as well as parking facilities. A special theme is an immediate connection to air transport, especially to the Václav Havel Airport Prague. High-speed rail stations will have to be well accessible not only from cities and towns, but also from the wide countryside.

The project of high-speed railway has many obstacles to overcome, especially in legislation that still gives more chance to blocking instead of pushing forward strategic projects of this kind. The new amendment of the Town and Country Planning and Building Code may be the first step for change, but not a sufficient one. Another problem is in acquiring necessary land for construction.

The projects also have to be well conceived and reasoned so as to gain financial support from the European Union. The cost of the entire high-speed network in Czechia will be immense; estimates range from 500 to 800 bn CZK within a period of about 15 years.

Emanuel Šíp Partner Allied Progress Consultants Association české znění naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.czechleaders.com

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016 59

0LFKDO +RUiÿHN Exclusive Interview with a Potential Presidential Candidate

The Czech and Slovak Leaders Magazine is proud to feature the first English interview with Mr. Michal Horáček after he announced in early November his decision to run for the office of the President in 2018.

Mr. Horáček is a Czech entrepreneur, lyricist, poet, writer, journalist and producer. From 2007 until 2010, he was a Chairman of the Czech Academy of Popular Music.

His life journey is quite remarkable. During the communist regime, he was a blue collar worker, but he started to be actively engaged in horse betting.

His articles for English and American newspapers got him a journalistic scholarship and a study opportunity at the Macalester College in 1984.

In 1989, he founded, together with Michael Kocáb, a civic initiative MOST (Bridge) the aim of which was to mediate negotiations between communist power and independent bodies. In November 1989, the initiative brought together then communist minister Adamec and Václav Havel, as a representative of the Civic Forum. Horáček’s diary “How the Ice Broke” (Jak pukaly ledy) became a sought-after firsthand account of 13 days of power transfer and breakdown of communist regime.

In 1990, together with his colleagues, he founded a Fortuna betting company. This company eventually established subsidiaries in Slovakia and Poland, and has become a multibillion turnover business. In 2004, Horáček sold the companies and stepped down as a Chairman of the Board.

Since 2005, he has been engaging in publishing, music and poetry projects. In 2011, he received his PhD in anthropology.

I personally met Horáček while studying at the Institute of Humanistic Studies. Although he drove a brand-new car and was dressed according to the latest fashion, he always came to classes on time and well prepared. He never acted superior and I enjoyed working with him translating sociological texts of Anthony Giddens. To my request for an interview, he responded quickly.

With regards to the presidential campaign, he declared that he will not accept any money to fund his campaign and he has established a transparent bank account. Neither does he wish to use any spokespersons or intermediaries. He made all documents regarding taxes and health public.

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CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016

M ICHAL H ORĂ Ä&#x152;EK â&#x20AC;&#x201C; E XCLUSIVE I NTERVIEW

WITH A

P OTENTIAL P RESIDENTIAL C ANDIDATE

0HHW WKH PDQ ZKRVH PRWWR LV ´, EHOLHYH WKDW HYHU\ RQH RI XV QHHGV UHVSHFW IURP RWKHU PHPEHUV RI RXU FRPPXQLW\ DQG DOO WKH PRUH VR IURP WKH KHDG RI VWDWH ,I ZH DOO UHVSHFW HDFK RWKHU ZH ZLOO DFKLHYH D ORW ,Q IDFW , PRVWO\ EHOLHYH LQ WKH IROORZLQJ :H DUH FDSDEOH RI DFKLHYLQJ PXFK PRUHÂŤ Mr. HorĂĄÄ?ek, for over a year, you have been talking about your decision to become a presidential candidate. Then, in early November, you have confirmed your candidacy. Was there any particular decisive moment?

There was no particular moment, rather I see convergence of several various moments.

Particularly those that have contributed to an increasingly unclear geopolitical position of the Czech Republic rather than as a reliable, self-confident and inspirational ally within NATO and the EU. Should I mention one particular moment, then it was the sub-servient declaration of the four highest state representatives of the Czech Republic towards China.

While your success and expertise in business is clear, your opponents often mention your little experience with regards to the foreign policy. How, in your opinion, is the Czech Republic perceived abroad now and how would you desire it to be perceived during your presidential mandate?

According to the Czech constitutional system, the president is not the one who articulates foreign policy. However, I would like to mention that even VĂĄclav Havel had no relevant experience until he became president. Current Slovak president Mr. Andrej Kiska also lacked this experience and US president-elect Donald Trump is in the same position. As I have not been engaged in top politics, naturally, I cannot have the experience. However, I have got a diploma from American Studies at Macalester College in the US. I read and speak English, Russian and Italian. I have travelled in a rather nontourist manner all over the world from Alaska to New Zealand, from Peru to Cambodia and I spent a lot of time in Africa.

I wish and I will do my best for the Czech Republic to become a transparent ally in the areas of foreign policy. The country that holds the interests of allies above the interest of those who are not our allies.

And I wish the Czech Republic to return to being a reliable and trustworthy defender of universal human rights.

How do you perceive leadership as a topic and where do you see inspirational leaders in the Czech Republic, in Europe and in the world?

I find the topic of leadership an important issue for anyone who wishes to run for any top political position. By leadership I understand formulation of strong visions and their transmission in real politics, as well as the ability to persuade citizens to understand these visions and accept them.

Speaking about leaders in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s world, I consider inspiring the following types of political personalities: Canadian Prime Minister Justine Trudeau, Slovak president Andrej Kiska and Czech politician Petr GazdĂ­k.

Leader is shaped by not only moments of success but also and perhaps foremost by overcoming difficult moments. Which difficult moments would you single out?

Being 64 years old, I have faced many difficult moments during my life journey.

To mention a few: being imprisoned in the RuzynÄ&#x203A; prison; ten years working as a warehouseman and a worker; pressure from the Czech Secret Police and my refusal to collaborate; establishing and running the Bridge (Most) initiative that brought representatives from independent initiatives and the communist government to a negotiation table; difficult moments while establishing companies outside of the Czech Republic (in Slovakia and Poland); ambiguous acceptance of art works that I cared about in public space; as well as many personal situations, such as divorcing my wife of many years and a mother of our children.

As a diversity and leadership expert, I would like to ask you how you perceive issues concerning women, such as quotas, gender pay gap or low representation of women both in CEO positions and in top politics.

I consider the unequal position of women and men one of my key topics. I have included it in my â&#x20AC;&#x153;Candidate Programmeâ&#x20AC;?.

I am not a proponent of quotas, as I believe they are principally offensive towards women. I definitely want to make sure that the pay gap and also pension schemes differences are not 18% lower for women, and I want to increase the number of current seven per cent women representation on board of directors in companies listed on

the Prague Stock Exchange. I am certain that no society can afford to marginalise the majority of population (since there are 104 women to 100 men ratio in the Czech population) and so to miss the creativity, working attitude and ideas that bring added value.

What can people do in order to support you?

At first, they need to become familiar with my Programme. It is available at www.michalhoracek.cz and can be downloaded as a pdf. Then, they should come and join me in an open debate whenever I come to their town or village.

I have already visited 180 such places and will continue to do so. And only then they can decide whether they want to help make my candidacy relevant, for example, by organising a collection of signatures on petition sheets.

There is a brief manual on my website.

Involvement and help of each individual is important and precious to me, and I thank for any support. So far, more than 1,500 people have applied and others continue to sign up.

What are your final words to Czech and Slovak Leaders readers?

Take advantage of the opportunity of a direct presidential election that you successfully took back from career politicians.

Use your choice to make sure that your head of state is not prioritising particular interests from his/her previous career and is not marginalizing interests of those who have different opinions. Demand a president, who is able to figure out what is beneficial for the Czech Republic, who has a vision and it is a long-term one. A president who would be non-partisan, or to be precise, who is not affiliated to any political party, but defends interests of all citizens without exceptions vigorously and consistently.

By Linda Ĺ tucbartovĂĄ Ä?eskĂŠ znÄ&#x203A;nĂ­ naleznete v elektronickĂŠ verzi magazĂ­nu na www.czechleaders.com NOTE: Due to time constraints, the interview was conducted remotely.

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016 61

C ONFERENCE 66 new members who have achieved the certification of EFA (European Financial Adviser) in 2016

5th International conference of EFPA Czech Republic (European Financial Planning Association).

Founded in 2010 as a part of EFPA Europe, EFPA Czech Republic is a professional standards setting and certification body for financial planners and financial advisors in Europe, with the group currently represented in 12 EU countries.

Regulation, digitalization and mediation; these three words perhaps most accurately describe this year’s gathering of more than 300 representatives from the financial advisors’ industry. There were 6 topics which were discussed during the different panel sessions throughout the day in the Top Hotel in Prague 4. The overriding topic and the title of the conference was: ”Financial advice during a regulation revolution: how to succeed?”

Interesting Czech and international speakers presented and discussed FINTECH – IT tools which increasingly penetrate the financial services’ industry. Speakers were looking for answers as to whether the future will bring a “Robo adviser” that still has “flesh and blood”.

A journey to the clients’ soul brought to the surface how important and difficult it is to sustain a long term relationship with clients.

Speakers on the Behavioural Investing panel underlined how important it is to spend time on personal soul purity and master our own mind within our profession. Having long term clear principles will also create clarity and transparency for our clients.

“The Distribution Model of the 21st Century” allowed major players from financial services companies to exchange their views on the future.

A tornado of interesting ideas and visions ran throughout the whole conference and were significantly added to by well known economist and philosopher Tomas Sedlacek. His lecture "The Great Migration – into the digital" outlined his vision of human functioning in the future; it created some shock and provoked many smiles – but being supported by unambiguous arguments about current developments in technology, and man's relationship to them, it sounded very relevant, true and real.

From left: Zdeněk Habr, EFA, EFA WAY, Jiří Kubík, EFA, Partners Financial Services, and Vladimír Weiss, EFA, Partners Financial Services

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CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016

From left: Simon Colboc, Consultative Committee FECIF and Vincent Derudder, Honorary Chairman FECIF

C ONFERENCE

From left: Šárka Chocová, EFA, Flow & Grow and EFAWAY, Miroslava Bozděchová, EFA, EFAWAY, Jan Sušánka, EFA, EFAWAY

From left: Josep Soler Albertí, President EFPA EU, Marta Gellová, President EFPA CZ, Helena Kolmanová, former Head of Consumer Protection Department ČNB, and Michal Šrubař, EFA, SQC EFPA EU and EFPA CZ

From left: Michal Šrubař, EFA, SQC EFPA EU, Petr Volek, Board Member, EFPA CZ, Zdeněk Santler, Board Member EFPA CZ, Tomáš Sedláček, Economist and Philosopher, Marta Gellová, President EFPA CZ, and Klára Šrubařová, Corporate Banker ČSOB

From left: Milan Šmíd, EFA, Česká pojišťovna, Libor Valečka, EFA, Česká pojišťovna, and Lukáš Rejmánek, EFA, Česká pojišťovna

Tomáš Sedláček, Economist and Philosopher

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016 63

GEGMSxJlorj CACIO Forum is networking and educational event for professionals designed to promote sharing experiences & business knowledge.

More to be found on www.cacio.cz including video coverage.

From left: Václav Špáňa, Partner, Rootzone Consulting, RNDr. Ing. Zdeněk Kaplan, CEO, O2 IT Services, Lukáš Erben, Editor in Chief, Inside It, Ing. Miroslav Hubner, MBA, Chairman, Cacio, and Pavel Kysilka, Founder, 6DAcademy

64

Iva Herlesová, Director, Consulting & Services & SW Development, Comparex CZ and Václav Domažlický, Microsoft

From left: Jiří Polák, Executive Director, Cacio and Miloslav Marčan, Director, Ministry of Industry and Trade

Jiří Daněk, Chairman of the Board, Druchema

RNDr. Ing. Zdeněk Kaplan, CEO, O2 IT Services

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016

CACIO F ORUM CACIO G OLD

PARTNERS :

D ELOITTE , HP E NTERPRISE , ICZ & ORACLE

From left: Pavel Kysilka, Founder, 6Dacademy, RNDr. Ing. Zdeněk Kaplan, CEO, O2 IT Services, Václav Špáňa, Partner, Rootzone Consulting, and Ing. Miroslav Hubner, MBA, Chairman, Cacio

Pavel Kysilka, Founder, 6DAcademy

From left: Ing Vlastimil Čejp, Managing Director, E-invent and Ing. Miroslav Hubner, MBA, Chairman, Cacio

From left: Marek Fila, Head of IT Development, Raiffeisenbank, Pavel Šunda, IT and Cloud Services Manager, České Radiokomunikace, Ing. Aleš Studený, Chief of Service Department, Alvao, and Ing. Petr Pokorný, Head of IT, Hopi Holding

From left: Ing Petr Pokorný, Head of IT, Hopi Holding and Ing. Aleš Studený, Chief of the Service Department, Alvao

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CACIO F ORUM

RNDr. Ing. Zdeněk Kaplan CEO, O2 IT Services and Ing. Eliška Jirovská, PH.D., Key Account Director for PPF Group, Oracle

From left: Hubert Anyžewski, Experience Strategy & Design Director, Deloitte Digital CE and Vladimír Vlachovský, Manager, Advisory Services, Deloitte

From left: Pavel Kysilka, Founder, 6Dacademy, RNDr. Ing. Zdeněk Kaplan, CEO, O2 IT Services, Lukáš Erben, Editor in Chief, Inside It, and Václav Špáňa, Partner, Rootzone Consulting

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From left: Miloslav Marčan, Director, Ministry of Industry and Trade and Rostislav Jirkal, Associate Partner, Qed Group

Marek Fila, Head of IT Development, Raiffeisenbank

From left: Zdeněk Vaníček, President, Czech Association of Electronic Communications, Khalil Noorzai, 2nd Secretary at the Embassy of Afghanistan, and Miloš Janů, CEO, PROMEXIM

DIPLOMATIC FORUM The Diplomatic Forum held a further event on the 29th November, in the premises of the University of New York in Prague. The guest was His Excellency Tajammul Altaf, Ambassador of Pakistan. H.E. Altaf had already been speaking for the Diplomatic Forum earlier during this year and this time he presented his views on the conflict occurring in Kashmir.

The event was organized by Hans Weber, with the assistance of Pietro Andrea Podda, and was attended by several diplomats (also of ambassadorial rank), CEOs and students. A dinner, characterized by a lively discussion, followed at the Marriott Hotel for selected guests.

From left: Hans Weber, Managing Partner Forum Prague, H.E. Tajammul Altaf, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Oscar Hidalgo, Chair of International and Economic Relations Department at UNYP, and Pietro Andrea Podda - Professor at AAU

H.E.Farid Shafiyev, Ambassador of Azerbaijan

H.E. Tajammul Altaf, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan

From left: Hans Weber, Managing Partner Forum Prague and Antal Disztl, Counsellor at the Embassy of Hungary

From left: Dr. Tahir Jamil Rana, 3rd Secretary at Embassy of Pakistan, Oscar Hidalgo, Chair of International and Economic Relations Department at UNYP, H.E. Tajammul Altaf , Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Pietro Andrea Podda, Professor at AAU, and Miloš Janů, CEO, PROMEXIM

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Participants at the Forum

DIPLOMATIC FORUM The Diplomatic Forum started the season on the 11th October, organized by Hans Weber, Manager of the Forum (with the assistance of Dr. Pietro Andrea Podda, Senior Lecturer). The Austrian Ambassador, H.E. Dr. Alexander Grubmayr, gave an interesting speech followed by a debate with the public. The venue was the villa K10, which hosts the representative office of Liberland. The original topic was about the bilateral relationships between the Czech Republic and Austria, however the discussion touched also on more general topics. As usual, a dinner with the Ambassador and selected guests followed at the Marriott Hotel.

Vit JedliÄ?ka, President, Liberland

From left: H.E. Dr. Alexander Grubmayr, Ambassador of Austria and Victor Lekhman, Managing Partner, Lekvi & Partners

Hans Weber, Managing Partner, FORUM Prague and H.E. Dr. Alexander Grubmayr, Ambassador of Austria

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Pietro Andrea Podda, Professor, AAU

Participants at the Forum

DIPLOMATIC FORUM On the 26th October, the Diplomatic Forum hosted the Egyptian Ambassador, H.E. Abderahman Salaheldin, who gave a speech about diplomatic challenges in Egypt and in the Middle East, followed by an interactive discussion with the public. The event was organised by Hans Weber, Manager of the Diplomatic Forum assisted by Pietro Andrea Podda, Senior Lecturer. The venue was the University of New York in Prague, which kindly provided its own auditorium. The event culminated in a dinner with the Ambassador and his spouse at the Marriott Hotel.

From left: Hans Weber, Managing Partner, Forum Prague, Pietro Andrea Podda, Professor, AAU, and H.E. Abderahman Salaheldin, Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt

H.E. Abderahman Salaheldin, Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt Alain Chlala, Strategy Consultant

From left: Pietro Andrea Podda, Professor, AAU and H.E. Abderahman Salaheldin, Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt

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ČSÚZ

P HOTO : T EREZA Š LÁPOTOVÁ From right: H. E. Alexander Vladimirovič Zmejevskij, Ambassador of the Russian Federation receiving the Order of Silver Lion from Jaromír Šlápota .

&]HFKRVORYDN Foreign Institute

I N COOPERATION WITH C ZECH & S LOVAK L EADERS

A discussion with His Excellency, the Ambassador of the Russian Federation, Alexander Vladimirovič Zmejevskij took place in the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute on Wednesday 12th October 2016.

The Ambassador spoke mostly on the topic of the Czech-Russian relations, the debate between President Putin and President Erdogan, and the duration of economic sanctions against Russia. The Vice President of the Chamber of Deputies JUDr. Vojtěch Filip and former Prime Minister Ing. Jiří Paroubek also attended the discussion.

From left: H. E. Alexander Vladimirovič Zmejevskij, Ambassador of the Russian Federation, JUDr. Vojtěch Filip, Chairman, Communist Party, and Jiří Paroubek, former Prime Minister, accompanied with translator

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From right: H. E. Alexander Vladimirovič Zmejevskij, Ambassador of the Russian Federation and Jaromír Šlápota , Chairman, Czechoslovak Foreign Institute looking at the photos from previous talks with other ambassadors H. E. Alexander Vladimirovič Zmejevskij, Ambassador of the Russian Federation in a lively discussion

S

HOHFWHG (YHQWV LQ WKH &]HFKRVORYDN Foreign Institute

The discussion with Israeli Ambassador H.E. Gary Koren (at the front of the table) was followed with interest by the two Czech former Prime Ministers, Ing. Jiří Paroubek and Ing. Jan Fischer.

The participants of the Czech language course in the headquarters of the Institute became familiar with the history and activities of this independent association and they took photo under the portrait of the first Czechoslovak President, based on whose initiative the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute was founded in 1928.

Interesting friendly discussion Since 1994, the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute has organized discussions with domestic and foreign personalities for its members and friends. On August 31, the Israeli Ambassador in Prague H. E. Gary Koren came to talk about the relations between the Czech Republic and his home country.

Several political personalities from among the members of the Institute met there, including two former Prime Ministers, Ing. Jan Fischer and Ing. Jiří Paroubek. "I'm not saying that the relations between Israel and the Czech Republic are ideal. There are also problems there. But in comparison with other countries our relations are at a high level," the Ambassador said at the beginning of the discussion. He explained that his assessment is based on his thirty years of diplomatic practice and reminded that even in the reports of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the current Czech foreign policy, in the section on relations with the countries of the Middle East, it is stated that Israel and the Czech Republic have relations of strategic importance. He also said that the Czech Embassy in Israel is among the ten largest and excellent diplomats are working there. The fact that the Czech Republic considers the relations with Israel as important is indicated, according to the Ambassador, also by numerous official visits, such as Israeli President Reuben Rivlin in Prague last year, President Miloš Zeman in Israel two years ago, or two visits of the Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka in his current function.

&RPSDWULRWV IURP WKH 86$ FDPH WR LPSURYH WKHLU &]HFK From 28 June till 18 July 2016, the campus of the Czech Agricultural University on the northern border of Prague became again the venue for the language and heritage course, in which the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute offers the opportunity to the countrymen to improve their Czech language and become familiar with the motherland of their ancestors. After six years of the course, in which students of Czech came to Prague from Czech schools in Europe, two members of the Managing Board of the In-

ČSÚZ

Chinese Ambassador to the Czech Republic H. E. Ma Keqing (fourth from right) with her husband Cai Ping (fourth from the left) visited Zlín region at the invitation of Senator and Vice-Chairman of the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute Ivo Valenta (fifth from the left). She was also accompanied by the Chairman of the Board in the Holešov strategic industrial zone Libor Karásek (first from left), Petr Sáha, Rector of Tomáš Baťa University in Zlín and Chairman of the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute Jaromír Šlápota.

The youngest generation of Czech expatriates in Vienna enjoyed the new nursery, which was fully equipped by the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute.

stitute prepared a special training program for descendants of Czechs and Moravians, who left the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy at the turn of the 19th and 20th century to work in America. All the participants appreciated the level of teaching and interesting accompanying program.

7KH &]HFKRVORYDN )RUHLJQ ,QVWLWXWH HTXLSSHG QXUVHU\ LQ 9LHQQD Since the new school year, the children of expatriates in Vienna have not only kindergarten, primary school and high school, but even nursery. Its equipment was donated by the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute to the Comenius School Association. The Comenius Association asked the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute for equipment for 15 children under the age of three years as early as in 2015. Then, this spring the Institute secured financing and the member of the Managing Board Hana Hlaváčková started to process nursery design in accordance with the request from Vienna.

And when it was approved by the School Association, the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute ordered its production in the Linea company. All the miniature furniture and other elements were made to measure, out of solid wood and treated according to strict hygiene standards.

,PSRUWDQW YLVLW WR WKH =OtQ UHJLRQ The Chinese Ambassador to the Czech Republic H. E. Ma Keqing visited the Zlín region at the invitation of the Senator Iva Valenta, Vice Chairman of the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute. During her visit, she was accompanied by the Chairman of the Institute Jaromír Šlápota. The second weekend of September (9 – 11 September) was dedicated to one of the greatest folklore feasts in Uherské Hradiště region, the 14th Festival of Wine and Open Monuments. The Ambassador was one of the most important personalities that have visited the Festival. "The Festival left a deep impression on me. It surprised me how many people are actively participating, and how they can enjoy its atmosphere. It is good that the Czechs attach so much importance to traditions, "said the Ambassador.

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016 71

I NTERVIEW WITH S TEFAN R IES , C HIEF H UMAN R ESOURCES O FFICER , M EMBER OF E XECUTIVE B OARD , SAP SE

Visits of Board Members of Global Corporations to headquarters can be compared to visits of state level representatives. While certain meet Prime Ministers, demand red carpet protocol and expect all the flashlights shining on them, others come to listen, acknowledge and shine the light on others. Stefan Ries belongs to the second category. Came on time, perfectly prepared, smiling and shared his views not only on SAP’s purpose, but also on trends and the latest developments in HR and technology business.

Moreover, he was genuinely appreciative of all the achievements and growth SAP has achieved in the Czech Republic.

It was a very special day for SAP, as they were officially opening a new office centre at the Metronom Building in Prague 5. The offices were designed according to the latest trends “Future at Work” reflecting global 24/7 connectivity, enabled by cloud and complex infrastructure. For Stefan, the notion of work-life balance is outdated, as there is truly life balance in reality.

To me, he represents a living symbol of an authentic leader of the 21st century, winning both minds and hearts of all people around. Stefan Ries, Chief Human Resources Officer and Labour Relations Director, is also a member of the Executive Board of SAP with global responsibility for Human Resources. He was appointed to the Executive Board of SAP in April 2016. He was born in Bavaria, and is currently based in Walldorf, Germany. His career path has taken him through various functions at IT companies such as Microsoft, Compaq and SAP and he also spent four years at Egon Zehnder International as a member of High Technologies/Information Technologies Practice Group. His passion themes include diversity, innovation, talent management and sustainable workforce.

Mr. Ries, it is a true privilege to interview you, as we both share passion for many HR issues. As Chief Human Resources Officer and a Member of the Executive Board, which global HR strategies do you find the most relevant for 2017?

First of all, let me thank you for the opportunity to meet and I am especially glad to be here in Prague as Prague, and the Czech Republic in general, represent a very special place for SAP. We, as a company, find ourselves in a very fortunate situation as the company is growing. Our growth is fast not only thanks to the growth of the industry in general, but we in SAP have managed to outperform that. All the subjects that have been already covered by my colleagues in previous interviews, such as cloud computing, big data, smart data, artificial intelligence – these are the key relevant topics for us from the business perspective.

However, moving to the cloud has to be reflected also from the HR strategy point of view. The cloud strategy is important, because customers see the

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benefits of faster implementation cycles, robust best in cloud solutions can be implemented very easily and software development having much faster cycle time. Now, let me address the HR perspective.

The first key topic for us, but also for many our customers is linked to business transformation and how we can support that while keeping a motivated and excited workforce. The second topic is linked to the talent and how to make sure that we are continuously seen as the employer of choice and how we can retain talent. Leadership development comes as the third topic; in terms of SAP environment, we currently have 85,000 employees worldwide and 7,500 managers and leaders who are the key drivers of the business transformation. Learning comes next, as during the business transformation we need to make sure the organisation as well as the individuals continuously learn. Last year, we spent 100 mil EUR on learning exclusively and this year we are planning to spend 140 mil EUR and the trend will continue. It is a large sum but we see this investment as necessary. Last but not least comes the issue of sustainability of people , comprising of all activities associated with diversity and inclusion. I am happy to share with you later more about latest initiative, Business Beyond Bias. We combine the latest technology and machine learning to select the best talents for your organisation in order to reduce unconscious bias when looking at CVs and much more...

I was sitting just on the opposite side of the street, having the pleasure to open our shared service centre that had 25 employees! Today, I am back to open a new building for 1,700 employees. That is an incredible success story. Not only from the HR perspective as we are proud to find excellent talent that we are employing both in the Czech Republic as well as abroad, but also from the business perspective. In Prague we have a human resources shared centre. Last year, we decided to have a small special team to help with on-boarding all new hires across the world. At the beginning, almost everybody thought that this was complete madness to try to ensure that everybody has a good on-boarding experience all the way from Tokyo, Japan to Sao Leopoldo, Brazil. But today, we see that it works. We have very positive employee feedback and customer satisfaction rates and both speak a lot not only about the quality of the work but about the contribution of the Czech Republic for SAP world. And we look forward to further supporting the unbelievable success of the last decade.

Let us now move from the global perspective to the special position of the Czech Republic…

I remember that in 2004, which is only 12 years ago,

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P HOTO : V LADIMÍR W EISS

I NTERVIEW Thank you for your words of appreciation, it all sounds very nice. However, Prague is a place for many subsidiaries and from my own experience the relationships between headquarters and a subsidiary can sometimes have rather challenging nature, perhaps resembling a mother-daughter relationship during the time of adolescence…

I have been involved in the HR for 26 years, so I truly know what you are talking about. We tend to see that the headquarters have a gravity around the location and as a subsidiary you might feel either detached or attached. In our case, it is different.

Out of 85,000 employees, only 17,500 are based in Germany, the rest is abroad. There is no gravity around Walldorf as being the heart of SAP. We have so many hearts around the world and we love to support the distributive “power”, in the absence of a better word, for all of our organisations. I have already mentioned the example of Prague and on-boarding processes, which in fact has become a headquarter itself since it has the expertise and accountability to drive certain processes.

I myself experienced the stereotypical challenging relationship headquarters vs. subsidiary when working for American companies, but it is not the case in SAP. I think the issue at stake is the identity. Prague for us has a huge identity. We stand not only for shared services but also consultative services, such as onboarding but also payroll. Again, it is our team in Prague that runs payroll for the rest of the world, and the same is true for data management and many other functions.

We are meeting at the occasion of opening new premises at Metronom building that reflect the trends associated with the theme Future of Work. What are some specific elements linked to this notion?

We like to share our best practices with others and that is also the reason why we have invested a lot of money and space into a new building that will allow us to accommodate, in addition to employees, both guests and customers. I have never heard anyone leaving Prague without being amazed by its success story. We therefore leverage our experience when we talk about our HR software, called SAP SuccessFactors, since customers can touch, look and feel people but also system solutions in one place.

Trust is the essential component, I call it the ultimate currency, to the Future at Work concept. It is important to establish the business environment that gives a person complete trust with regards to tasks and responsibilities. That is why we do not see much sense in introducing any time keeping record system. Is that easy to introduce something within a company having 85,000 workforce members? No, you still need some hierarchy to make sure that the strategy will be linked to individuals´ tasks and responsibilities. Given the latest technology, we can perform our roles and tasks anytime, anywhere. You are just given a task and trust. The rest is up to you. However, when you look around these nice and modern premises, we also consider important coming to work to connect and network. You cannot create only

in isolation and continuously work from home.

As an organisation, you are only as smart as the collective wisdom of the individuals together. I am a strong believer in the future of the work consisting of new usage of technology, working from various places, including abroad, independent work but also team collaboration. Therefore, offices where people come, meet and connect together, will be still needed. But with technology and connectivity comes also a need and responsibility to recharge the batteries. We could easily come and work 24/7 but that is not the right balance. I do not believe in work-life balance, as I think it is the life balance that is desirable. The key element is to educate leaders and managers to have a dialogue with employees as to have the clear understanding of the expectations from one another. Receiving an email during the weekend from an executive does not mean answering it during the weekend because there is a need to recharge the batteries, spend time with family. I really try hard to keep my weekends free for the family, unless there is a case of emergency. I am also trying to find some time during the weekdays, be it either in the morning or evening to make sure I also recharge my battery.

I am not a fan when the government tries to get involved and set conditions. I have recently met with the German Minister of Labour about the need for a mechanism that would switch off the devices by 7 or 8 pm. And my reply was simple: Excuse me, but in which world are you living? Look at the youngest generations, being born and raised with social media. Do you really believe that they will join our company if they know that by beginning of the evening their devices will be switched off?

And as we are connected around the world that will never happen.

We are both passionate about diversity and inclusion. You have just launched Business Beyond Bias program. What results are you expecting?

Over the last couple of years, SAP was very successful in diversity and inclusion. We also received the Economic Dividends for Gender Equality (EDGE) certificate in March 2016. Being a leader, many companies look at us and ask why we are doing that. And the answer is simple. We have such a wonderful experience with diverse workforce and we know that such diverse workforce also represents our customer base. Our customers cannot be treated as a one-size-fits-all organisation, they are super diverse themselves and that is what we need to reflect. We think in terms of a number of locations where we are based, how many nations we address and referring back to our debate on headquarters, there are more than 85 nationalities in Germany alone. This is something special. In the past and particularly in Europe, diversity has been a lot associated with gender diversity. We have managed to overcome that notion. We have a great initiative that hires people with autism, currently we employ more than 150 of them around the world. Last year, during the refugee crisis, when thousands of people were coming to Germany, we used the welcoming DNA we have and now we work with more than 150 students and interns working.

Business Beyond Bias is a programme that allows to overcome personal bias during the recruitment process. To be more specific, just imagine that you have got several CVs in front of you and there is a candidate who got a degree at the same university as you had. Well, most probably, based on your bias, this person will make it to the next round of the selection process.

Because just by the definition that you come from the same university, you have a bias.

The second example will be about a job description. Think about a nurse. Is it written for a women-nurse or a male-nurse? So, again there is a gender bias because we prefer nurse with female gender.

Now, using the latest software technology called machine learning in combination with HR software, called SAP SuccessFactors, you can eliminate the bias. How is it possible? The machine software will propose the first round of candidates for the interview. The person will still have to make the decision but based on the computer preselection, you will look at a completely different set of candidates. We have tested it ourselves with literally millions of data sets and it works. It helps you improve the process and not to disregard a certain part of the talent pool that was not considered before. Therefore, I do not agree with the complaints on war of talent or tiny talent pools. For me, this is not the case. The talent is there and we need to learn to look at them differently.

Speaking at the beginning of the advent period, what are your expectations and wishes for 2017?

SAP’s purpose is to improve people’s lives. That is our role within our broader ecosystem on this planet. We do not want to see people dying from diseases. Here, we can help with our technology: for example, with our technology SAP HANA we have connected all global cancer treatment centres around the world, so they have information about patients available. A doctor in Tokyo can, in real time and within seconds, consult and compare the symptoms to another patient, for example from Brazil. Just think about the massive power of data available and I hope that our technology will continue to help the people to improve their lives and ultimately to make a difference. Our employees are proud of that fact. Now we have five generations at the workplace, and particularly our youngest generation, the digital natives, want to contribute to the success of the company with an impact to the role and purpose in their lives.

For myself, I am looking forward to spending time with my family, recharging batteries and dealing with stress effectively. However, visiting all our locations around the world is extremely rewarding and energising for me, I love looking into SAP people’s eyes and seeing them proud and fulfilled.

Note: See also our interview with Roman Knap, Managing Director, SAP Czech Republic on page 32.

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

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016 73

P ERSONAL

ENLIGHTENMENT

When it was clear I would likely spend the rest of my professional life on an entrepreneurial path, my father offered his advice, “Never disregard wild ideas until you have thought them through, and don’t concern yourself with what others think about you for considering such allegedly crazy ideas.” It was good advice, but in some instances, I must admit I had to push myself into a space of intelligent consideration. Legalizing LSD is one such instance.

Legalizing LSD and making it readily available can solve many of the world’s critical issues, from climate change to poverty to terrorism. That’s the mantra of the esteemed, globally-recognized, Czechoslovak-born psychiatrist, Dr. Stanislav Grof.

In a recent interview in The Optimist magazine, Grof, who has both an MD and PhD, argues that, “It may be the only real chance for our troubled industrial civilization.” Let’s take a closer look to understand his case for LSD1.

The Discovery LSD, or lysergic acid diethylamide, was first synthesized in 1938 by Dr. Albert Hoffman, then working for Sandoz Pharmaceuticals. He was looking for new drugs that might be useful as anti-psychotics.

Hoffman prepared LSD from ergotamine, a chemical derived from a fungus known as ergot [see Figure 1]. It is interesting to note that psilocybin, the active ingredient in a fungus known as “magic mushrooms, is also a strong psychedelic drug.”

Perhaps having latent alchemical inclinations, Hoffman did what most modern chemists would never do; he tasted his new molecule, and within 30 minutes experienced the very first LSD “trip.”

Fortunately for him, it was a good one and he was overwhelmed by his journey to a higher level of

Figure 1: LSD is relatively simple to prepare and is making a strong comeback as a potential treatment for strong addictions, intense pain and deep depression.

1 2

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consciousness. After much testing, Hoffman convinced Sandoz to share samples of LSD with several renowned scientists around the world. Grof was one of them. Sandoz delivered a supply of LSD to the Psychiatric Research Institute in Prague, where Grof was then a research scientist. By then, Sandoz had released LSD as a drug known as Delysid for treatment of various psychiatric disorders.

Experiencing Cosmic Consciousness Grof became one of the first volunteers to take the drug. He explains, “I had a very, very powerful experience to the point that I was one person in the morning and another one in the evening.”He revealed that seven years of psychoanalysis did very little for him compared to his first experience with LSD.“There had not been any convincing connection between those seven years analyzing dreams on the couch and anything that had happened in my life. This experience (with LSD) created a real deep, lifetime passionate interest in non-ordinary states.”

Grof’s “holistic” experience with LSD was similar to reports by others who had taken the drug as well as the experience of those who had ingested psilocybin. Of related interest is the fact that psilocybin was used over thousands of years by shamans as a means to connect with the divine.

A recent book by Jerry and Julie Brown, The Psychedelic Gospels: The Secret History of Hallucinogens in Christianity, analyzes the impact of psilocybin on followers during the early years of the JudaicChristian religions2. Grof explains that with his first LSD experience, “I went in as an atheist . . . Then in one afternoon, I suddenly discovered the whole spiritual dimension in existence. I discovered Cosmic Consciousness (author’s emphasis).

Grof subsequently supervised some 5,000 LSD sessions, as well as experiencing the drug himself numerous times. His research with LSD was recognized internationally and in 1967 he was invited to become a research fellow and assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University and subsequently the Chief of Psychiatric Research at the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center in Baltimore. He next spent time as a scholar-in-residence at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California before moving to the San Francisco Bay Area, where he continues to teach and lead workshops on achieving higher levels of consciousness.

Renewed Interest In LSD As part of its “war on drugs,” the United States banned LSD in 1967 as an illegal drug as did

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”.

Lao Tzu

the United Nations in 1971. However, after nearly 50 years, there is renewed interest in LSD and other psychedelic agents. Recent trials in the United Kingdom suggest that LSD may be a promising drug to help reverse deep patterns of addictive and negative thinking. A large study by the Norwegian University for Science and Technology, recently published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology concludes that there is no link between the use of LSD or psilocybin and any mental health issues3.

And scientists at New York University suggest that psychedelic agents such as psilocybin can be very helpful in treating patients with terminal cancer4.

LSD Elevates Consciousness Grof seems to suggest that a substantial decrease in the level of consciousness of a small minority of our global population is responsible for increased terrorism and violence, the dismissal of climate change as a critical reality, support for increased nuclear armaments, and a host of other frightening threats to humanity. He feels that higher levels of consciousness are the path to reversing these challenges. Grof reminds us that Freud argued that most of our problems in life emerge from the subconscious which drives our daily experiences and actions. He argues that “It’s (your subconscious or as Freud called it, your unconscious) running your life. It makes your perception of yourself and of the world around you, your relationships, and your behavior. You are acting according to old programs.

It’s distorting your life.”

He points out that psychoanalysis did not solve the consciousness issue for him, but LSD did. Grof

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

The author may be reached at Jim@ChateauMcely.Com.

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016

P ERSONAL said several times in our conversations as well as in public interviews that taking LSD was one of the most important things he had ever done in his life.

And Nobel laureate, Francis Crick in his book What The Dormouse Said disclosed that LSD helped him unravel the structure of DNA.

Figure 2: It appears that LSD elevates levels of consciousness in a manner similar to the practice of meditation; however, it is a much quicker means to these levels of consciousness. LSD presents some risks, meditation has none.

maintains that “LSD acts like a powerful catalyst that makes available the contents from really deep levels of the psyche that are not normally accessible to exploration.” He implies that it does the same thing as deep meditation, but does not require years of practice to achieve the same results [see Figure 2]. Psychedelic drugs such as LSD enable you to experience traumas imprinted in your subconscious and then address them so that your level of consciousness rises and as a result, you [your deep Self] and not your subconscious, are in control of your life. He uses the word holotropic [drawn towards wholeness] to describe the state of awareness or consciousness that LSD creates.

In these holotropic states a person transcends the boundaries of normal existence, which is ruled primarily by the subconscious and the ego, and can uncover his or her identity, namely the true Self.

The Benefits There have been a number of research programs in the past that suggest psychedelics like LSD can provide insight to past traumas and disorders and heal them. The famous Concord Prison Experiment conducted by the infamous Professor Timothy Leary of Harvard University showed that prisoners who underwent LSD therapy showed only a 50 percent relapse in criminal behavior after leaving prison compared to much higher percentages for those who did not undergo treatment. Grof, who has worked with terminally-ill cancer patients found that after LSD therapy, they completely lose any fear of death. Other studies have shown success with treating chronic alcoholism, drug abuse, depression and intense pain.

As a former Silicon Valley resident, I can attest to the fact that I have known a number of entrepreneurs who have experimented with micro levels of LSD as a means to increase their creativity. Steve Jobs, my neighbor in Palo Alto for nearly five years, Figure 3: LSD expert Dr. Stanislav Grof believes that LSD Enables your Personal Consciousness to tap into what has been Called the Akashic Field by Dr. Irvin Laszlo and the Morphogenic Field by Dr. Rupert Sheldrake. He maintains that in this field there exists a record of every physical action and mental thought that has ever occurred.

The Risks LSD influences consciousness in a holistic way, so much so that Grof passionately argues, “Psychedelics are very safe biologically, and they can really sort of open the psyche at a very profound level.” Grof recognizes that as with any drug, there are risks associated with taking LSD. He notes that although the drug is not addictive, it must be administered by trained healthcare professionals.

Dosage and the mental state of the person taking the drug must be taken into consideration. LSD should never be administered to a person at the edge of a psychological crisis. That could lead to what has been called a “bad trip” by the drug culture activists of the 1960s,” and result in challenging psychological issues.

When LSD became illegal, Grof continued to be approached by people around the world for alternative means to expedite their elevation to higher levels of consciousness. In response to this need, he and his wife Christina spent considerable time developing a procedure known as “holotropic breathwork.” It involves controlled fast breathing, complemented by specially designed music and energy-releasing bodywork. In some aspects, it is similar to the ancient practice of pranayama. Grof claims that this method, administered by an experienced person, can create similar insights and healing effects as do psychedelics such as LSD. The Brain Does Not Create Consciousness Based on years of LSD research and his efforts with holotropic breathwork, Grof comes to a conclusion reached millennia ago by the great Wisdom Seekers and ancient mystics, namely that the mind does not produce consciousness; consciousness produces the mind; the mind is simply a mediator of consciousness. He points to extensive supporting evidence. For example, people whose brains completely shut down during a near-death experience (NDE) report vivid pictorial details when revived.

He notes that people, blind from birth and have a NDE, also report dramatically vivid personal pictures that can be validated. Grof feels that “Such observations show that consciousness can operate independently of our body and is not a product of the brain.” He explains this, referencing Rupert Sheldrake’s work on the “Morphogenic Field” and Ervin Laszlo’s concept of the “Akashic Field.”

In simple terms, there is a Personal Consciousness and a Collective Consciousness. The latter is a field (Morphogenic or Akashic) that records everything that ever happened and retains the details of this information forever. Through altered states of consciousness such as meditation or the use of psychedelic agents such as LSD, it is possible to tap into this field. This has huge potential for human learning and understanding [see Figure 3].

My Thoughts I conclude that we should not cast aside LSD and other psychedelic agents such as psilocybin as

ENLIGHTENMENT

dangerous addictive drugs, putting them in the same category as heroin and cocaine. On the other hand, I don’t feel we can make them freely available to anyone and everyone and expect that this will change the course of humanity in a favorable direction. However, legalizing LSD and perhaps psilocybin as consciousness stimulants to be carefully administered by healthcare professionals may present valuable alternatives to treating a host of mental maladies and in the right setting provide emotionally healthy individuals with an effective means to tap into the Collective Consciousness field.

This could be an expedient means to acquire advanced knowledge and insight and elevate your consciousness to much higher levels. It might even engender you with a strong predisposition to help create a better world.

I have never tried LSD. Would I? I would give it serious consideration if administered by an experienced professional like Dr. Grof. Perhaps there was something to dear old Dad’s advice.

Sat, Chit, Ananda!

Enjoy your journey, make a difference!

About the Author James A. Cusumano (www.JamesCusumano.Com) is Chairman and Owner of Chateau Mcely (www.

ChateauMcely.Com), chosen in 2007 by the European Union as the only “Green” 5-star luxury hotel in Central and Eastern Europe and in 2008 by the World Travel Awards as The World’s Leading Green Hotel. It is home to Chateau Mcely Forum™ (www.ChateauMcelyForum.Com) which offers programs that teach the principles of Inspired Leadership.

He is a former Research Director for Exxon, and subsequently founded two public companies in Silicon Valley, one in clean power generation, the other in pharmaceuticals manufacture via environmentally-benign, low-cost, catalytic technologies.

While he was Chairman and CEO, the latter – Catalytica Pharmaceuticals, Inc. – grew in less than 5 years, to a $1 billion enterprise with 2,000 employees. He is coauthor of Freedom from Mid-East Oil (2007), and the author of Cosmic Consciousness – A Journey to Well-being, Happiness and Success (2011), BALANCE: The Business – Life Connection (2013) and Life Is Beautiful: 12 Universal Rules (2016).

References 1) Jurriaan Kamp, The Optimist, Winter edition, pp. 40–45, 2016. Many of the facts in this column are drawn from this reference.

2) Jerry B. Brown and Julie M. Brown, The Psychedelic Gospels: The Secret History of Hallucinogens in Christianity, Park Street Press, Rochester, Vermont, 2016.

3) www.ntnu.edu/news/2013-news/lsd-survey.

4) www.nyucanceranxiety.org/study_information.html

An interview with Silvia Gavorníková, Head of International Relations Department, Slovak Export Credit Agency EXIMBANKA SR

Erqfckqgaxic_bcopfgmx f_pxaf_kecbxjvx _qqgqrbcxqlxigdc It is a pleasure and privilege to introduce you Mrs. Silvia Gavorníková, who is not only the Head of International Relations Department at Slovak Export Credit Agency EXIMBANKA SR (Export-Import Bank of the Slovak Republic) but also the Chairwoman of the OECD Working Party on Export Credits and Credit Guarantees. In addition, Mrs. Gavorníková finds time for self-development activities dedicated to authentic leadership and last but not least, her passion in horse-riding resulted in organising top-level equestrian events in Slovakia.

Photo: Martin Novák

76

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016

Silvia, can you share with our readers more about important milestones on your career journey that took you from Bratislava all the way to Paris?

I have been working in EXIMBANKA SR for 18 years. During this time I have managed to develop knowledge and understanding of the export credit environment and international regulations which are very complex and strict. When Slovakia joined OECD and EU we had to fully comply with these rules, what was sometimes a very challenging process.

On the other hand, this environment is very dynamic as some regulations are being continuously updated and new ones are being adopted. Just like any other international environment, export credits are also about advocating national interests. So I quickly understood that if I wanted to support our national interests, as a national delegate, I needed to speak out, yet our counterparts had to learn to listen to our opinions, i.e. opinions of small countries. To understand national interests correctly, it is very important to communicate effectively, either with my colleagues who are in touch with Slovak businesses or with exporters directly.

The journey took a while as I have been participating at the meeting of the Export Credit Group in Brussels, where only EU Member States are involved, since 2008. During this time I have gained experiences in international negotiating, learned how to support national positions, as mentioned above, national interests, and also our preferences. All international negotiations are based on personal contacts and if you are a respected negotiator, then you can seek support for becoming the Chair. I am very grateful to gain the possibility to run for the Chairman of the Group. I believe that I can be trusted by my colleagues to fulfil the task of the Chairman as an honest broker working to the benefit of the entire Group.

Therefore, the EU Council Working Group endorsed me as an EU candidate for the position of the Chairman in OECD as well as a member of the OECD Export Credit Bureau in autumn 2014. I was elected into this position by all Members of the WP ECG during the OECD autumn plenary meeting in November 2014 and re-elected for 2016 in November 2015.

On 1st of July 2016, the Slovak Republic took over the first

I NTERVIEW and quickly disappear. I believe that to become a leader is a sustainable process of learning, listening, communicating and expressing oneself.

I think one of the biggest challenges for every leader is to understand where their role is and know well available room for manoeuvre, which can be used effectively to achieve their goals.

ever Presidency of the Council of the European Union (SK PRES), so I have become also the Chairman of the EU Council Working Group for Export Credits for the 6 months of the Slovak Presidency. The main challenge for Slovakia as part of these important responsibilities and opportunities is to find the way among the Member States to compromise to be able achieve a consensus on difficult issues on the EU agenda and to best represent our country. In this regard we will be hosting a Presidency meeting for all ECG members (EU Member States) in Bratislava in October, so I will be very proud to also welcome my colleagues at the Informal Presidency Meeting in Bratislava, the town where I was born and raised.

Paris, OECD and the world of finances – the three elements evoke the verse “it is a man’s world”. Did you perceive it the same way? Did it feel like you were breaking a glass ceiling or was it more difficult to overcome some stereotypes due to the fact that you were coming from “the East”?

I would say that our Working Group is very well gender balanced thanks to the deep respect for professional qualities of each other and great work of my female colleagues. I definitely was not the first woman to chair the OECD meetings (which started in 1978) or EU; however, it is true that in our OECD working group I am the first representative coming from the former “East block” who was elected to the Export Credit Bureau. I have to admit it would not be feasible without the support of my colleagues from the European Union and other OECD members, and of course my Slovak supporters.

Once I have earned the trust of the group, I am trying to do my job properly and in the most professional way. My main task as the Chair is to move the negotiation process forward. To achieve this I have to listen to the delegations carefully and understand the background very well. One of the most important features of the Chair in such an international environment is being impartial, loyal to the Group and I believe that in this sense my origin is an advantage.

Our interview is for the Leaders magazine.

How do you define yourself as a leader and your leadership style?

I heard once, that “leadership” cannot be taught like management, but can be learned and enhanced. I believe that authentic leadership has opened my eyes in the area of self-development and improved the quality of my life not only in my professional career. I became familiar with the Talent Dynamics Profile Test which I find quite useful, because it is based on natural talent and not on skills. My personal talent dynamic profile is “Supporter” and based on this result I realised why I had always needed to work with people and lead them to achieve the best outcome of their work. This has confirmed my role in which I always felt the best - activities relating to people, organising teams, motivating, communicating, people-focused leader-

ship, learning through conversations and teams, communicating through one-to-one discussion. Together with my team we create a great team and our work is very well accepted within our institution as well as in international meetings. My favourite sentence corresponds with my profile: “It wasn´t just me, it was the team”.

You dedicate quite a lot of time to selfdevelopment. What are some key findings you can share and pass forward?

I got in touch with the authentic leadership programme through my great coach Eva Štefanková in spring 2015, with the main aim to prepare for the historically first ever Slovak Presidency in the EU Council.

What I value most out of this self-development approach is the attitude towards myself, ability to look at myself and starting to know myself.

This goes hand in hand with the ability to understand my strengths and weaknesses and take all the knowledge to achieve the best performance in my work. I consider myself blessed because I like my work very much; if I should describe my job I would say a “dream job”, so to improve myself in self-development is very natural to me as I want to improve all the time.

Do you see enough leaders able to address the current complex issues, be it on the local, regional and European level? What are the biggest challenges they face?

An authentic leader is in my view a person who makes his/her decision naturally as a free human being with the full responsibility and best intention to achieve his/her goal. In my opinion, these days are very challenging because thanks to social media many “leaders” pop up

Horse-riding is your passion but you do not do it merely to relax but also used this opportunity in the past to promote Slovakia abroad. Besides horse-riding, can you comment on your overall approach to work-life balance, how do you find time and where do you find energy?

I´ve always dreamt about riding horses, and since my parents didn´t like this idea I had to wait till I was 14 to find my way to start riding on my own. After a short adventure in racing stables I found a riding stable of show jumpers, with the No.1 Slovak rider at that time and I´ve been riding show jumpers/hunters ever since.

I have competed on the national level and my favourite part is riding young horses at the time when you can teach them how to like to be ridden and influence their personality.

No matter how much I like my work, it is absolutely crucial to have balance in my life. My work includes a lot of traveling, which is time consuming and especially long negotiations could be exhausting, so I need to be focused and concentrate at all times. Horses are the generator of my energy, the moment I sit on a horse back all the problems disappear, the head clears up and I am able to rethink and re-evaluate all I have in my mind.

Looking 20 years ahead, what would you like to see?

I am grateful for all opportunities that I have got in my life and I believe that all this would not be possible without a great support of my family, my husband and my parents.

So even in 20 years from now I would like to be surrounded by people I love, can rely on and trust at the same time and I still would like to work in a position which would also be my hobby and passion.

Your final words…

Authentic leadership has changed my attitude to life, opened my eyes in many ways and made me realise how much my reaction can influence the outcomes which then have the major impact on my decisions. When I look back I understand my reactions in the past much better and I believe that for the future many more circumstances will lead to a different outcome, because of my current knowledge.

I would like to wish your readers successful decisions and satisfaction in their life, which brings all the joy and delight.

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

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016 77

IN

COOPERATION WITH

C ZECH & S LOVAK L EADERS

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Kil`_ixWqo_qcegpq´xIucarqgtcxGl_afx_kbxQckqlo´xdlojcoxGf_goj_kxldxQgaolpldqxIrolmc Unfortunately, the education system in the Czech Republic has not seen much change in past three hundred years. Generally, schooling model in countries of former Austro-Hungarian Empire is still based on memorizing.

Whereas in Anglo-Saxon countries there is a model called factory system which expects every product to end up the same. But this is not a feasible goal. Each student learns differently and has different strengths.

The children of today will compete for vacancies on a global stage, especially in the fields of intellectual work. The companies like Facebook or Accenture want to be built on strengths of their employees in the future.

Discovering those at the right moment when kids decide what to study might be a great advantage.

Some teachers are keen to work with students individually, but it is the system which does not allow them to – it is obsolete and rigid.

Meeting the quota, having the best notes and „knowing it all“ is what matters. On the contrary, in Scandinavian countries the task is to get each student to their best level. The schooling system is modelled very individually and students do not compare themselves to one another so much. This works much better.

Engage, Motivate and Inspire By all accounts, Finland has one of the best systems of education in the world. Education is a key priority for each family and being a teacher means prestige. The income of local teachers is twenty percent above the average salary. One of the Finnish faculties of education got six thousand applications, but it only accepted six hundred applicants. The entrance examination includes a talent assessment which reveals if the candidate qualifies for being a teacher at all.

During the educational process itself, teachers have two weeks each year just to learn how to teach – how to engage, motivate and inspire their students.

The headmasters do not spend most of their time filling up the forms for the ministry. Instead, they have got time to ameliorate their institution and its system of education. According to OECD findings, Finnish students rank among world's best students even

78

though they spend about 25 % less time at school than the OECD average (OECD is an economic organization of 35 most developed countries in the world).

Another great example is a non-profit project of Salman Khan: Khan Academy – free online courses distributing the learning materials in form of text, numbers, videos and pictures so that the information transfer suits students' various needs and skills.

The Trapped Potential When a baby is born, its brain consists of around hundred billion neurons interconnected and communicating via synapses. The synapses interface according to their congenital endowments.

Children usually play at what they like and with what they find interesting and the other toys and plays do not interest them. Due to the NASA research 98 % of six-years olds evince high creativity. At the age of ten it is 30 %, at fifteen 15 % and at twenty-five only 2 %. It is because school usually limits kid´s potential instead of unlocking it.

Why is it so? The above mentioned synapses interconnect based on two patterns. In the first one, our experience and surroundings play major part. In the second one, what we think of matters.

When I went to school thirty years ago, we were taught that from the age of thirty and on, the neurons are dying. But it is not true.

Formation of synapses is a lifelong process.

It does not matter if our natural talent is revealed when we are sixty years old. To develop it into a strength, we must nourish and train our potential. David Svoboda, whose mental couch I am, also had to develop his sporting talent to become an Olympic champion.

my colleagues: “You will do the things you are good at. Most importantly, be yourself.“ And it worked.

I use the tests by the Gallup company, the StrengthsFinder, based of forty years of research.

They were trying to find out how successful people reached their success, what strengths do they took advantage of. They tried to characterize and classify the types of strengths and find how it is possible to use them in personal and working life. The test identifies five strengths of each tested person. Not every strength come into its own, it is not necessary to use all of them. Yet everyone finds there those that are shaping their role in life. Everyone finds out that they have some idle unutilized talents.

This is what we are trying to change and figure out how to work with it.

The original test is freely accessible online in English. We have it translated for purpose of our classes. We also have the version for 10-14 yearold kids. The course “Unlocking children's potential“ we prepared with my colleague Kateřina Novotná is exactly for this age category.

Being Happy and Successful Survival has always been the priority for mankind. Our brain, when it is not trained, is rather

Showing the Way In my courses with the adults, I am trying to find their talents, strengths and possibilities how to use them. In 2000, when I took charge of Microsoft team for central and eastern Europe, I focused on talents and strengths of the team members. At the time when Microsoft was the largest company on the stock market, we were announced the most successful region in the world four times in a row. I told

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016

Kateřina Novotná and Jan Mühlfeit

an instrument of survival than a key to success. This is the reason why we are still focusing on things we are failing at. When a kid gets A at school, family tends to advise it to spend only around 7 % of learning time with that subject. When it gets F, the advice leads it to spend around 70 % of time with that subject.

We are simply eager to go in for our weaknesses. If we succeed with ten things during the day and we mess up one, we usually think of this only one before we fall asleep. And it does not have to work this way.

I am not trying to say kids should not learn maths when they are weak in it. They should learn it to the extent acceptable to fulfil the quota and to gain general knowledge. It is important to understand the subject, to avoid problems at school and to banish the feeling that they will not succeed in life only because of their weak points. However, it is really not the point to become a straight-A student. No one can be perfect in everything.

It is not reasonable to set ourselves the highest targets, but the right targets. Students must especially engage in things they are particularly strong at, because excelling is not the only asset this brings. As when we are doing something we can succeed in, we are usually feeling happy at the same time.

It is the motivation. You can get gold medals, earn money, receive awards and enjoy what you do. Jaromír Jágr (famous Czech NHL hockey player) recently gave an interview to the Slovakian edition of Forbes and the journalist asked him: “Jarda, how can you still get yourself motivated to give such great performances after all these years?“ And he replied: “You really did not get it. This is not about the motivation.“ The heart of the thing is that he simply loves hockey.

Mental Resilience It works in sports, school or work. The best performances are given in so called flow corridor. The sportspeople call it zone. Flow is the area where lines of strain and talent intersect.

Tasks below the flow are usually boring. Those lying above it are stressful. We are in the flow when we use our maximum potential, which also shifts us to the present moment.

In 1993, tennis player Jana Novotná was sailing to victory over Steffi Graff in Wimbledon final but she lost eventually, because she started to watch the scoreboard and got frightened that she really could win. Thereafter, she never returned to the present moment. Although only five present winning balls would have done nicely. I am always trying to explain to sportspeople they cannot think of final results during the game. They can do so when they talk to their couch.

For Usain Bolt, the motivation is his will to become a legend and his love for athletics. This is why he is a champion. Loving what you do and the effort to become a legend must combine. You have to feel both. It is very important. Only very resilient people are able to remain in the flow.

Mental resilience means that one is able to

give outstanding performances under harsh conditions. We can achieve it by overcoming the obstacles and by trying to surpass ourselves. Nowadays, people lack it. They are giving up too quickly and they do not leave their comfort zone, especially, if they are focusing on their weaknesses. It is a task for the teacher, for families and for students to find out, how far they can push it.

Kateřina Neumannová (Olympic medal winner, cross-country skier) and David Svoboda say they learnt the most when things were hard. If you do stuff you are naturally gifted for, your endurance is higher. The old saying what does not kill you only makes you stronger is still valid. Besides, if you are not using your talents, you do not really live your authentic life. Mentally resistant people do not succumb to emotions that easily and they are more even-tempered.

Unlocking of Kid's Potential Searching for corridors of flow is what we are doing during the courses for children. The kids do the Gallup's StrengthsExplorer test beforehand. The test is tailor-made for kids at the age of 10-14 – those who are deciding how to continue with their studies. Which high school would be convenient and what to do with themselves. Youngsters and their parents often waver and do not know whom to approach for advice. And the school psychologists do not have enough capacity to advise everyone. Therefore, this course might help the kids and their parents to discover something what they might really like, show them the way.

Of course they might deflect after few years, but the main direction might stay the same, only the way can divert.

And they can learn more about themselves.

In the beginning, we will familiarize the kids and parents with positive psychology which is trying to find the best in everyone. In the afternoon, we will couch the kids.

When we find a strength, we want the children and their parents to recall a childhood memory. We want

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

them to recollect a moment when they felt really happy. Mostly, people manage to do it and there we can get off the mark and find what is hidden inside them.

If they are able to, even younger participants can do the tests. In case they are too complicated for them, the parents can simply ask them at home what energizes them (those are the strengths) and what exhausts them (thus they can find the weaknesses).

My daughter had a teacher in Munich - Birgit Ertel. She was very strict but the pupils loved her anyway, later she founded three very successful international schools in Dubai. Once I asked her how it was possible that the children loved her so much although she was yelling at them and was so tough on them.

She replied: Every kid is a genius, it only must be found at what exactly. And this is it.

You can just observe children – what do they play with, how do they react and what do they enjoy and encourage them to go further.

Sometimes this is enough for a future happy and successful life.

By Jan Mühlfeit Global Strategist, Coach and Mentor, former Microsoft Chairman for Europe

79

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80

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016

From left: Ing. Jiří Polák, Executive Director, CACIO and Jiří Daněček, FIT ČVUT

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PARTNERS :

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Lucie Šestáková, Director and Deputy State Secretary for European Affairs, The Office of the Government of the Czech Republic

Ing. Miroslav Hubner, MBA, Chairman, CACIO

Ing. Jiří Polák, Executive Director, CACIO

Martin Tajtl, Department of eGovernment, Ministry of Interior Affairs

Zdenek Pilz, ICTU and Hana Žaludová, Ministry of Interior Affairs

Radek Chromý, ČÚZK

Ing. Miroslav Hubner, MBA, Chairman, CACIO

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016 81

DEGUSTATION

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Zlatko MĂ­Ä?ka, CEO, Merlot dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Or

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Diana SixtovĂĄ, Sales Director, Merlot dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Or

Paul Pontallier, Oenologist and former Managing Director, Château Margaux â&#x20AC;&#x201C; degustation was held as a tribute to this outstanding man who passed away in summer 2016

Zlata AdamovskĂĄ, Actress and Petr Ĺ tÄ&#x203A;pĂĄnek, Actor

Wine selection of Chateau Margaux

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Jan PĹ&#x2122;euÄ?il, Actor and Eva HruĹĄkovĂĄ, Actress

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Sommelier SĂĄra HrstkovĂĄ and Pavel Ĺ porcl, Violinist

Daniela SedlĂĄkovĂĄ, Sommelier and Manager, Merlot dâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Or

JiĹ&#x2122;Ă­ Ĺ vestka, CEO, Lamberga, and Ivona NovotnĂĄ, PR Manager

Iva JanĹžurovĂĄ, Actress

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Selection of wines

Selection of wines

Ivana NÄ&#x203A;meÄ?kovĂĄ, Owner, Aurum Clinic and Jan PĹ&#x2122;euÄ?il, Actor

Diana SixtovĂĄ, Sales Director, Merlot dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Or

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016 83

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;NEW CAREER CHALLENGE Came After My 59th Birthday Celebrationâ&#x20AC;&#x153; 'LG \RX NQRZ WKDW WKH WUDGLWLRQ RI SURGXFWLRQ FR RSHUDWLYHV LQ WKH &]HFK ODQGV GDWHV EDFN WR WKH PLGGOH RI th FHQWXU\" 7KDW WKH ORQJHVW IXQFWLRQLQJ 0RUDYLDQ &HQWUDO 2IĂ&#x20AC;FH %UQR KDV KDG DQ XQLQWHUUXSWHG SURGXFWLRQ VLQFH " 7KDW ZDV SURFODLPHG WKH ,QWHUQDWLRQDO <HDU RI &RRSHUDWLYHV WR XQGHUOLQH WKH XQLTXH UROH RI FRRSHUDWLYHV IRU WKH HFRQRPLF GHYHORSPHQW RI D VWDWH EXW DOVR YLOODJHV" $QG WKDW WKH VWXG\ XQGHUWDNHQ E\ WKH (8 3DUOLDPHQW &RXQFLO IRU VFLHQFH GHYHORSPHQW DQG LQGXVWU\ FRQĂ&#x20AC;UPHG WKDW FRRSHUDWLYHV SURYH WR EH WKH PRVW VWDEOH FRPSDQLHV KDYLQJ WKH ORZHVW Ă XFWXDWLRQ LQ ERWK SURGXFWLRQ DQG HPSOR\PHQW DV RSSRVHG WR RWKHU FRQYHQWLRQDO W\SHV RI HQWHUSULVHV" 7KH 8QLRQ RI &]HFK 3URGXFWLRQ &R RSHUDWLYHV KDV D PHPEHU EDVH ZKLFK FRQVLVWV RI RYHU SURGXFWLRQ FR RSHUDWLYHV IURP DFURVV WKH HQWLUH &]HFK 5HSXEOLF 3URGXFWLRQ FR RSHUDWLYHV DUH &]HFK Ă&#x20AC;UPV DQG LPSRUWDQW H[SRUWHUV QRW RQO\ WR WKH (8 FRXQWULHV EXW DOVR WR WKH 86$ &DQDGD %UD]LO .XZDLW DQG RWKHU FRXQWULHV Meet Mr. Rostislav DvoĹ&#x2122;ĂĄk, President of the Union of Czech Production Co-operatives. Prior to becoming President in 2011 and being re-elected in 2015, he was the President of the successful production co-operative â&#x20AC;&#x153;VĂ˝voj TĹ&#x2122;eĹĄĹĽâ&#x20AC;?, a company with 300 employees. Our interview focused on the issue of production co-operatives that proved to be much more complex, thus demonstrating the complex and unique role of this type of enterprise, unfortunately not sufficiently acknowledged by either public or the media.

Mr. President, how would you describe your career journey and your current role?

I understand career as a period of growth to follow visions and aims. However, when you turn 60, then comes a period for us to use the acquired experience and attempt to apply it for the benefit of people or issues. Such was my purpose when I decided to sell the majority of shares in various companies and accepted the challenge to come to Prague to support Czech production co-operatives. It was not an easy decision, and even after two years in the office, I still had doubts. My father used to say: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Son, hold on to the chimneyâ&#x20AC;?, meaning do not get entangled in political issues or debates. Despite the fact that my function is not political, one third consists of important negotiations to achieve better entrepreneurial conditions for our members in civil sector as well as political representation on various levels â&#x20AC;&#x201C; from the Office of the Government to regions and other bodies such as the Chamber of Commerce, Union of the Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic and others â&#x20AC;&#x201C; so there is politics involved to a certain extent. The remaining two thirds of activities are linked to managing our Union. We provide services to our co-operatives members, we help them with economic issues, cost and profit development and influence on the overall economic results. All these tasks are natural continuation of my involvement in the VĂ˝voj TĹ&#x2122;eĹĄĹĽ cooperative.

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P HOTO : A RCHIVE

Your interest in economics was not straightforward, you originally graduated from law school. But it was thanks to your economic strategy that the Vývoj Třešť proved to be such a successful cooperative.

You are right, I have never worked either as a lawyer or in advocacy. However, I believe that the connection of both economic and law education was very useful and quite essential for my work. I myself used to handle all the judicial matters that were truly essential to the functioning and even existential. This was particularly useful in the early 1990s when claims for property restitutions started, which had direct impact on the functioning of existence of many enterprises. Our company, in contrast with many others, had never lost any restitution claim brought to the court. When I joined the production co-operative in Třešť, this enterprise with 350 employees was of an average size; nowadays, it belongs to the largest enterprises in the region. We need to go back to the history and remind ourselves that at the beginning of 1990s the whole Czech market unprecedentedly opened to the whole world and Czech companies were not prepared to face such reality. 300,000 employee positions were lost in the textile and clothing industry alone. In total, one half of the production co-operatives disappeared. In Třešť, we realised that we cannot continue to supply the products which will be valued only for “hired labour”. At first, we concentrated on specialised products such as blazers for men, and as you can see, I am still proudly wearing the garments. Then we followed with special unique products, such as protection clothing for firemen, the police and even the army. We have managed to get NATO licences and certifications that until 2005 had been held by other two companies in the whole Europe.

Thanks to such approach, the production cooperative has stable sales and today it belongs to the top enterprises in its field not only in the Czech Republic but also on the European scale. For eight years, I did not have vacations and I also used to work on Saturdays.

You are known for open and frequent criticism of the conditions for small and medium enterprises in the Czech Republic.

As I have already mentioned, in 1990s, there was a sharp decline of consumption of Czech goods. As much as this was substantiated with regards to electronics, design and consumer goods, unfortunately there were cases where our products were comparable to the ones coming from the West. I am quite bothered by the fact that our 100% food sovereignty was lowered to 50% and that we import too much low quality food products. Some companies went bankrupt, some companies decided to specialise on “hired labour” production for foreign companies. What we need to mention is that Czech companies did not receive any kind of support or protection, which is in sharp contrast to the approach with regards to foreign companies. The current industry structure is therefore a legacy of the beginning of transformation and as such it is very fragile and vulnerable in the context of the global open world. Not only are we dependent on direct foreign investments but we are also dependent on the one and only industry, which is the automotive one. Both dependencies bring severe risks when connected to economic crises. It would take a whole book to discuss this issue.

So how do you see the situation 27 years after the Velvet Revolution from the perspective of production co-operatives?

Production co-operatives are part of economy, like any other production company. So when the economy is growing, the results of co-operatives follow the trend. However, only few people realise the role and the tradition cooperatives have and play in the state economy. In sharp contrast to Great Britain, Austria or Germany, cooperatives in the Czech Republic are perceived as a result of the so-called “collective agricultural socialisation” which gave existence to agricultural co-operatives. People do not know about

production co-operatives that represent one type of enterprises, next to the limited liability companies and joint stock companies.

Production co-operatives have historically belonged to the most stable organisations.

This is why the EU puts pressure on national governments so they pay attention and support production co-operatives and small and medium enterprises. In times of crises, they handle the challenges not only with regards to employment but also profits. Their production includes engineering, construction, automotive products, production of robots for processing industry, electro-installation materials, all types of furniture, cosmetics and drugstore goods, fashionable clothing for women, men and children, but also kitchen utensils, gardening tools, equipment for hunters, fishermen, the police and army.

They also produce jewelry, Christmas decorations, toys - simply an inexhaustible range of products. The turnover of the largest cooperatives goes to several billions, and staff numbers range from hundreds to thousands employees. Our government and politicians should support these enterprises unless we want to be dependent on the decision making of foreign corporations regarding what to produce or even whether the production will remain in the Czech Republic at all.

Therefore, we need to support the whole segment of SMEs with links to research and development, new technologies and marketing. We should help these companies find and develop production of own proprietary products, so they are not dependent on “hired labour” production.

Your final words for Czech and Slovak Leaders readers?

Your readers come from various spheres ranging from politicians and civil servants, to top personalities in management, cultural sphere, science, so it is difficult to make one appeal to fit all. I am not naïve to believe that people in general would make the overall society interest as a priority, since personal interests tend to prevail, even if people do not like to talk about it openly. That being the case, let us try to make sure that the society’s overall interest comes second and that we all will support it in a meaningful way.

Such appeal goes to politicians, civil service administration, spheres ranging from culture to health, and all the way to us, representatives of employers who are the ones who create the value that enables to cover all social activities.

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

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N ETWORKING /C HARITY

From left Ing. Jiří Málek, Entrepreneur and former President, LC Praha Bohemia Ambassador, Ing. Rudolf Kočí, Entrepreneur, JUDr. Vojtěch Trapl, Lawyer and former Governor, LCI D122 Czech Republic and Slovak Republic, and Ing. František Novotný, President, Associations APST and SDSS, Secretary, LC Praha Bohemia Ambassador

Lions Club Prague Bohemia Ambassador Guest of Honor: Mgr. Vladimír Glomb Ph.D., Freie Universität Berlin, Koreanist Topic: North and South Korea I N COOPERAT COOPERATION C CO COOPERA O OP O P ER E R AT ION ION W IO WITH I T H C ZECH Z CH ZE C H & S LOVA LOVAK L LO O VA V L EADERS

JUDr. Vojtěch Trapl, Lawyer and former Governor LCI D122 Czech Republic and Slovak Republic

From left: JUDr. PhDr. Oldřich Choděra, Lawyer, former Governor, LCI D122 Czech Republic and Slovak Republic and Ing. Jiří Málek, Entrepreneur and former President, LC Praha Bohemia Ambassador

From left: Prof. MUDr. Václav Mandys, CSc., Head of the Institute of Pathology, Prague and Prof. MUDr. Aleksi Šedo, DrSc., Dean, 1st Medical Faculty of Charles University

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Guest of honor - Mgr. Vladimír Glomb Ph.D., Freie Univesität Berlin, Koreanist

From left: Miroslav Hříbal, Entrepreneur and President, LC Praha Bohemia Ambassador and Ing. František Novotný, President, Associations APST and SDSS, Secretary, LC Praha Bohemia Ambassador

N ETWORKING /C HARITY

Mgr.Pavel Hanták, former Spokesperson, Police of the Czech Republic - Ú.O.O.Z.

IN

COOPERATION WITH

C ZECH & S LOVAK L EADERS

Lions Club Prague Bohemia Ambassador Guest of Honor: Pavel Hanták, former Spokesperson, UOOZ Topic: Relationship of the Police and Mass Media

From left: Ing. Petr Kučera CSc., Authorized Expert for the Construction Field, JUDr. PhDr. Oldřich Choděra, Lawyer, former Governor, LCI D122 Czech Republic and Slovak Republic, and Ing.Ladislav Bouček,CSc., Entrepreneur, former Governor, LCI D122 Czech Republic and Slovak Republic

From left: Ing. Jiří Opíchal, Executive Head, Alimex Trading, former President, LC Praha Bohemia Ambassador and Petr Laštovka, Entrepreneur

From left: JUDr. Jaroslav Novotný, Lawyer, Membership Chairperson, LC Praha Bohemia Ambassador, Chief Editor of Magazine "Český a Slovenský Lion", and Miroslav Hříbal, Entrepreneur and President , LC Praha Bohemia Ambassador

From left: Ing. Antonín Mika, Director, Foreign Trade Company "LAMMEX Ltd. and former President, LC Praha Bohemia Ambassador, Ing. Jiří Opíchal, Executive Head Alimex Trading, former President, LC Praha Bohemia Ambassador, Prof. MUDr. Václav Mandys, CSc., Head of the Istitute of Pathology, Prague, and Petr Laštovka, Entrepreneur

From left: Ing.František Novotný, President, Assotiations APST and SDSS, Secretary, LC Praha Bohemia Ambassador, Mgr .Jan Haur, IT Administrator, former President, LC Praha Bohemia Ambassador, Miroslav Hříbal, Entrepreneur and President, LC Praha Bohemia Ambassador

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CFO

CONFERENCE

EXCELLENCE IN FINANCE On Wednesday 9 November 2016, the 12th annual conference “Excellence in Finance” followed by the evening of the CFO Club took place.

The conference took place in the Grand Majestic Plaza Hotel and focused on “Acquisitions, Integration, New Model of Management, and Funding”.

First conference panel: “New forms of funding companies, acquisitions, investment projects, and start-ups” From left: Dean Brabec, President of the CFO Club and Managing Partner CEE, Arthur D. Little, Petr Koblic, General Manager, Prague Stock Exchange, Jan Brožík, CFO, ČEZ, a.s., Jakub Burda, Managing Director, Roklen Fin a.s.

Jan Brožík, CFO, ČEZ, a.s.

Jitka Dvořáková, Sales Manager, Mall Group

Moderated discussion: “Industrial revolution – initiatives and tools for increasing industry competitiveness” From left: Jan Mládek, Minister of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic, Dean Brabec, President of the CFO Club and Managing Partner CEE, Arthur D. Little, Klaus-Dieter Schürmann, Member of the Board for Commercial Affairs, ŠKODA AUTO a.s.

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Tomáš Kouřil, Member of the Board and CFO, O2 Czech Republic a.s.

CFO

CONFERENCE

Jakub Burda, Managing Director, Roklen Fin a.s.

Second conference panel: “Acquisition and integration of new companies, group management model and its unification – the way how to reach operational excellence” From left: Dean Brabec, President of the CFO Club and Managing Partner CEE, Arthur D. Little, Jitka Dvořáková, Sales Manager, Mall Group, Tomáš Kouřil, Member of the Board and CFO, O2 Czech Republic a.s., Lucie Urválková, Vice Chairwoman of the Board and CFO, UNIQA pojišťovna, a.s.

Jan Mládek, Minister of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic

Lucie Urválková, Vice Chairwoman of the Board and CFO, UNIQA pojišťovna, a.s.

Hana Součková, Head of Presales, SAP ČR, spol. s.r.o.

During the evening, the guests could try first-class French cognac and Cuban cigars Informal discussion before opening the moderated one From left: Jan Mládek, Minister of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic, Dean Brabec, President of the CFO Club and Managing Partner CEE, Arthur D. Little, Klaus-Dieter Schürmann, Member of the Board for Commercial Affairs, ŠKODA AUTO a.s.

Hall during the conference

Opening ceremony with the speech of the President of the CFO Club “Evolution surpassed, time of dramatic changes has come”.

Dean Brabec, President of the CFO Club and Managing Partner CEE, Arthur D. Little

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AN

INTERVIEW WITH

R ADEK P OKORNÝ

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P HOTO : A RCHIVE

Xlxjvxocnrcpqxdlox_kxgkqcotgcsxfcx oc_aqcbxnrgahivx_kbxmlpgqgtciv³xHrogkex qfcxgkqcotgcsxfcxs_pxdlarpcbx_kbxfgpx ocmigcpxqlxjvxnrcpqglkpxscocxoc_iivx `ol_b´xqlrafgkexqfcx_oc_xldxmfgilplmfv´x igqco_qroc´x_pxsciix_pxfgpqloga_ixdgij³³³x QccqxV_bchxTlhlokŊ´xdloxj_kvx _xalkqoltcopg_ix_btla_qc´xdlrkbcoxldx _xpraacppdrixi_sxlddgac´xaf_goj_kxldx qfcxGlroqxldxEo`gqo_qglk´xQlo_tg_kx sflxgpxmolrbxldxfgpxlogegk³xZf_qxgpx fgpxmcoacmqglkxldxqlb_vøpxpgqr_qglkx gkx_btla_avx_kbxsfvxslribkøqxfcx ocaljjckbxgqxqlxfgpxafgibock The first question is going to be a bit unusual.

Besides the Czech flag, the entrance to your new premises is also marked by the flag of the European Union. Is this because of your clients?

No, we have had this flag since the Czech Republic joined the EU in 2004 because I am a big supporter of the European integration. I consider it a dream come true of Masaryk, Beneš, and many others.

With regards to our history and the size of our country, it is simply not possible to speak about some independence.

Your life story of a boy from the lodge coming to the circles of the big Prague advocacy could serve as an inspiration for writing a novel...

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I don´t hide the fact that I had started as a sheep herdsman, cutting grass on the meadows, growing potatoes and garlic. I am a countryman.

My father, originally a forester, also graduated from the law faculty true distance learning. I chose law studies as a combination of the possibility to use intellectual abilities, enjoying a certain level of freedom, and at the same time a possibility to make money another way than selling because I don´t consider myself a pure salesman, in a sense cheaply buy - costly sell. The system of hourly rates, which you first agree about and then you focus on the work itself, suits me well. The first big break point for me was switching from the law studies in Brno to Prague. Till that time, I visited Prague just twice for a short trip. I remember when I needed to go from the Faculty of Law to

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016

Wenceslas Square I used to go through Národní třída because I remembered this way from my trips. After November 17 another break point came when I got an opportunity to start working in the Czechoslovak Federal Assembly as an assistant. Then I worked as an associate for Pavel Rychetský for three years and immediately after I founded my own office. I wanted to try standing on my own feet.

However, you wouldn´t recommend law studies to your children...

My children are still relatively young, but already now you can see that my son is interested in computers and daughter in biology and new technologies. It looks like they will be active in the fields which are considered perspective

AN these days. After twenty years when advocacy was profitable, now it acquired the position of a commodity where the price pressure is enormous and nobody is asking about the quality anymore. The time when top advocates went rich is gone. During my carrier, I could see that lawyers were first authorised by general managers, then senior attorneys, and today our partners are mostly buyers who buy everything from toilet paper to legal services and find pleasure in negotiating the fixed rates. Those who assign the tasks do not intend to work for the company for long either and their priority is to save as well.

I am amazed that half of the best grammar school students still want to study law, it seems they don´t have the market feedback yet. Looking at the current developments, I believe that especially advocacy will list among endangered professions.

Your business card carries a motto “the power of argumentation”. So, it is not about the arguments anymore?

Less and less... Everything which becomes a commodity is about the price... Have a look around the Czech supermarkets. Arguments are considered by a private client or a client who is helpless and comes from abroad. But if the higher cost of services is approved by a common buyer for example in the bank, he will be suspected of support or favouritism. And since most agreements don´t become subject of argument anyway, the quality is actually not even recognised. And if they do become subjects of argument, then it takes a long time before the quality is proved and it is always possible to blame it on somebody else.

I don´t say it is the clients´ fault. The market says that price became an important part of purchasing services including commercial law services.

Remember the film “Love among the rain drops” and the character of a shoemaker with his quality shoes who was not able to face the pressure and competition of less quality but cheap shoes from Baťa. Not even the fact that he ran interesting performances, in today´s terminology, in front of his shop could help him. Luckily, our clients are still able to feel the value added, but if this was going to change, I openly declare that I would leave the office to my colleagues and choose an early retirement. Under the conditions when I know that I have exactly four hours for a concrete task, I don´t want to work.

How does it feel to be on the top for twenty years?

I don´t know if I have been on the top for twenty years... Rather the work as such is demanding.

I agree with the opinion that success consists of 10-20% of your diligence, 10-20% of your talent, and the rest is about luck. By the way, this is nicely described in the book “Beauty of randomness”. The luck is simply essential. I have personally reached a crossroads several times. For example when we worked for advertising agencies a lot and around 2000 the multinational companies started buying out the Czech advertising agencies and we got a proposal from one auditor company to become their partner in legal services. I was thinking about

it a lot, I was afraid the Czech advocacy could end up the same way as those advertising agencies.

We did not accept the offer and I am glad for that. At that moment I was deciding more or less intuitively, but I can feel that luck played a big role back then. It is also about personal meetings. It happens that you accidentally meet someone and a few years later you meet him again and he needs something. If the circumstances had ganged up, it could have finished completely differently. And on top of that, football is played till the very last minute, so the story is still open.

Is it necessary that a good lawyer is controversial?

When somebody loses something, he usually does not admit. People are projecting a client into his lawyer. We are not engaged in criminal law, so nobody can accuse me from saving a murderer.

On the other hand, we represent the cases which are controversial: D47 or ŠKODA Transportation against Czech Railways, and other companies. You are so to say first at hand and I perceive that as a part of hourly rates. Sometimes, I try to disprove some statements in the media, but there is no interest. It simply is part of this work, otherwise you can´t do it.

Can we split advocates into those who are rather on the side of the state and those who stand against it?

It often changes. We don´t work for the state, the only subject which is an exception is ČEZ because we have specialised in energy since 1998 and for example in the area of nuclear safety you won´t find another client. We have never worked for the state, ministries, regions, or public sector and we will never do. My mentor Pavel Rychetský used to tell me that “the client is the biggest enemy” and in case of the state when the ministers, presidents of regions, or mayors change, it is you who is so to say “first at hand”. When your life is being made difficult by the adverse party or the third party, you can handle that, but if it is your client, it gets much more difficult. I don´t want to get in the situation when I will have to say to my client something about his predecessor in the position. And we already mentioned the pressure on cost, many offices which depended on the contracts from the public sector got into existential problems.

You mentioned Pavel Rychetský as your mentor, who and how do you mentor? And which way do you manage your office?

We need quite many associates, so despite my view regarding the future of advocacy, I don´t discourage young people from it so much.

However, I openly point out that the perspective is problematic. Our office, which has 40 lawyers, is based on people who never worked anywhere else. All my attorneys and senior attorneys have been with us since school. Therefore the office holds tightly together, which is what I always really strived for. I think, there are hundreds of good people, they know everything more or less the same. I don´t really believe when someone says that he is a genius in something. If a person

INTERVIEW WITH

R ADEK P OKORNÝ

is not stupid and gets quality work, then you always reach a certain level. However, I strongly believe that people differ in their characters and mutual behaviour. That´s why I have never pulled over people from other offices and I have never wanted people who already had a job experience before. I often talk to senior attorneys because life is complex and not many people want to see that. Advocacy is rather specific in the fact that quite many things you have to discover yourself.

However, it may be speeded up and an individual does not have to touch every fire. I have myself already quoted Pavel Rychetský or Pavel Vorák, who returned from America at the early 90s and taught me that “in the politics it is not the facts that matter but what people think about the facts”. First, I found it very cynical and after some time I think that the statement applies not only to politics. It takes a long time before a person learns that slander can turn the world more than anything else. I share these things and it depends on everybody what they take from it.

What about advocacy and women?

My experience shows that women tend to be more complicated, but if they turn out well, they are the best. I started the office with many women. Together with Lenka Zdvíhalová we were starting up the work for ČSOB after the IPB fall. Šárka Marková started M and A transactions for ČEZ, Lenka Knopová was in charge of a law suit against Setuza. Women tend to intriguing, but let me repeat again that those who turn out well are not only professionally capable and very careful, but also loyal and they don´t have a so-called secondary agenda. I am proud that I have more than a half of women in leading positions. I also believe that women should stay at home longest possible, preferably forever, but if they don´t want to be at home, we offer 6-hour employment too.

But only for those who already worked here. I am proud of my team and that is the reason why I still want to continue working.

What makes you happy in your personal life?

Family... I didn´t have time for more. I am glad that I did not miss my children´s childhood. It was at the expense of specific hobbies which I don´t have many of. I like wine and reading. More hobbies would be at the expense of the family, which I didn´t want.

So, no dreams waiting to be fulfilled?

Well, I came to Prague and stayed in a flat with no heating. There was 7 °C and I crawled into my sleeping bag and on New Year´s Eve 1992 used the oven in the kitchen as my heating and read “Development of state” from Peroutka. So, for me a dream come true is that I did not get lost in Prague and I can be independent. Except for working for Pavel Rychetský, I have actually never been employed. And I still have the same wife, which is also fine.

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

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS IV/2016 91

ELAI

From left: Petr Slípek from TOGlic, Petr Štěpán from ELAI, Pavlína Zychová from MyStay, winner Jakub Stránský from Techambition, and Mikuláš Křen, Moderator

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From left: Josef Taušer, Dean of Faculty of International Relations of University of Economics, Lukáš Sedláček, CEO, ELAI speaking, H.E. Andrew H. Schapiro, Ambassador of the United States

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From left: Petr Konvalinka, Rector, CTU and H.E. Andrew H. Schapiro, Ambassador of the United States speaking

ELAI

Summit of the Global Entrepreneurship Week 2016 in Slovanský dům, Praha

GET IN THE RING startup competition

From left: Václav Dejčmar, Partner, RSJ, Olga Girstlová, President of the Czech and Moravian Association of Women Entrepreneurs and Managers, Andrej Kiska, Partner, Credo Ventures, Petr Bučík, Partner, KPMG, and Daniel Zelkind, CEO, Zeek

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Despite the fact that the population as such is aging, the cult of youth seems to dominate. Will there be a cult of an old age?

You are right that the cult of youth prevails in the Czech Republic. For example, if we compare Czech and foreign television programmes, we see that the average age of anchor men and anchor women is higher in Western and Nordic countries than in ours. Older people are on the TV screen more common out there. And this is not true only about TV, but it also applies to professions where mostly young people are represented in the Czech Republic, such as secretaries or assistants, project managers, but also flight attendants. It seems to me that in many areas we are on the right track towards the western society but in terms of respect to diversity, and “otherness”, including the age, we still have a long way to go.

Reaching an advanced age is an achievement of a person as an individual, who has been able to successfully deal with and sometimes even fight with one’s own life. It is thanks to the environment in which people live; in wealthy societies people live longer and they also get better healthcare. With all these gifts and accomplishments, both on a social and individual level, we tend to live longer than any previous generation ever had. And paradoxically, we are starting to complain about the fact and what problems aging brings, and so on. Fortunately, this querulous language is less and less common in developed countries, and people there are more aware that aging is a gift and a chance for the whole society.

Throughout the history when only a few individuals managed to reach an advance age, these people then were generally respected for their wisdom and experience. Ultimately the Senate was created as an institution that gathered older and more experienced individuals. And going even further in history, in Stone Age, aging was actually an evolutionary advantage; it represented the transfer of practical experience and skills from generation to generation, especially from the generation of grandparents to grandchildren. Whether we will create a cult of older age, I cannot answer. But I do not think it would be a loss. I am not a fan of cults, not even the "pseudo-cult" of youth. I think our society should respect all of us.

With regards to mental fitness, is there a truth to popular saying what comes around,

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goes around? What can nowadays people in their forties (and others) do to slow down brain aging?

There is a simple answer to this question. We should continue to learn, getting to know new things and new people, and also continue to be active both physically and mentally – and keep working. We should have a healthy diet. Live well. Life stories of people reaching longevity show that these people have become artists of life they have managed to come to terms with and these terms were not easy at all times.

Besides gerontology, you also address the issue of Alzheimer's disease and you frequently mention that Oskar Fischer, a Prague psychiatrist, was the one to make the discovery. So the Czechs were at the top once the disease was discovered. As a complete contrast, I was puzzled by the news that the population of two million seniors is served by 440 gerontologists in the Czech Republic.

Yes, the role of physician Oskar Fischer from Prague was important. Oskar Fischer also published his work in 1907, the same year when Alois Alzheimer published a famous case study of his patient Augusta D. Oskar Fischer had already a whole group consisting of twelve patients.

Despite this fact, the disease was later named after Alois Alzheimer. That is why me but also other colleagues, who are dealing with the problems of dementia, consider necessary and important to continue to remind others about the work of Oskar Fischer, both at home and abroad.

Considering the current situation, we have gone through a really tough year. There was a chance that geriatrics would be cancelled as an independent discipline after many years. This danger is probably over. There are medical fields which are important, not only in the care of elderly people, but also for the chronically ill, the number of which is also increasing.

The actual number of geriatricians is not the most serious problem. It is rather about the scope of work. Geriatrics never aspired to replace the work of general practitioners or internists. It is a discipline that is focused on specific age-related diseases, deals with functional status and possibilities for improvement, geriatric syndromes, especially fragility and cognitive disorders. Geriatricians should operate mainly in hospitals, coordinate the interdisciplinary teams at clinics, in larger care facilities. In the facilities providing long-term care, there should be geriatric practitioners or those who were trained in long-term care medicine.

They all should promote a better quality of care for elderly patients, at all levels. That is the vision of the geriatric professional association. Our population will continue to get older, and one of the ways to face this situation is to maintain the good functional condition until the highest age possible.

Age diversity and the fact that for the first time in history the workplace brings together four generations working together at the same time, both topics have become frequently discussed issues for large

corporations. Besides reverse mentoring and age diverse work groups, what are other trends with regards to the senior population that you see applicable in the business sphere?

I'm not an economist, so I will just add a few observations. It is widely known that the multigenerational work teams are more successful, and there is a lot of scientific evidence for it. That, of course, is very well known by big corporations (often in contrast to politicians) and addressing the issue improves their public image.

Moreover, the often mentioned cliché that older people are "obstructing" positions on the labour market to the detriment of younger people, is not true at all. British Foresight Programme that I had the opportunity to attend showed in its findings that older and younger workers are rather complementary than competitive and they get along very well. Younger people are faster and better use new technologies, while older ones are slower but have the experience, which prevents repeating unnecessary steps, they also see and solve problems in a broader context, and thanks to the older ones not being so eager, they usually do not need to have control over many resources, vast projects or large teams of people, and if they do so, they do it more wisely and efficiently.

The media image of older people is in sharp contrast to the benefits that older people bring. If they are portrayed at all, they are mentioned as retirees, pensioners, the sick or the gullible ones that trust and become prey to liars and cheaters. Unfortunately, such statements often come even from politicians. The only positive message I found recently about seniors was in a commercial magazine promoting life and pension scheme insurance. I think that was rather sad…

You're absolutely right, when we look at advertisement, older people are presented with the products dealing with constipation, incontinence, joint problems, dentures, etc.

Luckily, flatulence has a multigenerational dimension. What a sad joke. I think we all just need to start being more aware and so start changing and challenging the media image.

This should be a task for the public media, since we are all their licence payers. And there should be more engagement of various committees for public radio and television broadcasting, as these institutions should fulfil their supervisory role and pay attention to this aspect. One aspect that I find very important and underestimated is the use of language. Therefore, in the community of Alzheimer societies and among experts dealing with this expertise it is not appropriate to talk about a demented person as it can mean stupid.

First of all, they are people, people with dementia or even better people living with dementia.

However, this is not problem only in the Czech Republic. I see the situation improving here. The pensioner is now used mainly in the context of a pension scheme, not as a label for an older person. English has a similarly ugly term – the elderly - but it is still being used instead of the

more correct form “older”. When I was in London, I saw places designated just for "the elderly".

I found myself in a situation when I experienced the fate of the so-called “sandwich generation”, i.e. suddenly besides taking care of small children and working full-time, I had to provide a care for my aging and sick parents. I had to leave the company as they did not provide any flexibility that would help me to deal with the situation. There are only few part-time jobs in the Czech Republic, as well as lack of adequate facilities for respite care, which is contrary to the demographic trends as these situations will tend to increase. What are your recommendations?

I feel that in this country we work like crazy. Low salaries in many occupations are compensated by longer working hours or several combined working schemes. I know it from the academic environment, where salaries are so shamefully low that it is needed to seek opportunities to support yourself and your family from other sources on top of your work, such as grants, additional contracts and so on. This obviously has many negative impacts. You are correct that parttime employment does not practically exist in the Czech Republic. My recommendation is that people should be paid decently for their work, take it seriously and concentrate, and do it well.

Talking about support and the so-called respite services is another big topic that goes beyond our interview. It is very good that currently there exists financial contribution for the care of those who need long-term help and support, but that is not enough. We need to have the right spectrum of services that could respond flexibly to the needs of people and their carers from family. Many caring families unnecessarily and prematurely deplete their forces and then choose institutional care solution, which is sometimes necessary, but it should be a rather extreme solution in a situation where other solutions are not possible. Most of us want to live at home. This is true regardless of age and disability or illness.

Your last words for readers of the magazine Czech and Slovak Leaders...

Aging is a normal process and aging is a normal part of our lives. It is, or it should be, the period of maturity. The fact that our society is getting older is the result of many positive factors. Disease and disability are not necessarily an integral part of an older age, but naturally they appear more often with age. Attitude to older people, providing adequate services and enabling them to live as long as possible in an environment where they want to live in, all this is a sign of a developed culture and society. We should be a society not only for children and healthy adults, but also for those who need our care and support.

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

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A MBASSADORS W ITHOUT D IPLOMATIC P ASSPORTS āİoh_xWqo_afltİxgpxqfcxjlpqxpraacppdriixGwcafx_imgkcxphgco³xWfcx f_pxslkxqfcxZloibxGrmxqsgacx_kbxpfcxf_px_afgctcbxz{ÎqgjcpxZloibx Grmxmlbgrj³xWfcxgpxZloibxGf_jmglkxdlox{yy x_kbxpfcxf_px_klqfcox pgitcox_kbxqslx`olkwcxjcb_ipxdoljxZloibxGf_jmglkpfgmp³xWfcx f_px_iplxslkxqfcx`olkwcxjcb_ix_qxqfcxZgkqcoxSivjmgaxK_jcpxgkx [_kalrtco³xMkx_bbgqglk´xāİoh_xj_k_ecbxqlxltcoaljcxpljcxmcoplk_ix af_iickegkexjljckqp³x

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Mkx{yz{´xāİoh_Úpxigdcxs_pxrkbcox_xbgocaqxqfoc_qxbrcxqlx_x`ckgekx`o_gkxqrjlroxsfgafxa_rpcbx_xaljmicqcxjcq_`ligpjxd_giroc³x Hcpmgqcxqfgp´xpfcxj_k_ecbxqlxocqrokxqlxmoldcppglk_ixphggkex_kbx_e_gkxsgkxqfcx`olkwcxjcb_ixgkxpi_iljxgkxFc_tcoxGocchxgkx{yz~³ MkxWcmqcj`cox{yz ´xāİoh_xWqo_afltİxocacgtcbxqfcxWgitcoxQcb_ixldxqfcxGwcafxWck_qcxdloxfcox_aaljmigpfjckqp³x Zfckxvlrxjccqxāİoh_xgkxmcoplk´xvlrxpccx_xmcoplkxsflpcxgj_ecxgpxgkxpf_omxalkqo_pqxsgqfxj_kvx¶pmlgicbµxpmloqxpq_op³xWfcxgpx tcovxjlbcpqx_kbxfrj`ic´xvcqxj_k_ecpxqlxmolÍcaqxgkkcoxpqockeqf´xbcqcojgk_qglkx_kbxfgbbckxckcoevxqlxcuacixgkxsf_qctcoxpfcx bcpgocp³xSkx`cf_idxldxqfcxGwcafx_kbxWilt_hxPc_bcopxj_e_wgkc´xscxsgpfxfcox_xpraacppdrix{yz xpc_plk How do you perceive today’s world?

From my own perspective, we live in a beautiful period and in beautiful environment. The possibilities that we have seem to be enormous and everything is so simple. On the other hand, we are overwhelmed by information, 90% being negative or distorted. People in cities are particularly under big stress. For me, it is important that each of us keeps advancing, works on our own personal development, that we take responsibility for our life and we are also able to set our own boundaries.

How do you perceive the Czech Republic in today’s world?

The Czech Republic is an incredible part of the world. We live on the continent that is both most beautiful and most kind. Wherever I am and I mention that I come from the Czech Republic, people respond – Prague? The Czechs as a nation are very clever and gifted. Our self-confidence is the only thing we can improve and enhance.

In September 2016, you received the Silver Memory Medal of the Senate that is given to personalities who have reached outstanding results within their specialisation. How did it feel to be awarded a medal in a different place than the winners’ podium?

I was very pleased to find out that I would be receiving such an award. It was a true honour for me to be in a company of distinguished personalities who received the prize this year. The atmosphere was naturally different than I am used to at the races. When competing, there are always high emotions involved. In the Senate, I was able to look back, reflect and appreciate what I have achieved during my sport career.

The 14th professional ski season is ahead of you. You are known for your desire to always advance your skiing further.

What are your ambitions and how were these reflected in your summer training and preparation phase?

Each and every competitor desires to advance further. It is not possible otherwise. Standing still means that others will soon run over you. This is true not only in sport but also in other environments that change and develop fast. If someone wants to be able to withstand the competition, he / she needs to move ahead. During the last two years, my preparation phase has been the same, I only adjust details. With regards to the facts that I am already close to the end of my sport career, there is not much space for big changes. The rest of my career I will play with the cards I have in hands. As for my ambitions, these can be summarised by one short sentence “to be one step ahead of the others”.

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You dedicate a lot of attention to mindfulness or the mental preparation, you repeat that you “create your own world”. What is your world like and how do you go about creating it?

Ever yone of us has our own world, there are no two views alike with regards to the same issue. The important thing is to take responsibility for our life and to realise that we are the ones who create it. This is the approach I am trying and I have been learning.

You have an international team, you spend a lot of time abroad, away from home. To what extent does the fact that you are from the Czech Republic influence your work?

My coach and my service man come from Austria. My physiotherapist is Czech. But there was a year when all three team members were Austrian and it seemed to me that I spoke German even while asleep. Whenever you are an alpine skier, you have to travel a lot. And it does not matter if it is further or closer. I used to travel 260 days per year, now it is a bit less since I concentrate only on one skiing discipline.

Despite the fact that you celebrated 31st birthday, you are one of the oldest active professional skiers at the World Cup, next to Veronika Velez - Zuzulová from Slovakia. The attention of media has been lately directed to your age but also to the next stage of your career. Isn’t it rather early?

I do not think that it is “early” when compared to the rest of professional sportsmen and sportswomen. Most top performing people in sports start to think about the end of the career be-

tween the age of 30 and 35. In downhill skiing, we have skiers who finished as early as at the age of 27 or as late as at 34. It depends on each person. It depends on your health condition, on your desire and motivation to carry on. After reaching the age of 30, the body starts to be worn out and tired and it handles the extreme pressure of elite sport with much greater difficulty than when you were 25. I am now fully concentrating on the coming season during which I will make a decision whether I will extend my career for one more year.

Besides your training, you are a founder of vO2max company that specialises on holistic training and therapy. What was the reason to start such a company, what is your mission and what is your target group?

I have personally gained a lot of knowledge and experience during the last ten years and I wished to start sharing it with others. The most important thing I have learned is to approach our body in a holistic manner, on both physical and mental levels. Everything is so closely interconnected. Our physical pain influences our mental state, our mental condition causes pain and diseases to our physical body. The system VO2 max can be for anybody. Those who want to get relief from pain, those who wish to move

Linda´s purpose is to unleash potential in individuals and organizations. She enjoys bringing expertise and synergy to corporate, non-profit, academic and public spheres. In ATAIRU, she leads leadership programs for women and transformational programs for boards. She is a senior lecturer at the Anglo-American University. Linda holds degrees from the Oxford University, Geneva Institute of International Relations and Université Lyon III. Linda is married, lives in Prague and has two children.

further, those who want to change something in their lives or those seeking advice. And particularly to all the people, who are tired of seeing their pains coming back and those who cannot enjoy living to the full extent. One of our slogans describing our system is “You have the full support on your journey to development and healing – we are here for you”.

You often mention that after the end of your career you want to take care of your household, cook, take care of your husband. I had a chance to meet you personally, I very much appreciate your extreme engagement and desire to push the boundaries, so I cannot imagine you in this “traditional role” only…

That remains to be seen. I am looking forward to the role of a wife and a mother. Of course, I do not want to end up only as a housewife. I have learned to organise things very well, simultaneously managing many tasks. At the same time, I don’t want to do anything only at “half speed”.

Right now, I have already a bunch of things I would like to handle after finishing my career.

What are your final words to Czech and Slovak Leaders readers?

Let us respect each other, let us smile at each other and let us think about the fact that it is here and now where we create our future. I wish everybody much joy and happiness.

For more information visit official website www.sarkastrachova.com. We also recommend to watch the movie “Two Minutes of My Life”.

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

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C ONTRIBUTORS

Some things will become natural. Just have a look at our approach to music. First, music was live and then the first phonographs and record players appeared, with recorded music. This was condemned by many people as something unnatural, which can never replace live music. Then vinyl records came, replaced by CDs - many professionals claimed they could never reach the same level of sound fidelity as vinyl records. This was further followed by downloading music from the Internet and its reproduction, today clearly the preferred way of listening to music. However, something else emerged too: nowadays, with the help of software, you can easily “compose” all sorts of music, such as Latin, rap, or imitate Michael Jackson.

Equally rapid will probably be our adaptation to cars without drivers. Reasons for owning cars will disappear, economy of car operation and practical approach will prevail. Most accidents and their impacts will disappear, as well as traffic jams, most garages, and parking places which originally displaced parks and forests.

It is also worth mentioning the so-called Turing´s test. This genius English mathematician living in the middle of the 20th century anticipated that within 50 years, most people would not be able to distinguish in many situations whether they communicate with a human being or machine. As soon as 2008, objects of synthetic intelligence deceived 25% of such contestants. What Turing meant was the same as I mentioned in the previous paragraph. The same way as the meaning of the word “recorded music” was changing or a car is changing into public transport, the meaning of “thinking and intelligence” will change too. Don´t you feel sometimes when asking your artificial assistant Siri in natural language that she is taking her time to think? Apple calls her an intelligent assistant.

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Sensors will advance as well, increasingly perfect and cheaper. They will not only be more efficient, they will also serve as fashion gadgets. Not only smart watches but smart toilets too will become more and more commonly used.

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Many books have already been written about nanotechnologies. They penetrate through human cells and supply medicine or eliminate dust in smart paints.

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Renewable technologies will become increasingly cheaper. New batteries conserving energy will appear, continuously lighter and cheaper.

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Human behaviour will continue to change and many technologies will become “invisible” and will be perceived by future generations as natural. Money will disappear, and will be replaced by “finances”, similar to loans and mortgages, virtual and sometimes arising based on a promise.

Extract from a new book Digitální ekonomika published by Albatros Media.

By Ivan Pilný Member of the Parliament, ANO party President of Tuesday Business Network české znění naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.czechleaders.com

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S UPPORTER OF SANANIM

EVENT

Mr. Petr Kroutil

From left: Matthieu and Magda Blouin, Nelly Jenicek, Co-chair of SANANIM Gala, and Mr. Staffan Erenmalm

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From left: Nelly Jenicek, Co-chair of SANANIM Gala, Tereza Tobiášová, Moderator, Czech TV, Jiří Richter, Co-Founder of SANANIM, and Tomáš Matuška, Moderator, Czech TV

Marie Jehličková, Co-Chair of SANANIM Gala and Igor Jung

Tereza Tobiášová, Moderator, Czech TV and Tomáš Matuška, Moderator, Czech TV

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EVENT

Jiří Richter, Co-Founder of SANANIM

From left: Mr. Robbie Mackay, Mrs. Fernanda Escobar with her husband Krzysztof Rucinski , Mrs. Helen Noll, Mrs.Jean Murphy, Mr. Jason Watters, Mrs. Gabrielle Reilly and Mr. Christian Noll

From left: Markéta and Rainer Frank and Anton and Karin Hopfgartner

From left: Mrs. Irena Tanko, Mr. Roman Zedník, and Mrs. Zuzana Šimková

Front row from left: Mrs. Michele Green~Tas, Mr. Roy Richard Haaker, and Mrs. Alžbeta Podstavská Back row: Mrs. Blanka Francová, Mrs. Markéta Ziková, Mrs. Eva Skorníková, Karin Genton, Rotary Club Prague International, Treasurer, Mrs. Selin Zeybek, and Mr. Anil Kara

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Rostislav Jirkal, Associate Partner, QED Group and Linda Štucbartová, Chief Interviewer, Czech and Slovak Leaders Magazine

From left: Naomi Sullivan-Callender, Co-Chair of SANANIM Gala, Mrs. Molly Kucera, Jiří Richter, Co-Founder of SANANIM, Martina Těmínová-Richterová, Co-Founder of SANANIM, Tereza Tobiášová, Moderator, Czech TV and Tomáš Matuška, Moderator, Czech TV

From left: Mrs. Lucie Hlídek, Mr. Mamun Hassan, Mr. Ota Hlídek, and Mr. Tony Seddon

H.E. Liliana de Olarte de Torres-Muga, Ambassador of Peru with her husband José Torres-Muga

EVENT

Helena Třeštíková, Czech Film Documentarist

Alena and Mirek Kučera

From left: Linda Štucbartová, Chief Interviewer, Czech and Slovak Leaders Magazine, Naomi Sullivan-Callender, Co-Chair of SANANIM Gala, Zuzana Somošová, Klára Neumanová, Volunteers of Organizing Committee, and Rostislav Jirkal, Associate Partner, QED Group

From left: Mrs. Anna Menčíková, Naomi Sullivan-Callender, Co-Chair of SANANIM Gala, Nelly Jenicek, Co-chair of SANANIM Gala, David Callender, CEO , Gigalynx, Mrs. Klára Neumanová, and Mrs. Zuzana Somošová, Volunteers of Organizing Committee

From left: Mrs. Anna Háková jr., Mrs. Anna Háková, Anna Dvořáková, Member of the Admin Board, ČS Foundation, Radka Kaslová , Politician, ANO party, Mr. Břetislav Janyška, Martina Těmínová-Richterová, Co-Founder of SANANIM, Mrs. Dagmar Sladká, and Mrs. Nina Janyšková

From left: Martin Smékal, CEO, SafeDX with his wife Monika, Kristýnka Šedivá, Physiotherapist, Josef Šedivý, Head of Drug Information Centre, SANANIM, Michaela Marksová, Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, Zdeněk Jankovský, Owner, Honeypot, Marie Richterová, Secretary to the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, David Callender, CEO , Gigalynx, Helena Třeštíková, Czech Film Documentarist, and Agáta Jankovská, Head of PR, SANANIM

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AN

INTERVIEW WITH

JUD R . D OMINIKA K OLOWRAT -K RAKOWSKÁ

Skxqfcxlogegkpx_kbxqo_bgqglkp´x brqgcpx_kbxmic_procp Your life story is really interesting. You graduated from a Law University, became an advocate and then got engaged in fashion business. You met Tomáš Kolowrat and after he died, you turned to asset management.

I wonder to what extent it was your choice and how big the influence of your call of duty, and the responsibility toward family traditions and your origins, were. I know that life is not an “if game”; however, if you had got the chance, would you have decided differently?

You are absolutely correct, life does not play “if game” and I approach all the obstacles that destiny puts across my way as challenges which I have to humbly accept and try to deal with as best as I can, so that “at the end of the day” I can stop, look behind and tell myself: you did the best you could.

Some events really were not my choice. I am not the type who cries over her destiny adversity. I am rather grateful for the fact that nothing is decided in advance and all unexpected occasions taught me something new. I would have never imagined that one day I would be dealing with a forest business plan, beaver protection, asset management or palace insurance, and a number of charity projects. And this is just a little part of the real scope of my activities.

So, the saying “noblesse oblige” or origins obliges is still valid in the 21st century? How do you fulfil this obligation?

Let me amend that saying a bit to “promise obliges”.

I promised to my life partner, František Tomáš KolowratKrakowský, on his last day that I would take care of everything: of our under-aged children, family assets, restitution claims, charity, there were many things to deal with. And I kept that promise and believe that Tomáš is satisfied...

I often notice that nothing stands nowadays; a word given has no value. I personally strive to meet all my obligations, to behave so that I fully meet the trust bestowed on me by Tomáš and our children. I would be really glad if such terms like “honour” and “decency” which are perceived rather as a weakness than a strength or natural trait would rehabilitate again.

Traditional noble families, besides bringing innovations, paid attention to asset management and its aggrandizing like good economists, put in today’s terms. How do you personally perceive this life mission and overall social context and conditions under which you fulfil the task?

I perceive this tradition mainly as a responsibility to my ancestors, to the “roots”, my children, and society in which I live and act. Tradition is not an obsolete thing at all, it is not fossilised and dysfunctional. On the contrary, after all these years I have been managing family assets, I again experience concluding agreements by a “handshake”.

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This is truly the right tradition showing not being ashamed of my behaviour, enjoying trust from people around me and prospering as well as increasing wealth under these conditions.

Not by deception, by making quick profit at the cost of disappointing a business partner because I have, simply put, “fleeced him out of his money”. If this model was adopted by the majority in our society, our little country would enjoy really good times.

(besides the partners who have been supported

by Kolowrat-Krakowská family already for hundreds of years, like the National Theatre) we have focused on young people, partly those who are disadvantaged at the starting line, especially disabled children from socially disadvantaged families, and partly those who on the contrary received a lot, they are exceptionally gifted, but they do not have means to be able to develop their talents appropriately.

Let´s move from the profit-making activities to the sponsoring ones. The list of your charity projects is unbelievably long and almost took me back to medieval times when aristocracy supported art, music, and theatre. In your case, it is the support of artists through the project Young Czechoslovak Artists, support of a theatre and cooperation with the Prague Shakespeare Company, support of children and disadvantaged people through the Endowment Fund Kolowrátek, a horse riding project... How do you select the projects and is there a new one you would like to include?

I perceive you as a very brave woman with a great inner strength. Taking over the asset management after your partner´s death, bringing up two little children.

Where did your inner strength come from?

I was always interested in the lives of concrete people; we have never contributed – no, it is not plural majestatis and I am speaking about “our” Endowment Fund Kolowrátek – in a blanket manner, without a concrete “receiver”. Gradually

My children and mum were the biggest help.

They, as well as my friends and colleagues, were giving me energy. I am a life optimist and of course I also believe that Tomáš is still with me and keeps his fingers crossed...

How do you generally perceive the situation of women and widowed women at present?

First of all, it is of paramount importance at what age or what life situation a woman becomes a widow or what the reasons for her living without a partner are. However, I generally

believe in the saying “He who does not strive after his happiness shall have none”. So, if I have healthy hands and head, I can manage practically anything. I always find amusing to hear some women, or rather their selfproclaimed speakers from the political field, crying: we want more rights, more possibilities, more leading positions and chairs on the boards. But this is not the case. On the other hand, I would be offended if I received – by strange quotas – some advantage or priority at the expense of somebody who is more capable than me. Yes, the Bible has always emphasised protection of orphans and widows because they had no support at all. But fortunately, it is not this way anymore. Life simply goes on and I can´t freeze in the moment when I (and my children) lost the closest person 12 years ago…

What makes you happy and what are you looking forward to?

I have reasons to be happy every day and I am looking forward to every new positive challenge. It is very important to find something nice every day, be it just the smallest thing which somebody else wouldn´t think it’s even worth mentioning…

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

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DESIGN Many projects of the current architecture are borrowing ideas from the architecture pieces that were already built and worked out in detail. This shortcut was eliminated in the Biennaleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s contributions at Swiss pavilion.

The organisers did not wish the showcased space to point to another place. Therefore, the space strives to work as an event at a certain place, for a certain time.

The pavilion of the Czech and Slovak Republics represents the work of architecture focusing on the controversial building of the Slovak National Gallery which has both many fans as well as many opponents.

Other designs are addressing the possible availability of quality PDWHULDOV H J VLPSOLĂ&#x20AC;FDWLRQ RI H[SHQVLYH OLJKWQLQJ VLPSOLĂ&#x20AC;FDWLRQ RI DQ H[SHQVLYH FRQVWUXFWLRQ SURFHVV VLPSOLĂ&#x20AC;FDWLRQ RI H[SHQVLYH RSHUDWLRQ of buildings, ecological aspects, available natural materials, and so on.

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This year´s Biennale of Architecture has proven it may be more than just the place for celebrating and showcasing extraordinary examples of architecture, and that rather than only presenting a certain status quo in the current architecture, it can reveal a much deeper role of the SURIHVVLRQ 7KH %LHQQDOH KDV VHW DQ XQHDV\ WDVN WR Ă&#x20AC;QG a clear way of presenting to a common visitor not only the results of already completed projects, amazing due to their technical and design invention, but also draw the visitors into the process of development, creation, research, and H[SHULPHQW LQ WKH DUFKLWHFWXUH IRU OHVV DIĂ XHQW VRFLDO groups and less privileged parts on our planet.

Alejandro Aravena, director of Venice Biennale 2016 and fresh holder of the Pritzker Architecture Prize works on moving the very reasons of architecture the same way as he has been doing himself in his native Chile for many years. Rather than focusing on itself as an exceptional service for paying clients, architecture presents itself as an assistant for solving the global housing inequality.

Aravena and his followers strive to involve architecture in WKH DUHDV RXWVLGH LWV H[LVWLQJ H[SHUWLVH Ă&#x20AC;QGLQJ VROXWLRQV IRU XUEDQ VOXP DUHDV GHQDWXUHG FLWLHV FRQĂ LFW ]RQHV ecologically endangered areas, settlements distant from nets and infrastructure, and so on. â&#x20AC;?We believe that the development of architecture is not 104

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Recycling: way of utilising used material in construction again

the goal by itself, but the way of improving the quality of people´s lives,” shares Aravena on the occasion of the Biennale opening. In other words, his Biennale is not persuading the question of the characteristic of the architecture that improves the quality of housing, but rather the question of how to make the architecture work this way.

This year´s Biennale billboard shows a lady observing the landscape from the top of a ladder.

“I immediately fell in love with that picture,” says the president of the Biennale Paolo Baratta, “because it represents the exhibition accurately, with our attitudes and goals. What can the lady see from that ladder? Gigantic lanes of human settlements which no person could feel proud of, a never ending line of missed opportunities to act intelligently as a human kind. A lot of this is tragic and it seems to mark the end of architecture.

However, she can also see the signs of creativity and hope, and she can see them here and now, not in some uncertain, longed-for, ideological future.”

Unlike the past biennales, the current one avoids the temptation to represent architects just as the artists. It shows their contact with the public as well as all possible parties involved in the decision process of construction. The architecture is presented with the image of the most political of all arts and in the role it should play: being able to bring boldness and creativity into the pragmatism and functionality.

It is not always easy to proceed from theory to practice and reach such a level of expansion and synthesis while experiencing the threatening lack of the means, especially in poorer countries where ruthless constraints, lack of time, and demands of all kinds represent a constant threat, which explains why these countries lag behind the quality so often.

However, it is not only in poor countries where greed and impatience of the capital, conservatism and bureaucracy tend to produce a trivial, average, and boring environment. The Biennale presents the architecture wishing to bring the change.

Therefore, we should not expect fantastic, elegant, and expensive projects from this year´s Biennale. You will see much more. The effort to harmonise artistic cultural aspect and basic housing needs. The Venice Biennale is open till 27 November 2016. %\ ,YD 'UHELWNR české znění naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.czechleaders.com

DESIGN

Czech – Slovak Pavilion

Swiss Pavilion

Construction materials used in design

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O_qcogk_xeo_br_qcbxdoljxqfcxTgiwckxgkpqgqrqcxldxEoqx_kbxHcpgek³xNrpqxgkxfcoxdgopqxvc_oxldxpaflli´xpfcx praacppdriivxaoc_qcbxtcop_qgicxc_oogkepxqf_qxslkxfcoxmogacxldxKllbxWqrbckqxHcpgek³xWfcxs_pxpr`pcnrckqivx flklocbxsgqfxqfcxGwcafxk_qglk_ix_s_obxdloxpqrbckqxbcpgek³ Lcoxocprjcxgpxcuqocjcivxgjmocppgtc·xgkx{yz}´xpfcxs_pxkljgk_qcbxdloxqfcx`cpqxÍcsciovxbcpgekcoxgkxqfcx GwcafxKo_kbxHcpgekxaljmcqgqglk³xWfcxf_pxcufg`gqcbxfcoxaliicaqglkpxgkxJo_khdroq´xQrkgaf´x_kbx[gckk_¸x_kbx fcoxbcpgekpx_ocxaroockqivxlkxtgcsxgkxTo_erc³xO_qcogk_xslohpxj_gkivxsgqfxpq_gkicppxpqccix_kbx_aovigaxei_ppx sfgafxpfcxpf_omckpxgkqlxaovpq_igaxpf_mcp³xXlb_vxcumcoqpxalkpgbcoxfcoxbcpgekpx¿drqrogpqga´¿x`rqxqljloolsx qfcvxsgiix`cxpcckx_pxqgjcicpp³xMkxqfcxsloibxldxÍcsciovxbcpgek´xpfcxgpxlkcxldxqfcxjlpqxcuagqgkexvlrkex bcpgekcopxgkxqfcxGwcafxVcmr`iga³ Where do you get the inspiration? Do you follow the trend “what women want"?

All my jewelry designs are taking inspiration from modern architecture, sci-fi style and vision of the future. In my creations of bigger size jewel objects I try to find more innovative approach in both - form and in used materials.

I prefer not to follow up the trends but instead, I try to show to people different possibilities. For example, in the materials which do not have to be expensive or in minimalistic form of jewelry that makes bigger compliment to the human body which is complicated enough as it is.

I noticed, you shorten your name from Reichova to Reich, is there a particular reason?

Yes, I recently changed the name of my brand by just shortening my last name. In the beginning, I was thinking to give an abstract name to my business but I decided that I don’t want to give impression that the company is more than just myself. My name is my name and there is no marketing strategy or objectives behind it.

How many collections per year you design?

If in fashion industry there is a trend to create a new collection for each season then in my case it does not work like that. My collection CHRYSTAL SKY was taking three years to create where I was adding a new type of jewelry piece by piece. For me, it is better to devote my time to concrete shape of jewelry as long as I will be sure about it and add it to the collection only then, instead of to force collection after collection. At this moment, I am in the phase when I am starting to design a new collection with the new materials.

I personally think your jewelry is more than "futuristic".

For example, in your collection I can find a jewelry I can wear to the job interview, what kind of girl you envision who’d wear your designs?

I have experience that my designs go perfectly with modern elegant style. Age doesn’t matter, the jewelry looks good if you are young or old.

Good example are women from the design and art circles. Their refined style together with my jewelry makes perfect marriage.

On which celebrity you see your jewelry?

If I had a chance to choose the concrete celebrity I would ask Iraqi - born British architect Zaha Hadid who is for me still a big inspiration.

Recently, my designs featured in the magazines where Czech actors as Lenka Krobotová, Jitka Schneiderová and Lenka Vlasáková were wearing them and looked gorgeous.

What is the best piece of advice you will give to another jewelry designer?

Of course the famous aphorism from the designer and architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe „less is more".

Describe your typical day?

While drinking a cup of coffee I deal with my emails and then I happily rush to the workshop where I spent most of my working week. That applies if there is no need to travel out of Prague to pick up materials which most of the time is in the places outside of the city. In my atelier, I have the beautiful view of Petrin tower and Prague castle. My work is my hobby. The weekends are my time to travel or go to the gym.

By Indira Gumarova

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* ' ,#415.#8 <#, ê'- &'276; *'#& OF THE PERMANENT REPRESENTATION OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC TO THE EU After having graduated from the University of Economics in Prague in 1999 he joined the diplomatic service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. For the following four years he was part of the European Union Accession Negotiating Team as Cabinet Secretary of the Czech Chief Negotiator. In 2003 he moved to Brussels, where he spent over six years as Head of Ambassadorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Office, Member of Cabinet of the Czech Commissioner and Head of Sectorial Policies Section at the Permanent Representation of the Czech Republic to the EU, respectively. Between 2009 and 2011 he held the post of Director of EU Policies Department at the MFA in Prague. From November 2011 till July 2016 he served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Washington, D.C. Ambassador ZajĂ­Ä?ek took up the post of the Deputy Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the EU and of Representative to COREPER I as of 1 August 2016.

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Renationalisation tendencies are dangerous for the future of EU’s Internal Market You are back in Brussels after seven years.

How has Brussels changed since?

If you ask me how the EU decision-making process has changed; well not that much, but I notice ever more ambitious European Parliament siding with the political Commission jointly fighting the Member States in the Council.

I find Brussels to be a lovely city and it feels nice to be back but unfortunately I also have to admit that terrorist attacks have changed the atmosphere in certain ways. Everyday lives of people here in Brussels have been influenced.

Nevertheless I hope this is just temporary.

The Commission proposed a mandatory Transparency Register in September. What is your opinion on that?

No doubt, transparency is a good thing. The voluntary register of the Commission and the Parliament has been functioning since 2011.

Commission´s proposal from this September introduces obligatory registration for all three institutions. The idea is likeable, but it must be set up in real context. The Council works in a different manner than the other two institutions. Member States´ positions presented in Brussels are prepared in the capitals, where national codes of conduct apply. Of course, I meet with stakeholders in Brussels. And these meetings are often valuable. I hear what is on their mind and report to Prague.

June’s results of British referendum surprised Brussels structures. You are part of like-minded group for the Single Market with Brits in the lead. What is the future of this group now?

The U.K.’s decision to leave the EU makes me very sad. We lose not only a valuable proponent of initiatives, but also a strong partner in our like-minded group as well as in the Council. Still, we will work with their expertise until article 50 is triggered and until the Brits leave. As likeminded, we will try to profile and gain broader support within the new balance of power in the EU. We have to think over how to push through our vision of the Internal Market without the U.K. Structures of like-minded groups will be more variable according to the topics. Anyway, we have seen this trend already today and therefore we cannot impute it to the U.K. leaving the EU. Decision for Brexit roots in Brits negative perception of the Single Market and its four freedoms. Some EU countries come up with national protectionist measures to complicate free movement of workers and services. Is it the end of the Single Market?

First, I do not like the expression “social dumping” being used in this context. It is a word that does not make sense on the Internal Market - different levels of economic development in different Member States do not translate as unfair competition. Second, I stick to our Presidency motto back in 2009, i.e. “Europe without barriers”. It is still relevant.

In 2009 we were removing barriers; today we rather face creation of new ones. I perceive the tendencies for renationalisation as incompatible with acquis communautaire.

Believe me, we had historical experience with closing into national envelopes. It is dangerous and counterproductive in the long term. I hope that the European Commission – in its role of guardian of the Treaties – will deal resolutely with excesses.

Digital economy is high on the agenda of Juncker’s Commission. Do you agree businesses should be obliged to sell their goods online everywhere in Europe?

High priority given to digital economy is certainly welcomed by my country. I see enormous growth potential here. And if we get it right now, the EU can make a real profit in the next 10-15 years. It is therefore our joint task to deliver and set up an ambitious European framework. Having said that, new legislation should not overregulate the environment where new business models such as online platforms are created. Further, I am all in for unleashing potential of e-commerce with possibility to buy and sell everywhere. On the other hand, the possibility to buy should be distinguished from the obligation to deliver. Imposing such obligation has not been our intention.

What are your expectations of the winter energy package? Will there be anything critical for Czechs?

Yes, “winter is coming”, but in this case we are looking forward to it. Three things I wish to stress. First, proposals on energy efficiency must comply with the following criteria – to be reasonable, achievable and indicative.

Second, as for the efficiency of buildings, we hope the proposal will introduce more unified energy performance certificates. And third, on electricity market design, our aim is to introduce or reintroduce as much market as possible. For the Czech Republic – a country with large energy intensive industry base – this is crucial as cost of energy is closely related to competitiveness.

Our overall aim is to define EU electricity market that is predictable and attractive for investors.

High quality regulation is key for business. In your opinion, when will the Council accept the importance of impact assessments on proposals with substantive amendments?

To start with, the Council does recognise the importance of impact assessment process.

There are the so-called “Czech” checklists used when considering every impact assessment of a new legislative proposal in the Council. We assess micro and macroeconomic implications as well as compliance with the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality. It is also true that amendments sometimes shift the proposal in a different direction and then the original impact assessment might become obsolete.

I admit that every substantive amendment is subject of interpretation and there is no common view on the exact definition of such amendments. A lot depends on political will of Member States to make progress in this direction. We are certainly ready.

In July you ended your mission as Deputy Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the U.S. What are your estimations of EU-U.S. talks after U.S. presidential elections?

No doubt, EU and U.S. are number one strategic partners. From my personal experience I can confirm that people on both sides of the Atlantic share the same values. We have even more in common than we think. In this respect, I see the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership or TTIP as more than just another economic agreement. It is extremely valuable from political and even security viewpoints.

We see campaigns led against TTIP these days.

Some want to block it from the inside, some from the outside. Let´s avoid a situation when we let ourselves being pushed in the corner from which it will be difficult to reignite the talks. Given the latest developments concerning similar agreement with Canada (CETA), I fear EU´s credibility is further endangered. As a result, our partners could take us less seriously. I sincerely hope we will be able, once important elections both in the U.S. and Europe are behind us, to sit together and agree without emotions on a deal that will prove leadership of the Transatlantic community in this turbulent world.

Alena Mastantuono Director of CEBRE – Czech Business Representation to the EU

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Czech Business mission to Antwerp and Brussels Czech entrepreneurs visited the port of Antwerp on October 14th in order to meet their Belgian counterparts. The B2B meeting was held at the new harbor building – a masterpiece of architect Zaha Hadid – that was opened in September this year, i.e. five months after the death of the author. Mission to Belgium was organized by CEBRE – Czech Business Representation to the EU and the Czech Chamber of Commerce under the auspices of MEP Martina Dlabajová.

The day before, Czech entrepreneurs voted in the European Parliament on the legislation that affects them. During the simulated vote within the European Parliament of Enterprises, Czech companies discussed and voted on issues concerning the internal market, education, trade policy and sustainable economy. Entrepreneurs had a unique opportunity to comment on the forthcoming European legislation.

The European Parliament of Enterprises was organized for the fourth time by the Association of Chambers of Commerce and Industry EUROCHAMBRES, whose full member is the Czech Chamber of Commerce.

Visit of the European Parliament

Entrepreneurs voting within the framework of “European Parliament of Enterprises“

Visit of Port of Antwerp Networking between Czech and Belgian companies

From left: Katarína Štancová, Representative of the Harbour Authority, Port of Antwerp, H.E. Jaroslav Kurfürst, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Belgium, and Irena Bartoňová Pálková, Vice President of the Czech Chamber of Commerce

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The Czech Republic must be ready to block certain topics in the EU The principle of the same pay for the same work in the same place contradicts the rules of market economy and distorts the European consistency. The Czech government must use all the possible means in order not to make this proposal come true. The Government has to set its priorities for negotiations in the EU and must be ready to support some topics as well as strongly refuse others. These are the conclusions of a meeting of representatives of the Czech Chamber of Commerce, Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic and Confederation of Employers’ and Entrepreneurs’ Associations with Czech Members of the European Parliament that took place on the 20th of September in Prague.

From left: Alena Mastantuono, Director, CEBRE-Czech Business Representation to the EU, Vladimír Dlouhý, President, Czech Chamber of Commerce, Jaroslav Hanák, President, Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic, and Jan Wiesner, President, Confederation of Employers' and Entrepreneurs' Associations of the Czech Republic

Participants of the meeting

Revision of the Posting of Workers Directive Revision of the Posting of Workers Directive proposed by the European Commission in March this year has raised a wave of emotions within the European Union. Adding new rules to the posting of workers issue would bring more complexity and over-regulation. At the same time, it would damage flexibility and balance represented by the current directive. The impact of the proposal on the Czech economy was discussed by experts from the EU institutions, Czech public administration, unions and business associations on September 20th in the European House in Prague.

From left: Ladislav Minčič, Director,Department of Legislation, Law and Analysis, Czech Chamber of Commerce, Marie Beranová, Government´s Office, EU Affairs, Czech Republic, Michaela Šojdrová, Member of the European Parliament (EPP), Inge Bernaerts, Member of the Cabinet of Commissioner Marianne Thyssen, and Alena Mastantuono, Director, CEBRE -Czech Business Representation to the EU

Josef Středula, CMKOS President

Vojtěch Hromíř, General Director, ČESMAD BOHEMIA

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DID YOU KNOW THAT? Commission proposes new CCCTB system On the 25th of October, the European Commission presented its new proposal for a common consolidated corporate tax base (CCCTB), which is part of a broader reform package of corporate tax reform. CCCTB should relieve companies doing business within the internal market and prevent tax avoidance. The new proposal makes CCCBT system mandatory for large multinational groups, whose global revenues are higher than EUR 750 million per year, which is to prevent aggressive tax planning and ensure that these groups pay taxes where they make the profit.

European Parliament ratified Paris climate deal The European Parliament agreed on the 4th of October to endorse the UNFCCC Paris Agreement on fighting climate change, paving the way for the Paris agreement to take effect. The Paris deal needs to be ratified by at least 55 parties accounting for 55 % of global emissions to enter into force. The EU28 Member States account for 12 % and so far, additional 62 parties covering almost 52 % of emissions gave the agreement the green light, making it enough for the deal to enter into force.

Commission issued EU Transport Scoreboard for 2016 The European Commission published a comparative overview of transport in the EU, comparing the performance of Member States in 30 categories covering all aspects of transport.

Among 28 Member States, the Czech Republic ranked thirteenth. Good results were reduced by the quality of roads and the TEN-T network in road transport as well as electrification of the railway network. The Netherlands placed first for the third year in a row, thanks to a stable framework for investment, high security and good implementation of EU legislation.

Commission published its Work Programme for 2017 At the end of October, the European Commission published its priorities for the next year. The programme includes 21 key initiatives and 18 REFIT proposals. The initiatives should help to implement Commission’s 10 priorities set at the beginning of its mandate, including implementation of the Digital Single Market Strategy, Action Plan on Circular Economy, Energy Union Strategy with focus on low-emission travel and mobility, Single Market Strategy, Capital Markets Union Action Plan, Single Market Strategy and others.

EU proposed new Space Strategy The European Commission published its new European Space Strategy at the end of October.

The strategy should support new services and ensure EU’s leading position in this area.

Furthermore, it should deliver economic benefits for the whole EU economy and society, as well as foster competitiveness and innovation in the EU. Last but not least, it should ensure EU’s autonomous access to and use of space in a safe and protected environment.

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LET´S TALK NUMBERS! Junker plan to widen its scope As mentioned by the President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker during his State of the Union speech, the European Fund for Strategic Investment (EFSI) will extend its scope. The aim of the Fund is to mobilise approximately EUR 500 billion until the end of 2020. The previous goal was to reach EUR 315 billion until the end of 2017.

Foreign trade deficit of the EU The foreign trade deficit of the EU28 amounted to EUR 7.4 billion in August 2016. Exports of goods from the euro area to the whole world stood at EUR 160.3 billion, representing a growth of 8 % compared with August 2015 (EUR 148.1 billion). Imports into the EU amounted to EUR 141.9 billion, representing an increase of 4 % compared to August 2015 (EUR 136.9 billion). The result was a surplus of EUR 18.4 billion (EUR 11.2 billion in August 2015), while the EU28 recorded a deficit of EUR 7.4 billion. Intra-euro area trade rose to EUR 121.6 billion in August 2016, an increase of 6 % compared to August 2015.

Production in construction sector decreased The European statistical office Eurostat released results of a survey focused on the construction sector, which shows that production in construction decreased in August 2016 compared to the previous month by 0.9 % in the euro area and by 1.3 % in the EU28. Compared to August 2015, however, the production in the euro area rose by 0.9 %, while in the EU declined by 0.5 %. Best results were achieved by Slovakia (+6.7 %), Hungary (+4.6 %) and Italy (+3.4 %), the worst on the contrary by Poland (-5.5 %), Sweden (-5.4 %) and Spain (-3.0 %).

EU industry generates the most gross value added in the EU Eurostat results show that despite a slight decline in 2015, industry still remains the largest economic activity in the European Union in terms of generated gross value added (GVA). Overall, EU industry accounts for just over 19.3 % of total gross value added. The second place goes to activities related to public administration, education, defence, health and social work activities (19.1 %), followed by retail and wholesale trade, transport, accommodation and catering (18.9 %).

GDP up by 0.3 % in euro area, 0.4 % in EU28 Seasonally adjusted GDP rose by 0.3 % in the euro area and by 0.4 % in the EU28 during the third quarter of 2016, compared to the second quarter, show preliminary Eurostat results.

In the second quarter of 2016, GDP had also grown by 0.3 % in the euro area and by 0.4 % in the EU28. Compared with the third quarter of 2015, GDP rose by 1.6% in the euro area and by 1.8 % in the EU28, after +1.6 % and +1.8 % in the previous quarter.

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IN THE WORLD! TTIP negotiations extended Talks between the EU and the USA on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) could lead to the world's largest bilateral free-trade area. Despite the progress achieved so far on technical aspects of the negotiations, both EU and USA negotiators officially dropped the aim of concluding TTIP in 2016. No date was set for a new round of negotiations as the focus is now on the presidential elections in the US. EU-Canada trade deal signed Negotiation process of the trade agreement between the EU and Canada has been successfully concluded on the 30 th October, despite the deadlock caused by Belgian region Wallonia. However, the compromise has been found and the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) could have been signed. The trade deal between Canada and EU removes 99 % of tariffs and has the potential of boosting bilateral trade by up to 20 %.

Mercosur negotiations on the right track The currently negotiated trade deal between the EU and the Mercosur countries couldn’t reach any progress in many years.

Representatives of Mercosur, a group of countries consisting of Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Venezuela, participated in negotiations round that took place on 10–14th October in Brussels. Chief negotiators expressed their satisfaction with the meeting which resulted in a shift forward in a wide range of areas. Both sides agreed to make their best to progress in negotiations during the next round in Buenos Aires in March 2017.

EU and Vietnam tighten ties As of the 1st October 2016, a new Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the EU and Vietnam entered into force. The aim of the agreement is to strengthen cooperation in various areas, such as social and economic development, support to democracy and rule of law, basic human rights and sustainable development. The agreement has an economic aspect as well as it aims to support trade and investment cooperation.

EU and Eastern Partnership countries cooperation on environmental issues In mid-October, the first formal meeting of EU and Eastern Partnership countries’ ministers of environment took place in Luxembourg. During the meeting, ministers signed ministerial declaration confirming their interest to cooperate in matters of environment protection and climate changes.

Furthermore, they agreed to support sustainable and inclusive growth, reduce air and water pollution and create jobs in the area of green economy.

Brought by CEBRE – Czech Business Representation to the EU

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