Issue 03/2020

Czech & Slovak Leaders III/2020

DECEMBER 2020/MARCH 2021

available worldwide online

Petra Pecková, Governor of the Central Bohemian Region

A WOMAN looks at politics

WITH DIFFERENT EYES

Photo: Lenka Hatašová

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P ublisher ’ s

note

&

contents

DEAR READERS,

events  page 8

As I write this Publisher’s note, it is Wednesday in a beautiful snow-covered Prague. I don’t remember ever seeing so much snow in Prague. I believe I share the opinion with many others that this is how winter should look!

However, we are also living in strange times with COVID-19, the pandemic that continues to change our lives in a way we never expected. It seems to go on and on. Many shops, restaurants, cafes, sporting events, theaters, art galleries etc., are closed. It’s a tragic epidemic with many people who have lost their lives particularly in our elderly community.

Let’s hope and pray that it will end soon and we all can go back to our normal lives.

As I wrote in my previous Dear Readers, I think we must be positive and optimistic and continue with whatever we are doing in life. Remaining positive and optimistic, not losing hope even when life gets difficult is a key achievement.

Also, another piece of advice, look at each other, smile more and care for and value each other even while keeping distant. We never know what will happen next.

We are very proud and happy to have Mrs. Petra Pecková, Governor of Central Bohemia on our front page followed by a very interesting interview "A woman looks at politics with different eyes".

Other fascinating and interesting interviews in this issue of the Czech Leaders to mention few include H. E. Egemen Bagis, Turkish Ambassador to the Czech Republic, Jennifer Jones, Rotary International President Nominee 2022–2023, Sotirios Zavalianis, the owner of the secondlargest healthcare company in the Czech Republic, two inspiring women Hanka Pullová and Eva Pešková, good friends who started the “Leaders in Transition” project, Prof. PhDr. Radek Ptáček PhD. with "The ten rules for living well", Helena Leisztner, Multimedia Artist and a dear friend of mine, and Radek Špicar, Vice President, Confederation of Industry and Transport.

President Miloš Zeman representing the Czech Republic

8 President of the Czech Republic Miloš Zeman representing the Czech Republic 11 Senate President Miloš Vystrčil awards Silver Medal to 27 Czech personalities linked by their selfless service to others (25/09/2020) 14 Round Table of Comenius Discussion Dinner with Mr. Andrej Babiš 24 Czech TOP 100 28 5G Networks in the Czech Republic 39 Humanitas Africa 42 Managers of the Year 48 The Innovation Week 2020 was looking towards the future 66 ČSÚZ Presentation of a book on Czech education in Vienna 70 Leadership in Tech Companies (Ingrid Schostoková)  page 42

That’s it, dear Readers, I wish you all a very prosperous 2021 and that this terrible COVID-19 will lose its grip around us and that we all can get the vaccine as protection soon.

Wherever you are, whatever you do and whenever you can, save some energy for the future, both to inspire and to help and care for others.

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

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CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS III/2020

Manager of the Year 2019 (female) Hana Šmejkalová, Vice Chairman of the Board at East Bohemian Airport and Manager of the Year 2019 (male) Jan Juchelka, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Komerční banka

C ontents

interviews

culture events  page 30

Prague Writers' Festival 40 88 Introduction of MIRO Gallery  page 40

Rudolf Burda

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Interview with Petra Pecková A woman looks at politics with different eyes Interview with Rudolf Burda Art is supposed to spread beauty and positive energy, and make people happier Interview with Egemen Bağış On Atatürk's legacy and future goals Interview with John Tregellas I remain an optimist Interview with Suelette Dreyfus Whistleblowing is an emerging human right Interview with Radek Špicar Let’s help one another Interview with Jennifer Jones Let us bring the best talents Interview with Adéla Šípová In a civilised country, the stronger help the weaker Interview with Sotirios Zavalianis I have never identified with an average Interview with Jana Merunková If your dream is big enough, facts do not count Interview with Helena Kroftová Leisztner The subconscious is God to us all Interview with Martin Jan Stránský On the current crisis facing mankind, COVID-19, technology and social media Interview with Hana Púllová and Eva Pešková A journey from doing business together to a close friendship, or vice versa?

Interview with Pavel Černoch I’ve taken my own path

Tereza Matějčková, Philosopher

diplomatic events 16 Three religions´ prayer on the occasion of Morocco´s Throne Day 18 75th Anniversary of the National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam 20 Thai National Day Celebration 22 The Friends of Thailand 52 Czech Foreign Policy Discussion  page 20

Diplomats and staff of the Royal Thai Embassy in Prague

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contents

contributors 33

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Tereza Urbánková If not now, then when Viktor Kostický Risks of implementing LinkedIn Sales in large sales departments and how to overcome them (part I.) Cristina Muntean Trust - your competitive leadership advantage in 2021 Iva Drebitko Battle of White Mountain Jan Mühlfeit and Kateřina Novotná The current situation in relation to lifelong learning and online education Alena Huberová Women in management Radek Ptáček The ten rules for living well: make your bed and be grateful Eva Gaborikova What are the key clues for Slovaks and Czechs to Swedish culture?

James A. Cusumano The happiness syndrome

Iva Drebitko

Publisher: Benke Aikell Head of Editorial: Lenka Helena Koenigsmark Webmaster: Petra Kubernátová DTP: Šárka Čičková EU Matters: CEBRE Czech Business Representation, CESES, Europlatform

 page 56

Contributors: James A. Cusumano, Martina Hošková, Lenka Helena Koenigsmark, Jan Mühlfeit, Kateřina Novotná, Linda Štucbartová, Tereza Urbánková, Eva Gaborikova, Radek Ptáček, Viktor Kostický, Cristina Muntean, Alena Huberová, Iva and Joseph Drebitko Photographers: Hana Brožková, Michal Krumphanzl, Alex Cruz, Jitka Tomečková, Tereza Šlápotová Subscription: Czech & Slovak Leaders, Rumunská 1, 120 00 Praha 2 We appreciate your opinions of Czech & Slovak Leaders.

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

Moravians at the Battle of White Mountain

EU matters 93 Interview with Christa Schweng Now is the time to make the most of this new normal 95 EU matters business

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

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

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A WOMAN

looks at politics

WITH DIFFERENT EYES I nterview with P etra P ecková , G overnor of the C entral B ohemian R egion

P hoto : L enka H atašová

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I nterview

with

P etra P ecková , G overnor

of the

C entral B ohemian R egion

Petra Pecková is a Czech politician, journalist and publicist. During the years 1996 – 2012, she devoted herself to investigative journalism. From the year 2010, she was first the representative and First Deputy Mayor of the town of Mnichovice, becoming Mayor in 2014. In the autumn regional elections in 2020, she was elected as a representative of the Central Bohemian Region, as the leader of the common candidate of STAN (Mayors and Independents), KDU-ČSL (Christian and Democratic Union – Czechoslovak Popular Party) and SNK-ED (SNK-European Democrats). On 16 Nov 2020, she was elected Governor of the Central Bohemian Region. In that function, she replaced the controversial Jaroslava Pokorná Jermanová of the ANO 2011 (Action of Dissatisfied Citizens) movement. Governor Petra Pecková has been working in politics for the last five years as a registered supporter of the STAN movement.

Petra Pecková has two children. In her free time, she devotes herself to her children, travel, golf and diving – generally, an active life. However, it’s work that energises her the most. I follow the Governor on social networks. I appreciate her sense of openness and transparency, combined with humaneness and pragmatism.

And I admire her energy.

I was very happy that this interview could take place in person. I met with the Governor in the imposing seat of the Central Bohemian Region’s Regional Office, which is located on Zborovská Street in Prague.

The office itself employs 700 people. The Governor returned for the interview from Říčany, where she commenced preparatory works for the construction of a large-capacity vaccination centre. The state’s dysfunctional conceptual management system affected regions not only in terms of funding, but also specifically in connection with the organisation of the vaccination against Covid-19.

The Central Bohemian Region is the largest and most populous region in the republic. At the same time, it’s the only region that doesn’t have a capital. As its new Governor, how does she perceive the regional policy’s specifics? What opportunities does the Central Bohemian Region offer? What surprises her about the policy, even after ten years?

Don’t expect the question of reconciling work and family life, which we both consider discriminatory. However, you’ll find a few personally tried-and-tested tips on how to work energetically. And the Governor’s concluding appeal made me very happy; I hope other women readers will also find it inspirational.

Governor, contrary to tradition I’ll dive in at the deep end. What’s it like to create a regional policy in the context of a dysfunctional nationwide policy?

I always try to create a policy for the people, regardless of where I’m currently working. Of course, as Mayor, I’m closer to the people than as Governor. But I still perceive that closeness, and the main part of my work is to transform the opportunities we have in the region into concrete tangible results which bring people real benefit. Therefore, through me, not just the state’s but also the local government’s ideas reach the people. My priority isn’t to blindly adhere to what the state orders, but the usefulness of the idea itself. And sometimes even at the cost of a small revolt. Of course, I always obey the law, but when something doesn’t make sense, I’ll go against it.

Then I try to explain to the state representatives that their steps aren’t good. For example, that was the case when municipalities lost a large part of their funding due to a compensatory allowance for self-employed persons, with this funding to be replaced by subsidies. This step made no sense. I’m happy that we managed to push through a system together whereby municipalities receive compensation according to the number of permanently registered inhabitants. I find similar illogicalities in many laws, so I try to draw attention to these cases as well. For me, politics is about having a concrete positive impact on people.

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Although I strive for timeless interviews, the current chaos in connection with the vaccination cannot be avoided. A dysfunctional state administration is simultaneously a blessing and a curse. A blessing, because it shows us how effective regional self-government is. A curse in that, figuratively speaking, you’re aiming at a moving target.

Yes, so I’m trying to simplify this chaos as much as possible, and communicate so that people have basic information that they’ll understand.

From the state’s side, there are only constant changes, so we have no room left for any kind of conceptual phase – we only engage in crisis management. We can’t make decisions on the basis of inputs and data, or plan for the long term. We resolve matters ad hoc.

People can see what local government does for them. The first wave of the pandemic showed it. It was local government which managed to organise the sewing of masks, and the purchasing and distribution of disinfectants. I was working on it when I was still in the position of Mayor of Mnichovice. Now, however, the times have changed. Everyone is interested primarily in vaccination. And we, as the local government, can ensure only that the vaccine is injected into the citizen’s arm as part of the most rational process possible. We cannot influence more than that. We might be able to influence the distance they’ll have to travel to get vaccinated,

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS III/2020

whether someone will help them with the registration, and whether they’ll have information.

We can’t influence the number of doses, or the delivery time. If we could influence these, the situation would certainly look different.

Let’s now move on to the timeless and more strategic issues. What opportunities and challenges do you perceive most acutely in the Central Bohemian Region?

The Central Bohemian Region has a real chance to become the wealthiest region in the Czech Republic. We have great potential here for science and research – instead of an assembly plant, we’d like to become a brain. Major employers, such as Škoda Auto, are based in the region. At the same time, there's hidden potential here in the area of the so-called STAR (Science and Technology Advanced Region, which includes the municipalities of Dolní Břežany, Vestec and Zlatníky-Hodkovice).

We have companies here such as Biocev, ELI Beamlines and HiLASE, i.e. clusters engaged in top science and applied research. The Czech Technical University in Prague’s UCEEB (University Centre of Energy-Efficient Buildings), which is based in Buštěhrad, will even represent us at EXPO Dubai. So we have the potential to become a location where science and research will thrive. However, it’s a longdistance race – in four years, we can only start the changes, not change things completely.

I nterview Personally, I’m convinced that starting changes must begin with education. And by that I mean primary education, which however is established not by the Central Bohemian Region, but by individual municipalities. I’d like the region to motivate, help and support them, so that even primary schools have a quality content.

And fundamental change must also take place in secondary schools, of which the region is the founder. Unfortunately, according to the Czech School Inspectorate, the secondary schools in our region are, on average, in the third worst place in the country. We’d like to improve their quality, while at the same time also fundamentally influence their curricular structure, collaborate with future employers and scientific institutions, purchase quality teaching aids and facilities, and work with principals.

We also strive to ensure that the Central Bohemian Region is not only rich and interesting in the vicinity of Prague; people should have jobs and good living conditions even on our region’s so-called outer periphery, for example in the Rakovník District. There, too, we must be able to offer job opportunities, extracurricular activities, living facilities and quality schools.

You’ve led our interview towards the next question I wanted to ask. What relationship does the Central Bohemian Region have with Prague?

Until recently, relations between the two regions were at a freezing point. I heard that talks often ended at the moment when the two sides began to blame each other – “you come to Prague for work, and you fill our city with private cars” or “you live in our region but you’re registered in Prague, so fees from the state within the budgetary determination of taxes also go to Prague, not to municipalities in the Central Bohemian Region”. I believe that we’re now on the cusp of a new era of collaboration.

Both regions’ existing leaderships are in harmony, both humanly and in terms of value. I’m fundamentally convinced that Prague and Central Bohemia represent connected vessels. Services for citizens must be interconnected. I can see that Prague can’t do without Central Bohemia, just like Central Bohemia can’t do without the opportunities that Prague provides. We’ve also already established collaboration on a formal level, and we had the first joint meetings of both regions’ councils. Individual councillors communicate with each other about agendas which we should address together. Specifically, this relates to transport; our aim is to have a single public transport organiser for Prague and Central Bohemia. Other areas, including IT, digitization and modern technologies, are not only topics which fall under my gestion but also topics which both regions must address. Also on offer is the afore-mentioned school system and education, as well as collaboration within the scope of science and research. There are many areas for collaboration, and I think it will be a success.

with

P etra P ecková , G overnor

of the

C entral B ohemian R egion

Let’s imagine that we can travel abroad again. Where do you see opportunities for foreign collaboration and inspiration?

Foreign collaboration falls directly under my gestion. Immediately after my arrival, I met with the Ambassador of Slovakia, Mr. Rastislav Káčer. I’m interested in establishing close collaboration, not only with the Ambassador but also with Mr. Juraj Droba, Chairman of the Bratislava autonomous region. After all, in Slovakia we see a similar phenomenon as in our country. Bratislava is surrounded by the Bratislava Region. I think that we can draw inspiration here regarding the afore-mentioned digitisation, transparency and openness of the given region. I also met with a representative of Qatar, and we discussed investment opportunities for Qatar in our country. Collaboration will certainly be established in connection with EXPO Dubai, at which the afore-mentioned UCEEB from Buštěhrad will be exhibiting. With Yevgen Perebyinis, Ambassador of Ukraine, we’re planning collaboration connected not only with Central Bohemian companies’ business activities in Ukraine, but also stays for orphans who lost their parents in the war, and rehabilitative stays for war veterans. And, last but not least, collaboration was established among the so-called Four Agreements countries, which together with the Czech Republic consist of Poland, France and Germany. It’s taking place in many areas, but the pandemic really reduced certain activities, for example those relating to congress tourism.

Personally, I’d like to establish collaboration with cities and regions which have the same concept as Prague and the Central Bohemian Region. Specifically, therefore, apart from Bratislava and the afore-mentioned Bratislava Region, I’m interested in partnerships with Vienna and Lower Austria, as well as Berlin and Brandenburg.

deal with my predecessors’ history, if there’s a reason for it.

What do you find most difficult about politics?

I’ll tell you what I find most difficult about being Governor of the Central Bohemian Region.

I constantly have to explain to someone that I’m normal… (laughs). I have to explain that I don’t need to drive around in several cars, I don’t need preferential vaccination, and I don’t even need money for a makeover. And I don’t give any favourable positions to my friends.

I really think that’s crazy. I constantly have to defend something that nobody in other regions is interested in, because the Central Bohemian Region’s good reputation has suffered longterm damage. Maybe it never had one in the first place. To change this perception will take a lot of work. That’s why I no longer want to comment on the previous leadership. I want to move forward and create values that make sense; I want to leave a positive footprint behind me. Let the law enforcement authorities

I’m curious about what you have to say in conclusion...

I’d like to encourage women to go into politics.

A woman looks at politics with completely different eyes, and can break down deep-rooted myths and boundaries. At the same time, female and male energy can complement each other well, and be beneficial for both parties.

I think people don’t want to just watch politicians arguing with each other anymore. People want peace, harmony and a functional system now. More than thirty years after the Velvet Revolution, they deserve it, and women may have the opportunity to help in that regard.

By Linda Štucbartová

How do you work energetically?

I’m a person who’s energized by work, and in particular big challenges, so I can ride a certain wave of adrenalin. I’m conscious of the fact that it’s not sustainable in the long term.

The worst situation occurs when my children leave in the summer, for example for a training camp, my friends are on vacation and I should sit in peace on the terrace and read a book. Then I put on hiking boots or trainers, and run up Sněžka mountain. I work with a coach, with whom I focus on my personal development. I learn to keep my evenings free from time to time, and when I leave the office before 6.00 pm, I take note of it. It doesn’t happen very often. I also work energetically when I’m running. I run by myself, so that I have space for my thoughts, or on the contrary with friends or my children, in which case we chat while we run. We organised regular meetings with the Deputy Mayor by her riding a scooter and me running next to her. And when the weather improves, we’ll definitely get back to it!

I started playing golf. I discovered how calm I have to be, and think only of the game, so that I play at least somewhat decently. But I only make evening games – “sunset tee time” – which is only possible in the summer. And I’ve been diving for a year. When I’m diving, I realise how much I need to concentrate and be aware of myself and every movement. If a person makes a mistake, it can cost them their life. When a person is nervous, they immediately consume more oxygen and work poorly with their body and balance. When a person is aligned with themselves, everything happens easily.

And what’s more, when I’m underwater, my phone doesn’t constantly ring!

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

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS III/2020

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P residential

P hoto : H anka B rožková

and

KPR

PRESIDENT MILOŠ ZEMAN

At the Parliament of the Czech Republic

Miloš Zeman receiving Miloš Vystrčil, President of the Senate

Miloš Zeman receiving Andrej Babiš, Prime Minister

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CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS III/2020

The appointment of the President of the Supreme Court

Miloš Zeman receiving Igor Matovič, Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic

P residential Reception at the embassy of the United States

Miloš Zeman receiving Andrej Babiš, Prime Minister and Jan Hamáček, Minister of Interior Affairs

Miloš Zeman and H.E. Stephen B. King, Ambassador of the United States

Miloš Zeman receiving Mike Pompeo, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United States of America The appointment of the Minister of Health, Jan Blatný

Regular meeting of the constitutional officials Act of Piety in Lidice

From left: Radek Vondráček, President of the Parliament of the Czech Republic and Miloš Zeman

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS III/2020

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P residential

WWII Rememberance Ceremony at Vítkov hill

WWII Rememberance Ceremony at Vítkov hill

Zlatý Ámos contest – best teachers in the Czech Republic

From left: Andrej Babiš, Prime Minister and Miloš Zeman, President of the Czech Republic

From left: Cardinal Dominik Duka and Miloš Zeman, President of the Czech Republic

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CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS III/2020

Easter during corona times

WWII Rememberance Ceremony at Vítkov hill

Senate President Miloš Vystrčil awards Silver Medal to 27 Czech personalities linked by their selfless service to others (25/09/2020) 25 September 2020, Prague. On the occasion of the upcoming Czech Statehood Day, the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic President Silver Commemorative Medals award ceremony was held in the Waldstein Palace Main Hall.

In his role as President of the upper parliamentary chamber, Miloš Vystrčil highlighted the fact that all 27 recipients are linked by their selfless service to others, which takes various forms within their professions and acts.

Senate President Silver Commemorative Medal laureates gathered in the Main Hall

“All of you who are sitting here today have served in some way. Your municipality, your region, your country. Perhaps by reminding us of what it was really like in the past.

Perhaps by standing on the side of truth at a time when it wasn’t easy to do so. Or you may even have led the charge in the battle for truth, freedom and democracy. Or you have stood on the right side today. While at first glance this may appear a little easier, it requires resilience and courage. Many of you serve by sharing, by selflessly passing on your knowledge and skills to colleagues and students, and you do so even though this may involve you missing out on some successes in your career you would otherwise have achieved,” said Miloš Vystrčil.

The Silver Medal for Jaroslav Kubera in memoriam for his extraordinary political courage, his contribution to regional politics and his service to parliamentary diplomacy was received during the award ceremony by Věra Kuberová, the late Senate President’s widow.

Miloš Vystrčil also gave Věra Kuberová the Order of Propitious Clouds, awarded to the late Senate President by Taiwanese President, Tsai Ing-wen, during the recent visit of the Senate delegation to Taiwan. “Our entire family greatly appreciate this award.

I am pleased that my husband has been honoured by the right people. I haven’t had the opportunity before now to thank the Senate, and Mr Vystrčil specifically, that they undertook the trip to Taiwan despite the threats and obstacles.

We are a democratic free country and my husband stood for that to his last breath.

So that’s why I’m glad that you haven’t been intimidated and you have defended freedom in his spirit,” said Kuberová in her thank-you speech, to which the entire hall gave her a standing ovation.

The official silver medal award ceremony followed a Holy Mass in the Waldstein Garden’s Sala Terrena, in which a number of recipients took part. The mass was celebrated by Bishop and former Charter 77 signatory, Václav Malý, with a number of songs played by Spirituál kvintet.

Ing. Hana Dvořáková, CSc.; prof. Dalimil Dvořák, CSc.

Ing. Libor Burian, MBA

List of the 27 Senate President Silver Commemorative Medal laureates for 2020 Ing. Libor Burian, MBA Medal awarded for an exemplary approach to business and enlightened support for public life, in the spirit of Tomáš Baťa prof. RNDr. Pavel Drábek, DrSc. Medal awarded for excellent and selfless lifelong teaching and scientific work Ing. Hana Dvořáková, CSc. and prof. Ing. Dalimil Dvořák, CSc. Medal awarded for selfless support of talented young scientists Pavol Habera Medal awarded for extraordinary service through the public, genial yet persistent education of talented young musicians

Ing. Richard Smola

prof. PhDr. Libuše Hrabová, CSc. Medal awarded for exemplary tenacity and perseverance, and elevating historical science in the Czech Republic PhDr. Drahomíra Irglová Medal awarded for life-long teaching and courage in providing support to students Miroslav Kasáček and Ing. Luděk Navara Medal awarded for research and publication work, and indomitable care for truthful historical memory Magdalena Kožená Medal awarded for many years of extraordinary service to music and supporting talented musicians Jaroslav Kubera in memoriam Medal awarded for extraordinary political courage, excellent contribution to regional politics and exceptional service to parliamentary diplomacy MgA. Jan Lorman Medal awarded for perseverance, vision, awareness-raising activities and providing help to senior citizens and the disadvantaged

Jan Pňakovič; Ing. Jan Pňakovič

Mons. Václav Malý Medal awarded for indomitable anti-communist resistance and many years of support for respecting human rights and striving to secure and nurture freedom and democracy Jan Pňakovič and Ing. Jan Pňakovič Medal awarded for extraordinary determination and sacrifice in saving a life prof. RNDr. Pavel Prošek, CSc. Medal awarded for an extraordinary and visionary approach to science, in particular Czech Antarctic research Ing. Richard Smola Medal awarded for life-long perseverance and support and assistance for those suffering political persecution Spirituál kvintet Medal awarded for service to music and life-long extraordinary support for freedom and art

Leo Žídek

Tomáš Vondráček Medal awarded for the courage to stand on the right side and for an extraordinary entrepreneurial venture in the public interest Miloš Zapletal Medal awarded for his life-long work for others, for his wonderful and selfless service to Czech scouting Leo Žídek Medal awarded for indomitable anti-communist resistance and nurturing truth, freedom and democracy

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CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS III/2020

Magdalena Kožená

S enate

Miroslav Kasáček; Ing. Luděk Navara (represented by his daughter) PhDr. Drahomíra Irglová

Mons. Václav Malý

Pavol Habera

Prof. RNDr. Pavel Drábek, DrSc.

Prof. RNDr. Pavel Prošek, CSc. (represented by his grandson)

Jaroslav Kubera (represented by his wife)

Tomáš Vondráček

Spirituál kvintet

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS III/2020

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D iscussion

event

Round Table of Comenius Discussion with Andrej Babiš, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic

September 23rd 2020, Prague Congress Center

From left: Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Andrej Babiš and President of Comenius, Karel Muzikář

The traditional event “Round Table of Comenius” took place in the Prague Congress Center with the guest of honor, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Mr. Andrej Babiš. Prime Minister´s Welcome Address contained all today´s main political topics nevertheless discussion focused only on coronavirus topic.

With more than 80 participants this was the largest Round Table of Comenius of this year.

From left: Jan Oberman, Managing Director, Korado Consulting, Lucie Bedrníčková, Sales Director, Rewix Elektro, and Jiří Maceška, Vice President, Czech-Israeli Chamber of Commerce

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CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS III/2020

From left: Petr Lukeš, Owner, Schrothovy Spa and Daniel Kadlec, Managing Director, Inadvisors

D iscussion Partners of ZDR Investments: Roman Latuske, Radek Hladký, Zdeněk Prázdný, Dušan Moskaliev

event

From left: Lenka Žlebková, General Director, Prague Congress Center, Sanjiv Sury, President, Zátiší Catering, and Hana Součková, General Director, SAP Czech

From left: Bohumír Bárta, General Director, JLV, Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius, Jan Wiesner, President, Konfederace zaměstnavatelských a podnikatelských svazů, Benke Aikell, your Publisher, and Jozef Piga, Chairman of the Board, Omnipol

The Round Table of Comenius – discussion meeting with the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic

Willi Song, General Director, Huawei Technologies and Pavel Košek, Director of Communication, Huawei Technologies From left: Jakub Kleindienst, Director Communications, The Czech University of Life Sciences and prof. Petr Sklenička, Rector, The Czech University of Life Sciences

From left: Rostislav Dvořák, President, Union of the Czech and Moravian Production Cooperatives, Sanjiv Suri, President, Zátiší Catering, Jan Světlík, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Vítkovice Holding, Roman Mužík, General Director, AVE odpadové hospodářství, and Karolína Topolová, Chairman of the Board, Aures Holding Václav Jakeš, Owner, Pretol and Pavla Zelená, Pretol

From left: Rostislav Dvořák, President, Union of the Czech and Moravian Production Cooperatives and Sanjiv Suri, President, Zátiší Catering

From left: Benke Aikell, your Publisher, Bohumír Bárta, General Director, JLV, Ondřej Presperín, CEO & Idea Maker, Collectiv Consulting, prof. Petr Sklenička, Rector, The Czech University of Life Sciences, and František Bednařík, Director, Cannasan Institute

From left: Michal Stiborek, General Director, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine and Jaroslav Javornický, Owner, Spielberg Winery, official supplier of wines for the Round Tables of Comenius

From left: Aleš Bartůněk, Chairman of the Board, Prague Congress Center, Daniel Barč, General Director, Ette Capital, Jakub Kleindienst, Director Communications, The Czech University of Life Sciences

From left: Roman Cabálek, General Director, Dell, H.E. Yevhen Perebyinis, Ambassador of Ukraine, Benke Aikell, your Publisher, Bohumír Bárta, General Director, JLV, and Ondřej Presperín, CEO & Idea Maker, Collectiv Consulting

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diplomatic event

THREE RELIGIONS´ PRAYER

H.E.Hanane Saadi,

Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco in Prague, organised the traditional Throne Day reception on 30th July 2020 to celebrate the 21st anniversary of His Majesty the King Mohammed VI´s accession to the throne.

The reception was held at the Ambassador´s residence in Prague, this year in a very narrow circle of guests, personalities from the political, diplomatic, religious, academic and journalistic world, among others Tomáš Petříček, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic. In the circumstances of the COVID-19, three representatives of Abrahamic religions celebrated a mass there to pray for peace and health for the whole humanity.

H.E. Hanane Saadi, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco and H.E. Tomáš Petříček, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic

on the occasion of Morocco´s Throne Day

H.E. Hanane Saadi, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco with Religions Representatives: (from the left) Lazhar Maamri, President of Islamic Foundation in Prague, Michael Dushinsky, Rabbi, Zdenek Wasserbauer, Bishop of Prague

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CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS III/2020

From left: Tomáš Petříček, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, Mons. Charles D. Balvo, Apostolic Nuncio, František Bányai, President of the Jewish Community in Prague, Lazhar Maamri, President of Islamic Foundation in Prague, and Zdenek Wasserbauer, Bishop of Prague

diplomatic event

From left: H.E. Hanane Saadi, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco and Tünde Bartha, Director of Office of the Prime Minister

From left: H.E. Hanane Saadi, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco, Lazhar Maamri, President of Islamic Foundation in Prague and Michael Dushinsky, Rabbi

H.E. Hanane Saadi, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco and Michael Dushinsky, Rabbi

From left: H.E. Mr. Egemen Bagis, Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey with his wife, H.E. Liliana de Olarte de Torres Muga, Ambassador of the Republic of Peru, and her daughter and H.E.Hanane Saadi, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco

H.E. Hanane Saadi, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco and Petr Hladík, Director of MENA, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

H.E.Hanane Saadi, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco and Jan Zahradil, Member of the European Parliament for the Czech Republic with his wife

H.E. Hanane Saadi, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco, Eva Anderová, Vice President for PR, UNYP and Benke Aikell, your Publisher

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OF THE NATIONAL DAY OF THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM

H.E. Kim Tae - Jin, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea with his wife, Suyeon Kim

From left: H.E. Kay Thi Soe, Ambassador of Myanmar, PhDr. Eliška Žigová, Department Director, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Mrs. Ureerat Chareontoh, Ambassador of Thailand, and H.E. Mrs. Kenssy D. Ekaningsih, Ambassador of Indonesia

From left: Martin Tlapa, Vice Minister of the Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, Vojtěch Filip, Politician, Andrej Babiš, Prime Minister, Tran Thanf Huong, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Vietnam, and H. E. Mr. Thai Xuan Dung, Ambassador of Vietnam with his wife Nguyen Thi Thien Nga

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Martin Tlapa, Vice Minister of the Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic

Photo: Jitka Tomečková

diplomatic event

From left: Mrs. Tran Thanh Huong, Embassy of Vietnam and H.E. Mrs. Ureerat Chareontoh, Ambassador of Thailand

From left: Ngan Nguyenova, Businesswoman, Nguyen Thi Thien Nga, Ambassador’s wife, H. E. Mr. Thai Xuan Dung, Ambassador of Vietnam, and Andrej Babiš, Prime Minister

Martin Tlapa, Vice Minister of the Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic and Tünde Bartha, Director of the Office of the Government of the Czech Republic

Judr. Vojtěch Filip, Politician and Felix A. Slováček, Musician

H. E. Mr. Thai Xuan Dung, Ambassador of Vietnam with his wife Nguyen Thi Thien Nga

From left: Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa, Businesswoman, Nguyen Thi Thien Nga, Ambassador’s wife, and Nguyen Thu Ngoc, Businesswoman From left: H.E. Roberto Alejandro Salafia, Ambassador of Argentina, H.E. Mrs. Ureerat Chareontoh, Ambassador of Thailand , H.E. Egemen Bagis, Ambassador of Turkey, and Barbora Loudová, Chief of the protocol for the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic

From left: Cao Hung Trang, Military Attache, Embassy of Vietnam with his wife Nguyen Thi Hien, Nguyen Thi Thien Nga, Ambassador’s wife, H. E. Mr. Thai Xuan Dung, Ambassador of Vietnam, and Tran Quang Hung, Businessman with his wife Nguyen Kim Thoa

From left: Radek Trojna, Real Estate Specialist, Keller Williams Czech Republic, Tran Viet Hung, Businessman, and Felix A. Slováček, Musician

Martin Pohl, Director, Diplomatic Service and H.E. Roberto Alejandro Salafia, Ambassador of Argentina

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D iplomatic

event

photo :

J itka T omečková

On 3 December, the Royal Thai Embassy in Prague organized an internal Thai National Day Reception in commemoration of the Birthday Anniversary of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great, the National Day of the Kingdom of Thailand and Thailand’s Father’s Day at the Residence of the Ambassador.

Prior to the reception, the Ambassador led the Embassy’s officials and members of Team Thailand in paying respect to His Majesty the King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great and His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua and sang the Royal anthem, in which the music was played by a Thai student in Prague. The reception was attended by the Embassy’s officials, members of the Team Thailand and all staff of the Embassy and Team Thailand’s offices.

H.E. Ureerat Chareontoh, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand to the Czech Republic

Speech of the Ambassador of The Kingdom of Thailand In 2020, the momentum of Czech-Thai relations continues following the official visit of H.E. Prime Minister Andrej Babiš in 2019. There were several high-level visits to Thailand from the Czech representatives, including the visit of H.E. Radek Vondráček the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, H.E. Richard Brabec, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Environment, and H.E. Antonín Staněk, Chairperson of the Czech-Thai Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group. Those visits clearly demonstrated firm commitment and close cooperation between our two countries.

Due to the COVID-19 situation, several meetings had to be postponed and rescheduled. Fortunately, our bilateral trade has not been affected thanks to a strong partnership between the two Chambers of Commerce. The COVID-19 situation also gave us the opportunity to promote people-to-people relations. The Embassy was invited to participate in the International Travelling Exhibition Helpful Art in COVID. We, together with the Tourism Authority of Thailand, cooperated with local authorities and agencies, including Mayor's Office of Prague 1 in preparing Thai food for healthcare workers, firefighters, volunteers and the Federation of Czech Food Bank. Our contribution and support reflected our thanks and strong commitment to join hands with Prague and the Czech Republic in fighting against COVID-19.

Members of the Team Thailand in the Czech Republic include the members of the Royal Thai Embassy, Thai Trade Office, and the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Prague Office

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D iplomatic

event

Speech of Prime Minister Andrej Babiš In the current difficult times, the international solidarity and cooperation has become more important than ever before.

There is an old proverb saying: a friend in need is a friend indeed. Therefore, I am truly thankful that the Czech-Thai cooperation especially during the spring coronavirus wave was exemplary.

Speech of Foreign Affairs Minister Tomáš Petříček

Andrej Babiš, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic with Prime Minister of Thailand, General Prayuth Chan-o-cha during his official visit to Thailand in January 2019. Due to the covid situation the National Day was held only internally, thus the mentioned speeches were sent via online

H.E. Ureerat Chareontoh leaded the Team Thailand in Prague in paying respect to His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua

We value Thailand’s role as a business hub for the entire South East Asia region, and the growing economic and commercial exchanges between our countries, together with people-to-people ties, that all bolster our bilateral relations. Especially I would like to highlight our cooperation in the area of defense, security and industry.

Team Thailand in the Czech Republic

Diplomats and staff of the Royal Thai Embassy in Prague

From left: H.E. Ureerat Chareontoh, Ambassador of Thailand to the Czech Republic, H.E. Tomáš Petříček, Foreign Minister of the Czech Republic

Ms. Sutthida Thongopratana and her cello

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS III/2020

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D iplomatic

event

photo :

J itka T omečková

From left: Rostislav Jirkal, Entrepreneur, Mr. David Harrison, Dominika Bartipanova, Czech-Thai Committee, Foreign Section, Czech Chamber of Commerce, and Libor Votruba, Chairman of the Board of Czech-Thai Committee, Foreign Section, Czech Chamber of Commerce, H.E. Mrs. Ureerat Chareontoh, Ambassador of Thailand, Linda Štucbartová.

Chief Interviewer and member of editorial board, Czech & Slovak Leaders Magazine, Klára and Jan Šimice, and Ivo Krýsa, Barrister of the Regional Court of Justice

On 16 December 2020, H.E. Mrs. Ureerat Chareontoh, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand to the Czech Republic hosted a friendly dinner for several guests who have connection with and are fond of Thailand at her Residence. Guests included Mrs. Linda Štucbartová, interviewer and member of editorial board of Czech & Slovak Leaders Magazine, Mr. Libor Votruba, Chairman of the Board of Czech-Thai Committee, Foreign Section, Czech Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Ivo Krysa, barrister of Regional Court of Justice, Mr. Jan Simice, restauranteur and owner of Jalta restaurant, Fat Cat and Gallery 44 in Prague, and Ms. Jitka Tomeckova, photographer and artist, along with their family members.

Due to COVID-19 situation, number of guests were limited.

The Friends of Thailand in the Czech Republic has expanded constantly and it comprises prominent Czech and foreign government officials, entrepreneurs, academic figures and artists, including people from all walks of life who are interested, familiar and in love with Thailand, residing in the Czech Republic. H.E. Ambassador took this opportunity to express her appreciation to all guests for their continuous support and collaboration in organizing various activities to promote Thailand and to enhance closer cooperation between Thailand and the Czech Republic, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic throughout 2020. During dinner H.E. Ambassador also discussed and shared with Friends of Thailand about the Royal Thai Embassy’s upcoming projects and activities for 2021.

H.E. Mrs. Ureerat Chareontoh, Ambassador of Thailand

Friends of Thailand in the Czech Republic

From left: H.E. Mrs. Ureerat Chareontoh, Ambassador of Thailand, Libor Votruba, Chairman of the Board of Czech-Thai Committee, Foreign Section, Czech Chamber of Commerce, and Dominika Bartipanova, committee of Czech-Thai Committee, Foreign Section, Czech Chamber of Commerce

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From left: Rostislav Jirkal, Entrepreneur and spouse of Linda Štucbartová, H.E. Mrs. Ureerat Chareontoh, Ambassador of Thailand, and Linda Štucbartová. Chief Interviewer and member of editorial board, Czech & Slovak Leaders Magazine

From left: H.E. Mrs. Ureerat Chareontoh, Ambassador of Thailand, Ivo Krýsa, Barrister of the Regional Court of Justice, Dominika Bartipanova, committee of Czech-Thai Committee, Foreign Section, Czech Chamber of Commerce, and Libor Votruba, Chairman of the Board of Czech-Thai Committee, Foreign Section, Czech Chamber of Commerce

On 27 June 2020, CZECH TOP 100 held its traditional Gala Evening for the 26th annual 100 Most Significant Companies of the Czech Republic ranking. Over the course of the evening, a number of companies and institutions received awards for excellent results in economic and social fields.

Jan Smigmator and Felix Slováček – musical accompaniment to the evening

CZECH TOP 100 table: Bohdan Wojnar, Škoda Auto with his wife; Ivana Kaucká, CZECH TOP 100; Jan Struž, CZECH TOP 100; Roman Prymula, Epidemiologist; Josef Průša, Prusa Research with his colleague

Distinguished guests of the evening: Karel Kadlec, CarTec Group BMW; Eva Kadlecová, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Prague, Jan Struž, CZECH TOP 100; Ivana Kaucká, CZECH TOP 100; Radim Passer, Passerinvest; Vladimír Klouda, Passerinvest

The current situation has led us to consider whether the efforts of all those who have fought and the many still fighting against coronavirus should not pass unremarked. The sheer number of activities and initiatives, the various platforms which have been set up and the ways in which the business community has grasped the difficult task of how to overcome this terrible virus has deeply impressed us. We have therefore decided to act and award a few dozen “hero of the fight against coronavirus” titles. We welcomed some of those awarded during our gala evening.

Announcement of MOST SIGNIFICANT COMPANIES OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC The awards were given out by Mr Stanislav Kázecký, Honorary Board Member of the Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic, and Mr Jan Struž, Chair of CZECH TOP 100 (both right) 3rd place ČEZ Group, the prize was received by Michaela Ziková, Vice President of the Board of Directors and Director of ČEZ Foundation 2nd place EPH, joint stock company, the prize was received by Tomáš David, Chair of the Board of EP Energy and Vice Chair of the Board at EP Power Europe 1st place Most Significant Company in the Czech economy was Škoda Auto, the prize was received by Mr Bohdan Wojnar, Board Member at Škoda Auto

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culture event

Holders of the title CZECH TOP STAR awarded to companies which are particularly characterised by consistent excellent economic results over the past 25 years

CZECH TOP STAR title, GECO, Libor Chrobok, Chair of the Board CZECH TOP STAR title, Přerost a Švorc – Auto, Libor Přerost, Joint Owner CZECH TOP STAR title, Syner, Robert Špott, Executive Director CZECH TOP STAR title, Ridera, Václav Daněk, Chair of the Administrative Board CZECH TOP STAR title, Domanský, Martin Domanský, Owner The prize was awarded by President of CZECH TOP 100, Jan Struž

MANAGEMENT EXCELLENCE AWARD for companies who demonstrate long-term management professionalism, purposeful company management and stable fulfilment of strategic objectives From left: Passerinvest – construction developer, Radim Passer, Owner, Apogeo – auditing and consulting company, Josef Jaroš, Managing Partner, SWS – IT wholesale, Evžen Varadínek, Owner, STONES CATERING – catering company, Kateřina Stone, Joint Owner, VaK Zlín – water management company, Svatopluk Březík, Chair of the Board, JAKUB Liberec – electrics wholesale and retail, Jiří Jakoubek, CEO The prize was awarded by the two men on the right, Libor Chrobok, General Partner and Chair of the Board at GECO, and Petr Choulík, President of the Czech Management Association

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HEROES OF THE FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Company representatives from left: • Mixed Czech-Chinese Chamber of Mutual Cooperation – Chamber President Jaroslav Tvrdík, • SIGMA – Director of SIGMA Research and Development Institute Lukáš Zavadil, • CIIRC (Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics, CTU in Prague) – Professor Mařík, • TRIX Connections – Jaroslav Lískovec (Manager), • Czech Association of Nurses – President Martina Šochmanová, • SYNER Foundation – Member of Syner Foundation Board Eva Syrovátková, • Prusa Research – Founder and CEO Josef Průša, The Heroes of the Fight against Coronavirus diplomas were awarded by Professor Prymula and President of CZECH TOP 100 Jan Struž

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CIIRC (Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics, CTU in Prague) – Professor Mařík

Unipetrol/Orlen Prize for Foreign Investment awarded by Mr Tomasz Wiatrak, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Unipetrol; representing ČEZ and receiving the prize was Michaela Ziková, Vice President of the Board of Directors and Director of ČEZ Foundation; on the right Jan Struž, President of CZECH TOP 100

CZECH TOP 100 awards a prize for significant Czech investment in Slovakia to Benzina, member of Orlen Group. Prize awarded by Jan Struž.

The award was received by Marek Zouvala, Benzina Brand Manager

Another traditional award in our announcement is the BISNODE company prize CZECH STABILITY AWARD which awards long-term financially stable companies.

Prize awarded by Eva Emini, Bisnode Sales Manager. The winning company was Model Obaly a.s. The prize was received by Kateřina Švarcová, Communication Director

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS III/2020

CZECH TOP 100

GOLF TROPHY 2020

BY APOGEO • 8. 6. 2020 – Golf Resort Black Bridge Praha • 24. 6. 2020 – PGA National CZECH REPUBLIC • 9. 9. 2020 – Royal Golf Club Mariánské Lázně • 23.9. 2020 – Olšova Vrata Karlovy Vary – FINAL

Players at Olšova Vrata Karlovy Vary – FINAL

CATEGORY 36,1 – 54: 1st Jan Vobr, 2nd Martin Smítal, 3rd Anna Forejtková

CATEGORY 0-18: 1st Mr. Miloš Vostrovský, 2nd Mr. Aleš Beran, 3rd Rudolf Nechanický

CATEGORY 18,1 – 36: 1st Mrs. Helena Skokanová, 2nd Mr. Robert Dobeš, 3rd Petr Klouda

Ivana Kaucká, Organizer, CZECH TOP 100 GOLF TROPHY and Jan Struž, Chairman, CZECH TOP 100

Players at Royal Golf Club Mariánské Lázně

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS III/2020

27

5G networks in the Czech Republic: The highest priority is security, and the law and politics must be kept separate, say renowned lawyers The significantly faster, high-capacity, next-generation networks are becoming an increasingly important topic, particularly in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, which is connected with an increase in essential online activities. Inhabitants of parts of Prague and Kolín have had access to commercial 5G networks since the summer, and in October they were joined by customers in Karlovy Vary, Ústí nad Labem and Jeseník. Since November, Brno has also been covered. By the end of the year, 5G should be available to one-quarter of the population of both metropolises. However, the rapid and across-the-board deployment of new networks in the Czech Republic is still uncertain. After long delays, the auctioning of 5G frequencies is now finished, but the choice of 5G technology suppliers still remains a question for some.

JUDr. Petr Toman, Attorney at Law and Partner, Toman & Partneři

From left: Radoslaw Kedzia – VP CEE & Nordic European Region, Huawei, JUDr. Petr Toman, Attorney at Law and Partner, Toman & Partneři, and Mgr. Petr Motyčka, Attorney at Law, Toman & Partneři

From left: Radoslaw Kedzia – VP CEE & Nordic European Region, Huawei and JUDr. Petr Toman, Attorney at Law and Partner, Toman & Partneři

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“The need for fast, modern networks with a higher data throughput is growing, and if anything the pandemic could accelerate the construction of fifth-generation networks,” says Radoslaw Kedzia, Vice-President of Huawei for Central, Eastern and Northern Europe.

However, in connection with the construction of 5G networks, he also emphasises the issue of security. To achieve it requires the involvement of all participants, so it’s a common matter for legislative and regulatory bodies, operators, suppliers, and the users themselves.

This topic was also addressed by a press conference organised by Huawei. It included an appearance by Mr. Petr Toman, JD, who presented a new study of the legal aspects of the construction and operation of 5G networks in the Czech Republic. Lawyers from AK Toman & Partners analysed relevant European and Czech legislation, in particular the method of assessing 5G network suppliers.

They found that cybersecurity legislation in the Czech Republic has a good foundation.

However, given the fact that a supplier risk assessment has not been established, or more precisely there is a lack of clarity on whether and how the criteria as per the EU toolbox will be implemented, it still has shortcomings which create uncertainty in the issue of 5G network development. The key to resolving the existing situation is transparent discussion between the state, operators, suppliers and the professional community, and above all a thorough separation of the political and legal assessments of supplier activity, as well as the technical and non-technical criteria. In the lawyers‘ opinion, the basis for any change in legislation should be evolution, not revolution.

Supplier risk assessment should therefore remain primarily the operators‘ responsibility, in the sense of a risk analysis wherein the state stipulates minimum security standards for operators to comply with.

They mainly identified the issue of the legal assessment of a supplier’s risk profile, on the basis of non-technical criteria, as potentially problematic. Although they find the consideration of non-technical criteria to be legitimate, they point out that without specific circumstances being taken into account, their across-the-board application may result in the exclusion of a supplier who in the particular case doesn’t represent a risk for 5G network security.

They believe a suitable solution to this problem consists in the primary assessment of suppliers on the basis of technical criteria, along with the simultaneous preservation of the state’s option, in extraordinary circumstances, of excluding a supplier on the basis of a political decision. They see the proposed German model as an inspiration in this regard. “Every state’s priority is ensuring the security of the newly-constructed 5G networks.

However, this does not mean that in doing so we should stop observing the basic principles of the P HOtO : A RCHIVE

Radoslaw Kedzia – VP CEE & Nordic European Region, Huawei

rule of law when assessing suppliers who wish to participate in their construction,“ stated Mr. Petr Toman, JD, of AK Toman & Partners.

Like other representatives of the company, Radoslaw Kedzia points out that a breakthrough in the issue of 5G network security could be the NESAS (Network Equipment Security Assurance Scheme) certification scheme, which focuses on products and devices designed for 4th- and 5th-generation networks. This scheme is a standardised cybersecurity evaluation mechanism defined by the international organisation GSMA. The given scheme provides the entire sector with a framework of security guarantees, through which it helps increase the security level across the mobile industry, and is therefore common among all manufacturers who would like to integrate their solutions into the network.

Given its focus on every product’s technical aspect rather than the supplier’s origin, NESAS could be the way to assess supplier security.

At the same time, for the first time in history, it will provide manufacturers and operators with a single certification that does not result in increased costs. Auditors‘ reports will be available to operators without additional expenses. Therefore, this initiative can also be used by smaller operators who do not have sufficient resources. Information about who has undergone the certification process will

be publicly available. Huawei technologies already fulfilled the conditions of the NESAS security certification scheme in August of this year. They thus confirm that the relevant devices comply with the requirements stipulated by the scheme relating to 5G network security and reliability.

As Radoslaw Kedzia points out, “An impartial approach to 5G network security, based on facts, will enable Europe to have a more secure and faster fifth-generation network, and it seems that neighbouring Germany will head in that direction. We want to collaborate with European and Czech institutions, as well as the private sector, on creating general standards and strengthening infrastructural security and reliability. Fair economic competition, nondiscrimination and just conditions are the cornerstones of a prosperous society, in which, when it prospers as a whole, the individual citizen prospers as well. Excluding Huawei will not guarantee a more secure network; on the contrary, it will reduce competition in the market and increase the costs of building the 5G network. The security of any generation of network is always and only the responsibility of the operator, not the technology supplier.“

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

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS III/2020

29 3

I nterview

with

R udolf B urda ,

well known artist

Art is supposed to spread beauty and positive energy, and make people happier

The interview with Rudolf Burda begins a new series by Czech and Slovak Leaders Magazine devoted to artists and entrepreneurs in the area of art, whom we want to at least support in this way during the current pandemic.

In accordance with the family tradition of Rudolf Burda IV., the artist Rudolf Burda claims that he is a harmonious and happy person at heart, and he reflects this positive attitude in his production. He’s rightly proud of his background, family and roots. He uses his grandfather’s logo from the year 1930.

It’s a stylised linden leaf bearing the initials RB. During an informal interview, aimed at getting to know one another, he starts talking about his children; he’s the proud father of 17-year-old son Rudolf V. and 12-year-old daughter Karolína.

He characterises himself as an extrovertintrovert Gemini, and talks about his work and production with enthusiasm and zeal. As is often the case with true personalities, he’s modest by nature. You’ll find Rudolf Burda’s work in private collections and galleries worldwide, and in the palaces of Middle East monarchs and the Sultans of Malaysia and Oman, as well as in the Czech Republic. You might even have his latest object at home. He donated the SUN SHIP object, which was exhibited in February in Beverly Hills, to Gallery Kodl for a charity auction. It’s made from Czech uranium glass, refined by matting and a unique method in the interior, which is gilded with four layers of 24-carat gold leaf. Half of the auctioned amount will be donated to the Paraple Centre.

P hoto : A rchive

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How to understand abstract art? How is Rudolf Burda producing art during the pandemic? How does he perceive Czech culture?

And what is he looking forward to when the world returns to a new normal?

Your art is characterised by Leonardo da Vinci’s quote: “Simplicity is infinite perfection“.

Art is my reflection. If you observe my creations, whether they’re glass objects or stainless steel sculptures, meant for an interior or an exterior, they always reflect me. I’m a minimalist and therefore I create clean geometric forms, which I try to simplify even further in order to get to the marrow, the very essence of the object. I try to achieve birth itself, according to the example of the perfection of a hen’s egg.

Nothing can be added to or removed from it; any change would be counterproductive. My art appeals to people across continents – I’ve exhibited it in Asia, America and Europe. The language of abstract art is comprehensible because it contains enchanted codes which are common for all nations. My greatest inspiration is the universe and nature.

I connect the macrocosm and the microcosm.

The works reflect the “original essence“, so the end collector can easily decipher them. It is the purity and harmony which engage the interest of art admirers.

Our interview will be published as part of a new cycle which focuses on supporting artists. How is the artist Rudolf Burda doing – and producing art – during the pandemic?

Things are much harder for artists at this time, but then again things are harder for every one of us on this planet, because globally everything has stopped, changed or turned upside down. I spent the last seven years travelling intensively to expositions around the world. My rhythm consisted of a week at home, then a week in the USA. A week at home, then two weeks in Asia. I felt like a global “art star“. It was certainly a good feeling for my ego, but in my heart I’m a boy from Jizera, just like my father and grandfather.

I’m proud to be Rudolf Burda IV. I draw not only from my dreams, but also from nature and the Czech landscape, which I love.

I also draw inspiration from my stays abroad, where I notice both the exotic landscape and the modern architecture. Everything is a stimulus for me, which I process further.

Expositions are suspended, and galleries are mostly closed or in an emergency regimen.

So I’m enjoying my current stay at home, otherwise known as “house arrest“. Before the pandemic, I wished for space to rest and relax at home, to sketch things and concentrate on producing art. I dreamt of regular walks with my two beagles through the meadows along the Jizera river, where I can watch the horizon or the river’s flow, and think about how to imprint everything in my work. The wish was so intense that I sometimes have the feeling I may have set off the pandemic, so that it would come true in its entirety. Fortunately I don’t have to complain about a lack of work; even at this time, people are interested in my creations. Of course, this situation cannot last long, otherwise I would grow tired of it. But, for now, I welcome the peace I have to work and produce art. However, artists who must perform publicly, as well as their entire teams, are being badly damaged by this situation.

The state should find funds which it can fairly, honestly and systematically distribute in order to support their further activity and existence.

You yourself repeatedly mentioned that you produce art when you’re happy and in harmony, because it is this state of mind that’s reflected in your work. How would you argue with the claims made by some high-ranking government officials, who promote the theory that the greatest works of art were created when the artists were hungry and in need?

I consider such statements to be misleading and untrue. I can’t look into any artist’s mind or heart regarding the impulses which they need for their work. If someone needs a large amount of alcohol to produce art, if they need to be divorced, have nothing to pay the bills and be in a permanent state of depression,

taking walks along the Vltava river with the only thing on their mind being the question of whether to jump in or not, then that’s their choice. It’s the other way around for me. I find it easiest to produce art if I read a nice book in the evening, I’ve eaten well, I have my hair cut and I have sufficient funds to not feel under excessive pressure. Negative energy can derail me. When I have peace, harmony, happiness and a supportive environment, then I create clean works which radiate this pure cosmic energy. At least that’s what my clients write to me. My works are basically positive emitters. In my opinion, ideas about ragged artists belong to the last, or even second-to-last century.

Let’s now move on to the family tradition, and the question of continuity and change at the same time. You’re the proud Rudolf Burda IV., and you work with traditional glass, but at the same time your creations are very futuristic. How do these opposites relate to one another?

The connection with the family name is important; it’s an interesting story even for foreign gallerists. We already talked about my Gemini disjointedness, so on the one hand I respect traditions, follow on from the work of my ancestors, and build a family property and a terraced garden. Our ancestors’ work is simultaneously our future. I like nations which care for the past, and use it as a model for the future. I myself create objects from glass, which has a thousand-year-old tradition in our Czech meteorite crater. Glass-making involves birth and fire. I originally graduated from jewellery school as an artisan blacksmith, so I started off with fire and got to the glassmaking kiln afterwards. There’s a tradition in glass-making, but I don’t want to be bound by it. I don’t like to keep to any established colours or ornaments. I don’t like ornaments, which is why I also don’t like being described as a glass artist or designer. I’m best described as an artist or a sculptor, because I also produce enamel paintings and stainless steel

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31

I nterview

with

R udolf B urda ,

well known artist

been using as a studio, but it’s no longer suitable as a presentable space for respected and high-ranking foreign visitors, often from royal or monarchical families. I’m planning to start building in the spring of 2021. I’m looking forward to one large sculpture, made from polished stainless steel, becoming an adornment for one Czech city as the largest stainless steel stele in the Czech Republic.

I’m designing several sculptures for private collections.

And where abroad are you planning to go, when it’s possible?

And we’re back to me being a Gemini. I love travel, just like I love being at home. First of all I’ll go and see my gallerist in Singapore, because I’m preparing a project with the former director of the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo, Mr. Nanjo, and my gallerist, Mr. Kasuga.

In Europe, I’m looking forward to visiting my beloved Madrid. I like walking through the Royal Park, and I love jamón and cheese.

I like the USA, especially Miami, where I exhibit my art at the Art Miami exposition. I also like Chicago – it’s a beautiful city with a gorgeous lake, an excellent astronomical observatory and a large Czech presence. I’m probably looking forward to New York the most. For me, New York represents concentrated energy, noise, skyscrapers and something different on every corner. The city pulses, and it’s home to not only gallerists and collectors but also my friends. Through my art, I’ve made lots of friends all over the world, so I can fly wherever I like and feel a bit at home everywhere. sculptures. By creating futuristic glass objects inspired by the universe, I’m moving classic Czech glass-making technology into the future. Another aspect of glass-making that I like is the teamwork. As many as seven people, each with their own role, might participate in the creation of one object. It’s a kind of harmonic concert, symbiosis, collaboration, sweat and hard work. Unity and togetherness lead to a beautiful result. Unless the work cracks, that is... in which case we start again.

You mentioned that you like nations that care for the past. How do we Czechs care for it?

A tendency often appears to spit on us Czechs, in the sense that we don’t care for history, that everything is incorrect and wrong. I’ve visited a lot of countries, and I think that we’re still doing well in the Czech Republic. Whether it concerns the economy, culture, healthcare or citizens’ overall education and erudition, we’re doing very well, despite criticism of the advent of social networks and the growth of disinformation. Those with an education and an overview will certainly be able to meet this challenge. Our nation takes very good care of monuments and cultural heritage, although there’s always room for improvement. Most

32

monuments are repaired, and we have beautiful museums and theatres as well as a wide network of libraries. I have lots of restaurateurs, artisan blacksmiths and joiners among my friends. Czech artisan craftsmen are sought-after worldwide. My last work, SUN SHIP, which was donated to Gallery Kodl and which you mentioned in the introduction, uses unique gilding which I developed with one restaurateur. We were inspired by gilded Baroque sculptures, and after several years of trial and error we found a method by which gold will attain an inimitable gleam, and support the atmosphere of the work.

What are your plans for 2021?

As I already mentioned, during the pandemic I was very busy and I completed several longterm projects. I placed the work “Circle of Life“ in the entrance hall of the Klaudiánova Hospital in Mladá Boleslav. It’s a large stainless steel lens with a glass centre, symbolising the impact of a drop on water. After that I created several glass objects, and I’m also working on other projects which I’ll be able to present in the coming months. I’m starting to build a minimalist studio, which will be set in a terraced garden. I inherited an upholstery workshop from my grandfather, which I’ve

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS III/2020

We recently celebrated the anniversary of the 17th of November, which I personally perceive as being as important as the 28th of October, because I experienced it myself. To conclude the interview, what do you wish for the Czech Republic and the readers of Czech and Slovak Leaders Magazine?

For the republic, I wish that we, the people in it, like and respect one another. Respect, between both people and nations, is what’s most important. A lack of respect gives rise to conflict and wars. Let’s laugh a lot, because laughter is the best medicine and makes us happy. As for art, let’s not forget to devote ourselves to it. Let’s discover forgotten composers, reveal old canvasses and graphics, and appreciate the beauty of Czech churches, cobbled streets, towns and villages. While walking through nature, let’s notice forgotten churches in the Czech landscape, which we’ll find between fields. Let’s try to rejoice in every moment, because we don’t know what will happen in a year’s time. Let’s enjoy the present.

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

If not NOW, then WHEN Tereza Urbánková is a PR, communications and marketing professional with 20 years’ experience and proven success in delivering awardwinning communications programmes for multinational companies operating in industries such as hospitality, retail, IT, defence, broadcast, logistics, pharma and engineering. After having lived and worked in the UK for 12 years, she moved to Germany where she now works for Boehringer Ingelheim, a global pharmaceutical company, as Head of Global External Communication, Animal Health. Tereza is a member of the Executive Committee of the Czech British Chamber of Commerce in London. She speaks Czech, English, Spanish and Russian and can be reached through her LinkedIn profile.

We face challenging times. Whether it is social movements, widespread discontent, various threats, world instability, the COVID-19 pandemic, or the impending climate change, it looks like the world has been crushing on us from different angles, which can be overwhelming. On the other hand, this may be a perfect time to take stock, reassess our life and make changes.

At the start of the pandemic, when lockdown was introduced in a lot of countries, some people used the time to do what they had been putting off, such as tidying up the cupboards or doing some home renovation, in addition to trying to cope with the situation. As time went by, others have come to the conclusion that the best way to cope with this new reality is to evolve with it - not by letting change happen to us but actively participating in our transformation.

There is no right way to make a change, the most important thing is to make it purposeful and keep moving forward. While some changes can be small but meaningful tweaks to our lives, others can equal a larger ‘reinvention’. Reinvention is about changing the course of how we respond to an evolving reality; the reality that touches every life on

the planet, the existing ecosystems which are currently altering in ways not seen before.

When the spring lockdown kicked off in Germany, I contemplated how to make the most of the, sometimes frustrating, time at home. I decided to emerge from this pandemic fitter and with more skills that I may use in the future. I found a few online fitness routines and created a workout programme giving me a variety of exercises for a week. It was somehow easier to find the time to exercise when at home than trying to work around the time set by my gym.

I also searched for a couple of internationally accredited online courses to complement my skills which I found and began studying.

When reflecting on the past several months, I thought of a few techniques that might help guide you on your transformation journey if you wish to pursue one: Educate yourself - sometimes when we want to create a change, be it personal, professional or more widely spread, we may need to commit to some learning. I chose to study life coaching and NLP (NeuroLinguistic Programming) online courses. Both can greatly complement my personal and professional life.

Revisit your goals - we are living in unprecedented and turbulent times, so ask yourself what you wish to accomplish and who you want to be. This can be an opportunity to look at your life from a different perspective reflecting the current reality.

Think about what your strengths are – perhaps you could build on them to get where you want to be. Creating short- and long-term goals with concrete steps and milestones can be crucial in mapping the path that will lead to a change in your life.

You need resilience and willpower to go through with it. Discipline is key, as it is so hard to slip back to frustration, fatigue and ‘can’t be bothered’ mode. It is important to maintain focus although the goal may seem too far way. This is easier said than done when we are already going through a change of working from home while having other challenges to

deal with at the same time. The life coaching course also teaches about how to help clients overcome resistance and instil motivation in them. Recognising the source of resistance can help; it can be general fear, lack of belief the effort will bring results or fear of how others will react, to name but a few.

Make sure you have people around you that support your reinvention. As change can be hard, we sometimes need people to lean on to be able to continue. But don't lean too much as this is your personal journey!

Reinvention can happen regardless of age or circumstances. However, it does not mean to throw away everything and start anew, the best power of reinvention lies in leveraging everything you’ve ever done – the good, the bad, the ugly, the successes and the failures. It taps into the very real (and often unappreciated and unarticulated) skills, insights and expertise you have gained along the way. So you don’t need to try to create a new personality from scratch to reinvent yourself.

Dealing with failure when going through a change is also important. Of course, not everything works as planned no matter how hard we try. Life goes up and down, side to side and all around. Sometimes it is hard to focus. Maintaining the trajectory and holding the course is not always easy and failures should not crush our spirit. Instead, it can be productive to examine failures, perceive them as a challenge and something to learn from.

The life coaching course has taught me that success is 80% mindset and 20% action, so it is really about how we wire or rewire our brain to make a change real.

“Your power to choose your direction of your life allows you to reinvent yourself, to change your future, and to powerfully influence the rest of creation.” Stephen Covey We all have the power to steer the life to the direction we want to. And if not now, then when?

By Tereza Urbánková

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS III/ 2020

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Risks of implementing LinkedIn Sales in large sales departments and how to overcome them PART 1

This first article is about a topic that is not much discussed. It’s about implementing LinkedIn (LI) sales in larger or large sales departments.

The information in the article is based on my experiences from both sides. I’m familiar with the world of a:

1. Consultant who implements LI sales to sales departments 2. Manager of sales department where the LI sales was introduced

Point 2 is extremely important to me because, as a consultant, I better understand the risks and problems that for sure will occur.

The implementation of LI in larger sales departments is significantly more complex than it might seem. It can’t be compared with LI business in smaller companies, individuals, or marketing or HR departments. It is very different, and I will explain, what you can expect.

You probably register a lot of opinions and tips on how to do business with LI. There are many experts in the LI world in Slovakia or the Czech Republic, and this number will certainly increase.

Nevertheless, I dare to say that the opinions and tips about the use of LI completely ignore the topic of introducing LI to larger sales departments.

If the principles tailored to your situation are applied correctly, I think generating additional revenue with LI is quite easy. But it’s easy if you independently decided to use LI for business and you believe that this complementing sales stream does work. Simply said, those people who choose this path themselves, are generally successful.

Business, if you apply the knowledge correctly, will certainly come. It’s not just my feeling, I know it.

I have a lot of supporting evidence.

However, this is radically different when sellers are told that this is a new corporate sales strategy, and they have to adapt. In the case of having change management experiences, you might know, that if an improper process is used, the chances of successful implementation and the main goal of gaining additional revenue is relatively low.

This is a great pity because if a larger company starts this project incorrectly and subsequently is unsuccessful, another attempt might come probably a few years later. In other words, the competitive advantage is lost.

P hoto : A rchive

Viktor Kosticky specializes in Sales & Leadership topics. You can find more information on his website www.viktorkosticky.com or his LinkedIn page. In case of any questions please find my email: viktor@viktorkosticky.com 34

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS III/2020

It’s necessary to realize basic knowledge:

Sellers' resistance will come.

It is not a possibility if resistance will be the main issue, but it’s a fact. It’s 100 % sure.

The whole situation is further exacerbated by another dimension. The expected sales results through LI sales, will not come immediately.

It takes considerable time, depending on the

industry. Surely, you know from psychology, that if satisfaction does not come quickly, but might even take months, we humans have a clear tendency to resign. That’s a fact. On the other hand, the positive thing is, that the LI sales work on a snowball effect principle. If it is done right, the results will continue to grow. Therefore, when I talk to sales directors or CEOs, this is crucial to mention. The process of implementing LI sales to large sales departments comes hand in hand with considerable resistance from sellers itself.

Simply the risks are high, and implementation is not so easy, but it’s an ongoing process where change management knowledge is the key to success.

My sales manager experience in a department where social selling was implemented Many years ago, I led a sales department in a large IT company. On a global level, a decision was made, that social selling is a certain sales trend, and it needs to be used as a complementing sales stream. I, who ran the acquisition department, was among those who were naturally in the front line of implementation. It was a time when the term "LI consultant" did not exist yet.

The company was simply ahead of its time and focused on various activities supporting the effective use of the upcoming trend. Back then, it was a bit of sci-fi. Now, for those who have experience with LI sales, the added value is clear.

Company money was not an issue. E.g. all the salespeople in my department received LI Sales Navigator, which was at the time called differently. Each seller received a so-called "rep page". It was a seller's website, where company articles, news, and seller’s own videos could easily be published. All focused on the seller’s product portfolio and country specialization. Already at that time, everyone had a technical advantage of using chat and video with his clients via his own "rep page". Also, a professional cameraman was hired to shoot introduction videos of each seller, which they could publish on their websites, send to customers, etc. Besides, everyone received iPhones for work. I will not go into further detail.

I just wanted to illustrate that the company had invested considerable sums in supporting this complementary sales stream. Even now, in 2020, when social selling is far more understood, I’m not aware of any company putting so much budget in social selling, as I experienced back then.

But there’s the other side of the coin. The risks of sellers’ mind change had been underestimated.

The use of change management principles was far from ideal. The vast majority of sellers were naturally in resistance. Long story short, it took an exceptionally long time to get some results, and even those results were much smaller than the potential, they had.

But why will people be in

Main risks to prepare for

1. It’s a big change.

2. They didn’t decide on the change on their own.

3. They may feel threatened.

4. They might not feel confident.

5. They don’t understand it and don’t feel a sense of urgency.

6. They have technical uncertainties.

7.

They have personal uncertainties (e.g. own public presentation).

8. They feel there will be more work.

9. They have bad experiences.

10. They may also be in opposition for reasons unrelated to LI, etc.

Not only does this change come with resistance, and there will always be opponents in the company, as well as supporters of the change, but it is also important to be aware of the wider context. Imagine that you are a senior, successful seller, and if you are in some companies in the IT or Telco business, you can easily have a significantly higher salary than most managers from other industries, and suddenly you are told that the business needs to be done differently.

What reaction might follow? Our egos can be extraordinarily strong.

1. Sellers’ resistance.

2. Lack of patience – it takes some time until the additional revenue will start to come.

3. Sellers’ distrust of a consultant, who does not know their world. E.g. sellers in a large B2B business will mostly not accept a consultant, who doesn’t know their sales world. In the process of change, they will pull out different business views and situations and the consultant must be able to respond appropriately. If he fails to do so, he/she is likely to lose respect.

4.

Unsuccessful implementation – loss of competitive advantage, another attempt will be extremely difficult.

resistance?

Sales or Marketing?

An important factor to consider is to understand whether the activity is sales or rather marketing.

That’s a big difference. Not only in various ways of presenting and communicating but in the mindset as well. Visibility and views are great, but for a seller on sales targets, the only activity that matters is bringing clear revenue. The sellers must see clear connections between their activities and the following meetings and subsequent deals.

A seller will never be satisfied with only LI views, what is for various reasons highly important too, but it’s not enough.

2 simple examples

1. Company in the B2C segment with a chain of physical stores reselling goods from various suppliers. Such a case is suitable for the socalled LI marketing use. It is mainly about brand awareness. But that’s not sales through sellers, aiming for achieving their targets.

2. On the other hand, if you have a regular B2B salesforce, responsible for sales acquisition of new clients too, it’s a sales use of LI.

It might seem that marketing and sales often overlap on LI, and they partially do, but it’s a different mindset and the activities on LI need to be significantly different.

My experience with a company that has failed

I have experience with a company that tried to implement LI sales to several sellers, but the project was unsuccessful. It’s good to mention that the business of that company is relatively simple for the successful use of LI. It wasn’t about complex solutions, but services that everyone simply needs. Therefore, all LI users are potential customers. From my point of view, in the world of gaining additional revenue through LI, it was a relatively simple industry and segment. But let’s go back to what happened. The company had several months of experience with a LI consultant, who worked with them regularly every week, and even so, according to them, it did not bring any additional sales. After about half a year, they canceled the consultations and it’s obvious that the feelings of the management were quite skeptical about the second chance or another view. They simply fell into a trap of incorrect implementation. If it was a company that sells sophisticated solutions by senior sellers, then it’s lost. Such sellers would simply no longer allow a second chance and they would sabotage it.

After mentioning the risks that you can probably expect, I will very simply focus on 33 points - solutions using the knowledge of change management, which I consider crucial for such a larger project.

Don´t miss the next edition of Czech and Slovak Leaders magazine where I´m going to elaborate on these.

Viktor Kosticky

...to be continued

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS III/2020

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CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS III/2020

P hoto : J itka T omečková

I nterview

with

H.E. E gemen B ağış , A mbassador

of the

R epublic

of

T urkey

On Atatürk's Legacy and Future Goals

In 2019, more than 325 000 Czechs chose Turkey as their favorite vacation destination. How many of them were aware that modern Czech-Turkish relations have roots that trace to highest-level figures, from both the political and intellectual sphere? The first Turkish president Atatürk lived and received treatment in Karlovy Vary. He was influenced by the accents on some letters in the Czech language and introduced letters such as “ş” and “ç” when he reformed Turkish alphabet. It was in Prague, that Yakup Kadri Karaosmanoğlu, a Turkish journalist, politician, and writer, served as the Turkish Ambassador to pre-World War II Czechoslovakia and here, he wrote some of the classics of Turkish literature. Nazım Hikmet, recognized as a leading Turkish writer often visited Czechoslovakia as an exiled country and wrote some of his best poems during his travels. H. E. Egemen Bağış had an active political career, before being posted as Ambassador. He had also visited the Czech Republic before, in the position of Minister of European Union Affairs and the Chief Negotiator. He was also a Chief Foreign Policy Advisor, member of Parliament representing Istanbul, and lectured at the Istanbul Aydin University.

His wife, Beyhan N. Bağış is an entrepreneur. They moved to Prague in November 2019 with their two children.

Mr. Ambassador, you will soon be celebrating the first anniversary of your posting to the Czech Republic. What are your impressions?

I love it. It is a great honor to represent my nation in a friendly allied country. I was slightly surprised when President Erdoğan asked me to become an Ambassador to Prague. I was given the specific task to increase our bilateral trade from 3.5 billion USD to 5 billion. This challenge was already announced during our official visit to Prague in 2013. Six years had passed and our bilateral trade volume did not significantly change. Therefore, the President told me to come to Prague to fulfill this goal so new targets could be set. We arrived in November 2019 and I presented my credentials to President Zeman on December 11th, 2019.

How has the pandemic impacted the diplomatic activity?

Of course, Covid-19 limited many activities.

Overall, we still have achieved a lot during our first year. Prime Minister Babiš had a very successful working visit to Ankara and Istanbul.

PPF Group’s Škoda Transportations bought shares and became the managing partner of TEMSA, which is one of the most prominent

Turkish bus manufacturers. Two Czech citizens who were in Turkish custody have been released as a result of the persistent follow-up between Prime Minister Babiš and President Erdoğan which led to increased cooperation among the security, intelligence, and justice branches of our respective governments.

We have witnessed greater cooperation among our representatives at international organizations which resulted in the election of many Turkish and Czech candidates to several global positions. There has been a great sense of solidarity and cooperation in the fight against COVID, illegal immigration, and terrorism.

Our embassy is now very active on social media and people who are interested in Turkey should follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

What about the trade and the goal you got from Mr. President?

Our bilateral trade is also on a trend to increase despite the limitations caused by global obstacles. For example, Škoda Auto vehicles have achieved a 26% sales increase in Turkey last year.

EnergyPro has invested by building four hydropower energy plants in Turkey and two of them have already become operational. In addition

to the existing Turkish Czech NGO’s like Kitap, Fenerbahce Fans Club, and Joint Chamber of Commerce I have motivated our community to establish various NGO’s to unite Turkish business professionals in Czechia, to organize cultural and art events, to promote industrial and trade cooperation, to organize weekend Turkish language courses for kids and night classes for adults and to establish associations in major cities like Brno, Ostrava, Pilsen, etc.

The Czech Republic celebrated its National Day, 102nd anniversary of the establishment of the First Czechoslovak Republic, commemorating its first leader Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk. The first president of Turkey, Mustafa Kamal Atatürk visited Czechoslovakia himself. How strong are the republican tradition and Atatürk’s legacy in Turkey nowadays?

Admiration for Atatürk and Masaryk is a unifying phenomena in both our countries. We recently commemorated the 82nd anniversary of Atatürk’s passing and celebrated his achievements during his short life of only 57 years.

As I said during the ceremony at our embassy, some of the leaders who lived in the same time period and who were a source of fear for their

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS III/2020

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I nterview

with

H.E. E gemen B ağış , A mbassador

own nations as well as the world, have all been forgotten, or are remembered for their bad legacies today. Atatürk and Masaryk on the other hand inspired love and respect and propelled their nations to a new era, ensuring both their national existence and identity. What’s more amazing is that the admiration of their respective nations for them is increasing not decreasing over time. The reason behind this fact is that they were not totalitarian as some of their peers in many other countries were.

Atatürk prepared and led the Turkish nation for a great leap forward. In such a world, Atatürk laid the foundations of our democratic tradition. In response to the question of a foreign journalist, Atatürk said "I want to rule by winning hearts not breaking them."

Atatürk's intuition and foresight were also incredible. He predicted that the Soviet Union would eventually collapse and that we had to build cultural bridges with our brethren in Central Asia.

The fact that he was one of the first visionaries who put forward the idea of ​​establishing a Balkan Union which as he said would later become a European Union for peace to be permanent is a phenomenon that people in Europe should know better.

Atatürk stated that the real liberation was through economic independence, the development and strengthening of the country in all respects. Our current government in Turkey is working resolutely towards achieving his dream.

If we look at current Czech-Turkish relations, would you consider the glass halffull or rather half-empty?

Definitely more than half-full. We don’t have any historical animosities and never fought against each other. The most significant bond between our nations is the presence of three cemeteries of our martyred soldiers who fell during the First World War at the Galicia front and are now in their eternal resting places in the Czech Republic. Although they are buried here, they were here to protect our German al-

H.E. Egemen Bağış and President Miloš Zeman

38

of the

R epublic

lies and the local inhabitants from Russian forces.

To give a more recent example, I should add that our nation deeply appreciates the Czech Government’s initiative to restore the Bohemian crystal chandeliers of the Turkish Parliament, which were damaged during the disgraceful coup attempt on July 15th, 2016. That dreadful night, the Turkish Grand National Assembly where our nation has been represented since 1920, was bombed almost a dozen times by the Gulenist terror network.

At every chance we get, we underline the importance of the Visegrad Group and put forward our best efforts to advance cooperation. We are making every effort to sustain and strengthen the support of the Czech Republic to Turkey’s membership to the EU and to increase the cooperation between our two great nations under the NATO umbrella and try to contribute to lasting global peace.

As the founding President of Czechia, Václav Havel, advised “we shall work for goals because they are good, not just because they stand a chance to succeed.”

What are the prospective areas between the two countries for cooperation in the post-Covid world?

We already have substantial trade and cooperation in the sectors and fields of energy, security, defense, tourism, culture, and education. I must admit that although we currently have partnerships in all of these fields, there still is much more considerable potential in our respective countries for mutually beneficial cooperation.

The fact that Turkey is one of the top tourist destinations of Czechs, and that the Czech Republic is one of the most preferred countries for Turkish students regarding exchange programs, only reinforces our hope to strengthen the bond between our nations.

We had planned to organize an annual Turkish festival in Prague to promote our cultural richness which we had to cancel due to Covid-19 but we are hoping to fulfill this goal in June of 2021.

I would like to establish sister city relationships between Turkish and Czech cities and towns.

I plan to visit different regions of the Czech Republic in order to meet both elected local government and business community leaders to establish ties with their Turkish counterparts.

I believe tourism is an important sector for our citizens to flourish stronger bonds and will try to increase flights among our major airports.

Last but not least, motivating our respective business communities to attend trade fairs for different sectors is my hope and plan for the coming year.

Often repeated question to ambassadors is about known-unknowns. What do Czechs not know about Turkish people and should know? And vice versa, what Turks do not know about Czechs and should know?

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS III/2020

of

T urkey

H.E. Egemen Bağış and Prime Minister Andrej Babiš with their wives

Czech glass and porcelain have always been very popular for Turks and since the time of Ottoman Emperor Abdulhamit, we have been using Moser glasses while entertaining our guests in our Sultan’s court, palace, and embassies all around the world.

As many people know, the Ottomans wanted to include Vienna as part of their Empire and unsuccessfully seized the city twice. Some analysts claim that is because Ottoman Sultans had not seen Prague and did not know how beautiful it is. They would much prefer to have Prague rather than Vienna but they simply did not know what they were missing.

There is a misunderstanding about the predominant religion of Turks not only in the Czech Republic but in many parts of the world.

Ignorance and lack of knowledge play an important role in this misperception. Unfortunately, we are living in a period when hostility to Islam and Muslims and disrespect for our prophet is spreading like cancer, especially among some in Europe.

I would like to underline and let your readers know that no Muslim can be a terrorist, nor can any terrorist be a Muslim. A terrorist is a bloody murderer who does not hesitate to kill innocent people. All religions including Islam very clearly prohibit killing. We must unite and combat against all violence together.

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

It is a great honor for myself and my wife, Beyhan, to represent our country in the golden city of Prague that lies in the heart of Europe.

Turkey has the will to develop our mutual relations even further in all areas between our country and our ally, the Czech Republic.

I want your readers to know that I am ready, 25 hours a day and 8 days a week to help establish ties with their respective Turkish counterparts.

Long live Turkish Czech friendship and alliance.

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

Humanitas From left: Paul Oyeniyi, Asagba Ogagaoghene Convention, Emmanuel Hayford, and Samuel K. Mensah

Asagba displays agreement form

Asagba receives the chegue in the company of his witnesses

Mr. Paul Oyeniyi signing the document Mr. Samuel K. Mensah signing as a witness on behalf of Asagba

Ghana Country Coordinator of Humanitas Afrika Mr. Hayford presents Asagba with the enlarged model of the chegue Happy Asagba displaying the cheque

Mr. Hayford and Asagba posing for the camera

Since the outbreak of the global corona virus pandemic, our organization has faced some challenges in its operations. However, Humanitas Afrika has still managed to honour its promise of delivering a life changing support to a young man who lives in Nigeria with a dream. Mr. Asagba Ogagaoghene Convention is a young man who hails from Oleh, Delta State in Nigeria. A little over a year ago, an urgent request for assistance came through to Humanitas Afrika in the Czech Republic, from Ogagaoghene. The organization has had massive youth and women life impacting projects in Benin, Burkina Faso, Kenya and Ghana but not in Nigeria. So it became interested to see if it could extend its work thus far. Humanitas Afrika then took the request of Mr. Ogagaoghene and shared it with a few of its long time Czech friends and supporters with an appeal for support for the young man to realize his dream. Fortunately, an elderly woman by name Ms. Z. Dubenska responded and accepted to help. Now we are happy to share with you that with the massive support of Ms. Dubenska, the ambition of Mr. Ogagaoghene to start his own tailoring shop as well as sell clothing accessories has become a reality. He travelled from Nigeria to Ghana and at the office premises of Humanitas Afrika in the village of Obom on Monday 7 September 2020, received a cheque donation/sponsorship in the amount of GHs 20,748.60 in Ghana cedis which is the equivalent to CZK 90,000 in Czech Crowns or 3,000 Euros.

The cheque was presented to Mr. Ogagaoghene in a short ceremony by Mr. Emmanuel Hayford, the coordinator and country representative of Humanitas Afrika in Ghana, and witnessed by Mr. Samuel K. Mensah, an elder who supports the work of the organization in Ghana, and Mr. Paul Oge Oyeniyi, a Nigerian who lives in Ghana but comes from the same Oleh in Delta State as the beneficiary. We at Humanitas Afrika are totally excited about delivering our first ever charity support in Nigeria to Mr. Asagba Ogagaoghene Convention.

We wish him well and we will follow his progress. Czech elderly woman Madam Z. Dubenska and Humanitas Afrika have clearly demonstrated and manifested the power and impact of the spirit of UBUNTU in urgent situation of this African young man. We have indeed collaborated in our efforts to stop one African young man from crossing the desert and risking his life in attempt to cross the dangerous Mediterranean Sea in search of a non-existent greener pasture in Europe.

Writers' PRAGUE

culture event

Festival

Discussion "1989". From left: Martin Vopěnka, Politologist, Petr Drulák, former Ambassador in France, Petr Pithart, Politician and Lawyer, Apolena Rychlíková, Journalist, and Erik Best, Journalist

When the organizers chose the quote "We are condemned to hope" by Italian author Elsa Morante as the motto of the 30th Prague Writers' Festival, they did realize how fitting it would become for the entire 2020. After much uncertainty, the live festival took place in St. Agnes Monastery, Prague, from October 8th to 11th. It was opened by the Minister of Culture, Lubomír Zaorálek. The main star of the Festival was Nigerian author, Nobel Prize Laureate Wole Soyinka who, despite the circumstances, traveled from his homeland to join vital conversations, both political and philosophical. Other writers came from Greece, Germany, Italy, and the Czech Republic – Ersi Sotiropoulos, Daňa Horáková, poet Claudio Pozzani, and novelist Jiří Hájíček. The last event of the Festival was conversation “1989” featuring major Czech thinkers, ending just hours before the lockdown.

Opening speech of Lubomír Zaorálek, Minister of Culture

From left: Wole Soyinka, Nigerian author, Nobel Prize Laureate, Michael March, Author and President of Prague Writers Festival, and Lubomír Zaorálek, Minister of Culture before the gala opening Wole Soyinka, Nigerian author, Nobel Prize Laureate during the gala opening

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CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS III/2020

Libuše Valentová, Translator from Romanian language

P hoto : P etr M achan , J osef R abara , E ster Š ebestová , T ereza K underová

culture event

Daňa Horáková, German Writer and former Minister of Culture of Hamburg county

Tereza Matějčková, Philosopher Claudio Pozzani, Italian Poet

Ersi Sotiropoulos, Greek Writer Claudio Pozzani and Michael March during the screening of a movie Talking Heads Stop Making Sense (Rock Café Praha)

Jiří Hájíček, Writer

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS III/2020

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Hana Šmejkalová and Jan Juchelka The winners of the 27th annual contest were announced under strict health measures The 27th annual Manager of the Year contest, organised by the Czech Management Association, was won by Jan Juchelka, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors at Komerční banka, and Hana Šmejkalová, Vice Chairman of the Board at East Bohemian Airport EBA in 2019. The Top 10 and category winners included a number of figures of European significance. Due to the state of emergency, the announcement of the results of the 27th annual contest for the best managers of 2019 was not made until 3 December at the CMA’s Prague headquarters instead of on the originally planned April, and then October, dates. A number of managers and evaluation commission members took part in the ceremony in person. The best were announced in the media, in particular through media partners and Czech Television, and on social networks. The trophy was handed over in person to his successors by the winner of the previous year, Prof. Vladimír Mařík, from the Czech Institution of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics, Czech Technical University in Prague.

“Regardless of the complications around the contest due to multiple states of emergency, the results confirm the great importance of this long-term project for society, seeking and promoting successful managers and visionaries across disciplines,” says Petr Kazík, President of the CMA and Chairman of the Evaluation Commission. He has also announced the 28th annual Manager of the Year 2020 contest, which will culminate in the announcement of its winners on 19 May 2021 in Prague’s Žofín Palace, conditional upon a favourable health situation.

CMA Executive Director Ivo Gajdoš awards Karel Semerák, owner and founder of Sense Vital Air, who won the Innovation for Sustainable Development prize in the Industry category

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Manager of the Year 2019 (female) Hana Šmejkalová, Vice Chairman of the Board at East Bohemian Airport and Manager of the Year 2019 (male) Jan Juchelka, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Komerční banka

Cyril Svozil, Chairman and Owner, FENIX Trading (left), who won the Industry category, and was placed in the Top 10 Best Managers, alongside Josef Klíma, Chairman of ELAP producer’s co-operative – Digital Age Manager and Top 10

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS III/2020

Chairman of the Evaluation Commission and CMA President, Petr Kazík, awards a diploma to Cyril Svozil, Chairman and Owner at FENIX Trading, who won the Industry category and was placed in the Top 10 Best Managers

Looking back at the 27 year th

38 figures advanced to last year’s final, from amongst whom the Evaluation Commission, and subsequently the National Commission, selected the winners of individual categories, and the Top 10 Managers. Besides traditional sectors, the CMA gave awards to figures in the categories of Digital Age Manager, Visionary and Manager of a Small or Medium-Sized Enterprise. Also announced were the winners of the Innovation Award for Sustainable Development, awarded by the CMA subsidiary, the Czech Business Council for Sustainable Development (CBCSD).

Running the contest successfully requires a broad network of partner organisations and institutions. The contest’s organiser, the Czech Management Association, co-operates with other associations, societies and international chambers in nominating successful managers. Its partners include the mentioned subsidiary, the CBCSD, the Union of Czech Production Cooperatives, the Agricultural Association of the Czech Republic, CZECH TOP 100, the Czech Institute of Directors, and also universities and colleges, private, state and public institutions and many other entities. Each year, cabinet members

grant patronage to the contest, including the Minister of Industry and Trade, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Interior Minister.

“I would like work to ensure the Manager of the Year contest continues to grow in prestige by nominating the best managers, whose professional career path is not just interesting, but also informative,” says Petr Kazík.

An analysis of the managerial achievements of the finalists in this 27th year is certainly informative, with certain trends apparent.

Roughly 30 percent of managers entered the contest having managed to build a, “team of satisfied, creative and innovative people, forming a prosperous company”. A similarly large group of finalists mention a, “change in way of managing and transformation”. Roughly a third of respondents speak of management success in regard to innovations, such as transitioning to automated operations, and investment in or launching start-ups. A smaller group of finalists refer to, “stable economic results during a period of tumultuous changes within the domestic or global markets”.

Competition categories for the 28th year • Digital Age Manager • Visionary • Manager of a Small or Medium-Sized Enterprise • Foreign Manager • Young Managerial Talent (up to 35 years old) • Industry and related fields (transport, construction) • Agriculture • Services • Non-profit Sector(including culture, sports, healthcare) • Public Administration (state administration and self-government) Prof. Vladimír Mařík, Manager of the Year 2018 (left) and Jan Juchelka, Manager of the Year 2019

Prof. Vladimír Mařík, CIICR ČVUT, Manager of the Year 2018 (left) hands the trophy to his successor, Jan Juchelky, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Komerční banka, Manager of the Year 2019

CMA Honorary President, Pavel Kafka, awards Martin Hausenblas, ADLER Czech, a.s. shareholder, winner in the Visionary category

Chairman of the Evaluation Commission and CMA President, Petr Kazík, awards a diploma to Vladimír Stehno, Chairman of the Board at COOP, who won in the Services category

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS III/2020

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Pandemic restrictions were in place for the announcement of the Manager of the Year winners

About the Manager of the Year contest For 28 years, this contest has sought, evaluated, awarded and promoted the best managers and leaders in Czech management. Its uniqueness is in the fact it highlights managers across sectors, professions and regions. It presents modern, successful management methods and new trends. Almost 1700 figures have reached its finals over more than a quarter of a century, with 67 of them receiving the coveted title of Manager of the Year. In 2018 – fittingly in the year marking the 100th anniversary of the founding of Czechoslovakia, Managers of the QuarterCentury were awarded. Further information available from the contest website www.manazerroku.cz.

Manager of the Year heads to Europe CEC European Managers is interested in the contest’s European dimension The Manager of the Year contest, which has this year entered its 28th year, is expanding across Europe. This is the plan of its Czech Manager Association (CMA) organisers. Symbolically, the European version is planned to accompany the 30th anniversary of the contest’s existence, having gained many admirers in the Czech Republic. Just the winning managers, entrepreneurs and leaders across the country, regions and sectors number almost 1700. And each year this number keeps growing. Increasing numbers of new Czech and foreign managers operating in the Czech Republic apply to the contest, gaining awards and recognition.

The CMA presidium has nevertheless decided to give the contest a European dimension. One of the practical reasons for this key step is the fact that since 2019, CMA has been a member of CEC European Managers, which brings together millions of members and seventeen national organisations in addition to sectorial organisations. “We would like to organise a European contest in the style of Manager of the Year, as there is no similar joint contest within Europe,” says Petr Kazík, CMA President and Chairman of the Expert Evaluation Commission. “Because we have a lot of experience with national rounds, we want to move it forward, offering the space to find and award managers across all the countries of Europe. I think that in so doing we would demonstrate the global significance of the management profession, and find more contact points to build up mutual and inspiring communication,” he adds.

Since it joined CEC European Managers last year, the CMA has been discussing running the contest with CEC management, in particular with President Ludger Ramme, who already expressed interest in the contest's European format.

In 2018, he awarded the Manager of the Quarter Century prize at Prague Castle on the occasion of 25 years of the contest. He considers the contest to be a great motivator.

“Managers face, and in upcoming years will continue to face, great challenges. I would like to wish them the clarity, purpose of work, and in particular motivation, to resolve these challenges,” says Ludger Ramme. While managers do receive awards in a number of European countries, each country and organiser has their own evaluation criteria. The CMA’s priority is to create the same criteria across Europe.

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CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS III/2020

Participants in the award ceremony (left to right) Vít Dočkal, Head of the Project Office and Strategic Projects at CIIRC ČVUT, ranked in the Top 10 Best Managers, Jadran Šetlík, art photographer and CMA Ambassador, and CMA Honorary President, Pavel Kafka

Chairman of the Evaluation Commission and CMA President, Petr Kazík, awards Jaroslav Kurčík, Chairman of the Board and General Manager at PENAM for winning the category Agriculture and his position amongst the Top 10 Managers

Chairman of the Evaluation Commission and CMA President, Petr Kazík, awards Vít Dočkal, Head of the Project Office and Strategic Projects at CIIRC ČVUT, ranked in the Top 10 Best Managers

Scientific co-operation BETWEEN CZECHIA AND ISRAEL VALUABLE, COMMENDS BIOCEV

From left: Petr Solil of BIOCEV, Linda Štucbartová of ČISOK and Pavel Martásek

“I see great potential in our co-operation with the university in Beersheba, and I look forward to being able to return to Israel once the pandemic is over and come to an agreement on specific current projects,” says Martásek. Like his other colleagues, Martásek has also been involved in establishing international publications. BIOCEV’s high level of research is also reflected in its approach to the latest cutting-edge procedures in the diagnosis and treatment of oncological, neurodegenerative and rare diseases.

To the question of whether institutes the size of the BIOCEV centre could take advantage of ČISOK’s planned service offering the sharing of information on specific projects and subsequent communication with selected Israeli business partners, Martásek responds: “I see further opportunities for co-operation in agricultural research.

The influence of epigenetic factors on the nutrition of Bohemian Red Pied cattle, for example, is being researched. In this regard, Israeli cattle achieve one of the highest milk yields in the world. I also see potential for co-operation in the fields of food production, fishing and winemaking.”

“Incidentally, the true reciprocal nature of Czech-Israeli relations is also seen in the number of Israeli medical students who study and undertake research in the Czech Republic. I personally look forward to being able to visit Israel again. I travel to Israel very often, not just to visit partner universities, but also to get inspiration at the Biomed exhibition, one of the leading trade fairs for the life sciences,” adds Martásek.

Exceptional Czech-Israeli relations and co-operation with the Weizmann Institute of Science

Joel Sussman, who last year received an honorary doctorate from Charles University, is very much at home at the BIOCEV centre, as he is a member of its International Scientific Board. Sussman works at Israel’s prestigious Weizmann Institute of Science (WIS). “Weizmann” is considered by experts to be one of the best research institutes in the world for the natural sciences.

Delana Mikolášová, Czech Diplomat for Science in Israel adds: “I’m pleased that the Czech Academy of Sciences has had a co-operation agreement in place since 2017, which is manifested across many fields.” The agreement and the active scientific coP hoto : A rchive

BIOCEV, a unique research centre bringing together six institutes of the Academy of Sciences and two Charles University faculties, and led by Pavel Martásek, is full of praise for co-operation with Israel. Pavel Martásek has many years of experience with scientific co-operation in molecular medicine. At the current time, BIOCEV is co-operating extensively with universities in Tel Aviv, Rehovot, Jerusalem and Beersheba.

operation and exchange which arise from it testify not just to special Czech-Israeli relations, but also to the high quality of Czech science in general.

Bohdan Schneider, Director of the Institute of Biotechnology of the CAS, one of BIOCEV’s main partners and leader of the BIOCEV Structural Biology and Protein Engineering research programme, notes that even during the pandemic, young scientist Lucie Kolářová was able to travel and get involved in Gideon Schneider’s research group and continue in her research. Professor Schneider also points out that a group of scientists from the Weizmann Institute travelled to BIOCEV to test out its modern laboratory facilities. “Considering BIOCEV was opened in 2016, our facilities are amongst the best in the world. And not just our facilities, but also the success of our students, demonstrate that we have much to offer in the human resources field too. Our young scientists go back into the world not just with experience of cutting-edge scientific research within an international environment, but also with valuable contacts. When you’ve got good contacts in Israel, you’ve basically got them across the entire world.”

“I look forward to flying over to meet the students and being able to go through the details of their research, in person and on site. We need to work on publishing and the personal exchange of opinions and experience on site, and no technology can replace this in the long term. We regularly run scientific workshops and conferences with WIS, and I hope this year we will be able to welcome our Israeli colleagues here to Vestec in autumn.”

aware of how important it is to continue to focus on mutual relations, and to be able to offer Israel suitable projects for co-operative partnership.

The Czech-Israeli Mutual Chamber of Commerce’s role as mediator of new opportunities

“The Czech-Israeli Mutual Chamber of Commerce is aware that the number of mutual meetings and many scientific missions and specific results are not always well communicated. We have therefore taken on this project, which aims to raise the profile not just of ČISOK members, but also of other companies and organisations which are not members,” says ČISOK President, Pavel Smutný. “Our Chamber and its individual divisions are highly active. We are preparing to adapt our website so we can help to establish cooperation with Israeli partners for our companies, universities and other organisations, even at this time when in-person meetings are impossible, through a structured questionnaire in English. Let us develop Czech-Israeli relations further and make use of the firm foundations upon which they are built.”

For further information, you can contact Linda Štucbartová, member of the ČISOK Executive Board and also its head of Science, Research and Innovation.

Vestec as a gateway (not just for Israel) to the EU

Petr Solil, BIOCEV Head of Communications and Spokesperson, emphasises that BIOCEV, like other exclusive centres in the so-called STAR region, can represent a gateway to the EU for Israeli students and scientists. “Along with BIOCEV in Vestec, our STAR region also includes the ELI Beamlines and HiLASE laser centres in nearby Dolní Břežany and cutting-edge biotechnology companies such as EXBIO, Vidia and DIANA Biotechnologies.” On the basis of the many years of experience that Petr has acquired, both at CzechInvest where he was behind the formation of the GESHER-MOST programme, and also as a ČISOK member of many years and Vice-Chair of its Editorial Board for Science and Research, he is well

By Linda Štucbartová Source: ČISOK; editorially modified české znění naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.czechleaders.com Linda Štucbartová Linda Štucbartová is an entrepreneur and founder of the Czech-Israeli Women Accelerator. In 2018 and 2019, she organised entrepreneurial missions to Israel for women. She is a member of the Czech-Israeli Mutual Chamber of Commerce and also heads its Science, Research and Innovation division. She is also a member of the Charles University Commercialisation Board, and an evaluator for the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic. She has been involved in supporting women and linking academia and business for more than ten years. Her latest hobby is the Sebevědomá sebeobrana (Self-Confident Self-Defence) project.

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS III/2020

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I first spoke with John Tregellas for Leaders Magazine in the autumn of 2016. We discussed the 20th anniversary of The Prague Concert Co., the energy of young orchestras and the international WASBE Conference.

This interview had a number of consequences. I became a member of the Concert Club, the agency began co-operating with a number of new music ensembles, and the idea of a niche department focused on visiting exclusive artistic venues and arranging unique culture, art or architecture trips in Central Europe was hatched, to be named Beyond Classic Travel.

We began setting plans for a further interview during the course of the first. In the meantime, John celebrated thirty years since his arrival in then-Czechoslovakia and the start of his successful business organising concert tours and music festivals, and he also became a Czech citizen. Our second interview again took place in the Czech language. In 2020, The Prague Concert Co. had planned a record 160 concerts, almost double the number compared to 2016... and we all know what happened next.

On a side note, did you know that it is much more difficult to cancel a planned concert tour than it is to set one up?

Not even during a period of crisis when it is hard to plan for the future and arrange new tours, partly because choirs and large ensembles are unable to practise, have John and his team sat back or given up. They are supporting charities, setting up new projects, testing the use of on-line technologies and offering their capabilities and knowledge for companies to make use of. And they’re looking forward to 2022.

WASBE Conference www.wasbe2022.com

Musica Orbis Prague Festival www.musicaorbis.com

Beyond Classic Travel www.beyondclassic.cz

Concert Club

www.concertclub.cz

The Prague Concert Co. www.concert.cz

When were you last at a concert? I’m asking because thanks to you and your Concert Club, I know exactly. My family and I managed to catch the final concert on 8 October in the Municipal House. It was Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7. The audience attempted to compensate for their limited number by giving a standing ovation. We all felt sad that we were going to have to say goodbye to live culture.

I was at a concert the evening before last. You can probably guess that it was a concert which was held “online”. Our colleague, Jan Špalek, was performing “live” for Obývák.tv, so I got an invite. So I was able to check the technical aspect of this type of broadcast, which now seems to offer an alternative. And of course we are also asking ourselves whether one can generate income in this way.

I’ll clarify my question then. I hadn’t realised how ambiguous things are today. When were you last at a concert in a concert hall?

As an agency, we held our last live concert in early October in the Gothic Hall in Tábor. This was part of a new project in which we are organising trips to concerts outside Prague for members of the Concert Club, giving them the opportunity to experience less well-known venues. I concur with you about the atmosphere: it really was incredible. We were all so happy we had been able to make the concert a reality.

Do you think that people began to appreciate art and culture more following the first wave of the pandemic?

I certainly noticed that there was a proverbial hunger for live culture during the first lockdown, whether in regard to music or theatre. The current second lockdown is no different. Visiting concerts or the theatre is an inherent part of the lifestyle in the Czech Republic. Notice how many people have

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a season ticket for their favourite concert ensemble or theatre, or instead seek out new performances by various smaller experimental theatre groups.

People are missing that now. The cultural sector is without doubt one of the most affected in the Czech Republic. Examples of restaurants, bars and pubs are often discussed in the media. But the economic nature of restaurant establishments is different. There are many freelancers within culture who do a number of jobs involving performance, teaching and creative work. The question is to what extent the government’s different emergency support programmes are geared towards such artists.

That leads on nicely to my next question.

A global movement has been set up under the motto “Art is Work” to support these musicians. Berlin’s Deutsches SymphonieOrchester, led by Simon Rattle and Magdalena Kožená, called attention to their colleagues’ situation by streaming a concert free-of-charge.

Some might have the idealised impression that artists do their profession purely out of enthusiasm, and that their gift comes from God. For an artist, art is both a calling and a way of making a living. Artists have to support their family, pay their mortgage and buy food too. And as I’ve said, for the authorities, combining a number of smaller part-time roles may be less tangible than the situation, for example, of a specific hotel whose owner can ask for compensation according to the number of unoccupied beds. Speaking of compensation, if our agency had specifically tried to come up with a combination of activities worst affected by the pandemic we couldn’t have done better than the reality. We work at the interface between international travel and tourism, and organising mass cultural events with a large number of participants.

The orchestras we represent commonly have around 100 members and mainly come from overseas, and our concerts are usually attended by over 500 visitors.

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS III/2020

How are you and your partners experiencing the current pandemic?

I remain an optimist. One day, the pandemic will pass. But the immediate impact on our season has been devastating. We had to cancel 60 tours comprising 160 concerts in various phases of preparation. We managed to implement one trip in February. More groups were meant to arrive on 13 March this year. We had to cancel one tour just two days before it was due to begin. It turned out that cancelling all the contracted hotels, services, preparation and concert performances involved a much greater volume of work than actually setting the tour up. And for twice the amount of work, we get zero income. Looking soberly at the situation, I think it’s still going to be a long time before culture gets back to normal.

You’re not planning a 2021 season then.

It’s not a realistic option. Our tours are planned a year to nine months in advance. Furthermore, we specialise in choirs and large orchestras, which under current conditions cannot even rehearse. So they have no way to prepare new repertoire, much less plan for international performances. In order for tours to be able to begin again, the situation in the source country and target country must have stabilised, and travel between both countries must be safe. None of these conditions is met at the current time. The United States, where the largest number of our music ensembles come from, is currently in the worst position in terms of this pandemic. Our target countries are the Czech Republic and its neighbours. You can see for yourself how the situation is unstable, and travel remains restricted. Many entities, whether commercial or subsidised, are asking themselves how they can operate over the coming year. Our strategy must involve finding viable ways to survive this period, economically and personally, so we can resume normal activities once the epidemiological situation allows us to do so.

P hoto : J itka T omečková

They say crises test relationships. Not just in romance, but also in business.

I consider The Prague Concert Co.’s relationships as both business and personal in nature. We’ve been operating on the market for over 25 years, and we’ve worked for many years with lots of different partners. Suddenly you’re faced with the question of how they’re going to respond to the cancellation of ordered services perhaps two or three days beforehand. How do we approach this? It was a real test of the ethical dimension of doing business. We could have taken a strict line, in accordance with our contracts, but that would also have led to huge problems. We chose a benevolent strategy, and endeavoured to handle our relationships so that we could all get through this crisis together. I’m pleased that we managed to agree on a mutually acceptable approach for the vast majority of our suppliers and customers.

Because my son sings in the prestigious boys’ choir, Pueri Gaudentes, I know that you can’t rehearse online. On the other hand, online music streaming is probably going to become increasingly common. Are we going to be visiting concerts in our living rooms in slippers, snacking on crisps in tracksuit bottoms while the Czech Philharmonic plays to us?

First to rehearsing. I myself sing in a choir, and I know that there is no software out there yet allowing for comfortable rehearsing together. All those many recordings which have been produced as if via Zoom have been pasted together from the individual performances of individual singers. The outcome, however, is the result of many hours and days of work by many people behind the scenes.

In regard to streaming, I think it’s similar to e-books.

E-books have not entirely replaced actual ones.

People want to go to concert halls and theatres.

They want to share the emotional experience with others. If that wasn’t the case, then the TV would be all we need. There have been recordings of concerts and broadcasts from top opera houses and theatres around the world for many years now. But people still visit those cultural sanctuaries. Online broadcasts are a temporary solution. Every organisation wants to make itself known, to prepare for its return. For orchestras, it’s a logical and meaningful step, but it’s not a replacement.

Thank you for reassuring me that I’ll be able to put on my dress, jewellery and heels again.

I also dream of being able to put on my makeup without worrying about what my facemask will do to it.

It remains to be seen to what extent online broadcasts will stay as perhaps a complementary option to a traditional concert. This method of transmission can convey the experience to people who would not otherwise visit a concert hall, whether for medical or other, perhaps financial, reasons. Concert streaming will become the norm. The question is whether everything will remain free-of-charge. In this respect, that wellknown saying that where there is a crisis there is an opportunity applies. And for orchestras, it offers the opportunity to expand their audience

to incorporate listeners and supporters from literally around the world. The Berlin Philharmonic has been offering a paid digital subscription for many years now. New York’s Metropolitan Opera is known for livestreaming performances to cinemas around the world.

Our agency is also testing various technological solutions like livestreaming. Orchestra fans, and their parents and families, can watch the performance of their favourite ensemble from the other side of the planet. I’m not saying I’m grateful to the pandemic, but it has really forced us to consider opportunities we had not previously made use of.

How is the pandemic affecting the composition of the ensembles you represent? Are enthusiasts going to have to make do with local groups for some time? And what is the Prague Concert Co. focusing on next year?

It’s not just the pandemic, but also Brexit, which is going to play a role. If orchestras in Great Britain are coming with their instruments, we’re going to have to deal with duties and customs clearance again. We’ve already discussed large overseas orchestras as being “problematic” from the organiser’s perspective. The risk of organising a tour for a large orchestra from New York is epidemiologically greater than for a chamber ensemble from Switzerland, for example. So yes, we’ll first begin with performances by smaller ensembles from neighbouring countries.

We showcased our Musica Orbis concert series to the members of our Concert Club, now numbering over 4000, in virtual form. It didn’t involve a livestream, but rather words accompanying the programme with a link to video recordings of those ensembles who were originally to perform live as part of the series of concerts. We are also sending recommendations for the cultural events of other organisations which are being held virtually. Our members are extremely loyal, often from at-risk age groups, and we wanted to give them a service at a time when some of them may not even have been able to leave their homes. In summer, when there were live performances, we also helped to promote the concerts of other organisers. We truly appreciate our Concert Club members, one reason being that they can respond rapidly and often it is their interest which helps to fill up the remaining empty seats in halls.

In the beginning you mentioned our Beyond Classic Travel brand, which we are also going to continue to focus on. We are able to satisfy highly specific requirements. For example, we can organise a special trip on the theme of Portrait Paintings in Bohemia, including visits to private collections, or set up a weekend programme looking at Czech interwar architecture, with expert commentary. Such cases involve small groups, and we anticipate their resurgence and market interest sooner than for the production of large musical ensembles.

You said that you’re looking forward to 2022.

Yes. If everything goes well, that’ll be the year when we go back to full operation, and we’re already planning numerous attractive events.

The pandemic caught us at a time when we had completed the first year of the Musica Orbis Prague Festival, an international classical music competitive festival which is open to orchestras and choirs from around the world. In 2021, the festival will probably be held online. Artists need to hear praise or criticism of their skills, and we will give them this, if in virtual form. I consider this online execution as a step towards restoration of the live festival in 2022.

And 2022 will also see the global WASBE (World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles) Conference, which takes place every other year (because of the pandemic, this time it will be held three years after the last one). This association is admirably represented in the Czech Republic by Col. Václav Blahunek, Chief Conductor of the Band of the Castle Guards and the Police of the Czech Republic. The third week of July 2022 will showcase the best symphonic wind music ensembles from around the world, headed by the US Marine Band. The event, which traditionally attracts several thousand visitors from abroad, will be held at Žofín Palace. It will be a wonderful opportunity for bands which have had to interrupt their normal operation to once again showcase what they can do live. And we trust that Prague will be the best venue for them to appear. And it’ll also be a great opportunity to restore travel and tourism services in Prague.

We’re looking forward to working with all the major institutions and stakeholders involved in supporting travel and tourism. This major international event offers Prague and the Czech Republic the opportunity to show itself in the best light once again.

Finally, I would like to thank all devotees of culture who continue to support it in whatever form. The entire The Prague Concert Co. team also deserves great appreciation and respect for having done their best in coping with the current situation and, in line with our company culture, offering support wherever it is needed. We have continued our close relationship with the Cesta domů (hospice) organisation, gardened in care homes, and at least half of our team has completed a Czech Red Cross First Aid course, and spend part of their working week providing support to the elderly. We are also open to participation in new projects. I am proud of our team and I would like to ensure that they have something worthwhile to do until we resume normal service. Another of our initiatives is to organise some great company programmes bringing music and teambuilding together. There are so many interesting parallels – through various rhythmic activities you can help to tune and harmonise your team, and you can grow its creativity by forming an orchestra out of different unconventional instruments. And there are many parallels between conducting an orchestra or choir and managing a team. Definitely give us the opportunity to help you!

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

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The Innovation Week 2020 was looking towards the future

Due to the coronavirus pandemic The Innovation Week had to be moved from May to September this year. Despite many limitations that organizers were forced to face, this jubilee 5th year of event was successful again.

Foreign and domestic speakers of the conference, as well as exhibitors on Innovation Fair or organizers of professional workshops were thinking and discusssing about the future. Main topics were sustainability, digital transformation and future of artificial intelligence.

Ondřej Vlček, CEO, Avast

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Workshop „Let´s talk about it“ by Unipetrol, called Does plastic belong to the responsible future?

The Innovation Fair: Undout Sleep Box

Vít Šimral, City of Prague Council Member, responsible for education, sport, science and entrepreneurship support

The Innovation Fair: innovations can be fun

The Innovation Week 2020, Forum Karlín

Tomáš Petříček, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic

From left: Lukáš Sedláček, CEO, ELAI and The Innovation Week and Tomáš Sedláček, Economist, Philosopher, Writer

Tomasz Wiatrak, CEO, Unipetrol Orlen Group

Zdeněk Hřib, The Mayor of Prague, Czech Pirate Party, at the Gala Dinner of The Innovation Week

International Innovation Conference: Diego Saikin, member of SpaceIL, the organization behind the project Beresheet, Israel's first lunar mission which reached multiple milestones such as being the first private mission to the Moon in the history

From left: Lukáš Sedláček, CEO, ELAI and Innovation Week and Karel Janeček, Mathematician, Entrepreneur, Philantropist and anti-corruption campaigner

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I nterview with S uelette D reyfus , E xecutive D irector of B lueprint for F ree S peech

Suelette Dreyfus appeared on the set of a Australian national TV show on the ABC network, with the show's host and other guests.

WHISTLEBLOWING IS AN EMERGING HUMAN RIGHT The Czech and Slovak Leaders Magazine prides itself not only to interview leading experts in the field but also to raise awareness about important societal issues. Given the current pandemic, whistleblowing has proven as a very useful method to protect individuals, companies and the society as a whole.

Li Wenliang, a Chinese medical doctor, was the famous first whistleblower who warned against the pandemic, unfortunately later only to die from Covid-19 himself.

We should also recognize the fact that the pandemic stopped physical travelling but did not hinder international cooperation. It was within the scope of the E.A.T. (Expanding Anonymous Tipping) project that the Czech NGO Oživení (Revival), together with eight other partner organizations working across 11 different EU countries, got involved in the project. The E.A.T. project helps to widely expand anonymous tipping technology deployment, operation and trustworthiness to combat corruption in Eastern and Southern Europe.

Dr. Suelette Dreyfus is the Executive Director of Blueprint for Free Speech. Suelette’s career has spanned academia, journalism and activism. She is a specialist in privacy technologies, Internet freedoms and media integrity. Inspired by the open-source software movement, Suelette founded Blueprint with a view to improving the standards of laws around the globe that protect freedom of expression generally. She is particularly interested in raising the standards of protection for whistleblowers and for freedom of speech for the media. Blueprint is one of the few NGOs globally active in advocating for the legal protection of whistleblowers and whistleblowing, and particularly protections for going to the media. Blueprint for Free Speech gives Whistleblowing Prizes and Special Recognition Awards to highlight the bravery of those whistleblowers who come forward in the public interest. I was pleased to find on the Blueprint website an interview with Mr. Libor Michálek, a famous Czech whistleblower, a former Director of the Czech State Environment Fund who refused to sign a contract that was being overcharged by 150 million USD. Suelette, you are an Australian expert being involved in the EU whistleblowing project, all happening in times of pandemic. What an emblematic connection between the global collaboration and the urgency to protect free speech and whistleblowers rights and protection. Before discussing the whistleblowing as a subject matter, let me ask you about your personal connection to the Czech Republic.

I was due to visit the Czech Republic for the first time in April last year actually, and then the pandemic hit. It’s high on my bucket list. However, I know a lot about your country, as one of my close friends was a daughter of Czechoslovakian immigrants and thanks to her family, I learned a lot about your country’s history. On personal level, I love working with our Czech partner, not-for-profit community organization, Oživení.

My organization, Blueprint for Free Speech has a branch in Germany and in Spain, so I am familiar with these and other EU countries thanks to our presence in Europe. As you have mentioned in the introduction, my organization has done research on whistleblowing in the Czech Republic and the resources can be found on our website. As soon as the pandemic allows, I will be delighted to visit Prague, one of the most vibrant and beautiful cities in the world.

The year 2020 in the Czech Republic brought several causes where whistleblowers played crucial role. One of these dealt with the lack of protection gear in the beginning of the pandemic, the other dealt with the toxic pollution of the river Bečva, just to name

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the most significant ones. But there is also an external pressure. Why should we pay attention to whistleblowing in 2021?

Following years of pressure by civil society, in 2019 a new EU Whistleblower Directive was approved in the European Parliament. It was a joyful day for so many community groups – we travelled to Strasbourg to watch the historic vote. We all sat in the gallery of the Parliament to see the legislation pass. We could feel the buzz of change, it was so exciting after years of hard work. This was a turning point. I think at some point in the future we will look back at that event as the moment when the right to dissent from wrongdoing – to speak up – achieved a critical milestone as an emerging freedom of expression human right.

The new Directive provides minimum standards which will be enacted across all EU member states.

The law will require employers to provide channels for making reports and protect whistleblowers from retaliation.

E.A.T project (Expanding Anonymous Tipping) responds directly to the Directive by providing secure and anonymous submissions systems for public and private sector organizations, exactly the kinds of systems the Directive will ask organizations to implement. EAT represents a series of examples of how these systems can be set up, best practice for running them and the positive consequences that result. This project has brought together nine NGOs covering 11 countries with the highest perception of corruption in Europe. It not only raises the awareness on whistleblowing but on the practical level it provides a secure digital drop box for whistleblowers to be able to make disclosures in a technologically protected manner.

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It’s been pretty amazing to share the experiences across so many countries. There are many common barriers across them all to adopting proper whistleblower protection. The NGO’s working together really figured out how this works far better than we would have done apart.

Being a whistleblower is not easy. As much as whistleblowers are vital to society, speaking up is hard. They provide us with information about serious wrongdoing in the public interest. Whistleblowers and their families often face harsh repercussions and, in some cases, even persecution.

There are two major ways you can protect a whistleblower. One is in law and policy. The organizations involved in the project also work in their respective countries to support the national transposition of the mentioned Directive, passed in 2019, into their own laws for each member state. The Directive has to be translated into national laws by the end of this year, 2021. I hope that in some cases the national laws will be even more ambitious than the Directive itself.

The second way to protect whistleblowers is by applying appropriate technology. For example, you can use a computer or even a mobile phone to make a disclosure that is either confidential or anonymous or both. Depending on the configuration, the confidential disclosure means that on the website where you make a disclosure, the path between your computer and the website where you make the disclosure is encrypted from end to end. It’s much better protection than sending a plain text e-mail via a not very secure email provider. You can also add a layer P hoto : A rchive

of anonymity by using Tor (The Onion Router) network which prevents others from seeing your identity. Exposing corruption can be a risky business. Sometimes anonymity can be the best protection.

You mentioned that the technology is available. Nevertheless, as many other cases have shown, technology is a tool, not a solution. How to convince organizations to start using it when it comes to sensitive issues?

The first barrier is convincing that it will be beneficial. The law is coming, and organizations need to be prepared. That is why organizations should start preparing now and not wait until the last minute. Then we get to the process of setting the whole internal structure. There are organizations that can help to set up the digital drop boxes for whistleblowers for companies at no charge. When it comes to dealing with the cases, any particular company needs to think in concrete terms, such as who will operate the “drop box”.

Who will have access to the documents? How will they be assessed and investigated? How will they be stored securely? Eventually, the discussion leads to the complex governance issues of various departments, such as legal, compliance and HR. The anticipated benefit is not only getting the digital drop box, the artifact that gives anonymity and/or confidentiality. It is also around getting the organization to deal with sensitive issues, such as possible fraud, in general. The organization might otherwise sweep the thing under the carpet – where it can quickly grow to be a very big problem that could bankrupt the company.

The parallel with audit comes to my mind.

It is not only about the final certification, but the journey and the new standards the whole process takes them on.

I quite agree with the parallel. The companies start asking questions - how do we actually deal with a disclosure that someone makes when it is uncomfortable? The process has to be about fairness and justice. You need to have an independent assessment, and it must test truth and accuracy. The proper process gives legitimacy to all the whistleblowers who come after, so their disclosures are not swept under the carpet, shunted to the side or ignored completely.

Figuring out what that process should be takes some thought.

Australia and the US have been quite ahead of the EU, when it comes to stand-alone whistleblowing legislation. What can we learn from the experience of both countries?

Well, both systems are different. The US system tends to use financial rewards. If you happen to know people cheating in a company by breaking company regulations, such as cartel activity, fraud or tax cheating, if you whistle blow in the US, you may get a percentage of money that is recovered, up to 30% of the saved money. This ‘bounty’ approach works for many in the US but isn’t a cultural fit for some countries, such as Australia.

Australia passed legislation in 2013 that covered

the public sector on the federal level, to promote integrity and accountability. Of note is the fact that the first real test of this legislation in a court case is expected to happen this year. Definitely worth following!

In 2019 a new law came into effect in Australia to provide greater protections for whistleblowers in the private sector, especially in the corporate, financial, tax and credit sectors. Companies are covered by the new legislation, which has some similar elements to the EU Directive.

Your organisation Blueprint for Free Speech has done a lot of work in neighboring Germany. What did you achieve?

We are very much involved in educational outreach, in the sense of building public awareness, and supporting both decision-makers as well as the general public with our research analysis. We worked on proposed drafting of legislation that would allow the transposition of the Directive in a way that’s true to the original intention. The draft is a very good one and the debate continues, so everyone involved can still put a red pen into it.

My view is that it is always better for engaging the community to have something to write on in the first instance than to try it to build it from a scratch.

That is one of the purposes of Blueprint in general.

The concept actually originally came from the free software movement; you take a part, you build upon it, adapt it and make it better – and you replicate it at lower cost rather than reinventing the wheel each time. You improve it as you go along.

Our philosophy is that we consider whistleblowing as a kind of freedom of expression. It’s the right to speak up and to dissent from wrongdoing. What drives us is our belief that whistleblowing is emerging as part of the human right of freedom of expression.

If we want society to get better, we need to be ok with people speaking up when there is serious wrongdoing. Without protection, who would do that?

Blueprint for Free Speech also gives out Annual Prizes for Whistleblowing. Can you share one particular story with us?

Have a look at all the stories, but I want to mention the 2020 UK Prize winner, Sally Masterton. Her story is very interesting. Her whistleblowing has played a key role in uncovering one of the largest frauds in UK banking history. While we don’t know the final numbers yet, preliminary estimates place the value up to 1 billion GBP. There’s an inquiry being conducted right now into Lloyd Banking Group by former UK High Court judge Linda Dobbs.

We have recognized Ms Masterton and promoted her story because we wanted to draw attention to her commitment to speak up in her organization in the public interest. Ms. Masterton has paid a big price for disclosing the case. We do not want to see future whistleblowers to go through what she had to endure. We also wanted to show the enormous public benefit that was brought by her acting responsibly and fearlessly. She can not speak publicly about her case, just as many

whistleblowers are gagged in the same way by former employers, but the fact that her story was covered by The Financial Times, also speaks for itself. A lot of people lost their life savings, and their small businesses in these fraud activities. Husband and wife partnerships saw what they had toiled so hard to build being wiped away before their very eyes. People were devastated. It’s not only the money, it’s the trauma of unjustly losing a business you have created.

Whistleblowing can prevent not only financial frauds, but also can promote safety, security or environment protection…

As we know from the #MeToo movement, there are other types of wrongdoing which can have substantial bad repercussions on companies. If you have sexual harassment at the workplace, you really need to have a safe avenue for employees to report it. You need to offer ways to report it anonymously and also confidentially. A company culture that supports whistleblowing and communicates that it is ok to make a disclosure provides protection for the whole company against something going wrong in these areas.

A significant amount of whistleblowing has occurred during the current pandemic. During COVID, we want to protect individuals, companies and society. There were cases reported, the Czech Republic not being an exception, where medical workers were being forced to work without proper personal protective equipment, so this was a big safety risk.

Other things have also been exposed. When you do not have proper disease-stopping procedures at retirement homes, the aged can be put at great risk. The epidemic has revealed issues with supply chains and low-quality or unreliable medical supplies being delivered. Likewise, kits for testing were either lacking proper certification or they were patchy in quality – thus creating a real risk. You really want your COVID-19 tests to work reliably! In this way, whistleblowing presents a corrective mechanism not only for a particular company, but for the rest of the society.

If you agree that whistleblowing is an emerging human right, here you can find more information as how to get involved.

Czech NGO Oživení (Revival) https://www.oziveni.cz The aim of the organization is to promote the principles of accountability and transparency in public administration, the development of civil society, democracy and the rule of law, and to support the active participation of citizens in the administration of public affairs.

E.A.T. Project https://eatproject.eu Suelette Dreyfus, Blueprint for Free Speech Organization and Annual Award Prize https://www.blueprintforfreespeech.net

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

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D iplomatic

event

P hoto : J itka T omečková

Czech Foreign Policy Discussion On 10 September 2020, the Royal Thai Embassy, Prague, and Prague Society for International Cooperation co-hosted an informal small group discussion on “Czech Foreign Policy” with H.E. Rudolf Jindrák, Director of the Foreign Department of the Office of the President of the Czech Republic and Special Advisor on Foreign Affairs to the President and Prime Minister, as a guest of honor. On this occasion, diplomatic corps from several countries such as Argentina, Myanmar, Indonesia, Iraq, Cyprus, Portugal, Luxembourg, South Korea, and academia in Prague attended the discussion. The Embassy also served authentic Thai cuisine for all the guests after the informal discussion.

Honorable guests

H.E. Ureerat Chareontoh, JUDr. Rudolf Jindrák, and Mr. Michael Stimson, Vice President Prague Society and Director GIDE International Limited

From middle: H.E. Roberto Alejandro Salafia, Ambassador of Argentina and H.E. Luis De Almeida Sampaio, Ambassador of Portugal

H.E. Ureerat Chareontoh, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand and JUDr. Rudolf Jindrák, Director of the Foreign Department of the Office of the President of the Czech Republic.

H.E. Antonios Theocharous, Ambassador of Cyprus and JUDr. Rudolf Jindrák

H.E. Gerard Phillips, Ambassador of Luxembourg and H.E. Luis De Almeida Sampaio, Ambassador of Portugal

Czech Policy discussion

From left: JUDr. Rudolf Jindrák, H.E. Ureerat Chareontoh, and H.E. Kay Thi Soe, Ambassador of Myanmar

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Trust – Your Competitive

I,

the

B rand

Leadership Advantage in 2021 If you could name one thing – except for health – that could take you the furthest in 2021 in your career, business and life, what would that be?

Last year was by far one of the most tumultuous in our lives. Deprived of our usual distractions (commuting and travel, interruptions at work, drinks with friends in the evening etc.), many people became still. In this silence they started to realize things they had forgotten for a long time – like for example what they truly wanted in life, how they wanted to work or whom they wanted to be surrounded with, so life can feel flavorsome and fulfilling again. This is why I can bet that some of you, when stopping to consider the question above, came up with the answer: relationships.

If this is the case, let’s stop for a moment and think of the secret sauce that makes or breaks a relationship. What is the one thing that needs to be there so we can fully relax in the presence of others and entrust them with our money, career, personal development, business and, ultimately, our destiny? What is the one thing that breaks any relationship – between an investor and a start-up, a boss and a staff member, a CEO and a board of executives, and between us, humans, in general? It is a breach of trust. When we are not able to trust each other, we start to question everything. Is that vaccine really safe? Were those elections rigged? Do people really mean what they say?

No need to emphasize what happens when this dark spiral is activated. In our personal lives lack of trust leads to separation and divorce; in the public arena it leads to revolutions.

This is why I am convinced of the urgency to start a deep, cross-societal conversation on trust. In my view, trust is a factor of three things: our EQ (emotional quotient or the level of our emotional intelligence), our CQ (our communications quotient or the quality of our communication skills) and our SQ (our systemic / stakeholder quotient or our social intelligence). Let’s take a look at each of them.

1. EQ: Trust is mainly about emotional mastery.

Our emotional intelligence is defined as a combination of two things: our intrapersonal intelligence (knowing ourselves and being able to master our own emotions and behavior) and our interpersonal intelligence (the capacity to empathize with others, to feel their P hoto : A rchive

emotions and thus to be able to lead more informed and constructive dialogue). Last year during a virtual leadership conference I asked 7 CEOs how much money they had invested in the development of emotional intelligence of people in their organizations over the last ten years. Their answer was honest enough: zero.

Yet, unless we understand our own patterns of trust – how we relate to people, if we tend to trust too much or to be rather distrustful – and our behaviors related to trust – what we do when someone breaks our trust - we cannot start a conversation on this subject. We also need to start exploring and understanding our own trust-related blind spots – how we, personally, lower and break other people’s trust through our behavior. Which is taking me to the second ingredient of our trust-ability: our communication style.

2. CQ: Quality communications deepen, retain and restore trust.

Communication without facts is noise at best, lies at worst. A high trust-building communications quotient is a perfect alignment between our thoughts, our deeds and our words – otherwise said: “Say what you think and do what you say.” That’s called integrity. Another thing that we need to understand is that quality personal communications is a marathon, not a sprint. Leaders in all walks of life must be able to communicate well, with self-assurance, clarity AND consistently in time, in order to deepen loyalty and retain people’s trust. This is why 2021 could be the best year for us to ask ourselves: is my communication style truly the best it could be or is there something I could improve? In the new normal, trust-building communications could really make or break an executive career and could represent a massive competitive advantage on a noisy market. Which is taking me to the third and final ingredient of trust: our social intelligence.

3. SQ: Systems are greater than the sum of their parts.

Last but not least, our social or systemic quotient means our capacity to understand and influence positively wider social dynamics. We need to understand that groups – teams, organizations, communities, nations – are wholes driven by their own laws of survival, one of them being that a whole is bigger than the sum of its parts. Our capacity to understand

systemic dynamics will help us to become more aware of the impact of our actions on all members of our business ecosystem and thus to behave more sustainably, with more integrity and trust, long term.

To sum it up, our EQ enables us to understand and experience trust, our CQ allows us to deepen, retain and restore trust and our SQ allows us to put our positive leadership to the service of something greater than ourselves. The good news is that all Qs can be trained.

Once we understand that trust is the most expensive currency that we have in business and in life, we can all invest more efforts in this direction. For every leader that would be a superb contribution not only to your career, but to making your team, organization and our whole world a better place in 2021 and beyond.

By Cristina Muntean české znění naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.czechleaders.com Cristina Muntean is a consultant, trainer, mentor and coach who specializes in personal branding, strategic communications, emotional and systemic intelligence for leadership. A former journalist with more than 12 years of experience in the Czech, Romanian and international media, she founded Media Education CEE, a communications and people development agency in Prague in May 2010. Her clients are executive level managers and entrepreneurs with Top100 companies in the Czech Republic and Central and Eastern Europe. Cristina is also an internationally certified trainer and coach with the Enneagram, a complex system of personal development, and a facilitator of systemic dynamics in organizations. She provides services in English, Czech, French and Romanian, her mother tongue.

Cristina can be reached at +420 776 574 925 or at cm@cristinamuntean.com.

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Radek Špicar currently occupies the position of Vice-President for Economic Policy and Export at the Confederation of Industry. His career to date includes unique experience in public administration, as well as the private and non-profit sectors.

He served as secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister for the economy, was a member of top management at Škoda Auto, and was head of the Prague branch of the Aspen Institute think tank. I have known Radek since our student days, and we meet at gatherings of the Oxford and Cambridge Alumni Society. When I was looking for a person to appraise the current situation with a bird’s-eye view for the latest issue of Czech and Slovak Leaders Magazine, to offer a vision and at the same time bring together the Czech and international context, it was Radek who came to mind. Radek Špicar is married with two daughters. His wife works in municipal self-government.

Interview with Radek Špicar, Vice-President for Economic Policy and Export at the Confederation of Industry Let's go with a positive start. How did you celebrate New Year’s? What did you wish for the Czech Republic?

I celebrated at home with my family. It was the least I could do for the Czech health services and for the doctors working to the very limit in overcrowded hospitals for several months on end. And it was in that context that I wished for the Czech Republic to be able to experience New Year’s next year in the way we are used to: with friends in the mountains.

We will continue... surprisingly... with COVID-19. I will paraphrase the famous Czech film Pelíšky: I am just wondering where (our comrades) got it wrong? Since the first wave, I have yet to see any major shift in the communication or digitisation of public administration, or any greater willingness among businesses to send employees to a home office; protection of the elderly has failed, and over time face masks have started running out.

How do you see the situation? Were we forced to repeat the lesson?

I see movement particularly in the private sector and industry. While the first wave surprised some companies and the epidemic situation forced them to stop production for an unprecedented length of time, they were much better prepared for the second wave.

The summer months were not wasted and were used to introduce the principles of smart quarantine. As a result they are now able to test, trace and eliminate those infected. They don't have to shut down operations like they did last year. That is one of the reasons I believe that industry will return to growth this year and will again be the driving force of the Czech economy.

Vaccination is now the top priority for us all. For the public sector to be able to cope with this, we have offered it assistance with a communication campaign that we consider to be inadequate, and our own vaccination capacities, which can help the state to speed up the process of vaccinating the population.

From May, companies will be able to help the state with vaccination.

In the second wave of the pandemic, I didn’t notice the social solidarity seen abroad. It reminded me a little of dodgeball at school – “everyone against everyone else”. Those who received some sort of compensation are usually seen at the expense of other groups. Compared to abroad, there is a lack of solidarity between small and large, workers and entrepreneurs... It seems to me that you are the first to highlight the problem at large enterprises and those of the smaller companies linked to them. Where do we start with solidarity if there will soon be nowhere to take it from?

This is an important topic for me. I consider it essential that we overcome animosity and P hoto : A rchive

strengthen the links between employers and employees, between owners and managers, between large and small businesses.

I consider one of the biggest problems to be that the individual component parts of our society do not cooperate with each other, in the way I know from the Anglo-Saxon countries. Politics in this country does not cooperate sufficiently with the academic sector. Business has limited relationships with the world of art. Fortunately, the pandemic is changing this for the better. What the Czech Technical University did in the development and subsequent production of protective respirators in cooperation with Czechinvest and Beneš & Lát is exactly what the whole economy needs. I hope that this type of cooperation and interconnection among the different worlds will not disappear with the end of the pandemic. We need creativity, and this comes primarily from diversity, from connecting that which cannot be connected.

The European Union, of which you are a huge advocate, has so far emerged stronger from the crisis. You are a wellknown advocate of adopting the single currency that is the euro – are you looking forward to renewing this social debate after the pandemic? How do you expect the discourse to proceed?

What we know from previous crises has been repeated during the pandemic. The global economic crisis in 2008 and then the migration crisis in 2015 developed in the same way. Both caught the EU unprepared and incapable of responding, which quickly resulted in a loss of confidence in the European integration project. It then turned out, however, that the EU could not respond because it did not have sufficient powers to do so from the member states. It then gained them, both in economic policy and in migration, and if these crises were to happen again, the EU would be able to react far more effectively. This led to a strong increase in confidence in the integration process, which according to Europe-wide research stood at its highest-ever level in the years after 2015.

I expect the current crisis, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, to develop in the same way. This is already happening, in fact, even here, in one of the most Euro-sceptic member states. Czechs too realise that without the EU, we would have the vaccine much later, and at far greater cost.

And as far as the euro is concerned, only the forthcoming elections can bring about a change in our approach. Nothing else.

The crisis is an opportunity, even if this is of little consolation to many sole traders or to those who have lost loved ones.

Where are you looking for hope? Where do you see the light at the end of the tunnel?

As someone who moved from employee to employer a few years ago and who knows how hard it is to make your way on the market and survive in the Czech business environment, I am very sorry for all those who will not survive this crisis. There will be positive impacts too, though. Czech employers, who used to be very conservative in this regard, might finally get used to the fact that even he or she who they cannot see on the other side of their office window can work; and working from home will become more commonplace than we have been used to.

Hopefully cooperation between universities, the state and companies will last, as we have tried it in recent months. And it will also very much accelerate the 4th industrial revolution, meaning digitisation, automation, and robotics; in other words, the modernisation of Czech industry, which we urgently need.

Is there any subject, apart from the EU and the "end of cheap labour", that you see as being fundamental and that falls within the normal media froth of the day?

There are plenty, and the ongoing pandemic has illuminated them well. For example, the huge qualitative gap between the private and public sectors. The first one pulls us upwards, the second rather downwards. But it will not be possible to catch up with the world's most successful countries if the public and private sectors do not work at the same level of quality and help each other in reciprocal symbiosis.

What has the crisis taught you personally?

And what is your recipe for mastering a two-career marriage, home office, and home schooling?

As a family, we are managing well. Both my wife and I have jobs that allow us to work to a great extent from home. Our daughters go to a school that is coping with distance learning. We have a fast enough Internet connection at home and notebooks for all members of the family. But I am increasingly aware that many families are not so lucky and that the crisis is hitting them hard.

When I see the situation single parents find themselves in, people who don’t have enough equipment for their children, I feel terribly sorry for them. I therefore consider it to be one of the main tasks of the state, and of us all, to do everything possible to ensure that the current crisis does not create an even larger gap in our society and result in a further increase in the number of people who have to deal with what are literally existential problems.

Linda Štucbartová

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

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Ludwig Wing, Prague Castle, Prague defenestration1618

Battle of White Mountain 400 years since the event that changed the course of the Czech nation's history

No event affected Czech history or the nation's psyche more strongly than the battle – and defeat – on White Mountain on the 8th of November 1620. How and why did the Czech nation lose its independence for almost 300 years? A look back at a diplomatic incident at the start of the Thirty Years' War between Catholics and Protestants, which deeply affects the course of both Czech and European history.

Moravians at the Battle of White Mountain

Rudolf II von Habsburg (1552 Vienna – 1612 Prague), Roman Emperor, Hungarian, Bohemian and Croatian King, and Austrian Archduke, the last Habsburg monarch and the last to hold the rank of Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, made Prague his residence. Three years before his death, he signed the famous Charter, at the time the most liberal religious law in all of Europe, which ensured freedom of religion not only for the nobility, but also for city dwellers and rural subjects.

After the death of Emperor Rudolf in the year 1612, his younger brother Matthias ascended the Imperial throne and transferred the seat from Prague to Vienna, whereby Prague would not be the permanent residence of a head of state again until the year 1918. Ferdinand II (from the Styrian branch of the Habsburgs) was designated the successor to the Bohemian throne. Ferdinand's zeal for the Catholic faith was an open secret.

The Protestant nobility resisted accepting him as a monarch, but when the Archduke indicated that he would permit certain privileges, especially when he promised the preservation of provincial freedoms, Estate privileges and Rudolf II's Charter of the 9th of July 1609, which guaranteed freedom of religion, the Bohemians accepted Ferdinand as their future King in the year 1617, and his coronation was even held in Prague. Ferdinand, a young and very ardent Catholic, began to energetically interfere in various parties' affairs, and he denied the Bohemian Estates their religious and political rights much more tenaciously than his predecessor. It was as if he wanted to fulfil his words that he would “rather rule a desolate land than a land full of heretics“. He revoked the preelection promises of the preservation of Rudolf's Charter of the year 1609 by simply tearing up the document and throwing it out the window, where it scattered among the falling leaves. Of course, such actions could not go unanswered.

The defenestrations of Prague, and the beginning of the Bohemian Revolt

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It's the year 1618, and political and religious tension in the Kingdom of Bohemia is extremely high.

Most of the predominantly Protestant nobility now deeply regrets the election of Ferdinand II as

Defenestration in 1618, painting by Karel Svoboda

the King of Bohemia only a year earlier. As if that's not enough, the Habsburg monarch's absolutist government shows little respect for the Bohemian nobility, and tries to forcefully centralise power in its own hands. At the end of May 1618, the tension reaches its peak.

On the 23rd of May 1618, representatives of the Bohemian Protestant nobility come to the Castle, and throw the Royal governors from the windows of Prague Castle as a demonstrative act of resistance against the violation of Rudolf's Charter and the restriction of Estate rights. The event passes without loss of life, but marks the beginning of the Bohemian Revolt.

Is it legitimate for a religiously fanatic Emperor to violate the previous Emperor's Charter, which guaranteed freedom of religion? The “local“ conflict will thereby drag all of Europe into a spiral of bloody violence, which will last thirty years, and will deeply mark European history. Nevertheless, as was shown later, it was not merely about polarisation due to different religions; it was primarily due to the Habsburgs' efforts to win power in Europe. Catholic France, for example, threw itself into the war on the side of predominantly Protestant states, because it wanted to weaken the Habsburgs' power.

A situation that culminates in a battle After the death of Emperor Matthias in March 1619, the unpopular Ferdinand could not actually seize the throne in the Bohemian and Austrian lands. The Protestant nobility from Upper and Lower Austria, which did not want to accept Ferdinand as Archduke, also joined the side of the Bohemian non-Catholic Estates. Under the leadership of Matyáš Thurn, the Bohemian Estates' armies besieged Vienna, but did not attempt to conquer it. The Estate leaders agreed to try to reach a diplomatic solution. They wanted to force Ferdinand to confirm the former Estate and religious freedoms in Upper and Lower Austria and in the Bohemian lands.

On the 5th of June 1619, representatives of the Austrian Protestant nobility penetrated the Hofburg in Vienna, and presented their demands to the Emperor. However, before he was forced to accept these demands, he was liberated by the rapid intervention of a military unit. He regarded it an action of, and protection by, divine providence.

On the 19th of August, he was declared deposed by a General Assembly of the Bohemian Crown.

A week later, Frederick V of the Palatinate (known as the “Winter King“ because his reign did not even last till spring), who stood at the head of the Protestant union, was elected the new King of Bohemia. Despite partial military victories, the rebels'

situation was difficult, and the Estates received neither soldiers nor money to pay their wages.

Requests for help sent to prominent Protestant monarchs mostly went unanswered. On the contrary, Emperor Ferdinand II's position improved day by day. He managed to forge an alliance with the leader of the so-called Catholic League, Maximilian of Bavaria, and together they managed to pacify rebellious Estates in the Austrian lands. Together, an Imperial army led by Charles Bonaventure von Bucquoy and an army commanded by Johann Tserclaes von Tilly crossed the country's borders on the 20th of September, and set off for Prague. Although their advance encountered resistance from the still combatready Estate army, the armies conquered one city after another, and at the beginning of November stood before Prague.

Battle of White Mountain on the 8th of November 1620 Sunday, therefore, was to be the decisive day. The allied Imperial army numbered around 28,000 soldiers, while the Estate army consisted of approximately 21,000 men. The Catholic troops' numerical superiority was partially offset by the Bohemian army's more advantageous position.

Morale wasn't great on either side; the Imperial troops suffered from poor supplies, while the Estate soldiers hadn't seen wages since September. It is therefore no surprise that neither of the opposing sides was particularly keen to go into battle. Count Bucquoy, in particular, had great reservations regarding a direct attack on fortified Estate positions. Time passed slowly, and as noon approached, it was decided at a meeting of the Allied Command that a small attack would be carried out, with the aim of causing a skirmish which would indicate how to proceed. The first attack by the right Imperial wing began before noon, and after one o'clock in the afternoon it was all over. One after another, the demoralised Estate units turned and fled in confusion. Almost three thousand dead lay on the battlefield, of whom two thirds were fallen Bohemian Estate troops.

The losses were therefore not huge, and the Estates could successfully attempt to defend Prague.

However, the revolt's leaders could no longed find sufficient will to mount a defence. Frederick V of the Palatinate, King of Bohemia, who had barely ruled for a year, did not participate in the battle at all, waiting it out in Prague instead. He later decided to go into battle with his entourage, but before he even left the city he met the returning generals. They informed him that the battle had been completely lost, which the King could see for himself when he looked out over the city walls. A day later, the King decided to leave the city. Together with his wife and young son, he left for Wrocław.

Of course, he took away with him a large number of valuables which had been in Prague, and when even “Winter King“ Frederick abandoned Prague, it was obvious that the Estates had lost. Some Estate politicians also joined the fleeing King, while others stayed in the hope that the Emperor would forgive them, and surrendered to him hoping for his mercy.

The post-White Mountain period, and the decline of the Bohemian nation Ferdinand II was therefore able to seize the throne once more. He appointed Karl von Liechtenstein Governor of Bohemia. A wave of arrests, confiscation of property and harsh punishments followed.

On the 21st of June 1621, he had 27 leaders of the revolt, from the ranks of the nobility and the burghers, executed in Prague's Old Town Square. The trial which preceded the execution was governed

by Imperial directives rather than applicable provincial law, and the Senate was not permitted to let the defence speak. The executioner, Mydlář, had to mount twelve of the heads which had been chopped off on the Old Town Bridge Tower.

Eleven of them hung here until the Saxon army invaded in November 1631.

In the year 1622, the King issued a so-called General Pardon, by which he granted a reprieve to the other participants in the revolt. The pardon related to the preservation of the nobles' personal rights, but not their property. The following year and a half saw further extensive seizures of the Bohemian Protestant nobility's and Royal towns' property, which was subsequently advantageously acquired by other, mostly foreign, noble Catholic families.

As a result of the harsh anti-Reformation policy, a large part of the Bohemian intelligentsia, which refused to convert to the Catholic faith, had to leave the country. The post-White Mountain period was also critical for the Czech language, which experienced a decline. All Czech books, regardless of content, were burned. Unfortunately, many Bohemian personalities who refused to submit (e.g.

John Amos Comenius, Wenceslaus Hollar etc.) were also forced to leave. In practice, this meant the gradual cultural and linguistic decline of the Bohemian nation.

Estate representatives had a choice – either convert to the Catholic faith, or emigrate. Subjects, however, were forced to convert to Catholicism.

This caused enormous damage to the Bohemian state, and subsequent centralisation measures seriously undermined its sovereignty, as well as the cohesion of the individual Crown lands. Bohemian culture was forced into a secondary position.

In Bohemian history, Ferdinand II is traditionally perceived in a strongly negative light, and his reign as the beginning of the “Darkness“.

On the 28th of October 1918, a delegation of the National Committee led by Karel Kramář commenced talks in Geneva with the representative of the anti-Austrian foreign resistance, Edvard Beneš, regarding the creation and form of an independent Czechoslovak state. The same evening, the National Committee issued the first law on the establishment of an independent state, after which the National Committee's proclamation was published: “People of Czechoslovakia. Your age-old dream has come true...“ The independent Czechoslovak state came to life.

By Arch. Iva Drebitko, MSc české znění naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.czechleaders.com

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I nterview

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J ennifer J ones , R otary I nternational P resident N ominee 2022–2023

Let us bring the best talents

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When we think about the past year, most of us feel that 2020 is the year we want to forget. With one exception – it was a good year for women leaders and women’s empowerment. Kamala Harris was elected as the first woman vice-president of the United States. A couple of months before, Rotary International elected the first woman to serve as President in its 115-years existence.

And as good things always come in threes, countries run by women leaders managed to navigate throughout the pandemic with much better results, higher social cohesion and less casualties than those run by strong male leaders and with predominantly male governments.

I became a member of the Rotary Club Prague International in 2012. Since then, I have considered Rotary my extended family. I am proud to be a member of the largest, most diverse and most active Club in the Rotary district of Czech Republic & Slovak Republic. Contrary to the still wide-spread notion that a Rotary club is a bastion for rich retired white gentlemen, our club RCPI has 53 members, 19 women and 34 men.

The average age is 56. Our members span 16 nationalities. Being engaged in women’s empowerment, I am proud of the fact that three out of six of the Club’s past presidents were women.

Rotary unites a global network of volunteer leaders dedicated to tackling the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges and creating lasting change. Rotary connects 1.2 million people of action from more than 36,000 Rotary clubs in almost every country in the world. Their service improves lives both locally and internationally, from helping those in need in their own communities to working toward a polio-free world.

Benke Aikell, publisher of the Czech and Slovak Leaders Magazine, was also a long-time member of this same Club. Therefore, it is our pleasure to bring to you an exclusive interview with Jennifer Jones.

Jennifer Jones is a member of the Rotary Club of Windsor – Roseland, Ontario, Canada.

Regarding her professional career, she is the Founder and President of Media Street Productions Inc., a twenty-five year old, awardwinning media company in Windsor, Ontario.

Regarding her Rotary Club career, she served as a Trustee of The Rotary Foundation, Rotary International Vice President and as Co-chair of the End Polio Now: Make History Today campaign, closely working with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Her fundraising campaign for polio eradication raised 5.25 million USD in one single day in Florida.

During the present pandemic, she continues virtual fundraising events dedicated to combatting the Covid-19 pandemic effects.

Working with political figures, celebrities and global leaders, Jennifer uses her voice to raise awareness of Rotary’s campaigns to eradicate diseases, support peace and to provide water and sanitation to developing

countries. Her unique expertise and prowess as a storyteller inspires hope and motivates Rotarians and others to take action globally. She also played a leading role in Rotary’s rebranding effort. Jennifer Jones has received many awards and recognitions, including: Service Above Self Award, Citation for Meritorious Service, YMCA Peace Medallion, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal and Wayne State University’s Peacemaker of the Year Award – a first for a Canadian. Jennifer is married to Rotarian Nick Krayacich, a family physician. Her hobbies include travel, cycling, golf and relaxation at a family cottage.

Mrs. President-Elect, how do you view the Rotary Organization in the 21st Century?

Speaking to members and meeting them on Zoom, I see that Rotary exists without borders and boundaries. We may be coming to each other tonight from many different countries across the

globe, but we all have one common country in our heart and that is the country of Rotary.

We know that Rotary is a place where leaders and those with the vision and drive to create change can thrive. And such leaders are found from every age, gender, race and background.

Diversity, equality and inclusion should begin at the top, and for us to welcome new leaders into our organization and expand our ability to make an impact, we need to build stronger bridges that help everyone see themselves reflected, celebrated and valued here in Rotary.

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I nterview Empowering women as well as bringing younger people to join Rotary has been a task that Rotary set up several years ago. How did we manage?

The aim to increase the membership in these two demographics has been a priority set about five years ago. Although this was a high priority, we have grown cumulatively two percent in each of those categories. It is a negligible growth. So why is it important that we focus our attention on developing these two demographics? It is simply a business case. Why would we not to look to address the market share opportunity?

Let us go beyond a simplistic gender or age conversation.

I am sure that you are often asked what does it feel like to be selected as the first woman to serve as the President?

I am very excited about that, I have a lot of personal satisfaction and it is a great opportunity to speak about the topic. More than anything it is important to stress that I was selected because I was qualified and not because of my gender. I think we all need to think about how we help to elevate women and younger members so that they can achieve leadership positions in our organization. I do not say this to dismiss the importance of being a woman. I think this creates a great opportunity for others who can be inspired to now see themselves being reflected in the leadership of our organization, which I believe will also inspire others to step up, so they become Club Presidents or District Governors. I know there is someone on this call who will become a president of our organization hopefully sometime in the future. When we see ourselves reflected, it creates more opportunities for others.

Is this why your notion of diversity goes well beyond gender?

I want to create diverse perspectives. When we have diverse thoughts around the table, the water level rises for everyone. We can create opportunities for everyone in our organization. I want to share with you an exercise I did myself two years ago. I had a chance to serve as the Moderator of the Rotary International Assembly. For those of you who might not understand what that is, it is the assembly where we collect all 536 District Governors and their spouses together in one location for a big training opportunity.

You know that I am talking about times when we still could be together in person! At this event, each of the District Governors Elect (DGE’s) were each guided by 40 different international training leaders. When selecting these various leader’s, I set a personal goal to try to create gender balance. That said, when I was reviewing the list of applicants, I wanted to select the best qualified people.

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J ennifer J ones , R otary I nternational P resident N ominee 2022–2023

The goal was to get to gender parity but at the end I finished with 38% women training leaders being represented in the total. This was higher than ever before but still not at my target. While I didn’t achieve the goal, I felt comfortable that I had selected the best and the brightest. It was ok not to get to 50%, at least we had taken a positive step forward. We (in Rotary) will keep trying to increase it to achieve at least 30% of female representation in all leadership positions by 2030. I hope we get to this goal well before then. We, as women and younger members, need to understand that equal opportunities are there and we need to step forward and try to find those opportunities. For all of us, what is incumbent on every one of us, is to look around and be cultivating the talent where we are able to. Not just women and younger members, but men too. We want to find the best people for our organization. As I have said before, create the diverse perspective. We cannot all look, feel and sound the same and expect to make a great change. We need to be able to challenge each other with different ways of thinking whether that is generational or not.

Now let us turn from the gender perspective to another key task of attracting a younger demographic and involving them in Rotary.

I believe that we need to think about “young thinkers”. How many of you have met a 25-year old who is old? And how many of you have met a 85-year old who is young?

Those are the kind of people who we want to make sure are included in our organization.

Yes, we need the younger demographic, because we need to fill in our ranks. We need to have members in line for the future. That is important. But what we need is people who think young. People who understand what it means to be progressive in our thinking yet hold true to our traditions that define who we are: the four-way test, the objectives of Rotary and our values. These are things that do not go out of fashion. These are the things that we need to maintain to be the formidable force that we are.

We all know your background, your accomplishments both in professional world and also within Rotary. Can you share with us your defining moment and what has influenced you?

We all have parents. My parents were incredibly good at empowering me to dream and to never think that I could not achieve what I had in my own mind as a dream. As a little girl, I used to come up with many crazy ideas. I would hold a carnival for kids and dogs in our yard, I raised money for different organizations and other activities. My parents have never said it is a bad idea. Empowering

not only young people but people of all age to dream our wildest dreams. Rotary allows us to share it with someone else. One idea we share with any other club, other people jump on it... and that is the magic of our organization.

In 1975, I was in grade 2 and it was the first International Women’s Day that the UN supported, first time in Canada where I lived, it was held formally. My mum sent away for the package of materials that the government of Canada had prepared. It was all sorts of stickers, bumper stickers, pamphlets and fliers. I brought it for my class for the activity called “show and tell”. So here I was, an eight or nine year old girl, talking about women’s liberation. I did not really know what I was speaking about, I really liked the shining pretty things that came in the package.

My grade 2 teacher, Mrs. Braithwaite, sent me to the grade 8 teacher, Mr. Hayes, who she knew would think differently. She sent me down the hall with my “show and tell” package to be able to give him my message.

I am sure that teachers had a pretty good chuckle in the staff room about a brighteyed girl delivering a speech about opening opportunities for women. And a few decades later, it came full circle, when I attended a taping of the Oprah Winfrey TV show. Many of you might know Gloria Steinem who is known as mother of feminism. At 70 years of age, Gloria Steinem said to Oprah: “We got it wrong.” Everyone looked shocked.

Gloria continued: “Only when the pendulum swings directly to the middle and men and women are equal nurturers, will we have true equality.” I thought that was incredible that Gloria Steinem was able to evolve in her thinking to the moment when she saw that.

I know that in my Rotary Club there are several women that opened many doors for me and for others. Many of them were high-school superintendents and administrators of our school board. At the time, when I talked to those women, as a younger Rotary member, I claimed that I was not a feminist and that I believe in equality for everyone. They would get angry with me because they had fought so hard to open doors for women. Many of you have broken down the barriers so someone like me could sit in the Board Room, but as I mentioned earlier, I am sitting there not as a woman, but as a Rotary leader. It is an interesting time we are in. We know that there are doors to open for others. Therefore, we need to look for the best and the brightest in our ranks. Sometimes these will be men, sometimes it will be women.

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

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS III/2020

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In a civilised country, THE STRONGER HELP THE WEAKER I nterview

with

A déla Š ípová , S enator

Adéla Šípová was without doubt one of the most prominent people in last year’s Senate elections, as an independent for the Piráti (Pirates) party. She earned the nickname of the “pirate rocket” after defeating political matadors such as Jiří Dienstbier from ČSSD and Petr Bendl from ODS. She sees herself as a senator, a lawyer, a mother of five, and a cyclist. She was born in Vlašim in 1980 and was elected to the Senate in October 2020, shortly after her fortieth birthday. As a child, she spent a year at school in Sydney; this deeply affected her view of diversity. This experience taught her to “be aware of the differences in different languages, nations, and cultures, and know how to respect them and let them enrich you”. She moved to Kladno, and it is in this constituency that she was elected. Adéla Šípová studied at the Faculty of Law at Charles University and has worked at a number of law firms. She now works as a freelance lawyer and favours cases involving normal people over those of corporate law. She has set up several non-profit organisations and supports the development of civic activity, bringing up her children in a similar vein.

I quote from her website: “The future of our country is important to me. For example, not just for democracy to remain here, but for it to become even stronger. I believe in the ability of society to keep on finding new starting points. I don’t like stagnating in a dead end, and so I have always been active in social life.”

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P hoto : A rchive

Her Facebook page shares her observations of working in the Senate and comments on frequently asked questions or remarks, all in a lighthearted way. Remarks, for example, about harmonisation. I recommend following her, and would suggest that fellow journalists think about “gender-based bias” in journalism. And everyone else about the areas in which they work.

Take Adéla Šípová’s words about helping other women to heart. Another name you are sure to hear in the future is that of Klára Kocmanová, currently assistant to the senator, but leading Piráti in the Central Bohemia Region in the upcoming elections to the Chamber of Deputies.

The senator responded to the request for an interview right away. In light of the pandemic, the interview was given online.

Describe your feelings as you went into the year 2021.

Pleased that I can look forward to interesting work in the Senate. I set myself some challenges.

I am curious to see how many I manage to achieve. At the same time, though, I am a little worried about the economy, because small businesses are particularly at risk. Not to mention artists, who have been practically left out in the cold. I am trying to support these people in my own way by buying from smaller retailers or contributing to their alternative projects.

I believe in human creativity, however, and that the crisis can move us forward and give us the opportunity to reassess our priorities. And of course I am looking forward to seeing how the children come along. It fills me with happiness and pride. For instance, when I hear my older daughters’ online lessons or see the computer skills of the smaller children in distance learning.

You have three months of work in the Senate behind you – what came as a pleasant surprise, and what was not quite as pleasant?

The slightly chaotic preparation of sessions is not that pleasant. It’s caused by the fact that senators simply have to deal with everything themselves. It takes some time to get used to how it works, which nobody has actually explained that much to me. So I am learning the staff culture as I go along. I was, after all, used to the more established inner workings of a law firm. I am, however, used to changes of rhythm from beforehand, so I can cope with that well.

Neither is the servile treatment sometimes given to senators all that pleasant. I’m not into that. I have been pleasantly surprised by the nice women senators and the friendly and funny spirit of the plenary.

You are a member of the Committee on Social Policy and one of your priorities is to help people undergoing enforcement procedure. The pandemic has seen the position of such people deteriorate very quickly. What can we do to stop the gap widening?

This is something that is very important to me.

One of the challenges mentioned above is to introduce local “jurisdiction” for enforcement officers, so that one debtor has only one enforcement officer even if he or she has multiple debts. That enforcement officer will not be appointed by the creditor, but according to pre-set rules. This will have an enormous impact on increasing the ethical recovery of debts and will at the same time help make enforcement more effective. This principle is,

after all, of benefit to everyone and removes the elements of gross unfairness from enforcement procedure. Only for gigantic enforcement authorities will it bring a streamlining of their apparatus.

I will also ask you about your work on the Standing Senate Commission WaterDrought. What is your view on this issue?

I am fundamentally dealing with two things in this area. First, that we manage our water better.

We need to return to the fundamental principles of water management – water is something we cannot replace. We need to retain water better in the landscape, but not in tanks. We have to use natural systems so that drought does not affect us as much. I am working in this matter with experts, who have come up with what are actually relatively simple solutions, but which need to be applied nationwide.

The second issue is water supply management.

We in the Kladno area have a bit of a problem with this. The infrastructure was built under communism, and looks it. I plan to get to know the situation in person because a relatively high number of people from my constituency suffer from this problem.

Last year, the Senate became the symbol of guardian of the Constitution, and made a mark on foreign policy. When it is possible to travel again, where are you planning to go on business?

I’m not really planning on going anywhere at the moment. Although, on second thought, I do actually have something planned. I am able to find beauty right round the corner. Last year, for example, I was completely taken with the Ploskov avenue of chestnut trees, which I have about 5 km from home. I didn’t know about it and discovered it on one of my cycling tours.

I am adventurous by nature, I like heading out into the world. I also realise, though, that heavy tourism robs the locals of their identity, which is then gradually lost. So I don’t want to just take experiences from them: I want to give something as well. I am currently seriously thinking about going to Tanzania as a volunteer for two weeks. I have been invited by people I know, who organise help for orphans there. If my workload allows it, I will go there for a few days to help out.

I have read your witty posts about “harmonisation” on social networks. I don’t want to ask you about this issue, because journalists don’t ask men in high positions about it either. I will ask you instead how to support greater representation for

women in politics ... and how to bring male colleagues round to this opinion.

My view is that we simply have to talk more about this issue and actively think about it more.

Women have just as good qualities as men. In fact, I see that they often have greater humility and often greater appreciation of the position that they deserve. I myself try to take the initiative in contacting women and supporting them in their activities. And sometimes it’s not that hard. I have now been in touch with several women and girls in this way and supported them in political involvement or elsewhere.

I have actually been doing it intuitively all my life.

I help some set up an organisation or perhaps in their candidature for a certain position. And one reason I do it is possibly because I have four daughters. I look at all of my children and see where their talents lie. And when I see that she or he is interested in something or enjoys something, I think about how to support them.

After all, we have to support women (and men of course) from childhood so that they can gain the self-confidence they need. It is almost always the case that when I recommend to one of my girlfriends something they would be good at, they are always very surprised to not have thought of it themselves. Observing people, looking for the treasures in them and putting a name to them is something of a hobby for me. And how to support men in becoming aware of women’s issues? It’s not easy with the older generation; you won’t have much success unless they are genuinely enlightened men. We are weighed down by upbringing and stereotypes of strong male breadwinners. It is somewhat easier with the younger generation, though. Young fathers are able to imagine their daughters going off in search of their fortune, doing what they want. So my answer is that I actually go about everything through the children a little. We subconsciously do everything because of them anyway.

To close, I would just ask you for a few words for the readers of Czech and Slovak Leaders Magazine…

I would like to encourage your readers to have good thoughts. I think we have an interesting year ahead of us, and a lot of hard work, but if we stay open to new thoughts and solutions, then I am not worried about us managing this crisis. We all need to look after each other.

Nobody should be left to one side, alone and going unnoticed.

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

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J an M ühlfeit

and

K ateřina N ovotná

THE CURRENT SITUATION in relation to lifelong learning and online education

At present, individual fields are developing exponentially thanks to technologies. The development takes place within the content of the given industries, but the process by which the changes are implemented, is also important. The last three decades have been marked by tremendous progress in the field of technological innovation. The basic precondition for their use, is financial capital, which is just as important as knowledge capital. We can have all the new technologies in the world at our disposal, but what good will they do to us if we cannot work with them effectively?

ONE PROFESSION IS NOT ENOUGH Forty years ago, car mechanics were working with classical mechanical tools. To execute their work, manual skill and knowledge of mechanical principles were enough.

Today however, our cars are serviced by IT professionals. Modern cars are now highly

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sophisticated computers, with software making up sixty percent of the costs.

The way people are educated today is not sufficient enough for this acceleration in time. In the past, one profession was enough, although in today's world, multi-skilled individuals are becoming the standard. Doctors nowadays are also undergoing interdisciplinary attestations, as being a professional in one field is simply not enough.

With the advent of new technologies, the process of globalization is accelerating. Global connectivity also means global competition.

Lifelong learning will thus have to become a mantra. It is now known that the human brain is neuroplastic and continually develops throughout our lives. The ability to make synaptic connections between individual neurons is unlimited, meaning we can learn new things until death.

When we talk about education, we often mention schools, but education within companies works on the same principle. Only

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS III/2020

the most modern companies provide online training and thus enable their employees to increase their knowledge capital. If people are interested in advancing in their careers, they must gain new experience and knowledge in order to meet the requirements that arise with new technologies.

2020 brought us a multitude of knowledge.

The strange time in which we started working from home, has showed us above all, that ‘home office’ actually can work. However, its effectiveness could be exponentially higher, if requirements were set in advance. Thus, people would be able to use new technologies to their maximum capacity.

LEARN TO LEARN American publicist Steven Kotler mentions one of the scientific studies that examined what is needed to keep a company among the top five companies in the world for two centuries. It has been found that the only long-

J an M ühlfeit term determinant of any organization's ability to compete, is the ability of the company and its employees to adapt to change. Companies that will be able to adapt their employees and subsequently teams into a state of flow, aspire to be among the best.

Technological innovation is becoming a commodity. The human brain and our ability to learn new things are essential to the effective use of technological advances. An example of inefficiency is the Czech state administration.

Although it has relatively high-quality technological resources, it works in virtually the same way as it did thirty years ago. The mistake does not arise on the part of civil servants, it is primarily a problem of the organization, which does not invest into the development of knowledge and skills of its employees.

The youngest of children are currently the only fallback to such change. At an early age, their education and learning tend to frustrate them, in a school where an outdated school system insists on memorization and drilling. They learn things they know they will never find a use for. Understanding the system and respecting it is much more challenging in today's world.

Students have access to the Internet, and therefore to very quick answers. They are thus demotivated and no longer want to learn new things. Hence, it is essential they understand that education is not just a school institution.

The education system has been criticized for many years, so it is obvious that it will not change by snapping your fingers. That is why it is important to awaken in children, a passion for learning, as school is not the only source of information. We need to realize that we can be educated elsewhere. A good example is the Internet with an almost unlimited number of options existing. Whether it is the Khan Academy’s learning platform, elaborate videos on YouTube, or MasterClass online training courses with professionals from various fields, there are many options.

It often happens that after people start their working careers, they find out that they have learned almost nothing, and have to re-learn useful knowledge and skills. This is also one of the reasons why many individuals are nowadays looking for personal development courses and trying to figure out how to work properly with themselves. If they had realized these things in elementary school, it would have made a lot of things easier for them.

WORK WITH AN INDIVIDUAL APPROACH One of the problems with the education system is that it does not differentiate between individual pupils. It requires them to learn specific knowledge, but it no longer addresses whether children will actually find a use for it in the future. However, this is in direct conflict with “school by play” concept. The moment an individual will know at an early age what he

and

K ateřina N ovotná

excels at and what he has talent for, they will find their way to inspiration easier. Everyone is good at something, some are more analytical, some have strategic skills, and some are logical.

Until we work correctly with children’s individuality, we cannot move forward. We are currently bending the children around the curriculum. However, we should bend the curriculum around the children. The concept of the “pupil at the centre” is more than twenty years old, but the theory has still not found its anchor in practice.

It is essential that children understand how to learn. The gained knowledge will quickly become obsolete in today's fast-paced world.

The current generation of children is the first to learn to unlearn what they had learned before.

This is very closely related to the previously mentioned notion of neuroplasticity. Up to forty percent of behaviour is affected by our habits, which need to be worked with. It is not so easy to get rid of some of the previously adopted ones. You need to be aware of them first and then replace them with another activity. At that moment, the transformation takes place, and the original (bad) habit disappears.

time at home these days, doesn't necessarily mean more time spent with family.

Digital technologies can be a great helper, and at the same time it is much more difficult to maintain this balance. Therefore, it is appropriate to introduce the so-called digital diet, i.e., to determine the time we spend the old way - without screens. In addition, planning family activities can also help maintain balance.

Nowadays, many children, teachers and parents are struggling with school education.

Online teaching requires modern technology.

However, if these technologies serve a system over three hundred years old, the efficiency is hardly even halved. If teaching cannot take place in the traditional way, it is more desirable than ever to go for a school by play, as Comenius said four hundred years ago.

One option is to give the subject to children in the form of stories, or to encourage them to involve all their senses.

ADULTS CAN ALSO LEARN NEW THINGS

If online teaching is done correctly, it can bring at least three positives. The first is individual education, the basis of which is the knowledge and self-knowledge of the student. Everyone has a different way of learning. For example, the visual type better remembers the things they see, the auditory learns well by listening, and the kinetic type suits with a certain activity or experience.

The second is the ability to work in teams.

Various online learning platforms allow you to create separate rooms. Dividing children into several groups and letting them work on a task can be a step towards increasing children's motivation and actively participating in lessons.

The third positive is online learning in itself. Thanks to the Internet and global connectivity, children can connect with students on the other side of the world. Not only will they practice a foreign language during the meeting, but they will also learn something about the realities of another country and will likely remember it better than in classical geography. Modern technologies make these connections possible, so why not make full use of them?

Teaching the obsolete curriculum is not the way to go. If we can use modern technology and try to present knowledge in a new way, it will bring joy not only to children who start finding school entertaining, but also to parents, who will then not have to worry about tutoring them at home.

In the end however, this investment represents the greatest benefit for the child themselves, who, thanks to the creation of a positive relationship with education, will continue to learn throughout his life.

By Jan Mühlfeit and Kateřina Novotná

Thanks to the knowledge gained through epigenetics, it has been found that there is also the so-called ‘adult neuroplasticity’. Although this kind of neuroplasticity is much slower than that seen in children and adolescents, the brain still has the ability to make new synaptic connections. The statement “you can't teach an old dog new tricks” is a myth, however, lifelong learning is not.

A living example of this, is the well-known tennis player Roger Federer, who is a different player every year. His physical strength is constantly diminishing, so he has to think of other ways to defeat his opponents. One of his tactics, for example, is the ability to read body language, thanks to which he can judge his opponent's movements and thus reduce his overall expenditure.

BALANCE BETWEEN WORK AND PERSONAL LIFE Sufficient rest is as important for education as learning itself. We gain new experience and skills at work, at school, during sports, as well as other hobbies. However, the acquired knowledge, i.e., the interconnection of neurons by synapses, only occurs during one’s sleep cycles.

There needs to be balance between work and rest, as well as between work and family, especially during a pandemic, when many of us work from home and everything meets at one point. For example, routines can be an effective aid. Morning work, then lunch together, followed by learning with children and so on. Just because we spend most of our

POSITIVES THAT ONLINE EDUCATION COULD BRING

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

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WOMEN in management If you’re a woman in management, some of these frustrations might sound familiar, though I don’t expect that you would publicly announce them to the world.

I often struggle with feelings of inadequacy, especially in meetings with some of my more dominating colleagues.

I cannot really be myself at work. One has to perform to expectations and behave in a certain way in order to fit in.

I always feel guilty. For not being with my kids, for leaving the office ‘early’, for not checking my emails in the evening to keep my projects moving.

I don’t know if it is that people just don’t listen to what I am saying or they don’t take me seriously.

I feel stuck and frustrated with how my career is panning out. I am no longer inspired, and honestly, I am not sure what to do next.

I cannot rely on my team. I am always working overtime to correct their errors or just do the work by myself because that’s the only way to get it done properly.

These are some of the most common concerns and complaints I hear from professional women behind closed doors. These are extremely intelligent and capable women with big goals, ambitions, and eagerness to grow in their leadership position.

After hearing their complaints (which takes a while), I usually ask a seemingly innocent question: What do you think you need to resolve problem 'X'?

And then it comes. I am presented with a 'shopping cart' of different skills and abilities they believe they absolutely need as powerful antidotes to all their troubles. Everything from time, team or conflict management skills, coaching techniques to motivate people, to how to effectively convince others, learn patience, control body language, gain trust, deliver bad news, or to create a happy flourishing team that reacts more positively when expectations are raised… Yes, these are real wishes and desires!

These women want skills. Because skills make a great leader.

Really? What do you think?

Many HR professionals apparently agree. With a genuine intention of helping women grow in their leadership positions, they produce their catalogues with endless lists of training to choose from to develop any skill imaginable.

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Are skills alone the answer?

Don’t take me wrong. Skill training is certainly very valuable. After all, I am a trainer myself and someone who participated in hundreds of different training sessions. But here’s the thing. How many of these training sessions have produced real long-lasting changes? Helped you become a better leader? Contributed to your overall sense of satisfaction and fulfillment at work?

Maybe we got it all wrong…

As someone who has been working with both male and female leaders intensively for many years, I strongly believe that leadership training alone (or any soft skill training for that matter) does not work. It will only take you so far. Even if you have all the skills in the world, you won't be or feel like a leader.

Leadership is NOT a skill, it’s a way of being. Until you embody leadership from INSIDE OUT, skills will never be enough and you will constantly struggle.

Here are the problems that I see, and the reasons why leadership training often fails.

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Leadership is considered an OUTSIDE JOB We believe that leadership is something that we can just practise and build as a skill, OUTSIDE of ourselves. Like it’s something we can collect.

This way of thinking is flawed. It does not take into account the HUMAN who is LEADING. That person is very COMPLEX with their unique personality, style, qualities, strengths, their complex set of beliefs, and behavioral patterns. Leadership is not something that we can develop outside of ourselves. Leadership is an INSIDE JOB. The female advantage is NOT leveraged in leadership We model what we believe works best to help us achieve our objectives. Many female executives, especially those working in organisations with predominantly masculine management, believe that if they are to be taken seriously and pursue their career in management, they have to model the type of leadership they observe in their male superiors. Which is, let's face it, very masculine. They feel they have to push their 'femaleness' aside because, in their minds, the 'feminine' is perceived as weak and undesirable in a leader. This is tragic not only for the woman who learns to suppress an essential part of her being (with far-reaching consequences) but

also for the people around her. It’s the feminine power we now need more than ever, both in organisations as well as in our society, to bring people together, to collaborate and innovate.

Companies are only just awakening to the true potential of the 'feminine' but are still far away from effectively supporting their female talent to leverage their natural qualities and traits at work.

Having a satisfying life outside of work is NOT considered a priority The lives of so many female executives revolve primarily around work. In some companies, leaving 'early' and pursuing an active life outside the walls of the office is frowned upon, making it even more difficult for the woman to start looking for any kind of work-life balance. This has dire consequences – chronic stress, sickness, anxiety, family issues, just to mention a few. What we often don't realize is that it’s the life outside of work that can be a powerful energizer and can boost our work performance as a side product.

So, now what?

Let’s address these issues head-on. That’s exactly what I do in my work with female executives and that’s what you can start doing yourself right away. We need to approach leadership holistically.

I have identified the following four core areas that every woman needs to work on to grow as a leader. They are the four pillars of my online program SHELeads. As you can see from the diagram, leadership lives at the intersection of these four dimensions.

The leader within Before you start building skills, you need to start building yourself. Great leadership starts with self-awareness – a deep understanding of who you are. It’s paramount you discover who you are with all that it entails… The bright and shiny side of you with your talents and magic and the 'not-so-glamorous' side that is well hidden from view. That’s where your deep-rooted patterns and mental blocks reside. They drive your behavior and often keep you stuck in life.

Understanding your patterns makes it easier for you to self-coach yourselves in the moments

when it matters. Great leadership starts with self-awareness and is the foundation of real selfconfidence. To be able to lead others, you need to learn to lead yourself first.

The feminine power What does it mean for you to be a woman leader? Do you understand your own biases around women in management? Are you leveraging the subtle powers of your 'feminine-self' in your leadership? How connected are you to your 'inner woman'? Have you ever wondered how your hormones impact your performance?

These are good questions to get you started.

I also recommend that you explore the polarity within you, your masculine and feminine energies and see how well (or not) you're able to express them in your leadership. This is important because whether you like it or not, there is an impact. Not only on your performance and leadership style but also on your mental and physical wellbeing!

The work-life balance When working in high-pressure environments, work can quickly start dominating your life. If you feel that could be your case, perhaps it's time to ask yourself some questions. How do you prioritize when everything is top urgent? Do you have sources of joy outside of work? Have you considered how your lifestyle choices and habits impact your life and work performance?

What is your personal definition of work-life balance? What would it look like if you achieved that balance? Is there anything you can do right away to live a more balanced life? Do you have the right tools and strategies to help you?

The influencer Your influence has a lot to do with how well you know yourself and can regulate your reactions and behaviours. In parallel to gaining self-awareness (as mentioned earlier in this article), you can start developing your influencing skill set. As a leader, you want to have the ability to positively influence others. For that, you'll need a basic understanding of human psychology and dynamics. For instance, do you know what drives hu-

The leader within

The life-work balance

The feminine power

man behaviour? What makes people tick? How could you motivate them so that they do their best work? How do you build bridges of communication with people instead of tearing them down? Do you understand your communication style and how it impacts the people around you?

How comfortable are you dealing with people you consider 'difficult'? Do you know what your emotional triggers are? How do you react in situations of conflict? Are you an influencer or a manipulator? How effective are you in conveying your ideas? As an influencer, you will need to find answers to all these questions.

As you can see, leadership is NOT just a skill, it is a way of being. You need to embody leadership from INSIDE OUT. I like to think of it as a journey, a very scary journey but at the same time deeply satisfying. I hope this article provided you with some interesting food for thought and some actionable tips for your journey to being the leader you always dreamt of being.

If I can be of any help, please get in touch! I have tons of FREE resources on my website and I will be very happy to help you navigate through your specific leadership challenges.

Wishing you the best of success!

By Alena Huberova Trainer I Speaker I Founder of SHELeads Helping Women Become Inspiring Leaders, Powerful & Feminine www.alenahuberova.com alena@alenahuberova.com české znění naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.czechleaders.com

ABOUT ALENA HUBEROVA Through her signature online program SHELeads, Alena helps female executives build self-confidence, find their voice and lead their authentic way.

She has a professional background in Sales, Marketing and Communication in a variety of sectors including IT, Travel and Tourism, Wellness and Beauty. She has trained in a wide range of disciplines including Emotional Intelligence and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). She lived and worked in 5 different countries across Europe and Asia.

Amongst her achievements is speaking at the TEDx UNYP 2017 conference, winning second place in the 2018 Czech National Championship of Public Speaking, and in collaboration with Presenation.com, coaching X.GLU, a team from the Czech Technical University to win the world title at the Microsoft Imagine Cup 2017 in Seattle, USA. AlenaHuberova.com

The influencer IMAGE: © 2020 A lena H uberova

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ČSÚZ

From the presentation of a book on Czech education in Vienna

In cooperation with Czech & Slovak Leaders

Czechoslovak Foreign Institute

On June 24th, the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute presented Vlasta Valešová's unique book "The Comenius School Association – 150 Years of Czech Education in Vienna". On the same day, the President of the Republic Miloš Zeman, and Prime Minister Andrej Babiš were introduced to the book.

With the participation of the Chairman of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic Radek Vondráček, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Austria JUDr. Ivana Červenková, adviser to the President of the Chamber of Deputies, former Ambassador to Austria and member of the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute Jan Sechter, Special Envoy for Expatriate Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Jiří Krátký, Mayor of the Comenius School Association in Vienna Ing. Karel Hanzl and Managing Director of the Association Mgr. Margita Jonas, the members of the Institute and journalists had the opportunity to get acquainted with the book created on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Comenius School Association, created in Austria by Czech compatriots.

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The guests were welcomed by Jaromír Šlápota, chairman of the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute, who wished the present all the good and expressed admiration for Ing. Karel Hanzl, who during the last 27 years of his time as Mayor of the Association was able to return its prestige to the Czech school in Vienna. The number of pupils of the Comenius School, from nursery to grammar school, which ends with a school-leaving certificate, was 130 pupils and today it has 530 pupils.

"With such people who have an idea of what to do and know how to do it, the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute likes to cooperate. It does not have the means to finance the school's activities as such, but it contributes to improving the conditions for teaching," he explained.

ČSÚZ

Radek Vondráček, Chairman of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, took over one copy of the book for the President of the Republic Miloš Zeman, to whom he left directly from a presentation at the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute

Ing. Hanzl thanked for the support and recalled that thanks to the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute the school acquired modern computers and software, so it was very well prepared for online teaching at the time of this year's coronavirus pandemic. "Now there are people in and around the school for whom it is a heart's business and they are trying to do their best for the school. As a result, pupils see the school as their institution, they perceive Czech as their second mother tongue," he said. Compatriots, however, feel that the school is such an important facility that it should be taken care of by the state. The big problem is ensuring regular funding for the school's operations, which cost around €2.5 million a year.

As a sure success of the efforts made so far to ensure the permanent funding of the Czech Comenius School in Vienna, the Ambassador mentioned its inclusion in the Czech Schools Without Borders system, to which the Czech state has allocated funds that these schools will regularly receive for Czech language teaching. It is therefore a contribution to the financing of one object, that is, only part of the basic operation. But the overall problem is far from being solved.

The book presented by representatives of the Comenius School Association in the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute is an opportunity to obtain the missing funds.

Vlasta Valešová's book "The Comenius School Society – 150 Years of Czech Education in Vienna" bilingual, through the fate of individuals, Czechs who came to work and live in Austria, documents the history of the school from the arrival of Czechs in the middle of the 19th century, through the demise of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy,

Pictured from left: Martin Smolek, Karel Hanzl, Andrej Babiš, Ivana Červenková, Jaromír Šlápota

the First World War, the interwar period, the Second War, the years of coexistence with the regime in Czechoslovakia in 1948–89 till today. The reader will also find a characteristic of the development of relations between individual groups of Czechs in Austria and between Czechoslovakia and Austria.

Radek Vondráček, chairman of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic, was among the first to get the book. He mentioned during his thanks that he was most impressed by his compatriots in Vienna during his trips abroad. "Compatriots do a lot for relations between nations, more than we politicians can do," he said. Then he asked for a copy of a book for the President of the Republic Miloš Zeman, to whom he went directly from a presentation at the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute. He then sent a photo of it.

After the presentation, Austrian guests with the Ambassador and the Chairman of the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute went to the seat of the Czech Government, where they also handed over the book to Prime Minister Andrej Babiš. Deputy Foreign Minister JUDr. Martin Smolek PhD. was also present there.

A day later, the presentation of the book took place on the premises of the Brno Regional Office. Governor Bohumil Šimek on that occasion handed over Ing. Karel Hanzl a symbolic cheque for CZK 1 million as an expression of support for the Comenius School Association in Vienna. Senator Prof. Mikuláš Bek and Deputy Minister of Education of the Czech Republic Mgr. Daniel Kubát also attended the ceremony.

Hebr

From left: Marcela Ofner, Karel Hanzl and Bohumil Šimek

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The Ten Rules for Living Well: MAKE YOUR BED AND BE GRATEFUL P rof . P h D r . R adek P táček , P h .D.

P hoto : A rchive

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These fast-moving times force us to move fast in all areas of our life: fast solutions, fast refreshment, fast acquaintance, fast love… fast happiness. We want everything, and we want it now. And when we don’t get it, we feel discomfort. In contrast to our desire for speed, this slowly but very surely eats up our life. Speed is superficial. Nothing worth anything grows fast. Good things need time. When one day we realise that it’s too much for us; that we don’t feel good: we again seek fast solutions: alcohol, drugs, medicines. Something that will make us quickly forget how we are feeling. But nothing fast can change our brain, which under assault from all this speed has undergone changes over a long period of time.

If we truly want to lead a good and satisfying life, we need to slow down and go back to simple and natural things: look around us, take someone by the hand, breathe deeply… These are things which don’t work fast, but they work surely and reliably.

I’ve been studying academic works for twenty years, and I’ve found that science has demonstrated that a regular walk works perhaps better than antidepressants, and close relationships and love are the most effective medicine for everything.

I’ve put together ten rules which will help you slowly get back onto the path to a satisfying life.

You don’t need to go for it all at once. It’s sufficient for now to make your bed in the morning… and think about one thing you can be grateful for… perhaps that you have a bed you can make.

The Ten Rules for Living Well 1. Be grateful: when you wake up, try to bring to mind at least three things which you are happy about in life, and try to feel active gratitude.

Return to these feelings of gratitude any time you remember during the day. Science has clearly proven that people who consciously practise gratitude are more satisfied and resist stress better.

2. Make your bed: we live in a world of unfinished tasks, tiring our brains. In contrast, our brains are charged by completed tasks. When you make your bed in the morning, it forces you to be present in the moment and complete one specific task. And if you do not succeed in anything during the day, you can at least go back to your made bed. Take making your bed seriously: create a list every day – ideally written down – of things you will complete that day. It must be realistic! After completing each task – even a small one – try to feel joy. A life full of open processes, unanswered emails and unfinished tasks physically tires us out.

3. Build relationships: positive stable relationships are an essential requirement for our physical and mental health. Social support plays a key role in managing difficult situations, while also giving us profound feelings of satisfaction and meaning. Positive relationships are based on positive interactions. Endeavour to actively build relationships every day. You can tell your loved ones something positive multiple times a day. In so doing, you are giving yourself and others feelings of pleasure, as well as a slice of well-being and good health.

4. Sleep: sleep is the strongest means of regeneration. Nothing can replace what simple sleep can give you. Take great care over your sleep.

Don’t diminish it by working long into the night, or through use of your mobile phone. Disrupted sleep almost always disrupts your resistance to stress and impacts on your good health.

5. Don’t neglect intimacy: this is connected to relationships, but we often overlook it.

Intimacy isn’t just about sex, but simple touch and physical contact. Hugs, touch and massage do more for the body than a course of antidepressants.

6. Look for meaning: in Greek mythology, the gods condemned Sisyphus to endlessly roll a boulder to the top of a hill, from where the boulder would roll down again under its own weight. They thought that there was no worse punishment than pointless and hopeless work.

Similarly, modern science has ascertained that working or living without meaning leads to burnout. So try to find meaning in your work, and also in your relationships and life in general.

7. Enjoy hobbies: few today collect stamps, glue model aeroplanes together or knit jumpers.

Yet the science is clear. Hobbies help us to disengage and reside more in the present moment. Those who focus systematically on a hobby are more resistant to stress.

8. Take care of your lifestyle: diet and exercise are the foundations of our health. Science tells us clearly that exercise is the foundation of our health and wellbeing. Purposeful exercise of at least 30 minutes at least five times a week is indispensable. Increased exercise stimulates our brain to produce new neurons, directly influencing our mental resilience. Diet: what should we eat or not? Opinions vary, but there is general consensus that the less processed food you consume, the better.

9. Unplug energy zappers and recharge: clearly differentiate work from relaxation. Your brain needs to know when it is working and when it is relaxing. If you go for a massage with your mobile switched on, or depart for your holiday with your laptop, your brain can’t relax. Every day, at least for a while, unplug all these energy zappers and plug into something that recharges you (relaxation, sport or simply closing your eyes for a few minutes in complete quiet). And regularly plan your holiday with all these distractions out of reach.

10. Don’t fear the bear: scientific research has clearly proven that the way we perceive stress and workload has a direct impact not just on our feelings, but also on our health and lifespan.

Sometimes it’s hard to perceive exhausting duties as a positive challenge. But you can practise. Positive thinking isn’t just a buzzword, but a possible life-extending formula.

And what if you can’t, or it’s too late?

This list is not complete or universal. It’s a summary of what current science tells us and what works in practice from my perspective.

Nevertheless, it will only work on those who are still able to step away from the perpetual motion of their daily life. Some may not be able to, or it may be too late. In this case, you need to seek an expert – a doctor or psychologist who can help you stand up on your feet and sooner or later help you to find a way to experience your present moment and make use of natural mechanisms for managing overwork and stress.

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

Doktor Radek Ptáček is the first professor of medical psychology in the Czech Republic. He works as a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist, and lectures at the First Faculty of Medicine at Charles University in Prague and the University of New York in Prague. He is the author or co-author of more than 100 original scientific papers with a high citation count index, 15 scientific monographs, and popularisation articles. He has also been a member of the Committee on the Rights of the Child of the government of the Czech Republic since 2019.

Radek Ptáček is married and has three children.

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Leadership in Tech Companies (Ingrid Schostoková, Business & Life Coach from topcoach.sk)

Coaching shall be like

a DAY at the SPA…

P hoto :

archive

A technology company (tech company) is a type of business entity that focuses mainly on the development and manufacturing of technology products, providing technology as a service. Many large tech companies have a reputation for innovation, spending large sums of money annually on research and development. According to PwC's 2017 Global Innovation 1000 ranking, tech companies made up nine of the 20 most innovative companies in the world.

However, also companies with the core business totally different from tech companies have at least a tech department ;-) To define production technology would be to include any machinery that makes creating a tangible physical product possible for a business. Moreover, with the level of technological integration into nearly every facet of life and business, it’s practically essential for companies, large or small, to have an Information Technology (IT) department to handle all the technological issues that arise.

The major functions the IT department takes care of (besides reboot your computer) are governance, infrastructure and functionality, network and its backup, maintenance and

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planning, creating applications, technical side of all form of electronic communication, website, service for company’s computer system…

How many people work in the tech industry worldwide? Hundreds of millions. It is impossible to give an exact number since technology is growing every day and there are hundreds of thousands of people entering the workforce each day.

According to Statista, the Global IT Industry is 1.5 trillion Euro's, and that's just IT. Add in military technology, government development, R&D companies, manufacturing, transportation, medical, and communications, and you are looking at over 20 percent of Global GDP. So, take 20 % of the global workforce as a rough estimate of those whose jobs involve the development, manufacture, or use of high technology.

The world of tech is full of agile/lean methodologies that encourage teams to learn by doing/testing, fail fast, communicate briefly, and at all cost, make progress on the overarching growth of the business. This rapid pace of change is fantastic for small businesses that are trying to innovate, but it can be very hard on teams and employee development. One of the interesting paradoxes of

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the tech industry is just how important people are to success! The fast pace, rapid change and constant innovation means that engaged, productive teams are essential to the success of any firm. How quickly can we change our hearts and minds to go in a new direction? Not all of us handle failure in the same way. What can give tech leaders support and direction in addressing this constant change that is bubbling up each week by helping them be aware of their own communication style (and their blind spots) to help provide more confidence and support to the team in a constant state of flux? Engineering talent is the lifeblood of tech companies, and yet technical managers are not always naturally strong in, or particularly interested in, people management! However, engaged and empowered employees and collaborative teams are absolutely critical in an industry where responsiveness and innovation are so central. The ability to raise the performance of a team is an important element of being a good manager. And here, coaching is one of the options.

Let’s have a talk with two Slovak leaders who have implemented coaching in their leadership in tech companies.

Denisa, a successful young lady, leading nine managers with teams of up to 50 engineers, great at change & crisis management. Štefan, experienced manager, leading several teams of technical engineers. Result oriented, passionate about development of young people.

Both have been managing and working hard for years, but never getting bossy, rather empowering. They both are big fans of business coaching.

How did you get in touch with coaching and why?

Denisa: It was the need to find additional managerial tools. When I was leading a transformation process in a team where not everything worked well and the change had to be done quickly and improvement had to be visible instantly, I needed someone who could help me to get a different view on the situation. Coaching wasn´t so well known in Slovakia but I wanted to give it a try. Right after my first session with a business coach, I knew it was exactly what I was looking for.

I started to study coaching and actually have never stopped. The advantage of coaching is that you are taught how to ask questions and it also teaches you that there are no bad questions.

I like being a coach. My colleagues say when someone has a problem I come to them and stand by him or her, looking at what they are doing. I was taught not to solve a problem on behalf of the owner, which I tended to do and sometimes still do. Despite the fact, I’m surrounded by a team of very experienced professionals. Štefan: I didn’t know much about coaching. I was given the possibility to learn to coach as a part of my leadership soft skills education at Slovnaft, a.s., my employer. I was fascinated by the unbelievable power of smart open questions, where I , a welleducated and experienced engineer but not so smart as a manager (laugh) was capable helping others to solve complicated problems. Great, I got a new tool!

Which do you prefer, to be a coach or a coachee?

Štefan: I like both to coach and to be coached. Coaching was extremely helpful for me, as I have found solutions to problems or answers to questions that had niggled at the back of my mind for a long time. I like to be coached even by my wife – I find solutions to my issues, she practices her coaching skills, and, as a side effect, it helps deepening our relationship.

As a coach, I am happy to see the “wow” moments. When the coachees understand that the problem is mostly only a construct existing in their mind, and they see that they have the power to make the change.

What are the problems or situations when coaching is the most effective way to cope with them?

Denisa: For example, when someone asks me: “Please, tell me what is the priority!” but I know they are capable of finding the answer by themselves.

By having a dialogue (using a simple coaching scheme), we can quickly see the best solution.

I use a coaching style when there is a need to deliver something complicated in an extremely short time, or when I want my managers to do a deep dive into the problem. The basic brainstorming is not enough until it is transformed into concrete steps and solutions.

Coaching shines a light – and makes things clearer. Sometimes, it is enough to see the first step of the stairs and you are able to climb the second and the third one more easily.

Coaching is perfectly suitable for situations, when looking for resources within a team, it helps managers better delegate to their staff.

As soon as managers find the way towards the solution I can easily change from my coaching over to my managerial role.

Sometimes, many issues need to be addressed, everything is running so fast and the problems are falling down on you like popcorn, coaching helps you not lose your mind :-)

Štefan, what are the situations when you use coaching rather than mentoring?

In extreme crisis situations, there is no space for coaching. Of course, the coached colleague must have the appropriate knowledge and willingness to take responsibility. I also often combine mentoring and coaching.

Since I have been leading teams for years, I often use team coaching. Mostly at the beginning of new projects, where the alignment of project teams is crucial– to have coherent goals, clear rules, synchronized roles, etc.

Furthermore, I like to coach youngsters in our talent development programmes.

Where did you get coaching skills?

Denisa: I have completed a few half-year coach trainings and several workshops certified by ICF in the area of Business Coaching, Team Coaching and Systemic Coaching. I am also ICF Associate Certified Coach. Štefan: I have completed a few ICF trainings, too.

Moreover, I often use the book “Coaching according to the Pyramid” written by founders of one of the coaching schools in Bratislava, as a quick reference.

Štefan, would you recommend coaching to other tech leaders (and if yes, why?)

Definitely. I think, coaching is one of the best (even if not the only) managerial technique.

Denisa, I have had a chance to meet you in a workshop and saw you acting as a systemic coach and I can tell you it was really impressive how you handled the situation… and you were so authentic and familiar with coaching!

Thank you (smile). Yes, I feel very comfortable in a coach role. I can use the coaching automatically as a part of my work – sometimes, it is as easy as breathing. Coaching has definitely became a part of my leadership style. And, of course, I coach individuals in my private life, too, if I am asked.

Coaching shall be, basically, like a day at the spa.

The clients are treated in a way, that they feel comfortable even if difficult topics are being discussed. Štefan Godo Responsible for optimal asset utilization, and formerly for product and technology development at Slovnaft a.s..

Responsible for Refinery and Petrochemical technologies, performance management, process automation, improvement projects. Involved in idea management, strategic feasibility studies and general development. Energized by staff motivation and talent development.

Denisa Križovská Director IT Infrastructure at SIA S.p.A. Service Delivery ICF Associate Certified Coach Crisis, Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery.

15+ years of the IT Operations experience.

Highly motivated result driven professional with an ability to build relationships, establish and maintain cooperation with others, establish personal credibility to achieve the goals. české znění naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.czechleaders.com

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IDENTIFIED WITH AN AVERAGE

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Interview with Sotirios Zavalianis, Owner, AKESO Holding Sotirios Zavalianis is the owner of the second largest healthcare company in the Czech Republic. AKESO holding includes Hořovice Hospital, Rehabilitation Hospital Beroun and the Multiscan Oncology and Radiology Centre in Pardubice. In addition to these large centres, it operates other outpatient clinics in Chrudim, Svitavy and Ústí nad Orlicí. The group’s philosophy can be summarised by three values: human health, humaneness and helpfulness. In Greek mythology, Akeso is the goddess of healing, daughter of the renowned physician Asclepius.

And what were the successful Greek entrepreneur’s beginnings in the Czech Republic like? Sotirios Zavalianis came to communist Czechoslovakia to study at university in the year 1987. He has no problem admitting that his scholarship was paid at the time by the Communist Party. He was once described in the press as a “forced capitalist“. After completing his studies, he tried to take up some sort of employment on three occasions. The longest he lasted in a job was three months. Entrepreneurship therefore became the only solution for him. He had to employ himself. Now he employs 1,700 people. His life’s dream was to become a politician, but he wasn’t willing to slip into populism because of a political career.

We met with Mr. Zavalianis in AKESO holding’s headquarters in Prague 5. Given the pandemic, our meeting took place without shaking hands, in compliance with social distancing rules and in masks. After all, safety is one of his hospitals’ priorities. I was interested in what it’s actually like to do business in the area of healthcare. From interviews with many foreigners, I know how highly rated Czech healthcare is, and at the same time how little Czechs appreciate it. And how we’re so used to everything being free. Or at least officially. We also talked with Mr. Zavalianis about how the pandemic has affected the operation of hospitals. The Israelis claim that the pandemic pushed their healthcare system 10 years ahead. What’s the situation like in the Czech Republic? And finally we also arrived at the question of how Czechs care for their health. I hope that this interview, which still falls into a series of motivational New Year interviews, will also encourage some readers to not only think about, but also change, certain habits or stereotypes.

And how to start? Experts recommend focusing on physical exercise. In neighbouring Slovakia, Denník N (N Daily) launched a campaign accompanied by instructional and motivational articles, which aim to prepare even an untrained person for a half marathon in three months. And so I, a die-hard opponent of running, also said I’d try it. The first week seemed easy to me. I went for two 30-minute walks, and twice I alternated running and walking in 3-minute intervals for a period of 30 minutes. Surely almost anyone can manage that... so who’s coming with me?

Mr. Zavalianis, the first question will focus on entrepreneurship in healthcare. Czechs aren’t used to combining health and business.

However, your AKESO holding is doing well.

Yes, we’re doing well, and we’re glad. Let’s think about why Czechs perceive entrepreneurship in healthcare as unethical. For many years, politicians acted as saviours of the nation. Their premise was free healthcare, under the control of politicians who will ensure that it’s at the right level. However, the politicians never said what care, and in what quality, they will guarantee. Thus, a myth was born which disconnects healthcare from economic

reality. Unfortunately, there is no human activity which is not connected to the economy. It’s always a question of whether the money was spent efficiently, or not. And we know that, in the case of healthcare, funds were often spent inefficiently and the level of the provided services fell. Instead of keeping pace with the EU, we began to sink.

Below-average managers will find it hard to attract top experts. And why is the question of whether an economic perspective belongs to healthcare only asked in connection with operating a facility?

After all, pharmaceutical companies manufacture drugs and sell them to hospitals. Other companies

provide high-end devices, while others again build hospitals. In those cases, an economic approach isn’t a problem? I don’t understand it. We’re trying to do things completely differently. We place emphasis on efficiency, safety and accessibility.

However, the claim you mentioned is deeply rooted in people’s minds. Many believe that the private sector cannot be ethical or humane, and that its aim is to harm society. Only the state or region can protect health. Unfortunately, this original ideology, which was presented to citizens under the previous regime, has survived even in the time of capitalism.

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Interview with Sotirios Zavalianis, Owner, AKESO Holding How has the operation of your hospitals been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic?

I read that you had to postpone 700 planned operations. On the contrary, your medical supplies expenses increased by 70 million CZK. Combined with the limited outpatient care, the pandemic may have cost the company as much as 100 million CZK. Perhaps the question should instead be phrased as how Covid-19 affects us, as people. With some hyperbole, we could say that our hospitals are standing firm and will continue to function, but the question remains whether we, the citizens, will endure this situation... it has already been going on for a long time, and it will go on for some time still.

But now to operational matters. The pandemic has a huge effect on the facility’s functioning. We adapted all operations to patients with Covid-19, which is good. We must take care of these patients. However, I also see the negative impacts of the fact that these patients are to a certain extent prioritised before other patients. We don’t have so much time for prevention. People are also dying from other diseases. We may be successful in treating the pandemic, but people will die due to the neglect of other illnesses.

Despite the pandemic, you’re preparing large investments to open more hospitals.

We’re planning to open a Diagnostic Centre in Butovice, Prague. It’s really about making available certain services, such as preventive examinations and regular check-ups, to patients in Prague. We want to save them the 35 kilometre journey. We have a 5.8 billion CZK investment plan for the next three years! A unique project will be the 1.2 billion CZK Mental Health Centre, which we’ll build in Beroun. In Beroun, we’re also completing a kindergarten for employees’ children, preparing operating theatres, and expanding the capacity of the inpatient facility. In Hořovice, we’re completing the construction of 100 apartments for employees, and we’re going to start the construction of another 135. In Hořovice, we’re also going to build a new hospital according to a concept which will allow for a fast change from a regular operation to an infectious disease department regimen. That way, we’ll be even better prepared for the next pandemic.

Let’s now focus on your employees. When I read interviews with you on social networks, where I follow you, you always thank your employees and present the chief physicians.

We’re conducting this interview for Czech and Slovak Leaders magazine. So what type of leader are you?

Calculating? (laughs) Our activities cannot be replaced by robots or machines. If we want to be successful at what we do, we must look after those who perform these activities. In order for the facility to function well, it must be staffed with quality, responsible and satisfied employees.

I’m not a philanthropist or a Samaritan. Our type of business requires a certain level of conduct.

And we take care of our employees accordingly.

We provide our employees with housing and

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affordable care for preschoolers, starting with children one year of age. In addition to these material benefits, we strive to ensure that all employees have social security in their lives so that they can focus fully on their work. Three percent of their salary goes toward additional pension insurance. And we take great care to ensure that there’s good collaboration and mood within the team. Summer camps, outings and vacations are a matter of course.

We fully stand behind and support our employees.

It happens that, with the enormous number of procedures and volume of work, someone can make a mistake. I’m proud of the fact that, in almost 20 years of functioning, none of our employees has been prosecuted. We also stand behind our employees if they find themselves in a difficult situation. We’re not a corporation which views people as part of a proverbial wheel which will be replaced even if it starts to snag just a little. None of our employees is facing distraint proceedings.

We offer legal assistance, as well as economic and insurance advice. We know that when a person has problems, they can’t fully concentrate on their work and the error rate increases. We rely on firstrate performance, and we want our employees to treat patients and make decisions with maximal commitment and concentration.

Let’s now move on to trends in healthcare and medicine. Israelis say that Covid-19 pushed the Israeli healthcare system 10-20 years ahead. The fact that Israelis are so far ahead in digitisation allowed for the successful vaccination of a large percentage of the population in a short time. What’s the situation like in our country?

Yes, technological progress is indisputable, and can be seen in the Czech Republic too. Consider how many new technologies were created during World War I and II. And now we’re at war with Covid-19. More experts, but also financial resources, are focused on the field of healthcare and pharmacy. In our company, we had to come up with completely new procedures and processes with regard to safety and effectiveness of treatment. Suddenly, healthcare comes to the forefront of the attention of all sections of the population. It’s important for everyone. Previously, young, healthy people weren’t interested in the state of the healthcare system, because they hardly needed it at all. Suddenly, it turned out that anyone can fall ill.

Our hospitals have also been operating “paperlessly“ for many years, but Czech legislation isn’t very progressive in this respect. Digitisation by itself won’t save the day; it’s very overrated. It won’t replace doctors or nurses. We digitise a huge volume of information, but can we process and use it? And for what? Maybe eliminating bureaucracy would suffice. Digitising our bad habits into a 0 and 1 system really won’t move us forward. Did you know that nurses spend as much as 80% of their time on administration? I can see that processes are far more important for effective, efficient and above all safe treatment than digitisation, but that’s what attracts media attention.

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How do you see the future of medicine and the medicine of the future? Is it new technologies, such as for example nanotechnology? Or, on the contrary, a return to natural medicine such as medicinal cannabis?

One thing is certain. We must all die one day.

What’s medicine for? For a quality and long life.

Today, in the Czech Republic, men are living to 76.2 years of age, and women to 82.1. However, we only live an average of 61 years in good health.

Medicine should enable us to live as long as possible, with the highest possible quality of life.

And, in our hospitals, we’re contributing to this.

We can’t rely on miraculous healing. We try to use new inventions and innovative approaches. We use biological treatments, including work with cannabis. But I’d say that in the case of cannabis, just like digitisation, it’s a kind of overinflated bubble. There isn’t that much interest in cannabis among patients.

And then there are real problems here. I’ll come back to the issue of mental health. Did you know that more than 3.8 million people have mental health problems? In the Czech Republic, I see almost excessive trust in and reliance on healers and saviours, often very false ones. That’s why I recommend that people begin their treatment with a doctor, and use alternative therapy as a supporting measure. Unfortunately, on too many occasions, I have encountered cases where women with cancer, in particular, came into surgery with the disease at a too advanced stage, because they prioritised alternative therapy.

Let’s take care not only of our bodies, but also our mental health.

Do Czechs take care of their health?

Some do. But a huge number of people come to see their doctor too late. Look around the street, and you’ll see a large number of people who are obese, even at a young age. 23 percent of the adult population is obese, while another 30 percent is overweight. A large part of the population therefore doesn’t take very good care of its health.

The setup of the current health insurance system doesn’t motivate people very much to look after their health. High-risk behaviour should be penalised, and the motivation should focus on care for one’s health. It’s not just about the individual, as we often believe. The cost of increased care comes out of all our pockets. Healthcare should be a society-wide interest. Much money would be saved, and hospitals wouldn’t be so overcrowded.

And to conclude?

I have never identified with an average. If I identified with average, maybe I’d have an easier life. As soon as someone juts out of the average, the others try to chop their head off. So I’m glad that our hospitals are among the above-average ones. We don’t use the word “average“ in our company.

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

Jana Merunková: IF YOUR DREAM IS BIG ENOUGH, FACTS DO NOT COUNT Together with Gábina Štiková, Jana has built a successful non-profit organization, yourchance, which helps young people to start up their own independent lives after leaving orphanages and develop financial literacy in schools. She has experience in producing more than 35,000 CDs for blind children and fairy tale books for the deaf, supports women entrepreneurs, and lectures and writes books. In November, thanks to social networks, I found out that Jana is also a chateau lady. She decided to buy the Hluboš chateau, which was, among other things, the first summer residence of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk. Additionally, she has decided to repair this castle and to restore the exhibition dedicated to our first president and his family. It is the legacy of TGM and the story of his family that is another passion I share with Jana.

Jana, how did you become a chateau lady?

And not just any lady at the chateau. Your goal is to restore the chateau associated with one of the most important personalities in Czech history, Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk?

This dream came true after 25 years, from the moment I wrote about it as part of my journalism studies. At that time, I was very much shaped by the environment and personalities who lectured there, including the great literary critic Květoslava Neradová and Viera Judtová, who worked in Václav Havel's press office. The values ​​of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk and the legacy of the First Republic were often discussed in seminars. One of the tasks I remember was an essay on "me in adulthood".

And then I called it My Life at the Castle and I thoroughly described how I would return the original beauty and mission to some castle. It was in the mid-90s and various buildings in desolate states were being returned in restitution. I felt inspired by how their owners began to repair them. What is the fate of most essays? It ends up at the bottom of a drawer. But mine did not end there. I think I already understood the Czech writer Božena Němcová and her work. When a person is worst off, he clings to dreams and visions. I did the last revision of my essay in 2014. I added a chapel, a pond, and a specific form of the garden. Back then, it was at a leadership training, when we had to think again about the dream for our lives. I embellished my own in detail and imagined that I would fulfill it for my 50th birthday.

Wait, something does not fit here because I know we are the same age and I definitely do not plan to celebrate my 50th birthday for some time.

Last year, I felt that I had to start focusing more intensely on my dream. So, I prepared a space in my mind for careful acquaintance with reality and plan. I concluded it was time for mapping the situation on the market. It was clear to me that the castle cannot be bought during an afternoon.

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I was horrified by how many beautiful buildings in the Czech Republic the Russians sell mostly to the Russians, which seems far worse to me than the occupation.

Every year I renew my dream board. For several years I had there one picture of a castle in the Neo-Renaissance style with a French garden, with a fountain. A few days later we went to Hluboš.

When I arrived, I felt this was the castle I had been writing and dreaming about 25 years ago.

There was a castle, a chapel, and a pond. I knew I belonged here. I no longer needed to go anywhere else. I was relieved to see that the roof was new.

That is a win. Everything else can be done gradually.

I think you describe well the feelings of the future owner, who is happy and at the same time full of worries. Inéz Cusumano described it similarly when she discovered Chateau Mcely. But the castle needed to be proverbially conquered...

I felt at home in Hluboš from the first moment.

I used to dance competitively, so I immediately used the large floor in the Fresco Hall and danced a waltz.

At the same time, I kept thinking, this dream was not supposed to come true now but five years later.

I assured the real estate agent that the castle would wait for me if it should be mine. In January of this year, I met directly with the owner and introduced to him my vision of keeping the Masaryk legacy alive and build Hluboš as his memorial, but also as a place of social gatherings in the spirit of gathering places reminding of the tradition and spirit of the First Czechoslovakian Republic. I also saw synergies with yourchance's activities. And then came the pandemic. I kept commuting to Hluboš and thinking about my vision. The closed area, the oldest botanical garden in Europe inaccessible to the public and no exhibition about Masaryk ... I could not allow that. Nobody will remodel my castle into a hotel! I consulted with my two life mentors and both advised me to fight for the castle and its future.

And all this happened within 14 days against the background of the covid period when most of the meetings were almost impossible and the authorities did not work...

Yes, if the dream is big enough, the circumstances do not stop you. I came up with a hybrid financing model, where a non-profit organization as the owner of the property will cooperate with its own subsidiary s.r.o. I presented it to future members of the board of directors Hluboš NGO, who approved my model. I contacted other partners and donors.

But I still did not have the required amount of money available. I called the current owner, Mr. Landa, who kindly extended my term by 14 days. Even so, the result did not change significantly.

I suggested to him that he continue negotiations with the developer. And the owner gave me another chance ... trust and keys.

In November, I launched a large project of the Czech-Israeli Women's Accelerator. And every time I went down my mind, I remember why I started it. What helped you?

Yes, I was worried, especially about finances. My mentor gave me good advice:“Act as if it has already happened. Take small steps.” So, I ordered a chair, bought beautiful crystal glasses. And with these little things, I kept reminding myself of the path and goal I was taking. On November 5, I signed a contract and immediately slept here on mattresses on the ground. And I moved on the anniversary of the Velvet Revolution on November 17th, 1989. The ideals of Masaryk and Havel were thus symbolically connected in my life. And I began to take steps to fulfill all the obligations arising from Hluboš's mission. And since then, friends, comrades, and volunteers have come here to offer me various help.

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

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INTERVIEW WITH HELENA KROFTOVÁ LEISZTNER, MULTIMEDIA ARTIST

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Has it ever happened to you that you get the feeling from social networks that you already know a person you are going to meet really well, even though you have only seen each other briefly? And then you start talking and as the story is shared and develops you suddenly feel shivers down your spine because you realise how much you have in common? Do you believe in energy? I do.

What makes women’s art so specific? How are art and politics connected? And where does Helena get her entrepreneurial genes from?

Myself and Helena Leisztner Kroftová have more in common than just a shared passion for supporting women and trying to change the world for the better.

Helena Leisztner Kroftová studied at the University of Economics, but over time began spending time on art. She started by designing clothes, but now works with variable clothing, drawing, painting, photography, and combined techniques. She also gained a practical insight into the world of art, organising exhibitions, PR, and publicity during her time at the Argentinian embassy. For 6 years she worked abroad. She holds a number of Czech and international awards: Zenit 89 Young Fashion Designers Prize - Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, Talent 90, the Masaryk Academy of Arts Prize for Artistic Activity and Synthesis of Visual Arts, International Prize for Modern Art, Límenarte 11 - Italy, Marian Adair Award International – WCI, for lifetime artwork and philanthropy - USA. Helena, what are you working on right now?

I am currently undergoing another transformation; I like experimenting with different forms of art.

For the Blossoms Project of 26 artists, I painted porcelain for Expo Dubai for an investment company. It is a huge bowl, on which the national motif of linden blossoms is portrayed. I took part in an exhibition, entitled Porcelain Prague, with the same group of renowned artists from Galerie U Zlatého kohouta in Prague in December. For that I created several political images, such as Tsunami Beneath the Castle and To Libuše, with a distinctive garland. My work generally has some political subtext. The most recent complex and retrospective exhibition, Reflections, was held at the Italian Chapel in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and the Italian Embassy.

The main theme was my Praga Caput Regni Reipublicae project, then Prague - Venice Infinity, and Colours of Woman, pictures that focus on processing the psyche and psychology of women. These works are entirely emotional, pure.

My Colours of Woman cycle began with pendrawn portraits. Of women. This was followed by work with the Czech Miss pageant, for which I created variable national costumes. They really stood out at the Miss shows from the Czech Republic abroad because in the very tall, artistic hats they were always higher and unmissable.

What is more, the clothes were variable: the hat transformed into a corset, the boa into a gown ...

The Colours of Woman cycle also encompasses oil paintings with a 3D effect, kaleidoscopic photographs of nature, particularly flowers. And my poetry. The models at shows present my clothes with an image of my picture, moreover with my turning picture; it is the art fashion show of a single artist with music, a stationary and a live exhibition, including my choreography.

This again encloses the mosaic of different arts within a single, living, theatrical whole. I am currently the only one with my own authorship of many types of art, and this also motivates me to go further.

How has your work been affected by the ongoing pandemic?

Perhaps all of us expected a crisis to come along, whatever form it took. I see that Covid-19 has meant we have been forced to, and have the chance to, return to nature, of which we are a part. I am now taking more photographs of

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nature ­– colour and close-ups. Flowers bring colour. Every flower has a centre, where harmony is created. And this should be projected in the planet and in the universe. I see the centre of the flower and its surroundings as a kaleidoscope.

And the subconscious then shapes my pictures.

That’s why my exhibitions always come with the subtitle “The subconscious is God to us all”.

I no longer like black and brown; they remind me of the communist era, perhaps just gloss and soil content. And they are also funereal colours, and I steer clear of that.

Women and their fertility: a common theme of my oil paintings. I sometimes hear the opinion that my pictures are erotic, but in reality they depict love, conception, illness, the departure of parents – in short, all the significant chapters in life that change us. Whenever we are down, we become aware of our attachment to nature and the possibility for onward growth. So the pictures capture auto eroticism or orgasms, which merely show that women are key to the reproduction process and the continuation of the human race.

There is much discussion in literature about women authors and the specific features of what is known as women’s literary work. How is womanhood projected in the fine arts?

Women’s art, and everything in fact, is influenced by the fact that we are the givers of life. Men simply do not have this element. When a woman is socially advanced, has social empathy, then the woman-mother not only tries to protect, but support and develop her offspring to the maximum. Men should offer support, but I think that they lack this perception of and focus primarily on the offspring, and therefore future development. The representation of womenmothers in politics is important; here we can expect a certain cross-spectrum empathy. The fact that men are over-represented in politics has been seen in decision-making during the pandemic, when the interests of different risk groups have not always been taken into consideration. In art, it is about work that comes from the soul. And the soul is influenced by feelings. And the feelings of women and men who hold their child in their arms are simply different, and this also is reflected in political decisions.

I absolutely know what you are talking about. You have been a member of several women’s organisations. Women’s Forum, for example. How has the issue of women moved on?

I lived long enough under the old regime to be able to say that in more than 30 years of the new regime, the issue has genuinely moved forward, but that is an old development. At the same time, I am not a proponent of elevating one sex above the other. It is all about humility in communication, reaching agreement and bringing up children with love, which is fundamental for the development of the whole planet. We women are not always able to maintain female solidarity. Men are. If I were to use a comparison, men work predominantly with each other in a group, while we women are often confidantes, but rivals. I personally am more solitary. It begins with creation, it ends with organising exhibitions.

Let’s return to politics. You said yourself that your art is often political. Many artists, however, are strictly against political involvement.

Why shouldn’t politics be a part of art? Art moves through human mentality. Art is also able to covertly manipulate people. And it is not by chance that artists are persecuted for their art under totalitarian regimes. I remember that when I painted a picture with a religious theme under communism, for example a Jewish cemetery, members of the STB (secret police) had remarks about whether or not this was appropriate in the pictures. They were just as bothered about Charles IV at prayer. I jointly founded the A prima vista, or Fashion Provocation, group back in 1988. I prepared various patriotic, provocative choreography and models, for example a dance version of My Country, Freons, red t-shirts were cut at Rockfest, I was arrested and interrogated several times. It was art, it was symbolic and political. And the protectors of the regime knew it all too well. There are many types of art, but mine has always expressed a reflection of satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the time.

Music can be political, just as can design or fine arts. We are back at the subconscious, which is the impulse for the expression of feeling.

I continued the patriotic theme in my Praga Caput Regni - Reipublicae project, I made

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P hoto : L enka H atašová

clothes on the theme of the Czech lioness, which Renata Langmannová presented in many places in Prague where the Czech lion is found. Some of the cycle is found in the national libraries in NY and in Florence. The clothing was naturally accompanied by my picture and choreography for many possibilities of presenting the golden national dress. Some were there at the gala opening of the International Biennial of Modern Art at the National Gallery in 2006.

You are also the co-founder of the Czech Friends of the National Museum of Women in the Arts, of which you are now the chair.

These “Friends of...” organisations are very common abroad and help artists, or talented scientists perhaps.

The National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington D.C. is the only national museum in the world devoted solely to women artists and has societies in all capitals. Toyen is the Czech female artist represented in its collections. The idea was initiated by Catherine Cabaniss, wife of the former US ambassador William Cabaniss, in collaboration with Eliška Hašková Coolidge. We used our own funds to try and help young artists, or disabled artists.

It was interesting to see the work of a professional American organisation. We organised a number of concerts and exhibitions in the Czech Republic, at interesting venues: at the Senate, Česká spořitelna bank, Salmovský Palace, in cooperation with the National Gallery, and in New York. We found support from the Mathilda Endowment Fund, run by Duchess Mathilda Nostitzová, for people with severe visual disabilities and from La Sophia in support of abandoned children. We set up the FNMWA Face of the Year, whose prize-winners include women artists, women artists with visual disabilities and, for example, a restorer of Romanesque clothing, a ballet dancer, and a 10-year-old singer – an orphan with Asperger syndrome. After 13 years of work at the society, we plan to hand over the reins of management to the next generation.

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You have mentioned several times during the interview the influence of family and roots. You did not have it in the least bit easy, given your bourgeois background.

You said that you don’t want to be tied to history, but that it is at the same time good to remember it.

When I think of my childhood, I always remember dining at the table. We always had a natural, white, ironed tablecloth and fabric napkins, polished silver cutlery. I have no idea how my mother managed to do it when she had a job. My parents never complained about their change in conditions, they wanted to spare me from this. My ancestors were merchants in nonferrous metals and had a number of apartment buildings. They never built a villa because they would generally go to Venice on Thursday and stay there until Tuesday. My grandmother found it hard to deal with the fact that she was “merely” a hostess. Even though she attended all the business meetings or organised important meetings and banquets for many dozens of guests. When nationalisation came, my father remembered how his grandfather had burned his securities and begged him never to go into business. My own father said the same to me. My grandmother, a great role model to me, began devoting her time to art after the communist revolution. Her art protis and tapestries meant that she suddenly became the main breadwinner in the family. Her husband never recovered from the loss of his position and the persecution he suffered.

What type of work pleases you the most?

What is the difference between preparing exhibitions and working on an order?

For an exhibition, I work alone with a huge amount of freedom, meaning enthusiasm. If I am organising everything, I have a curator in Italy, the whole exhibition and PR are my responsibility and I need this. Everything is already prepared

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abroad and the artist is given space to express herself; that is not such a common custom here.

Specific pieces for companies or other clients, for example a type of photograph, a painting, a canvas, porcelain, and the size, I choose in line with the style of the space and the mentality.

Mostly, however, there are more women making the decisions in design, meaning that there is generally concordance in advance according to intuition. I offer a design in my studio, since personal contact is important. The time right now plays into the hands of online sales, and there are no problems there either.

We will talk about strong, proud grandmothers next time. I plan to write a book about mine. She was a prominent pharmacist in Pohořelec and her patients included Edvard Beneš and Hana Benešová, Alice Masaryková, and artists from the National Theatre. My last question is about your plans.

What are you planning?

I don’t plan. At all. It might seem like a cliché, but I think that we have all come to appreciate the saying “seize the day” this year. I was looking forward to my exhibitions, particularly abroad. It is not easy to shift exhibitions. Plans are made years in advance, so exhibitions are generally cancelled rather than moved to a later date. I let things happen naturally. And I am happy to be able to find some time for myself. It is important.

I get up early every morning and do some meditation, dance, or yoga. I am therefore able to lift myself above the everyday problems and deal with matters with a bird’s-eye view, easily, with concentration, and comprehensively. I would particularly recommend it to our busy women.

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

On the current crisis facing mankind, COVID-19,

TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIAL MEDIA I nterview with M artin J an S tránský , D irector , P olyclinic at N árodní , P ublisher of P řítomnost

P hoto : A rchive

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What happens if you interview a leading neurologist and neuroscientist and a writer and publisher at the same time? Will you get a medical perspective, a journalistic one, or a combination of philosophy, ethics, and sociology? Find out yourself.

In the case of Martin Jan Stránský, his dual identities are inseparable and mutually reinforcing. In a medical capacity, he is the founder and director of Polyclinic at Národní and Assistant Clinical Professor at Yale University in the US. He is also the publisher of Přítomnost and its English version The New Presence magazines, continuing the family legacy of the prestigious publishing house dating back to the Czechoslovak First Republic.

Martin Jan Stránský's great-grandfather was a minister in the first government of Czechoslovakia in 1918 and founded the newspaper Lidové Noviny. Dr. Stránský's grandfather and father were also involved in high-level politics until the family had to leave after the Communist takeover of 1948. Martin Jan Stránský was born in the US and returned to Czechoslovakia in 1990 to help the country with the transition from communism.

On a personal note, the revived journal The New Presence served as an independent source for me and many students of my generation in the 1990s. My family has been a subscriber for more than a quarter of a century.

Martin Jan Stránský turned out to be one of the most challenging people to be interviewed.

I suggest you read the interview as the New Year’s offering, one that might help you to challenge the traditional way of thinking and doing things and to hopefully act differently.

Wishing you a healthy, happy year, full of critical thinking and meaningful person-to-person conversations!

How would you characterize the current period, both as a medical expert and writer and a publisher?

The current period essentially revolves around the obsession with the current COVID-19 situation. It is a perfect metaphor of our times. For the first time in human history, a unique mix of media hyperbole, social globalization, and political management and mismanagement have merged to create a perfect storm over what is, with the greatest respect to all those affected, a not too unusual phenomenon from a historical perspective.

The net result is that the combination of digitalization, mass media, and in particular social media, has resulted in what I would call social stupidification, namely a marked decline in objective thinking and reasoning that has cast aside perspective and humility, and instead prioritizes commercialization and life longevity at all costs. Add to this the fact that politics and political models are becoming increasingly diluted by supranational interests and global players, who control access to knowledge and thus manipulate society to further their own commercial and media interests.

This environment is in direct opposition to our evolution as a species, which was built on direct face-to-face interaction, as opposed to the flat world of faceless digispeak and mass media inundation. That’s why the current COVID-19 scenario has generated much more psychological and economic damage, than its true medical impact - only 1 % of the world’s

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population has been infected to-date, and only 0.25 % of the world’s population has died - that’s one quarter of one percent! Of course, every human life is precious. But throughout human history, plagues, earthquakes, floods, wars and catastrophes have come and gone.

Yet for the first time in human history, we are approaching the crises from a completely different perspective, one which has emerged because of the factors I mentioned.

What brought all this about?

For the first time in human history, particularly as far as the developed world is concerned, we are living in unprecedented and prolonged bliss lasting several generations. This has created an empty space which has been progressively filled by a culture of self-centered priorities and greed. A “me first” culture that exists because of the absence of real threat also opens space for populists who create false crises to gain political status, where they normally would not. But if for example, a Third World War broke out now, no one would be interested in Brexit, COVID-19, or populist issues like the threats of immigration and so on. True priorities would set in, we would be looking to save our lives and for a Churchill to lead us out of the crisis, and not for a new iPhone.

So where are we heading?

As a neurologist who also looks at the human brain from a philosophical as well as evolutionary perspective, I see that within the span of only the past twenty years, we have digressed from our evolutionary imperatives and abilities and placed ourselves on a completely different trajectory as far as our thinking, priorities, and communication processes are concerned.

Both the emergence of the COVID-19 virus as a consequence of human interference into biological vectors, as well as our reaction to it is proof of that.

During the first pandemic wave, many people stressed the solidarity and the good-will of the population. Now, during the second wave, we are seeing a rise of aggression and frustration. How do you perceive this shift?

This has to do with the trend and the changes that I outlined. The chief culprits are a society weaned on increasing pursuit of creature comforts, and increasing isolation of the individual, despite globalization. The chief mechanism behind all of this is the emphasis on digital technology making life “easier”.

While it may be true that you can, for example, order a chair from Amazon or Ikea and get it delivered, the human brain is about direct

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communication, about getting into your car, fixing the flat tire, going to the store, trying out several chairs, arranging the delivery and then going back to the store and debating with the manager to get your money back because one leg was missing.

Our brains evolved to solve problems and to interact. We are now living in what Thomas Friedmann calls a “flat world,” where our options are mandated by those who control big data.

Try and open up a business with just your social security card in one hand and cash in the other, no bank account, no internet. It’s impossible.

When we add to that the fact that the average person spends about seven hours a day staring into a screen, and that half of that is spent either surfing or on video games or social media, we begin to see changes at both the neurological as well as psychological levels. When our comfort zone involves checking our phone or clicking on our in-box 50 times per day (the average), our decision-making process breaks down to sending primitive “like” or “thumbs up”, or to simply deleting something or someone we don’t like. The problem with COVID-19 and the situation around it is, that it is non-deletable.

And for a culture that is fed on immediate gratification of expectations, that’s a problem.

Problem?

Absolutely. Over the last three generations, levels of anxiety, depression, and suicide are going up generation by generation. These problems are directly linked to the amount of time one spends in the digital world during the day. What’s alarming is, that these changes are taking place not just at the psychological level but also the neuroanatomical level. When we look at the brains of people who are exposed to a lot of screen time, particularly social media, we see certain brain structures and certain brain pathways literally dropping out in what I would call de-evolution. For the first time in several thousands of years, we are slowly losing some of the characteristics and neural capabilities that have made us humans up to this point and exchanging them for what we perceive to be technological advantages. But such “technological advantages” are starting to undermine our neural capabilities.

Long before the current pandemic, you have been lecturing on the danger of social media and the abuse of smartphones and other gadgets in our everyday lives.

I started to lecture on this theme long ago at Yale University. I paraphrase great scientists like Steven Hawking and Albert Einstein who claimed that it will be technology destroying mankind. To be correct, let’s distinguish by

what they meant by “technology”. There is the technology of research that helps us understand more about ourselves and about our world and universe, and then there is the technology that dismantles the fabrics of society. The chief culprit here is mass media and social media, which has affected everyone, from pre-school children to President Trump, who as the most powerful person on the planet has dictated policy using two-tofive-word sentences on social media. Such knee-jerk communication disables the vital middle ground. You must either agree or delete. Should you enter into discussion, it is not face-to-face, and should you manage to voice an opinion contrary to most, you will be “cancelled” in the new “cancel culture” of today.

This forces people either into extremes, or into submission, and directly explains why the levels of anxiety and depression have increased over the past three generations. In 2019, the number of suicides in the world exceeded the number of people who died from terrorism, accidents, and wars combined. More people are killing themselves today than are dying of those three causes. Think about that.

You recommend that children spend a maximum of two hours per day using digital devices. Let us face the COVID-19 reality. My 13-year-old son usually spends four hours studying on Zoom on-line.

Then he has homework which he usually needs a computer for. All his after-school activities also shifted to Zoom, including choir sessions or meetings. And in the evening, he just logs on to chat with his friends because he wants to connect with them. I gave up on counting the real hours spent in front of the screen. The same for me, being forced to transfer lecturing, consulting, and most of the interviewing on-line.

The reality is, that our generation is a generation where we have failed as parents. We are the ones who gave these devices to our children.

Our biological imperative is to spend time with our children and to raise them! Not to have both parents working to pay for three credit cards, four vacations and a new loan. We are the ones who placed our children into a toxic environment. Instead of distance learning

via ZOOM, why not have teachers print out a weekly curriculum, mail it to the parents, and have the parents directly teach their children?

Home-schooling works. Digital learning does not. Why do we think that a computer in a home is better than a mother at home?

As to the limits on screen time, I am simply quoting both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization, both of whom have published the same position papers stating that no child should have ANY screen time before the age of two, and from the age two until the age of five up to two hours a day. After that, up to five hours per day at school and only with supervision.

France has banned cellphones in all schools with children fifteen or under, virtually every country now has schools that ban or restrict cellphones. These organizations have verified that screen time is directly linked to the drop in standardized test results as well as to the growth of anxiety and depression among the youngest population, along with a decrease of empathy, verbal fluency, and lack of problemsolving skills.

What’s so attractive about social media then?

Being on social media world is neurologically addictive. That’s because all programs are designed – with the help of neuroscientists, believe it or not - to keep you engaged and wanting to come back. When we examine someone, who is a big social media user, parts of their brain light up via a chemical named dopamine which is the “feel-good chemical”.

When we look at the brain of a heroin addict, the same channels light up, except much more.

These types of interactions create what we call closed circuit loops of behavior, where a person develops a dependence.

Then there are the anatomic changes that we observe. In my lectures, I show the images of the brain pathways of very young children exposed to screens and superimpose them with brain pathways of children raised actively by their parents. One can see a big difference.

That’s why those guidelines are there. But we ignore them and so do most pediatricians.

When was the last time your pediatrician asked you how many hours your child spends in front of a screen?

You anticipate that my question will be what can I do and what should I tell my son? He will claim that if he is not on-line, he will not have friends anymore.

If we got our children into this, it is our responsibility to get them out. First, it’s up to us to recognize that our children’s time belongs to us. It is not their time. It is the time that we choose to give them, during which they should explore and grow, learning to be independent, and not dependent. We, as parents, should manage and supervise that time. We need to ensure that their character develops in such a way that they will become good parents.

Second, we need to sit down with our children, see what they are looking at, talk to them and engage. Third, parents need to band together and ensure that screen time in the school is not excessive, while limiting it at home. Fourth, changes and guidelines need to be enforced from above, from ministries and educators. The ultimate question is: if our children are weaned on social media, what kind of parents will they become and what will our grandchildren look like?

How much time do you personally spend on-line?

Though I still write my patient notes by hand, I prepare my presentations online, I write articles on-line, I read daily updates from three medical journals on-line along with The New York Times and Lidové noviny every day. I am also currently working on another book. So, for me that amounts to anywhere from three to six hours online daily. That’s a lot, but it’s a completely different thinking process than surfing, playing video games or chatting on Facebook. For me, the key is to balance that with a half an hour of reading from a book before I go to bed, daily exercise, and simply doing nothing and staring out at Prague Castle or at the mountains in front of my country cottage. Boredom is very healthy for the brain. It rests, wanders, and creates ideas.

Now, as this is the New Year’s interview for 2021, can we end up on some positive note, please?

People often ask me what’s in store for us. If I look beyond the scientific evidence, I see the pendulum shifting back in a direction that seeks balance in life’s forces. I see this in my children, in my audiences, in the people around me - their numbers are increasing. Though I am convinced that as mankind we are at the most critical crossroads of our evolution, I believe that we’ll end up taking the right path, either by turning into it of our own accord, or by being forced to do so by a crisis that is going to be even more severe than the one we are in.

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

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I nterview

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H ana P úllová

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E va P ešková , JOBS 2030, “L eaders

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project

Is it possible and appropriate to start a business with close friends? What can be offered to individuals who have lost their jobs, and companies which are getting ready to make lay-offs during the pandemic? And what role in the “Leaders in Transition“ project does Czech and Slovak Leaders Magazine play?

Never in the history of mankind have we worked so intensively and for so long. In order to achieve long-term optimal results, it’s good to not only know your natural talent, but also to develop it further. Defining your mission then plays an important role in the form of the so-called inner anchor, which is particularly important in times of turbulent change.

One business bon mot states that the ideal number of partners in a company is an odd number which is less than three. Unfortunately, women’s entrepreneurship is not only surrounded by many prejudices, but also accompanied by gloomy statistics. Did you know that every third woman dreams of starting a business, but only eight percent manage to fulfil their dream? Or that a mere three percent of investments is devoted to women’s startups?

A JOURNEY FROM DOING BUSINESS TOGETHER TO A CLOSE FRIENDSHIP, OR VICE VERSA? That’s why I would like to present to you the story of two women who disprove the aforementioned claims. They prove that friendship doesn’t jeopardise business, they’re building the company JOBS 2030 during the pandemic, and they’re demonstrating that a strong vision and a good product will attract not only clients, but also another team of co-workers and new projects. And I’m actually glad to have made a small contribution to the birth of the collaboration, because I introduced the two protagonists to each other.

I’ve known Eva Pešková for over 20 years, the two of us having worked in the same company. I met Hanka five years ago, and since then I’ve been fascinatingly following her journey to her defined mission. And the circle was completed at the end of last year, when they both contacted me to suggest that I and the Czech and Slovak Leaders title become involved in the Leaders in Transition project, which is to help individuals who have lost their jobs and companies in times of restructuring. Our magazine thus supports subjects who were affected by the crisis, and offers inspirational examples from the world of business.

Leaders in Transition is a complex transformational programme focused on the rapid application of leaders, managers and senior specialists in the labour market. Our vision is to work to find leaders. And who also wants to bypass recruitment agencies and headhunters? That’s why we involved other experienced professionals in our programme.

Hanka Púllová – from leading a corporation to pursuing her own mission

When I met Hanka, she had experience from very successful work in a large multinational recruitment agency, the global market leader, whose Czech representation she built in four years from a small company with 50 employees and a turnover of 0.5 billion CZK to a firm employing 250 people with a turnover of almost 2 billion. In three years she even managed to become number two in the highly competitive Czech market. In addition to the rapid growth, she improved all of the company’s financial indicators. It’s also worth mentioning that this company places around 10,000 people annually with clients such as SAP, Amazon, DHL and Brose, and brokered permanent employment for almost 1,000. Nevertheless, I felt that she wasn’t internally fulfilled in the position of coach, and that she longed to realise her great mission, which is to change the world of work. As soon as she left the company and started her business, I had the idea of connecting her with Eva.

Eva Pešková – from leading a large family business to supporting individuals and companies

Eva worked for over 20 years in the field of IT, where she had the opportunity to participate in building a very successful Czech IT company in the highest management positions, such as HR Manager and COO, and at the same time also spent many years on the company’s Board of Directors. Thanks to this experience, she gradually passed through many roles, and had the opportunity to constantly support and initiate the development of the company and its employees. After the sale of the company, she began to devote herself to working with clients as a Gestalt coach and consultant, particularly in the field of HR and processes.

Eva, what was most important for starting a collaboration?

“Hanka and I met several times, and we discovered that we both have extensive experience in the field of HR and the labour market, as well as a very similar view of how we’d like to influence and change the labour market. Also, from the very beginning, we sat down together humanely. The connection of our energies could be felt right from the start.“ You began to build the company JOBS 2030 in the year 2018, when the labour market was completely different.

Eva Pešková: Yes and no. In the year 2018, when Hanka and P hoto : A rchive

I met, the labour market was (and I think to a certain extent still is) very distorted, even unhealthy. There was almost zero unemployment, high salaries, and so many benefits that the employees no longer remembered them, let alone considered them motivating. And what Hanka and I heard from many employees was actually only complaints and displays of dissatisfaction. We also knew a lot of people who suffered from burnout. We both agreed that people lack meaning in their work, and from there it was only a small step to the decision that we want to do something about it. We asked ourselves many questions. For example, why should people do work that they don’t enjoy, how to find out why I don’t enjoy my work, how to find out what

work I will like, why am I not succeeding, why am I making mistakes, am I at risk of burnout? But most importantly, how to make sure I have my dream job, the right job, which I enjoy, which I’ll be good at and trustworthy in, which will give me energy while also paying me well? How to be satisfied and successful at work? How to have a meaningful job?

Is it even possible? We’re convinced that it is. And not only that, it’s also one of the keys to satisfaction in life. According to research by Deloitte, meaning is now at the forefront of the factors which motivate people in their work.

Potential customers’ dissatisfaction is often the path to the creation of a new product.

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H ana P úllová

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E va P ešková , JOBS 2030, L eaders

Hanka Púllová: When at the start of 2019 I came into contact with the option of using virtual reality in coaching and personal development, I discovered unimagined possibilities there. Working with visualisations in virtual reality became a permanent part of our services.

Together with other colleagues, we created a comprehensive programme which we use for working with both individuals and teams. We focus primarily on working with leaders, where we see not only great potential for realising changes at the level of the individual, but also the opportunity to influence the company as a whole.

During the programme, we and the clients go through the individual steps on the journey to defining their ideal work, or ideal position in the company or team. The basic idea is to know ourselves – the better we know ourselves, the more we’re able to utilise our own resources, the more trustworthy we are in work and the more satisfied we are with it.

Eva, during your work in human resource management, you became familiar with lots of different personality tests and evaluations.

However, you focus on talent rather than experience and acquired skills. Coincidentally, I’m a certified coach in Talent Dynamics, which I consider to be the best widely-available, talent-focused personality diagnostics in the Czech market.

Eva Pešková: Yes, Roger Hamilton’s talent typology, which in a simple way describes the image of every client’s natural talents. Every one of us is unique, and how we apply our talents in practice is important.

Knowledge of our talents also plays a very important role in my collaboration with Hanka. We can understand each other much better, respect each other’s work and communication methods, and motivate and give energy to each other. It also helps us support our close relationship, which is very important to us both. When we know that each of us approaches the given issue differently, it helps us to be more patient and tolerant. To give an example, Hanka’s Talent Dynamics profile is Creator – someone who is constantly inventing new things, and who finds an overview important.

When I want to discuss details, it’s best to prepare her for it in advance, and keep track of time so that I don’t lose her attention. My profile is Trader – I need a system and order in things. I can manage constant novelties, but I keep track of details which Hanka would otherwise miss. In order for us to work effectively, we divide tasks between us according to this key. Hanka prepares new services, and I make sure we have them transcribed into all the materials, linked to the website, priced and handed over to the marketing agency.

Our programme also includes an analysis of around 600 of the most common positions in the labour market in terms of the utilisation of one’s own talents. In short, if we know what your talent profile is, we can advise you on the positions and activities in which you’ll most likely succeed. Because when

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we use our talent as well as our knowledge and previous experience in work, we work more effectively and achieve results more easily, and at the same time those around us find us more trustworthy.

However, talent alone isn’t enough. Talent must first be recognised and then developed...

Eva: When it comes to clients, we’re also interested in passions, which we define as areas and topics which give us a feeling of experiencing positive emotions, and long-term meaning. Passion, or we can also say our inner engine, is the source of our energy, perseverance and will; it gives us energy, and helps us overcome obstacles and failures. At the same time, in areas which are of long-term interest to us, we search for new information and learn naturally.

We don’t have to attend any mandatory trainings in them.

And, for the mission, my personal favourite is the image of an anchor which will keep you in place on a stormy sea. Knowledge of the mission gives our life and work meaning. In life, it’s important to do things that make sense to you. It helps you to achieve long-term balance and satisfaction.

Without meaning, something will always be missing in our lives, and sooner or later we’ll start looking for it. Without a knowledge of the mission, we’ll begin to compensate for meaning in activities other than work, and it will be more difficult for us to set a work-life balance. The important thing is that “we’ll set it“.

We apply all of the steps to work, even though everyone can use most of the knowledge in their private lives, too.

And this is all made possible by the virtual reality experience. I myself remember the powerful experience where I literally saw a universe of possibilities before my eyes, and began to write the first steps.

Hanka: After the client has defined the form of their ideal work, we enter with them into the space of virtual reality, which gives them the opportunity to enjoy a deep experience, and connects facts with emotions. Visualisation in virtual reality in a 3D space is a unique experience, and affects everyone differently. Thanks to experience with over 750 clients, we observed a link between talent and virtual reality experience. For example, creative people experience it completely differently from analysts. And we know how to work with them so that they enjoy the greatest experience possible.

We use virtual reality very successfully when working with individual teams and companies.

With the help of VR, we link the personal vision of people in teams with the team’s vision, and connect it to the entire company’s vision. This leads to a harmonisation of the team, improvement of individual members’ collaboration and a longterm natural increase in results. Some teams use work in a 3D environment to find new business opportunities and innovations. They’re able to better present their vision, new ideas or change

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of work structure to the company’s management in 3D. We have experience with one large banking company, where one team presented their vision and change of work structure to their new boss in 3D reality. The boss, who up until then didn’t want to hear about such changes, suddenly understood better. And promised support. No, our approach isn’t a “universal cure“. But it’s an excellent tool for linking personal experience to information.

So how do you perceive the future labour market? And what is the first step you recommend companies take?

Eva: The Covid era affects the functioning and services of many companies. People and teams work hybridly. Part of the work takes place from home, while people also commute to the office part-time.

And now the question is, what does this era bring?

Many companies must return to the roots of their “why“; the reasons why they exist. Redefine their mission, services and the manner in which they add value. We’re happy that, thanks to our services, we’re prepared to help such companies and leaders. To help them find a new path to success. Because that’s our mission.

Hanka: Covid changed many trends in the labour market.

It accelerated and intensified some, such as the utilisation of technologies. Companies were forced to implement technologies which they had planned to introduce over a few years, in just a few months. The introduction of technologies generally changes the work structure in companies. Positions which are based on the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) disciplines are strengthened in the long term, but positions which are of a more administrative and routine character disappear. We can therefore expect a shift in employment among sectors and positions.

It’s important for people to strengthen their “tech“ skills, and even more important for them to know which direction to take, and to be able to rely on their inner navigation.

Another trend which we noticed in 2020 is the decreasing number of women in top management positions. For example, a report by the company McKinsey talks about this: it states that in America, after five years of positive development, they recorded a significant decrease in just one year!

That’s one of the reasons why, together with you, Linda, we focused on supporting women in leadership positions. Thanks to the “Women Leaders Powered by Tech“ programme, we help them find their own strength and rely on the use of technologies. We connect them with other inspirational women from tech fields both in the Czech Republic and around the world. For example, Israel is an exemplary country where women are very successful in tech startups. And there’s great strength in connection, mutual inspiration and sharing. But more about that some other time.

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

What are the key clues

for Slovaks and Czechs to Swedish culture?

Eva has been a cross-cultural consultant for more than 15 years, supporting companies with trainings and workshops in Europe, USA and Asia. Working with international companies, teams and different cultures, she inspires her clients to look for their new strategies on how to deal with cross-cultural challenges and differences. She consults companies to keep talents and develop a successful cross-cultural communication between leaders and teams. In the years 2016 and 2018 she was awarded Great Award in competition with trainers and consultants from USA, Europe and Asia. You can reach her via email egaborikova@gmail.com or www.evagaborikova.eu.

True coaching leadership A manager in Sweden asks – "How do you plan to do this?” rather than orders – "Do this!”.

Organizations are flat and the distance between the manager and the employee is small. The value is that everyone is equal, and you treat everyone in the same way no matter of rank position, age, or gender. Leadership is expected to support self-development and involves more trust than control and micromanagement.

Prepare to adapt to employees used to working independently and expecting presence and help from a coaching leader when they ask for it.

Czechs and Slovaks belong among hierarchical cultures. Despite many foreign companies highlighting the focus on equality and coaching, even young Slovak and Czech managers sometimes struggle with delegating tasks and empowering their team members. Based on the comments from their expat colleagues, it happens that Czech and Slovak managers fail in competition with managers from equal cultures and even become dangerous for their companies as young talented team members leave to find more supportive environment.

Too many meetings Instead of having a boss telling them what to do Swedes use meetings to set goals, work together and align ideas. In the meeting everyone is expected to contribute with their opinion and be listened to by managers and co-workers.

As Swedes are also conflict avoidant and feel uncomfortable with heated discussions, they often opt for one more meeting to reach a consensus. So instead of acting independently call for a meeting and involve the power of the team.

Too many meetings! Too many opinions! No clear guidance and rules. Czechs and Slovaks prefer clear instructions from their managers.

They welcome discussion but expect their manager to make a final decision. As they say: “It’s great to discuss ideas but too much discussion is time consuming.”

Forget about titles If you are used to be called by your title and last name you will have to adapt to the informality of Swedish work culture. All emails start with Hej (Hi) and first name. No disrespect intended.

Most workplaces also have a rather informal dress code. There is no need for the boss to suit

up since everyone should be treated the same.

Even a manager can wear a t-shirt and sandals or take their bike to work. In a society that values equality being the boss does not come with privileges that could offend employees.

Managers from hierarchical societies enjoy their power, titles, special parking lots, nice business cards and spacious offices. Their companies often spoil them with all the benefits and those who are ‘outside box’ are strange. Czechs and Slovaks still have a strong tendency to view managers and leaders one level higher than their team members. Maybe corporate culture is based on pillars of equal treatment but a real life doesn’t open doors for everybody with their new ideas and proposals to adopt changes.

Take a break and enjoy “fika” “Fika” is usually the first word in Swedish that a newcomer will learn at the workplace. “Fika” means taking a break in the morning or afternoon to have coffee (or tea) with pastry or a small sandwich. Swedes do drink a lot of coffee but fika is considered the social glue of the workplace and a place for more personal conversations. It can seem lazy, but Swedes believe that with breaks and regulated work hours they become more efficient and can focus when they do work. To be considered a good co-worker or boss taking a break and joining fika is a must.

Czechs and Slovaks are often described as relationship oriented cultures. Based on my experience as a cross-cultural consultant I fully agree with such a statement. Czechs and Slovaks enjoy their coffee breaks and having a lunch with their colleagues in a canteen. They invest time into building relationships and believe good relationships are a must for future cooperation, too. Swedish ‘fika’ could be viewed as a part of Czech ‘pohoda’ which is appreciated by many employees and could be one of the reasons why to work for a particular company.

Negotiate with fact and figures Swedes are known to be honest and transparent in negotiations and not promise what they can’t deliver. Planning ahead is a must for Swedish organizations so come prepared to describe all steps and consequences with your proposal. You build trust by being as open as possible with your competence and figures. It is not booze and the fanciest dinners that impress Swedes but usually

knowledge and stability. Swedes are not known for their skills in small talking so don’t mistake their silence for disinterest. And a deal is a deal.

When signed, Swedes consider negotiations closed and would not appreciate changes.

Czechs and Slovaks would welcome Swedish business partners who are not “big small talkers”.

They are able to answer the first polite questions at the beginning of their business meetings but later they just go down to business. Czechs and Slovaks do their best to avoid risks and therefore having a detailed contract to be followed and kept is one of their priorities, too. Facts and figures as the key approach to negotiations are appreciated. They are always pleased to share their technical data and inputs as the sign of being well-prepared to introduce their product and negotiate with new business partners.

What to say and how?

Loud voices and big gestures are rare among Swedes. When it comes to communication Swedes can be direct and transparent in their communication style. This is when solving a problem or discussing an issue. But they can also be conflict avoidant and express themselves carefully to avoid confrontation. This happens when at risk of hurting someone’s personal feelings. Critique and negative feedback are given constructively and with kindness.

Czechs and Slovaks are careful saying ‘No’ or being too direct with pointing out shortcomings they have found in their business cooperation. What is viewed as polite behavior

by Swedes is sometimes perceived as not very professional by cultures which expect a balanced approach delivering positives and negatives while negotiating. Despite Czechs, Slovaks and Swedes sharing their approaches to delivering critique and feedback, still there are special features which play a big role in their mutual cooperation.

As a cross-cultural coach and consultant, I would recommend “Do not assume your colleagues understand your message or the reasons behind your behavior. Check your mutual understanding and don’t feel ashamed to be open about cultural differences. “

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

The article was written in cooperation with Kajsa Svensson. Kajsa is a specialist in explaining Swedish culture and facilitating cultural meetings between Swedes and people from all over the globe. She also works with team development and leadership in diverse and multicultural work life settings. With interactive training methods she empowers communication and cooperation to unleash the power of differences. She is a lecturer and workshop leader at University of Gothenburg.

P hoto :

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P ersonal E nlightenment

"Happiness is not a goal; it’s a by-product"

Eleanor Roosevelt

James A. Cusumano, PhD Chairman, Chateau Mcely s.r.o.; Prague, Czech Republic

The Happiness

Syndrome

Every year thousands of books and articles are published on how to be happy – usually how to get “there” faster, or to get more of “it,” however you wish to define “there” and “it“. This is not a fad, it goes back thousands of years.

Aristotle concluded 2,300 years ago that more than anything else in life, people seek happiness, usually through beauty, money, or power – and this approach in and of itself rarely succeeds for the long haul.

Why? For one thing, happiness cannot be achieved directly as a goal. It’s always the result of doing something – as Eleanor Roosevelt noted, it’s a by-product. And that something is much more fundamental than beauty, money, and power. But then, how does happiness unfold? What makes us happy?

Photo:Archive

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What Is Happiness?

Most dictionaries define happiness as a state of mind characterized by feelings of contentment, love, satisfaction, pleasure, or joy. There is no such thing as constant

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happiness, except perhaps for “enlightened” saints who spend their lives in meditative bliss.

But that’s not the path for most of us.

Our lives are generally lived between the poles of joy and sorrow, laughter and sighs, achievement, and disappointment.

The key is how to live a happy life on average. At the end of a day, a week, a month, a year – do you feel that deep sense of fulfillment sought by the spirit inside you?

If happiness is not a goal, then what leads to happiness? I think we certainly must live by our values, those guidelines ingrained in us that set the internal compass by which we live. Those values may vary with the person. However, when we violate any them, we feel stressed and unhappy. But following your values is not enough to achieve lasting fulfillment.

The Path to Happiness I think the fundamental requirement is that you continuously pursue your sense of Purpose, your raison d’être, as the

P ersonal E nlightenment French would say. This means applying your strengths, or what I call your Essence to create value for both the world and for you.

Each of us is born with a personal Essence, a capability or skill that differentiates us from others. It’s something we’re good at and love to do. It’s the force behind Do what you love and love what you do! And when you find a way to apply it to make the world a better place, it generates Passion – a force that evaporates fear, unleashes Creativity, and can really make a difference.

1950s, I began to write songs and sell them to recording groups in the city. One thing led to another and at age 16, our group became recording artists. We recorded several singles and a couple of albums. We worked with many of the early pioneers of rock ‘n roll music – from Chuck Berry to Jerry Lee Lewis to Buddy Holly and the Crickets.

I’ve seen this kind of journey played out over and over again for people who say they have happy and fulfilled lives. Here’s the overall path in summary:

Paulo Coelho, author of The Alchemist, tells us we know what our Essence is when we are young, somewhere between the ages of 5 and 15. But the ways of the world can sometimes dull our senses, and by the time we’re adults, if we haven’t made good use of it, we may either forget what that asset is, or perhaps, we’ve been talked out of it – “Sure you’re talented at art, but how are you going to make a living?”

You don’t have to be a Picasso. How about an illustrator, a draftsperson, gallery owner, graphic designer and more?

Essence  Purpose  Need  Passion  Energy  Creativity  Innovation  Reward  Gratefulness FULFILLMENT & HAPPINESS

We don’t think in these terms when we’re young, but that skill is there, and it can be kindled in a most unexpected way. A personal story. I’ve had a lifelong passion for technology and entertainment. I discovered both of these passions between 9 and 12 years of age.

My interest in technology was precipitated with a Christmas gift of a chemistry set, shortly before my 9th birthday. I’m not sure I would give a 9 year-old a chemistry set today, but my parents wanted me to become a physician, but it wasn’t my interest. They thought that perhaps a chemistry set might guide me in that direction.

After doing all of the usual “boys’ stuff” like making stink bombs, rockets, and fireworks, I found I could make useful products such as ink, adhesives, cleaners, and simple cosmetics.

I set up a small lab in the basement of our home and began making products and selling them in the neighborhood. Every cent I made went into my laboratory. It was a marvelous experience – people were actually willing to pay for products I made using my “technology”!

This filled me with Passion and as a result, science and technology have remained an important part of my professional world, ever since.

My deep interest in entertainment happened in a similar manner. Growing up in New Jersey during the frigid winters of the 1950s, and as the oldest of 10 children from parents of modest means, I went to work when I was 10 years old delivering newspapers. But, I wanted an “inside” job away from the cold Jersey winters, so I took some piano lessons and started a band playing for school dances, parties, and weddings.

As a teenager living next to New York City, the capital of rock ‘n roll music during the

First you must find your Essence, what you’re good at – that’s the easy part. Then the more challenging part – Purpose.

How can I apply my skills to a Need in the world that makes a difference? That generates Passion, which gives you lots of physical and emotional Energy. You suddenly become more creative than you can recall, unleashing Innovation. You find solutions to tough problem you previously thought unsolvable, and that eventually leads to a Reward – it may be financial, emotional, spiritual, or some combination. That finally opens up a feeling of Gratefulness, which is the source of long-term FULFILLMENT and HAPPINESS. The nice thing about this process is that you don’t have to wait to the end of the process to enjoy your life. Once you ignite your passion for what you’re doing, it will follow you throughout and always be there to get you through the tough times – and there will always be some. How does this apply to business?

Business And The Formula of Five The most successful businesses place their employees in jobs and an environment that is effective in tapping into their Essence and Purpose. Numerous studies of employee engagement show that only about 20 percent of employees enjoy their job. Why is that? A lack of purpose causes anxiety and people then work inefficiently.

Can you imagine the level of productivity and sense of fulfillment if a business were to tap into employees’ Essence and Purpose?

This would be the ultimate competitive advantage!

employees to uncover their strengths. The investment is worth the effort.

2. The job must appeal to the person’s need to “help the greater good”. Almost everyone wants to make a positive difference in the world. Whether the business is a small retailer or a large healthcare company, it’s possible to show employees that they’re making a difference.

3.

There should be a good probability of success in achieving their goals. No one wants to work hard without some level of accomplishment.

4. Employees should have a reasonable level of autonomy. It’s best to higher good people, give them a set of specific goals that support the company, and then let them decide how best to get the work done.

5. Employees should share in any success that they help achieve. This could include public and private feedback, a raise, bonus, stock options, or profit sharing at year end.

Final Thoughts As stated so well by Steve Jobs in his commencement address to the 2005 graduating class at Stanford University: 1. D on’t waste your time trying to live someone else’s life. Early on, you likely know what drives you. It is important to follow that voice inside.

2. D on’t be trapped by dogma – living blindly with other people’s thinking. Yes, listen to others and integrate their thinking into your own as you see fit. However, rarely does “It can’t be done!” turn out to be correct. Running the mile in less than 4 minutes was once thought to be impossible, until Roger Bannister broke that record on May 6, 1954.

Subsequently, several other runners broke the record after “they knew it could be done”!

3. D on’t let the noise of opinion drown out your inner voice. Have courage to follow your intuition. That little computer and compass inside knows your “true north”. You are an incredibly special machine.

Enjoy your journey; make a difference!

Namaste,

So then, what instills and reinforces a sense of Purpose in business? I call it the “Formula of Five.”

1. The employer must present a vision that captures the employees’ excitement and assure that they are in jobs that draw on their strengths. The challenge must draw on an employee’s Essence. It does no good to ask a plumber to do an electrician’s job. If you are an employer, the key is to work with

www.JimTheAlchymist.com Chateau Mcely “Life Is Beautiful: 12 Universal Rules “The Dialogue – A Journey to Universal Truth”

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Dear friends of art, I would like to thank all those who contributed to the expulsion of „virus artists“ from the first depository of the MIRO Gallery in the past months.

Your children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be grateful that you have invested your funds in the purchase of works of art during the „coronavirus“ period.

After almost 30 years of operation in the Church of Saint Roch, built between 1602 and 1612, we are about to move into a building dated from 1677 near the Church of Saint Roch on the premises of the Strahov Monastery and we are continuing to reorganise doing business in culture.

After extremely positive responses „to the first wave“ of the sale of the depository collection of the MIRO Gallery, we decided to extend it...

WHERE? The Depositories of the MIRO Gallery on the premises of the Strahov Monastery Strahovské nádvoří 1/132, 118 00 Prague 1 www.galeriemiro.cz ; www.trebbia.eu

Skleněné sochy - Pavel Baxa, Vlastimil Beránek, Jaroslav Prošek, Ela Smrček

Special Sale of Artworks We therefore prepared for you, on request, photograph previews of graphic works, aquarelles, oil paintings and sculptures from Czech and foreign artists which you can purchase.

In the previews of individual works, I intentionally do not show the names of the authors, so that you do not follow the popularity of the names of the artists when making your choice, but let yourself be guided by your own sense of beauty, taste of your personality and love of art.

As soon as you choose a piece of art for yourself or your business partner and let me know its serial number, I will reveal the author‘s name and his or her artistic biography.

I can assure you that the prices starting from CZK 1,000 (excluding VAT and without a frame) still apply and that you can set the price cap for most works of art yourself.

I look forward to your visit, your email or your phone call!

Miro Smolák

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I nterview

with P avel renowned artist

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Č ernoch ,

P hoto : T omáš K rist

Pavel Černoch

is one of the most sought-after tenors of recent years. He began his career at the top of his profession at the age of 30. Since his debut at the Bavarian State Opera, he has performed at major opera houses such as Milan’s La Scala, the Vienna State Opera, London’s Covent Garden and the Opéra National de Paris. The pandemic has prevented him from performing in the USA this autumn.

Director Olga Špátová Malířová filmed a documentary about him entitled Enfant Terrible. My mum compares him to the legendary Pavarotti. After my interview with Pavel, I know that he avoids any kind of categorisation. For me, he is a real Leader with a capital “L”.

A Leader in his field, and in business.

He meets the very definition of a leader which I used during my work at Atairu, in which a leader is someone who takes responsibility for their life. And who pursues their dream. And he did so in spite of the teachers who tried to dissuade him from singing, some even affecting his vocal cords, his most valuable instrument, in a negative way.

Our interview was conducted in an artistic and beautiful large-windowed house by a wood which he recently had built in Jesenice u Prahy. I also brought to the interview my 13-yearold son, who sings for the boys’ choir, Pueri Gaudentes. It was fascinating to observe the inter-generational exchange of opinions and experience done in a true mentoring way between this world-renowned tenor and my son, giving me the unique opportunity to further penetrate the private side of this artist’s character. How is he experiencing everyday life during the pandemic? What field is he still doing business in? What are the most common myths linked to opera?

(The first two questions were asked by my son, Sebastian). How do you feel about singing? I’ve noticed that when I tell people I sing and even though I practise three times a week, very few people appreciate singing as a “proper hobby”.

And yet we singers know how challenging it is for your vocal cords, and having to keep in good condition. In terms of difficulty, can singing be compared to top-level sport?

Singing has always been my hobby, and for a long time I didn’t think it would become my full-time job. But today it is. If you want to succeed in your job, then you have to do a lot of work. It really is part of your daily routine. Furthermore, singing is also linked to self-sacrifice and an uncertain future. Nobody wants to dissuade anyone from the profession, but consider the number of graduates of opera singing who leave university each year. They number around fifteen each year. And are there suitable positions for them? I don’t see it. I’ve been making a living from professional singing since the age of 30, and over the 16 years of my career over 240 students have graduated. Perhaps one percent of them have found success.

Although on the one hand, singing is your job, is it still something special for you?

I’m lucky that I basically have two jobs. One traditional one, which is running conferences.

And my unconventional job is singing. I’m in the same category as top athletes and artists, especially from the perspective that most of the population cannot imagine what singing actually entails. What our day looks like, what our life looks like.

What does your day look like then during this pandemic? You’ve still got to practise and remain in shape...

My day feels freer in that I’m not working in the theatre, but rather at home. I’ve made use of this pandemic to educate myself and broaden my horizons. I do that every day. I spend the late morning with my colleague, who studies German, and we consult over WhatsApp on my next role as Max in Carl Maria von Weber’s Der Freischütz. We’ve translated the entire libretto, and we’ve looked at the psychology of the characters, and various plot lines. In the afternoon, I practise for two hours with a pianist in the National Theatre. I spend the evenings at home: I’ve used the pandemic to move home and furnish my new home. So in fact it’s quite a pleasant period for me.

Some artists have begun drawing attention to the difficult situation faced by people in the cultural sector as a result of the long-term and repeated closure of theatres and concert halls. How do you perceive this situation?

I can see that it’s hard for everyone. I don’t actually know what compensation the state

offers artists. On the other hand, although it might sound harsh, I don’t see a difference between the owner of a restaurant or hotel and a musician or artist. I don’t want to comment in terms of salaries and compensation.

Some people can’t get any because they had a premium salary. In fact I haven’t really understood this argument that art is work. Has anyone claimed it isn’t?

On the other hand, I can see the artistic dimension of the problem. It’s a problem to be stuck at home for a year and be unable to perform your profession. But it’s also a problem for senior citizens who have been shut up at home for a number of months. I see it in my parents, who have been stuck at home for a year. They see me occasionally when we get together sometimes under the balcony, or otherwise we call each other. A year in the life of these people is really a significant period of time, yet they put up with the restrictions without grumbling.

The systemic problem which is not sufficiently referenced is the low pay. Full-time artists, with the honourable exception of the Czech Philharmonic, usually have very low salaries which are topped up by taking numerous other jobs. This is not sustainable in the long term, and the situation is unfortunately often reflected in terms of quality and professionalism.

And how is your business, which is in congress management, doing at this time?

My agency began organising musical and social events, for pharmaceutical and healthcare companies in particular, twenty years ago. Over time, we have become a company which specialises in the production of specialist training events. In recent years, our training events have moved from a“face2face”system to the“online”environment.

We have been streaming for many years now, and we transmit hospital operations, showcase specialists from around the world and organise congresses for hundreds of people in online form. We are currently transforming my Prague apartment into a professional studio. Luckily we’ve managed to maintain contracted jobs this entire period.

The first three months in spring were a little more complicated, but since it is in my nature to be ready my entire life for a disaster, I always endeavour to have financial reserves. When I have to decide whether to purchase a real estate investment or an expensive luxury car, I always choose the option that isn’t so visible, but represents security. Although the company has its own management and a very capable team, I’m always, so to speak, “present”. From one perspective, then, I have two jobs: singing full-time, and my business as a secondary job.

How do artists perceive online broadcasts?

Aren’t you worried that the audience might not return to theatres and concert halls?

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I nterview

with

P avel Č ernoch ,

renowned artist

The broadcasting of opera performances in cinemas is common now. I think it is important to go to the cinema, where there is a large high-quality screen and sound system, and you are in the company of other people.

I don’t believe that top cultural events and the sharing of emotions with others can be replaced by sitting at your laptop or mobile with an opened bottle of wine. Live art, experiencing the atmosphere up close, is truly irreplaceable.

As a singer, are you more sensitive to certain noises? I’ve noticed that my son is sensitive to certain types of noises.

Recently on a walk, apparently my coat sleeves were rustling too much.

I haven’t observed anything major, but I do have a problem with noise. That’s also why I left Prague. It’s a big problem for me when choosing apartments abroad. I need absolute silence in order to relax. I have an air recovery system incorporated into my home, and if I want to read in peace I have to turn it off.

Perhaps it’s a result of senile neurosis. (laughs) Turning to Sebastian… if you’re sensitive like that, then you’re also neurotic and you’ve got all the prerequisites for undertaking a career in the arts.

I’ve noticed that many people have tried to categorise you in various ways. How would you characterise yourself?

I don’t know how to answer you. I really hate labelling. You have to be either compared to someone or labelled. In order to grab anyone’s attention these days, you have to be the most sought-after, world-renowned, most successful, most demanded… I’ve hardly ever encountered anyone during an interview who

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has noted how well someone sings, or how dramatically or professionally they play. I think this is more about today’s media.

From labelling, let’s move on to various myths. It would appear that “no-one is a prophet in their own land”: with many singers making their breakthrough abroad before being acknowledged at home. To name but a few: Eva Urbanová, Dagmar Pecková, Adam Plachetka... It seems that Czechs and Slovaks don’t know how to appreciate their talents. Štefan Margita, Edita Gruberová... basically everyone. I don’t think Czechs don’t appreciate artists. Maybe it’s that we’re all more ambitious than others, and so we go out into the world to make our breakthrough. I initially sang in many towns and cities in the Czech Republic, but I got my first contract in the Volksoper in Vienna. I’ve discussed particular myths which arise many times. People often speak of chance stand-ins who become new stars overnight.

Few realise, however, that becoming a standin takes many years of work. Furthermore, today everything is much more global and interconnected. Take a doctor, for example.

They also go abroad on placements, remain there and nobody thinks that unnatural.

We’ve discussed your voice training. In other interviews, you’ve said that you also have to stay physically fit. How are you managing to keep up some kind of regime at the moment?

That’s an area that’s falling behind. I’m committing a lot of transgressions…

Okay, let me reformulate the question. How is Pavel Černoch transgressing, or not?

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Some things are unprintable… (laughs). But seriously. We’re back at those disciplines linked by physical fitness. Physical fitness really is the alpha and omega. Personally I really miss gyms. With the arrival of winter, I don’t run so much, but I do go to the park every day.

Another thing which is just as important for me is diet. In the Czech Republic, this remains a very overlooked aspect. High-quality organic food is still very inaccessible by comparison.

I place great emphasis on the quality and origin of food. Here we always make do with second-rate quality.

It seems to me that it isn’t just in food that we make do with lower quality. It’s also in politics and economics, for example.

I think it’s due to the size of the country, and the specificities of Czech as a language.

I sometimes feel like we’re living here in a kind of vacuum. Like on some island. In Germany, in the USA and in France there is much greater competition. Prague is an incredibly beautiful city, but are we not appropriating the works of previous generations? In what way has the current generation contributed towards Prague’s beauty? I’ve toured a lot in the Baltic, for example, and I’ve noticed how much more progressive, creative and tenacious the people there are. Our greatest problem as Czechs is that we had it too good for too long. I myself haven’t inherited anything; neither of my parents were singers or ran an opera house.

I’ve taken my own path. Which is one reason why I’m not afraid to be myself.

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

Interview with Christa Schweng, President of the European Economic and Social Committee

Now is the TIME to make the MOST of this new NORMAL Christa Schweng is the newly elected president of the EESC for the 2020-2023 term of office. She has been an EESC member for 22 years, representing the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (WKÖ). Her work has focused on employment and social affairs. She holds a Master's Degree in Law from the University of Vienna.

You have been elected as the new president of the Economic and Social Committee. What are your priorities for the new term of office?

The motto of my presidency is "United for the future of Europe". I believe that unity is what we need the most to overcome the pandemic and the economic crisis it has triggered, and to shape a vision for a post-COVID-19 Europe.

For me, this means a Europe that prospers economically, that is socially inclusive and environmentally sustainable; a Europe that provides the right conditions for all of civil society to thrive and live in open, values-based democracies. Starting with the most urgent needs – surviving the crisis and treading the path to recovery –, I believe that the Multiannual Financial Framework and P hoto : ©EU 2020 –

source :

EESC

the Next Generation EU recovery fund have a crucial role to play here. There will be no return to the reality we lived in before the pandemic. We need to revamp our economies and societies. Finding the right balance between economic, social and environmental aspects is crucial to doing this. At this particular moment, safeguarding employment and income for all in the labour market – whether self-employed or employees – should be a priority. The rapid shifts in our labour markets have also reminded us how important it is to match the worlds of education and training with the needs of the market.

As Europe shifts towards a green and digital economy, we must ensure that nobody is left behind and that social policies respond properly to the impact of transition.

Digitalisation needs a European, humancentred approach and needs to be just, sustainable and socially acceptable. On top of this, we have to combine recovery with enabling innovation and investment in climate and environmental protection.

I would invite you to take a look at the full version of the priorities of my presidency for more details on this.

Not everyone is familiar with the role of the Committee. How exactly does it influence policymaking at EU level?

The Committee is the bridge between European civil society and the EU policymakers. We are the only voice of employers, workers and NGOs within the institutional framework. The EESC is an

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advisory body. The Commission is obliged by the treaties to ask for EESC opinions on its legislative proposals. Although these opinions are not binding, I believe they bring an added value to the legislative process. They provide an overview of the positions of various civil society stakeholders. Our work differs from what lobbyists do. They push for particular interests; we seek common ground between employers, workers and NGOs. In some cases that common ground is so difficult to achieve that a joint position is a watereddown one. But, especially on sectoral policies, our opinions provide insight, knowledge and a fresh, non-political view founded on real-life experience. Once agreed by our three groups, our consensus-based opinions provide safe ground on which politicians can come to decisions that take into account the first-hand experience and concerns of civil society.

Some Members of the European Parliament have been heard to say that they are unaware of the Committee's opinions. What more can it do to make sure what it produces gets across loud and clear to the EU institutions?

I do believe that, despite recent criticism, the EESC has a role to play. Proving this is one of my goals for this presidency. We want to improve the way we produce the opinions and communicate them to the European institutions. Close cooperation with the European Commission even before the publication of new proposals, as well as drafting opinions more quickly, would enable us to make our views heard in a timely manner. We also want to intensify followup of the opinions through a pro-active and systematic outreach to the European Parliament's rapporteurs and the Council.

The EESC can also use its information reports to demonstrate how European legislation and programmes are being implemented on the ground and perceived by civil society organisations in the Member States. We can monitor the implementation of EU policies and show whether or not the EU is delivering on its promises and point out possibly unsuitable policies and procedures, while making recommendations for improvement.

What are the Committee's recommendations regarding supporting and boosting the economy hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic?

The recovery from the coronavirus crisis will only be successful if it is accompanied by the restructuring of our society. In its resolution, adopted in June, the EESC called for a recovery based on six principles: solidarity, competitiveness, sustainability, safeguarding employment, safeguarding income and participation. We have identified a number of measures for recovery. These include unlocking the full potential of the single market, reshaping the EU's industrial strategy, boosting investment

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and employment and reforming health systems.

The EESC has stressed that the proposals included in the resolution would require a new economic governance system. The document therefore calls for a reform of the European Union's economic governance and a revision of the Stability and Growth Pact “for the purpose of simultaneously ensuring stability and growth”.

Your work is addressed to the EU institutions, but are there any other institutions that can benefit from it?

We would like to bring grassroots perspectives to European policymaking because I believe they are too often marginalised in the legislative process. The EESC would like to serve as a forum for the exchanging of views and for knowledge gathering, a place where experts from local, national and European levels meet policymakers and help them look at policies from other angles. We already have some successful examples of such initiatives – such as the European Circular Economy Stakeholders Platform, which we created together with the European Commission. This is a network of networks that goes beyond sectoral activities and highlights cross-sector opportunities. It provides a meeting place for stakeholders to share and scale up effective solutions and address specific challenges. We are considering launching similar initiatives on other topics and policies.

The Committee's composition is very diverse. How many organisations do you represent and how difficult it is to reach an agreement on any particular issue?

The committee is composed of three groups: employers, workers and Diversity Europe (gathering NGOs, farmers' organisations, liberal professions, social economy actors, consumer organisations, environmental organisations and associations advocating for equality and minority rights). Almost all of the 329 members represent a different organisation. These people are mature practitioners, with years of experience in their field of expertise. This gives a variety of perspectives and a multidimensional expertise at the grassroots level. Our members often see consequences of EU legislation that are difficult to spot from Brussels. Admittedly, such diversity makes reaching an agreement on particular issues difficult. Difficult but not impossible. The working methods in the EESC are an example of compromise at European level. This is where employers, trade unions, environmentalists, consumers and many others state their differing cases, discuss their concerns and do their best to find the middle ground. Personally, I believe that this spirit of consensus is an important added value of the EESC. It is thanks to this that our opinions give the policymakers an understanding of which parts of legislation are – and are not – broadly accepted by civil society stakeholders. Listening to this voice

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS III/2020

at an early stage when legislative problems occur means possible difficulties can be avoided during transposition into national law and implementation.

The Committee will be taking part in the Conference on the Future of Europe.

What kind of Europe do we need?

I think that my vision of a Europe that prospers economically, is socially inclusive and environmentally sustainable is an important goal. We need to address the dilemma of national sovereignty versus the need to find common European solutions, as well as national identity and cultural diversity. The EESC is willing to play an active role in the conference and we will put forward concrete proposals on behalf of European civil society.

Like all other stakeholders, we are keen to see the details of how the conference will work and be organised. This conference is a chance to re-engage Europeans in the integration process. The closer involvement of civil society and "hands-on" actors in discussions at both national and EU levels makes policymaking more democratic, effective and in line with citizens' needs.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic changed your life?

One thing is for sure: thanks to COVID-19 I have saved hundreds of hours spent at airports and in planes (laugh). Being an EESC member means constant travelling between the home country and Brussels, as most of us remain active at both national and European level. These days, all meetings, including the plenary sessions, are taking place online and I think we have adjusted quickly and efficiently to this way of working. On the other hand, I personally miss direct contact and faceto-face discussions. Such discussions are far more enriching than videoconferences. I am looking forward to again being able to travel and meet people in person. At the same time, I am aware it will be different from before. COVID-19 has irrevocably changed the way we work. Even when we overcome the pandemic and get immunity through vaccinations we will not simply go back to the old ways of working. We have all seen for ourselves the viability of teleworking. One could say that the pandemic has speeded up the digitalisation of the world of work. While we have managed so far to ensure business continuity in this new reality, now is the time to make the most of this new normal. This is today's challenge for both employers and workers in numerous sectors.

Thank you for the interview!

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

EU

EU proposed a hydrogen revolution The European Commission presented a Hydrogen Strategy on 8th July 2020. It sets, among other things, that from 2025 to 2030 hydrogen needs to become an intrinsic part of our integrated energy system with the production of up to ten million tonnes of renewable hydrogen in the EU. The strategy highlights that it is not only about the energy system, but that “the whole industry can benefit from hydrogen”. At the same time, it is important to synchronise the demand and supply and ensure that there is an appropriate infrastructure. If nobody wants to use it, those who invested in its production will have no customers. The reasons for hydrogen deployment and its costs were the subject of an online debate co-organised

by CEBRE together with other partners on 13th October 2020.

In line with the EU strategy, the Czech Republic is preparing its own national Hydrogen strategy. “The Czech Hydrogen strategy should grasp hydrogen as the fuel of the future, because it is ecological, highly efficient and is able to be stored”, said Petr Mervart from the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic, who is responsible for drafting the text. However, he stressed that the input costs for its production will be very high at the beginning.

Czechia has an industrial tradition and the upgrading of gas infrastructures offers a great opportunity. “If we are able to supply these components, we will be able to supply them everywhere. Industry has a tradition in mechanical engineering and should take this opportunity”, highlighted MEP Mikuláš Peksa (CZ, Greens/EFA). “We should export valves and import hydrogen”, explained Peksa.

Did you know that?

New Cybersecurity Strategy presented

On the 16th of December 2020, the European Commission presented a new EU Cybersecurity Strategy, which should strengthen collective protection against cyber threats and provide credible and reliable digital services and tools. The strategy focuses on several key areas, including increasing resilience, technological sovereignty and leadership, building operational capacity for prevention, deterrence and response, and developing a global and open cyberspace to help intensify cooperation. To support these goals, the EU will earmark substantial funding from various programmes, whether from Digital Europe, Horizon Europe or the EU Recovery Plan, which should total up to € 4.5 billion. One of the main tasks of the strategy is also to ensure the secure implementation of 5G networks.

matters business

After the spread of the pandemic, the European Commission presented a plan to facilitate the recovery of the European economy after the coronavirus crisis. The plan includes an increase in cohesion funds, a new instrument to support recovery and resilience, which will finance assistance to the Member States most affected by the crisis, and a strengthening of instruments to mobilise private investment and investment in strategic sectors. The funding comes from the EU’s multiannual financial framework for 2021-2027. In a debate organised by the Representation of the European Commission in the Czech Republic together with CEBRE and Confederation of Employers´ and Entrepreneurs´ Associations of the CR, representatives of the Commission, The Office of the Government of the Czech Republic, Czech entrepreneurs and trade unions discussed how the European recovery plan could help the Czech Republic.

The speakers agreed that investments in infrastructure, especially in digitisation and transport, but also in green technologies, will be important for the recovery of the domestic economy. The May recommendations of the Commission for the Czech Republic and the National Investment Plan should be a good guide for the use of the EU Recovery Fund. Investment priorities should also be reflected in the operational programs for the forthcoming Cohesion Fund programming period. Above all, it is necessary to identify priority projects at an advanced stage of readiness so that the investment impetus in the economy can come as soon as possible.

At the same time, administrative burdens, which are one of the key obstacles to development, need to be removed. According to the Czech Chamber of Commerce, it would help entrepreneurs if some ambitious goals were postponed, as entrepreneurs will have to deal with the consequences of the crisis in the short term, even though they have expected to release investments in green technologies this year.

According to Lukáš Kovanda from the Government’s National Economic Council, the Czech Republic should focus on strengthening the Czech-Moravian Guarantee and Development Bank so that it can provide repayable assistance to companies in sufficient volume. European funds could also be used to kick-start financial instruments.

The Czech Republic is concerned that a change in the allocation criteria for drawing cohesion funds, e.g. in terms of taking into account the decline in GDP or employment after the COVID crisis, will be disadvantageous for the Czech Republic. On the other hand, the Czech government has an appetite to use the SURE tool to support short-time work scheme, thus protect jobs and self-employed against the risk of unemployment and loss of income.

Digital Services Act focuses on online platforms

Commission introduced new legal framework for batteries

Aleš Doucek from the Czech Hydrogen Technology Platform (HYTEP) agreed with starting the shift of energy and mobility from fossil fuels to green fuels. However, he considers the idea to import hydrogen to the Czech Republic from abroad as awkward.

He explained that the cost of hydrogen transportation would increase its final price.

In the debate with participants, it has been stressed that it would make more sense to start to deploy hydrogen in small areas that would serve as pilots. Pilot projects in regions could reveal how to make the most of this opportunity.

EU recovery plan should help to set new economic growth period

In mid-December 2020, the European Commission issued the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act, which should significantly change the rules for all digital services, including social media, online marketplaces and other online platforms. The Digital Services Act amends the e-commerce directive, which was adopted 20 years ago and does not reflect the current market situation. Digital service providers will have to respect new obligations and measures, in particular regarding the elimination of illegal goods, services and content, user protection, transparency, advertising and algorithms for recommending content, or traceability of users in marketplaces. The Digital Markets Act will focus on the negative consequences of certain behaviour of platforms, which have the role of gatekeepers and can set their own rules due to their size and strength.

The European Commission proposed modernizing European legislation on batteries to meet the current objectives of the EU's circular economy strategy and the Green Deal for Europe.

The aim is for batteries on the European market to be high-performance, safe throughout their life cycle and sustainable in production. The Commission therefore proposes a set of mandatory requirements concerning, for example, restrictions on the use of hazardous substances, the minimum content of recycled material, the carbon footprint of production, their performance or resilience. The measures cover the entire life cycle of batteries, from production to collection and recycling. In addition, the proposal contains a framework for easier use of used batteries from electric vehicles.

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EU

matters business

The Transparency Register will basically become mandatory

The representatives of the Council, the European Parliament and the European Commission agreed on a compromise on the revision of the rules of the Transparency Register that contains information about EU lobbyists. The new rules introduce the principle of conditionality, which makes registration for interest representatives in the register basically mandatory, if they want to carry out certain activities.

New action plan to support the audio-visual and media sector

The European Commission issued an action plan to support the recovery and transformation of the media and audio-visual sector, focusing on 3 main areas and proposing 10 concrete actions. Key areas include recovery, support for ecological and digital transformation, and overall strengthening of the sector. The Commission will support the recovery by improving access to EU funding, investing in the audio-visual sector under the new MEDIA INVEST initiative, which is expected to provide up to € 400 million over the next 7 years, and NEWS initiative, which will provide further financial support through grants and guarantees with a special focus on local media. In the field of digitization, the Commission wants to support the creation of European media data spaces and a European coalition for virtual and augmented reality. In terms of empowerment, the Commission wants to promote dialogue with the audio-visual sector, develop young talents and strengthen cooperation between regulators.

Let´s talk numbers!

New financial instrument to support artificial intelligence

At the beginning of December 2020, the European Investment Bank and the European Investment Fund launched a new financial instrument designed to support European artificial intelligence companies. The tool will have a budget of € 150 million and will focus on the development of companies in the initial phase or in the growth phase. It will target companies involved in the development of artificial intelligence or its breakthrough application, as well as technologies such as blockchain, the Internet of Things or robotics. It is estimated that the instrument should help 20-30 small and mediumsized enterprises.

EU leaders agreed on Multiannual Financial Framework 2021–2027

At the European Council Summit that took place in December 2020, EU leaders managed to find an agreement on the Multiannual Financial Framework for the period 2021-2027 and the Next Generation EU recovery instrument. The total budget will be € 1,800 billion, with € 750 billion earmarked for the recovery instrument. For some time, the agreement was blocked by Poland and Hungary due to the condition of respect for the rule of law. If one of the states violated this condition, it would not be able to draw funds from the budget. Finally, it was agreed that the mechanism would apply retroactively from 1st January 2021, but the

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Commission would have to wait for a ruling from the EU Court of Justice before initiating proceedings with a Member State.

EU industrial production grew by almost 2% in October

The European statistical office Eurostat informed that industrial production increased by 2.1% in the euro area and 1.9% in the EU as a whole in October of this year compared to the previous month. The best results were reported from Belgium (+6.9%), Germany (+3.4%) and Slovenia (+3.1%), while the largest declines were seen in Denmark (-5.8%), Greece (-3.0%) and Lithuania (-1.7%). Industrial production in the Czech Republic grew by 3.0% in the given period. Year-on-year comparison with October 2019 shows that industrial production fell by 3.8% in the euro area and 3.1% in the EU as a whole.

European Council agrees to increase climate targets by 2030

The European Council reaffirmed its agreement on a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% from 1990 levels by 2030. EU leaders also called on the Commission to reflect this goal in a draft European climate law and to adopt it swiftly. According to the Commission, this agreement is an important step towards meeting the 2050 goal of climate neutrality. In addition, the Council called for strengthening of the EU carbon trading system, for a proposal on how energy-intensive industries can apply climate-neutral technologies while maintaining their competitiveness, and for a draft of a Carbon Border Adjustment mechanism.

Agreement on Invest EU programme

The representatives of the Council and the European Parliament agreed on the form of a regulation concerning the InvestEU programme. It will focus on 4 main areas, including sustainable infrastructure (€ 9.9 billion), research, innovation and digitisation (€ 6.6 billion), small and medium-sized enterprises (€ 6.9 billion) and social investment and skills (€ 2.8 billion). At least 30% of the InvestEU budget will be dedicated to EU climate goals and the program will also include a dedicated Just Transition Scheme.

In the world!

EU wants a close partnership with the US

The European Commission presented a proposal for a new transatlantic agenda to promote EU-US cooperation. According to the Commission, Joe Biden's victory in the presidential election offers a unique opportunity to strengthen the partnership between the two entities based on common goals and values. The EU should work with the US in four main areas, namely a common response to the coronavirus pandemic; environmental protection; technology, trade and standards; and, last but not least, the promotion of democracy and international law.

The cooperation should be formally launched at the EU-US summit scheduled for the first half of 2021.

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS III/2020

Council endorsed agreement with China on geographical indications

The Council gave a final green light on an agreement on the protection of geographical indications with China. The agreement signed between the EU and China in September 2020 ensures that 100 traditional European products will be protected on the Chinese market against counterfeiting and 100 Chinese products will be protected on the European market. This is the first bilateral agreement between the two of this type. Four years after the entry into force of the agreement, the scope of the agreement will be extended by a further 175 geographical indications, with the possibility of adding more in the following years.

New system to complain about violations of free trade agreements

The European Commission launched a new system that allows Member States, businesses, business associations, civil society organizations and EU citizens to report barriers to entry to countries with which the EU has free trade agreements. Two forms will be available, one for breaches of market access and the other for breaches of sustainable development commitments. The complaint will need to include an estimate of the economic impact and, after examination by the Commission, the entity will be informed whether the Commission would take corrective actions in this regard. If so, the answer will contain the individual steps that should lead to the correction of the situation and the time schedule.

Trade with Canada grew by almost a quarter in 2019

The European Commission recently issued its fourth annual report on the implementation of free trade agreements covering the year 2019, which shows that despite tensions on the global stage, the EU continued trading with third countries thanks to its bilateral agreements. Trade with the 65 partners with which the EU has agreements increased by 3.4% last year, while overall EU exports grew by 2.5%. The most significant increase in mutual trade was recorded in the agreement with Canada (by almost 25%) and Japan (by 6%). Trade agreements cover a third of the EU's total trade with third countries.

EU introduced tariffs on US exports related to Boeing case

The European Commission imposed $ 4 billion worth of tariffs on US exports to Europe in connection with the Boeing case of unlawful state aid. The United States is already applying similar measures to European exports to the US in connection with the unlawful support of Airbus, and although the European Commission has sought to find a solution with the US to mutually eliminate tariffs, this option did not happen due to insufficient progress on the US side. Tariffs apply to aircrafts (15%), agricultural and industrial products (25%).

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