Bubenik Partners

The most remarkable managerial changes of the first quarter of 2022, according to Bubenik Partners

According to Bubenik Partners, an overview of the ten most interesting managerial changes of the past quarter includes the appointment of new members of management in major financial institutions and their subsidiaries.

The quarterly prestigious selection „Movers and Shakers at the Top of Czech Business“ furthermore includes the entry of new leaders into top management positions in retail, e-commerce, IT, the Big Four and a non-woven manufacturer. The selection of the most remarkable changes also features reinforcements of commercial teams of companies in the field of healthcare and the Czech representation of an international stock exchange organization.

The selection presents a comprehensive view of what is happening on the market through the eyes of Bubenik Partners, a renowned consulting company with more than twenty years of daily experience with top managers in the Czech Republic. It is a representative overview of the most important events at the highest levels of Czech business in the given period.

More than two years after the pandemic outbreak, it is possible to observe the return of companies to their original recruitment activities. After the more conservative months, when companies often filled positions with internal candidates, the number of external transfers increased again in the first quarter of 2022.

“We have observed the most significant movement so far this year in companies in sectors that have been significantly successful in recent months. These include e-commerce, technology and healthcare,” said Jan Bubeník, founder and Managing Partner of Bubenik Partners. “Many changes are also taking place in companies that are modernizing their business and transforming them towards digitization, such as finance and retail.”

In recent months, companies have most often hired new managers in an effort to „keep up“ in three main areas: 

• In technologies and their use in business 

• Taking into account changes in consumer habits during a pandemic 
• The need to optimize input costs and supplier networks in response to rising commodity and energy prices and other disruptions to trade and supply chains caused by a number of political and economic events, including Russia’s February invasion of Ukraine. 

Companies, therefore, often look for leaders in operational and transformation roles, purchasing, technology development or business and marketing. 

 

„Movers and Shakers at the Top of Czech Business“ in the first quarter of 2022

(in alphabetical order)

Jan Beran – In March, he became the new Chief Commercial Officer of Linet Group, the third leading producer of beds for health and social care globally.  Before that, he held the position of Country Manager and CEE Lead Manager at Danone for over four years. From 2012 to 2018, he worked for the LEGO Group as Marketing Director for the Middle East/Africa and France regions.

Marek Blaha – Since January, he has been CEO of the new subsidiary of Česká spořitelna, ČS Dostupné bydlení. It is a project for the construction of housing for groups of the population that are crucial for the development of municipalities (e.g., doctors, teachers, police officers). In the past five years, he has held the position of Director of Retail Distribution at Česká spořitelna.

Tom Blanckaert – In March, he became the new member of the Board of Directors and Chief Officer at ČSOB, responsible for Group Risk Management, and a member of the Board of Directors of Hypoteční banka and ČSOB Stavební spořitelna.  He comes from the position of CEO of Corporate Audit, which he has held since 2018.  Over the years, he has worked as a risk advisor in Belgium, deputy director of the corporate banking department and director of the corporate and SME credit department at Kredytbank in Poland, risk director at ČSOB in Slovakia and executive director for small and medium-sized enterprises and corporate credit risks at K&H Bank in Hungary.

Josef Danda – Since February, he has been the new Chief Sales Officer at Aeskulab, a nationwide network of diagnostic laboratories.  Prior to that, he worked for more than 7 years as Commercial Director B2B for the Czech and Slovak Republics at Nestle Nespresso.  In the past, he worked as Sales Director at Popron and spent over nine years in sales management positions at Office Depot.

Lenka Dušková – In February, she was appointed to the position of Chief Financial Officer and a member of the Board of Directors at Albert. Prior to that, she held the position of Director of Business Controlling in the Finance Department.  In the past, she held a number of financial positions in the USA. She also gained professional experience in the retail market in Bulgaria. In 2015, she returned to the Czech Republic and joined the finance team at Albert.    Margaréta Ilková – In January, she became the new General Manager of Clearstream Operations Prague, thus strengthening the management of the Czech representation of Deutsche Börse Group, an international stock exchange organization and provider of innovative market infrastructure, alongside the current executives Armin Borries and Peter Hollovič. She has been with the Group in various management positions since 2008, most recently as Global HR Business Partner for IT at Deutsche Börse.

Martina Kneiflová – In January, she became the head of EY ČR. She previously worked as a Partner of the tax department and Head of Human Resources consulting team in the Czech Republic.  She is also a member of the Chamber of Tax Advisors of the Czech Republic.  Martina has been involved in tax consulting since the beginning of her 22-year career at EY.

Tomáš Prošek – In January, he took over the position of Group CEO of C System CZ & Český Servis, a company engaged in the sale and service of computer technology and the supply of IT services, including cloud solutions. Prior to that, he worked for PPF Group as Program Management Officer at CETIN and Chief Digital Officer at Home Credit Indonesia. In addition to PPF Group, he worked at O2 in the Czech and Slovak Republics, ČEZ and Cisco System.

Jan Škrabánek – In March, he became CEO of Bezrealitky, the largest service offering the possibility of direct sale or lease of real estate, and one of the most visited Czech real estate websites. He comes from the position of Marketing Director of the Czech online supermarket Košík.cz. He has experience from the Letgo bazaar platform. He also worked on the lending platform Zonka, where he headed the marketing department.    Petr Sochor – In January, he took up the position of Global Information Technology Director at PFNonwovens.  In the past, he worked as Global Vice President of IT at APAGCoSyst Electronic Control Systems, as CTO at Zentiva and for 17 years as ICT department manager for EMEA at FOXCONN.