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Digital diplomacy

H.E. Daniel Meron, Ambassador of Israel in Czech Republic

The fact that each interview is unique is hardly a surprising statement. However it was during my meeting with the Israeli ambassador that I experienced a role reversal; the interview did not start with me asking the prepared questions but Mr. Ambassador asking about me. I was able to experience firsthand the fact known to many: Israeli diplomacy, especially towards the public, is the best in the world. It came as no surprise that Mr. Ambassador, being not only a great speaker but also a very attentive listener, addressed the issues of my interests, beyond the originally outlined questions. Here you can expect some insights on digital diplomacy, women in technology and also a rather refreshing expat view on both Czech society and culture. Daniel Meron has previously worked at Israeli embassies in USA, Norway and Cyprus. In Washington, he was a commissioner for the Congressional affairs, which mediated relations between the Israeli government and the US Congress. In Norway and Cyprus, he held the post of deputy ambassador.

Mr. Ambassador, we started our interview talking about the changing nature of diplomacy in the 21st century and the role of Ambassadors without diplomatic passports, which was the title of my book and a subsequent series of the Czech and Slovak Leaders Magazine. These people are not diplomats yet, by being leading personalities in various domains, they promote and influence the image of a country abroad.

I see the role of such individuals growing and becoming more important. I can name few leading personalities representing Israel: Gal Gadot, an Israeli actress and a model, famous for portraying Wonder Woman in the DC Extended Universe movie; a violinist and a conductor Pinchas Zukerman; and an Israeli professional footballer Eran Zahavi, currently playing in Guangzhou, China. However, even many of my colleagues, being traditional diplomats, are expanding beyond diplomacy. One of my colleagues has just started culinary diplomacy at Twitter, as she likes cooking.

How has diplomacy changed and what is the right diplomacy for the 21st century?

I love this question. Just today, I spoke to our department of digital diplomacy. This department did not exist five or even two years ago and many countries still do not have this department. We put a lot of emphasis on social networks. This is just one example of changing diplomacy due to technology. I am known for challenging the traditional way of diplomatic reporting back via cables. I maintain that we should use more open communication. I believe that headquarters should go to my Facebook, Twitter and Instagram account to find out about my activities in the Czech Republic, rather than waiting for some formal large reports. I see the trend coming, it will take another five to ten years.

H.E. Daniel Meron with his wife Jill Meron

I have seen your Youtube message you used as an introduction to the Czech Republic (you can see it below). Is this the new way of introduction for each Israeli ambassador?

Each new ambassador gets a gift from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. You get a team of a movie director, a cameraman and a writer of the script. You give them an idea and they prepare the story for you. I come from Jerusalem and I pointed out many similarities between Prague and Jerusalem. One of my colleague is from Tel Aviv, so he talks about the city of tomorrow, regarding the high-tech. Another colleague is a daughter of a Holocaust survivor. She talks about her story and what it means to her to be a diplomat, representing a Jewish state in Europe, having special memories and legacy.

How did it feel shooting a three minute movie and being a star in the spotlight, rather than a diplomat in the background?

It was exciting. It was great to have my daughter joining me for a beer in the market. I have shown this movie to many young people, as I go to schools very often. When young Czechs see this movie, they usually say that they did not have an idea what Israel was all about. I try to convey a message that Israel is a very modern, developed country, in the front line of technology and culture. Some people still had the image of a desert country with camels walking around. Yes, we have camels but we have much more modern features. My daughter is in high tech, now finishing her fourth year at the university, specializing in computer and electrical engineering. She works in Jerusalem in a company designing an autonomous car, also featured in my introduction video. Moreover, she volunteers in a special program at Hebrew University, called QueenB. A group of young Israeli women with high-tech backgrounds decided that there had been enough talking about the need to get young women into sciences, high tech and other technical disciplines, it was time to act. The university students now teach the high school female students, my daughter is teaching coding.

You have mentioned one thing I find disconcerting: the fact that young Czechs do not know Israel. How is that possible, given the fact that the Czech Republic is the closest ally of Israel in Europe? The Czechoslovak and Czech Israeli relations have very long and deep roots. Did we fail to pass on the common history to the younger ones?

I do not wish to compare one generation to another. I believe that the young people know a lot thanks to social media. The Israeli band Lola Marsh had a concert in Acropolis and it was totally sold out, even though it was their first visit to Prague. The culture is known thanks to the personalities. It is rather due to the complexities of the politics in the whole region that makes it more confusing. Let us not forget that during the communist times, it was also challenging to get to the right information. We have to go even further back in time, to Tomas Garrigue Masaryk, his fight in Hilsner affair, him coming to Palestine in 1927 and then the sad history of the Holocaust and its survivors and Jan Masaryk and his fight for the State of Israel, helping displaced Jews come then to Palestine and then sending arms. All this information used to be shared within a generation concerned. Now, it is up to us to teach the younger generation also about these historical events.

H.E. Daniel Meron with Karla Šlechtová, current Czech Minister of Defence

What do you personally do to bridge the knowledge of culture with the knowledge of shared history?

As I mentioned, I visit many schools, I show my introductory video and then I have a presentation. I usually talk about the great relationship between the two countries. I tend to mention three specific examples. Our two countries have a great cooperation in the field of water technology; the Czech Minister of Environment came to Israel has met me and shared his concern about the lack of underground water the Czech Republic is facing. At first, I thought it was a sort of a joke. A country with abundant rainfall, snowfall, with green hills, forest and pastures is coming to a desert nation, asking for advice? It is true that Israel is among the top countries with regards to water technology and water management, practices such as drip irrigation, desalination, reuse of water for agriculture etc. In September 2017, a delegation of 50 people went to Israel to learn about water technology. On the other hand, the Czech Republic can help Israel with ideas for solving the issue of water pollution. ŠKODA AUTO and the automotive industry is the second example of our mutual cooperation. The automotive Czech industry can connect to the digital industry in Israel. They both complement each other. In Israel, there are more than 150 start-ups producing various technological solutions for the automotive industry, such as radars, communications, smart batteries, sensors etc. ŠKODA AUTO will partner with an institution in Tel Aviv and will open an innovation center. By the way, ŠKODA is the third most frequently sold car in Israel. Cyber security is the third domain where we have great exchange of communication and cooperation.

It is often mentioned that the Czech-Israeli relations are the best in history. What can be done to improve already strong and stable relations?

In short, we are further exploring the cooperation that will bring the best from both countries. High-tech, start-ups and scientific cooperation are other areas where we can progress a lot. I know that Czech scientific diplomat, Mrs. Mikolášová, is also featured in this issue, so you are familiar with the exact details of our cooperation in this field. The next topic that is becoming very relevant, is the future of smart cities. And I could continue with many topics from the sphere of economy or commerce which can prosper thanks to mutual cooperation.

How do you like the Czech Republic?

The Czech Republic is a beautiful country. I find the people very friendly and I appreciate the fact that they are friendly and positive toward my country, Israel. Czech culture is not affected by antisemitism. I arrived nine months ago and I have listened to the advice of my friends, recommending me to visit also the countryside. I am proud to say that I have been to all 14 regions. Every second week I leave Prague to get to know the people, visit ancient Jewish synagogues, monuments and cemeteries, attend schools or universities. I love doing that. There are many beautiful places and a lot of Jewish history that is still not very known.

This is also my advice to other foreigners coming to the Czech Republic, make sure you explore the whole country.

By Linda Štucbartová

Photos: Archive

“My life-long talk show”

Andrea Vadkerti, Executive Coach

I have a lot in common with my friend and colleague Andrea: coaching and writing, interviews with wellknown personalities and the desire to support women in their careers. Andrea herself has presented not just many hundreds of Slovak news reports, but also major interviews, including with such personalities as Placido Domingo and Niki Lauda. She left television suddenly in order to prioritise her marriage. She left not just her job, but also her native Slovakia, following her husband to France. She currently lives and works in Singapore. She has moved from the highest levels of journalism to the highest levels of business. As Executive Coach, she focuses on neurobehavioral modelling and accessing the emerging business development.

Does this all sound like a story from a pulp author? Well you shouldn’t be surprised, as all famous writers agree that the best plots arise from life itself.

Some may remember Andrea Vadkerti as a presenter on Markíza Television, which she joined in 1995 after winning an audition of over 5000 candidates. During her television career, she also managed to study International Finance and European Law at Faculty of Management Comenius University in Bratislava. She presented the main news on Markíza until 2000. Despite her heavy workload, she missed the opportunity to be creative in her role as presenter, and so in addition to the news she also presented a radio talk show. She left Markíza in 2000 when her then-fiancé was starting the rival TA3 television station. She helped him to create this new television channel, which was described as Central Europe’s CNN, but did not join the channel because she could not imagine working for her partner and for her boss and manager in one person. She then penetrated the world of business, taking on the post of Head of Communications and PR in Slavia Capital between 2000 and 2003. She penetrated the world of mergers, acquisitions and trading while also meeting her current husband.

In 2003, she accepted an offer to return to the television studio, this time for Slovak public television RTVS. This marked the start of the risky, but she says most interesting, “Vadkerti talk show” format, in which RTL journalists were also involved. She broadcast her final talk show during her eighth month of pregnancy, something which involved an in-depth interview with three female murderers and an 80-member audience made up of other prisoners. The fact that Andrea does everything to the full also applied for her career break, when she focused on her children and family, with her son Raphael joining her daughter Sophie within 13 months. Again, she was missing creativity and continued writing scripts. In 2007, she returned to the media, with another offer from Slovak Television. Once again, just one career was not enough and at this time Andrea began to work in coaching, receiving her first international certification. In 2010, she returned to TA3 to launch her new interview show, Portret. She received the Journalism Prize for Best Interview in Electronic Media two years in a row for her in-depth interviews with the rescuer of Jewish children, Sir Nicholas Winton, and legendary CNN host, Larry King. Next year, French television channel Arte will be broadcasting her interview with Pierre Richard as part of a jubilee documentary on this unforgettable comic.

2018 marks not just 100 years since the founding of Czechoslovakia, but also 25 years since the dissolution of the Czechoslovak Republic.  Andrea, you were born in Czechoslovakia, and then you became a citizen of the Slovak Republic, you’ve lived in France and now you work in Singapore. What is your identity? Czechoslovak, Slovak, European, or do you see yourself as a citizen of the world?

As Adriana Sklenaříková has said, I was born in a country which no longer exists. In a Hungarian family in the south of Slovakia. My mother tongue is Hungarian, and I was taught Slovak at school. English has become my language at work, and French is a language I have worked on through my heart and life in Nice. I am a citizen of the world with the blood of old Europe coursing through my veins.

Imagine looking at your biography in the introduction as a journalist. What would the first question you ask be? And what would your response be?

I would probably be interested in each new beginning. What it’s like to keep pulling the rug out from under yourself and try to do something you’ve never done before. The first commercial television news, the first daytime talk show, the first non-dubbed interview with a foreign figure, the first neurobehavioral modelling coaching in a land which does not even have a professional term for this speciality. And the response? It is incredibly exciting to be an experimenter and adventurer in your profession. To believe in something and go for it. Your belief drives you, you play your cards on luck and talent. There’s no waiting, only doing and success is not guaranteed.

Okay so now to my questions. While they say cherchez la femme, from your experience up to now, it seems that you have often instead responded to your partners’ situations. At the same time, you have managed to keep your own identity. What has been your underlying mission?

I’ve never lost my head because of my career or relationship. Whether I’m doing something or believe in something, I go for it. But not to extremes. When one thing got the better of me I have moved on to something else. And that has always helped me stay unsinkable.

I get the impression you have missed the space for creativity in the roles you have held, whether as a presenter or even mother. What brought you from writing to coaching?

Coaching and presenting have a lot in common. You pose open questions, you seek various perspectives. You are driven by curiosity and you are constantly finding out more. Except that coaching takes place in complete intimacy; in a television interview you try to induce intimacy, but the whole world is watching you. Writing is a highly intimate affair. For me, when I’m in complete concentration it has always been a kind of meditation. Creativity is my escape from everyday reality.

How do you see yourself as a coach?

I see myself as a consultant who knows when to call upon coaching as the best tool to achieve an objective. With my client, we might be focused pragmatically, dealing with a problem resourcefully. Complexity and finding a solution is our platform. As I’m coming from background in neuropsychology, this is an opportunity for me to literally change the client’s paradigm of thinking. To open up new worlds to them. I am witnessing my clients becoming more humans every single day.

How do your clients describe you?

An open minded, pragmatic, someone who can hit the nail on the head, unravel a problem. Holistic, disciplined, understanding. These are the kind of characteristics I see most in my reviews.

They say the media is addictive. Do you miss the shine and fame of the television studio?

I don’t miss the television studio so much as the opportunity to spread valuable ideas through the media. Many times I come across someone and I tell myself what a great interview we could do, how many people could get a really meaningful message …

In your experience, is a double-career marriage possible?

Yes, but both of you have to be willing to sometimes sacrifice your career for the good of others. Your career is not a dictator.

Three years ago, you moved from France to Singapore. What other chapters in your life are you planning to write?

I’m literally writing one now. I’m writing a book on the power of the ego and how to live with it. It is a compilation of my own true stories and those of my clients and neuroscience. In Singapore, I have everything I need to complete it. My ten-month old third child Philip is slowing me down a little right now. I’m trying to enjoy all the times I have with him. We’ve also begun Atairu leadership training for women and the Odyssey mentoring programme.

Your final message for Czech and Slovak Leaders readers?

When ego shuts down to silence, your heart starts singing.

By Linda Štucbartová

“I wanted to secure the best possible education for my children”

Kateřina Bečková, Founder and Executive Director, International Montessori School of Prague

The story of the International Montessori School of Prague brings together a number of fascinating worldwide trends. The first of these trends is glocalisation – a combination of globalisation and localisation, with the American Montessori Society global accreditation creating a framework, while the school is also adjusted to the Czech environment and conditions. Kateřina Bečková, founder and executive director says: “We have to, and we want to, meet not just the American accreditation standards, but also take into account the Czech environment and its distinctiveness. Children from 27 different nationalities attend IMSP, but half of our children are from the Czech Republic. As such, our curriculum must not just accommodate the European metric system, but also the method of teaching mathematics, for example the method of multiplication and division which is specific to us.”

The second trend I would like to note is that Kateřina is an example of what one could term a “self-made female entrepreneur”. Female entrepreneurs offer something specific. In contrast to men, who focus on doing business in fields which are perceived as economically beneficial such as construction, electronics and IT, women more frequently focus on doing business in social services or small retail. This female type of enterprise is often at a disadvantage in terms of access to funding and technologies, while it is also highly regulated by complex laws.

A third major trend is the issue of leadership and education. At the start of the new school year, the Czech Management Association published a report stating that the Czech Republic could become more competitive if it had more self-confident leaders. The standard Czech education system does not consider working with leaders, despite research which suggests that the key characteristics of future leaders can be developed mainly up until a child’s 10th birthday!

Kateřina Bečková founded the private International Montessori School of Prague in 2002. The spark for doing so was an endeavour to secure high quality education for her own three children. Over 15 years, IMSP has become one of the best schools in the Czech Republic with places for 110 pupils aged from 15 months to 13 years. Today, the school employs 16 full-time teachers and 4 part-time teachers. As well as preschool and school education, IMSP also provides after school play and other clubs. The teaching staff includes specialists in art, Spanish, drama, music, physical education and library science amongst other fields.

Kateřina put her energy, vision and herself into building the school. When you meet her, you would hardly believe that this naturally shy woman is the director of a major educational institution and her mission is to bring an integrated and holistic approach to education to prepare children for the future. Kateřina is one of the greatest Czech experts in education and the Montessori method, having achieved the necessary training while running the school. She originally studied economics, and subsequently completed a master’s degree in Special Education. She has completed the Montessori Leadership programme and continues to learn about leadership in the Czech Republic and abroad.

Kateřina, IMSP celebrated its 15th birthday in spring 2017. How do you look back on this time?

I take stock. As you noted, my kids were my main drive for founding the school. But they’ve already finished school and I am pleased that they are so well prepared for further studies and for life in general. I still love working with kids, which gives me great satisfaction and I am proud of our school and the stable and professional team I have managed to build up. I think we have achieved the optimum in terms of size and operation. I don’t plan to expand the school with additional branches, nor do I want to increase the number of pupils in our classes, or increase the number of classes. I think we have gone through the difficult phase of building up the school, and we have constructed a solid foundation. Now, we want to focus on further increasing quality. We enjoy continuing to work on communication, focusing on increased effectiveness, and achieving sustainable results. I think that this kind of work is a great reward for me. Most recently, we have been focusing on defining a new mission, the values linked with that mission, and how to put them into practice.

What are you most proud of in relation with IMSP?

Of all the accreditations we have achieved, because we are the only American Montessori Society fully accredited school in Europe. Our most recent accreditations, both American and Czech, gave us top marks. The fact we are full to capacity demonstrates our quality and popularity. I couldn’t achieve that alone; I rely on a stable, professional team of accredited colleagues. I am also proud of our premises; our school has a large garden over 4000 m2 in size next to a wood. We have an aviary in the garden, fruit bushes and trees and a vegetable patch, and looking after our plants and animals is an integral part of our teaching. Last but not least, we are successfully building a community of parents and school advocates who are spreading Montessori education principles further throughout Czech society.

There remains great interest in Montessori in the Czech Republic. The method is suitable not just for children, but also for older people. In July this year, Prague hosted the International Montessori Congress. For those who didn’t take part, it was a prestigious event which takes place once every four years, with 2000 participants and more than 100 experts from around the world visiting the Prague congress. What makes Montessori different?

It’s important to realise that the Montessori method is not just about tools, but above all about the approach. One pitfall here is the fact that the Montessori method is not a copyrighted patent so, often, schools purchase the tools and immediately put “Montessori method” into their name. The Montessori method is about the philosophy and putting it into practice, about the ability of the teacher to manage to work with both the whole class and with individuals and about seeing the unique potential of each child. The tools themselves are secondary. Another challenge is the fact that many Czechs advocate traditional educational methods and it is difficult for them to entirely trust a new approach based on free choice. There is a general prejudice that the Montessori method means chaos, but actually the opposite is true. We have to work to balance the expectations and boundaries while offering free choice.

IMSP is a leader in bringing new trends to education. Which trends do you think are fundamental?

I think there are three fundamental trends: recognising your own unique talent, the ability to cooperate and a love for education. When interacting with children, we focus on holistic child development, helping them to grasp and also express their uniqueness. We teach children not just to solve problems, but also to cooperate effectively. Today, individual development and assertion is often stressed, but without interaction and effective cooperation with other individuals you cannot do anything on your own in society. Montessori is based on the principle of “help me to do it myself” from an early age. Even the youngest children take part in cleaning and tidying and the preparation of snacks; they are much more independent in communication, and also hygiene habits and the ability to look after themselves compared to their peers. We focus on the different components of intelligence – social intelligence, emotional intelligence, bodily/kinaesthetic intelligence and moral intelligence. We work with four key values – respect, consideration, responsibility and kindness, and we place great stress on overall integrity. Last but not least, we make appropriate use of technology which is going to play an even greater role in education.

How do you see yourself as a leader?

We use the Talent Dynamic profile tests at school, meaning we build on the natural talent of individuals, not on acquired skills. Using this approach, my profile is “Trader,” and my leadership is based on long-term relationships, care for others and building a community. My approach is to undertake individual actions together with a team. People can rely on me; my door is always open both to my team and to parents. And now I’m learning to delegate more; I want to focus more on strategic decisions and spend less time on day-to-day operations. As I said, I’m looking forward to sharing everything we have managed to build with the wider community which we are helping to build.

What advice do you have for parents of school children in relation to the start of the new school year?

I’m an advocate of good routines which can save time and energy. Take enough time to sleep and then for your morning, your breakfast, journey, so you aren’t stressed every morning. Trust your school and children and make enough time for them. Especially at the beginning, don’t just speak to your children, but also the teachers and school management. You are our partners and we are here for you.

What are your plans and vision for the future?

My mission is to bring a holistic approach to education in which every child can express their uniqueness. Specifically, I am trying to bring the above discussed Montessori methods of education to our country so that we can truly activate the uniqueness of each one of us. I have already spoken about the community of parents and advocates we are building, and we are preparing a series of educational workshops for them. We want to focus more on working with our youngest children, where we see the greatest potential. We want to provide parents with a detailed guide for creating a Montessori home environment. And, of course, we will continue to evaluate and improve all our approaches within our holistic approach to education. One of the problems of Czech education is not just its focus on knowledge, but also how rigid it is.

By Linda Štucbartová

“Our doctors are on a par with our Harvard colleagues”

MUDr. Kateřina Vacková, Loono. Photo by: Martin Faltejsek

Although she officially received her MUDr title at her graduation ceremony in Karolinum’s ancient Great Hall in July, Kateřina can boast of having saved 36 lives – cancer was discovered in 34 people in time through Loono’s preventive programmes, and two more people recognised they had serious heart problems on the basis of Loono’s new campaign. Kateřina founded Loono three years ago in order to promote the importance of self-examination, and awareness of and responsibility for your own health amongst the general public. She founded Loono based on her own experience as a patient, when at 22 years of age she was given that dreaded diagnosis: cancer. Kateřina set out to combat not just the disease, but also the low level of public awareness, particularly amongst the young. In 2016, Forbes nominated her amongst the “30 most talented Czechs under the age of 30”. Loono and its witty information campaign which does not frighten, but rather informs of the necessity to self-examine your breasts and testicles, drew the attention not just of young people, but also the general media. Over the whole time Kateřina was studying hard at the medical faculty, she had two jobs, one paid as a project manager and the other in Loono, unpaid until this August. During her studies, she undertook specialist placements in Austria and Portugal. Loono today comprises over 70 volunteers – educators and the main organising team made up of 10 collaborators. This year, besides completing her studies at Charles University’s First Faculty of Medicine, Kateřina also completed a placement at Harvard, undertook an inspiring trip to San Francisco and launched another campaign with the Loono team, this time focused on prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Each meeting I have with Kateřina is incredible inspiring. I admire how much energy this beautiful and petite young lady has in her, I listen with wonder of her vision and plans and I cross my fingers for her. Kateřina calls herself a citizen of the world, and her desire to change the world is not just a proclamation, but something she is demonstrating in real life every day and in every step she takes. I first met Kateřina at a talk for Oxford and Cambridge university alumni. Speakers are often nervous in front of an audience used to high-level debate, but Kateřina didn’t show it. She began her talk with the firmly posed questions: “When did you last have a preventive examination at the doctor’s? Do you know what examinations you are entitled to? And when did you last undertake a self-examination?” One might be so bold as to claim that Kateřina looks after fitness within her own team. As the organisation name, Loono, is not subject to declension as standard Czech words are, anyone from the internal team who says it incorrectly has to do three push-ups. Luckily this only happened to me once during the interview…

Kateřina, in July you got your MUDr title. What has changed since your graduation?


I’ll begin with the graduation. I was at the graduation ceremony, a wonderful occasion, with my whole family; it was moving and my parents were proud. Personally, I had been wondering for a while whether to do clinical practice after graduation or whether to concentrate on Loono. I think I would have felt bad not focusing on Loono. So I started in August, becoming the first person working there on a full-time basis, and now I’m enjoying spending every day dedicated to the organisation, and even in the first 14 days we have made incredible progress. We have expanded our team, we’re still recruiting, we have successfully applied for a grant and we’ve gained another sponsor.
Sponsors are really important for us right now; I’d like to be able to employ more people full-time and I would also like to expand the scope of our education, to focus not just on the general public but also to have the opportunity to educate medicine students who will then educate others. I don’t want them to have to take up part-time work in fast-food joints, but rather that they have the opportunity to acquire practice in the field they are going to be working in, while also receiving a certain remuneration to help them, e.g., in financing their student dormitories. Over the past two years when I have had the opportunity to work with medics, I have observed what experience they have gained and how this has subsequently helped them in their medical profession.

You yourself represent the emerging generation of doctors, and you have also had the opportunity during your placement to work in the hospital at Harvard University. What insights have you taken from the USA?

Positive ones. I believe in us, the new generation of doctors, but I also greatly appreciate the previous generation. Healthcare is at a great standard in the Czech Republic, well organised, compared to abroad we have markedly shorter waiting times both for examinations and operations. Since healthcare here is paid for from the public health insurance system, a comparison with the USA or the UK is not always appropriate, but even compared to countries with the same funding system we come out very well. Our doctors are skilled. I would advise the upcoming generation to support two areas in particular: interest in innovation, and also communication with patients. At Harvard I saw that although our American colleagues have better equipment

and a different style of work, our qualitative medical education and approach to patients are entirely on a par.

You didn’t want to stay in the USA; you returned to complete your studies and focus fully on Loono. In the meantime, however, you also stayed in San Francisco. What did you bring back for Loono from there?

I went to San Francisco on holiday to relax and practise yoga. I enjoyed the coffee bars and galleries. Naturally, I had loads of discussions about preventive healthcare in the USA, and I visited Silicon Valley in order to find out more about the latest projects and start-ups in the healthcare field. I received great feedback on our work and the results we have achieved despite our limited funding. Everyone around me supported my belief that we should expand Loono and its activities into other countries. I also had the opportunity to meet with Czechs working in Silicon Valley in some great companies or start-ups. The stories of people who have decided to set out and take up work in a foreign country for large projects are always a great inspiration for me. I myself have had this experience during my placements in Austria and Portugal.

What are you most proud of about Loono?

Definitely the 34 lives saved through prevention, and also my whole team. When I was beginning, I was worried whether someone would join me, would believe in my idea and spread it to the world with me. People want to co-operate with us; Loono is now perceived as a brand others want to work for, and we are given as an example of good practice in non-profit organisation communication. I’m blushing, but I’m glad we can inspire others in how to spread your own mission effectively.

Regarding prevention, do Czechs value their health?


I wouldn’t want to relate this question to Czechs alone. In general I think the situation is improving. People are seeking out health information on their own, are more open to changing their habits in regards to a healthy lifestyle, very often on the basis of a personal meeting. After my stay in the USA, I consider myself a citizen of the world, so I think everyone on this planet, regardless of race, gender and nationality, deserve high quality accessible information on preventive care. And this is the mission I’m now setting out into the world for.

Loono is a leader in terms of non-profit organisation communication, this interview is for Leaders magazine; how do you see yourself as a leader?

I personally still see myself as a junior leader. I’ve been leading Loono for under three years and I learn something new every day. Every bit of feedback I get from the team or people I work with through Loono also moves me forward. I also ask a lot of questions of older and more experienced businesspeople and mentors.

Leadership as such, for me, is about kindness and an individual approach. Only in this way can you support and motivate your team at the same time. A strong vision is also important, and your management and actions must follow this vision, both in your working and personal life. It would be very difficult for Loono to serve as an example of a healthy positive lifestyle if I myself didn’t exercise five times a week, didn’t meditate or didn’t eat healthily.

Let’s discuss your vision more; what will Loono look like in the coming years?


It will certainly become a global organisation, though I can’t give you a precise timescale. I myself want to find out more about other countries and their cultures, and I also want to help develop people. I think everyone needs to know about prevention, regardless of their country of origin. We can open this up anywhere where there is a medical faculty, and hopefully we will then be able to even in areas without one. And there’s more! Imagine some kind of Erasmus work programme being established in Loono for students who want to try working not just in another country, but also with other specialists from other fields to aid them in preparing for their careers. Loono is not just about medics; our team includes specialists in communication, PR, marketing, social media, HR and more. Team members can enrich each other. I want to help everyone equally, and I have great plans and also great self-confidence.

A final word?

Look after yourself in time, be active for the good of your body and for life in general. If my story and Loono’s message has touched you, then support us!

By Linda Štucbartová

Martin Herman, President, American Fund for Czech and Slovak Leadership Studies

Martin Herman is the president of the American Fund for Czech and Slovak Leadership Studies (AFCSLS, www.afcsls.org), a fund of Czech and Slovak Americans dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in education in their old homeland. AFCSLS is a successor to the American Fund for Czechoslovak Refugees founded in 1948 by Dr. Ján Papánek, the first Czechoslovak Ambassador to the United Nations. The fund helped thousands of Czechs and Slovaks escape communism and settle in the United States. In 1976, Martin emigrated from Czechoslovakia to the United States. For twenty years he worked as an economist at the World Bank, later free-lancing on projects all over the world. His experience as a teenager, a university student in Prague, and later as a student in the United States convinced him of the importance of education, especially of a solid foundation gained in primary and secondary schools. AFCSLS gave him an opportunity to make a practical contribution. Martin conceived, developed and has been managing AFCSLS education programs since 2008.

In 2016 he became the president of AFCSLS, succeeding Henry Kallan, a longtime president and one of the fund’s most generous contributors. Martin studied at University of Economics in Prague in Prague and Cornell University and George Washington University in the United States.

Talent is a precondition for excellence. It tends to fizzle out without the desire, determination and discipline during formative years. Children need a system to help them develop their talent. This is the premise on which AFCSLS builds its education program. Martin brought in the Center for Talented Youth (CTY), Johns Hopkins University, a leading world authority on talent development, with the objective of establishing a CTY affiliate in Prague. This idea encountered immediate and massive local resistance. Influential experts on education labeled it “elitist, commercial and helping talented teenagers escape to prestigious universities abroad”. Martin persisted. Two years into the program, he brought in the Center for Talented Minds (CTM, www.ctm-academy.org), Prague non-profit, which has become the extended arm of AFCSLS. Only last year it has become possible with the help of CTM and RSJ foundation to secure the program for the long term.

Mr. Herman, before we get into the specifics of your program, please tell us first how you perceive today’s world?

Where do you want me to start? The whole world is confronted by massive and accelerating advances in science and technology. Yet, partly be- cause of failing education in too many parts of the world, many people are ill equipped for today’s world and the future. They have difficulty to cope, to hold their jobs, to secure a worthy purpose for themselves and their families. Often, they find purpose in money, amassing worldly goods. If they fail, they tend to blame others. They are vulnerable to voices promising easy fixes. Their leaders promise but fail to deliver compromised by special interest and unable to deal with mounting problems. Local and global conflicts tend to persist, fresh ones lurking around the corner. How will mankind cope with all this is in the stars. I believe knowledge, spirituality and strong ethical code bring more satisfaction than just money and consumerism. This is why I focus on education. It gives me an opportunity to help teenagers find their purpose, develop their talent and one day possibly make the world a better place for us all.

And how do you perceive today’s Czech Republic?

Czech Republic is confronted with much the same issues as the rest of the civilized world. Moreover, it is still struggling to recover from the nightmare of communism imposed on it by Stalin and helped by local useful idiots 70 years ago. There is no doubt with Marshall Plan and as part of Western democracies, Czechoslovakia today would be one of the richest countries in the world. Instead the communists made it one of the poorest. It is now back, member of the European Union and NATO. It is becoming more prosperous as time goes by. Still, years of communism and persistent Kremlin influence keep many confused and disoriented. Some even equate Brussels with Kremlin, perhaps because too often people have been betrayed. They mistrust their leaders. They tend to be suspicious of anything foreign, envious of natural talent, suspicious of success by others, and believe they have superior answers for everything.

Education is a key indicator of prosperity. Yet, education in the Czech Republic has been neglected at all levels for years. Teachers have the lowest salaries in the civilized world. Schools at all levels are stuck in the past. Boredom and disinterest prevail. Proposals for improvement remain on paper. Still, at all levels there are pockets of excellence but rather than others learning from them these pockets become targets of envy and abuse by those less capable. I have experienced it firsthand with our program. Disgruntled parents are taking matters into their hands starting private schools for their children. Those seeking superior university education prefer to study abroad.

You also have activities in Slovakia, do you perceive the countries being same or different?

They are similar. I am happy Slovakia is independent and becoming more prosperous. The Slovaks are more decisive. The Czechs favorite decision is “maybe”. The Euro is a case in point. The Czechs would debate the Euro forever waiting for some- one to decide for them. Slovakia is even more dependent on car manufacturing than the Czech Republic, a risk for both with robots taking over assembly lines and repetitive manufacturing jobs in the near future.

Education in Slovakia suffers from much the same neglect. However, Slovak teachers actually strike for better salaries. Czech teachers debate strikes. Perhaps the biggest difference is superior university education in the Czech Republic. About 25,000 Slovaks account for about 70% of all foreign students at Czech universities.

Mr. Herman, please tell us now more about your program.

We offer Czech and Slovak children opportunities to develop their talent, to accelerate and enrich their learning with CTM Online, Discovery Saturdays and CTM and CTY Summer. CTM Online is the most popular. It offers students 12-18 years of age online courses in English guided by experienced CTM instructors leading eventually to Advanced Placement (AP) exams of the American College Board. Students can choose from over 100 courses in mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, computer science, and many other subjects. CTM Online is the only opportunity for students in Czech and Slovak public schools to measure their academic accomplishments directly with their peers in the rest of the world. Students find it highly motivating and rewarding. They really learn. Some schools integrated CTM Online into their school curricula. For the first time this coming school year, CTM Online will be used directly in class at three participating schools. CTM Online evolves from our long-term association with CTY to which we added Florida Virtual School Global (FLVS) and the University of Nebraska High School (UNHS); all prestigious online learning institutions, to provide effective, affordable and flexible ways to learn. Also, CTM offers its own online courses for younger students to get them used to online learning environment, technical English and instructor support. I keep scouting all the time for the best possible online content for our students.

What are the results of the program?

I cannot be happier with the results of our students. They excel in the most popular and the most demanding courses in the AP system of the College Board. AP courses offer college-level curricula and exams. They teach critical thinking, reasoning and learning through inquiry. Students gain detailed knowledge of key subjects, substantially improve their technical English and become well prepared for AP exams. By taking AP exams, they prove their interest, ability and determination to succeed in university studies. CTM is a College Board partner for administering AP exams at Czech and Slovak schools.

CTM students rank consistently among the best in AP exams earning on average a 4.06; much superior to the global AP average of 2.89 with “5” the top grade. Every year in May, more than seven million students from all over the world take AP exams. Over 1,000 CTM students have participated since 2011. Great results helped over 100 to scholarships and admissions to universities including Oxford, Cambridge, Yale, Johns Hopkins, NYU, MIT and others. Most students continue at Czech universities, some moving later to graduate work abroad.

Where are the biggest obstacles to achieve more support?

By now, CTM Online would be making a huge impact if most schools would be like the five we started with in 2011. These schools have excellent directors. They have appointed effective school CTM coordinators who inform students and parents, and with the teaching staff integrate CTM Online courses into the school curricula. These schools plus a few others are the most active, some with 15-20 students every year. This school year we expect about 350 students in CTM Online. We are immensely grateful for the support of RSJ foundation in sharing the program cost.

Our biggest obstacles are people – school directors, teachers, and some education experts (those with their superior answers). They are out of step with the times, resisting change, killing the natural interest of children to learn. We have visited most Czech and many Slovak schools; some many times over. When we come, they are excited promising to take part. After we leave, nothing happens. From some directors we even hear: “No, we do not have any talented students here”. Some teachers tell students: “Why CTM Online? Is my class not good enough for you?” These and similar stories we hear all the time.

How do you wish to see AFCSLS and CTM in 10 years’ time? (what is your vision?)

We do all we can to build CTM into a force for excellent primary and secondary education in Central Europe. We are making solid progress in difficult Czech environment, in Slovakia and with occasional interest elsewhere in the region. In four years, we would like to see 800 – 1,200 students in CTM Online, maintaining AP exam scores well above the global average. This year, we start preparations for AP International Diploma, equivalent to the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma but more flexible and affordable. Naturally, some education experts are suspicious of the idea. With no access to the IB program, many parents may find CTM Online ideal for their children. But first they would need to convince their school director. Our top priority is to hire the very best CTM Online instructors with salaries equivalent to top professionals. Instructors make a huge positive difference in students’ outcomes as confirmed by responses from students and parents in CTM Online evaluation surveys.

Your final words…

We would love to do much more to help Czech and Slovak children prepare well for the future. The best possible education for all must become the top national priority. We look all the time for partners and supporters to join us in our quest.

By Linda Štucbartová

“Asia remains a great unknown for us”

Martin Klepetko, Director of the Asia Pacific Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Martin Klepetko played trumpet at the conservatoire in Pardubice, studied Musicology at Charles University’s Faculty of Arts and studied Conducting at the Academy of Performing Arts’ Music Faculty. He taught for five years at the conservatoire in Pardubice.

In 1993, when the need arose for new diplomats following Czechoslovakia’s partition, he applied to a recruitment process led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the basis of a newspaper ad. He was successful and since that time he has followed a career as a so-called universal diplomat, who has covered various fields of expertise and territories over his diplomatic career.

Martin Klepetko was involved in the International Observer Mission in the former Yugoslavia, then worked at the embassy in Tehran as chargé d’affaires e.p., and at the embassies in Baghdad, Sofia and Hanoi as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary. At headquarters, he has worked for the South-East and Eastern Europe department, Analysis and Planning, was Director of the Human Resources Department and currently heads the Asia and Pacific States Department.

Our interview focused on parallels between conducting and diplomacy, career diplomacy in general and last but not least we spoke about Asia as a region which is still misunderstood and underappreciated in terms of its history and potential in the Czech Republic. And our meeting incidentally took place over a cup of tea brought back from his journeys in China and Martin told me of the rule he had learnt that in China tea is steeped briefly and repeatedly. The third steep is meant to taste the best.

Martin, in line of your previous studies and work, I must start with the question of what parallel there is between conducting and diplomacy.

As was mentioned in my introduction, my journey from conductor to diplomacy was not a planned one. But after it happened, I discovered that both professions have a whole lot of shared features. The principal commonality is management skills. It is well known that a conductor must be a good musician, must be able to play one or more instruments, yet he himself plays not one note. He must convince the other players, whether they are large in number as in a symphony orchestra or a few individuals as in a chamber ensemble, of his idea, enthuse them with his own concept and this is then reflected through overall shared efforts. Diplomacy is similar. If you’re sent abroad, it’s not a symphony orchestra you’re given, but rather a chamber ensemble and so it is all the more important that the collective act as one and not rather as occasional solo performances which do not resonate or complement each other. This parallel convinced me how important it is to be able to enthuse others and convince them of your own vision. As for myself, I am not someone who likes authoritarian management.

Your words validate one of the latest trends in management training in which managers try to improve their style through working with an orchestra.

I realise that it is easier for some people to manage others using a traditional authoritarian style through orders and tasks. I believe that despot conductors are a thing of the past now. A wise conductor knows that he has very high quality players available to him, and his task is to make sure everyone is working in harmony. This is also the task of a good diplomat. That’s why I prioritise opportunities to sit down with my colleagues and discuss what we can expect and then everyone knows what their role is and carries it out as they see fit.

What was it that led you to a career in diplomacy in 1994?

There is a Czech saying that necessity led Dalibor to play the violin, but for me it was the other way around; necessity led me to diplomacy. After five years working in the field I studied, I realised there were limited opportunities for career development. I didn’t want to wait for my older colleagues to retire so I could move into their positions. Remuneration in education remains a subject of debate today, but in the early 90s the situation really was terrible. To begin with I tried to earn extra money through various business activities but this just made me realise what a poor salesman I am. One day I came across an ad in the newspaper for diplomatic roles requiring a university education and two languages. I met both these conditions, applied and succeeded from amongst hundreds of candidates.

What was it like to undergo such a major change in occupation?

The change really was tough. I transferred from the relatively free career of a teacher with 22 teaching periods per week and all the school holidays into an institution where the working time was at least from 7.45am-4.15pm with 20 days’ holiday. From the outset, however, I was working in fascinating countries and so I dealt with the new situation well. In contrast to today’s new recruits, I was able to choose my agenda. I was able to choose between culture, Slovakia and the Middle East. I had left the cultural sphere, I didn’t consider Slovakia abroad and so I chose the Middle East. My work covering the Middle East was fascinating; I was in charge of Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Jordan, countries which are today the centre of attention and taking up the front pages of newspapers, but at that time the situation wasn’t quite as tense.

It looks like you chose your departments strategically; today China, another department you managed, is also on the front pages …

You’re right, I deliberately haven’t chosen easy or might I say time off countries… I tell myself I have time for time off countries when I’m coming up to retirement. Time off countries can be considered those which in terms of development are calm, or countries far from Czech foreign policy’s main focus. Even in such cases there’s still stuff to do; monitor developments in the country, prepare reports and meet with colleagues and partners, but these are safe countries where there are no emergency situations. I have operated in countries which were not safe, or where things were happening…

I know it’s very hard for a diplomat to name names, but in light of the above, could your position in Sofia be considered a time off one?

But my position in Sofia preceded my position in Iraq. I grew fond of the Balkans, and Bulgaria is unique in terms of close relations, and also unique in terms of the large Czech expatriate community resident there with a history dating back over a hundred years. I’d like to say here that warm friendly relations are really important, because diplomats aren’t always positioned in countries favourably inclined to them. I also added to my role there by collaborating with a number of orchestras, and I conducted more than 10 concerts, including one opera performance.

What’s it like to work in a country not favourably inclined to us then? The task of diplomacy is surely to nurture close relations…

There are territories where we are simply on different sides politically. Take my position in Iran, for example. The Czech Republic is highly critical of Iran’s current political class, and although we endeavour to develop economic relations, differences in our perspective on democracy and human rights persist. In Iran, there were significant areas of friction, and for me as a diplomat my work was not easy because it was extremely difficult to organise a meeting on any topic at all. Furthermore, there are not a lot of visits or delegations travelling to the country. But diplomacy isn’t just about simple and pleasant topics and destinations. On the other hand, Iran is a wonderful country, the people there are incredibly hospitable, so you need to differentiate between ordinary citizens and the political representation with whom you disagree.

You and your career are an example of a universal diplomat, where you interchange between countries, bilateral and multilateral relations and further specific agenda at headquarters. What is the opposing model?

The USA to some extent, but especially Russia and China, have diplomats who have very narrow specialisations. They can then speak the language of the particular country and repeatedly return there. Here, we try to avoid sending people repeatedly to the same country.

Although only eight candidates a year are accepted at the Diplomatic Academy, diplomacy is still attractive to young people. What is your message to young people who want to enter diplomacy with a desire to change the world?

If you want to change the world, then do something else. Diplomacy is about change, but very slow, indiscernible changes which move the world forwards. Diplomats should instead try to maintain stability, not make revolutions in international relations. Diplomacy really is about learning to say not entirely pleasant things so that they don’t sound offensive, retaining credibility. One of a diplomat’s main characters should be loyalty; loyalty to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs itself. Political representations frequently change, and Czech foreign policy emphasis changes with them. A diplomat should not have their own idea of what agenda to implement and to stick to it. Diplomats must respect the policy of the government and specific minister, and must also be able to identify with these steps. You can’t do things in the long-term which you are not persuaded by. So it’s about seeking compromise and that’s how to recognise who is suitable for diplomacy in the long term, and who isn’t. Basically, diplomacy is a service of the state; today we are part of the civil service. For me personally, the ratification of the Civil Service Code has not changed much; since joining I have perceived my role as to carry out a service to the state within an institution in which I cannot reflect my own political convictions.

You’re now in charge of the Asia Department; you’ve just returned from China. What is your message about this territory to close this interview for Czech and Slovak Leaders readers?

I’ve been on two brief trips during which I wanted to see the workings of our missions in Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu. You can’t describe China in one sentence. Each region is different; you need to realise that China as a country is incredibly large and diverse. Regions differ not just in terms of natural conditions, but also in mentality and even cities differ from each other. I was surprised how well China works, how ordered and clean it is. The standard of living is a lot higher than people here usually imagine. On the basis of our own experience, we associate socialism with things not working and a pervasive dysfunctional bureaucracy, but that just doesn’t apply here. And as an artist I admired the long history and maturity of Chinese civilisation. When you take a walk through gardens, parks and past churches, you can see a true reflection of a culture going back millennia. There is an engrained and natural harmony there. That can’t just come about from one day to the next. Asia as a whole is a great unknown for us. Asia is a region of the future, it is the most dynamically developing region of the world and it certainly deserves attention. We don’t know how the countries there work, and our entrepreneurs still don’t know how to behave correctly there. You need to deal with Asian partners differently to how you deal with Europeans or Americans. We need to approach the region with greater humility. With the exception of Japan, Korea and partially also China, we look at the region as we do at a developing country which is more or less below our level of development and to whom we can impart our knowledge. Yet these are ancient civilisations who live in a different manner, with different values, different priorities and a different idea of how to manage things and how things work. It is certainly inappropriate to impose things on them. We may well disagree with their concept of human rights, for example, but it is not right to impose our ideas of a political system or institutional arrangements upon them.

Linda Štucbartová

 

“We observe the rise of female talent”

Leyla Boulton, Special Reports Editor and Executive Editor, Financial Times

Leyla Boulton studied Russian literature and history at the University of Cambridge.  She started her career as a foreign correspondent in Paris and Brussels for Reuters before joining the FT in Moscow, followed by a posting to Ankara. She spent a decade as a news editor and digital pioneer, before moving into editorial management position.  She is married to a Reuters journalist with whom she has a daughter, 21, and son, 18. 

This British-American dual national is editor of FT special reports, which every year include a series of articles on Women in Business. We met while covering the Global Female Leaders Summit in Berlin in May.  I used the opportunity to ask Leyla to give an exclusive interview to the Czech and Slovak Leaders Magazine.  Not to add to the typical gender-biased interviews, I decided to skip the questions about combining motherhood and work, and working abroad.  Instead, we focused on the profession for which we share a passion – journalism – and its future.  

Leyla, we met at the GFL summit in Berlin.  In what aspects did you find this summit targeted for women but not addressing purely “women’s issues” different?

What was so good about the global female leaders forum was the way it combined a discussion of some of the most important issues of the day – whether technology or health care – with an environment more conducive to women speaking out, and networking. In a male-dominated gathering, whether at conferences or senior corporate boardrooms, women may be more hesitant to speak up than their male peers. But in a female-majority setting like the GFL, I found it much easier to meet fellow professionals with whom I had more in common on the personal front. So instead of say football or golf, conversational icebreakers for me included my department’s watches and jewellery report, and my son’s healthcare drama (ft.com/max)

Do you think there are any women issues and men issues and women writing as opposed to men writing?

I believe there are no female or male issues or types of writing – but there are differences in tone of voice or approach to issues. And it is this we think of at the FT as we work to increase our proportion of female readers. So we are experimenting with things like our mix of commentators and stories to discover what appeals to both sexes. And this is also why companies pursue diversity of gender in management and thinking – it is good for business. In politics we observe the rise of female talent to join the ranks of Angela Merkel, the German chancellor. The most recent example of a rising female political talent was Ruth Davidson, the gay head of the Scottish Conservative party who is seen by many as the only winner of the latest UK election. At the same time, Theresa May and Hillary Clinton’s setbacks after lacklustre campaigns show you cannot win on gender alone. To succeed you also need to be a good and authentic communicator with policies people can support – as Marine Le Pen in France, a good orator with poor policies – discovered when she lost the presidential election to Emmanuel Macron.

You are a special reports editor for Financial Times.  Recently, FT within this series presented a story about two girls growing up, one from the US, one from China.  What are the themes that you try to accentuate and how have they evolved throughout the years?   

The Financial Times special reports department which I lead produces 150 reports a year on countries, sectors and themes of interest to FT readers. But we are testing and introducing new approaches to the issues our readers are interested in. Showing how girls’ fates are often sealed by decisions made in adolescence (ft.com/growing-pains), for example, helps readers think how to make more of half the world’s potential labour force. Closer to your readers’ geographical home, I hope to have by the time this magazine appears, a new online tool for covering the Czech Republic and Slovakia. This will complement our existing coverage of central and eastern Europe ft.com/reports. Our recent highlights included a great interview with the Slovak finance minister who talked of steering his country past ‘a lasagne of deceit’ (ft.com/kazimir) – a reference to Europe’s different layers of populism.

Classical journalism and printed newspapers and magazines face the same disruptive changes as happen in other spheres.  In fact, the Czech and Slovak Leaders magazine has remained the only printed English language magazine in both countries. We both listened to the session where Bloomberg mentioned cooperation with Twitter.  How do you perceive the future of journalism?

The first priority is to promote more able women on merit where they are in short supply regardless of their age. Once they achieve a critical mass in management, good female leaders can help good male leaders effect other positive changes – like ending an unhealthy focus on younger female faces in some broadcast media.

We discussed age diversity in the journalism sphere.  In the Czech Republic, there is a trend to have particularly young journalists, anchorwomen and anchormen, yet they do not represent all generations in society.  Do you see it as a problem?

Journalism needs to adapt to disruption by providing what readers want and need and will pay for. The good news is that this increasingly includes demand for reliable and balanced reporting. That is what we at the 129-year-old FT have been doing ‘without fear or favour’. So has the Washington Post, whose new Trump-era motto declares that Democracy dies in darkness. That is one reason I love leading the FT department which produces high-quality Independent journalism that advertisers are willing to pay for – because that is what our readers will read.

How would you define leadership within the context of journalism…

Leadership in journalism is nurturing talent and anticipating and leading change.

Your final words for Czech and Slovak Leaders readers…

I would love to learn from visiting your part of the world what a Britain divided over Brexit can learn from your two countries’ experience of a formal split. When I last visited, Czechoslovakia was a single country behind the Iron Curtain. I loved Prague and I also enjoyed working on a youth exchange forestry project in what is now Slovakia. As a reporter in Moscow for the FT in the early 1990s, I was greatly helped by the  Czechoslovak representative in reporting the unwinding of Comecon – the Soviet-led trade bloc. And I have had a couple of important friends over the years of Czech origin, including one of my professors at Cambridge University – and my favourite Cold War TV drama is Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy – whose Brno scenes were apparently shot in Glasgow! So on a both professional and personal note, chatting to you has been a delight!

By Linda Štucbartová

“Women (don’t just) enrich the army”

Lenka Šmerdová, first female Brigadier General in Czech Republic

It’s been three weeks since you were named in your role, Brigadier General… What does it feel like to be the first woman in the position in the Czech Republic? Have you got used to it?

It’s an incredible feeling. It’s still new to me. Every day there are situations which are unique and sometimes touching. You can’t get used to that. I think I’m always going to be aware of the great appreciation and also trust I have received for my work, and the work of my colleagues. I very much appreciate it.

You’ve said that your appointment could open the doors to other women. This is your second time being first; you were also the first woman appointed to the position of colonel. What advice do you have for women who want to get a higher position in the Czech army? And for women in general regardless of where they are?

I’m pleased that equality isn’t just something that’s spoken about in the army. Women have shown in recent decades that we belong to the army and we can enrich it. That’s why I believe that my appointment could encourage other women and give them the courage and support in endeavouring to achieve their goals. And there are many other women around me who have fought for their position, respect and esteem and I admire them greatly, regardless of whether they are in uniform or not. It is important to get the opportunity, not to waste it and to keep working on yourself. It also demands self-confidence and the strength to pursue your goals. We all have desires and wishes. Some of these are met through our partners and children, but others we have to achieve ourselves.

You’ve been in the army since 1984 and you work in personnel and recruitment. How has the approach to this area changed over time?

I think an important milestone was the movement from the unpopular compulsory military service to a professional army which is gaining ever greater favour not just amongst men, but also women. We have now even managed to fill up our so-called active reserve force with volunteers. Understandably, personnel work and recruitment has grown in importance over the years in a professional army. This involves working with people and especially for people, and it is people who are the army’s most valuable resource. I also consider my appointment into general rank as an expression of the importance of my work not just in acquiring human resources for the army, but also in our care for them, training and educating high quality soldiers.

Many private companies are suffering from recruitment problems at a time of low unemployment. How is the Czech Army dealing with this situation?

Although Defence is perceived as a responsible, reliable and attractive employer, it is getting harder and harder to find new military personnel. We’re not alone in this on the labour market; besides civilian bodies, other branches of the armed forces and security and rescue forces are in the same boat. And we are all interested in the same individuals; young, healthy educated people.

The army’s good work at home and abroad is not enough to promote it. We have to actively draw the public’s attention to the opportunities offered by the army – as such the army must be seen and heard all the time. We’ve got a campaign currently running on a number of radio stations, we’re active on the internet, we use social networks. Interested candidates can apply from the comfort of home. We have also published reports in the regional press. We further arrange recruitment activities in the field, at large nationwide or smaller regional events. Recruiters also travel to job exchanges, to schools and to various sports events where they have the opportunity to meet scores of active people. We must constantly seek out new methods and opportunities to appeal to the public and gain the candidates we need. In this regard, the army must not be left behind.

You’re married and have a son. How do you manage to combine work and family?

My family is incredibly important to me. Without the support of my husband and son I would not be able to manage this job. I’m not able to do everything at home on time or absolutely perfectly, but for us it is most important to be together so I appreciate all the time we spend together, which we all enjoy and savour.

You are also an advisor to the Chief of Staff of the Czech Armed Forces. Could tell us more about this role? What strategic issues are you looking at in the security field?

I’m an advisor in the field of human resources and for the army as well as me this is a new situation because we were not previously used to considering human resources from a comprehensive perspective. As such it will be my task to consult on these aspects within the context of other tasks and work them into individual development concepts.

From your expert position, do you see today’s world as safer or less safe? And what about the Czech Republic?

All of us are undoubtedly thinking about the outlook for global security and how its development will influence us in future. Most experts agree that the situation is currently more unstable and hard to predict than before. I can see specific impacts through society and peoples’ interest in security, which has grown in recent years. In the context of events, ever more citizens are aware that stability and security doesn’t just cost something, but it is also important that they get actively involved, whether by deciding to join the military professionals, or perhaps taking the path of being an active reservist combining a civilian and military career in one. I think that is a fundamental change which should inspire optimism.

Linda Štucbartová

The Circular Economy, or the Road to Conscious Consumption

Soňa Jonášová, founder and director of the Circular Economy Institute

Meet Soňa Jonášová, founder and director of the Circular Economy Institute (Institut Cirkulární Ekonomiky, INCIEN). Soňa graduated in agricultural engineering from Mendel University. Her own motto is ‘The changes we want to see around us have to begin with ourselves’. She is interested in sustainable development, food production, agriculture, ‘cradle to cradle’ systems, the circular economy, and networking in the form of placements for university students. She has been the director of INCIEN since 2015 and is actively involved in the transition from a linear to a circular economic system in the Czech Republic. Within INCIEN, she is responsible for development activities and co-operation with key interested parties in the Czech Republic and abroad. Thee main field she concentrates on within INCIEN is the closure of biological cycles and technical cycles within corporate sustainable development, an area encompassing agriculture, the development of new economies, waste management, eco-innovation, and support for local and community action with the objective of creating a healthy society and ecosystems.

According to the definition of the circular economy, it minimises waste and other losses of energy and materials. It is often contrasted with the linear economy, which is based on production using the approach ‘take, make, dispose’. Certain sceptics, however, might see it merely as a new corporate social responsibility (CSR) fad and another reason to print some more hard-to-dispose-of glossy brochures… How can you convince these sceptics?

The entire system behind this new concept takes us back to common sense, to conscious production and consumption and to a respect for the natural resources we have here on Planet Earth. We haven’t made up anything new here. Human society always used to work like this. Our population keeps increasing, while resources and our natural heritage remain the same. Furthermore, recent years have shown that we are running out of raw materials and here in Europe we are not self-sufficient in raw materials. We import phosphorus, for example, which is essential for agriculture, from Morocco and its reserves are diminishing. Phosphorus recycling is beginning to turn into a lucrative business of the future. There are no longer discussions as to whether climate change and raw material limits are real or not.

The circular economy system is not about publishing attention-grabbing reports, but about a real change in business models. There are examples of renowned companies, such as IKEA, which observes its principles. Ikea implemented the Second Life project for its furniture which secures the return of old furniture and its further resale. Thus products remain in the cycle for as long as possible and waste production is avoided. The success of this model is evidenced in the fact that following assessment of the pilot project at Zličín, Prague, the project is being extended to other stores.

You founded the Institute of Circular Economy Institute in the Czech Republic. What is your mission?

Our mission is to spread circular economy ideas across all sectors and interested parties. Besides spreading our idea, we also work in implementing its principles in practice. We co-operate with dozens of municipalities which, for example, are implementing new efficient waste management systems in order to sort as many materials as possible for further processing such that they do not become waste, but rather a value resource. We also co-operate with companies implementing circular economy principles at various levels. Some companies transfer to more sustainable resources, others process secondary raw materials, and other change their business models and implement systems of repair or collection in order to recycle as many materials as possible.

Our objective is also to take and implement examples of good practice abroad, whether in terms of know-how or technology. It is our conviction that if we can learn from the experience of others, we can save time and money.

We also co-operate with the public sector and endeavour to ensure the environment for investors and entrepreneurs is as ready as it can be. Sometimes laws and directives have to be changed to ensure materials can circulate in the environment in practice.

It’s been two years since INCIEN was founded; what specific outcomes are you most proud of?

We were very pleased by the response to our Odpad Zdrojem ( Waste as Resource) conference, which we launched in 2016 with the objective of spreading the CE concept, this time amongst local authority players. It is often a very complex topic and in particular we think the growing interest and positive response seen year-on-year shows our success. This year, we are expanding the conference to include an event of the same name but more narrowly focused in autumn which will focus on eco-innovation and the circular economy within water management. This year, our target group will also include companies. Another great success is the organisation of the PAYT Tour, which we undertook this year in collaboration with the Ministry of the Environment. The event was implemented with the objective of presenting the Action Plan for the CE objectives, as issued by the European Commission whose goals we are obliged to meet by 2030. Our target group was local authorities, and almost 700 municipality and city representatives visited our seminars. We appreciate the large number of orders and projects from companies and municipalities who seek us out themselves in order to set up co-operation.

Stories of people with a total of 33 items of clothing including shoes and accessories, and others whose annual waste fits into a jam jar are very popular. On the other hand, a lifestyle like that surely isn’t for everyone…

Ideas of minimalism, conscious consumption, zero waste and other concepts are undoubtedly commitments made individually. It is hard to implement them on a blanket basis, but it is good to discuss them as these principles arouse interest, and people then try to do ‘at least something’ and become aware of their responsibility. Little changes in everyday life have a large impact in a global context. Buying less clothes, for example, in the long term not just reduces our environmental footprint, but also helps us to slow consumption, something which may in future lead to better conditions for workers in textile factories.

How do you personally implement circular economy ideas in your life?

One interesting principle promoted by the circular economy is a transfer from ownership to leasing and the sharing economy. Owning things requires not just money, but also time. The more we have the more space and the more time we need to maintain them. I live in a rented apartment, for example, drive a lease car and since moving to Prague I’ve also hired most of my sports equipment, including skis and bikes. When I take account of the fact that I might own skis which I hardly use one week in a year with the rest of the time spent wondering where to store them, then lease works out much cheaper. And it’s the same with almost everything. And I always recycle or give away things that can’t be leased at the end of their lifecycle; this applies to IT technology and furniture. I have come to realise how much people actually need when they don’t keep up with the latest fashion trends, for example. I’ve reduced my wardrobe by a third and I’ve always got something to wear. I buy as little as possible and hire an outfit for important occasions. And when I do go shopping, I want to know what the product is, where and from what materials it has been produced and if it can be recycled. And I sort all my waste for recycling. At home and at work. I avoid single-use products and instead use multiple-use bottles, bags and food packaging. We should all implement these types of principles to such an extent that it does not restrict our daily lives. We never try to persuade people to do things; we just show people products’ complete story and discuss the global context and what they can change in their lives.

INCIEN – Institut Cirkulární Ekonomiky, z. ú. – is a non-governmental non-profit organisation promoting the circular economy within the Czech Republic. It was established in 2015 and has implemented a number of successful events and projects since then. More at www.incien.org.

By Linda Štucbartová

On Being A Manager by Trade, An Entrepreneur by Heart and An Overall Leader

Simon Kaluža, Managing Director, SAP CEE

Simon, let us start with reflection as this quality is often mentioned to be the one that today’s leaders are typically lacking. During the last round of the SAP Forum in Prague, you and panelists reflected upon the changes brought about since last year. However, let us go further back. You have been responsible for SAP in the CEE region for almost 5 years, what are the major substantial changes on the regional level?

When I took over my role, I faced two kinds of challenges. The external ones were linked to the way the market perceived SAP as a company. People from IT were often asking why is the CEO part of the IT project, and the CEO tried to explain that it’s not only implementing an IT system but the future of the company. That’s how much technology is important. The internal challenges were linked to adapting to the fast changes on the market. Some challenges were easy to address, such as the way we approached our customers and the way we were selling or positioning our products. Speaking of reflection and history, I will take you back even further.

It seems like ages now, but 20 years ago, it was sufficient to have a state of the art product that customers were buying because of its quality and robustness. Suddenly, this was not enough and the products started to become solution based. As customers were becoming more knowledgeable about business processes, competitors and, in general, about the whole ecosystem they operated in, SAP also had to respond. We came with the so called “challenger way” for how to sell and position our products.

We are in a position to be able to challenge our customers and to show them what business opportunities they are missing by not investing into our solutions and technologies. Such perspective brings about some substantial prerequisites. The first one is being able to understand the businesses of our customers inside out then going even beyond that. We need to understand the customers of our customers. In order to do that, we need to challenge our mindsets, be more agile…faster than both the competition and our customers. In today’s already fast developing world, this represents a true challenge. That is why you need “the best of the breed,” the best people, products and industries. We brought many industry experts, we invested a lot in training. However, the biggest change occurred on the mindset level.

Speaking of the mindset change, would you agree with the quote: “Innovation is not a department, it is an attitude”.

I would go even further, innovation for me is a culture, because behavior can vary from one day to the other. It is by no means an easy task to change the culture in a multinational environment. It is a hard work that has to start at the top and go all the way to the last employee but in the end, it pays off. The customers then perceive us in a completely different manner, far from the previous image of a rigid company providing ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems. To complete the previous question about reflection on the past five years, I am proud to say that our portfolio has not only expanded, it exploded. Next to ERP systems and business intelligence products, we have provided the cutting edge technology SAP HANA that became a platform. Introducing SAP HANA led to an avalanche of other events. The customer was put in the middle of our universe: not today’s customer but rather the customer of 2020 and beyond.

We understood the change that millennials are bringing about, we made several acquisitions, such as SAP Hybris, SAP Ariba and SAP SuccessFactors and we created a strategy for SAP, one that is also applicable to any single organization, be it a production company, a service company or even a public sector company. Every single organization has four stake holders: customers, employees, suppliers and assets. The way you manage these four corresponds to the way you manage your business. And just to underscore the fast and exponential development we face: last year at the SAP Forum, we were discussing digital transformation, and that is already happening. This year, we are discussing artificial intelligence and how it can be incorporated into all elements of the business and by next year I am positive that we will already have examples of successful implementation in our region. Time needed to re-invent your business cannot be measured in years, it has to be measured in months or sometimes even days.

Digital transformation is an issue that SAP has been pursuing for several years. However, it might sound too abstract or even scary, particularly for small and medium sized local companies. What is your advice regarding small, safe “baby” steps on how to get digitized?

Well, I might use a parallel that quite well known companies, such as Nokia or Kodak used, claiming that no change is safe and we all know the outcome of such business decisions. I can understand people being afraid of the investment. Let me introduce another approach – leaving technology aside, as it is just the means. For any company, the key is to know all about its customers, starting with expectations and its competitors but also development and change. Would you ask a child today if he or she watches regularly scheduled TV? It is nonsense for them: why would they watch a movie at any fixed time determined by someone else? The generation of our parents, on the other hand, still wait for their movie on Saturday night. Thinking about customers in this way will then transform to suitable business models to attract tomorrow’s customers. If you do not start adapting today, you will miss out on tomorrow.

Can you be more specific and share two examples or best practices of customer digitization from the CEE region?

Well, let me start with a company that produces spare parts for the automotive industry. When I talked to the CEO, he mentioned that his IT people kept challenging him about the need for them to be on the project team. However, such projects are not only about IT anymore, as they influence the future of the company. In four or five years the automotive industry will change completely. We are not investing in IT, we are investing in our future and new business models. As I have mentioned above, the IT is only the tool.

The second reference project concerns a Czech global company AVAST and it is linked to millennials. As a high tech company, producing top security software, it is attracting mainly young talent. What is important for millennials? Customization. They expect the same environment that they have at home. They enjoy nice computers, tablets, gadgets and they like to connect using social media. For someone my age, this might be slightly disturbing but for the coming generations such aspects are of the utmost importance. We teamed up with them and successfully implemented our HR solution, called SAP SuccessFactors. This solution is based on a social network model and enables you to comfortably address the most common HR issues, such as communicating with your colleagues, providing them with goals, trainings, or education, engaging with them regarding business development. This particular tool is not only natural but was expected by the millennial employees in order to avoid a leadership gap. Luckily, the leadership team of AVAST recognized the importance of such a solution and made the investment. The implementation also enabled them to measure satisfaction and we were pleased to see tangible preliminary results, showing that the immediate satisfaction grew by 3%. Such results allow you to calculate a return on your investments, which is often argued in HR solutions. Yes, there are financials behind it. Higher satisfaction increases productivity and performance, attracts young talent in the market and supports retention.

In May, you held your biggest annual conference SAPPHIRE NOW. Can you share some major announcements with our readers?

The major announcement was a conceptual one, concerning Leonardo. Leonardo is not a product but a set of tools that help you intelligently connect people, businesses and assets. The conceptual change introduces the new approach for how we partner with our customers. Until now, we were bringing pre-built solutions that were implemented and customized. The Leonardo platform allows us to co-innovate together. The new set of tools helps materialize innovative customers from both sides. We not only deploy and implement, but we truly build new solutions together. This is the key message regarding our future evolution as a business. That does not mean that we will stop selling traditional solutions and products but we have to keep coming up with new approaches.

You describe yourself as a manager by trade, entrepreneur by heart and a leader… What message concerning leadership do you want to pass on?

If you want to make everybody happy, sell ice- cream. Everything depends on trust and the people. I have the best team ever. I trust them and they trust me and together we can go to the Moon.

What are your personal plans for the summer and what advice do you give your colleagues regarding recharging batteries?

We have repeatedly demonstrated our mantra: “Work hard, party hard”. Personally, I like to sail; I have been a passionate sailor for the past twenty years. It does not come as a surprise that the Adriatic region is the one I prefer. I also play guitar in a rock band. I am just afraid that revealing that I have done so for almost 40 years will make me look old. I wish a pleasant summer to all readers of the Czech and Slovak Leaders magazine!

Linda Štucbartová

I see business as a lifestyle

Doc. RNDr. PhMr. Karel Volenec, CSc.

It sounds like a fairytale… ELLA-CS, a Czech company without any foreign capital based in Hradec Králové, is operating with success across 70 countries worldwide in the medical products market. The reality of small and medium-sized enterprises operating in the Czech market, however, is more of thriller than anything else. How do you look back at the last quarter-century from the perspective of an entrepreneur?

It’s very difficult to assess 25 years of life in a limited space. I don’t see business as a way of making money, but rather as a lifestyle. The lifestyle is sometimes really exhausting, but it is exciting and extremely satisfying. For me, it is a conditio sine qua non in the meaningfulness of what I do and the opportunity to create something completely new. Last but not least, I would add the responsibility for the team I lead.

Although we export to seventy countries, we only have direct branches in the Czech and Slovak Republics. Distributors represent us in other countries. We have tried building direct subsidiaries in Western European countries, but to my surprise we came up against a language barrier from customers, even though these were countries where English was a second language.

The disadvantage here is the fact we are not sufficiently frequently in direct contact with healthcare providers; in our case, as implant manufacturers we do not have direct contact with the patient. For new products in particular, this can be counterproductive because the distributor does not always know the product inside out and it is merely an object bought and sold for the distributor.

In contrast to many companies which focus only on manufacture, you have also focused your attention on research and development since you began your career in 1986. How do you see developments in this sector?

I worked as an assistant at the Charles University Medical Faculty in Hradec Kralove’s Biophysics Institute and I was also involved at the Institute for Experimental and Clinical Radiobiology. Working in these institutes was invaluable to me. I found out about research methods and lecturing was also great preparation for my future focus.

It is important to say that research and development used to be funded in a similar manner to today, but was more centrally managed. We perceive the previous regime as having a high level of bureaucracy leading to situations in which large investments could be made, but where it was then very difficult to subsequently purchase component parts needed.

Usually there were attempts made at the end of the year to spend your funding at any cost so your budget was not reduced in the following period. I thought naively that this situation would change after the 1989 revolution, but alas this unfortunate model persists not just in science, but other sectors too. My other disappointment has been the little interest shown by companies in any co-operation.

Once I had finished my military and civil projects after 1989 with the end of the commissioning institutions, I had hoped that representatives of major companies would come to us and we would be able to choose which company we would co-operate with. But nobody was interested.

At that time, I knew nothing about quality systems and normative requirements on managing research and development, and it wasn’t until moving to the private sector that I realised how huge the gap was between applied research and between companies and the academic sphere. I still hope these differences will one day disappear and we will be able to overcome this rift as in other countries.

I had the opportunity to see a few days ago in Estonia how the university in Tartu built a fully certified analytical laboratory. They found the courage and space in the legislation and established a subsidiary.

You frequently act as one of the leading proponents of co-operation between the academic and business world. But the general population see these worlds as entirely separate and almost impenetrable…

Both spheres — the private and academic and university worlds — complement each other, but there must be the will on both sides to manage the different methods of communication in particular. It’s sad to see statistics showing that the success of applied research outcomes in practice is of the order of 3% – 5% of all assignments dealt with at an EU level. These projects are subsidised by taxpayers. No private company in the world would be able to allow this. Companies have to be much more careful and think in great detail about where they can invest and with what efficiency they should set funding so that a return on investment can be achieved as fast as possible from idea to concept.

I had the opportunity to listen to your talk on Innovation at Charles University. I was taken by two areas in particular which we often discuss with leaders in our magazine. The first area is the use of mentoring as a tool for bringing the private and academic spheres together. The second idea regards support for humanities, especially at a time when industry is calling for support to be given to technical sciences and compulsory school leaving exams in Maths are being discussed.

In terms of mentoring, I think this is a very effective solution in terms of money and time invested. Representatives of university and academia should be able to visit manufacturing businesses more frequently and get the opportunity to discuss with their representatives, and in the same way company representatives should be involved in the teaching process more frequently, at least at the level of motivational talks. Exchange placements at the workplace are incredibly beneficial and are going to become ever more important.Today, it is not ‘just’ about product quality, which is taken for granted; now the speed of launching a product is also important.

The issue of supporting humanities is simple from my perspective. It is my conviction that very soon businesses will represent conglomerates of workers who share common ideas and common goals. Companies will be forced to focus much more on building an internal corporate culture. An example here might be their approach to criticism — what about rewarding criticism instead of penalising it? My tutor Prof. Steinhard encouraged me to always surround myself with people who know more than me. And that’s exactly the situation today when there is ever less space for individualists and many results can only be achieved within a well-oiled team.

Let’s look at a very topical and also underestimated issue closely related to science and research in which the Czech Republic lags behind… how are we getting on in terms of intellectual property and its protection?

I’m afraid there is still a massive gap here. Over a quarter century I have personally made a number of very serious errors in underestimating this field and I think that there should be an expert in this field at every university and at every faculty, someone who is knowledgeable in these matters and who can provide the appropriate help to anyone endeavouring to develop or innovate and who wants someone to manufacture and launch their product. This is often one of the most critical phases. It is practically committing suicide, for example, to enter into a contract with an American company without a professional lawyer. I trust that our poor protection of intellectual rights will be eliminated in future. A warning in this regard is the fact that a few years ago a certain foreign organisation went around different faculties deliberately taking away outcomes of research which were insufficiently protected.

ELLA-CS is not headquartered in Prague, but in Hradec Kralove. Hradec Kralove has been assessed as the best place to live in the Czech Republic. How is it to do business outside the capital?

I was born in a beautiful part of the Czech Republic in the Sumava region, and I moved to Hradec Kralove as a student. I studied here and I’ve lived here for many years now. My background means it would be very hard for me to live in a busy place like Prague, or in another city where I would miss the peace and countryside I need. It must be something which is imprinted on you in childhood and which you can’t take away.

On the other hand, when someone comes to visit from abroad, then logically the most common place to visit is Prague which brings together so many different styles, and not just in architecture. It is a city for which all the world envies us. I split my life between Hradec Kralove, Sumava and Prague and many other places in the world, but I will always return to the place of my birth.

I think we all need our roots and a sense of belonging.

Your final words for Czech and Slovak Leaders readers?

It is my wish that only those who enjoy it and do it not just to make money, but to make those around them happy, remain in the business sector. In my case, those who I will probably never meet, but to whom I and my team can return that which they value the most — their health

By Linda Štucbartová

Small enterprises now no longer slouching

Karel Havlíček, Chair of the Board, AMSP ČR

Since 2001 the Association has offered an open, apolitical platform for SMEs, the self-employed and various groupings and associations. It is the main representative of the Czech Republic’s broadest business segment and apart from legislation, export, innovation, education, and financing of SMEs it has special teams and projects which focus on family businesses, handicrafts, start-up businesses, local producers and growers, small shops and gastronomy establishments, women in business, businesses in rural areas, church businesses and third-age businesses.

They say that small and medium sized enterprises are the backbone of the economy… Staying with the medical metaphors, what condition is the Czech backbone in?

Strong, occasionally sore, but no longer slouching. I’ve been defending the interests of small and medium sized companies for almost twenty years and if there’s something that makes me happy then it’s the growing confidence of entrepreneurs. In contrast to the past, entrepreneurs no longer stand in front of anyone with cap in hand, believe in themselves more and can advance their interests, commercially and legally, against the state, banks and large corporations. So we don’t just talk about state support, take the example of the dispute between small Hyundai dealers and the importer which was brutally exploiting its position. Once we began co-ordinating the complaints of these small companies within our association, we managed to block the Hyundai Corporation five times in a row in all the courts despite their corporate threats, and huge legal and financial dominance, and they ended up disgraced and they’re going to pay for the consequences. That couldn’t have happened ten years ago; small companies then would never have got into that kind of dispute.

Small and medium sized enterprises need to ensure maximum efficiency to withstand a difficult competitive environment. One might say this is one of the few environments where ‘common sense’ has been preserved. In this context I appreciate your statement that: “We cannot have massive wage growth, zero unemployment and high investment from companies at the same time…”

In contrast to multinational companies, small firms work on the basis of fast management of changes, bare numbers and healthy efficiency. Large corporations are under pressure from investors, managers frequently politicking and seeing management rewards on the horizon. The small entrepreneur has to see much further; his objective is not short-term performance but long-term survival and asset preservation. If the state acted like a small family company in its speed, decision-making and strategic planning, we would have progressed much further today. Unfortunately it acts like a large corporation and instead of the interests of society it focuses on the interests of political secretariats. A typical example here is the recent failure of Prime Minister Sobotka. I don’t mean the sacking of the finance minister here; he is fully entitled to do this. I’m referring to his first attempt to dismiss the whole government taking the whole country and government hostage because he was unable to deal with a common political dispute between two key leaders in government.

A generational changeover is beginning to take place in many companies. How prepared are small and medium-sized businesses for the succession?

We’re experiencing the first change in generations, so this corresponds to the situation. The whole process of changeover takes place rather intuitively, so the good news is that things are improving. Our association is playing a crucial role. A few years ago, our association created the Family Business platform, bringing together a few hundred of the most important family companies and we are working with them systematically at a regional and nationwide level. We are creating legal support for them, undertaking mentoring, establishing academies for successors and in particular we are continuing to encounter and undertake benchmarking. Furthermore, we are declaring next year Family Business Year. I’ve got a good feeling about it; companies are beginning to realise that changeover is a complex process which takes a number of years during which time they must anticipate economic, legal and psychological variables, never mind consider correct timing. If I’m going to transfer a company to a successor who is over fifty years old, I cannot expect him to give the business the energy and novelty it so needs.

Staying with the young generation, I’d like to quote another statement you made that I noted: ‘If we keep crying over bureaucracy, it’s no wonder the young aren’t becoming entrepreneurs’: Has the youth’s position on doing business changed over time? From a media perspective it would seem that large corporations are not in fashion with a growth in interesting start-ups occurring instead.

You’re right, and I’m really pleased about that. But first to the crying. As the main representative of small business, we are always pushing the government, complaining and perhaps sometimes exaggerating a little. That goes with the territory; otherwise we wouldn’t get results, it’s like in trade. But there are limits; I don’t want us to become a nation of cry-baby businesspeople who can only complain. Our business environment is not bad and business is not the last option for the incapable, but the first chance for the best. You’ve got to keep trying, fight and not rely on some kind of extra support. That’s what doing business is all about and not everyone can survive. We have to show the youth the opportunities, and not just frighten them over bureaucracy. They must see problems as challenges which they have to deal with every day as entrepreneurs using economic tools, and not by demonstrating on Wenceslas Square or setting up business unions as someone tried recently. That’s a debasement of entrepreneurialism and a return to socialism.

Let’s go back to bureaucracy and the civil service. Are you optimistic, or resigned? Complaints can be heard over its growth at every conference, at every specialist or even social gathering… What’s your perspective here?

My role is to continuously fight against it; if I were ever to think of resigning myself to such problems then someone else would have to do it instead. But this fight has got to have some parameters and must seek results, not just media visibility. The level of regulation here, like in the EU, is unprecedented, and just can’t be compared to the United States, for example. But careful; the level of administration in America, for example, is much worse than here. The objective must be to reduce regulation and be uncompromising in implementing computerisation into all areas. But in doing so we’ve got to ignore and avoid the rehashing of mantras by some about not being able to cope, or implementing Big Brother. It works in Scandinavian countries because they just did it, nobody really worried about it and today they are a model for the whole world. And here, take the infantile discussion over electronic sales records for example… The truth is that in Estonia, for example, computerisation has been done to result in data sharing with the country a de facto internet platform and everyone saving time and money. Here, we’re computerising such that instead of using pen and paper we’re doing the same with a computer mouse, but that isn’t saving time…..

A relatively new topic in the Czech Republic is co-operation across sectors, specifically between the academic and private spheres. I work for Charles University’s Commercialisation Council. How do you perceive co-operation with science and the academic sphere? Co-operation is going well with large corporations, but as yet medium-sized businesses have not taken up this opportunity… What can be improved on both sides?

I’ve got to be objective here and compare the situation with previous years. Twenty years ago practically no small company co-operated with a university or research organisation, ten years ago this happened exceptionally, but today it is fairly common for many companies. European and national resources released to enable co-operation between science and business have meant that tens of thousands of small companies have been able to start co-operating with scientists. That is undoubtedly positive. Another matter is what results it has given us. And that remains a problem. Companies and research institutions still have a significantly different idea of what co-operation should bring. The fault lies with both sides. Small companies are impatient and unable to see the project from the perspective of a researcher, and they also don’t have sufficient further resources. And scientists feel that their research is like a golden bird in a gilded cage and it is only the incompetence of entrepreneurs which has not turned their institute into a second Cambridge, and they are unwilling to admit that their results may not be all that extraordinary. It’s a long game, and we need one more generation for it to change.

By Linda Štucbartová

Don’t ruminate, or Don’t keep chewing over negative thoughts!

Professor Lucie Bankovská Motlová

Born into a doctor’s family, Lucie’s future career was laid out from childhood. Her daughter is also now preparing for Medicine entrance exams. Professor Motlová Bankovská has been working at Charles University’s Third Faculty of Medicine continuously since 1993. She is currently teaching Psychiatry and Medical Psychology and leading the Medical Psychology Department, while also carrying out the role of Vice Dean for external affairs, and developing academia and social affairs. She works as a Senior Researcher at the National Institute of Mental Health.

We meet numerous times at meetings of Charles University’s Commercialisation Council. Each of my meetings with the professor is like honey for the soul. She is softly-spoken and listens with empathy and her whole demeanour is calming. Our interview was focused on the mentally ill, destigmatising mental illness and the opportunities offered by collaboration between the academic and commercial sectors.

Professor, you work in training future doctors, and you teach psychiatry and medical psychology. What message have you got for your future colleagues?

The mental health of medical students and doctors is a major topic. In my private practice, it is doctors who come to me dissatisfied with their lives, displaying signs of mild and more severe mental disorders. To a certain extent, all doctors are workaholics. Just applying for a difficult medical degree suggests the buds of workaholism are already within you, subsequently making you more vulnerable to mental issues in future. Furthermore, doctors do not respect long-term rules which allow you to perform to a high level at work in the long-term. As a doctor, you begin your career at 25 but you are expected to work for 40 to 50 years in a field which is difficult, fast-evolving and tends to swallow you up. And even in the series of interviews you have held with my colleagues, I have noticed that these have taken place slowly in stages to accommodate their high workload. A busy doctor who never has time has slowly become synonymous for a good doctor. But permanent pressure and overwork inevitably leads to a risk of mental illness.

What can be the outcome of this overwork?

Let’s deliberately begin with the most negative outcome. Statistics from the USA show higher suicide rates amongst female doctors compared to women in the general population. This is the tip of the iceberg and many causes behind it may be uncovered. It is then found that many women suffering mental illness have not been treated. They have simply ignored their mental health issues. Here we encounter the problem of psychiatry as a field subject to stigma, and also the downplay of mental health and mental welfare in general. When a surgeon breaks his leg, one can assume that he is not going to continue operating and will take time off work. But when a doctor is suffering from anxiety or depression they’re still going to go to work.

Going back to those alarming statistics, can one say then that women cope with stress worse than men?

You can’t say that. Currently 70% of students in our faculty are women. Women make up the majority in healthcare when you include nurses and other staff. But it is particularly hard for women to combine their professional career with looking after their family while still having time for a personal life. Women often work in teams led by very busy men who end up setting the standards for the others. This might sound heretical, but an enlightened head doctor should ensure that his colleagues are not overworked. Care for young or junior doctors should include not just the transferal of specialist knowledge and skills, but also care for mental health. This care should also include the opportunity to ventilate problems they come across while carrying out their duties, e.g. informing patients of bad news. But this is just a general recommendation which disregards the reality of Czech healthcare which suffers from a lack of doctors and medical personnel.

Your insights and expertise come from the medical sector, but can what you say be applied to other fields and spheres, such as the corporate world or consultancy?

Yes. I think that the working environment is heavily influenced by a male perspective on matters and a male perspective on what leadership and the traditional superior-subordinate relationship should look like. I’m not an expert in management, but I continue to perceive a lack of empathy towards female employees, who are mostly in subordinate roles. Furthermore, many women still want to carry out a caring role within their family in some way and don’t want to delegate this function to anyone else. Unfortunately, the day only has 24 hours and this means there really is no time left for oneself after all that.

Let’s move on to specific key recommendations for ensuring mental wellbeing.

I’ll start with two fundamental recommendations. Picture a traditional tripod with three legs of the same length which make it extremely stable. Work is one of these legs, family life is another and our hobbies are the third leg. If someone is unable to balance these legs out over a long period of time, they become susceptible to problems. Yes, hobbies, interests and a social life comprise one whole significant part of life. Working women are those most frequently missing this leg.

My second piece of advice touches on physical exercise. It has been demonstrated that physical activity prevents depression from developing and is sometimes used directly as a method of treatment. At least 30 minutes of brisk walking three times a week is a key piece of advice doctors should give their patients, while also applying it to themselves. Don’t forget that exercise also prevents ageing. Going beyond these basic recommendations, then my next piece of advice would be to get sufficient sun. This winter may have seemed long and dark, but getting sun can also involve just being outside in the fresh air. Next in line is the well-known nutritional advice on the importance of health-promoting unsaturated fatty acids and consuming fish and fish oils.

My final piece of advice would be: don’t ruminate. A great word which can be translated as meaning not getting bogged down in cyclical repeated negative thoughts or catastrophic scenarios, instead focusing on specific solutions and actions to take.

Your specialisation is destigmatising the mentally ill. We treat a broken leg, but we deny a broken soul. I recently read a book which describes balls which were held in Paris at the end of the 19th century in institutions for the mentally ill to draw attention to their problems. How much progress have we made in terms of destigmatising mental illness?

In the 19505, the discovery of chlorpromazine, an antipsychotic drug, marked a revolution in psychiatry. The fact we now had drugs available which had a positive impact on the lives of the mentally ill meant we somewhat forgot about methods of rehabilitation and those balls you mentioned. There is space for both these approaches in modern psychiatry. We can’t treat serious mental illnesses without drugs, but on the other hand we mustn’t forget other methods for returning our patients to their lives. In this regard I would like to mention family psychoeducation. Family psychoeducation is a method in which we talk to the patient and their family about their illness, what it does, what to do and what not to do. It’s a kind of education in which skills for adapting to the particular illness are learnt. But these methods require a lot of skill and time from the doctor. While medical students learn about the effect of medicines and psychotropic drugs, they do not find out about rehabilitation methods such as family psychoeducation. This is a pity, because patients’ families are just as stigmatised as the mentally ill themselves. Stigma is transferrable, literally contagious; if we look at the mentally ill with suspicion then we tend to look at their whole family in the same way. Once the family has gone through this training, they are better able not just to communicate with the patient, but also to face up to the pressure and response of their surroundings. Here I’m talking about serious illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar affective disorder.

There are currently quite a lot of destigmatising campaigns and activities. Where does progress still need to be made?

I’d like to mention the Z první ruky (First hand) project which we organise here at the Third Faculty of Medicine. We invite patients and students to take part and look at various aspects of illness. Medical students are generally taught at the bedside of the acutely ill. Students then do not learn about what life with the illness brings, what happens following discharge, at home, how to find work and so on. Studies suggest that it is not just people in the patients’ surroundings who look with suspicion at the mentally ill, but often also doctors themselves. Care for physical ailments is worse for the mentally ill than those who are not being treated for mental illness, yet their diagnosis is the same. Last year, we undertook a study on how medical students’ relationship with the mentally ill evolves. We observed that it is from Year 4, when students begin to study psychiatry, that their relationship with the mentally ill improves. There are studies which have been undertaken abroad which have shown the opposite.

Year after year, you are assessed as amongst the most popular teachers. How do you personally perceive the young generation of students?

I look forward to seeing my students; I think the process of becoming a doctor is an adventure. You start learning medicine at 18 and leave at 25 years of age as a doctor who will be looking after the public. I am very well aware of how much attention needs to be paid to professional competencies. Our teaching curriculum teaches students how to diagnose illnesses, but not how to care for and treat the sick and make them better. There just isn’t enough time. That makes it that much more important to transfer this skill, e.g. during medical psychology. It is we who are creating the young generation, or at least we should be endeavouring to do so. You can see how medical students absorb the manners of doctors and are very sensitive in assessing any abuse from senior doctors.

My final question is about our joint work in Charles University’s Commercialisation Council. Where do you see potential for co-operation?

I see potential and space for co-operation both in technical and humanities fields which are a little underappreciated by the private sector. I was pleased that a number of successful projects in the phase of applying for patent protection were presented to the Council. Within my own field, I see an opportunity for various detectors which sense deteriorating patient condition, in particular for patients with chronic disorders which go through cycles. In the context of an ageing and stressed population, such products could be used for maintaining good mental health even for people not suffering from any disorder.

By Linda Štucbartová

The principal measure of business and management success is quality

Pavel Kafka, Chairman of the Czech Management Association

Let’s begin with the recent 24″ Manager of the Year contest, which brought along a number of new features, such as the award for ‘Innovation for Sustainable Development: What other awards and outcomes of the conference deserve attention?

The biggest new feature this year was the Innovation for Sustainable Development award. The MoY organisers wanted in this way to show support for international and domestic endeavours to boost sustainability elements in business — and their economic, social and environmental benefits. The prizes were awarded under the auspices of the Czech Business Council for Sustainable Development and sponsored by CEPS a.s. and CEZ Distribute a.s. Coincidentally, the awards were officially handed over the day after the government decided on the Czech Republic’s sustainable development strategic framework to 2030. I think it is also worth saying that this 24th annual MoY contest saw the largest proportion of women amongst finalists so far — 20 %. Some of the results of the surveys taken by finalists were also interesting. This year’s finalists, for example, consider many more contemporaries from the Czech Republic as role models than was the case in previous years, even though Tom8 Bata remains in notional top place. Looking at your question from the other side — what has not changed in finalists’ opinions — then unfortunately this remains a high level of criticism of bureaucracy and unstable legislation.

I heard many of those awarded, including Manager of the Year, Chairwoman of the Board at U & SLUNO, a.s. and President of the Czech Confederation of Commerce and Tourism, Marta Novalcova, Chair of the Board of the production co-operative KOVOBEL, Emil Beber, and Jaroslav Hanak, President of the Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic and an transport entrepreneur who was inducted into the Manager of the Year Hall of Fame for his many years promoting the interests of business and management, criticise our political representatives, and there were repeated complaints about the complex legislative environment. Although business people are always criticising politicians, what can be done to ensure there is less division between entrepreneurs and our politicians?

Yes, the survey discussed above undertaken amongst our finalists confirmed this long-term unfortunate state. Just as the principal measure of business and management success is quality, so quality must also be the measure of the legislative environment and the working of institutions. Even an international comparison of the Czech Republic’s competitiveness shows that it is this field which has the most negative impact on the assessment of our country’s position. I can give my advice for what it’s worth. I think it is up to us as voters to look more carefully at the specific actions of our elected representatives, and at least use this as a basis for our decision at the next elections —something that’s rather topical at the moment. But it is an unfortunate truth that our political representatives are much more interested in redistributing wealth that has been created than in actually creating wealth.

What major challenges will managers be facing in the coming decade? And how prepared are they for the changes in regard to Industry 4.0? The idea has been expressed in our magazine that it should be renamed Society 4.0 because it will affect us all regardless …

I agree with the idea that it is misleading to speak only about Industry 4.0. There will be massive changes through rapid automation and digitalisation across a wide section of society —health, education, transport, services etc. In many of these, even larger changes are taking place than within industry itself. Managers’ principal challenge will be to manage this massive technological development across all the phases of the company or other organisation’s activities. It will be that much harder that development which has previously been linear or now exponential will be ever more discontinuous in nature. This will make any kind of prognosis of development hugely more complicated, but it will also logically cause significant tension between ‘old’ and ‘new’; within the meaning of Schumpeter’s concept of creative destruction.

The Czech Management Association has focused on the role of women in management for many years, but there were only 14 women amongst the 71 finalists and only one woman got into the final ten. Where do you see the causes behind this, and what can be done to achieve a more balanced proportion?

In answer to your first question, I was glad that the proportion of women amongst our finalists was the highest ever this year. In terms of women within the final ten, however, we have had much better years. I wouldn’t draw any major conclusions from just one year of the contest. Nevertheless, the fact that we don’t have large numbers of women amongst our top managers should give us pause for thought. It has been shown around the world that companies with a greater proportion of women in management achieve better long-term results. I am not a proponent of quotas in any shape or form, but we are still failing to free women’s hands so that, should they be interested, they can take up top management positions.

The latest surveys show that there has been a decline in the current Generation Y’s perception of the prestige of a management position. How do you perceive the issue of diversity amongst multiple generations when for the first time four different generations are meeting up at the workplace all at once?

There has never been a period in history in which generations with such different experiences of life and conditions have entered the economic space as is the case today. We see the first such conflicts at schools. What we call age management is becoming a priority for HR officers. Company managers across the board say that school leavers and graduates are unable to communicate within intergenerational teams. I think the problem here is that people have not been brought up, and society has not impressed upon people, to show respect to others, to promote elementary decency, and order. This naturally means social cohesion suffers — yet this is a major feature behind success.

Next year the 25″ annual Manager of the Year contest will take place, something you also want to link with the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of Czechoslovakia. What new features are you planning?

It’s too early to talk about new features. These will be decided upon by the MoY Management Committee on the basis of an assessment of all previous 24 years. But I can well imagine that one important element of the upcoming 25th year will be a retrospective of the whole of the contest’s history up to now.

By Linda Štucbartová

“Diplomacy is a craft”

Rudolf Jindrák, Head of the Foreign Department, Office of the President of the Czech Republic

It is no surprise that the new Director of the Foreign Department is extremely busy in his role, with his visits turning around every thirty minutes. As such, I greatly appreciated the fact that Rudolf Jindrák made time for an interview with Czech and Slovak Leaders. I trust this was not merely down to ‘loyalty’, as we both had the opportunity to meet each other when working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and in fact I was pleased that he spoke of Czech and Slovak Leaders as a magazine he perceives as useful for many members of the diplomatic corps and other representatives abroad because it is published in English and thus allows a better grasp of society within our country. And I welcomed the opportunity todo a personal interview with one of the Czech Republic’s most experienced ambassadors and also one of Miloš Zeman’s closest aides.

Rudolf Jindrák’s diplomatic career includes working as ambassador in Hungary, Austria and almost eight years in Germany. He has also worked at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as Deputy Minister, and at the Office of the Government as an advisor to the Prime Minister. Our interview didn’t just touch on the Czech Republic’s current foreign policy from the ‘Castle’s’ position, but I did value the opportunity to discuss these issues with someone who has dedicated his career to serving the Czech Republic’s foreign policy.

Besides the personal offer from the President, what else led you to your role as Head of the Foreign Department at Prague Castle?

As the introduction makes clear, I have worked for a number of institutions in various roles, while always remaining within my craft. 90% of diplomacy is craft, and that’s why it’s important that people with knowledge of this craft work within it. The remaining 10% is about the boss, and right now my boss is the President whom I try to help as much as I can.

Compared to your predecessor, Hynek Kmoníček, you are expected to concentrate on Europe in particular.

I don’t know whether the word concentrate is appropriate. It’s true that I have spent 17 years in neighbouring countries abroad. I still to some extent consider Hungary our neighbour. There will be a lot of changes for Europe this year, and next year in particular. There will be elections in France, Germany and probably also Italy. As such,we are going to be focusing more on Europe no matter what. Furthermore, it is my conviction that good relations with our neighbours are key to our country’s development. Take a look at the history of Czechoslovakia or other countries in Central Europe. Poor relations with neighbours have either led to secession of territories or directly to war. But my specialisation and focus on Europe, whether in terms of bilateral or multilateral relations, does not mean that I won’t be paying attention to other territories or countries such as Asia, China and Japan. There is no danger of global conflict within Europe, but on the Korean peninsula, for example, one loose stone could start an avalanche.

You mentioned Korea and current events. The standard response of Czechs to these problems is: ‘We’re a small country and we have little influence on world events’. Why should we take an interest in these countries, and can we have any sort of influence there?

Today, diplomacy is not something done by just one country. That’s why we are part of larger groupings such as NATO, the EU and the UN which represent mechanisms of international action. The UN acts a bit like a bogeyman for many countries, even just through the threat that they might cut off development aid, or their conditions for specific co-operation and observing particular rules. And speaking of the situation in Korea, few realise that Czechoslovakia had observers and a representative on the 38th parallel on the border between South and North Korea until 1992. The North Korean regime cleverly took advantage of Czechoslovakia’s dissolution to say that our obligation to take part in the observer mission was thus invalid. The regional conflict of today may have far-reaching consequences.

Let me give you another example from history: the First World War began as a regional conflict.

Let’s go back to Europe, specifically our relations with Germany. It has been said many times that they are the best they have ever been. Making a comparison, that was said at one time about Czech-American relations but when investments are not made in a relationship by both sides, the simple developmental dynamic begins to fall apart. Is there a danger of this in relation to Czech-German relations?

Yes and no. I’ve spent 12 years of my life in Germany; 4 years as Consul General in Munich and almost eight years as Ambassador in Berlin. In our relations with Germany, we managed to break down certain prejudices or beliefs we had about each other. One can say about Germany that many prejudices they hold about countries east of Germany are greater than those we have about Germans. We are naturally influenced by what has happened in history. I’m 53 and my generation, against the background of the fates of our parents and grandparents, still perceive what happened in Czechoslovakia during the Second World War. Some of my own family were executed for resistance after Heydrich’s assassination, with the last to be executed at Pankrác also my relative, Božena Jindráková, née Seidlová. It is a paradox that my father, originally from South Bohemia and who did not like the Germans, married a German. My mother was from Slovakia and was from the minority Carpathian German population. My mum, who was a little girl during the war, did not get Czechoslovakian citizenship until 10 years after the war ended in 1955. As such, my perspective on Germans through my family history was balanced and I think that should be the case in general.

On the one hand I was aware of what the Germans had done during the Second World War because of their ideology, but on the other hand I knew what the Germans had endured after the war. Our job is to ensure that the rear-view mirror of history is not bigger than the front windscreen, meaning opportunities for the future, expressed in the words of ex-President Václav Klaus. And we mustn’t forget that there are still prisoners who were persecuted in the concentration camps living amongst us today.

We have excellent political relations with Germany, in no small part thanks to current Chancellor, Angela Merkel, whom I personally like and who knows, dare I say it, where Prague is.

Apparently you are one of a select few to whom Angela Merkel answers the telephone.

I haven’t tried calling her for a few years and I’m not planning to, but it is true that current German President, Frank Walter Steinmeier, responds to my text messages; we have been friends for years. I congratulated him on his election and I’m sure we will be meeting up soon. An indicator of good relations is an ability to name and solve thorny issues. One such issue is transport infrastructure, i.e. linking our railways, roads and motorways to Germany, including waterways along the Elbe. Our strategic objective is to build a railway link between Berlin, Dresden and Prague, or between Prague, Munich and Frankfurt to ensure we are not bypassed with simpler railway links built east through Poland or to the south through Austria and Hungary. Another complex debate underway is about the tolls being implemented on German motorways, which we consider discriminatory. We are also dealing with problems around the provision of the German minimum wage to Czech drivers, something which is ruinous for our hauliers. So there are many topics, just as there are many mechanisms for discussing them such as intergovernmental collaboration, strategic dialogue and so on. But you are right that we can sometimes forget to deal with a particular problem area, and then when it comes up we don’t know what to do about it.

You are a proponent of a united Europe and integration, but not at any price. So where to begin with the reform the EU so desperately needs?

This is a complicated area. There will be a great acceleration in the debate on the way forward for the European Union at the end of this year; whether the union will split into a narrow core with the other states towing behind the first group.

In my opinion, the Euro will remain a unifying criterion. Those countries with the Euro will tend to integrate further. The problems of Italy and France in terms of fiscal policy are great and to some extent these countries are forced to cooperate. Co-operation within Europe is simply inevitable. Economic co-operation within Europe is just as inevitable as co-operation in security. We will be forced to share information on the movement of people, and not just within the Schengen Area, and we are going to have to take greater responsibility for our own security, so we need to begin by increasing our military budget.

On the other hand, this increase will have to be co-ordinated. The idea of Germany spending two percent of its GDP on arms, meaning about 80 bn EUR, will launch a similar arms race to the one we remember from the 1980s. This all suggests that Europe has many complex decisions ahead of it to make. The German election is at the end of September, and here our parliamentary election will be taking place in late October and we are also facing presidential elections. At a time when fundamental decisions are going to be taken or shaped on the EU’s future direction by Berlin and Paris, it will be up to us to say clearly and quickly which vision we share. It remains a question whether we will be able to give a response at a time when our election will be over and we will be dealing with forming a government. But our role as top officials remains clear. To prepare the best possible material for politicians so that they can make decisions based on objective information.

Your final message for Czech and Slovak Leaders readers?

Since I’m also a parent, a fundamental point for me remains that my children should grow up in an ordered world, do not have to fear for their safety, have the opportunity to decide freely about their future, and should they desire, be able to study abroad. Let us preserve what we have managed to achieve in terms of foreign policy, international co-operation and the Czech Republic’s standing. I am glad that the Czech Republic is not just a respected neighbour, but also a valuable partner in international organisations.

By Linda Štucbartová

Creating a Bridge – Developing and Connecting an Entrepreneurial Community with Major Global Markets

From Tel Aviv to Atlanta and Beyond

In my experience, there are two types of companies with regards to Corporate Social Responsibility. There are the ones who have prepared many presentations on this issue, printed out nice brochures and organize spotlight events. Then there are the ones who walk the talk and act accordingly. Coca-Cola belongs to the latter category. Have you ever listened to a powerful speech in which a company group VP has not mentioned a company product but rather shared a proven concept of social transformation through technology entrepreneurism?

Meet Anthony Newstead, Global Group Director, Emerging Technologies & Strategic Innovation and a co-founder of BridgeCommunity in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Meet the man who is behind the remarkable project that brings together big corporations, start ups and engages them to benefit local communities. Meet the man who thinks that more women should enter technology and coding, so the discipline will cease to be perceived as the male logic oriented field but rather it will present itself as a creative art. Meet the man to whom corporate, start ups and public co-operation comes naturally as he lives it. A career that began in music, took Newstead through a detour into programming, migrated into investment banking. He then progressed into leading large-scale multi-year Business Transformation initiatives within Coca-Cola Bottling, around Western and Eastern Europe, including Vending Operations in the Far East.

After taking up an engagement leading business development in a UK financial startup he made a return to Coca-Cola in Interactive Marketing, leading a cross-functional team in a Pan-European iTunes and Coca-Cola collaboration.

Currently based in Atlanta, Newstead is focused on leading an IT Innovation Pipeline powered by the creation and co- founding of “The Bridge”, a commercialization program for startups that was initially piloted in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Newstead led the creation and co- founding of the North American spin-off, BridgeCommunity, in collaboration with a number of large locally-based organizations. The BridgeComunity is a unique program that grows the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Atlanta through startup engagement, partnerships, a powerful corporate member-to-member network and a local community initiative to help raise the technical skill level from high school onwards.

Dear Anthony, we met at the Global Female Summit in Berlin, which prides to be the economic forum that hosts 300 plus female executives. Even though Coca-Cola prides itself for gender diversity and inclusion, in what aspects did you find your speaking experience to almost exclusively female executive large audience unique?

It was an absolute honor to be invited to speak at the Global Female Summit. The breadth of experience and intellectual power at the event was an impressive experience. From my perspective, the passion each person applied to their roles, their desire to learn, query and absorb new ways of addressing key business problems was absolutely energizing. I’d also say the sense of belonging, a feeling of a collective will to share and support each other in their respective business fields is a unique aspect of this network.

You shared the example of BridgeCommunity in Atlanta, where Coca-Cola and other corporations partner with the community of startups in order to help the local communities. What was the reason to launch the cooperation of various entities that could be represented by opposites “Davids” and “Goliaths” together?

The prime objective of BridgeCommunity is to connect with software technology startups that have products and services with the potential to address the key business challenges we face. We took the decision to reach out to fellow corporates with an equal interest in engaging with startups for a number of reasons. This ensures that each corporate member only needs to make a modest financial contribution, which collectively provides the program with sufficient funds to proceed. It also relieves the pressure of engagement on each commercial brand. When a corporation makes the decision to run an equivalent program run on their own, there is an implicit pressure to provide opportunities for each and every startup that is brought in. If a startup exits the program without any tangible opportunity the danger is they will spread the word in the local community that brand ‘x’ are not to be trusted. In effect, each startup in the program is a brand ambassador for the underlying corporate and needs to be treated as such, which can be di cult to sustain on an ongoing basis for one corporate. In the case of the Atlanta BridgeCommunity, the program can bring in 20+ startups each year with each corporate focusing only on the ones most relevant to themselves, safe in the knowledge that the other corporate members are doing the same, with the net result that all startups find opportunities. By joining forces with other large, locally-based organizations we amplify the attractiveness of the program to prospective startups and enhance significantly the training we provide them, with the addition of a diverse range of business expertise from our corporate members.

However, your project did not start in Atlanta, but in Tel Aviv…

Yes, we launched a program called The Bridge in Tel Aviv, back in 2014, with a core focus on collaborating with early stage startups to access new consumer technologies, in return for which we provide the opportunity to leverage our marketing expertise. Since launching we have welcomed Turner Broadcasting and recently Mercedes Benz to join us in Tel Aviv. We’re now in our fourth cohort cycle (one per year) and have had a number of successful startup engagements, including for example “Bringg”, who have created an “Uber” for the enterprise platform to support delivery of products and services on demand. In parallel, back in 2015 we took the decision to spin-out a new venture called BridgeCommunity, that took the core startup engagement methodology established in Tel Aviv, with a more holistic focus on expanding developing startup communities in collaboration with local corporations and with a strong community focus. The pilot for this community model was launched in Atlanta in 2016 with IHG, The Weather Company, Cox Enterprises and Capgemini. This year we have been delighted to welcome Porsche Financial Services and SunTrust Bank as new Corporate Members and have also joined forces with the Atlanta Hawks Basketball Team, providing access to Philips Arena – the 4th busiest arena in North America – as an engagement lab for testing out products and services from BridgeCommunity startups. Atlanta was a deliberate choice for the launch location, it has a growing startup community, great transport connections, strong university foundations, a passionate local authority support, it has more fortune 500 companies headquartered in the city than in Silicon Valley and of course it is the home of Coca-Cola. We have a deep connection to the city and BridgeCommunity was the perfect vehicle to support the local community while at the same time bringing value to our company and our corporate members.

Have you envisaged spreading your concept to other regions, such as Central and Eastern Europe?


The BridgeCommunity model is not simply an Atlanta model, it is instead a model structured to expand and amplify developing startup communities, with Atlanta as our pilot, founding location. The vision of the program is that there is hidden talent out there, in places of the world that tend to be over-looked in favor of more established locations.

During our conversation, you mentioned your passion for students not to become just “coders” but rather “technological developers” and you outlined the need to support creative arts…

I believe passionately that we should be developing creative individuals grounded in technology, creative technologists, rather than pure coders. I want them to not just code but to understand and intuitively feel the beauty in the code. It’s that creative thought, that intuitive leap that helps to generate amazing, innovative ideas. Ultimately I’d like to re-position coding as an art instead of a science. In my opinion you can either pick up a paintbrush, a pen, a chisel or a keyboard; all are tools to ‘create’. All of this helps to address the supply-side of any startup community.

I liked your parallel that start ups are the new punk rockers. Given the statistics, many millennials do not find big corporations attractive anymore… Can corporations become punk rockers and if so, how?

The challenge for enterprises is to find a way to harness this creative, innovative force to re-energize their own business. Interestingly, as much as growing startups are trying to act and become ‘big’, enterprises are equally keen to act and become ‘small’– the intersection of those two paths is where programs like BridgeCommunity can really help. Engaging with startups can act as shot of adrenaline into a large enterprise that has the potential to not only bring short-term value through the provision of products and services, but can also help to generate an entrepreneurial mindset within the workforce. It is indeed possible for enterprises to re-discover their maverick, innovative roots, but it does require senior executive commitment for change. The trick is to treat the expansion of an innovation strategy that includes startup engagement as ultimately a cultural change initiative across the organization. Question everything, challenge your teams to improve their respective areas, encourage rapid experimentation, give permission to innovate and partner with startups.

Next months, you are starting the project with public schools. So far, students from less fortunate backgrounds were given laptops to start to learn coding. At the same time, you engaged their parents to use the laptops themselves, through adult training classes, to help ensure the parents gain value as well. So far, you have been engaged in start ups and in educational communities…Are there any limits for public-private engagement?

Fundamentally, the aim of the BridgeCommunity program is to provide opportunities: Opportunities for corporations to share knowledge and learn from each other, opportunities for startups rapidly accelerate their route to market through tactical training and exposure to relevant corporations and opportunities for students to become the next set of future software technology entrepreneurs where such options are limited. In doing all this the Community benefits through an in flux of entrepreneurial talent, the Corporations benefit through access to talented interns and innovation startup solutions and young adults benefit through a tangible chance to transform their lives. This can only be done effectively through close private-public partnership and I am extremely grateful for the local authority and local non-profits support and goodwill we have received, together with the amazing support and commitment from our corporate members that has collectively helped us progress this program to where it is today. It is not the sole mechanism to drive value, but as we move forwards, where we see value creation opportunites for our corporate members that also can tangibly benefit the local community in some form a public- private model may well be the solution.

Your final words to Czech and Slovak Leaders readers…


I would just like to stress that BridgeCommunity itself is a startup, we are learning as we go along, with the twin desire to do good in the community while also bringing tangible value to our company and our corporate members. In addition I believe it’s also a testament to the open innovation spirit within Coca-Cola that has provided myself the internal support to get this initiative off the ground. It’s that willingness to take a risk, to provide an employee the support necessary to realize a dream that can transform organizations from within and is I believe a powerful first step for an enterprise to take on their innovation journey. Embracing the startup community can be hugely rewarding, but looking within first, providing the tools, the streamlined processes and the entrepreneurial mindset culture internally before you engage will help ensure all sides benefit.

By Linda Štucbartová

Ambassadors Without Diplomatic Passports

Lane Davies

Meet Lane Davies, a true Hollywood star, known world-wide for his role as Mason Capwell on the NBC TV series, “Santa Barbara”, an international hit that has played in more than 53 countries. In Russia, it was the first American program to air after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Lane to this day has loyal fan clubs all over Russia and Eastern Europe. In the Czech Republic, he is known for starring in the famous TV series, “Dallas”. On stage in his lengthy career, Lane has performed classical roles such as Hamlet, Macbeth, Richard III., King Lear, Prospero, Petruchio and others. He has also directed a dozen productions of Shakespearean plays.

Lane came to Prague this time to star in the English language premiere of the multi-Tony award winning musical “Man of La Mancha”. This Prague production of the classical Broadway musical is being co-produced by Bob Boudreaux and the respected Prague Shakespeare Company at Divadlo Na Prádle. It will be Lane’s sixth time performing Cervantes ́ Quixote, always having his best friend, Jerry Winsett as Sancho Panza by his side. The cast includes actors and singers from the Czech Republic, United Kingdom, Sweden, New Zealand, Russia, and the USA.

I was lucky to experience a part of one rehearsal and I was surprised how much effort rehearsing, singing, and repeating a few lines over and over takes. After, Lane and I went for a coffee at Kampa, near Divadlo Na Prádle. It was a unique opportunity for me to interview a true but “normal” star and to speak about politics, commercial acting, the purpose of theatre and his perception and reminder to me about the cultural part of Prague and the beauty of the Czech landscape.

Lane, the first question of this series is a traditional one. How do you perceive today’s world?

I am an optimist. Despite all the troubles around the world, the human species is evolving. In general, we are less violent and less predatory than we have been in the past. This gives me a reason to be optimistic about the future.

Your optimism is quite surprising given the fact that you come from the US and given the reaction of most of the Hollywood to the new Trump administration…

I love my country, I love the United States. I do not always agree with what the leaders are doing and I do not always like the people who are leading my country but I stay away from politics, so I can remain optimistic about the future of the United States and its place in the world. It is not that I do not have opinions, but rather the fact that I am an actor of a limited celebrity makes my opinion any more valuable than anyone else’s, so I stay quiet about it. In the United States, the society got so polarized, that if you support one party or one candidate over another, you can alienate fan base. I do not stay quiet out of cowardice but I want people to look at my characters, not my personal politics or personal life.

But is it possible to be only yourself? You played several strong characters, the most famous being Mason Capwell in Santa Barbara series and very often, people start to equal the actor to his/ her role.

Once I leave the country, I am probably much better known by Mason than I am by my real name. When you are playing the same character for month after month and year after year as you do in television series, some of your character will creep into you and some of you will creep into the character. There were similarities between me and my character. I think Mason and I shared the same sense of humour. Mason drank a great deal more than I drink in my real life. I still have fans who send me a liquor on my birthday because they equate Mason’s drinking habits with mine.

I was fascinated to find out about Santa Barbara’s success in Russia and about your fan club in Russia…How did you find Russia? There, you were a true ambassador without a diplomatic passport, representing the US culture…

I have been in Russia many times, I have visited many places from St. Petersburg to Blagoveshchensk (a town 8000 km east of Moscow, bordering China) and many places in between. Many of the appearances were as myself. I did many concerts, had various speaking and discussions events. I got to meet many wonderful people, fans from various segments of society, ranging from ring generals in Blagoveshchensk to babushkas in Siberia. For someone who grew up during the hottest part of the Cold War, when we were threatened with global thermal nuclear annihilation through my childhood, it was especially gratifying to spend time travelling around the country and realizing that Russian people were not the problem, the Russian politicians and American politicians were the problem. Fortunately, the diplomacy won and we did not blow the world but that was the threat we lived under.

My first trip to Russia was in 1992, right after the borders were open. It was interesting to see how much alike we are. One more thing I would like to mention was my experience with propaganda. We knew about the Russian propaganda, about the Russian propaganda being brain washed. Once I got to Russia, I realized the US government was doing the same thing. Russian women can serve as a good example. In the US, we only saw pictures of little grandmas, babushkas, that looked like potatoes with legs or looked like Khrushchev in a dress. Depressed, deprived people over the age of 60. When I got to Russia, I saw all the Russian women who were stunningly beautiful but these we did not have a chance to see.

What is the connection between you and The Man of La Mancha coming to the Czech Republic?

First I came as a tourist, later I started to communicate with Guy Roberts, the director of Prague Shakespeare Company. He invited me to play a role in Richard III. in summer at the Prague Castle and later, at the Estates Theater. In fall, I was back again with my son Nathan, because I had the feeling he might like the Czech Republic. I was right, he moved to Prague three weeks later. During the fall, I was approached by Bob Boudreaux, a long time member of the Prague Shakespeare Company who was also performing in Richard III. We were discussing the possibility of producing Man of La Mancha. We both like the show, I have done it five times already. Well, six months later here we are, doing the show. The opening night is scheduled for May 18 and we will play it until June and some more performances are scheduled for the fall.

So how do you find and how do you like the Czech Republic?

That is a big question. I love being here…Prague became my favourite city within a week of being here. I was so pleasantly surprised by the Czech countryside. I have been to eight countries that have been part of the USSR sphere of influence, and so I have experienced the country side with the large fields and only few countries managed to recover from the landscape point of view. I was therefore very pleasantly surprised that the Czech Republic values and cares about its countryside and the way it looks.

This is going to be your sixth production of The Man of La Mancha. As each production is different, what do you find the most special this time?

The fact that the cast is half international and half Czech is the most different thing about this production. We are not making any big changes to the script or the way the play is traditionally done. Because of the nature of the theatre Na Prádle, the production will be more intimate than some people might be used to. It is much more like a play with music than a big Broadway musical. The music is only secondary to the play.

Has the main message of the play evolved over the years?

The play has always had a special meaning for me. I did it for the first time at the age of 23, it has influenced my entire life. I tend to put causes ahead of practicality. The metaphor of tilting at windmills does not mean that I devote my strength and energy to the lost causes but I tend to make the cause more important than the outcome, one of the main themes running throughout the play. The song “Impossible Dream” embodies all the different themes. Through the years, the character has deepened inside of me.

Making a parallel to your Cervantes’ Don Quixote, what is your impossible dream?

As long as I am physically able I want to continue to keep great ideas in art, literature and theatre alive and moving forward. Particularly theatre. If you take Shakespeare’s plays as an example, they are preserved in the performance of them, there are not any museums or art galleries for the plays and they are lost in a library. The only way to preserve a play is to perform it and to this goal I have dedicated my life. It went side by side with my commercial acting so I could earn a living so I could spend my time preserving the great plays through the performance of them.

To continue along the play lines, who is your unbeatable foe?

I will stay away from any personification to avoid getting political but for me the people who minimize the importance of life to the basic human conditions. Civilizations are remembered for their arts, not for their wars and boundaries. It is great writing, art, theatre, music that last and continue to move the human spirit.

Lane Davies and Jerry Winsett

Another constant for this play, is the character of Sancho, always performed by your best friend, Jerry Winsett.

We have been friends for 44 years. There are many similarities with Sancho, since Jerry has been following me to every place it was performed being it New York, California or Prague…He keeps me humble, since he knows me too well as he knows where my skeletons are…

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

For me it is just gratifying to be in a city where theatre is such a vibrant part of the culture of the city. If I had a complaint about the US then it is about not being enough emphasis placed in the arts and not enough subsidies for the arts from the government. In Prague, there is a DIVADLO (theatre) on every corner and in the US, outside of Broadway, there is one professional theatre per larger city and perhaps several community theatres in smaller towns. Prague theatre scene and community is quite unique.

By Linda Štucbartová

PRAGUE SHAKESPEARE COMPANY

Prague Shakespeare Company is Central Europe’s only professional English-language Shakespeare company, presenting professional theatre productions, workshops, classes, lectures and other theatrical events, of the highest quality, by a multi-national ensemble of professional theatre artists, with an emphasis on the plays of William Shakespeare, bringing to the Czech Republic, European and World audiences English-language based performances that are fresh, bold, imaginative, thought-provoking, and eminently accessible, connecting the truths of the past with the challenges and possibilities of today. www.pragueshakespeare.com

“We Need More Freedom and Responsible Individuals”

Georg Kapsch, Copyright www.peterrigaud.com

My Life as Defined by Two Quotes or Aftermath
of Brexit as witnessed by Judi Challiner, a British citizen now seeking the Czech citizenship

“A Living Society is a Creating One”

Photo: Archive

The next interview from the series of nobility members brought me to the town of Žďár nad Sázavou. Count Constantin Kinský together with his wife Marie are in charge of the estate. The estate lies beneath the Baroque pearl of the St. Jan Nepomuk’s Church in Zelená Hora. It was also thanks to the intervention of Count Kinský’s father Radslav that the pilgrimage church was entered into the UNESCO List of World Cultural Heritage Sites. However, as the New Generation Museum shows, the estate is not there only to showcase history. The unique immersive multimedia exposition has been declared the best Slavic museum in Central Europe.

I decided to use the interview as an opportunity for a family trip. Have you ever stayed overnight in the Middle Ages watch tower, while having the 21st century comfort? I recommend it. There were many topics to be discussed but Mr. Kinský himself wished to talk primarily about education and the need to foster the Czech creativity. It is worth mentioning that our interview took place in the premises of the former Cadet Academy.

Mr. Kinský, allow me to start with a personal question. All nobility families have many branches and they are interrelated to one another. One of your cousins, František Kinský, a mayor and the owner of the estate in Kostelec nad Orlicí is famous for his TV series about the Czech nobility, your older cousin Ferdinand Kinský used to be a professor at the Nice University. How well do you actually know your family tree and all your relatives?

All of us don’t know each other personally, we do not meet regularly but when we meet, for example at various weddings there is a feeling that we belong together. We organised a family jamboree from all over the world and the rule to participate was to be born Kinský or have Kinský grandparents. Altogether, we totalled 360, the most far away came from Japan and Peru. Detailed lists mention 400-500 family relatives. It is really interesting to experience the feeling of belonging together even in such a large group. There is one more interesting element about belonging. One can belong to a homeland on one hand but have total freedom on the other hand. We perceive our roots as an enriching element, but we are not territory dependent.

Historically, we were defined via the close relationships towards local people on one side; on the other side, we longed for independence from any central power. Such attitude taught us freedom of thinking and within such context, the issue of boundaries is a truly relative one. I will add one funny family story about our relations, demonstrating how we make fun of each other. Those older ones, who were local and in charge of a property, received the title of a count and the younger ones, received the title of a prince and had to leave to Vienna to start a career. The younger ones often call us the “village peasants” while we call them “collaborators” with the central power.

How do you perceive the fact that the Czech population has been more interested and thus aware of the topic of nobility families, their patriotism and love for the country?

History is more important than we realize. Let us take the current economic crisis and compare the reaction of the USA and Europe. Americans have formed their attitude towards the crisis based on the 1929 events. Great depression brought deflation and the remedy for the economic recovery was seen in great investments, deficit budgets, designing grand projects and state debt. The economic approach according to John Keynes. In Germany, the same crisis resulted in hyperinflation. Therefore, the Germans learned a very different lesson. Balanced budget, strict budgetary discipline, no economic stimuli. I consider such approach, based on the theory of Friedrich Hayek, a catastrophic one. I believe that Europe needs to jump start and support economy and only after take care about deficit. Today, we are not making decisions based on our current needs, but based on emotions dating back to 1930s.

The sensitive topic of migration can serve as the second example. Such topic is truly really serious and deserves a strategy which is dignified, sensitive and based on facts. I do not want to say that we should have an open door policy for everybody, but any discussion of such theme is a very difficult one in the Czech Republic. Our perception of foreigners has been built on the image based on the Beneš decrees. Until the topic is settled, we cannot lead any rational debate about our relationship towards foreigners. The very fact that from 1938 until 1989, except for a very short period 1945-1948, we could not maintain standard relations towards the rest of the world, affects the current issue debate as a consequence. History is to inspire us; however, we have to liberate ourselves from the past.

A historical sight has a value only if it makes sense for both current and future generations. A historical sight bears values that can be followed upon. I will quote two complementary mottos that influence all what we do. “Our past is the source of future” and “The living society is the creating one”.

Let us address the creativity, your favourite issue…

I feel that the Czechs as a nation are being very successful, the unemployment is low; however, we need to invest in creativity more. It is needed not only to produce cars being designed abroad but to follow our rich industrial and creative tradition. The origins of creativity start at schools, including field trips where you have the chance to admire historical sights. Therefore, our museum is different, immersive and uses multimedia. I am a very big fan of arts but in a classical museum I get bored easily. Experiences are more valuable. So, in our museum, we make possible for you to meet both the founder of the monastery from 13th century, as well as those who made a big reconstruction in the 18th century, as well as the ones who are creating the value today. By the way, do you know that our ponds date back all the way to the 13th century? A lot of space is dedicated to the Baroque era. We claim that the Czech person has the origin in the Baroque era, he is just not aware of it.

The communists did not appreciate the Baroque era at all, they claimed it was the age of darkness.

On the contrary, I believe that Baroque was quite favourite period for the regime, as it was easily manipulated and it served the ideology. When you walk toward Zelená hora, at the end of your journey you can observe two ideologies: on one side, the estate, the Cistercian Monastery, ponds and on the other side there are large blocks of flats, also representing a certain ideology. I do not wish to criticise such shock; I want to understand it. Our approach to emotions was formed during the Baroque period, as well as our attitude towards life and death, verticality, working with light, with space, with landscape and other kinds of knowledge. Many have been influenced by Czech author Jirásek who coined the term as the age of darkness, but to be honest, how many people did actually read the original book?

The baroque era is a peak period of creativity. Just look around, the St. Jan Nepomuk Church is a truly unique creation in the world. The world view is very well reflected in nature around – it starts when you look at the cemetery, then the Estate including the farmstead, symbolizing both civil and laic life and then you see the Church, reaching to the sky. The topic of landscape preservation is very relevant nowadays, as people tend to behave according to their surroundings. When a town is a pleasant, comfortable place to live in, people tend to be well-mannered. Brutal spaces, on the other hand, initiate brutal behaviour. The landscape, in its very nature, is a connection between geography and history, between nature and a man. A historical sight, either a building or a landscape or surrounding nature, is a source for the future.

Let me ask you about the education system. With regards to creativity and industrial tradition, are you a supporter of technical education or do you also support humanities and arts?

When I was at Roland Berger consulting company, we carried out a research, asking CEOs across Europe about 10 criteria skills employees would need in 10 years. Can you guess what the number one was? Well, English. However, not as the first foreign language, but as the second mother tongue. The following eight criteria were represented by soft-skills, such as project thinking, team work, ability to solve complex problems, self- confidence and technical skills came as the last, the last-mentioned criterion. But what do we teach at schools? Primarily No 10. Of course, technical skills are needed but so are the others. Coincidently, our interview takes place at the Cadet Academy where education used to be quite complex. Students danced, fenced, while studying mathematics, geometry, physics, natural sciences as well as Latin, German, French or Italian languages. I support education based on natural talent, not on shortcomings. I can mention our program that teaches mathematics via movement, as an example. My wife was engaged in the program “The School Dances”. The school that was taking care of children with various learning disabilities asked a choreographer to join them to be able to teach mathematics through body movements. If I learn to feel mathematics through movement, the brain does not get blocked due to the fact that I do not know numbers or that I do not like them.

How do you perceive the new generation?

I am hopeful and worried at the same time. Our children’s generation is smart, they have vast knowledge, global interests and global thinking. They remind me of Adam and Eve from the myth of Genesis. They also had the knowledge and responsibility at the same time. We bear the responsibility for the whole world, it can take one push on the red button in the nuclear suitcase… Global warming might be another example. However, in a certain part of population, there are young people who have returned to tribal thinking. I do not speak only about the unsatisfied children of immigrants in France but also about xenophobic moods that can be witnessed in surrounding countries. And I do not know who will win the clash between the humanitarian approach to being open and the return to tribalism. I believe that the Erasmus program, designed for young students within the EU, should be extended also to students at vocational schools, so we could cultivate the feeling of interdependence and the art of cohabitation. By the way, this is a theme that connects both France and the Czech Republic.

Do you have any further dreams?

I would like to share with you my plan that I do not yet have the capacity to materialize. I would like to build the guild called “Smart Hand”, a parallel to our working pensioner scheme. Retired carpenters, bakers and representatives of other vocations would dedicate one afternoon per week to children who can learn the vocations. It does not matter whether children would later choose that vocation as a profession, but a lawyer skilled in carpentry would eventually be more successful as a lawyer. Some children can embrace technical education this way. It is a fact that when compared to an administrative worker, a carpenter is not afraid of making a living for the whole of his life. The next benefit might be in fostering inter-generational relationships which is possibly one answer to the risk of tribalism mentioned above. The last but not least benefit would be the enhanced quality of life for pensioners. Financing could be done through the pension scheme and the overall positive impact on society would be enormous.

By Linda Štucbartová

“To Succeed in the 21st Century We Need To Learn,
Unlearn and Re-learn”

Arnie Bieber, Director of the International School of Prague and Linda Štucbartová, our Head Interviewer

Imagine the atmosphere of a school where there is a palpable sense of creative thinking, where one can see the arts, choirs, music and film production, and at the same time a clear focus on scientific experimentation. Imagine life as a student being able to experiment, design and then print out your blueprint on a 3D printer or a laser cutter as part of the school curriculum. Imagine that a student can take part in an international robotics competition hosted at his school by day and being on stage singing blues in a Cabaret performance involving students, staff, parents and friends of the school by night.

I was not touring a school in Finland or Singapore, the two countries currently recognized as having the world’s the best educational systems. These were, rather, my immediate impressions after visiting the International School of Prague, which overlooks the Prague Šárka valley nature reserve.

Interviewing Dr. Arnie Bieber, ISP Director, turned from a traditional question and answer format into a lively discussion.

As Arnie truly lives and breathes the ISP mission “Inspiring Learners for Life”, I could sense his passion for an inspiring, engaging and empowering education organically engrained into every activity, including proud presentation of the school to visitors, talking about current and potential partnerships as well as embedding school activities within the local community. The last element is very important for ISP, as both private and international schools are often judged as being too distant and dislocated from the local environment.

Arnie, today’s world is changing rapidly. In fact, uncertainty is perhaps the only certain element. How do you prepare students for the future to succeed in professions and disciplines that might not even exist today?

We truly regard ourselves as a future-focused school, and we aim to be preparing future citizens of the world. If you look at our mission, which you can see all around the school, you will notice three key elements: Inspire, Engage and Empower. Our core purpose is to “Inspire learners to lead healthy, fulfilling and purposeful lives” and we know that we are successful when our graduates live their lives in this manner.

The element of our mission linked to facing an uncertain future is addressed in the second part of the mission, “preparing students to adapt and contribute responsibly to our changing world”. However, the ability to change and to adapt is not enough without a moral compass. The world may have very many smart people but do they have integrity and act ethically? No learning institution should stress one while neglecting the other. The ISP experience revolves around “engaging our diverse community in authentic global education within a nurturing student-centred environment”. Diversity is very important. Our student body, comprised of 60 different nationalities, brings a multitude of different religions and cultures to our campus. To interact and learn with such diversity is very powerful because it allows for an appreciation of our differences. Future successful leaders need to understand and respect differences, such as those based on gender, sexual orientation, religion, belief or culture.

What would your argument be for the adults who went to traditional schools in the Czech Republic who cannot imagine a serious and enjoyable education at the same time?

The distinction between something being relevant and something being rigorous or challenging is a false one. We believe that the best path to learning which is not superficial and meaningful is often through relevance. We can all remember our high school algebra, trigonometry and advanced calculus, but did what we learn have relevance to our lives? How much do we even actually remember? It is not that these subjects are not important, but they should be taught so that students understand how it is personally relevant to them. Otherwise, you only play the game of school. The rules go like this – you memorize all you can, you pass a test and then you go on and often forget most of what you had to memorize. Such an approach does not support learning of relevant skills for the future.

So let us be more specific, what are the competencies that future citizens should have?

They are addressed in our mission as well. They include the ability to: Think Critically and Creatively, Work Cooperatively and Independently and Listen and Communicate Effectively. Notice the element of effective listening, not only speaking, as is often stressed. When it comes to our central values, notice the verb to act. At ISP, the expectation is that we act with compassion, integrity, respect and intercultural understanding in school and throughout our lives. To sum up all that we have discussed so far, we care deeply about the foundational literacies such as reading, writing, arithmetic etc. However if this is primarily what a student has attained, we have failed as a school in this day and age. Students need so much more to succeed, problem solving skills, critical thinking skills and well as collaborating well with others. Furthermore, as a school, staying current with how the world is changing is more important than ever. If you look at successful companies, they are changing all the time, they expect innovation but in the school environment, such an approach is not always considered important.

We discussed skills. However, the newest approach to adult learning is focused more on talents. So should we develop what we are not good at to become mediocre, or rather concentrate on what goes easy for us to become excellent?

I do not think the debate should be either talent or skills. Being an effective listener is not necessarily a talent. If you are not an effective listener, should you be one? And how can you become one? Perhaps you do not work well with other people. Well, you can work alone but you cannot be very successful unless you learn to work with others. But the answer to your question lies in personalized learning. Education should not be one size fits all. We are all unique human beings with unique talents. The best schools help students to follow both their talents and their passions. Sometimes your passions do not necessarily need to be your talents. The idea is for each learner to discover who they are and for to help them to discover that and develop further. That is why we talk about being purposeful, since you cannot be fulfilled in your life without being purposeful, and you cannot be purposeful unless you are self-aware of your abilities.

Following on the importance of science, there is currently a heated debate in the Czech Republic without giving priority to mathematics and technical subjects to the detriment of humanities, arts not being even mentioned a relevant part of the curriculum. What is your view?

Well, there has been a distinction made between ‘STEM’ and ‘STEAM’ subjects (‘STEAM’ stands for science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) while ‘STEM’ is missing the arts. We are more inline with the ‘STEAM’ approach. As a school we of course offer the traditional sciences such as physics, chemistry, biology and environmental science as well as design thinking, and extensive technology such as programing, computer science and robotics. In fact we have just hosted an international robotics competition where students from around the world have competed in designing, creating, programming and running their own robots. These are the 21st century skills and I would argue that the arts play as an important role as the “hard sciences.” Whether or not you become an artist, the arts, visual arts, drama or music will afford you many skills and understandings that will serve you well in life. Acting, improvising, making music etc – these skills do not take away from the sciences, they enhance them. We want our students to be whole human beings, not partial human beings and so the education is based on an holistic approach.

How do the two major opposing trends – globalization and localization – translate into education?

There is a famous quote by Comenius, which is cherished and displayed at the entrance to ISP, which says: “We are all citizens of the world. To dislike a man because he was born in another country, because he speaks a different language or because he takes a different view on this subject or that, is a great folly. Let us have but one end in view, welfare of humanity.”

So we celebrate our diversity and take advantage of the fact that we are in the heart of Europe in the Czech Republic and in Prague, surrounded by a rich and vibrant culture. It is very important to be part of that culture. We study both the Velvet Revolution and the Holocaust, we take advantage of the beautiful surrounding countryside as an amazing resource for all subject areas. Children study and meet artists and experts in the city and much more. “The curator project” for the middle school is run in co-operation with the Lobkowicz family and students learn, discover and present their research of artefacts from the Lobkowicz Museum’s rich collections. As you can see, the local and global elements are intertwined. We are very much of the opinion that “local is global and global is local.” As for the Czech educational community, we are always looking for partnering opportunities with Czech educators and Czech schools. Given our strong technological background for example, we annually host a conference for Czech educators addressing the issue of how to best to utilise technology in teaching. Furthermore ISP students have many opportunities to interact with students from local schools as well as their peers from sister schools from around the world.

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

I would say that leaders should always value and yes, embrace diversity. The tapestry of cultures and backgrounds we have at ISP is undoubtedly a key strength of our school. I firmly believe that the case for diversity is also the case for business. Diversity allows for fresh and varied perspectives in any organization, and is certainly a crucial ingredient to preparing children for their futures in a diverse and globalized world.

By Linda Štucbartová

 

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Did you know?

ISP in facts and figures: 860 students, 120 teachers and counsellors from over 20 countries, 60 nationalities. Founded in 1948.

The school is for all intents and purposes full, but due to the number of expat families arriving and leaving at various times throughout the year, families interested in ISP are encouraged to contact the school anytime during a school year.

Arnie Bieber was appointed Director of ISP in 2008. Arnie has trodden a diverse path leading to his life in Prague. His background combines a wealth of educational, as well as entrepreneurial experience. Although he much more prefers to talk about the school rather than himself, his story is nonetheless very interesting and inspiring.

Arnie Bieber was born in Brooklyn, New York. His mother is a holocaust survivor, originally from Romania who is still going strong at 92 years old back in New York City. Prior to attaining two MAs in teaching and educational leadership, Arnie successfully ran several businesses and even had a stint as a New York taxi driver to put himself through university. He later gained a Doctorate of Education from Columbia University and began his teaching career in public schools in his native New York. Prior to coming to Prague, he lived and worked in Munich, Caracas and Bucharest. His wife is British and he has two children, who were both born in Caracas, Venezuela. Besides pursuing his passion for education, Arnie continues to follow his life-long interest in making music by regularly playing guitar and singing in the ISP Community Choir.

An important influencer in the international educational scene, Arnie is the Chair-elect of the Board of Trustees of Educational Collaborative of International Schools (ECIS), a non-profit global membership organisation of 400 international schools, that provides professional learning, research and advocacy for its member schools. Arnie previously served as Chair of the Executive Committee of the Central and Eastern European Schools Association (CEESA) and the ECIS Board. He also writes articles and has a blog about twenty first century educational issues called school21c.org, and regularly shares his thoughts with his legion of over 1000 twitter followers.

“Creativity and the Ability to Improvise Represent the Main Assets of Czech Science”

Eva Zažímalová, President, Academy of Sciences

On Values, Both Material and Spiritual Ones

Luděk Sekyra, Chairman of the Board, Sekyra Group

I met Mr. Sekyra for the first time at the colloquia dedicated to John Rawls, the most influential political philosopher of the 20^th century, however little known and appreciated in the Czech environment.  The Sekyra Group that supports the Centre for Political Philosophy, Ethics and Religion (CPPER) has also supported organising the colloquia.  Despite the fact that Mr. Sekyra is still actively involved in his property development company, he presented a paper discussing Rawls’s principles of justice and their relationship towards reciprocity and altruism.  The extent and the quality of Mr. Sekyra’s paper received appreciation from theoretical scientists and inspired a stimulating discussion.  Mr. Sekyra is also working on a book addressing this theme and later this year, he is planning to present his research at the Conference at the Harvard University.  Mr. Sekyra is concerned about the polarization of liberal societies and he sees the need to formulate moral and political principles that would strengthen the cohesion of plural and multicultural public space.

One week later, I came to interview Mr. Sekyra at his office at the Sun Tower building in Prague.  I had a chance to admire not only a beautiful view but also visualization of future development projects, also in the surrounding neighbourhood of Rohan City. Mr. Sekyra apologized for being late due to a teleconference held with the representatives of New York Times, as he is busy preparing a panel for the prestige global conference, the Athens Democratic Forum.  The panel will be dedicated to problems democracy is facing in Central Europe, threats of populism and xenophobia nationalism.  The aim is to present a fact that such tendencies threatening the concept of open liberal democracy do not represent a regional issue, but truly the global one. 

Our third (unplanned) meeting took place at the launch of the book published by the Centre of Independent Journalism, also supported by Mr. Sekyra.  I could see that Mr. Sekyra fully lives his life purpose that not only buildings, but also thoughts, should be left as a legacy.  And it is such purpose that we discussed during the interview, together with philosophy and thinking, however the business world was not left aside, as it often intersected our conversation.

Mr. Sekyra, you being part of two worlds – academic and entrepreneurial – is quite rare for the Czech environment, contrary to the world where such interconnection happens more often.  How do you manage bridging the two spheres?  And how were you received by the academics?

You are right, the intersection of both worlds is more frequent there and it brings various benefits to both sides.  Someone who comes from the entrepreneurial world transfers a wide range of empirical experience which can be subsequently generalised upon.  And such generalization then allows to present a universal dimension that is possible to address in theoretical discussion, in theory.  As far as me being accepted by scientists, on one hand they consider me to a certain extent a visitor in their environment, on the other hand the most respected specialist in the fields of political or moral philosophy are very helpful and support my work on my upcoming book.  I have the feeling that they enjoy debating with me and they consider it beneficial with regards to my specific experience and point of view.  I studied philosophy of law and I have been actively involved in this field.  I am engaged not only with the Czech environment, but also at Oxford and Harvard.  I also recommend such open attitude to Czech universities.  Being open to thoughts of people outside the academic sphere, who combine certain theoretic knowledge with empirical experience, is stimulating for the academic debate.

What is the reaction of your colleague entrepreneurs and competitors with regards to your academic activities?  Are they looking forward to you leaving the real estate business?  Or are they supportive and appreciative of your activities?

Well, I am definitely not leaving the real estate business. Sekyra Groups is currently preparing projects in the total amount of 1 000 000 square kilometres, consisting of office, commercial and residential properties.  We are currently developing four projects in the larger centre of Prague where new quarters will be built.  At Smíchov, Žižkov, Rohan Island and in Dejvice, we are going to build modern and green Prague centres which will represent a true alternative to the historical part of the metropolis.  There will be parks, schools and public buildings. As it was mentioned, I dedicate considerable amount of time to philosophy and studying in libraries, but managing the Group still takes the largest portion of my management time.   I concentrate on new opportunities, growing efficiency of existing projects and on co-operation with new clients.  Some colleagues and even business partners still consider my passion a bit strange but as someone enjoys golf, yachts, or airplanes, I enjoy philosophical books.  I believe that not only should we leave buildings as a legacy, but also thoughts.  Particularly ideas, if they are original enough, might have longer life span when compared to buildings.

We have met at the colloquia dedicated to John Rawls who is not well known in the Czech Republic.  What particularly do you find inspiring?

I am interested in the relationship between morale and politics.  The notion of justice and interpretation of justice represents the central theme of political philosophy.  I personally believe that it is important to interpret justice as reciprocity.  I consider the notion of reciprocity as the most relevant one.  In order to be able to fulfil the key criteria of the cohesion principle or homogeneity that a society needs to survive, we need, in addition to the principle of justice (as John Rawls addressed), two other principles: reciprocity and altruism.  Only the combination of the three normative principles paves way to creating a cohesive society. I am a supporter of moral universalism and so I tend to believe that the majority of the society should identify with such principles, in order to create an environment where we would feel freedom and which will offer what Aristoteles used to call a good life.  The fact that this is not happening nowadays and therefore we see populism spread not only across Europe but also in the US.  Societies are ethnocentrically shutting down, they are being integrated by negative rather than positive factors, the most visible being xenophobic nationalism.  I consider such development truly alarming.

For John Rawls, the biggest political thinker of the 20^th century, the key principle was justice in the sense of fairness in public space.  Justice should not be understood as a mere decision of an authority in power, but I maintain that justice should be a reciprocal relationship between people themselves as well as between citizens and an authority.  Only such approach can guarantee harmonic development of a liberal society.  Rawls also tended to place a big emphasis on the principle of freedom equality and on equal access to rights that are linked to freedom. Rawls maintained that if inequality was to happen, then it should be in favour of those who are the least advantaged, so in favour of those reaching the so-called bottom.

Current period is often characterized as an era suffering from the lack of leaders.  How do you perceive it?

Many politicians perceive politics as power and deeds, in terms of gaining and holding on to power.  Recently, I have read an interview with Jaroslaw Kaczynski in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and Mr. Kaczynski revealed that he admires Carl Schmitt and his realism, Mr. Schmitt was an influential German political philosopher in 1930s and also a main critic of liberal democracy.  The very fact that Schmitt’s realism is mentioned as “exemplary” politics is very disconcerting to me.  I consider the main deficit the fact that morals and its principles have fallen out of the perception of politics as such. Without the transfer of moral principles into political principles politics becomes empty and only a fight for power.  If the public sees that many politicians make their own personal interest instead of public interest a priority, then they tend to lose faith in politics.  Let us not forget that the representation of public interest is the main task of politics and politicians.

It seems to me that such thoughts used to be openly presented by Václav Havel…

Yes, under the influence of philosophers of Patočka and Levinas…Nowadays, we are experiencing something that I would characterise “an ordinary democratic day” or being tired of normal democratic politics that does not represent any larger vision or values but only concentrates on specific voting or budgetary priorities.  People are lacking any cross-over and if politics is lacking a cross-over than it ceases to be something to believe in.  This can be seen on the European Union project where it is much more difficult to identify with the European idea.  The United States is much more successful, as “the American idea” is not only much more appealing but also more tangible.  An idea is, given its very own notion, a transcendental issue; it surpasses the ordinary politics and has the ability to inspire, but when it is missing, disillusion is inevitable.  I do not wish politics to be reduced to power and deeds as such notion is narrowly a pragmatic one.  The task of political philosophy is to stress and formulate principles allowing to introduce both content as well as cross-over.  I have a more and more intensive feeling that modern, particularly continental philosophy of the 20^th century, suffers from deficit of ethical thinking, because the most important representatives such as Heidegger or Wittgenstein in fact had pushed ethics out of philosophy.  We need to foster authentic ethical theories based on universal principles, and that is what I call reciprocity ethics in my texts.

As we are discussing difficult moments, which difficult moments do you consider formative ones for yourself?

Real estate business is a cyclical business and so in 2007 we experienced one of the deepest financial and real estate crises in modern history.  We benefitted from a quality management team and from quality risk management.  We witnessed some of our big competitors not being able to make it.  Today, we pay more attention than in the past not only to the return of invested capital but also to risk profile of every project.  The second lesson learned thanks to the crisis was the finding that there are additional values side by side to the material ones.  It was the very philosophy that brought a cross-over and authenticity to my life and that is why I dedicate more time to it than in the past.

What are your future visions?

I wish to dedicate energy to both my life priorities and to big development projects that will change the way Prague looks.  I personally very much care about the best notion of architecture.  At Smíchov, we have launched a big architectonic competition for the first time in Prague and involved more than 10 international architects.  The new quarter should be a pride of the 21^st century Prague.  The second challenge is thinking about philosophy and working on my book that should be a result of my reflections.  I hope to publish it within the next two years.

By Linda Štucbartová

Luděk Sekyra is a leading Czech businessman. He has been working with Oxford University for many years. He is a Foundation Fellow and a member of the Board of Regents of Harris Manchester College. He is also a member of the Vice Chancellor Circle. Luděk Sekyra is also a member of the American Political Science Association (APSA).

In 2014, he opened the Sekyra House student center and theTomáš Halík Room lecture hall at Oxford University. The same year, he supported the installation of Havel’s Place in Oxford University park. Together with Tomáš Halík, he initiated the creation of the Center for the Study of Political Philosophy, Ethics and Religion at the Faculty of Arts of the Charles University, where he is the Chairman of the Academic Council. He actively supports the collaboration of the Center with the Department of Politics and International Relations at Oxford University and the Center for European Studies at Harvard University.

Sekyra has been interested in the field of political and moral philosophy for a long time. He is a frequently published author and is currently working on a book about reciprocal fairness. He also significantly supports interfaith dialogues at the academic level (for example the Public Sphere, Ethics and Religious Diversity global conference that will take place in 2017), as well as practical projects in leading European cities (for example the Foyer youth center in the Molenbeek neighborhood of Brussels www.foyer.be).