Our Alumni
Ján Stanko
Regional Director CEE & The Balkans
Oracle Corporation
Ján graduated from the Faculty of International Relations at the Prague University of Economics and Business, where he specialized in international trade, European integration, and diplomacy. Even during his high school and university years, he gained practical business experience, which later led him to focus entirely on the information technology sector. Since 2004, he has worked at Oracle Corporation, managing the company’s most strategic clients and currently leading operations across 11 countries. His career reflects extensive commercial and leadership expertise, complemented by fluency in four languages.
Martin Záklasník
CEO
E.ON
Martin Záklasník has been working for E.ON since 2016. He has previously worked, for instance, as Sales Director in T-Systems or as Head of B2B Marketing and Sales to TOP T-Mobile customers.
Jana Andonegui Sehnalová
CEO
La Française Forum Securities (Singapore)
Jana manages a global team focused on real estate equity investments and serves on the Supervisory Board of LFFS. Her career began as a financial analyst at European Investors Inc. in New York, followed by roles at Citi in New York, London, and Hong Kong. In 2009, she joined Forum Securities in London as a portfolio manager and later expanded the firm’s presence by establishing a branch office in Singapore. An active member of the Milken Institute’s Young Leaders program, she is fluent in eight languages.
Vojtěch Benda
Member of the CNB Board
Czech National Bank
Vojtěch Benda began his career at the Czech National Bank in 1998 as an economic analyst. He later joined the ING Group’s international economic research team as a senior economist and subsequently served as chief economist at BH Securities. Since 2016, he has been a member of the Bank Board of the Czech National Bank.
Pavel Cyrani
Member of the Board of Directors and Director of the Business and Strategy Division
CEZ Group
Pavel has been working for the CEZ Group since 2005, managing the departments of controlling, asset management, strategy and business. He started his career in McKinsey & Company.
Petra Freddi
Director of Development in Asia and Australia
Milken Institute (Singapore)
Petra leads business and program development across Asia and Australia, overseeing fundraising, program design, and moderating panels at investment conferences. For the past five years, she has organized the Milken Asia Summit. Earlier in her career, she spent a decade in investment banking with Goldman Sachs and Lehman Brothers in London, followed by a role at the private equity fund Apollo Management in Singapore.
Tomáš Hruška
Country Managing Director CZ/SK/HU
L´Oréal
Tomáš began his career in the marketing department of L’Oréal in the Czech Republic before moving to France to work in marketing and commerce. He later served as Country Managing Director in Sweden and as General Manager of the Consumer Products Division in Italy. Since 2015, he has been based in Prague, overseeing L’Oréal’s operations in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary as Country Managing Director.
Dita Charanzová
Member of European Parliament
European Parliament
Dita spent eight years working in Czech diplomacy before being elected to the European Parliament in 2014. She serves as Vice-Chair of the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) and has been widely recognized for her influence. POLITICO.eu named her among the 41 most influential Members of the European Parliament, and she consistently ranks among the 20 most influential women shaping Brussels. In 2018, she was listed in the Top 10 of Forbes Czech Republic’s ranking of the 100 most influential Czech women.
Jiří Chod
Professor
Boston College
Jiří has been teaching at the Carroll School of Management at Boston College since 2005, following the completion of his doctorate at the University of Rochester. His research, published in leading journals such as Operations Research and Management Science, spans operations management, finance, and economics. His recent work focuses on financial innovations driven by blockchain technology, including cryptocurrencies. He also serves on the editorial board of Management Science.
Robert Chvátal
CEO
Sazka
Robert began his career with Procter & Gamble and Reckitt Benckiser before moving into telecommunications, where he headed the marketing department at RadioMobil (later T-Mobile CZ). Robert went on to serve as General Director of T-Mobile in Slovakia and later in Austria. Today, he is CEO of Sazka, Vice-President of European Lotteries, and CEO of Sazka Group.
Marek Mora
Member of the CNB Bank Board
Czech National Bank
Marek has been Member of the CNB Bank Board since 2017. He previously worked at the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union: firstly as Head of Cabinet of the Secretary General and afterwards as Director for Budget, Tax and Regional Policy. During his career he also worked at the Ministry of Education, Office of the Government of the Czech Republic, and the European Commission.
Aleš Mydlář
Executive Director – Acquisition & Leveraged Finance
J.P. Morgan (London)
Aleš joined J.P. Morgan in 2004 after completing his studies and has since held roles in mergers and acquisitions, equity capital markets, and the syndicate department. For the past seven years, he has served as Executive Director of Acquisition & Leveraged Finance in London. Earlier in his career, he worked as an editor at Euro Weekly.
Jitka Němečková
Corporate Communications Manager CZ&SK
Pilsner Urquell
Jitka began her career in media as an editor at Marketing&Media magazine, published by Economia, where she gained valuable insight into communication. She later advanced into communication strategy, serving as Director at the agencies Renmark and CEEC Research, before moving into corporate roles as Communications Manager at Spolana and Unipetrol. In 2018, she was recognized as Spokesperson of the Year.
Martin Novák
Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors
CEZ Group
Martin began his career at Price Waterhouse before moving to ConocoPhillips, where he worked at the company’s London and Houston headquarters. He has been with ČEZ since 2006 and was named Financial Director of the Decade in 2016.
Ondřej Obluk
Managing Director
Ogilvy Group Czech Republic
Ondřej has built his entire career at Ogilvy, working across its subsidiaries rmg:connect, BBK Advertising, and Ogilvy & Mather. Beyond his professional role, he is active in industry and academia as a member of the Association of Communication Agencies and a lecturer in Commercial Marketing at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University. He also serves on the Board of Trustees of the Leontinka Foundation.
Miloš Olík
President / Partner
International Chamber of Commerce CZ / ROWAN LEGAL
Miloš has been a partner at ROWAN LEGAL since 2006, where he heads the Dispute Resolution department. His practice focuses on international commercial arbitration and investment disputes, and he also serves as an arbitrator and mediator. In 2019, Miloš was elected Chairman of the Czech National Committee of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).
Daniela Pešková
Member of the Board of Directors responsible for Retail Banking
Česká spořitelna (Erste Group)
Daniela, the highest-ranked Czech female banker, has held senior management positions both in the Czech Republic and abroad. She began her career in 1997 at the Czech branch of GE, later working in the United Kingdom and Hungary. From 2004 to 2007, Daniela was based at Tatrabanka’s headquarters. Since 2007, she has been with Česká spořitelna, where she was appointed to the Board of Directors in 2016.
Pavel Pitel
Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Thailand
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic
After completing his studies, Pavel began his career at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic. Throughout his career, he has served at Czech embassies and consulates in India (New Delhi), Australia (Sydney), and the United States (Washington, D.C.). As Director of the Consular Department at the Ministry, he oversaw initiatives such as the repatriation of Czech citizens during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since 2022, he has been serving as the Czech Ambassador to Thailand.
Marek Prach
Supply Chain Director CZ&SK
Pilsner Urquell
Before joining Prazdroj in 2003, Marek worked as a Project Manager at McKinsey & Company’s Prague office. Since then, he has held various roles in strategy, purchasing, planning, and logistics at Prazdroj. He is currently a member of the company’s Operating Board.
Tomáš Prouza
President
Czech Confederation of Commerce and Tourism
Tomáš began his career as an economic journalist, later founding three successful companies. He has served as Deputy Minister of Finance and as a World Bank expert on financial reforms. For four years, Tomáš was State Secretary for European Affairs of the Czech Government. He currently leads the second-largest employers’ union in the Czech Republic.
Jan Radil
General Manager
Hilti
Since joining the company in 2003, Jan has held various roles, including General Manager. He began his career as a trader and now oversees operations across six countries in Central and Eastern Europe. Passionate about developing talent and ensuring customer satisfaction, Jan also lectures CEMS students at the Prague University of Economics and Business and enjoys playing ice hockey in his free time.
Diana Rádl Rogerová
Managing Partner
Deloitte Czech Republic
Diana has been with Deloitte since 1996, specializing in auditing services with a focus on finance and real estate. She is a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), a licensed auditor with the Chamber of Auditors of the Czech Republic, and holds a professional qualification in IFRS (DipIFR). Since 2016, Diana has been leading Deloitte’s Czech office.
Jiří Sauer
Audit Director
Deloitte Czech Republic
Jiří has been with Deloitte since 2005. He is a member of the British Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA) and holds the ICAEW Chartered Accountant qualification (ACA). Jiří is also a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in the United States, holds the DipIFR diploma, and is registered as a statutory auditor in the Czech Republic.
Dita Stejskalová
Managing Director PR & Influence
Ogilvy Czech Republic
Dita has devoted her career to Ogilvy, specializing in PR and strategic communication. She has led the APRA association of PR agencies and serves on its Ethics and Conciliation Commission. In addition, she is a board member of the NF Neuron and Bona Foundations, helped launch the Odyssey mentoring program for women in business, and co-founded the Prague Leadership Institute. She also serves on the jury of the Czech Female Entrepreneurship Awards.
Petr Sýkora
Co-founder
DOBRÝ ANDĚL foundation
At the age of 19, he founded with his friend Jan Černý Papirius, which he later sold to the US-based Office Depot. He is one of the co-founders of the Dobrý anděl foundation.
Petr Šmíd
Head of Consumer Marketing Central and Eastern Europe
Google
Petr Šmíd started his career in McKinsey & Company. As a consultant, he spent seven years exploring the sectors of banking and healthcare. Petr is passionate about education; he leads frequent workshops for students, professionals, start-ups, and other businesses. He recently joined the Board of Directors of the Bator Tabor Foundation, an NGO sending seriously ill children to summer camps.
Jiří Vévoda
Member of the Board of Directors
ČSOB (KBC Group N.V.)
Jiří has served on the ČSOB Board of Directors since 2010, currently overseeing finance and investment. He previously worked for GE Capital in the Czech Republic, Ireland, Finland, and Sweden, and held the role of Associate Partner at McKinsey & Company, specializing in banking, consumer finance, and insurance.