I graduated in economics from the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague. In 1992, I joined Coopers & Lybrand and became an auditor. I passed my ACCA exams and then went on secondment to PwC Chicago.
Returning to the Czech Republic, I transferred from audit to business recovery services. I am now the lead business recovery partner for the Central and Eastern Europe region. I have been providing consulting services to near-bankrupt companies for over 20 years and have managed the restructuring projects of many major businesses within the region. I am also the chair of the Czech branch of the Turnaround Management Association, and the COO of PwC Czech Republic.
I saw an ad in the newspaper saying that they were hiring at Coopers & Lybrand in Prague. A friend of mine, a broker in London, told me to apply. Joining an audit firm was a good decision. My experience in audit, including the ACCA Qualification, opened many doors for me. After 20 years in consulting, I still profit from the technical knowledge I acquired as an auditor.
Working in practice, I don’t know in advance whether a new client will be based locally or in another part of the world. I don’t even know the field of my future clients. It’s what I find attractive about my role. The variability means I constantly learn new things as I try to understand how different companies work. The corporate world is more about stability.
While every restructuring project is mainly about money, the wider aspect of saving people’s jobs is significant to me
The outlook is currently positive for our consulting business. Despite the slowdown due to the pandemic, the market is growing. As with many firms, our biggest concern is our capacity. The labour market makes the recruitment of colleagues complicated, and we have more business opportunities than we can handle.
Generally, I believe our laws are fine. The problem is whether they are enforced and applied appropriately. Even the most perfect law is useless if handled by unqualified judiciary bodies. That’s why I prefer people to use their common sense.
What I enjoy about my job is being surrounded by smart people. The majority of them are young, which is a great benefit for mental well-being. I also appreciate the fact that I need to stay active all the time.
In my role I have helped save the jobs of tens of thousands of people. While every restructuring project is mainly about money, this wider aspect is significant to me. I think it’s an important contribution for the community and the society we live in. I am also very proud of having trained a number of people over my 29 years of practice who have become successful.
As a restructuring professional, I do exactly what I have always wanted to do and was born to do. I help people who are struggling. Moreover, it’s usually a problem of the ‘mission impossible’ category.
I love doing sports associated with mountains. That means either skiing or cycling. I also really enjoy gardening.
