Date: 12.01.2023
He has spent his entire professional life in executive or management positions with food manufacturers. Since October 2022, he has been a member of CEI's Board of Directors and is heading up the brand new FMCG division. He is also the father of four children and this, as he himself states, is the source of his character traits: a sense of order, attention to deadlines, discretion and patience.
What is your previous work experience?
I have devoted practically my entire working career to the FMCG sector. I worked in the brewing group Heineken Slovensko a.s., later I worked for several years as a sales manager in Karlovarské minerálních vody a.s. Since 2009 I held the position of Sales Director for the Czech Republic and later for Slovakia at Kofola a.s. Since 2017, I have been managing the packaged goods division at UGO Trade s.r.o. and I was responsible for managing and optimizing purchasing, production, logistics and sales processes. Since March 2021, I have held the position of Managing Director of the company Kávoviny.
When the offer to become a member of the CEI Group Board of Directors came, did you hesitate or did you know right away that you would accept the offer?
I hesitated, in fact I asked Jaroslav Strnad for a week to think about it. I considered everything carefully and in the end the products we offer and the opportunity to take them further won out. Having brands like Melta, 4slim, Duel etc. in the range is a great challenge and a huge commitment for the trust shown. I accepted it with humility and determined to work it all off.
Now you are about to start a brand new CE FMCG division. How many members does the division have at the moment and what are your plans for it?
Our plans are grand and ambitious. I have to divide them into short-term, medium-term and strategic for several years ahead. First of all, we have to stabilise the entire group in terms of personnel and integrate it into a single unit. Then we will start working on the flagships of the individual companies, and finally - and this is the most ambitious plan - we want to play an important role in educating, training and changing the lifestyles of future generations. Obesity is a disease of civilisation and we want to combat it through our products. However, we must not forget our products in the washing powder, cleaning and household care ranges. . Here, too, we face big challenges towards ecology, reducing our carbon footprint with a more natural composition, packaged in recyclable packaging.
The division is composed of 7 companies in the Czech Republic and Serbia, total turnover for next year is planned at 1.6 billion and ebidta 150 million.
Kávoviny seem to be a matter of heart for you. Is it?
Yes, it is. It's a company based on the most important values such as honest work, traditional processing and local raw materials. I try to build on these main pillars and strengthen them with modern techniques and technologies. The brands Melta, Alba, Kávoviny have great potential and meet the strictest criteria on the road to a healthier lifestyle, which is so much talked about nowadays. I believe that we will also contribute in no small way to building this trend.