Sep - British Chamber of Commerce in the Czech Republic

Embassy LatestTrading places at the EmbassyEva Kopecká has joined the team at the Trade & Investment Sectionof the British Embassy in Prague. She takes over from LucieVotavová, who has gone on maternity leave.Eva is responsible for the supervision of the Overseas MarketIntroduction Services for British companies wishing to export oridentify potential partners in the Czech Republic. She is also responsiblefor identifying business opportunities for British companiesby visiting local companies and trade fairs, as well as dealing withcommercial publicity, public enquiries and other administrativematters. Her sector responsibilities include tourism and culturalheritage, training, education, advertising and media. In partnershipwith UK Trade & Investment and other UK business partners,she will be organising seminars, trade missions and other eventswithin her sector responsibilities.After her graduation from the University of Economics in Prague,Eva started working for foreign trade corporation Pragoexport,where she was responsible for the worldwideexport of stationery products; followed byemployment at ICL as Logistics manager. Shethen moved on to Rank Xerox and as MarketingManager was responsible for activities withinthe Czech and Slovak Republics. She gainedfurther experience at the Rank Xerox InternationalHeadquarters in London where she stayedfor four months. Her last job was with US basedEva KopeckáTrade and Investment Advisermanagement consultation company IMPAC,where she worked as consultant responsiblefor public relations and marketing projects inthe Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, Germany, Holland, Denmark,the UK and Ireland.Besides her native Czech, Eva is fluent in English and has agood knowledge of German. Her hobbies include winter sports,aerobics, travelling, reading and art and she enjoys spending timewith her two children.“I am looking forward to being part of the team providing serviceswhich enhance and develop trade between the UK and theCzech Republic”, said Eva.If any British Chamber of Commerce member would like todiscuss any business-related issues with Eva, please feel free tocontact her:Eva Kopecká, Trade & Investment Adviser, British Embassy PragueEva.Kopecka@fco.gov.uk, T: 222 240 021, F: 222 243 625It is perhaps becoming a tradition that the staff in the BritishEmbassy’s Press and Public Affairs Section share a commonbackground – journalism. Former journalist Peter Wickenden joinedthe team in October 2003 as Section Head. Until early August,another ex-scribe Karolína Rezková worked in the section as Pressand Public Affairs Officer. And on her departure for maternity leaveshe was replaced by a person coming from, where else, but anewspaper. Ingrid Ludvíková, the new Press and Public AffairsOfficer, has joined the Embassy after nearly two years at the weeklyEnglish language publication The Prague Post. “I worked there asa researcher and later on also wrote my own stories. A reporter’sjob is a great challenge, mostly when you need to worm out informationfrom places where it is next to impossible to obtain.” Ingridexplains. Ingrid’s experience of all the pitfalls and banana skins ofcommunication with state officials and spokespeople equips herwell for tackling the tricky tasks ahead.“Now I have joined the opposing side, so to speak. It will be interestingto see how things I never understood before (why can’t thesepeople answer straight away, can they everlearn to be clear about things, why does it takeso long?), become part of my everyday life.”she says. “I already see it is not that easy incomparison with the journalist’s job, they justbomb you with requests but you bear responsibilityfor what goes out and that is not anegligible point.”As Press and Public Affairs Officer Ingrid’sdaily duties will be monitoring the Czech press,Ingrid LudvíkováPress and Public AffairsOfficercommunication with Czech and also internationalmedia, maintaining contact with journalistsand facilitating meetings between theEmbassy and useful local political contacts.Ingrid Ludvíková, Press and Public Affairs Officer, British EmbassyPrague, Ingrid.Ludvikova@fco.gov.uk, T: 257 402 295, F: 257 402 296After spending nearly a year living in London, Monika Tomíčkovábecame an Anglophile, and is now happy to be working at theBritish Embassy as the new Projects Officer in the Political andEconomic Section. Monika was educated at the Law Faculty of theCharles University in Prague, and has a law and tax advisory professionalbackground. Before joining the Embassy Monika workedfor Deloitte & Touche Prague as a member of the tax department teamfor three years, and for Czech NGO Bílý kruh bezpečí (White Circle ofSafety) where she worked on a series of projects related to domesticviolence. Having found that she prefers organising and dealing withpeople rather than studying the precise word of the law, Monikaapplied for the post of project officer. She has also become a studentof psychology, and has among her other interests dance, yoga, moviesand travelling. She is married with one son and one daughter.In her new role at the Embassy Monika is responsible for themanagement and co-ordination of UK-Czech bilateral co-operationprojects. Funded by the Foreign Commonwealth Office’s (FCO) mainprogramme budgets, these projects cover arange of issues often, though not exclusively,under the Justice and Home Affairs banner (therehave, for instance, been a number of LisbonAgenda themed projects). Examples of pastprojects include Tackling Corruption at Regionaland Central Level with Transparency InternationalPrague, Commercial Judges visits to UK, orAdvice to Czech Ministries on AdministeringMonika TomíčkováProject OfficerStructural and Cohesion Funds. Monika workswith Czech institutions and non-governmentalorganisations in order to define and developproject ideas, while ensuring that they fit the Embassy’s and the FCO’sobjectives, and monitoring the projects’ progress and evaluatingtheir impact. There is also a large element of project creation involvedin the role, as well as reporting all of the above to FCO London.Monika Tomíčková, Project Officer, British Embassy PragueMonika.Tomickova@fco.gov.uk, T: 257 402 241, F: 257 402 296British Embassy, Thunovská 14, 118 00 Prague 1T: 257 402 111, www.britain.czBritish Embassy Trade & Investment SectionPalác Myslbek, Na Příkopě 21, 117 19 Prague 1T: 222 240 021-3, F: 222 243 625E: tradeinvest.pragc@fco.gov.uk14 FOCUS SEPTEMBER 2004