Spring - British Chamber of Commerce in the Czech Republic

2010
FOCUS 1/2010
1

BCC members
Patrons
Aviva životní pojišťovna, a.s.
G4S Security Services (CZ) , a.s.
HSBC Bank plc - pobočka Praha
Kinstellar, s.r.o., advokátní kancelář, Prague
Lovells LLP
Provident Financial, s.r.o.
Tesco Stores ČR a.s.
Vodafone Czech Republic, a. s.
Zátiší Catering Group
Full Corporate Members
AHREND Profesionální interiéry,spol.s r.o
AstraZeneca Czech Republic s.r.o.
BAE SYSTEMS
BDO Prima Audit s.r.o.
BRUSH SEM s. r. o.
Clifford Chance LLP
CMS Cameron McKenna v.o.s.
CPI Hotels a. s.
Crown Relocations
Deloitte Advisory s.r.o.
DTZ
Ernst & Young Audit, s.r.o.
Eurest / Compas Group Plc.
Fackelmann CR s.r.o.
GE Money Bank Czech Republic
GISTRANS Czech Republic s.r.o.
Gleeds Česká republika s.r.o.
Grafton Recruitment, s.r.o.
Hays Czech Republic, s.r.o.
Hilton Prague & Hilton Prague Old Town
IMI International, s.r.o.
ING BANK N.V.
Jones Lang LaSalle
Jurys Inn Prague
Kempinski Hotel
KPMG Česká republika, s. r. o.
Lloyd´s Register EMEA
Logica
Mandarin Oriental, Prague
MARSH, s. r. o.
MAZARS AUDIT s. r. o.
Metrostav a.s.
MONSTER WORLDWIDE CZ, s. r. o.
Mott MacDonald Praha, spol. s r. o.
Nörr Stiefenhofer Lutz v. o. s.
PENTA INVESTMENTS LIMITED,
organizační složka
PricewaterhouseCoopers
Reed Personnel Czech Republic
Regus Business Centre s. r. o.
Rexam Beverage Can Czech Republic s. r. o.
Royal Bank of Scotland
Sheraton Prague Charles Square Hotel
Storck Česká Republika, s. r. o.
Syngenta Czech s.r.o.
TEAM Relocations s.r.o.
The Augustine - Hotel
TMF Czech, a.s.
Unilever CR, s.r.o.
Weinhold Legal v.o.s.
White & Case, advokátní kancelář
XEROX CZECH REPUBLIC s.r.o.
Reduced Rate Corporate Members
3TS Capital Partners - 3TS, s.r.o.
ACCA
ADC Blackfire Entertainment s.r.o.
Advokátní kancelář Polverini, Strnad
AIMTEC a.s.
Alchymist Grand Hotel and Spa
Ambruz & Dark, advokáti, v. o. s.
Andel´s hotel Prague
Aria Hotel
Arx Equity Partners,s.r.o.
ASB Prague, s. r. o.
Aukett s.r.o.
B.I.B.S., a.s.
Baker Tilly Czech Republic
BarHill Real s. r. o.
BCD Travel Czech Repulic s.r.o.
BEROX Machine Tool Co Ltd o.s.
BEST Communications
bnt - pravda & partner, v. o. s.
bpv Braun Haškovcová, s.r.o.
Brichta & Partners
BRITEX - CZ s.r.o.
British - Czech Commercial Consultancy
Caledonian School, s. r. o.
Candole Partners
CATRO s.r.o.
CENTREPOINT s.r.o.
Cepona s.r.o.
Česká Informační Agentura, s. r. o.
CET Capital s.r.o.
CG Partners
CG Pay Limited
Chapman Taylor International Services s. r. o.
Chateu Mcely s.r.o.
Chemelek spol. s r.o.
Citco Česká Republika s. r. o.
Cook Communications s. r. o.
Corstjens Worldwide Movers Prague spol. s r.o.
Corus Central Europe s.r.o.
Crowne Plaza Prague - Austria Hotels International
CTP Invest, spol. s r.o.
Czech Business Weekly
Czech Golf Network s.r.o.
Davcor s.r.o.
Dea Orh Art Gallery
Digital Resources, a. s.
Diplomat Hotel****Prague
Dr. Helena Křepelková, registered trade mark
Associated Consultants
DRILL Business Services
DSA a. s.
Duhovka - školka šťastných dětí
EasyLink Business Services
EDU
Elok-Opava spol. s r.o.
Employment Express s. r. o.
Enviros, s. r. o.
Et netera a.s.
ETHER Consulting s.r.o.
EUROGATE BOHEMIA spol. s. r.o.
European Reality Services s. r. o.
EVOCREATIVE s.r.o.
Expats.cz
Experian - Decision Analytics
Facility s.r.o.
Factum Group
Fairway, s. r. o.
FirstClients Management Czech s.r.o.
Fleet Sheet/E. S. Best s. r. o.
Fleishman-Hillard
Garlick s.r.o.
Gerry Tipple, s. r. o.
Grand Hotel Bohemia
GROSSMANN JET SERVICE s. r. o.
Hamble s.r.o.
Hašek a spol. s. r. o.
Holiday Inn Prague Congress Centre
Hotel Le Palais Prague
Hotel Palace Praha
Hotel Savoy
House of Wine
HRG Czech Republic
Ian Bryan Architects (IBA)
IB Grant Thornton Consulting s.r.o.
ICT Recruitment s. r. o.
International School of Prague
International SOS Assistance (CZ) s. r. o.
International Study Programs s. r. o.
ITTP s.r.o.
Jacobs Consultancy spol. s r.o.
James Cook Languages
Johnson Šťastný Kramařík, advokátní
kancelář
Jokl Appraisal, v.o.s.
JURISTRANS s. r. o.
Kinnarps a.s.
KŠD ŠŤOVÍČEK advokátní kancelář, v.o.s.
Lansdowne International
LeasePlan Czech Republic, s.r.o.
LERIKA TAX (old name: TAX DIMENSION s. r. o.)
Lewis & Hickey Praha
Linstram, spol. s r.o.
MAI Insurance Brokers, s.r.o.
MaMaison Hotels & Apartments
Management TC, s. r. o.
Mašek advokáti s.r.o.
Maximilian Hotel, Ploberger s.r.o.
MEDIA TRADING CZ s. r. o.
MEDIARESEARCH, a. s.
Mi-King s.r.o.
Moores Rowland Levey & Jung
Moravský Peněžní Ústav
Mövenpick Hotel Prague
MRC Czech Republic s.r.o.
Neumann & Partners s. r. o.
Open Management Int. CZ, s.r.o.
Optaglio s. r. o.
ORBIX, s. r. o.
ORION Realit s. r. o.
Pavel Brychcín MBA
PETERKA & PARTNERS v. o. s. advokátní kancelář
PNO Consultants, s. r. o.
Positive s.r.o.
Pragoimport-Adam a.s.
Prague Adventures s.r.o.
Prague College, s. r. o.
Prague International Marathon
Presidia Consult
PRESTO - TRANSLATION CENTER s. r. o.
Principal Coaching
PrintSoft Česká republika, s.r.o.
Procom Bohemia s.r.o.
Procure It Direct s.r.o.
Quinlan Private Golub
Recruit CZ
REHAK & Co
RENOMIA, a. s.
Ricardo Prague, s. r. o.
Richard York
Riverside MaMaison Hotel Prague
Riverside School
Robert Half Czech Republic, s. r. o.
Robert Jeakins - Valcon Prague s.r.o, Management
Consultants
Schoultz & Partners
Scott & Hagget Consulting
Seddons v. o. s.
SEGRO Czech Republic s.r.o.
SEVEn, Středisko pro efektivní využívání energie, o.p.s.
Skyport a.s.
Somerston Olympia CZ, s. r. o.
Spencer Stuart Management Consulting s. r. o.
Společnosti Online s. r. o.
Star Capital Finance s. r. o.
SUPERCO, s.r.o.
Target CR s. r. o.
TCF ADVISORY - Transactions & Corporate
Finance
Teamconsult s.r.o.
TechnoPark Pardubice k.s.
Techo, a. s.
The English College in Prague - Anglické gymnázium,
o.p.s.
The English International School, Prague
The Prague British School
The Prague Post
Think Achieve Limited
TMM, s. r. o.
TOP HOTELS GROUP a.s.
Travel Marketing International - TMI s.r.o.
TVO Europe Property & Facility Management
Services s.r.o.
UNIQUE CONSULT Czech Republic s.r.o.
University of Pittsburgh, Katz Graduate School
of Business
Vice Audio
Vision Training and Consulting, s. r. o.
Voerman UTS Prague spol s r.o.
Vrána & Pelikán, advokátní kancelář
Wall Street Institute- School Of English
Williams & Partner
Wine 4 you
Zlatý Lihovar, a.s.
Associate Members
ABR Executive Coaching
Australian Trade Commission
British Council in the Czech Republic
Canadian Embassy
Czech Youth Programme the Duke of Edinburgh
Award
Diakonie Českobratrské církve evangelické
Domov Sue-Ryder NGO
Ekologika
Fringe Festival Praha
Future Cities Forum
Občanské sdružení Berkat
Scottish Development international
Sdružení Linka bezpečí
Spengler Fox Prague
US Business School Praha
VIOD / Vzdělávací Institut ochrany dětí, o.p.s.
New members joining up to 31 December 2009

Luděk Vrána
BCC Chairman / Vrána a Pelikán, advokátní kancelář
This magazine gives me a welcome opportunity to review the activities
of the Chamber over the last year. The introduction of our regular
e-letter,The Tube, has been received very well and has provided
members with lively and regular contact. The Focus magazine has
therefore become a rarer publication and as such our editorial policy
has been to include in it more lasting and wider ranging content.
2009 was a year of continuing economic downturn and as a commercial
institution the chamber has shared its effects with its members.
Despite a cut in staff resources we have provided even more events for
our members than any year in our history. The spectrum of events has been impressive ranging from the
very serious to outrageously funny.
The active co-operation with 4 other chambers working through the Council on Czech Competitiveness
gave us a vehicle as the crisis struck to marshal arguments and meet and exchange views with key politicians
and government figures. We will be reviewing with other chambers this co-operation for 2010.
Our Chamber won the COBCOE award for the best CSR programme amongst European Chambers and
we were proud to partner the Winton Train project in this year’s CSR programme. A new development
is our Diversity group born out of the demand created by the well attended Women In Leadership conference
with distinguished speakers from the USA. All our events have received excellent media coverage
and appreciation and this last conference gained us over 10 minutes on national TV, featuring an
interview with my predecessor as chairman, Eva Williams. Our annual debating competition this year
featured the motion “This House believes that a national energy champion should put public interest
before profit.”
Our networking and fun agenda featured traditional events such as the best ever attended British Day at
the Races with one-off events such as the Darwin Gala evening, Blind Wine Tasting and Culinary
Mixers and River Parties, all of which you will find displayed in these pages.
Sport took on a new dimension for us in 2009, when we organized or co-organized Beach Volleyball,
Charity Soccer and Golf Tournaments.
We have not either been too inward looking. We co-hosted with other Chambers from COBCOE a London
conference for UK companies expressing an interest in Central and Eastern Europe and hosted a conference
in Prague for those same partner chambers where we shared common best practice and started
to plan other regional initiatives.
Our co-operation with other International Chambers in Prague and Regional chambers in CZ continued
with a combined EU chambers Entropa evening and events in Brno for would - be Czech exporters
to UK.
2009 was an important year politically for the Czech Republic, with the difficult circumstances surrounding
the EU presidency and then the controversial signing of the Lisbon Treaty. The final part of the
year concentrated on the recognition of the passing of 20 years since the Velvet Revolution. Unlike the
lavish and VIP attended celebrations in Berlin, the Czech Republic has spent this milestone in a more
reflective mood and we hope we have caught some of the spirit and diversity of this reflection in the pages
of this magazine.
I would like to close by thanking Simon Rawlence, our Executive Director, for all his hard work for the
Chamber during the last two years. Simon’s commitment and enthusiasm have been instrumental in our
efforts to re-establish the Chamber as a business organisation providing continuously improving benefits
and services for our members. I hope that we will enjoy his company (and his unscrupulous sense of
humour) also in the future.
We start 2010 with a renewed Executive team that I am pleased to introduce:
Richard
Robinson
General
Director
Lenka
Dostálková
Membership
and Office
Manager
Petra
Janíčková
Executive
Director
Kristýna
Zíková
Assistant
Silvia
Bušniaková
Senior
Manager
editorial
Board of the BCC
The Board of the British Chamber of Commerce
has been elected at Annual General
Meetings to represent the interests of all
Chamber members.
Honorary Chairman
Sian MacLeod
British Ambassador to the
Czech Republic
Honorary Vice-Chairman
Mike Moon
British Embassy – Head of
Trade and Investment
Chairman
Luděk Vrána
Vrána & Pelikán,
advokátní kancelář
Vice-Chairman
Eva Williams
Tesco Stores ČR
Vice-Chairman
Trevor Smith
Vision Training
and Consulting
Treasurer
Chris Garlick
Garlick s.r.o.
Board Director
James de Candole
Candole Partners
Board Director
Richard York
Giese & Partner
Board Director
Petr Palička
Penta Investments
Board Director
Alexis George
ING BANK N.V.
Board Director
Petr Karel
GE Money Bank
Czech Republic
FOCUS 1/2010
3

contents
4 FOCUS 1/2010
BCC members 2
Editorial 3
06-09Interview:
Radim Jancura ˇ
6
10-11
14-17
Economy in brief: Top events 2009 5
Interview: Rita Gilligan 10
Interview: Simon Mawer 12
Interview: Václav Moravec 14
Interview: Jamie Athill 18
Interview: Benjamin Kuras 20
In memoriam Katherine Terrell / Venek ˇ ˇ ˇSilhán
22
Focus on: An instant Guide to Inventura Demokracie 25
Events roundup 26
Future events 36
20-21
From the press 37
Introducing new members 39
FOCUS 1 2010
The magazine is published by
the British Chamber of Commerce in the Czech Republic.
Should you wish to place an article, advertise or contribute
in any way to the magazine please contact Silvia Bušniaková at
senior.manager@britcham.cz or call +420 224 835 164
Editor in chief + Adveritising / Šéfredaktor + Inzerce: Silvia Bušniaková,
tel.: +420 224 835 164, e-mail: senior.manager@britcham.cz, ISSN 1212-5156
Copy editing, Translation: Simon Rawlence, Andre Swoboda
e-mail: andreswoboda@gmail.com
Production / Produkce: Evocreative s.r.o., +420 222 743 195,
evolve@evocreative.com, www.evocreative.com
FOCUS is registered with the Ministry of Culture, MK ČR E 13335
© British Chamber of Commerce in the Czech Republic 2010
Companies and individuals that contributed articles
or advertised in this issue:
Benjamin Kuras
Best Communications
bnt- pravda and partner, v.o.s.
Candole Partners
ČIA
Hilton Prague
James De Candole
Jamie Athill
Jiří Boudal
Luděk Vrána
PIM
Radim Jančura
Rita Gilligan
Silvie Mitlenerová
Simon Mawer
Simon Rawlence
Tesco Stores ČR
The Prague British School
TMF Group
Václav Moravec
Vision Training and Consuting
Wall Street Institute
Vrána a Pelikán, advokátní
kancelář

economy in brief
TOP events 2009
FINANCE
• (CIA, May 14) Danish investment bank
Saxo, which specialises in online investments
in international capital markets,
opened a branch in Prague on May 14. The
branch will service the Czech Republic,
Slovakia and Poland. The Prague branch
has nine employees and is managed by
Karol Piovarcsy. The bank intends to focus
on institutional investors, as well as up to
50,000 private investors, on the Czech market.
Client deposits in Saxo Bank are 100%
insured by the Danish government.
• (CIA, Oct 26) Dutch financial group ING
Groep has announced that it will sell its entire
insurance division and become a bank
focusing primarily on the European market
by 2013. After the restructuring the group’s
balance sum should be 30% lower than
prior to 2008’s government bailout.
• (CIA, Nov 18) CSOB will list some of its
shares on the Prague bourse. The European
Commission has approved Belgian
KBC’s strategic plan which includes listing
between 30 and 40 percent of CSOB shares
on the Prague Stock Exchange. The shares
will be listed in 2010. The issue could be
accompanied by new shares but KBC will
remain the majority shareholder of CSOB.
ENERGY
• (CIA, Mar 27) On Friday 27 March the Ostrava
Regional Court adjudicated Moravia
Energo bankrupt. According to the court
Moravia Energo has outstanding obligations
totaling roughly CZK 1.5 bln with Komercni
Banka, Ceska Sporitelna, and UniCredit
Bank Czech Republic. Its obligations from
other activities total roughly CZK 400 mln.
• (CIA, Aug 3) Energy company CEZ has
launched a public tender for the selection
of the supplier of two new nuclear blocks
for the Temelin locality. The contract also
includes an option for the construction of
up to three additional nuclear blocks in
other European localities. Construction
is scheduled to commence at the turn of
2011 and 2012 and should be completed in
December 2020. The output of each of the
new blocks is to total at least 1,000 MW;
the annual availability is to total at least
90% and the life cycle at least 60 years, with
the replacement of main components not
required for forty.
• (CIA, Oct 15) Investment groups J&T and
PPF have completed their investment of
property and capital into Energeticky a
Prumyslovy Holding (EPH). Through its
private equity structure PPF Partners the
PPF group has secured a 40% stake in
the holding; J&T indirectly owns another
40%. The remaining 20% is held by Daniel
Kretinsky, who is no longer a partner of the
J&T group. The holding will be managed by
a team led by Mr Kretinsky, who will be the
chairman of the board of directors.
DEVELOPMENT
• (CIA, Feb 2) Byty Cakovice, in which 100%
is owned by Natland Reality, plans to build
773 apartments in 13 buildings in Prague-
Cakovice. Construction work should begin
in 2009 and be completed roughly three
years later. The project called Cakovicky
Park should be created on an area of roughly
74,500 m2; the built-up area should total
17,300 m2.
• (CIA, Mar 30) Plaza Centers Czech Republic
plans to commence construction of the new
retail-entertainment center Opava Plaza in
2011. The market value of the project after
its completion will, according to consulting
company King Sturge, total EUR 38.4 mln
(CZK 10.3 bln). The completion of the new
retail center with a built-up area of 13,000
m2 is planned for 2012.
• (CIA, Dec 22) Developer ECM Real Estate
Investments has sold its project City Tower,
the largest commercial structure in the
Czech Republic, to an unnamed private
investor. The contractual parties agreed on
property value of EUR 130 mln with sales
yield (capitalisation rate) of 7.0%. ECM has
sold the 100% stake in the firm City Tower,
which owns the property of the same name.
The sales price consists of EUR 36.2 mln in
cash and bonds in issued by ECM in October
2007, totalling EUR 15.8 mln.
NEW INVESTMENTS
• (CIA, Feb 5) Brose CZ plans to build a
plant at which it will produce parts for the
automobile industry in Trutnov. Construction
should begin in the second quarter of
in 2009 and completion is scheduled for
the end of the year. The investor plans to
employ 628 individuals on location.
• (CIA, Jul 26) Hlavacek & Partner wants to
build a new logistics park near highway D1
near the Ostredek municipality in the Central
Bohemian region. The company plans
to commence construction next September
and completion is scheduled for December
2013. The company estimates construction
costs at roughly CZK 2.1 bln. The proposed
facility will include six warehouses and one
administrative building. The construction
is to result in 53,100 m2 of storage facilities
and 5,252 m2 of office space. The built-up
area of the logistics park should be roughly
53,300 m2.
• (CIA, Dec 2) The Plzen Region Office has
approved the plans of Schmelzer, which
produces tubular and large-scale weldments
from black sheet. The company wants to
build a new 2.5-hectare facility for the
production of larger steel structures and
weldments from steel sheets and bar iron
near the Chodova Plana municipality in
the Tachov district. Construction should
commence in April 2010 and be completed
in December 2010.
ACQUISITIONS AND MERGERS
• (CIA, Mar 23) Time Warner has acquired a
31% stake in Central European Media Enterprises
(CME), which operates TV stations
Nova, Nova Sport, and Nova Cinema in the
Czech Republic. The transaction is worth
USD 241.5 mln. Time Warner will acquire
19 mln newly issued CME shares. CME
expects the transaction to be completed by
the second quarter of 2009. Warner Bros
and CME have also created a partnership
through which they plan to launch new
thematic TV stations in the regions in which
CME does business.
• (CIA, Jul 1) The J&T group has won the tender
for the purchase of the assets of British
International Power in the Czech Republic.
It will thus secure a 100% stake in International
Power Opatovice and temporarily
take over an almost 49% stake in Prazska
Teplarenska. It will subsequently sell this
stake to the CEZ group. The transaction
will be settled in the second half of the year.
International Power Opatovice will later
join Energeticky A Prumyslovy Holding,
which is being prepared by the J&T and PPF
groups.
• (CIA, Oct 5) Investment company TA Associates
has purchased a minority stake in
domestic anti-virus program supplier AVG
Technologies for USD 200 mln (ca. CZK 3.5
bln). The Enterprise Investors fund remains
the largest shareholder with 34%.
RETAIL
• (CIA, Feb 19) The Rewe group has started
offering through the Billa supermarket
chain in the Czech Republic tours from
ITS Billa Travel, a 100% subsidiary of Billa
CR. The sales started on February 11. The
company comes to the Czech market with
an offer of vacations with own transport
in Croatia, Italy, Austria, Hungary and
Slovenia. Customers may order the tours on
a free line or the ITS Billa Travel website.
Billa supermarkets will thus only serve as a
location where buyers may get a catalogue,
but sales will not take place there. ITS Billa
Travel wants to add air tours to its portfolio
in the future.
• (CIA, Nov 26) Inter Ikea Centre Group,
which builds and operates Avion Shopping
Park retail centers, plans to invest EUR
300 mln (roughly CZK 7.8 bln) in the Czech
Republic and Slovakia within three years.
The company has set aside EUR 200 mln
(CZK 5.2 bln) for projects in the Czech
Republic. According to the general manager
of Inter Ikea Centre Ceska Republika and
Inter Ikea Centre Slovensko, Pavel Hradec,
the planned investments should include the
expansion of existing centers as well as the
construction of new ones.
• (CIA, Dec 2) On 2 December Luxembourg-based
private equity group CVC Capital
Partners became the new owner of Pivovary
Staropramen. The brewery is thus part of
new brewery group StarBev, which will be
headquartered in Prague. Pivovary Staropramen
GM Zbynek Kovar stated earlier
that the change in ownership will not affect
consumers, business partners, or employees.
Pivovary Staropramen continues to hold
a license for Belgian beers Stella Artois,
Hoegaarden, and Leffe and will continue to
distribute them as part of its portfolio.
www.cianews.cz
MORE INFORMATIONS - RIGHT ON TARGET
FOCUS 1/2010
5

interview
6 FOCUS 1/2010

You won the 2005 Entrepreneur of the Year award
and accepted the prize in Monaco. How did it feel?
Great! Monte Carlo is Monte Carlo. But compared with the other
entrepreneurs there, I was a child. There was an Indian businessman
and just one of his projects involved 250,000 retired mathematics
teachers. And that was one of his smaller projects! The
Czech economy is peanuts.
Has the attitude towards entrepreneurs changed?
I think so. There is another word we use, podnikavec or speculator.
That is not nice. Of course many people do not like entrepreneurs
because of the early examples we had from the 1990s.
Personally, I have never felt myself the object of envy. So I do not
have problems in saying I am a podnikatel.
Why was Student Agency founded in Brno and not
Ostrava, where you are from?
I was studying in Brno at the time, so this was just an accident.
I started the company when I was a student in my fourth year
which is why the name of the company is a little strange. I am happy
about it now. The strange name makes people take notice.
At the time it was still Czechoslovakia and Brno was in the middle.
We have business in Slovakia, so Brno is still central for me as well
as being an easy and traffic free place to live. Staff costs are less
and some say that Moravians are harder working.
Are they harder working?
The females certainly. And we are very much a female company.
13 out of the top 15 managers are women and if I exclude the 200
drivers then all the rest of the company are women. Men here are
always looking for more money for less work.
I employ 900 people, so I do not know all of them. Our big advantage
is that we were a greenfield company. We have a young staff
which means they have not acquired bad habits. We nurture our
own people within the company, which means they know the product
and the company.
What have been the hardest obstacles you have had
to overcome in building your bus business?
In buses, it was easy. Buses are really an open market, anyone can
get a licence to operate within six weeks and off you go. You are not
dependent upon politicians, unlike with trains. The train market
only appears to be open.
In the early days we had buses of a normal standard. The worst
moments for the company and for me personally were the accidents.
For the last five years we have only been in the quality bus
business.
With quality buses, presumably you lower emissions.
How important is the environment to you?
In principle, I love trains but Ceske Drahy (Czech Railways) today
are much more damaging to the environment than buses. Even
diesel buses are friendlier than the old rolling stock being used
by CD. The average age of our buses is two and a half years. They
comply with the latest EU norms and they are so clean you can eat
in front of the exhaust! Domestic trains are thirty to forty years
old! And even the electric trains are often empty. That is not energy
efficient.
Why are the trains empty?
A residue of socialism. Those who can afford not to use trains don’t
use them.
You say that the train market only appears to be
open? How do you see the future for Regiojet, your
attempt to challenge the dominant position of CD?
Last December, all the regions and the transport ministry signed a
10 to 15 year contract with CD. The contract is good for CD but very
bad for the regions and the state: they have no quality guarantees
and it will cost much more than if it had been put out to competitive
tender, certainly than the bid that we made. Today, it seems
that the market is closed for another 10 years or more. And because
CD will buy new rolling stock during this period, they will enjoy
a competitive advantage when the next tender is held in in 15 years
time. It is a way to protect the status quo.
I am confident that the train market will be opened, not willingly
by Czech politicians but by the application of European law. We
have our submission to the European Commission ready. And I
am quite sure that we can open this market within 3 or 4 years this
way. If the Czech state refuses to cancel the long term contracts
with CD, then we shall take this to the European Court.
The possibility that these contracts may be cancelled within 3 or 4
years from now is important: no financial institution will be happy
to finance or lease assets under such risky conditions.
Is it just you making the submission?
interview
We co-operate with Veolia and Arriva, the largest and second largest
private companies in this field in Europe. We hope to build
up a joint case. Veolia has experience, it opened up the market in
Germany, and we think the same will apply here. We will be the
domestic interest, fighting to open the market not just for the benefit
of foreign companies.
What was your reaction when you heard that the
European Commission had launched a probe
into CEZ?
I was surprised. And pleased! These raids are normal. The competition
authority in Brno did the same thing to us. They went through
everything on my laptop exactly as the European Commission
is now doing to CEZ.
After the CEZ raid, local politicians are really worried about
Brussels. And I am quite sure that Brussels will help us. I am sure
that they know that Martin Roman has an interest in Skoda Plzen,
FOCUS 1/2010
7

interview
the firm that will manufacture trains for CD, and that he chairs the
board of CD as well [EDITOR: Roman resigned from the CD board
in December 2009, citing future conflict of interest]. All journalists,
all politicians assume that Roman is a part-owner of Appian
group. Everyone knows it but no one says it. It is taboo.
I think Martin Roman is very scared actually. The raid has given a
lot of ammunition to his many, many critics. And if CEZ has to pay
a large penalty it will mean the end of Roman in CEZ.
Do you think the general public see the intervention
from the European Commission as unwarranted interference
from an outside power or as a way of enforcing
the law?
I do not know what normal people think about the CEZ raid. But
I believe that in the case of mobile phone roaming charges, people
understood and appreciated the European Commission’s intervention.
Perhaps they will again when their electricty bills are reduced
in the future thanks to increased competition.
You are very open which is not typical in this society.
You have a blog. Why don‘t you blog more often?
You mean in Hospodarske Noviny? I blogged the day it started,
against CEZ, against Martin Pecina (former head of the competition
authority and currently interior minister) who regards himself
as one of the fathers of today’s CEZ. Anyway, I wrote this first
Radim Jančura and Simon Rawlence
8 FOCUS 1/2010
blog and then the editor of the newspaper called me and said that
if I wished to continue with the blog, I had to give them the domain
hn.cz. I bought this domain in a charity auction some years ago
and paid CZK 35,000 for it. I have already won a court case against
the newspaper in which it challenged my right to the domain.
So I told them that I did not need their blog. But I said if you give
me advertising for free, I will give you the domain.
How to improve the quality of government here?
I am running a nationwide media campaign built around the idea
that if we are unhappy with the political economy of the Czech
Republic, we should hold ODS and CSSD responsible. The campaign
urges people to choose one of the many smaller parties, to
stop behaving like sheep and act like citizens.
The two main parties arrogantly think that they will always get
our votes. Each of these parties supports the other, there is no real
opposition. When one of them is in government then the other can
have a holiday for a few years. But they come together to make money
out of politics. They will not oppose each other. They only pretend
to hate each other but in reality the two parties work very closely
together.
The campaign will be funded by Student Agency. The first adverts
started in December and are directed against the regional governors.
We cannot mention CSSD by name (CSSD hold all the regional
governorships in the Czech Republic) as this would break the
radio advertising laws.
This makes commercial sense for us as well. 90% of people are unhappy
with politicians and we believe that the the money we will
spend on the campaign will boost our business.

There are risks but these are smaller than
you may think. The advantage we have is that
we do not need the politicians. We only ever
won one state order, and that was for the EU
Presidency contract, rightly because we offered
the lowest price for the best service. I
can fight with them. I have a clear conscience.
Even if they throw the tax office at me, I have
a clean record.
Karel Schwarzenberg said recently
that everyone knows that a rake
off from big tenders in this country
always goes to political parties.
Would you agree?
All entrepreneurs are unhappy. They have
had to pay politicians to get their contracts
and the amounts get bigger and bigger. I recall
a Brno politician from ODS, since sacked
by Topolanek, who asked for a mere 1.5% as a
kickback. That was funny! It was such a small
amount it was almost legal! If only our motorways
were just 1.5% more expensive than
German motorways!
Simon Rawlence and James de Candole
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Forewarned is forearmed.
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FOCUS 1/2010 9

interview
RITA GILLIGAN
The waitress honoured by the Queen…
Rita Gilligan has been working at Hard Rock Cafe for 39 years, she’s still with the company -- the only member of the
original staff who remains. For that, Gilligan has become a legend within the Hard Rock community. Cocktails and menu
items have been named after her, and four of the restaurant chain’s collectible pins have borne her resemblance. In 1990
she was awarded an MBE. We caught up with her when she was in Prague for staff training as the Prague Hard Rock Cafe
was opening.
Can you tell me how you started working for Hard Rock Cafe?
It was early 1971, I was 30 years old and had a husband, two babies,
a mortgage, and a hump on my back. I had been working
casually as a waitress for 17 years but latterly in up market West
End restaurants where businessmen and lawyers went to lunch
to discuss business. My husband had seen an ad in the Evening
Standard seeking “matronly” waitresses between the ages of 30
and 55 and persuaded me to go for it.
I found the place which was in the process of being converted
from a Rolls Royce car showroom to an American-themed
diner in London’s Mayfair. I passed a long-haired young man in
jeans who I thought might point out the manager and he replied
in an American accent that he was the owner ! This was one of
the founders Peter Morton.
What happened next?
I told him that I was a year or two older than I actually was and
when he remained unconvinced saying, ‘You’re great, but you’re
too young“ I told him. ‘I’m the best you’re going to get, so you’d
better take me.’ He looked at me, pulled back and gave me a
high five.
On June 14, 1971, we opened with a staff of 46.
10 FOCUS 1/2010
Why was it so different at the time?
You have to remember, especially in that part of London, that the
clientele that went out to eat were mostly business people looking
for a quiet venue for meetings over lunch. The idea of a place
that was noisy and more importantly classless was a revolution.
My previous customers found it hard even pronouncing the
name “Hard Rock” and would linger at the doorway until I beckoned
them in. Word spread, The Beatles came in and then The
Stones and Freddie Mercury held the first party there. These sort
of people would never have gone to a more formal restaurant
like the Ritz.
You mention that it was classless, what exactly do you mean
by that?
Yes they opened the first classless restaurant. That is why the
counter is there, so a millionaire could sit next to a truck driver. I
remember registering shock when Morton gave a burger, a milkshake,
and two pounds in cash to a homeless woman who entered
the restaurant within a few months of its opening.
We were always involved with charitable work as well. I remember
being in tears once with Bob Geldorf after watching a video of
the changes to the life of a two and a half year old chronically sick
in Africa who had benefitted from the proceeds of Live Aid. It is
Rita Gilligan in Prague

Rita Gilligan in Prague
great to be able to give something back.
Did you know that on the anniversary of the first opening on June
14 every year we put on the original menu at the original prices?
Can you say something about the memorabilia collection
which is such a feature of the brand?
It started with an Eric Clapton guitar. The beginning of something
that nobody even knew was beginning.
It was just a goof. A laugh. A joke among friends.
Clapton liked to eat there and got to be friends with the proprietors
and asked them to save him a regular table, put up a brass
plaque or something. Morton said, “Why don‘t we put up your guitar?”
They all had a chuckle, and he handed over a guitar, and they
slapped it on the wall.
No one thought much more about it. Until a week later, when another
guitar arrived. With it was a note from Pete Townshend of
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interview
The Who which read: “Mine‘s as good as his. Love, Pete.”
“It’s not all about stars and guitars,” she says. “It’s about the people
-- always about the people.”
The customers or the staff?
Well both in a way. Our mottos “Love all, serve all” and “All is
one” are very inclusive. Hard Rock was the first employment where
the boss would ask me in the morning how my husband and
children were. This was amazing 40 years ago. It is my family now
and that is how over 20,000 employees in 139 cafes in 52 countries
feel today.
I also felt that about my customers too, I was determined to give them
each such a good experience that they would come back again.
What is your own favourite food?
Cheeseburger and that was what made the Hard Rock Cafe, cheeseburgers,
salads and fries. Of course now there is more customer
demand for healthier food and the current menus have changed
to reflect that.
Have you ever considered retiring?
Several years ago, yes I did, my colleagues dissuaded me and I
reconsidered. It was not for the brushes with fame or the more
concrete trappings of achievement like the collectable pins with
my picture on. No. It was people like the 17-year-old Hard Rock
employee in Osaka, Japan, who stayed up for three days and three
nights to finish a hand-painted kimono for me, a gift that brought
tears to my eyes, even more than the MBE.
Silvia Bušniaková
FOCUS 1/2010
11

interview
SIMON
MAWER
Simon Mawer was born in England in 1948. He spent his
childhood in England, Cyprus & Malta and was educated
at Millfield and then Oxford.
His father was in the RAF and like many military families,
the Mawers had postings abroad, three years in Cyprus
and a total of five years in Malta. These experiences gave
him a love of the Mediterranean world and a taste for exile,
neither of which he has ever lost. He and his wife and two
children have lived in Italy for more than three decades.
The Glass Room is his eighth book.
I read somewhere that you said that one of the advantages of being
at boarding school was that it developed your inner life. How much do
you think living in a country not your own affects you as a writer?
I am sure it has, but I have nothing to compare it with.All my writing
has been done abroad. I do think that I do not look to standard
stock English situations as a theme for my writing. I think also
that I read Italian and somehow I have a European mindset.
As you well know, Britain is most peculiarly insular, certainly
with regards to Europe. There is a very strange barrier between
Britain and the rest of Europe in cultural terms. I am sure a lot
of it is language based because there is a language barrier. It is
not something that traditionally the British overcome very effectively
and possibly I do not have that feeling like many English,
British people do.
12 FOCUS 1/2010
Which brings me to another question. It is very good that you have put
Chamberlain’s speech in to the Glass Room “A quarrel in a far way
country between people of whom we know nothing“.
Was not the Glass Room an attempt to redress this balance a bit and
educate the Brits?
Yes I think it was. At least feeling that particular period of history
from the Czech point of view. It must have been an absolutely
appalling time. They experienced a sense of abandonment by the
very people that the country was meant to be representing, in
that it was the only proper liberal democracy in Central Europe.
Obviously there are arguments on the other side. I remember
years ago discussing it with my father.His memory of it was that
all Chamberlain achieved was to buy a year‘s time during which
Britain re- armed at a fantastic rate. He thought that had they not
had that year, Britain could not have actually pursued a war. I certainly
was very happy when writing the Glass Room to see it from
the Czech point of view. It must have been very frightening.
My mother in law cried when she read it and asked how an Englishman
could write so understandably, I think mostly from the psychological
point of view. Have you had this response from other Czech
readers?
Some, no definitely,and I have also received praise from British readers
and reviewers who feel that I have managed to adopt a very
convincingly Czech approach. The Telegraph made a strong point
about this and I do not think that the reviewer had any Czech connections.
She felt that it was like reading a book that had come out
of Central Europe, which of course was what I wanted. I enjoy the
fraudulent side of fiction. Everyone knows that it is false, knows
that you are indulging in trickery, but the object of the exercise is
to make it convincing, entirely convincing,as you are doing it; the
suspension of disbelief, that kind of thing. Yes, I think I have had
quite a few people remark on that.
In what way did Mendel’s Dwarf lead to the Glass Room?
Once I started to find out about Mendel, I was right in to the mid 19
century and the Austro- Hungarian Empire and I knew very little
about it. It was just a name. It is not something we study in British
history lessons. I knew a little bit of Austria and Hungary in relation
to the First Word War and to the Risorgimento in Italy. It
was being able to fit all these together that stimulated me. Visiting
Czech Republic, driving through NE Italy and Austria it is fascinating
to see the Empire all around you, a shadow in the background
all the time. I remember going to a little fortified town in
Italy,Palmanova it is called, on the way. It was built in the late 18
century. We looked at the bastions etc and then in Czech Republic
we ended up at one point at Theresienstadt. There was exactly the
same place, except of course attached to the latter fortress town is
the whole history of the horrors of the camp. That is the way I
came to the 20 century part of Czechoslovakia through the exploration
of the 19 century.
Music a bit. Janacek, I understand, played at Gregor Mendel‘s funeral.
Music is a great theme in the Glass Room and actually the few
characters that are non fictional are musicians. Can you speak more
about that?
Sure, I love music, but I am musically illiterate, I do not read music.
I do not play a musical instrument, it is one of a number of
major regrets. I became very interested in Janacek because of
the connection to Mendel. Janacek was a choirboy at Mendel‘s
convent,which he hated.His music would have been at least
encouraged there. Janacek eventually became the choirmaster,and
that appointment was made when Mendel was Abbott. I disco-

vered this, andthat thrilled me. I think possibly only one other
author has made this connection. I got to know Jancek’s music
through that. From there I moved to other composers, the influence
he had was obviously tremendously important in Brno and the
cultural life of Brno up to his death and it was natural to bring that
in. In speaking about my first novel somebody once said that he
noticed that there was no reference to music anywhere. So I drag
music kicking and screaming in to all subsequent novels !
Obviously the house and the architecture and in the case of the Glass
Room, history are major themes. One of the pleasant surprises in the
book is the complete absence and freedom from any religious dogma
and even Viktor who is of the Jewish race is very much an assimilated
and modern character. Was that deliberate that there is very little
religious side …?
I have quite a bit of religion in a number of my books as you
observe. I saw the people in the Glass Room very much as representing
a sort of European culture just at the time when,not religion,
but faith was about to bury people. There were in fact many
who were trying to cast it off. I was interested in a group of people
who would have put all that behind them in a effort to move in to
this modernist cultural environment where they felt at home. Yes,
I think it was quite deliberate.It is throwing
off the 19 century. By the time we get to the
1920s and 30s there were a lot of people within
Europe who were doing that successfully.
It seems obvious to us now, but then they
were only just emerging from a system that
was dogmatically religious and I think they
would have seen it as a great liberation.
On to my next question.What did the Booker
prize listing mean to you?
It meant a great deal. I am nothing like as recognised
in Britain as, dare I say it without
sounding arrogant, I deserve. This has raised
my profile and made people take notice.
I was getting a little fed up being described
as a “ Dark Horse and relatively unknown „.
Mendels Dwarf was on the long list, in the
last 10 for the booker prize in 1997,but nobody
knew about it, except my publisher,
so I did not get any exposure from it. I have
won prizes since, but minor prizes that noone
takes notice of. It has certainly changed
that. It gives a bit of weight to the name and
I appreciate that. Winning would have been
completely different, I am not sure whether
I would have wanted that. That can be life
changing. It has been useful, it has raised sales,
it makes your publisher take you a little
more seriously.
Language, I enjoyed your use of Czech and
German words and having time to explain them to the reader a little.
I also notice going back to Mendel’s Dwarf how much you enjoyed
the language of science. Can you say more about the language side
of the novels?
I do not think that that ought to be anything exceptional. In order
to be a reasonably competent but not literary novelist, you must
be interested in language, it is your instrument. It is both the instrument
and the tools.It is the way the story is expressed. You
have got to be interested in language. I am interested in how you
interview
manipulate using language, I am also interested in foreign language.You
are absolutely right about Mendels Dwarf, part of
the joke underlying Mendels Dwarf is the delight in some of the
absurdities of scientific language. A lot of that came from my
love of Nabokov, who I think is one of the greatest writers of the
20 century. He is one of the greatest writers never to have won a
Nobel prize. He takes great delight in language, far more seriously
than me. He always claimed that he would have been able to write
novels in English, Russian or French. He wrote his first novels
in Russian and then switched over to English, but never gave up
playing with the language. I have nothing like his virtuosity, but
that is certainly an influence on me.In Mendels Dwarf I wanted
to use scientific language because that is the world in which my
character Benedict Lambert moved. In the Glass Room the characters
speak in 2 different languages.They are in a bi- lingual environment
and using plays on Czech and German words is my way
of showing the English language reader what is going on. You are
in a position when you can say something in one language or choose
to say it in another, that has fascinated me.
A question about climbing. You speak about it as a way of life and I like
the quote from you „ When you are in it it is all you think about „ Are you
able to transfer that experience.
Has it affected your writing
in any way?
It has in one way, in that for
3 years I did not do any writing,
because I was climbing
and that became very vivid.
I discovered that even when
I was not climbing I was, in
a sense, climbing. Writing
does very much that. There
is an awful lot of time when
I appear to be doing other
things, like going shopping,
when actually I have got
bits of the latest book going
through my mind all the
time. It is completely absorbing.
Definitely.
You are not in England, you
are sitting in Rome. Any recent
perceptions of Czech
Republic? Does anyone
care?
Everyone was caring because
Klaus was reluctant
to sign the Lisbon treaty,
that certainly brought
the Czech republic in to the
consciousness of people. It
is funny of all the C E countries
it is the one that least impinges on Italy. We have just done
major reconstruction in our house and it was done by 5 stalwart
Romanians, other work we have had done by Poles, but Czechs no.
The general perception is of a small country that quietly gets on
with its life. For a country the size it is, I think it boxes well above
its weight in cultural terms certainly. Remarkable place, I cannot
wait to return.
Simon Rawlence
FOCUS 1/2010
13

interview
in brief / ve stručnosti
Focus brings you an exclusive interview with one of the
stars of Czech Journalism. Learn more about who V M
votes for, what he thinks about the Czech political
scene and what lies in the future for this young,
ambitious and down to earth moderator.
14 FOCUS 1/2010

How does a boy from Ústí nad Orlicí become a respected
journalist, a successful host, and for some even an icon of
Czech journalism?
Well, I’m a little overwhelmed, but thank you. Actually, it’s the
result of a series of coincidences. I came to it out of the blue,originally.
In my first year at the gymnasium I was asked to write an article
for the regional paper about summer jobs for young people. I
then became more deeply involved with the newspaper, which meant
I faced a dilemma: whether to go into teaching, medicine or
journalism. And I chose journalism. I’ve been involved with the
media since I was in high school.
Were you a model pupil?
In some things. But I hated gym class and my gym grades affected
my school report. I was strongly convinced that there shouldn’t be
grades for gym glass, and so I refused to jump over the horse or the
goat or whatever it is.
Do you regret that you decided not to become a doctor or a
teacher?
As far as being a doctor, yes. A person working in the media is inclined
to scepticism about their legacy. Maybe a few dozen shows in
the archives and then they’ll broadcast you on CT24 in a programme
called “25 Years Ago” and everyone will laugh at the absurdity of
Moravec and the broadcasts of that time. But a doctor can look back
and really see that he has saved lives.
You’re now an expert assistant at the FSV?
Yes, I’m trying to teach the young generation of journalists. I also
teach ethics, radio and television specialisations and audiovisual
media technology.
How are your students?
Really great. I try to show them
examples from my own work, so
that they learn from my mistakes.
This is good exercise. It
opens up a completely new horizon
for your work.
Briefly describe your career
for us...
In the 1990s I had a certain
experience with commercial
media like Evropa 2. In 2000 I
got an offer from the then director
of the Czech BCC, Vita
Kolar to work for the BBC.
Honestly I nearly turned it
down.
That surprises me. People
don’t turn down those
kinds of offers.
Of course, but it didn’t feel
right, I think that for all journalists
the BBC is a huge opportunity
and that the BBC is the standard
bearer of public service in
television and radio. I wondered
whether I’d be good enough, and
my English up to standard. But
as you said yourself, you don’t
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turn down that kind of offer and the worst that could happen would
be that they’d fire me. In the end I was there six years and it was the
best journalistic school, both theoretical and practical, of my life.
I remember this time very fondly, but I’m still disappointed that the
British closed down the Czech and twelve other language stations in
Europe. One of the things that the British could give the world was
the standard and quality of their journalism.
In what ways are Czech journalists different from
British journalists?
What can Czech journalists learn from British journalists?
I think that in terms of thorough research and doubting one’s own
thesis the British style is close to my heart, because you leave your
own opinion at the door of the studio and you try to be critical towards
all guests in the same way, to question their way of thinking.
The other thing is their experience and career growth. In Britain
talk show hosts and high profile positions are occupied by experienced
people who are 40-50 years old. Here in the Czech Republic,
November 1989 was a watershed and a generational change. We’re
basically not in a normal situation, in contrast to the British, where
journalism in a parliamentary democracy has been developing for x
number of years.
How did you get to Vaclav Moravec’s Questions? How did the
programme develop? And how has Vaclav Moravec changed
over the seven years it’s been on the air?
That’s a question that I really can’t answer! That’s up to the
viewers! The offer came in 2003 and it will be eight years since
Questions has been on Czech TV. The offer came from Mr. Janecek
from Czech TV and again it was an offer that I nearly refused, for
the same reasons as before. I seemed too young to have and host my
own show. But under their pressure, I realised that his offer might
never come again and that I should try getting into television.
Václav Moravec and Silvia Bušniaková
FOCUS 1/2010
15

interview
So you finally agreed and Vaclav Moravec’s Questions came
on the air in late 2003..
Yes. The first half year we were groping about. I was just getting into
television and the programme had just been born. Questions was
then moved from Sunday evening to Sunday afternoon and I am to
this day grateful that Janecek and Samal went head on in competition
with Nova. And we succeeded. We made viewers return to Czech
TV as a public media service and Nova cancelled its programme
Sedmicka. One of the examples where Czech Television managed to
offer a better programme format.
And was that when you felt
like a fish in water?
Yes, exactly. But even after seven
years we are constantly
developing, we now have
Questions from the domestic
scene and Questions from
Afghanistan and so on. We do
not want to be stuck in a rut.
Do you remember your first
guest?
Yes, it was the prime minister
at the time Vladimír Špidla
in part one and in the second
part Janina Hřebíčková and
Jana Hybášková.
We talked about the recovery
of Iraq.
How does the team help
you when selecting guests?
The programme editor,
Čestmír Franěk, the general
director and I discuss the contents
of Questions, so that for
example we distinguish ourselves
from the competition
and open up an agenda for the
next week.
Who do you look forward
to in the studio and on the
other hand who do you not
look forward to?
I look forward to guests who really listen to my questions and answer
them directly.
I don’t like guests who deliver monologues. As a rule the best interviews
are with politicians who are resigning. For instance, when
Tomas Julínek was a minister we had quite a battle; he refused to
answer the questions, always avoided them. But the interview that
I did with him after he left government I like best of all. I also find
that the more a person knows and the more experience he has, the
humbler he is.
Is there someone whom you haven’t yet invited to the studio
and would love to interview?
There are people who we invited and they didn’t come, which of
course was disappointing. For example, Pope Benedict XVI, but
apparently he never gives interviews. But otherwise, most people
with whom I wanted to speak have been on the programme.
Of course there are people who you just can’t reach, because the
16 FOCUS 1/2010
Czech Republic is simply not part of their programme, for example
President Obama and people like that. But if we look back, then
the former secretary general of the UN, Kofi Annan, the Dalai
Lama and Madeleine Albright have all been on the programme.
There are viewers who criticise you for a lack of professionalism.
It is said that you have a tendency to favour some individuals
or political parties. Are you able to admit mistakes?
I can admit that I sometimes don’t ask the right questions or
don’t go in the direction that I should. I admit that. Remember
that a host is under a whole range of pressures and other factors
that should not concern the average
viewer.
The ODS considers me a leftwing
intellectual; the KDU-ČSL thinks
that I’m a Green; the Greens label
me a Christian Democrat. These
perceptions give me some indications
of my independence.
Who do you vote for?
I don’t vote in general elections.
You don’t regret this? By not voting
don’t you miss out on the
chance to effect change in this
country?
No. I’m not close to any political programme.
As a host I am at the service
of the viewer of public television. Let
him make up his own mind. It is not
my job to evaluate the opinions of democratic
political parties.
What’s next for Vaclav Moravec’s
Questions?
More specials like the one about
Afghanistan. From time to time
we want to go on the road. We’re
also increasing communication
with viewers through modern
technologies like YouTube
and Facebook. That is the gradual
evolution of Questions. I firmly
believe that if we put on a programme
then, let’s make it as good as possible. Questions must
continue to evolve.
And your personal professional dream? Where can a young
host with a programme on public television go next?
Well, that’s the frustrating thing. There’s nowhere else to go. My
wish is to last as long as possible. Because what more can there
be for a host? Of course, the reports are very enriching, the
specials, which I really enjoy. I see more room for myself there.
For example, the three daily specials with the visit of the Pope
Benedict XVI were full of adrenalin!
And are you a believer?
I am not an institutionalised believer, I am not a practicing
Roman Catholic, being baptised. But probably yes, I do believe in
certain values, which I guide myself by and I don’t need to objectify
them as an old man in the sky.

One of the most important ideas of democracy is the requirement
for an objective media. We were talking now about
democracy. Do you think that the Czech media is objective?
Is it neutral?
I think that the media is under a big influence from economic and
interest groups. Here I worry that this media is privatised
and takes sides on issues. That’s why I support the defenders
of public media, despite the fact that in the Czech Republic
it’s rather unpopular, because everyone kicks Czech television
and Czech radio, because they of course don’t like that they have
to pay fees. Here you have one financial group which owns one
private business weekly, and there you have another person who
works in real estate who owns another journal, and I think that
a content analysis will precisely determine who defends the interests
of whom.
And what about Czech television? It also received a lot of
criticism for allegedly supporting political interests...
Of course, even ČT is constantly under fire for this. But it’s not
the case. Because if it was, then Kraus, Frydrichová,Volner and
Moravec would not work for this station. With ČT it’s definitely not
as bad as is sometimes written.
And how do you personally see our political scene?
As very evasive and lacking a basic vision. I see it as a state of turmoil
and personal animosities split it inside and outside political
parties. This weakens the Czech Republic.
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interview
Why?
I don’t have an answer for that, unfortunately. In a society like
Britain, for example, if they’re not satisfied with something they
make it clear. But not here. Here the action mounts only when
things are really at their worst. You can even see this in
November 1989, when we were one of the last countries where
Communism finally collapsed.
You have already received several awards. The Novinářská
Křepelka, the TÝ TÝ Award I think you received twice. How
important is this for you? Or do you take it all with a pinch of
salt?
It’s gratifying. Show me someone who receives an award and says
no thanks, I don’t want it, because that seems to me completely
absurd. The thing I really like is that there are awards from the
viewers such as TÝ TÝ and from your colleagues such as the
ELSA.
Vaclav, where do you see yourself in ten years? Do you have
a personal dream that you would like to fulfill?
My head is full of political problems and the financial crisis and
sometimes I feel as though the world has lost any sense of rationality.
But no, I see myself on a sunny little island and I won’t
let anybody come over. But seriously, I sometimes ask myself if I
wouldn’t rather live in a foreign country. Well, we’ll see...
Silvia Bušniaková
FOCUS 1/2010
17

interview
Colonel
JAMIE
ATHILL
has been a professional officer for
most of his working life. His father
was called up in the war and then
stayed on, so Jamie was born into an
army family, just remembering postings
in Germany and Kenya before
the family returned to Norfolk.
Jamie was commissioned into the
Royal Green Jackets in 1976 and
has served at various times in Europe,
the Middle East and South East
Asia. For the last 10 years he has
done a variety of defence diplomacy
jobs, the most recent being a tour in
Baghdad, focussing on the strategic
partnership between the Coalition’s
Multi-National HQ and the nascent
Iraqi General Staff, before coming to
Prague in June 2007.
18 FOCUS 1/2010

In today’s complex world how well prepared and equipped is
the British Army to meet its commitments?
Perhaps I should start by describing my job, which is to be the Chief
of Defence Staff’s representative to the Czech Chief of the General
Staff. This involves me in a wide range of activity, from Defence
policy through to support for people here on exercise – and
right now it involves explaining how things are with some aspects
of Defence. The Army is well prepared, as are the Royal Navy and
the Royal Air Force, in terms of training and Service ethos. We
spend a lot of time and effort on training: not just new recruits,
but also the through-life training people need to progress during
their careers and, very importantly, pre-deployment training, in
which both individuals and units are prepared for a specific operational
tour. I mention ethos because it’s essential to Service life:
the ship, regiment or squadron is your military family and your
loyalty to it plays a big part in military team building. We are well
equipped – what we have is generally robust and works well – and
a big effort goes into getting the right kit to the right place at the
right time, which is part and parcel of a campaign. For the last few
years we have had a very high operational tempo, by which I mean
that the front end of the Services has deployed on operations a lot
and those deployments have been extremely demanding on people
and kit. This pressure reflects back into the procurement and maintenance
worlds, which in turn increases pressure on the budget.
One must also remember that it’s not just a question of kit for today’s
operations in Afghanistan – we need to train and equip for
all our tasks. The resources required are enormous and the events
we confront are often difficult to predict, so I think we all realise
that we could do better in some cases and this applies to equipment
as much as anything else. British forces have been in action
somewhere pretty much continuously over the past century or
so – 1968 was the only year since WW2 in which someone was not
killed on active service somewhere – so we realise that such complex
operations involve casualties. And the wider public realises
as well, and we’re grateful for their support.
Perhaps you could help me by describing the recent history
of the relationship between the UK and Czech Military?
The Czech Armed Forces have undergone a very considerable transformation
process since they joined NATO. We, along with other
allies, have co-operated with them in this process. The change has
been considerable: 250,000, mainly conscripts, in 2002 to about
25,000 all professionals today. Our contribution has been advice
within the General Staff, a lot of English language training in
the 1990s and, more recently, Peace Support Operations training
through the British Military Advisory and Training Team at Vyškov.
Middle and senior ranking Czech officers have attended the
Royal College of Defence Studies and the Staff College in the UK
and, at the tactical level, people have attended a number of practical
courses. This all helps to standardise the way we work and
brings a useful, different perspective to the way they do things.
What are the main areas of co-operation today that you are
concerned with?
I have already mentioned the BMATT. This team of about 20,
run by a colonel, delivers a range of courses that prepare people
for Peace Support Operations – both UN and coalition operati-
interview
ons such as in the Balkans. Students from a number of countries
come to Vyškov to train and BMATT also sends teams abroad to
give bespoke in-country training advice. Whilst the courses here
have the added benefit that students get to know and work alongside
people from armies they may well not otherwise have met, our
deployed teams are able to touch much larger numbers of people,
because the host nation can get, say, a whole battalion together for
a specific training task. In military jargon, BMATT is a ‘train the
trainers’ organisation, which now includes a number of Czech instructors
and benefits from considerable Czech support in terms
of its location, stores and the training areas it uses.
Our other main interest is a big training exercise that has been organised
annually for several years now by the 1st (UK) Armoured
Division, based in Germany. This was originally an exercise that
just focused on training Forward Air Controllers – the people that
control aircraft tasked in support of ground forces – and hence
we call it FLYING RHINO; the rhino is the emblem of the 1st
Armoured Division. This activity has now expanded to include field
headquarters training, live artillery firing, aircrew and logistics
training. It involves about 2000 people and a lot of equipment,
including armoured vehicles and aircraft and uses a considerable
amount of the Czechs’ training areas and air space, for which we
are very grateful. I am glad to say that the Czech Armed Forces
participate with us in the exercise more and more each year.
How do you view the Czech Republic’s contribution to NATO
and the EU Alliances?
Like us, they have a foot in both camps and, like us, they need
to balance their contributions, because you can’t do everything.
Czech defence policy is to be capable of sustaining an appropriate
proportion of their forces on collective deployments. Current
examples on the EU side are their 450 personnel in Kosovo and
their EU battlegroup this year, in partnership with the Slovaks.
Within NATO there is their reconstruction team in Afghanistan,
where they will shortly deploy 3 helicopters as well, and the Baltic
air policing task that the Gripen fighters from Časlav have recently
completed. NATO is a defensive alliance, but today’s threats need
an expeditionary response. It’s important to understand that such
deployments are genuinely defensive in purpose and effect and the
Czech Armed Forces contribute their share of the numbers and
equipment needed.
Most people associate the role of the Defence Attaché with
Defence Sales, how true is this?
The Defence sector is very important to the British economy and
is supported by UKTI. My role is to give informed advice to UKTI
and, once official support to a project has been agreed, to offer
what practical help I can. But I am always prepared to explain
what the Armed Forces do and talk about our experiences with
the kit we use. For example, the introduction of the excellent Eurofighter
Typhoon or the range of new armoured vehicles that we
have introduced to increase the level of protected mobility in Afghanistan.
If we do get to support a big equipment sale, the military
role can also involve training and the attachment of British
specialists to the buyer’s armed forces to help them get the equipment
into service.
FOCUS 1/2010
19

interview
I know that it took you a while before you came back to Czechoslovakia
in 1990, can you describe your feelings at that
time when you were still in London?
I didn’t bother to visit until February 1990 and even then reluctantly,
for one week, and quickly left again, with shivers in the
spine. It still looked and felt – and in some ways behaved – very
much like a Communist country. Prague was grey and drab and
the thick winter air smelled of an unpleasant mixture of poor quality
coal and boiled cabbage. The restaurant repertoire did not differ
much from what I remembered from pre-emigration days from
student canteens, and tasted worse. It was the same five or six ubiquitous
dishes, accompanied by flavourless dumplings, the only
vegetable being cabbage, that made us returning émigrés label it
“menu fix bolsheviks”. Probably the greatest shock was the state of
public toilets: that felt like being somewhere in Siberia. This made
me coin a theory that a country’s public toilets are the truest and
immediately visible indicator of its emotional and moral state (nothing
to do with its economy). My ex-home town of Olomouc, with
its ancient university, still had a garrison of 30,000 Russian soldiers,
quite visible in the streets, the once beautiful Renaissance
centre was falling to bits, not a single facade having been repaired
in the twenty years. It was like being in a time-warp, where
time had stopped for twenty years. Very depressing. Few people
now care to remember that. Then came the period of “la dolce
vita” which lasted fifteen years and which many Czechs refuse to
believe has ended.
I have enjoyed your books. Czechs and Balances ends in
1995. How would you describe the last 14 years in one pithy
paragraph?
The latest reprint of its Czech edition has one new chapter which
does just that. The original version ends with a Masaryk quote that
a country stands on the ideas on which it was founded. And asks
20 FOCUS 1/2010
And Study Gloom no more….
Benjamin Kuras is a prolific Anglo-Czech writer. Arriving
in London in 1968, he worked at the BBC World
Service, and had his first English play performed on
Radio 4 in 1975. This was followed by a further 15 plays
performed on radio and in small theatres in the UK,
Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Israel, and the
Czech Republic. Since 1990, Benjamin took up writing
in Czech,with articles for several newspapers
and magazines (Respekt, Reflex MFDnes,
Euro and Xantypa), in addition to
at least two books a year.
He now divides his time
about equally between
Prague, London and
a few other places.
“what’s the idea?” The new chapter observes that the Czechs have
at last found their unifying idea: money. Golf is its new religion of
success and the ID of a new class which unashamedly blends three
classes: anti-communist straight business people, ex-communist
secret service agents and apparatchiks, and the former underground
money changers’ mafia. The chapter also praises the Czech
Republic as a miraculous fairy-tale land which has been robbed
many times over and never runs out of things to rob.
“Light could go off, space could collapse, a planet could
burst, a part of a US President could forget itself with an intern...”
While writing a religious and moral treatise you consistently
bring the reader back to earth by your humour.
Somewhere you say that Czechs lack the ability to laugh at
themselves, particularly those in positions of authority. Do
you think more of this quality might have ameliorated Czech
politics?
After some initial discomfort at “this renegade who spits hatred at
his birthplace” (quoting one of the reviews), Czechs and Balances
has been a cult book with the Czech populace for fifteen years and
keeps getting reprinted no end. And yet I keep meeting politicians
who have never heard of it, let alone read it, let alone had a chuckle
at it. Sense of humour – whose sine qua non is, of course, the ability
to take the mickey out of oneself – has never gained common
currency with Czech politicians, with the possible exception of the
earthy Milos Zeman. Even he seems to have lost it, though, judging
from his desire to return to politics with his old humourless
cronies. Vaclav Klaus has a well-honed wit, which is not quite the
same as humour. But this is not just a Czech problem. How many
giggles do we get from British politicians these days? The odd joke
from Boris Johnson, and a bit of wit from William Hague? They
were all funny twenty years ago, it was a requirement for getting
elected.

What do you understand by the term Cartel Politics and in
what way is it applicable to the Czech political elite?
The growth of the political class wedded to business mafia and civil
service bureaucracy while oblivious of the interests, let alone
welfare, of their voters (other than needing them to be voted in)
has been visible everywhere in Europe. The entire structure of the
EU, if not its very existence, is based on it and depends on it. The
Czechs have mastered it very fast and turned it into fine art. I have
not been able to study it in depth, not being a golf aficionado, so
I could only give a second-hand view, with no hard facts, and actionable.
Given that this “cartel” also incorporates a few influential
members of the legal profession, this is not a field into which a
comic writer should delve too deeply, lest someone takes him seriously.
One of the more positive signs appearing during the 20 year
celebrations has been the speeches from representatives of
http://www.inventurademokracie.cz/. Do you think that this
generation will prove more active and engaged citizens than
their parents?
I would advise to take this with a pinch of salt. Czechs have a popular
theory that all it needs is forty years for the old generation to
die out and the new generation would automatically be better. Just
like the Israelites in the desert. That sounds fine, even convincing,
until you recall that the Israelites had not just the desert and the
forty years but also Moses and Joshua.
Do you agree that for Czechs who emigrated or foreigners
who live here, and have had experience of living as citizens
of another country, it is easy to be too judgmental about the
society they find here?
This was certainly so in the first decade or so. Lately, I am finding
that the contrary is happening. The fiercest criticism, or grumbling,
comes from the Czechs who never lived anywhere, while the
foreigners and émigrés are more aware of the sharp decline of political
culture and moral fibre in their own countries and are conceding
that given the circumstances, the Czechs could have done
much worse.
President Klaus recently secured an opt -out to the Lisbon
Treaty for the Czech Republic. It concerned potential restitution
no longer enforceable under the Benes Decrees. This
was only one of the 6 aims of Strana svobodných občanů in
respect of the treaty. As a member of the party do you regard
this as a success?
A success of a very small degree. Like, say, someone pulling a
knife out of your back by one inch, having first stuck it in there inches.
It in no way diminishes the fact that the Lisbon Treaty constitutes
the end of democracy in the whole of Europe (not counting
Switzerland, Norway Iceland and Liechtenstein) and its replacement
with precisely the “cartel” we just spoke of, with no chance
of its removal. It’s the end of politics. But, since I believe in a silver
lining in every cloud, I am beginning to comfort myself with the
thought that once we all discover that devoting any time to politics
is a waste of time (except as a way of becoming a member of the
cartel for which the competition will become tougher and require
thicker skin), we may be able to return to more perennial pursuits
of transcendental, erotic and culinary nature. Which is, in
fact, what my writing is increasingly about. On the transcendental
side, two of my twenty-odd Czech books also have English versions
in print. They explore this countries two greatest thinkers.
interview
One wrote in Hebrew, the other mostly Latin, but there is something
unmistakably Czech about them. The best of Czech, I would
call them. I also believe that they are the stuff that Czechs should
reclaim as their rightful heritage which might assist them in their
struggle to revive some ethical and spiritual content in their lives.
Grounded in Biblical ethics, spirituality and humanism, they
are both profoundly democratic, although neither of them lived
in anything remotely resembling democracy. Between them,
they laid the foundations of what is the finest in modern Western
thought and education. One is the 16th century Rabbi Loew, the
other the two generations younger Comenius. As Golems Go and
Restoring Comenius can be obtained, along with Czechs and
Balances, from me on benkuras@seznam.cz.
On Europe again. I heard Petr Mach attacking the corruption
and unaccountability of the EU in Brussels but the whole of
the EU Commission under Santer resigned in 1999, in your
opinion is the Czech Government any more accountable?
Yes, and the Court of Auditors is still unable to balance the Commissions’
accounts, for 14 years running, accusing it of corruption,
negligence and whatnot. Which makes the 1999 resignation a joke.
Corruption of Czech politics has greatly increased since EU accession
and there is every sign that they feed each other. The ever-increasing
and uncontrollable EU budget provides more opportunities
and temptations for more swindlers and corruptors of more
money on European, national, regional and municipal levels. The
aim of all politics is to rob productive citizens of as much as possible
to support unproductive citizens. Politicians and bureaucrats
are the quintessential unproductive citizens and the difference
between left and right politics is the level of the robbery they think
they can get away with. The EU is an ingenious construct enabling
the unproductive class to grow and better itself without fear of being
overthrown by the productive classes. The Lisbon Treaty has
deprived the productive classes of all remaining means of defence
and ended all accountability of politicians and bureaucrats.
I am aware that moderate Jews around the world have been
petitioning in support of Judge Goldstone’s report. Should
this body of opinion do more to counteract the impressions
and actions (see today’s announcement to build 900 new homes
in Gilo ) of the current Israeli government?
“Moderate Jews” is a label which is now often being used to describe
Jews who are no longer certain that Israel is a legitimate country
and has the same right as any legitimate country to defend itself
against increasing attempts at its annihilation by one of the cruellest
ideological and political constructs that ever plagued this planet.
And whose breaches of human rights (including against its
own people) exceed those of the Israeli government many times
over. Anyone who believes that Israel’s survival in such context
may use any other means than those guaranteeing its destruction
is now an “extremist”. It would be much fairer if Israel’s actions
were judged like those of any other nation in similar circumstances,
rather than singled out for attack while infinitely worse atrocities
are taking place everywhere around them.
And a catch – all question. Is there anything further that you
would like to use this interview to comment on?
Let us all practice humour at all possible opportunities, because
humourless people, humourless ideas, situations and regimes are
lethal. Turn ideologies into comedies, to paraphrase Isaiah. And
study gloom no more.
Simon Rawlence
FOCUS 1/2010
21

in memoriam
Professor Katherine Terrell
Věněk Šilhán
22 FOCUS 1/2010
It is with great sadness that we record here the death of Katherine Terrell. Katherine
played a pivotal part in supporting the organizing of BCC´s Women in
Leadership Conference in June 2009. She had expressed a strong interest in
speaking at such a conference over a year before and had recent research
results on female entrepreneurship in CE as well as other areas that she was
prepared to share in a public forum. In one way hers was the main initiative for
the conference and its success. We extend our sympathies to her husband,
Jan Svejnar and her children, and count it our privilege to have known her for
a short time.
Katherine Terrell, professor of business economics and public policy at the University of Michigan,
died from respiratory complications Dec. 29 in the Dominican Republic. She was 59.
Terrell, who taught at both the Ross School of Business and the Ford School of Public Policy, was an
expert on the impact of government policies and the effect of globalization on wages, employment, income
inequality, and firm performance in emerging market economies. Her research and teaching focused
on countries in Central and Eastern Europe and Latin America, where she grew up.
She directed the international business PhD program at the Ross School and created the International
Economic Development Program at the Ford School, a program in which students travel each spring
to a different developing country to study policy issues.
“Katherine was a wonderful colleague and friend,” says Francine Lafontaine, professor of business
economics at Ross. “I will miss her energies and determination, her dedication to the people around
her, her dependability, her constant willingness to help, her sense of humor, and all the other things
she did and was. Her death leaves a great gap in our hearts and our community.”
Terrell was married to Jan Svejnar, who also teaches at the Ross School and the Ford School, where
he heads the International Policy Center. The two collaborated on several academic journal articles,
books, and other research. They are the parents of two grown children, Daniel and Laura, both
U-M graduates.
Schools Establish Katherine Terrell Svejnar Endowment Fund
In honour of Terrell, the newly established Katherine Terrell Svejnar Endowment Fund for
International Education, jointly held by Ross and the Ford School, will provide support for graduate
students doing international work, including internships or field work. A first preference will be given
to a student whose work is in Central or Eastern Europe or Latin America, with a second preference
for work in a developing country and a third preference for any international location. The funds
will be alternated annually between Ross and the Ford School with the exact purpose designated by
the respective deans.
The President’s Donor Challenge for the Student Global Experience will match all gifts to this fund
with $1 for every $2 donated. Gifts can be made to:
The Katherine Terrell Svejnar Endowment Fund for International Education
The University of Michigan, 735 S. State St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109, www.giving.umich.edu/give/ford
The 20 year anniversary of the Velvet Revolution has caused many to
think back on recent history and for the young to enquire about it for
the first time. There was a line of dissent from 1968 through the Charter
77 movement to 1989. Olga Sommerova has produced a 3 part documentary
entitled the 21 spokesmen of Charter 77, these people did
bring moral integrity to public life. Such a person, Venek Silhan, died
earlier this year.
In the desperate yet defiant place that was 1968 Czechoslovakia after
Soviet-led invasion, Venek Silhan was briefly a symbol of a country that refused to
accept that its new freedom had been crushed. Warsaw Pact tanks and soldiers
had taken up intimidating position all around the country. And the Czechoslovak
communist leader Alexander Dubcek, who had led moves towards political liberalisation,
had been arrested and taken with several of his closest colleagues to Moscow.

in memoriam
But others refused to accept that liberalisation was now over, among them Venek Silhan, economist and Communist Party member.
The party remained the key institution deciding what happened in the country. And an extraordinary meeting of the Czechoslovak
party to discuss the “Prague Spring” reforms had been due to take place in September 1968, a few weeks after the invasion. In defiance
of the invaders who wanted to install swiftly a puppet regime the meeting went ahead. It passed well-publicised resolutions
condemning the invasion, support for reform was reaffirmed, Soviet power was challenged and a successful general strike was called.
And Silhan was chosen to deputise for Dubcek in the top job of party general-secretary.
The support for those decisions was indicated by support for a general strike that the Vysocany meeting had called. “Every town and
village took part,” said Silhan. “Nothing moved. And it was not a strike for bread, but for freedom.”
The Vysocany meeting certainly embarrassed Moscow. But there were limits to what Silhan and his colleagues could do beyond
such expressions of defiance. Gradually, the Soviet leadership and its Czechoslovak allies managed to install their loyal regime.
The meeting had hoped for international support for its defiance. But that was not forthcoming, and Moscow and its tanks could not
be defied for long. Dubcek was forced to return and disown the reformers. He was then replaced in 1969 by Gustav Husak, committed
to “normalising” Czechoslovakia as an obedient and repressive Soviet ally. Silhan was punished for his high-profile defiance by
the loss of his academic and party positions, and he now had to earn his living through manual labour.
But he remained defiant, joining the Charter 77 human rights group. And as a dissident he relished in the late 1980s exposing the
difficulties the Czechoslovak communist leadership had as a very different kind of Soviet leadership took power in Moscow. Mikhail
Gorbachev began preaching just the sort of reforms to communism that the 1968 reformers had championed in Prague. And when
the Czechoslovak revolution against communism came in 1989 Silhan played a full political role. In late 1989 Silhan was one of the
founders of the Civic Forum movement that replaced the communists in power. As that movement began to fragment into more conventional
political groups he was briefly a Social Democratic representative in the Czechoslovak federal assembly.
He also pursued a business career in the new Czech economy, becoming Chairman of Preciosa, where he tried to implement ideas
on employee welfare and participation. He encouraged his fellow Czechs to develop economic and political links with a new Russia
as well as the West.
Venek Silhan, Czech economist and politician, was born on February 12, 1927.
He died on May 9, 2009, aged 82
Extract From The Times
May 21, 2009
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FOCUS 1/2010
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Focus on
An Instant Guide to Inventura Demokracie
The twentieth anniversary of the Velvet Revolution was quite a low key affair in the Czech Repub-
lic, and there were no official celebrations. In 1999 there had been a high profile campaign of pub-
lic figures protesting against the obstacles to the continuing progress to a state of full democracy
as well as the more visible ceremonies and awards to international statesmen organized by then
President Vaclav Havel. Perhaps President Vaclav Klaus was aware of the general feeling of disillusionment
with the political establishment, a further ten years later. The only time he ventured
out in public in the protected aura of popular Prime Minister Fischer he was individually roundly
booed. The one bright spark of light for the future came from a group of students who had been
preparing a declaration for the event under the title Inventura Demokracie. We caught up with and
interviewed two of their spokesmen.
What is Inventura Demokracie?
Our goal is to make students think more critically about the last
twenty years. Celebrate, yes, but think as well. Things are better
than before. Sure they are. But why the growing corruption, the
empty rubbish talked by politicians and the collapse of interest in
public life?
Who are you?
About 50 university students from Charles University, Czech
Technical University, Masaryk University in Brno and others. You
can read our Declaration in English on http://www.inventurademokracie.cz/en/student-declaration/
You are the generation that did not know communism. How
will you ever know?
With difficulty. The teaching of history here ends with the Second
World War. Even historians at Czech universities are not usually
interested in our post-war history. Perhaps because they were too
involved. About 10 of our friends who study history have started
to look into the archives to find out what happened after 1968. The
older generation knows, but they do not want to admit what happened.
So they do not teach it. History ends in 1945, Jan Palach
and 1968 are given two sentences and the Velvet Revolution two
more. And that’s it.
Do your contemporaries know why Jan Palach died?
Some do. But it is not the precise events so much but rather how
communism changed people that we need to understand. Our generation
has habits that we inherited from our parents. To understand
ourselves we need to understand why our parents behave as
they do.
If young people have no awareness of their history they can easily
repeat the mistakes of the past. It is not as if we had the Velvet
Revolution and now have democracy forever and ever…
What is education?
We know as students how easy it is to get a degree here. It requires
very little work even at Charles University. We have to reform
the education system. And not in the way that politicians want, by
turning students into clients. Education should develop character.
All that politicians talk about is the introduction of tuition fees.
We do not know how to be good citizens. This is not a natural skill
that you are born with. You have to learn it. And we are not taught
this. We need education in what it means to be a citizen. For example,
we are not able to act as equals with public officials. Go into a
local government office. You will find people (and we get this from
our parents) either humbly cringing before the official or screaming
at him. We need to learn how to assert our rights in a deliberate
and calm way.
Could you give us an example of one of your projects?
For one year, we have been interviewing politicians. In the beginning,
we had some respect for them. Now we know how silly they
are. We made a video of Marek Benda for instance. He was a student
leader in the Velvet Revolution but he sold out. (He is chairman
of the Lower House Constitutional Committee and a member
of ODS.) We did not need to make fun of him. He made a fool
of himself!
We plan more screenings. The students like them. They are surprised
that it is possible to influence politics outside elections. We
want to organise a weekend course for students who would like to
make their own videos. We are going to do these in Prague and hopefully
in Brno.
Is there any public figure in politics that you admire?
We lack figures of authority. The last such authority was Vaclav
Havel, but he is old now. In the First Republic, there were many
problems but there were figures of authority too, who led discussions
about common values and who held up a vision for people.
Today’s politicians have no vision and there is no one to create one
for them.
Any concrete names?
Based upon an interview with Silvie Mitlenerová and Jiří Boudal by Simon Rawlence and James de Candole.
Ondrej Liska, when he was education minister. We also believe
in Karel Schwarzenberg. But we do not understand why he joined
TOP 09. He is not in politics for money as most politicians are.
I am not speaking about his new party colleagues. Is he naive?
FOCUS 1/2010
25

events roundup
DARWIN GALA EVENING
ON THE ORIGIN
OF SPECIES
O
n 12 February BCC held the only major event in Czech Republic to celebrate 200 years since the birth of Charles Darwin. Over
100 members and their guests attended a gala evening at the Sacre Coeur monastery in Prague 5 and were welcomed by British
Ambassador to the Czech Republic Linda Duffield. Entertainment included drummers from the Original Rhythm Team playing
African djembee drums and a Scottish céilidh band. The Zátiší Catering Group served a three-course dinner, accompanied by the
Toast Singers. Czech TV were present to record the event.
COBCOE GALA DINNER CSR AWARDS 2008
he British Chamber of Commerce Czech Republic was recognized with an award for its achievements in corporate social respon-
T
sibility at the COBCOE gala dinner, which took place this year at London’s RAC Club In March 2009. The awards were handed
out by Sir Andrew Cahn and Council of British Chambers of Commerce in Continental Europe (COBCOE) Vice President David
Crackett. The audience included officers from COBCOE’s 31 member chambers, CEE government representatives, ambassadors,
members of Parliament as well as representatives from the European business community.
Petra Janíčková and Simon Rawlence receiving COBCOE CSR Award 2008 for the best British Chamber in Europe
26 FOCUS 1/2010

Beautiful models presenting LD collection
Guests
THE PRAGUE QUEST
BRITISH DAY
AT THE RACES 2009
V
elká Chuchle, with improved facilities and catering, again
proved the perfect setting for BCC’s 12 th day at the Races on April
26. There was entertainment for all the family, the highlight of which
was an exclusive hat and fashion show modelled by BCC hostesses.
Hats were made by Lucie Fraňková and dresses by BCC executive
team member Lenka Dostálková. Best Hat and Last
Horse in the Race competitions gave the non betting guests something
to win too!
Guests
Sponsors of the 12th Day at the Races were:
Crown Relocations, Cubbyland, Unilever.
events roundup
BCC and Prague Adventures joined forces to put on something different
- The Prague Quest.
Participants explored new corners of the city and
learned new facts in a fun event combining networking
and team building.
The teams repaired to the pub afterwards to
compare notes and scores.
FOCUS 1/2010
27

events roundup
WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP
CC and US Business School Praha organized a conference and
workshop on Women in Leadership, which took place in June 2009
in the Sheraton Hotel. The conference aimed to take a look at women’s
roles in leadership and entrepreneurship both in CZ, Europe and
developing countries.
The speakers were : Ringier CEO Libuše Šmuclerová, Michigan
University professor Katherine Terrell, Rodriguez Associates consultancy
head Elisabet Rodriguez Dennehy, M.C. Triton CEO Luděk
Pfeifer, ING CR and SR CEO Alexis George, US Business School
Praha’s director Jana Ryšlinková, and giving the Scandinavian
perspective the Swedish Ambassador Catherine von Heidenstam.
The sponsor of the event was ČSOB and interviews with several speakers and BCC chairman Eva Williams
were broadcast on Czech Television.
Libuše Šmuclerová, Ringier, Katherine Terrell, University of Michigan, Elisabeth Rodriguez, Rodriguez Associates,
Luděk Pfeifer, MC Triton, Alexis George, ING Bank, Jana Ryzlinková, US Business School.
28 FOCUS 1/2010 1/2009
BCC ANNUAL
GENERAL MEETING
BCC held its´ Annual General Meeting in May 2009 at the Hilton
Hotel. The reports of activities and results for 2008 were attractively presented
and there followed the excitement of a hardly fought election for 2
vacant seats on the board from 9 candidates. All candidates‘ presentations
were of a high quality and several candidates have since become active
members of BCC working groups.
Trevor Smith / Vision Training and Consulting, Petr Palička / Penta Investments, Eva Williams / Tesco Stores ČR,
Luděk Vrána / Vrána & Pelikán, advokátní kancelář, Linda Duffield, former Ambassador, Petr Karel / GE Money Bank
Czech Republic, James de Candole / Candole Partners, Richard York / Giese and Partner, Chris Garlick / Garlick s.r.o

events roundup
„YOU ROCK WE ROLL“
BUSINESS MIXER
Prague‘s newly opened Hard Rock hosted this period mixer.
This was enjoyed alike by old timers who dusted down their rocker gear and
younger members for whom these singers were legends.
The place heaved with members and buzzed with networking. We have been
invited back in 2010...
FOCUS 1/2010 29

events roundup
BRITISH CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE
ANNUAL DEBATE 2009
Our annual debate this year covered a topical and after the European Commission’s launch
of an investigation into ČEZ’s behaviour in late November, controversial issue, namely the
remarkable profitability of the Czech national energy champion.
T
he motion proposed: This House believes that a national energy champion should put public interest before profit.
Erik Best of the Fleet Sheet proposed the motion; Alan Svoboda of ČEZ opposed. Each was supported by a student, the
winning debaters selected from eight Czech universities in competitive qualifying rounds and organised by Charles University
Debating Society.
Thanks to Candole Partners for jointly organising and sponsoring this event.
BCC members
30 FOCUS 1/2010 1/2009
James de Candole, Candole Partners, Ondřej Liška, Chairman of the
Greens; former finance minister Pavel Mertlík of Raiffeisenbank

BCC HRG GOLF TOURNAMENT
SVATOVÁCLAVSKÝ POHÁR
Jana Mík ová, HRG, Silvia Bušniaková, BCC, Simon Rawlence, BCC, Boris Plaňanský, HRG,
representative of the non profit organisation Edies
S
vatováclavský Pohár Tournament was produced
by the BCC and HRG Czech Republic.
The aim of the event was to have an enjoyable
day and raise funds for the EDIE Czech Youth
Programme/the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. This
year’s Svatováclavský Pohár took place on Sept.
23 at the 18-hole Radecký course at Konopiště and
almost Kč 20,000 was raised for the EDIE project.
BCC members and HRG clients got a chance to experience
a great day full of sports, memorable fun,
competitions, a creative accompanying program,
live entertainment, impressive prizes and
a gourmet buffet.
BCC Sponsors of the Golf Tournament were:
Společnosti Online, Sport Invest, Provident
Financial, G4S, Williams and Partner. Media
partner was Czech Business Weekly.
Golf players
events roundup
Luděk Vrána, Vrána a Pelikán, Advokátní Kancelář, BCC Chairman
FOCUS 1/2010
31

events roundup
ENTROPA
EVENING SEPTEMBER 22
Guests
A
fter the success of the 2008 Avant Garde Evening combining a joint mixer of European Chambers and Modern Art,the BCC together
with the French-Czech Chamber of Commerce, the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Italian-Czech
Chamber of Commerce organised a successful mixer of over 400 attendees at DOX where David Černys controversial installation
„Entropa“ was on display for the first time.Three ambassadors made speeches and this was the first event attended by the new British
Ambassador H.E. Sian MacLeod.
32 FOCUS 1/2010

events roundup
1st BCC ANNUAL
BEACH VOLLEYBALL
TOURNAMENT
This proved so popular an event that we were unable to accomodate all the
teams that BCC members applied to enter.
Lovely weather and enthusiastic spectators made it fun for all who came
along. This is not to say that it was not competitive as well. It was. Top of
the heap proved to be a team from Duhovka Montessori. The tournament
took place at Žluté Lázně on August 27.
BCC SUE RYDER SPARTA CUP
CC supported its member organisation Domov Sue Ryder in this football tournament at
B Sparta Praha. BCC members got a chance to enter teams and compete to play a celebrity team in the
final. The entry fee contributed to help the quality care for senior clients at Sue Ryders.
Sponsors of the this tournament were BCC members:
Kinstellar, Hotel Sheraton and KPMG
Kinstellar Football players
FOCUS 1/2010
33

BCC BOAT PARTY
02
events roundup
This colourful farewell to BCC executive director
Simon Rawlence was enjoyed by passengers, crew
and stow aways on the classic ship Nepomuk
on December 15.
Guests came attired as sailors and pirates.
The best navy outfit competiton was won by
Martin Vosecký from Catro as the Austrian naval
attache and the most creative tattoo competiton’s
winner was Tomáš Kortán from BakerTilly!
01
01 Tomáš Kortán, Baker Tilly, Jana Řeháková, Komerční Banka, Michaela Skalníková, HRG, Filip Kortán, Baker Tilly, Luděk Vrána, Vrána a Pelikán, Advokátní Kancelář, BCC Chairman
02 Richard Robinson, BCC general Director, Petr Karel, Ge Money Bank | 03 Jan Štroblík and Jiří Hůla from Teamconsult
34 FOCUS 1/2010
03
Sponsor of this party was GE Money.

Culinary
BUSINESS
MIXER
O
ctober 13 saw BCC host a great evening
at Holiday Inn where delicious food was
the central theme. The chefs showcased their
techniques and prepared selected dishes from
Asian, Italian, Greek and Czech Cuisine.
Members entered in to the spirit of the evening
by donning appropriate head gear. Main Partner
of this tasty evening was Fackelmann who
presented guests with one of their products.
events roundup
SUMMER GARDEN RECEPTION
H.E. Linda Duffield and The British Chamber of Commerce in the Czech
Republic invited members to a Summer Garden Reception in the garden of the British
Embassy on May 12.
01
01 Richard York from Giese and Partner, Carlo Capalbo from
Prague International Marathon and Trevor Smith from
Vision Training
02 Petra Janíčková, BCC
03 Aleš Janků From Provident Financial with Mark Harris
and Pinton Gregoire from International SOS
04 Eva Williams, Tesco Stores ČR
03
Silvia Bušniaková and Simon Rawlence, BCC
Sponsor of this event was GE Money.
02
04
FOCUS 1/2010
35

future events
FUTURE
EVENTS
Future events that members can
look forward to in 2010 are listed
below. They included some now
regular calendar events which we
hope to improve on each year, some
exciting new ones and also opportunities
for joint events to widen
networking either with members
and their clients or other International
chambers.
Our education workshops and
executive seminars prove increasingly
popular and are also listed at
www.britcham.cz
36 FOCUS 1/2010
▪ BCC EVENTS FOR 2010
▪ BCC´S GOT AN IDOL
- NEW YEAR´S BUSINESS MIXER
▪ DAY AT THE RACES
▪ ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
▪ BCC SUE RYDER CUP
▪ ANNUAL VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT
▪ BCC GOLF TOURNAMENT
▪ BEER FESTIVAL JOINT EVENT
WITH OTHER CHAMBERS
▪ SUMMER BUSINESS MIXER
▪ AUTUMN BUSINESS MIXER
▪ GUY FAWKES NIGHT
▪ WINTER PUB NIGHT
ADVERTISEMENT
0912_adv_210_148_British_Council.indd 1 16.12.2009 17:51:28

from the press
British Chamber of Commerce managed to build strong media relationships
over the last year. Here are some samples of the press coverage…
E 15
Annual General Meeting
COBCOE AWARDS 2008
Czech Business Weekly
Respekt
British Chamber of Commerce
Annual Debate 2009
EURO
BCC Boat Party
Czech Business Weekly
Interview with BCC Chairman
Luděk Vrána
FOR GOLF
BCC HRG Golf Tournament
Svatováclavský Pohár
EURO
BCC Sue Ryder Sparta Cup
Česká Televize
Darwin Gala Evening
“ON THE ORIGIN
OF SPECIES”
Glanc
Interview with Olga Menzelová
about Winton Train Project
Rádio Impuls
Darwin Gala Evening
“ON THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES”
KarieraWeb.cz
Women in Leadership
FOCUS 1/2010
37

C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
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Tržiště 9
118 00 Praha 1
T: +420 225 334 111
F: +420 225 334 666
E: stay@aria.cz
W: www.ariahotel.cz
THE ARIA is Prague’s first world class Luxury
Hotel, with creative cuisine and 52 unique Rooms,
representing Artists of Jazz, Opera, Classic
or Contemporary music. Designed by Architects
of fashion Legend Gianni Versace, decorated
by Art Deco and originals by Chagall, Picasso,
Braque and Dali. A peaceful Serenity over the
Rooftops - that’s the magnificent View from
ARIA Terrace Restaurant.
Na Strži 32
140 00 Praha 4
T: +420 222 337 111
F: +420 222 337 777
E: praha.dsm@barcelo.com
W: www.barcelo.com
Barceló Praha hotel is situated in a quite zone
of Prague 4 and offers accommodation in 213
rooms, conference centre up to 450 persons,
restaurants and bar. Barceló Old Town Praha
premium boutique hotel in Celetná was opened
in December 2008 and all 62 rooms and suites,
restaurant and bar will satisfy requirements of
business travelers and tourists.Barceló Group
was established in Palma de Majorca (Spain)
more than 75 years ago and it is one of the
Spain’s leading tourist companies and one of
the most important worldwide. Its hotel and
travel divisions operate more than 185 hotels
in 15 countries and 505 travel agencies in 23
countries. The group is owned by the Barceló
family and has been run by three generations of
family members.
Kubelíkova 27
130 00 Praha 3
T:+420 296 330 967
E: info@ciant.cz
w: www.ciant.cz
(RRM)
(FCM)
(AM)
CIANT – International Centre for Art and New
Technologies is a non-profit non-governmental
cultural organization active in the field of
artistic experimentation with newly emerging
technologies.
Provaznická 13
110 00 Praha 1
T: +420 234 071 377
F: +420 234 071 377
E:
W: www.cbw.cz
Czech Youth Programme
the Duke of Edinburgh
Award Associate
Thunovská 18
118 00 Praha 1
T: +420 251 104 137
F: +420 251 104 250
E: award@volny.cz
F: www.edie.cz
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is a voluntary
self-improvement programme supporting personality
development and leisure-time activities
for young people between the ages of 14 and
25.The Programme is open to all organisations
and groups working with children and young
people.
There are four parts to the Programme; the
young person learns or improves a recreational
sport, develops his/her practical skills, assists
others less fortunate and undertakes a joint
expedition as part of a team. Every school, foster
home, sport or tourist club, etc. can participate.
Just contact the Programme’s National Centre.
Then, young people can simply enrol with their
leader, or ask at the National Centre.
Kozí 3
110 00 Praha 1
T: +420 222 32 32 32
E: art@deaorh.com
W: www.deaorh.com
(RRM)
(RRM)
Information on these pages has been supplied by the new members themselves and BCC does not take responsibility for its accuracy.
New members joining up to 31 December 2009.
(AM)
introducing new members
DEA ORH is dedicated to the exhibiting of the
best of modern art by established and emerging
Czech and international artists. DEA ORH is
also a host for exquisite shows, receptions and
offers a superb venue for exclusive corporate
events.
Belgická 22
120 00 Praha 2
T: +420 242 487 811
F: +420 242 487 834
E: ustredi@diakoniecce.cz
W: www.diakoniecce.cz
Diaconia of the Evangelical Church of Czech
Brethren provides social, medical, educational
and pastoral services in 33 centres and 8 special
schools. (www.diakoniecce.cz)
Diakonie Českobratrské církve evangelické
poskytuje sociální, zdravotní, vzdělávací a pastorační
služby v 33 střediscích a 8 školách po celé
České republice. (www.diakoniecce.cz)
Kozlovská 9
160 00 Praha 6
T: +420 733 317 843
E: info@duhovkaskolka.cz
W: www.duhovkaskolka.cz
The Duhovka Preschool is an international
preschool located in a charming villa in Prague
6 and is open to children aged 2.5-6 years of any
nationality, which aims to create a motivating
bilingual environment and gives children direct,
immediate contact with both the English and
Czech languages. The Duhovka preschool’s
concept of childcare is based on the lifelong
work and heritage of the exceptionally gifted
Italian doctor, Maria Montessori. We work with
teachers who prefer to take a creative approach
to teaching and treat children as partners. They
support and encourage children on their path to
knowledge and, through proven didactic techniques,
prepare for them the optimal environment,
stimulating their development to the maximum.
Through partnership with the ZŠ Na Dlouhém
lánu Grammar School, the Duhovka Preschool
offers a unique opportunity to continue Montessori
education for a further 5 years at this
grammar school. Additionally, Duhovka offers
programme PlayWisely® for babies and toddlers,
a unique educational programme which
engages the parents. This innovative and creative
method helps children to develop language,
learning and movement co-ordination.
FOCUS 1/2010
(AM)
(RRM)
39

introducing new members
Pplk. Sochora 12
170 00 Praha 7
T: +420 222 743 195
F: +420 226 015 415
E: nando@evocreative.com
W: www.evocreative.com
Evocreative is a full service graphic design agency
that understands business.
With over 6 years of experience in the Czech
market an and innovative team made up of local
and foreign talent, we are helping our clients to
achieve more through our simple, professional
and creative approach to branding, advertising,
web development and online marketing.
Kartouzská 4/200
150 99 Praha 5
T: +420 608 261 354
E: epells@houseofwine.eu
W: www.houseofwine.cz
House of Wine aim is to supply top quality wine
and services to its customers and consumers.
The company has developed its own premium
wine range Phant distributed exclusively in
Horeca channel in Prague. The range of services
includes wine advisory, management of wine
and food pairing events and many others
Gemini, Building B
Na Pankráci 129/1724
140 00 Praha 4
T: +420 225 992 204
F: +420 225 992 201
E: ivona.hronova@firstclients.com
W: www.firstclients.com
40 FOCUS 1/2010
(RRM)
(RRM)
(RRM)
FirstClients offers attractively located, fully furnished
offices at flexible contract length with full
facility management and no capital expenditure.
Contact us for Instant Office, Virtual Office or a
Meeting Room.
Sokolovská 11
186 00 Praha 8
T: +420 226 222 600
F: +420 226 222 610
E: info_prague@jurysinns.com
W: http://praguehotels.jurysinns.com
Jurys Inns offer great value, stylish and comfortable
accommodation in the very best city centre
locations throughout the UK, Ireland and now
central Europe, Prague!
214 spacious bedrooms with large comfortable
beds, generous workspace areas and free internet
connection leave guests refreshed and ready
to face the day ahead. Jurys Inn Prague with
contemporary restaurant, stylish bar, gym and
parking offers as well state of the art equipment
and facilities catering any need for meetings and
events up to 160 delegates.
19 Berkeley Street
W1J8ED London W1
Great Britain
T: +44 207 290 3817
F: +44 207 629 4604
E: eva@lansdowneinternational.com
W: www.lansdowneinternational.com
International executive search firm focusing
on senior / board level appointments in the
Emerging Markets. Key geographical focus is
on Russia, CIS, CEE, Middle East and Africa.
Extensive experience in Financial Services,
Investment Banking, Insurance, Real Estate,
Industry and FMCG.
Libická 5
190 00 Praha 9
T: +420 281021000
F: +420 281 021 009
E: info@mamaafrica.cz
W: www.mamaafrica.cz
(FCM)
(RRM)
(RRM)
Mama Africa is on market since 1998 and it
is an exclusive importer, wholesale and retail
company, who import premium wine´s brands
as Rust en Vrede, Ernie Els, Delheim, Bouchard
Finlayson, especially from South Africa. This
family business, now managed by Guillaume
Lahournat (ex-Head Sommelier of Kampagroup
restaurants) provide a wide services as tastings,
wine school, gift´s packets etc. For more informations
please contact us.
Senovážné náměstí 1375/19
110 00 Praha 1
T: +420 224 248 729
E: praha@mpu.cz
W: www.mpu.cz
Moravský Peněžní Ústav – the largest savings
cooperative in the Czech Republic with the more
than thirteen years in business, with more than
7000 clients and the balance sum exceeding
CZK 4.5 billion. We offer an individual approach
with emphasis put on personal banking. We offer
attractive interest on deposits and operative
financing of the client needs in the form of shortterm
loans in the amount of 3 to 90 million.
Rokycanova 27
130 00 Praha 3
T: +420 222 710 373
F: +420 222 710 373
E: hello@nydrle.net
W: www.nydrle.net
(RRM)
(RRM)
We are the on-line communication agency.
Established in 2004. Currently we have 15 still
employees. Our Services: On-line communication
strategy Creativity Programming Media planning
Video production. On-line communication
agency Nydrle focuses on strategy, creativity,
media buying and production. The agency was
established in 2004 and now belongs to leaders
in digital advertising market in Czech Republic.
We focus on cost effective solutions that can
prove actual results. This way we can work on
success fee basis.
Zahoranskeho 3
120 00 Prague 2
T: +420 224 919 209
E: info@praguemarathon.com
W: www.praguemarathon.com
(RRM)
Information on these pages has been supplied by the new members themselves and BCC does not take responsibility for its accuracy.
New members joining up to 31 December 2009.

PIM is the organizer of the PIM Running Circuit,
a series of 3 main running events in Prague, the
Hervis Prague Half Marathon, the Volkswagen
Prague Marathon and the TESCO Prague Grand
Prix. We are proud holder of 3 Road Race Labels
awarded by the IAAF for the quality of our
events.
Burzovni Palac
Rybna 14
110 00 Praha 1
T: +420 227 315 806
F: +420 227 316 444
E: info@presidia-consult.com
W: www.presidia-consult.com
Independant professional Real Estate consultants
specialising in Investment and Development
Consultancy/Agency across all sectors
of the market. Active within CZ and other EU
countries.
Liliova 8
110 00 Praha 1
T: + 420 222 230 699
E: zuzana@principalcoaching.com
W: www.principalcoaching.com
In Principal Coaching, Success at Home and
Abroad, the goal is to assist clients to settle
easily, with peace of mind in a new culture. As
Culture Transition/Business Coach, we support
professional individuals in their businesses,
leaders, their families and international MBA
students in creating own strong steps to success
and wellbeing in all areas of their international
life. Professional Transition Coach and Coaching
Psychologist Eva Drazska in Principal Coaching
– Success home and Abroad offers coaching
in cross culture perspective using Outcome
Focused and Systemic Coaching approach for
following areas:
Business Coaching, Transition Coaching, Life
Balance Coaching.
Jankovcova 1569/2c
170 00 Praha 7
T: + 420 226 218 511
F: +420 226 218 510
E: info@procureitdirect.com
W: www.procureitdirect.com
(RRM)
(RRM)
(RRM)
Procurement specialists Fit out contractors
Suppliers Shopfitters.
Rubeška 1/215
190 00 Praha 9
T: +420 283 891 660
F: +420 283 892 757
E: provoz@promopro.cz
W: www.promopro.cz
ProMoPro is providing complex services at
the field of technical support for congresess,
conferences, press conferences,presentations,
concerts, company meetings, sport and cultural
events.
Vladislavova 17
110 00 Praha 1
T: +420 224 054 100
F: +420 224 054 355
E: office.manager@szps.eu
W: www.szps.eu
resourceful | driven | hands-on
+420 603 451 079
international | sophisticated | fresh
schoultz@szps.eu
creative | dedicated | different
www.schoultzpartners.eu
(RRM)
(RRM)
SCHOULTZ & PA RTNERS Law
Office
Americká 17
120 00 Praha 2
T: + 420 224 252 115
E: seven@svn.cz
W: http://www.svn.cz
SEVEn, The Energy Efficiency Center, aims its
activities towards overcoming the obstacles preventing
the effective use of the potential energy
savings in the practical life of households, industry,
commerce and the public sector.
Sheraton Prague
Charles Square Hotel
(RRM)
(FCM)
Žitná 561/ 8
120 00 Praha 2
T: + 420 225 999 999
F: +420 225 999 909
E: csh.prague@sheraton.com
W: www.sheraton.com/praguecharlessquare
Information on these pages has been supplied by the new members themselves and BCC does not take responsibility for its accuracy.
New members joining up to 31 December 2009.
introducing new members
Sheraton Prague Charles Square Hotel - 160
rooms including 38 suites, French restaurant
Brasserie Délice, Diamond´s Bar, Spa & Fitness,
Club Lounge, 2 meeting rooms and a rooftop
terrace High 8.
SUPERCO, s.r.o.
Ke Statenicum 156
252 67 Tuchoměřice
T: + 420 220 950 531
F: +420 220 951 146
E: superco@superco.cz
W: www.superco.cz
Constructions/construction management and
consultancy
Engineering products and services
Transport and traffic development
Office Park Nové Butovice
Bucharova 1423/6
158 00 Praha 13
T: + 420 222 090 411
F: + 420 235 362 902
E: michaela.rajtarova@syngenta.com
W: www.syngenta.com
Syngenta is a leader in crop protection, and
ranks third in the seeds market. The company
employs over 24,000 people in over 90
countries, dedicated to our purpose: Bringing
plant potential to life. Through world-class
science, global reach and customer commitment
we help increase crop productivity, protect the
environment and improve health and quality of
life. We are committed to sustainable agriculture
– farming with future generations in mind. We
contribute to that by raising productivity through
innovative research and technology. Over the
next 20 years, the world’s population will rise by
about another two billion. Calorie demand will
grow even faster. In much of the world, agricultural
land is limited and water scarce.
So tomorrow’s growers will have to produce
more food, feed, fibre and crops for biofuels
with today’s natural resources. Agriculture also
has to protect the environment, for example by
reducing “greenhouse gases”, and preserving
natural habitats. This all means that growers
must increase their yields and our products
play a key role in making that possible. In the
Czech Republic Syngenta is the market leader
in crop protection and has a growing seeds and
flowers business employing 98 people. For more
information visit www.syngenta.com and www.
syngenta.cz.
FOCUS 1/2010
(RRM)
(FCM)
41

introducing new members
Tylova 52
530 00 Pardubice
T: + 420 606 751 400
E: valousek@techpark.cz
W: /www.techpark.cz
TechnoPark Pardubice is a group of modern
structures with premises suitable for research,
quality control, prototype manufacture and
realisation of modern technologies. It is an
opportunity to use new technical knowledge and
information in the implementation of modern
procedures, with a possible co-operation with
the University of Pardubice. This investment
of more than 400 million CZK is supported by
European Union funds within the scope of the
„Prosperity“ programme. TechnoPark statute
enables accommodation of technological equipment
on a rental basis without the necessity of
investment by the entering company.
Korunní Dvůr,
Korunní 810/104
101 00 Praha 10 - Vinohrady
T: +420 222 508 524
E: info@tveurope.cz
W: /www.tvoeurope.com
42 FOCUS 1/2010
(RRM)
(RRM)
TVO Europe operates throughout Central and
Eastern Europe providing Property Management
and related services for Developers, Investors
and Residential Home Owners’ Associations.
The company is headquartered in Prague, Czech
Republic. We manage properties throughout this
region on behalf of individual investors, multiple
properties on behalf of investment funds, and
commercial properties for a variety of clients and
organisations.
For individual/private investors we offer a wide
range of services designed to allow you as much
or as little day to day input as you require. These
include: PROPERTY MANAGEMENT – LETTING
SERVICES – PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENT – VA-
LUE ESTIMATIONS & SALES ASSISTANCE.TVO
Europe is also the leading provider of integrated
Commercial Property & Facility Management
services in Central and Eastern Europe – the only
truly one stop solution for Clients that operate
internationally in this region.
With more than 500 thousand square metres of
properties under management, our market share
and buying power allow us to deliver superior
service that keeps occupancy levels high.
Truhlářská 13-15
110 00 Praha
T: +420 222 316 960
F: +420 224 814 527
E: usbsp@usbsp.com
W: www.usbsp.com
US Business School Praha has been one of
the top providers of executive education in
the region since 1991. In partnership with the
prestigious University of Pittsburgh, we offer a
broad spectrum of top quality programs for mid
and top level management: Executive MBA for
companies, tailor-made corporate programs and
open enrollment courses.
More on www.usbsp.com
Kevin Robert Dobson
K Červenéhmu Dvoru 24
130 00 Praha 3
T: + 420 775 669 507
E: info@viceaudio.com
W: www.viceaudio.com
Vice Audio is a English owned rental company of
event production technology based in Prague.
We have provided sound, light, stage and video
solutions for every kind of event imaginable -
from governments to blue chip corporations and
A - list international celebrities to weddings,
snowboarding competitions and fashion shows.
Our staff of almost exclusively English engineers
and technicians are active within the music business
in their own right and have been behind the
music and lyrics of a number of top selling artists
in a number of different countries. We also
represent a number of British manufacturers in
the Czech Republic, namely Noise Control Audio
who manufacuture high end speakers, amplifiers
and processors for the pro audio market. We use
exclusively Noise Control Audio speakers for our
sound rental systems.
EcoTec systems is a recent and exciting addition
for Vice Audio into the retail background music
market. Our work with this Leicester based
manufacturer has taken us recently to Denmark,
Sweden and Germany as well as in the Czech Republic
with installations for UK based clothing
retailer Next plc.
FCM - Full Corporate Membership / RRM - Reduced Rate Membership / AM - Associate Membership
(RRM)
(RRM)
U Pergamenky 3
170 00 Praha 7
T: +420 266 7103 75
F: +420 266 710 375
E: viod@viod.cz
W: www.viod.cz
VIOD was founded by the Sdružení Linka bezpečí
(Czech Childline) as a public benefit company
(o.p.s.), for training professionals working with
children in child protection. Main aim is twofold
- forging partnerships with children directly
through peer programs and providing accredited
and certified training in child protection for
teachers, health and social workers, police force
and other professionals in cooperation with
international institutions, namely the NSPCC
in the UK (National Society for Prevention of
Cruelty to Children).
UTC Business Park Pruhonice
Obchodní 132
251 70 Čestlice
T: +420 272 700 651
F: +420 272 700 653
E: mail@voerman.cz
W: www.voerman.cz
Voerman provides not just an individual tailored
service but a complete solutioon to fit everyone‘s
needs: Help with applications for permits and
insurance policies (work permit / residence
permit) * Help with the process of integration
in the community * Help find a suitable home *
Help find a school for the children * Help set up
contracts with the utility companies * Pick up
the family when they arrive at the airport * Find
a good family doctor and/or dentist * Provide
guidance, advice and support when furnishing
and decorating the new home * Handyman /
maid service
Perlová 5
110 00 Praha 1
T: +420 224 210 950
F: +420 224 243 651
E: info@wallstreetinstitute.cz
W: www.wallstreetinstitute.cz
(AM)
(RRM)
(RRM)
Wall Street Institute is the world‘s leading
specialist network of English language schools
for adults and corporations. Every year some
150‘000 adults choose WSI‘s state of the art
blended learning methodology to reach their
language goals faster and with guaranteed
results. Open in Prague since 2008, Wall Street
Institute aims to open schools throughout the
Czech Republic in the coming years.
Information on these pages has been supplied by the new members themselves and BCC does not take responsibility for its accuracy.
New members joining up to 31 December 2009.

Where we help:
Tesco Foundation
Helping is always worth it
Tesco Foundation is here. To help!
We are here to help where help is needed.
We are here to support a good cause.
We are here to extend a helping hand at the right time.
� social and health care � leisure time for young, their upbringing and education
� health and healthy lifestyle � environmental protection
Do you want to help with us? This is the Tesco Foundation account number: 4209008001/5500.
We appreciate your help!
www.nadacnifondtesco.cz