Speakers & Special Guests

Zdeněk Tůma, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, ČSOB bank & former guvernor of Czech National Bank

Speaker

BIO:
Zdeněk was the governor of the Czech National Bank in the period 2000 - 2010. In the following  a decade he was a partner at KPMG. Since 2019, he has been the chairman of the ČSOB Supervisory Board.

Jiří Hynek, President and CEO, Defence and Security Industry Association of the Czech republic (AOBP)

Speaker

BIO:

He began his career as a development engineer at Tesla Kolín and later worked as a programmer-analyst at the Cooperative Enterprise for Computer Technology. Since 1992, he has held various managerial positions. He was the CEO of Karlovarský Porcelán and held executive positions at Praga. In 2003, he joined ICZ, from where he moved to INDRA to serve as Director of the Defense and Security Division. He later served as Director of the state enterprise VOP-026 Šternberk and subsequently as Director of the Administration of Basic Registers. Since 2011, he has been CEO and President of the Defence and Security Industry Association of the Czech Republic. He is the Head of the Czech delegation to NIAG – NATO’s advisory group on cooperation with the defence and security industries of member states.

Ivan Hodáč, Founder, Chairman of the Supervisory Board & Honorary Board Chairman, Aspen Institute Central Europe, Former ACEA Secretary-General

Special Guest & Event Host

BIO:
Ivan Hodač is a Founder and President of the Aspen Institute Prague. He was Secretary-General of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) from 2001 until October 2013. He is the Chairman of the Board at cabinet DN. The Financial Times listed him among the most influential personalities in Brussels politics. Before joining ACEA, he was Senior Vice-President and Head of the Time Warner Corporate office for Europe. Previously he was Secretary-General of the trade organization IFMA/IMACE, Senior Economist at Didier & Associates, and Assistant Professor at the College of Europe, Bruges. He was born in Prague, where he studied mechanical engineering. He completed his education in economics and political science at the University of Copenhagen and the College of Europe in Bruges (European studies).

Alexandr Vondra, Member of the European Parliament

Speaker

BIO:
Alexandr Vondra is a Czech politician and diplomat. He is currently Member of the European Parliament. He is former Minister of Defense (2010-2012), as well as Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs (2007-2009) and former Minister of Foreign Affairs (2006-2007). He was the Czech Government’s Plenipotentiary for the preparation of the NATO Summit in Prague (2002). He also served as Czech Ambassador to the United States (1997-2001). He worked as a foreign policy advisor to former President Václav Havel. During the Velvet Revolution in November 1989, he became a co-founder and leading member of the Civic Forum movement.

Lukáš Rosůlek, Country Head of Czech Republic, Schaeffler

Speaker

BIO:
Lukas started his career as a trainee at Skoda Auto and has worked in the automotive and industrial sectors throughout his life in various management positions.

He spent almost 13 years at Continental, three of which were as a plant manager of the Manila plant in the Philippines. Upon his return in 2015, he took up the position of plant manager in Trutnov. After the creation of Vitesco Technologies in 2019 and the subsequent spin-off from Continental in 2021, managing director and Country Head of Vitesco Technologies Czech Republic, in addition to the position of Plant Manager in Trutnov, he holds the position of managing director and Country Head of Schaeffler, in addition to the position of Plant Manager in Trutnov.

Lukas speaks publicly on the topics of transformation of the Czech industry, the competitiveness of the Czech automotive industry, and electromobility.

Petr Novák, COO JTEKT Central Europe, JTEKT

Speaker

BIO:
Petr Novak graduated from university in Pennsylvania in International Business and Finance, he also has an MBA from DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois. He has been working for JTEKT Bearings Czech Republic since 2001, in 2012, he took position of company President. In 2018 he took an international assignment as General Manager of Global Acceleration Team at JTEKT’s headquarters in Nagoya, Japan. In 2020 he accepted a position as Director Corporate Planning at JTEKT European headquarters in Lyon, France and in 2021 he was nominated as Director of Automotive Operations for JTEKT Europe responsible for nine manufacturing plants in
EMEA region. In 2024 he was promoted to his current position as Chief Operating Officer JTEKT Central Europe with P&L and all functional responsibility for operations in UK, Netherlands, Germany, Czech Republic and Romania. He is a member of the Board of Directors of The Automotive Industry Association of the Czech Republic and also serves on the Board of Directors of the Chamber of Commerce in Olomouc.

David Kříž, General Director, Iveco Czech Republic

Speaker

BIO:
David Kříž graduated from Faculty of Law at Palacky University and completed certificate program in business law at University of California, Berkeley. He has been working in Iveco (part of CNH Industrial group) since 1998 in various positions of Legal and Compliance. David currently holds the position of Iveco Group general counsel for Europe and in 2020 was appointed as a General Manager of Iveco Czech Republic, a. s. David is also a member of various boards of the Iveco Group companies.

Petr Michník

Head of Administration Subdivision, Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Czech

Speaker

BIO:

Graduated from Faculty of Law, Charles University in 2001. Working for Hyundai since 2006 as lawyer/Head of Legal department and later also Head of Public Relations department. In 2021 appointed as Head of Administration Subdivision. Previous experience in energy industry and construction.