EDITORIAL >
The best of me
Written by: Philippe Riboton

SOME PEOPLE introduce themselves by their title - Ing., JUDr. or MUDr., for example. It shows they have reached a certain level of education that should merit respect in society. Others prefer to associate themselves with their family heritage, such as Count, Sir and so forth. This proves that they come from very old families that held power or prestige at some time in history. Forgive me in advance for speaking about myself (for once), and let me tell you a secret: those who know me have probably already heard me introducing myself as... the husband of my wife. What exactly does that mean? It means my wife is in many ways similar to those women portrayed in our cover story this month - women that are worth knowing for their professional achievements, among other things. They were not born nor raised in this country. They do not necessarily speak Czech. They do not benefit from a local support network of family, former colleagues or college chums. Still, they have managed to create some significant ventures or lead prominent businesses in this country over the last decade. However, our cover story this month does not present yet another story about the local feminine elite - the syndrome of the so-called "Lady Pro", as some famous (or infamous) local lobbyist calls them. While they deserve recognition, we at The Prague Tribune have decided to take a different route, and offer readers instead an interesting gallery of portraits: women who have compounded the alleged handicap of being a woman in business with the challenge of being a foreigner in the Czech Republic. Whether in public relations, technologies, retail or the restaurant business, they have made a significant difference upon the rest of the market. Few among their ordinary clients know that some foreign woman is helming the ship. Would it or should it actually change any of their attitudes when buying their product or service? Certainly not, and this is how it should be. Which is why, if I introduce myself as the husband of my wife, I can tell you it's with good reason - she's the best of me.