PEOPLE >
UP&DOWN
Written by: Monika Mudranincová

PEOPLE UP

Photo archiv		Laurent Goutard The new CEO of Komerční banka received, on behalf of the bank, the Bank of the Year award. In the ranking organized by Fincentrum in cooperation with MasterCard, Česká spořitelna and ČSOB followed in second and third positions.
Photo D. Bylica		Zdeněk Bakala Bakala's investment company RPG sold 19% shares of its operations to the American First Reserve Corporation and American Metals and Coal International. The transaction brought him several billions crowns.
Photo archiv		Ondřej Tomek The CEO of Centrum.cz recently launched a new press service portal Aktualne.cz. During its very first days of operation, the site had about 80,000 visitors. The project cost CZK 35 million and employs almost 60 reputable journalists, part of whom came from the editorial office of Hospodářské noviny.

PEOPLE DOWN

Photo ČTK		Petr Zgarba The Minister of agriculture resigned after allowing, as chief of the Land Fund, speculations on lots in Prague's suburbs. 170 hectars of lots where the city halls planned to build municipal flats, were thus sold to speculators for CZK 4 per m2. The market price of these grounds may reach CZK 1,500 per m2.
Photo Tomáš Kubeš		Václav Fischer The last flight of the Fischer Air brand took wing in early November from the Ruzyně airport. Komárek's company K&K sent Charter Air, which is renting the planes from Fischer, into liquidation. The last connection between Fischer and Komárek is thus ended.
Photo ČTK		David Rath The new minister of health care is being sued for his verbal attacks by the chief of Central Bohemian region (who, according to Rath, was preparing stealing away of regional hospitals), and Tomáš Julínek from ODS, who allegedly misused VZP funds.

Photo: luminum – d.raub & l.šavrdová

Rut Kolínská: Little big woman
TINY AND FRAGILE, yet unbelievably strong and charismatic. That's Rut Kolínská (52), mother of five and the founder of maternity centers in the Czech Republic. This year she was one of finalists in the Czech round of the Swiss Schwab Foundation's worldwide "Social Entrepreneur" competition. Mr. and Mrs Schwab, the well-known founders and organizers of the World Economic Forum in Davos, strive to ensure that the world of business and big money works together with those who don't just look out for themselves, but try to improve the quality of the lives for others through their business activities.
This applies directly to Rut Kolínská. When in 1992 she founded the first maternity center in Prague, she certainly had no idea that 15 years later there would be 117 of them throughout the Czech Republic! The philosophy of the maternity centers is simple: to help mothers who have found themselves isolated due to maternity leave, and to establish contacts with similarly "afflicted" women. "We help each other by sharing experiences, but we also have all sorts of educational, sports, and requalification programs," says Kolínská.
She sees the maternity centers' greatest benefit in their function as real schools of civic life. "Additionally, we're certain that we're helping increase the birth-rate," claims Kolínská, who serves as an example for other mothers. "They regard her very highly, and when they get to know her personally they immediately have greater self-confidence," says Lucie Slauková, a close colleague of the founder. Whether Kolínská will add to her Woman of Europe 2002 title by winning the Social Entrepreneur competition remains to be seen. It's said that this Christian woman, who is happiest when her large family gathers at home, will continue to work with the centers - until she retires.

	Photo: luminum – d.raub & l.šavrdová

Dalibor Šajar: Long-distance runner
DALIBOR ŠAJAR is a typical representative of the strong generation of thirty-somethings that is now coming into its own in the highest managerial positions. This thirty-two-year-old manager recently became the general director of business services for the Czech Republic and a member of the executive board of ING Retail for the Czech Republic and Slovakia. "I'm on the fast track," replies Šajar to a comment about holding such a significant position for his age. But one could have expected it of him. He graduated from high school at age 17, immediately moved out of his parents' house, and as a native of Ostrava he began studying at the College of Mining. Two years later, he left the school and became a certified accountant. His work at Kimberly Clark was a career milestone. At age 27 he led a team that was responsible for KC accounting in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
After nearly a year's experience at the European headquarters and with an MBA degree, in time his responsibilities included distribution channels in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. "It served as an invaluable school," he says, adding that he already felt he needed to learn something new. That lesson came at ING, one of the world's largest financial corporations. Šajar particularly likes the fact that the current number two on the market (not only in life insurance) has the know-how of a multinational group, high business standards, and a strong corporate culture. His goal is to continue professionalizing business services and oversee subsequent growth in sales. Gaining the trust of clients is always a long-distance run, but Šajar trains hard. "Everyone at the Dutch firm jogs, so I jog too, sometimes 20 kilometers a week," laughs this good-natured general director.