Looking Back at the Manager of the Year 2025 Conference

The Manager of the Year Conference, organized by NEWTON University in cooperation with the Czech Management Association, is not about annual reports, spreadsheets, or profit figures. It is a unique format that brings together the best managers in the Czech Republic, students, the next generation of leaders, and the wider public. Above all, the conference is about people who succeeded in times of uncertainty and whose stories inspire across generations.

“A manager is a key element in achieving success, and high quality managerial work deserves recognition and respect. Through their decisions, managers influence employment levels within a company, the lives of employees’ families, and the quality of life in the regions where they operate.”

— Olga Girstlová, President of the Czech Management Association

“For 30 years, the Czech Management Association has been identifying, evaluating, awarding, and promoting the best managers across industries, professions, and regions. It also engages young managers and responds to new economic and social trends. NEWTON educates and shapes the next generation. That is why our connection with the Czech Management Association is completely natural.”

— Jiří Koleňák, CEO of NEWTON University Group

Leadership as a Lonely Sport and the Importance of Relationships

Lucie Landová, one of the awarded personalities, openly spoke on stage about how leadership is often a lonely sport. Still, she believes that building deep relationships is the true key to success.

“Relationships matter more than performance. Performance can be caught up, but relationships are difficult to repair.”

Landová also expressed her wish to see more women in management, which she considers one of the key challenges for the future of Czech business.

Eva Stodůlková added that a leader must first and foremost be authentic and honest with themselves and with others. She reminded the audience that it is impossible to be 100% successful in every area of life at the same time. Both personal and professional life require discipline, persistence, and the ability to recognize when it is necessary to slow down.

The Courage to Sign a 100 Million CZK Promissory Note

One of the strongest moments of the conference was the speech by Lukáš Rudy from Unico Modular. His story about “cutting the company down to survive” fascinated everyone present.

“I signed a 100 million CZK promissory note just to keep the company alive for another week. Either I would die there, or I would change it.”

His message was clear: when you truly love your work, you are capable of extraordinary things.

This courage was echoed by Pavel Med, the absolute winner of the Manager of the Year award and COO of Baumit. According to him, the only real product of a manager is decision making and the willingness to take full responsibility for it.

“Seek out every experience that may one day become useful in your professional life.”

Creators of Environment, Not Controllers

According to Petr Střelec from Thermo Fisher, the modern manager is evolving from a controller into a creator of environment.

“When you lead an organization of 700 people, you simply cannot control everyone. You need to create an environment and show people what is truly in your heart, even when it is difficult.”

This human approach was also reflected by Michal Karcol, CEO of XXXLutz and winner of the Young Manager under 35 category, who openly rejects stiff corporate titles.

“I hate being called a CEO. That’s outdated. I’m simply Michal.”

His main goal, he said, is to build the next generation of leaders.

Leadership Principles: Wisdom from the Panels

The conference concluded with several powerful ideas every leader should remember:

• If you think you are the smartest person in the room, you are in the wrong room.
• It is important to admit a “fuck-up” and immediately bring corrective action.
• The greatest managerial illusion is believing that you are doing everything well.
• Let’s build company cultures based on “healthy dissatisfaction” — the awareness that things can always be done better.

The next edition of the Manager of the Year Conference will take place in November 2026. Don’t miss it.