Jiří Koleňák: Welcome to another episode of the Úspěšní (Successful) podcast, brought to you in cooperation with the Czech Management Association, focusing on the finalists of the Manager of the Year 2023 awards. In these episodes, we meet exceptional executives because we believe that sharing experience inspires others. Today, we look at the story of a truly strong woman navigating the demanding pharmaceutical industry. Joining me is co-host Olga Girslová, President of the Czech Management Association. Welcome, Olga!
Olga Girslová: Thank you, Jiří. Today's guest is Lenka Průšová, Chief Operating Officer at CB21 Pharma—a company specializing in the development and manufacturing of cosmetics and active pharmaceutical substances containing cannabinoids. Lenka exemplifies modern leadership, combining business acumen, scientific precision, and immense courage. Alongside executive management, she popularizes science, fights greenwashing, and continuously seeks better ways of doing business. Welcome, Lenka!
Lenka Průšová: Hi, thanks for having me!
Jiří Koleňák: Cannabinoids will be our big topic today. But first, Lenka, what brought you the greatest joy in recent days?
Lenka Průšová: There are no small goals! On a personal level, my young son occasionally manages to use the potty on his own. Believe me, that makes a parent's life infinitely easier. Every time it happens, I cheer—that is my pure, genuine joy.
Jiří Koleňák: That brings us joy too! Lenka, could you share how you transitioned from being a cosmetics safety assessment expert to becoming COO of a pharmaceutical firm?
Lenka Průšová: It was born out of necessity. People frequently complain that "there are no qualified people," and we were no exception. Around 2018, my current business partner, Dr. Jan Štorch, approached me. He wanted to formulate new pharmaceutical preparations using cannabidiol (CBD). Since I was a physical chemist specializing in cosmetics formulation, he asked me to develop the final product forms.
Pharma R&D takes about a decade and immense capital. We realized we couldn't just burn investor capital for ten years without revenue. We decided to develop cosmetics alongside pharma. My cosmetics background generated immediate commercial cash flow to fund our pharmaceutical R&D, pay salaries, and cover overhead.
Initially, I naively thought I would only handle formulation R&D and regulatory compliance. But I quickly realized that operational oversight, warehouse logistics, and process control needed tight management. Cosmetics manufacturing is a specialized trade—you can't just take a manager from an auto parts factory and expect them to run cosmetics operations smoothly. Since no one else was available to manage those complex operations, I stepped up as COO.
Jiří Koleňák: What drew you specifically to cannabinoids and medical devices?
Lenka Průšová: Honza Štorch. He was working at the Czech Academy of Sciences and had never worked with natural compounds before. Over a decade ago, an opportunity arose, and his initial reaction was refusal. When people hear "cannabis," they often visualize reggae dancers around a campfire rather than rigorous, evidence-based pharmaceutical research.
However, as he researched the literature, he recognized real therapeutic potential. 90% of online claims regarding cannabis are pure fairy tales unsupported by data. But the 10% backed by rigorous experimental science is deeply compelling. He needed someone to turn raw scientific extracts into stable, usable formulations and manage the entire operational supply chain from factory to e-commerce fulfillment. I drew the winning ticket.
Jiří Koleňák: Do you recall a specific milestone that represented a major turning point in your career?
Lenka Průšová: The biggest turning point was leaving my full-time role at Rior after five years to go independent. It was a classic "second-generation transition" challenge in a family business where new management operated differently from the original founders. You cannot win a battle against company owners, so resigning was the only rational path forward.
Leaving felt terrifying, but I started consulting for a massive corporate enterprise. Moving from a modest family-owned firm into a giant corporate machine completely transformed my professional perspective.
Olga Girslová: You lead a lean, high-performing operational team. What creates your strong workplace environment?
Lenka Průšová: Having experienced both a small family firm and a massive corporate giant, I learned what not to do from both extremes. In large corporations, decision-making stalls completely—teams hold lengthy committee meetings just to debate whether a pouch zipper should be silver or gold, passing proposals up through endless executive tiers. It's completely inflexible.
I combined the best elements of both worlds. Because I started at the very bottom—spending seven years directly alongside chemical mixing kettles—I understand exact mixing times, energy requirements, and regulatory timelines. Nobody can misinform me about production schedules. If a task takes two days and an employee requests a week, they aren't the right fit. I hold a clear reputation for making necessary team adjustments without hesitation.
Olga Girslová: You make fast, fact-based decisions. When has that proved advantageous?
Lenka Průšová: Making a fast decision—even if slightly sub-optimal initially—is far less damaging to a product than six months of corporate paralysis and debate. Management exists to make firm calls.
Olga Girslová: How does R&D formulation impact commercial product timing and profitability?
Lenka Průšová: While quality must be flawless, timing is everything. I have ruined great formulations simply through bad market timing. Once, I launched a brilliant hair product on Black Friday. Because consumers were hunting exclusively for heavy price discounts rather than innovative product launches, the product got buried in the noise and never regained commercial momentum. Proper timing is critical.
Olga Girslová: How do you handle professional feedback?
Lenka Průšová: Regarding product feedback, I stay completely objective. Early in my career, I took it personally if a client disliked a cream's texture. Today, I formulate strictly based on objective market feedback rather than personal preference.
My strongest internal critic is my office manager. Whenever an operational friction point arises, she walks in and quietly asks, "Leni, do you have a moment?" Because she runs our office flawlessly, I know her feedback is vital. When I get hyper-focused on R&D patents or financial targets, she grounds me regarding staff capacity and operational realities. Having an honest, unpretentious advisor is invaluable.
Olga Girslová: Your company was the first in the world to register a CE-marked medical device containing cannabinoids (CBD). What does that achievement mean to you?
Lenka Průšová: Beyond being a proud career highlight, it was a blend of satisfaction and immense responsibility—realizing we now had to execute extensive clinical trials over subsequent years. I broke the massive project into smaller milestones: stabilizing the proprietary matrix formulation, completing technical documentation, validating manufacturing processes, securing regulatory registration, and launching clinical trials.
The true validation comes during meetings with scientific boards at major global pharmaceutical firms. When nine international experts look at our documentation and ask, "How large was your team?" and we answer, "Three people," their amazed reactions make every effort worthwhile.
Olga Girslová: Can you share a personal or professional setback that ultimately fostered your growth?
Lenka Průšová: My biggest professional mistake was placing blind, uncritical trust in the wrong individual. In 2019, as CB21 Pharma was forming, a former partner engaged in severe misconduct—even forging my signature. Despite early warning signs regarding his ethics, I let his impressive CV and polished public relations blind my judgment.
Resolving that situation cost us a year of intense stress and constant operational friction. What saved us was simple human trust between my core partners and myself. When presented with forged documents allegedly signed by my partner, I knew instantly he would never do such a thing. We exposed the fraud, but the experience taught me to vet trust thoroughly. Surviving that crisis proved we could navigate anything.
Jiří Koleňák: What do you consider your greatest non-work achievement?
Lenka Průšová: Giving birth to a healthy son and building a system where I could raise him without stepping back from my executive responsibilities.
Balancing executive leadership with parenting requires a robust support infrastructure. My office manager helps with childcare at the office when necessary. In our firm, I actively support mothers with young children by providing flexible working hours and part-time arrangements. Having lived through that challenge myself, I ensure our workplace supports working parents effectively.
Jiří Koleňák: What is your perspective on emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence?
Lenka Průšová: AI won't eliminate professional roles overnight, but it dramatically accelerates data synthesis in clinical research. Drafting complex research manuscripts that previously required two months now takes days with precise AI prompting. Companies ignoring AI will face significant competitive disadvantages. In marketing, AI-generated visuals drastically reduce reliance on expensive photo shoots and generic stock image banks.
Jiří Koleňák: How do you balance strategic priorities between R&D, production, and commercial expansion?
Lenka Průšová: Cash flow sets baseline boundaries, but our core competency is R&D. We develop pharmaceutical preparations and license them to major global distribution partners. Building an international sales network from scratch requires immense capital and established infrastructure that large corporate players already possess. Because multinational corporations often lack our agile R&D speed, licensing our formulations to them creates an ideal commercial synergy.
Jiří Koleňák: How do you share inspiration with your team while protecting sensitive intellectual property?
Lenka Průšová: Core pharmaceutical IP is held strictly among three founding equity partners (myself, Dr. Štorch, and Mr. Malík). Granting key creators equity ownership is the single most effective way to retain core talent.
For broader staff, we emphasize competitive compensation, professional growth, and genuine respect. We value every role—finding a facility cleaner capable of maintaining strict pharmaceutical sterile standards took six months! We treat every team member with equal professional respect.
Olga Girslová: What motivated your nomination for the Manager of the Year awards?
Lenka Průšová: My communications strategist nominated me. She wanted the public to see me as a corporate executive rather than just a "talking head discussing skincare creams on television."
Olga Girslová: What did participating in the awards bring you?
Lenka Průšová: It was a wonderful experience. Standing alongside top male CEOs in a traditionally male-dominated executive landscape proved that hard results matter above all. I am strongly opposed to artificial gender quotas or positive discrimination—where there's a will, there's a way. Professional recognition should always be earned through performance.
Olga Girslová: You recently hosted a Newton University student as part of our manager job-shadowing initiative. How do you view that program?
Lenka Průšová: I strongly support job shadowing. Czech education badly needs stronger ties with real industry. Abroad, student corporate placements are prestigious milestones; domestically, they are too often treated as administrative check-boxes. Hands-on shadowing provides students with genuine operational insights.
Olga Girslová: How do you view the impact of the Czech Management Association?
Lenka Průšová: I hope ČMA continues building its influence to comment directly on economic legislation alongside bodies like the Chamber of Commerce. Business leaders build the foundational economic value of our country, and ČMA plays a vital role in highlighting their societal contribution.
Jiří Koleňák: Thank you, ladies, for a rich and insightful discussion.
Lenka Průšová: Thank you very much for having me.
Jiří Koleňák: To our audience, thank you for watching, and Olga and I look forward to bringing you more inspiring conversations in upcoming episodes!
