Hello, Mr. Čestmir, let’s talk a little bit about your beginnings in the company and when did you join the company?

I’m not going to say that the beginning was difficult 30 years ago. Everything was just different. The “building of capitalism in Bohemia” was accompanied by many surprises and caught most budding entrepreneurs completely unprepared, without the necessary business (not professional) knowledge and experience. The financing of entrepreneurial activities was like a seesaw. There was a time when all entrepreneurs were seen as potential criminals and it was impossible to get loans, and other times when banks handed out money like leaflets at the station. Whoever came with the biggest bag got more. I have to say that we were more careful about our business partners, because that time was a breeding ground for various fraudulent and unfair practices. Those who were quicker to navigate this legislative and market confusion survived and those who didn’t were finished.

Describe to us what is your job description and what do you do in your role?

I try not to get in the way anymore. Mostly I deal with some complicated situations that require some kind of experience and knowledge of the external environment. I also supervise the start-up of some new projects.

What do you consider to be your greatest professional achievements that you are proud of?

I am especially proud of the company itself and the amazing potential and abilities of the employees and associates. And what do I consider my greatest achievement? It’s hard for me to judge this, someone else has to. But today I am quite sure that I have made the right choice in selecting my closest colleagues, whose skills excel where mine do not. I would consider that my greatest achievement. Or is it luck? It’s hard to say.

You’ve worked at ELVAC since the company was founded. What has surprised you personally about the company over the years and how has it changed the most over the years?

I was and still am surprised by the company’s great stability even in times of great uncertainty and various crises. Just take today’s “metal” times. The company is going through it without any major collapses and is able to bear a considerable investment burden in connection with its development. It has certainly changed significantly at this point. In the 1990s, we faced economic fluctuations with considerable difficulty. Radical changes are of course evident in all areas of company life, from the number of employees to the range of activities. But for me, as an economist, the stability of the company is a fundamental and undeniable change. I hope I haven’t jinxed it now.

Which company events that you really enjoyed do you remember the most? Remind us.

I very often enjoy the various partial successes of the company and employees. And there are a lot of them. I don’t want to mention anything in particular, because to list them all would take much more space than is reserved for this interview. Not to mention the fact that I would certainly forget something or someone and it might affect him or her. In general, I can say that I always like to reminisce about various joint events with employees, whether it was in the days when the company was founded and started or today.

What hobbies do you do in your spare time? What do you enjoy?

What do I enjoy? ? I like to play sports, although it is getting harder as I get older. As part of my company sports activities, I play indoor football in the winter and in the summer I play small football on the grass pitch in Plesná, which everyone knows from summer company events. I am also one of the founders of the winter skiing “Men’s Ride”, which has a twenty-year history. I am a member of the amateur music group CIAO band. Although I’m not very good at it, I enjoy it a lot. This hobby led me to the role of leader of a corporate music group that was formed in connection with our company’s planned thirtieth birthday celebration. I just hope that the efforts that all the members of this group have put into rehearsing will be crowned by some live performance during the joint celebrations. And I won’t reveal more about it, so that it remains a surprise.

What do you appreciate most about the company?

As I mentioned earlier, what I value most is the stability of the company in times of uncertainty and various crises. And also the loyalty of the employees and their ability to adapt immediately to changing market conditions.

What would you like to say to your colleagues and the company in the years to come?

I would like to wish all employees and colleagues the same amount of patience, enthusiasm and strength that I see in them today. They will need it when dealing with the situations they constantly face. And the necessary health, without which all other problems are mere trifles.