Twenty years ago, Czech executives led Central Europe from Prague. Today, the centre of gravity is moving. Some signals are hard to ignore:
- more and more regional HQ functions are migrating toward Poland,
- leadership roles increasingly benefit from Poland exposure – or Poland residency,
- Polish executives are more frequently being appointed to run adjacent markets, including the Czech Republic.
On June 4th, as part of the HR Partners’ CEO Roundtable series, I brought together a small group of senior Czech, Polish and international executives for a closed-door, off-the-record conversation at the Mozart Hotel in Prague on where CEE leadership is heading – and why.
Around the table: Agnieszka Rysz-Zahradniczek, Central Europe Commercial & Sales Director CZ/SK/HU at Douglas, Karina Takovenko, former General Manager Commercial Markets Central Europe at Avon, Oldrich Kubista, Director of Operations Poland, Czechia and Slovakia at Cinema City, Eduard Pinos, Group Chief Marketing Officer at Accolade, and Giuseppe Panarese, VP 1P Business at Allegro – one of the largest e-commerce platforms in Europe, born and built in Poland.
What emerged was a picture of Central European markets at different moments in their trajectory. Poland is riding a wave of ambition, energy and commercial confidence that is reshaping the region. The Czech Republic remains a solid, stable and healthy market that continues to punch above its weight. Hungary and Slovakia, once firmly on the regional map, seem increasingly peripheral to where the real decisions are being made.
Something is definitely shifting in the geography of regional leadership.
