The HR Partners’ CEO roundtables

The HR Partners’ Global Leaders Roundtable in Prague on expatriation and repatriation with Petra Masinova, Karin Strakova, Gabriela Zahoranska, Zdenek Rihacek, Karel Foltyn, Martin Dlouhy, Bohdan Lenek, Radek Janda and Rudy Kozak

12
Sep

Global mobility is a top priority of international businesses – but also one of the riskiest bets companies make. Too often, leaders are sent abroad only to come home underutilized, disconnected, or ready to leave. Nearly 40% of repatriates leave their job within a year of returning. So how can companies turn repatriation into a springboard, not a setback? How can they help returnees pass on what they’ve learned abroad? And how do we ensure mobility fuels – not drains – the leadership pipeline? These were some of the questions we explored at the September 11th HR Partners’ Global Leaders Roundtable at the Mozart Hotel in Prague. Around the table: a powerhouse of leaders who have all been expatriated and repatriated at some stage of their career – some multiple times across continents. Joining us were Petra Masinova, Diplomat, First Secretary of the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Paris; Gabriela Zahoranska, Executive Director with Slovak Pro, Karin Strakova, Founder of Resoneti and former Regional HR Director with Generali; Zdenek Rihacek, Regional Senior Managing Director Central Europe South at Procter & Gamble; Karel Foltyn, Chief People Officer at Rohlik, Martin Dlouhy, Non-Executive Director and ex-Chief Strategy Officer of Rohlik; Bohdan Lenek, Head of Business Unit Operations Controlling at SEB, Radek Janda, CFO of Air Dispatch and Rudy Kozak, ex-General Manager of Astellas Pharma CZ/SK. The big takeaway? Global mobility is more than moving people around the map. It’s about turning experience into growth – for individuals and for the organization. When repatriation is handled well, it doesn’t close a chapter – it opens the next one.