Corporate workshop with CE Industries
During each semester, our MBA participants, in co-operation with companies, corporations, and enterprise, deal with selected actual business problems (see the article on one of the previous workshops with BENEŠ a LÁT). They are then tasked to formulate and recommend a path with individual steps to successfully resolve the problems. For this semester we organised the workshop together with CE Industries – a Czech industrial holding with business interest in European markets that comprise rail transport, raw material recycling, energy and engineering. The group of companies is now expanding its scope into the FMCG segment.
Three executives represented CEI:
- Anna Matoušková, Member of the Board of Directors and Group Human Resources Director, alumnus of our EMBA programme
- Jiří Rabiec, Member of the Board of Directors and Group Chief Economic Officer
- Jan Zázvorka, CFO for FMCG
Our EMBA participants were given two main problems / issues to resolve:
- The financial and strategic management of the holding company and specific proposals for possible investments or divestments, including the possible valuation of such operations.
- Investment effectiveness in the development and formation of the holding company personnel, with a focus on top management development and succession planning.
The role of Corporate Workshops within our programme is to strengthen the ability to apply acquired knowledge and skills to the actual circumstances of a specific entity. Thus, the selection to present CE Industries in detail was twofold. First, as a company that is very young and experience a dynamic development, thus fulfilling the vision of its founder, Jaroslav Strnad. Second, the holding company includes long-standing, traditional companies. Equipped with this knowledge and detailled information that included the financial reports, the participants set out on their challenge. Throughout the day, they were able to benefit not only from the presence and support of Anna and Jiří, but also from the coaching of Vojtěch Opleštil, the programme director, and Richard Brunet-Thornton, the programme’s academic advisor.
After a complete and arduous workday, the EMBA participants teams presented their recommendations. Unfortunately, we cannot share this information publicly. The results however, were revealed and discussed with the CE Industries representatives present during the day.
- Anna Matoušková: “The format of the corporate workshop on the premises of the Faculty of Business Administration had a real ‘out of the box‘ benefit for us, thanks to which we could look at our strategic topics through the eyes of other, experienced managers and MBA students. Personally, I most enjoyed brainstorming on the topic of return on investment in employee development and training programs, thank you also for the suggestions in the area of succession planning.”
- Jiří Rabiec: “From my point of view, it was a great opportunity to confront our internal considerations about the strategic direction of the holding company with people who had only publicly available information about our activities and who are also of diverse disciplinary backgrounds.”
Other comments from our internal attendees:
- Gary Ward: This well-executed workshop offered us a real-case scenario with which to draw upon our diverse experiences and apply our learnings to date, from the MBA program, to find potential solutions to intricate and critical business challenges for one of the Czech Republic’s most esteemed entrepreneurs and his most recent ventures.
- Michal Janda: The workshop provided an in-depth look into CE Industries’ diverse operations in rail transport, raw material recycling, and energy. Interacting with the board members was particularly enlightening, offering real insights into the business challenges and opportunities within these sectors. The opportunity to develop meaningful HR strategies, alongside learning from the varied approaches of my peers, was incredibly enriching. This experience not only expanded my viewpoint but also highlighted the importance of shared knowledge and teamwork in tackling complex business issues under restricted time.
- Bruno Losseau: Participating in the workshop was a highlight of my MBA experience, offering an intense challenge like no other. Tasked with developing a presentation with just a few hours, we were under pressure and had to structure ourselves such that each team member contributed in providing genuine value to CE Industries. The experience was incredibly rewarding, allowing us to apply what we’ve learned in a practical complex environment. This demonstrates the program’s commitment to not only educate, but to truly prepare us for a variety of challenges in the business world.
- Václav Kňourek: Participating in the Corporate Workshop has been an enlightening experience, providing me with invaluable insights into the strategic thinking of a successful company. Workshops like this present unique challenges; they are based on real-world data and situations, offering me beneficial lessons. For our team, the challenge was adapting to changing conditions despite a week of preparation, which required swift and decisive actions on the spot. Effective communication and leading our team with resilience, while staying focused on the primary objective set by the company, were essential to our success.
And last but not least, Richard Brunet-Thornton: I am very impressed by the degree of professionalism our EMBA teams undertook their challenges.
