CzechInvest management
CzechInvest's employees deal with potential investors and strategic partners on a daily basis. Their everyday work consists in negotiating with high-level representatives of the state administration, representatives of regions, cities and municipalities and local entrepreneurs. The objective is to create the best conditions for the state, municipalities, local entrepreneurs and investors.
Therefore, strong emphasis is placed on the level of expertise, negotiation skills and management skills, particularly among the agency’s top management. CzechInvest’s managers are professionals with extensive experience in business, international trade, research and development, law and marketing. The agency’s strategy is to fill key positions with high-quality managers who can help CzechInvest achieve its ambitious goals.
Mgr. Ing. Jan Michal
In charge of the CzechInvest agency
Jan Michal is a graduate of the Faculty of Business Administration at the University of Economics and also holds a master’s degree in international relations from the Charles University Faculty of Social Sciences in Prague. He came to CzechInvest from the European Commission, where he served in the Secretariat-General and later as a deputy section director in the Directorate-General for Communication, where he headed the Political and Economic Intelligence Department. During the Czech presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2022, he served as Deputy Sherpa in the Office of the Government, where he focused on preparing meetings of the European Council and on energy policy. From 2010 to 2016, he headed the EC Representation in Czechia. During his mission, he took part in, among other things, Czechia’s involvement in the InvestEU programme and cooperation with the European Investment Bank. In 2016, the president of the Chamber of Commerce awarded him the Gold Merkur medal for his active support of the business environment in Czechia. Prior to that, he worked at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as at NATO headquarters in Brussels and the United Nations in New York.
Jitka Schmiedová
Deputy Director for Internal Management and Development
Jitka Schmiedová joins CzechInvest with extensive experience in senior management and HR, gained at companies such as Mitsubishi Electric Automotive Czech, Veolia, NN Investment Partners, Česká spořitelna, Vodafone, and VZP ČR. Throughout her career, she has focused on leadership, strategic management, and the development of corporate culture. She first became acquainted with CzechInvest from an investor’s perspective, which today allows her to provide valuable insight into the needs of companies and investors while also contributing to the improvement of the agency’s internal processes and operations.
Bc. Vojtěch Rajtr
Deputy for Strategy and Business Support
Vojtěch Rajtr is a graduate of the Faculty of Economics at the University of Economics in Prague. Prior to joining CzechInvest in 2005, he worked in marketing and advertising agencies. At the beginning of his career at CzechInvest, he was involved in the development of Czech subcontractors. He gradually gained experience in the area of overall support for companies, from start-ups to major foreign investors. From November 2014, he served as the head of the Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises and Regions Division. In 2020, he became the deputy for strategy, determining CzechInvest’s direction according to Strategy 2019+. Vojtěch is fluent in English. In his free time, he focuses primarily on his family. He enjoys skiing and cycling.
MgA. Kateřina Rundová DiS.
Deputy for Technological Development
Kateřina Rundová studied production at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. At CzechInvest, she initially served as a project manager for the creative industries sector, and subsequently headed the Startup Incubation Department, where she oversaw initiatives supporting startups, particularly within the Technological Incubation project. In her role as Deputy for Technological Development, she focuses on supporting innovation, strengthening collaboration, and creating opportunities for entrepreneurship. She also works on talent attraction, soft landing programs in the Czech Republic, and promoting social inclusion and diversity within the startup ecosystem. In her free time, she enjoys whitewater rafting, exercises regularly, likes to go for walks in the woods, studies The Lord of the Rings, and is learning to play the guitar.
Magdaléna Frouzová
Director of the Coordination, Marketing, and Data Division
Magdaléna Frouzová brings to CzechInvest a unique combination of experience from both the private and public sectors, as well as extensive experience in an international environment. She has long been involved in the fields of communications, media, and strategic management. She gained professional experience, among other roles, as a spokesperson for the European Commission in the Czech Republic and as a member of the team of then-European Commission President José Manuel Barroso in Brussels. She also worked at the German-Arab Chamber of Commerce in Cairo and has experience in the media sector. At CzechInvest, she will focus on strengthening the agency’s brand and public image, developing strategic communications with an emphasis on social media, and making more effective use of data.
Mgr. Michal Urban
Director of the Business Support Division
Michal Urban is the Director of the Business Environment Division at CzechInvest. He earned a dual degree in geography and physical education from the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport at Charles University. During his studies, he completed a one-year professional internship at Framlingham College in the United Kingdom.
Professionally, he has long been dedicated to developing the talents and employability of gifted students in the labor market. He worked in the United Kingdom and subsequently led an agency administering a European Community program focused on non-formal education. At the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports, he was responsible for youth affairs and systemic support for gifted students and non-profit organizations. He joined CzechInvest as Director of Regional Offices. Since 2021, he has led the Business Environment Division, which contributes to strengthening a competitive and stable business environment in the Czech Republic.
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Mgr. René Samek, MA., MSc.
Director of the Investment and International Activities Division
René Samek studied Information Services at Charles University in Prague, International Relations and European Studies at the Central European University in Prague and Budapest, and Political Economy at the London School of Economics. He takes the helm of the Investment and Foreign Activities Division with more than 25 years of managerial experience in the areas of investment promotion, international cooperation, and business environment development. In the past, he served at CzechInvest as Director of the Foreign Representative Office for the United Kingdom and Ireland and also led the Investment and Applied Research Support Division. Prior to his appointment as Director of DIZA, he served as Director of the Innovation Department, where he focused on supporting innovative companies and developing the innovation ecosystem in the Czech Republic.
Ing. Markéta Přenosilová
Director of the Startup and Venture Investment Division
Markéta Přenosilová has been dedicated to supporting startups and developing the startup ecosystem for over 15 years. She has been with the agency since 2008, where she helped build the startup agenda from a small project into one of the key pillars of the entire institution. Throughout her career, she has held several positions and led numerous projects, including a shift in sectoral specialization and a focus on priority fields. She was instrumental in launching the Czechstartups.org initiative and the Coordination Council for Investors and Startups, and contributed to the implementation of the startup pillar of the Czech Republic’s Innovation Strategy. She serves on national and European expert groups, is a Startup Ambassador appointed by the European Commission, and in 2022–2023 was the first chair of the ESNA Board of Directors. After parental leave, she is returning to her position as Director of the Startups and Venture Investments Division. In 2017, she received the TOP Women of the Czech Republic award in the Startup category.