FBW Summit 2025

Ulrich Schmid-Maybach

Ulrich successfully led the IPO of the original Maybach Motorworks in 2007 and subsequently diversified into real estate and technology, where he forged strong ties to founders and investment opportunities around the world, particularly in Silicon Valley. He founded the Maybach Foundation, which commemorates the humble beginnings of his great-grandfather, orphan Wilhelm Maybach, designer of the first Mercedes, and promotes mentoring for social and economic development. The foundation is also building an archive and showroom of the Maybach heritage in his home Friedrichshafen, Germany. He is the co-founder of Maybach's Icons of Luxury brand, which has a growing network of luxury boutiques and more than 500 retailers worldwide. Since 1997, he has served as an ambassador for the revived Maybach automaker. He holds a master's degree in international business with a focus on US-Germany relations and regularly speaks at family office and private equity conferences, where he shares know-how on building and maintaining a family brand — a topic crucial to traditional family dynasties as well as emerging technology family offices.

John Gullichsen

Johannes Gullichsen is a fifth-generation member of Ahlström, a Finnish industrial dynasty founded in 1851. Over the past 30 years he has held various key roles in the Ahlström family conglomerate. He is currently a member of the supervisory board of A. Ahlström, the family's main holding company. In addition, he chairs the nomination committee of the two top holding companies of the Ahlström Group. He is also actively involved in documenting family history and its influence on Finnish society through book projects. The Ahlström family's business began with a trade in timber, sawmills and forestry. The second generation expanded the business into an industrial conglomerate encompassing pulp and paper manufacturing, glassmaking, engineering and engineering, making it the largest industrial group in Finland by the 1930s. Today, Ahlström employs 19,000 people in 30 countries and achieves total sales of approximately €5.9 billion. The 174-year-old business is owned by 250 family shareholders and the family numbers 420 members. The family is also active in philanthropy.

Leon Jakimič

Leon is the founder of Lasvit, a company that has connected Czech glassmaking with contemporary design and innovation since its inception. Over the 18 years of its existence, Lasvit has become a global brand, with glass installations adorning iconic spaces around the world. Today, the company employs nearly 400 people and has offices in key cities. Jakimic studied economics at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles and subsequently earned an MBA from Kellogg-HKUST in Hong Kong. Thanks to his vision and unwavering efforts to push the boundaries of glass art, Lasvit has become a leader in the field and a symbol of masterful glass craftsmanship in the contemporary context.

Pavel Bouška

Pavel is the founder and owner of VAFO Group, a leading European manufacturer of pet food. He expanded the firm into international markets and made key acquisitions, including Allco Tiernahrung (DE), Dagsmark Petfood (FI) and Pooch & Mutt (UK). It has added nine more firms across Europe since its first foreign acquisition in 2017. With an annual production of over 220,000 tonnes, it is a leader in premium feeds, with the Brit brand exported to 90+ countries. VAFO employs over 1000 people and has plants in the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Sweden, Poland and Estonia. Pavel has also invested in Lifefood and Country Life in the field of healthy eating.

Helena Sováková

Colonel Emeritus and Chief Military Psychologist with more than 22 years of service in the Army of the Czech Republic. Since 2023 I have been a member of the elite team of instructors at Vyjednavame.cz, where I specialize in the psychology of mental resilience, negotiation and public speaking. I train special forces, diplomats, security services, corporate clients and NGOs for deployment to high-risk areas abroad. I work with people in crisis situations, with families of hostages during kidnappings and help hostages reintegrate into normal life after their proposal.Proud mother and partner. An avid yachtsman and lover of her two female Australian Shepherds.

Peter Milata

Petr Milata is the Managing Director and Commercial Director of the family company BEZNOSKA, s.r.o., which specializes in the production of orthopedic implants. As a representative of the third generation, together with his brother Pavel, he continues the legacy of his grandfather, the founder of the company. Under his leadership, the firm has expanded into international markets and is strengthening its position in the industry. He is actively involved in business organizations and promotes innovation in the family business.

Pavel Milata

Pavel Milata, Marketing Director of BEZNOSKA, s.r.o., together with his brother Peter, is a representative of the third generation of the family company. Together they lead the company with the aim of innovating and expanding production not only in the health sector, but also into other industries. Pavel sees a key role in the diversification of production and the long-term sustainability of the company, which they took over with respect for the family tradition and the vision of modernization for the future.

Jiri Charvat

Comedian and presenter. Writer and copywriter. Tutor of Writing, Improvisation and Awakening. He smoked a hallucinogenic frog and discovered it didn't exist. He wrote the books Eskejp: On the Run from the Office (nominated for Magnesia Litera), Qejci: The Existential Sperm Comic, It's Today Again and How to Become Nobody: Awakening for Skeptics. He performs on Comedy Club shows on Paramount Network and Stand-up Factory on YouTube.

Honza Hanuš

Honza is a Czech crisis manager with extensive experience in corporate restructuring. He has served as CEO in companies such as Kostelecké sausages, Hungarian Telenor, Mall Group and Woltair. His career includes the successful recovery of these companies and the preparation of the Mall Group for sale to Allegr of Poland. He studied marketing, economics and IT at the University of Hradec Králové. He specializes in the psychological resilience of managers and corporate resilience, key elements of crisis management and long-term business sustainability. He is an endurance athlete with and participates in Iron Man races.

Kamila Řezníčková

Kamila is the Managing Director of ZENIT, spol. s.r.o., where she and her sister Mirka de Mey Vika represent the second generation of management. The company was formed by the privatization of the former Kosmos company in 1993, when their father Milan Vik took over (together with two partners who decided to leave the company after a while). Kamila focuses on innovation, marketing, export and procurement of input materials. Thanks to her approach, Zenit expanded abroad and strengthened the iconic Solvina and Real brands, which it successfully adapted to environmental trends.

Mirka De Mey Viková

Mirka is managing director of ZENIT, spol. s r.o., which was founded after privatization in 1993 by their father Milan Vik and two other associates who decided to leave the company after time. With sister Kamila, she continues a more than 30-year family tradition. Mirka manages the business expansion, development of partnership relations and determines the marketing and development strategy in the company based on market demand together with her sister. Under her leadership, Zenit expanded distribution, strengthened the position of iconic Solvina and Real products, and focused on sustainability and innovative business strategies.

Martin Kudrna

Martin gained professional experience during a nearly twenty-year stay outside the Republic in Europe and overseas. After returning to his homeland, he started to pursue business in Czech IT. Within Seyfor, he is responsible for the strategic development of the solutions segment for medium-sized customers, such as ERP system Business.

Vojta Roček

Vojta Roček, partner at Presto Tech Horizons, supports startups in growth, B2B sales and exits. He has mentored over 500 startups, invested in local companies and co-founded the Czech Startup Association to develop the startup ecosystem in Europe.

Sasha Mikhailidis

Presenter and manager in the field of culture and media. He hosts the cultural magazine ArtZóna on ČtART, the critical-reflective cultural programme Akcent on ČRo Vltava and the film programme Dávské palce on the radio station Radio 1. He works for TV station and SVOD platform HBO as acquisition manager and collaborates with IFF Karlovy Vary. Previously, he held the positions of Director of Radio 1 and Project Manager at the Ministry of Culture, focusing on digitization and innovation in the field of preservation and presentation of cultural heritage.

David Krajíček

Since 2014, David has been guiding family businesses on the path to a balance of good family relationships and prosperity. He graduated from the prestigious study program at FFI - Family Firm Institute in Boston and holds the International Certificate of Advanced Certified Family Business Advisor. He founded a consulting office for business families DK Family Office. He is the founder and organizer of FBW.