ANNUAL REPORT OF THE ŠKODA AUTO ENDOWMENT FUND 2022

Michal Kadera

At the Škoda Auto Endowment Fund, we pride ourselves on local insight and a detailed knowledge of the environment of the regions where we operate. In addition to holding dialogue with the public, communicating with our partners in towns and villages is absolutely crucial for me as a former active scout. Their representatives are local patriots who know literally every stone in their municipality and can provide invaluable advice while lending a hand in implementation. I greatly value their cooperation and fondly remember all the heated but constructive discussions we had in 2022, whether they were about joint strategic projects or grant applications. I hope we will continue to implement the best solutions for cities and municipalities together based on the principle of dialogue.

Dana Němečková

Public benefit organizations and associations are full of active people who don't take can't for an answer. I am impressed by this approach, and I myself am active in some associations. This is not the only reason why I as a member of the Škoda Auto Endowment Fund Management Board focus on maintaining a dialogue with the non-profit sector. We have been supporting diverse projects in all regions for a long time, and they are always the result of a very lively discussion where it’s not always necessary to agree, but we eventually reach a compromise through constructive dialogue. In terms of my experience, I try to help non-profit organizations to professionalize their processes and operations, and in return I receive original perspectives and energy that you just can't find elsewhere. 

Sandra Lacinová

I am the Bursar of the Škoda Auto University, so every day I look for ways to reach out to younger generations to find common ground and establish communication. The perspective of young people is in many ways unique and opens completely new horizons for us. That’s why at the Škoda Auto Endowment Fund we try to create a space where young people can express themselves and get involved through scholarships abroad, support for regional cultural, or Gaming Day events, for example. As a mother of three sons, I believe that dialogue with younger generations is the basis for future innovation and progress. I want to show young people that their voice is important, and their ideas can change the world.

Martin Hrdlička

As a board member, I specialize in maintaining a dialogue with the artistic and cultural community. A vibrant cultural scene is one of the essential elements of any region's identity. It helps to strengthen the connection of its inhabitants to the places they have chosen as their home and brings experiences and reflection in good times and bad. Egon Schiele wrote on one of his paintings in 1912: 'Art cannot be modern, art is eternal.' We apply this motto to culture in all its forms and historical dimensions. From the search for seemingly forgotten stories in the region's history to experimental contemporary art, to architectural visions of the future. Thanks to the help of our partners, it's a beautiful piece of work too, and I look forward to all the great projects the coming year will bring.

Klaus Zellmer

Communicating about our mission and activities is crucial to achieving our greatest impact as the Škoda Auto Endowment Fund. Promoting a dialog with the public about the Fund’s goals is important to us. We want our communities to understand the values of the Fund, which are anchored in the philanthropic legacy of our 'founding fathers' Václav Laurin and Václav Klement. This identity aligns with the overall social sustainability mission of Škoda Auto: education, accessible mobility, volunteerism and well-being. The projects supported by the Fund bring this vision to life, through the platforms Nové Boleslavsko, Nové Rychnovsko and Nové Vrchlabsko. Their work with the residents of these regions gives us a lot to talk about as an organisation. Thank you very much to everyone who is active in these initiatives, and for remaining in a dialogue with us.

Maren Gräf

The Endowment Fund supports civil society, cultural life, transport safety or the development of social services – and its activities are at the heart of our values of People & Culture at Škoda Auto. What is of utmost importance to us: engaging in constructive dialogue – not only with our employees or our customers, but also with partners. The projects related to the Endowment Fund, like high school scholarship programmes or University cooperations, offer valuable opportunities to exchange and listen to students, teachers or volunteers and discuss concrete ideas how to have the best impact for our regions. Thank you for everyone who participates in filling all projects with life and passion – we are very grateful to count on you for our mission to help the world live smarter.

Bohdan Wojnar

Once in a while, I like to stop, look back, and reflect on the continuity of our actions: What have past generations given us, how do we build on their ideas and traditions, and connect them with our present reality. The development of an intergenerational dialogue will be even more important in the coming years than it has been in the past given demographic developments. That is why we have already implemented and will continue to implement projects within the Fund that promote this dialogue. In this way, they help to create a diverse civil society and vibrant communities encompassing people of all ages.

Christian Schenk

The year 2022 marked a major shift in the availability of AI tools for the general public, and within a few months the years-old paradigms we were used to working with and thinking about began to change. Together with leaps and bounds in technology, the importance of education, awareness, and cybersecurity is growing. That's why I'm trying to work on a multi-stakeholder dialogue between the public, the technology sector, and public interest organizations. I believe that the changes underway are a huge opportunity for the people in the Mladá Boleslav, Rychnov, and Vrchlabí regions, and we are happy to help open the door for them.

Mr. Christian Schenk ended his position as a member of the SA EF Supervisory Board on 30 April 2023. We thank you for the cooperation and energy invested in joint projects and wish you all the best in the next career stage.

Ladislav Kučera

I am always trying to find a way of dialogue between the environment and man. In my spare time I am building a family farm, where I admire what all seasons bring in their diversity. Sustainability for me is seeing how easily small mistakes can mean waiting for another year. The relationship with the land is now seen as a given in light of the AI debate, and few people see its fragility and importance to our future. I perceive that for years we have had more of a monologue with the environment, resulting in the gradual degradation of the soil and the ecosystem.

I believe it is our duty to future generations to look for ways to respond to these environmental changes. At the SA EF we have launched the 'Krakonoš Gardens' grant to promote biodiversity where we support projects that not only plan to plant trees and shrubs, but also help restore the natural function of the landscape and water retention. I believe that in this newly built dialogue we will find answers to many questions and through it we will be able to help create a world where nature and humans can live together in greater harmony.

Michal Čapek

I have been with the Endowment Fund from the very beginning. Over that time, I've tried to develop a constructive dialogue with partner cities in our regions. I'm a natural communicator, a typical extrovert, and one of my hobbies is amateur theatre. As an actor, I rehearse the text, I speak, and together with the director I search for the right expressive language so the audience receives and understands the idea or emotion that is hidden in the text. As a project manager at the Škoda Auto Endowment Fund, I talk to many partners and look for ways to reach a common goal. Mutual understanding is key. It's not for nothing people say you need to find common ground. I really enjoy and am inspired by my work, precisely because it's about intense dialogue. I like how varied it is: There are many partners and each one needs to be spoken to in a slightly different way. But not to make it seem like I'm just a talker, I love action. I'm in my element when things are moving. I use this both at work and at home where I strive to find a balance between three energetic children. Again, it's about communication. And then sometimes I need to recharge. When it's all too much, I like to go cycling alone. I also love the outdoors, hiking in the mountains in summer and winter, and river rafting.

Ondřej Novák

Before I started working for the Endowment Fund, I only got to know Mladá Boleslav very superficially by looking at it while driving past the town on the motorway. Perhaps the speed, the narrowed view, and the isolation made it easier to form a simple picture of a merely industrial city. That view soon changed after I moved here. It only took a little to start gradually exploring the city and its surroundings, talking to people, learning about the rich history and personalities of the region, and reflecting on the events that shaped it. Dialogue allows people to better understand each other. The mutual exchange of views, experiences, and information helps overcome prejudices and stereotypes and leads to finding the best solution. This experience confirmed how critical the ability to listen and be open to new perspectives, ideas, and environments is to have a healthy dialogue. At the Škoda Auto Endowment Fund, we want to support community service organizations and active people who are open to new challenges and constantly strive to push themselves and their surroundings. We organize educational events for them that help with the planning and implementation of project plans, effective fundraising, communication, and allow for the sharing of experiences between organizations. Dialogue helps us grow together and come up with new ideas.

Kristýna Dvořáková

Communication is key for me in both my professional and personal life. I see it as a basic building block for creating and strengthening interpersonal relationships. My favourite way to spend time is to prepare a great meal and invite my loved ones to my home where we then debate at the table together, develop our ideas, and pass experiences between generations. Connecting with the people around me energizes me and gives me space to think about the issues that are on my mind from different perspectives, through other people's eyes. I believe that an open and respectful dialogue is the best way to understand each other and to find common solutions. In our team, I oversee communication, among other things. This topic is endless. In our regions, I try to develop hate-free communication platforms where people can inspire each other, connect, learn something new, or even help each other. On our social networks. We don’t communicate on our own behalf, and we don’t just publish our own projects. We try to give space to interesting initiatives, active individuals, and beneficial organizations that often don't have the time or resources in their busy schedules to communicate their projects. I believe that through communication and dialogue, we can create a strong community that works together to create a better place to live for all of us.

Jan Kluger

I am new to the Endowment Fund, but not to Mladá Boleslav. I spent my years as a student here when I studied international marketing at Škoda Auto University. I learned about the Fund and its activities thanks to Bursar Sandra Lacinová, who is also a member of the SA EF Management Board. I knew very little about the Fund, and it was only after I joined that I discovered the range of importance it plays in the regions where Škoda Auto operates. The strategic projects that are implemented in cooperation with municipalities, the many grants for various aims, the support for individuals, and the ability to flexibly respond to new situations and problems. This broad spectrum of work gives me a great deal of freedom that I can channel toward the improvement and development of our regions. In my short time here, I have certainly learned one thing: My work pleases me. I have the opportunity to meet people who inspire and motivate me to push myself further. It's great to be part of a team that is on the same wavelength and has the same goal. I feel that working at the Fund gives me massive potential to improve not only professionally, but also as a person. I look forward to all the experiences I will gain here and the projects we have ahead of us with my colleagues and active people from the regions.