Rozhovor CEO Across Private Investments pre AmCham Slovakia.
You’ve been leading Across for a year. You’ve worked at companies all over the
world – from Silicon Valley to Singapore. What attracted you to come to
Slovakia?
During my time working for major financial institutions around the world, I gained
valuable experience. However, I’ve always tried to live by the principle of “giving
back”— here that means contributing my experience to my home country or region.
Although I’m Czech, Slovakia is very close to my heart. So when the offer came to
work in Slovakia, it was an opportunity to apply best practices practically at home. If
we truly care about our homeland and about Europe, we must also give something
back.
What achievement from 2024 are you most proud of?
When I joined Across, we set ambitious goals, but these would not have been
achievable without a strong team of experts. We therefore strengthened the team
with experienced professionals. We entrusted the strategy to Marek Šupa, who has
extensive experience not only in strategic management but also in implementing
digital solutions in several Slovak banks. Martin Fuchs, with his experience in
personal banking and capital markets, has strengthened the business as Head of
Global Sales. Our team has also expanded with Martin Moravčík, who ran his own
securities business, and Matthew Dougherty, an experienced private equity investor
with a background as an advisor to major financial institutions, including the ECB. So,
I am proud that in a relatively short time we have built one of the strongest
professional teams in Slovakia’s financial services sector.
Where is Across Private Investments heading under your leadership?
My goal is to make our company one of the leading wealth management companies
in Central Europe. We began working toward that already in 2024. In addition to our
traditional high net worth clientele, who remain a priority for us, we want to
democratize wealth management and make our services accessible to clients who
are not yet private banking clients but have the potential to become so. We’re
working on a digital transformation of the company and also focusing on gradually
expanding Across Private Investments beyond the borders of Slovakia. Our long-term
priority remains a responsible and respectful approach—toward clients, employees,
and business partners alike.
Where do you see the biggest differences between investors in the U.S. and
those in Slovakia and the Czech Republic?
American investors are generally more willing to invest in venture capital and higher-
risk assets, fully aware of the correlation between risk and return. Slovak and Czech
investors tend to be more cautious and conservative. They prefer to invest in safer
assets – such as bonds or real estate – but it’s precisely riskier investments that could
improve the performance of their portfolios. Of course, risk needs to be properly
managed and ideally diversified.
To what extent does Slovakia itself offer interesting investment opportunities,
e.g. in private equity?
Compared to mature private equity geographies, the Slovak market will be ripe with
potential smaller sized deals. We see a significant potential in the ongoing
generational change – this could result in a significant investment opportunity in the
future, provided the country creates a supportive small business and financial
transactions ecosystem. We would like to contribute to the creation of such
opportunities. Our goal is to act as an accelerator of innovation.
What are the parts of your work that consistently excite you and are a source
of motivation for you?
I’m inspired by working both with clients and with our team. It brings me joy to see
people grow – both personally and professionally – and how the company grows
along with them. Another big motivation for me is that together we’re able to create
and deliver innovative products that are unique in the market and provide real value.
What single change would make Slovakia a better place to do business?
Slovakia’s business environment would benefit greatly from more stable tax
legislation, along with simplified administrative processes and reduced
bureaucracy. There is noteworthy progress in certain areas of business, for example
in ESOP legislation, which is more in line with Silicon Valley practices and more
flexible than in the Czech Republic.
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