SPEAKER: Vratislav Kulhanek

Ing. Vratislav Kulhánek was born in Plzeò, Czech Republic, in 1943. He completed his high school studies in Èeské Budìjovice and in 1966 he was graduated from the University of Economics in Prague. In 1992 he completed a two-years studies at the European Business School in Prague.

From 1967 to 1981 he worked in various positions in the finance and economy branches of civil engineering companies. In 1981 he entered the Economic Planning Department in the Motor Jikov company in Èeské Budìjovice, an important supplier of the Czech car industry. He was promoted to the position of director of purchasing, the Board member in charge of commerce and the Board Chairman. From 1992 to 1997 he was the director and speaker of the Robert Bosch Ltd., a company founded as a joint venture with the Motor Jikov company.

Recently Vratislav was elected the Board Chairman of the Czech car company Skoda, automobilová a. s., assuming the position on April 16, 1997.

Since 1994, he is the Vice-Chairman of the Automobile Industry Association of the Czech Republic. Since 1997 , he is Chairman of the Automobile Industry Association of the Czech Republic and Vice-Chairman of the Industry and Transport Association of the Czech Republic.

Apart from Czech, his mother tongue, Mr. Kulhánek is fluent in English, German and Russian. He is married and he has two grown-up children.