České dráhy Gets First Female CEO as Krapinec Steps Down

Michal Krapinec is leaving his post as CEO and Chairman of the Board of České dráhy following today’s extraordinary meeting of the company’s Supervisory Board. For the first time in its history, the Czech national railway operator will be headed by a woman.

Krapinec’s departure comes after a period of growing pressure and speculation. His mandate was originally due to run until spring next year, but he will now leave the company on 31 August. This was announced by the Supervisory Board’s Vice-Chairman, Dan Ťok, at a press conference following the Supervisory Board meeting. From 1 September, the national carrier will be headed by Lenka Hamplová, who has until now served as Director General of the Economic and Infrastructure Section at the Czech Ministry of Transport.

Krapinec’s Security Clearance and Criticism from Okamura

The main trigger behind Krapinec’s departure was his withdrawal from the security clearance process at the "Confidential" level. Although Krapinec explained the decision by referring to personal and family reasons, Transport Minister Ivan Bednárik described the move as unusual, as obtaining the clearance had been one of the requirements in the original selection procedure.

SPD leader Tomio Okamura later entered the debate, sharply criticising the management of České dráhy and questioning confidence in Krapinec. He also pointed to the widely discussed case of missing toilet paper on the national carrier’s long-distance trains.

Questions surrounding Krapinec’s links to the business community also played an important role in the background. RAILTARGET was the first to report on the issue.

Attention focused on Krapinec’s presence in the VIP box of Michal Strnad, the richest Czech, during celebrations held by the CSG holding company. Questions were also raised over a contract for brake equipment repairs awarded to subsidiary DAKO-CZ without a tender.

Who Is Lenka Hamplová?

Lenka Hamplová has worked at the Czech Ministry of Transport since 2008, holding a number of senior positions over the years. She began as a secretary and later served as Director of the Internal Audit Department and as Deputy Minister.

Since 2023, she has been Director General of the ministry’s Economic and Infrastructure Section.

In her current role, Hamplová oversees the ministry’s economic agenda and the financing of transport infrastructure. Her responsibilities include budgeting, financial resource management, cooperation with the State Fund for Transport Infrastructure (SFDI), as well as the methodological and organisational preparation of railway and road infrastructure projects.