photo: Archives/We were the first to know: Exclusive information from behind the scenes of the new ČD head selection process. How are the interviews going?
Candidates for the new ČD CEO are being interviewed these days. Both Ministry of Transport and Czech Railways are silent about the tender process. Nevertheless, RAILTARGET has managed to obtain exclusive behind-the-scenes information about the new CEO of the ČD selection process.
A source close to the Ministry of Transport, who does not wish to be named, revealed how the selection procedure is going on. The interviews with candidates for the head of the national carrier are not very long. Usually, the selection committee tries to complete them within thirty minutes. The committee prepared a list of questions for the participants in the selection process. What are the candidates being asked?
According to RAILTARGET's source, among the questions that were unified for all participants, there is a question about stressful situations. Stress resistance is one of the standard criteria of the selection procedure. Candidates are asked to indicate the most stressful situation they have experienced.
The next question of the selection committee concerns financial institutions. The chairman of ČD's supervisory board, economist Zámečník, said in February that the ability to negotiate with creditors and rating agencies, which will have to be assured of the continuity of the national carrier's management, will be crucial. Candidates should indicate whether they have dealt with some institutions in the past and what experience of dealing with them they have. According to exclusive information from our editorial office, this part of the interview is conducted in English.
The current state of the national carrier is also discussed with the candidates, who are asked to list five ČD problems that they consider to be fundamental and need to be addressed. The commission also asks about the experience in crisis management. Part of the interview is also devoted to the question of personal integrity.
The new CEO of ČD is selected by a five-member selection committee, whose members are Ing. Miroslav Zámečník, ČD Supervisory Board Chairman; Ing. Lenka Hlubučková, ČD Supervisory Board Deputy Chairman and Deputy Minister of Transport of the Czech Republic; Tomáš Vrbík - Deputy Minister of Transport of the Czech Republic; PhDr. Tomáš Vyhnánek, Chairman of the Audit Committee of ČD, Ministry of Finance, and doc. PhDr. MUDr. Mgr. Radvan Bahbouh, PhD., psychologist.
According to an exclusive statement by the chairman of ČD's supervisory board, economist Miroslav Zámečník, the new ČD boss should be appointed no later than mid-April. "We want to give sufficient space, so you can't make it too short. The end of March would be optimal in terms of the company's needs. Let's say it should be over by mid-April," Zámečník told RAILTARGET in February. RAILTARGET's source said efforts are being made to have the new CEO take office on April 1, 2022.