The event opened with introductory remarks by Václav Bartuška, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the United Kingdom, Jana Nahodilová, Chair of BCSA, and David Major, Chair of the Czech British Chamber of Commerce.

“It was a pleasure to host high-level managers from companies such as Rothschild, Carlyle, and JPMorgan at the Czech Embassy, sharing their experience with colleagues and students alike. There are quite a few people in the City with Czech roots, and they are always welcome at our Embassy,” stated Ambassador Bartuška in his opening remarks.

“Today’s forum focused on Czech and Slovak business and finance from a London perspective is a concrete example of how, within the British Czech and Slovak Association, we aim to connect people, organisations, and initiatives across generations and sectors. Our goal is to build a long‑term platform for cooperation with greater impact, strengthening Czech‑Slovak‑British relations and supporting the sharing of experience as well as mutual support,” said at the beginning of the forum Jana Nahodilová, Chair of BCSA.

Each event will begin with a panel discussion, followed by an informal networking session. These gatherings will take place regularly, not only in London but also in regional cities across the UK. If you are based outside London and would like to be involved, we would love to hear from you.

The first BCSA Forum took place on 16 April and focused on Business and Finance from a London perspective.

The panel featured leading Czech and Slovak professionals active in international finance:

• Iva Horčicová, Head of Capital Markets, KKCG Group
• Petr Rieger, Director, The Carlyle Group
• Cyril Syč, Managing Director, Rothschild & Co
• Jiří Švarc, Managing Director & Head of CEE and Baltics, JPMorgan

The discussion was moderated by Ema Janáčková (Sky).