27.01.2025
The Excellence in Finance 2025 conference, organised by the Chief Financial Officers Club (CFO Club), brought a discussion on the key issues influencing not only the Czech but also the global economy to the ČTK PressCentrum on January 22. Experts from the fields of finance, industry and state administration met there to exchange views on current and future challenges.
"This has been the biggest conference in the newly reconstructed PressCentrum of the Czech News Agency (ČTK), not only in terms of content, but also in terms of the personalities who participated in," said ČTK Director General Jaroslav Kábele.
The conference was opened by Defence Minister Jana Černochová, who stressed the need to strengthen the Czech Republic's defence capability. "Investments in defence are crucial not for our country's security, but also as a deterrent factor in the context of global threats, including Russia's expansion," Černochová said. "Two percent of GDP (on defence) was set as a minimum level in the times of deep peace, when we seemingly faced no threats, or at least we thought we did. Today, the security reality is completely different," Černochová warned. She supported new US President Donald Trump's statement that European NATO members must assume a larger share of responsibility for their defence. At the same time, however, she took a reserved stance on Trump’s proposed defence spending of 5 percent of GDP. According to her, 3 percent are more realistic for the Czech Republic.
Participants had the opportunity to debate the Green Deal, its impact on the Czech industry and the business environment, as well as ESG – environmental, social and governance factors and their integration into corporate strategies. They also discussed cybersecurity, which is becoming one of the key aspects of protecting not only companies but also government institutions. Besides, the panel participants addressed the current economic stagnation and the ways in which it could be revived. The conference was moderated by Dean Brabec, chairman of the the Chief Financial Officers Club, and speakers included economists and experts, such as Dan Rosendorf, Lucie Urválková, Radek Špicar, Martin Jahn, Jiří Feist, Pavel Elis, Pavel Tykač and Pavel Cyrani. Each of them brought their own perspective on the future of the economy, finance and business in a rapidly changing world.
ČTK Connect, the non-media division of the ČTK national news agency, was a partner of the conference. The ČTK PressCentrum, a modern, multifunctional venue designed for press conferences, events and educational workshops, is also part of this division. The ČTK's cooperation with the Chief Financial Officers Club shows that the ČTK is not only a source of reliable news, but also a partner in organising major events.