Steering Committee
Michael Saran, Chairman
Michael Saran is the founder of Odien Group. He previously worked in private equity firms in London, Boston, Frankfurt and Prague. Mike Saran is also the founder of the Sport2Life Foundation, which promotes youth education, development and health through sports and outdoor activities.
He studied economics and international relations at Stanford University and received an MBA from Harvard Business School.
He’s a passionate athlete, outdoor enthusiast and adventurer.
doc. Ing. Zdeněk Tůma, CSc., Vice Chairman
Mr. Tůma is a Czech economist. He was the chief economist of Patria Finance in the 1990s and went to London in 1998, where he was a member of the EBRD Executive Committee. He was appointed Vice-Governor of the Czech National Bank in early 1999, then held the position of Governor from 2000 to 2010. After leaving his mandate at the CNB, he became a partner at KPMG Czech Republic, where he was responsible for financial services.
He is Chairman of the Supervisory Board of ČSOB, Vice Chairman of the Management Board of English College in Prague, member of the Supervisory Board of Olga Havlová’s Committee of Good Will and member of the Scientific Council of the University of South Bohemia. He lectures regularly at Charles University, where he was appointed Associate Professor.
He’s a keen cyclist and cross-country skier.
Ing. Miroslav Res, Vice Chairman
Mr. Res is the owner of the Rituals brand cosmetics network. Under the franchise agreement, he manages the exclusive representation of the Rituals brand for the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Rituals is currently one of the fastest growing global brands not only in the cosmetics segment, but in the country as a whole.
Mr. Res was the CEO of Čedok a.s. for 15 years, the largest travel agency in the Czech Republic at that time. Subsequently, he served for several years as CEO of UniHobby, the nation’s largest DIY chain.
He is a former active rower, his hobby is mountain biking and cross-country skiing.
