Renáta Kellnerová, the widow of businessman Petr Kellner, who tragically died in a helicopter accident in Alaska last March, decided on a change of director. Kellner has a majority of the voting rights in the PPF Group.
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“Our family and Jiří have a long-standing friendship. In the years 2005–2012, he was a key figure in PPF, and he and Petr often discussed the group’s business activities with Petr and knew his thinking well. That is why I am very glad that Jiří accepted my offer for the position of PPF director, and I wish him much success in developing Peter’s legacy and further building the group, “said Kellnerová.
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Šmejc himself takes his new position as the pinnacle of what an entrepreneur in the Czech Republic can achieve. “There is only one PPF and I will do my best to strengthen its completely unique position even more,” he said.
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Kellner thanked Bartoníček for his work during the difficult period when the company lost her husband.
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“I would like to thank the entire team for the fact that together we managed to overcome a very emotionally and professionally difficult period, continue to develop the company, develop and complete a number of major projects. Today, PPF is stable and ready for new projects and challenges, “said Bartoníček about his departure.
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Fifty-year-old Šmejc is one of the richest Czechs. He started his business in 1992, two years later he was at the birth of Middle Europe Finance, a company that traded in securities. In 1999, he became a partner of Vladimír Železný in founding TV Nova, which PPF joined in 2002.
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After the sale of Nova CME, Šmejc headed to PPF’s management. Šmejc has been involved in the structures around PPF since 2004 and in 2005 acquired a 5% stake, which he held until 2012. He participated in the development of Home Credit in the Russian market and the company’s expansion in Asia.
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Šmejc left PPF in 2013, but through its investment group Emma Capital it holds a minority stake in Home Credit, which is majority owned by PPF.
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In addition to the new position, he also acquired an option to buy up to a ten percent stake in the company. It can apply this after three years in achieving the agreed increase in the value of the group.
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After Kellner’s death, PPF leads a four-member steering committee, which was established last April. The members are both the minority shareholders of the Bartoníček and Jean-Pascal Duvieusart groups and the financial director Kateřina Jirásková.
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