The new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Kaprain Group as of 1 July 2023 is Marcel Dostal, who has been leading the Group’s development in the telecommunications market. He takes over this position from Romana Benešová, who held it for more than six years. Marcel Dostal will be joined by Jan Kolací as Chief Operating Officer (COO).
“On behalf of the whole Kaprain Group I would like to thank Romana for the work she has done for our Group. She has been an important part of the team and it is likely that we will continue to work together in the future. I wish Romana continued success in her professional and personal life,” says Karel Pražák, founder and owner of the Group.
Romana Benešová has served in her position since March 2017. During that time, Kaprain has, among other things, got the Spolchemie company in Ústí nad Labem on its feet, become a major developer and turned Nej.cz into one of the biggest players in the domestic telecommunications market.
“The years spent in Kaprain were very hectic and full of challenges. I am extremely happy that the Kaprain I am parting with is much stronger than the one I came to,” says Romana Benešová.
The new CEO of Kaprain is Marcel Dostal, who is in his eighth year with the Group and until now has managed investments in telecommunications. During this period, Kaprain gradually acquired dozens of telecommunication companies under his leadership and built them into one of the strongest players on Czech telecommunication market under the Nej.cz banner.
“I am convinced that our success is based on the capable and motivated people we have in Kaprain. I therefore see my main role as creating an environment in which they can grow and reach their full potential,” says the new Group CEO.
Jan Kolací will complete the management team of the Group as COO. He has been with Kaprain since its establishment and has been involved in structured financing, planning, cash flow management and management of a number of companies in the Group.
“Marcel has successfully navigated the Czech telecommunications market and has many years of experience in managing a number of prestigious financial and investment companies. I am looking forward to him capitalizing on this experience and continuing the further development of our Group. Honza Kolací has been with us from the very beginning and I am convinced that he will contribute to the maximally efficient operation and growth of the entire Group,” concludes Karel Pražák.
Marcel Dostal graduated from Brno University of Technology and later received an MBA from the Rochester Institute of Technology, New York. Since 1997, he has worked for PPF Group in various managerial positions in the field of investment, for example as Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of Česká pojišt’ovna and Assistant Manager for Investment Policy and Asset and Liability Management and subsequently held the same position within Generali PPF Holding, at the time a joint venture between PPF and Italian company Generali. He also served as CEO of Generali PPF Asset Management, the largest asset manager in the Czech Republic, which at the time managed assets worth over CZK 200 billion.
Jan Kolací is a graduate of the Faculty of Economics at the Prague University of Economics and Business, and subsequently of the Banking Institute in Prague. Since 1995, he has held various managerial positions at Investiční a poštovní banka (IPB), the Czech Consolidation Agency and PPF group. In the past, he was, among others, a member of the management teams of TV Prima, Eden Arena, Panorama Praha hotel, the Intercontinental hotel and Karlovarský porcelán (Karlovy Vary Porcelain Company).
