His biography is a rarity in Slovakia and his career advancement is the dream of every intellectual. Although he spent a significant part of his professional life in New York and London, he could not resist returning to his native Slovakia and associating his name with our most famous brands. Richard Flimel, current chairman of the board of directors of JOJ Media House.
Why did you decide to study management?
Management actually came into my life by chance. After high school, I took exams for various university faculties with a focus on computer science. My friend asked me to accompany him to the entrance exams for the newly opened Faculty of Management, and to be more motivated, I applied for the admissions as well. I was accepted. In the early 1990s, this faculty also offered study abroad and teaching in English, which was innovative and very interesting at the time. I am a bit of an adventurer, so I decided that I would not miss such a chance.
Do you feel more like an economist or a lawyer?
Certainly as an economist, or more precisely as a manager. I have devoted enough time to "law" to know that I do not want to return to it. I think that in my essence I am more of a manager, a generalist. My view of the problem is holistic and I like complex solutions. As a specialist who goes into the depth of the problem, but his radius of action and thinking has limits, I would feel too tied down and perhaps even unfree.
Why school in the USA? Why did you decide to study there?
I always wanted to study at an American school. In Slovakia, I had professors from American schools, whose approach I really liked and I appreciated everything they were able to teach us. At one point, I received an offer from one of them to study in the USA, and I accepted it. I am convinced that education in the USA is of higher quality than here, especially in terms of the practical use of knowledge. I can only confirm the general perception that American schools teach their students independence in working with information and using it. I actually don't remember us studying for an exam by memorizing texts from textbooks. On the contrary, several times we were given an assignment that we took home and had up to two days to complete. I actually studied at American schools twice. The first time was when I took advantage of the offer of the aforementioned professor. The second time I got the opportunity to study law at a much more prestigious school. Since I wanted to get to "Wall Street," I took advantage of it.
And did you get to Wall Street?
Yes, it worked.
So how do you work with information?
I absorb them. Always, at every moment, and I also perceive those that are not related to what I am doing and have no immediate meaning for me. But it happens that one day I use an analogy between them and a situation I find myself in or am solving. I have a gift for incorporating them into a new context and using everything I know. For example, in college, in law school, I told myself that I wanted to learn how to edit videos. I managed it just for the fun of it, but this experience came in incredibly handy when I became the general director of television for a while. Suddenly, although superficially, I still understood what was going on in editing rooms and television studios.
Why did you actually return to Slovakia?
In New York and London, I was defined as a lawyer. I dedicated five years to law. I was at an age when I was trying new topics and environments. It was a very interesting period, but I was increasingly aware that law limited me and that I wanted to step beyond its boundaries. It was then that I received an offer from my friends from Slovakia to start a business at home in something completely different. I was excited. I packed up and went home. I brought with me enormous experience, the label of having worked "outside" and an immense desire to work.
That's a lot of courage. Would you have the courage to do something similar today? Leave everything behind and start over?
If I wasn't satisfied, I probably could do it. But today I don't feel that need. Even if I wanted to start something new, considering my age, it certainly wouldn't be a big step beyond what I've done, I would rather look for new opportunities in the field I know.
What goals do you have with JOJ Media House?
We want to be a major player in media in the Central European region. We want to make money with meaningful projects. If opportunities arise, we want to grow, and if they don't, we want to improve our media to be the best in their market. And maybe one day we'll go public.
Why media? It's not exactly the most lucrative area of the market today.
You are right, media is a difficult business. We acquired television at a time when there were barriers to entry for other competitors on the market – the number of stations was limited by terrestrial. Today, this is no longer the case. Barriers to entry in the television business have been significantly reduced. After our entry, JOJ became a serious player on the market. It was headed by a team that gained respect. These are people who understand the media and that has been our great competitive advantage from the beginning. It is a strong foundation that has allowed us to continue growing in the media sector. In my opinion, we have invested brilliantly in outdoor in the Czech Republic, we have unified part of the market and become a dominant player. We have also established ourselves significantly on the Austrian market, which looks very promising. In addition, we have companies in the Balkans, where business has completely different rules. Over the past two years, we have been able to take advantage of many opportunities in various markets. In principle, we do not have a company in JOJ Media House that would disappoint me.
Do you have a recipe for success?
Success comes as a result of hard work, determination, and the will to pursue your goals. Then you just have to wait for the right opportunity.
And your definition of personal success?
I don't define success for my life. I see my progress as a gradual overcoming of goals. It seems wasteful to me to set a goal twenty years in advance, the achievement of which would mean success for me. We can't know what will happen. In 1991, I never imagined that I would be sitting in this office today. My life is structured on several levels, I enjoy what I do, I take advantage of the opportunities that arise and I feel good in my own skin. I think that's quite a lot.
You talk about opportunities – in business and in your personal life. Is opportunity a coincidence? Do you believe in it?
I think opportunity is somewhat of a coincidence. It happens to many, but only some see it. And of those, only some take advantage of it.
You are a person who decides on many things and holds the reins in your hands. You often have to resolve conflicts. How do you resolve them?
I handle things amicably, even very amicably, until they cross certain boundaries. In any case, I handle conflict in business personally and I believe with a cool head. I try to keep in mind why I am entering into a conflict and what I want to achieve with it, and this helps me to keep a clear mind.
Do you have a role model in your life? Do you admire anyone?
I don't have a role model. I think everyone should live their own life and do what makes them happy.
Is it possible to experience the American dream in Slovakia?
Absolutely. There are a lot of people who grew up in a block of flats, built legitimate businesses and made a lot of money.
What do you think about the global economy? Do you think the serious problems are behind us or are they still ahead of us?
I don't know about the world in general, but Europe has serious problems and they are far from being solved. The question is whether we should go even deeper to really solve something. Everyone says that society must change, but society is very resistant to change. It would have to change several vital mechanisms such as pensions, social benefits... We have borrowed a lot so far, which has led to a high standard of living that will be very difficult to maintain. On the other hand, I am optimistic about Central Europe. I think that Central Europe has a lot of energy and will play an important role in the further development of the world. Our generation was not raised in great prosperity, so it is intrinsically motivated. It will certainly look for ways to succeed, and not only it, but also the generations after it.
Vladimir Orth