Olga Bědajanková is the Managing Director of SATUM CZECH s.r.o., established in 1997 as a universal insurance brokerage company and quickly gained a significant position in the Czech market. Under her leadership, the company has grown tenfold. In 2022, the company celebrated its 25th anniversary, and Olga celebrated her 20th anniversary with the company.
For 20 years, you have been working in the main managerial position of SATUM CZECH s.r.o. How is the role of a woman manager changing?
In twenty years, society has changed, including the business environment. The attitude of companies towards their surroundings and people has changed, which is reflected in the overall cultivation of relationships and managerial behaviour. Corporate processes are more oriented towards human resources, employees and co-workers. Issues of natural gender balance, corporate background and working conditions for women workers are more widely discussed. For example, part-time work for working mothers is now a topic and is supported by tax benefits. In my opinion, one reason for the change in attitudes and thinking is that more women are holding senior positions in companies than was the case just 20 years ago. Women are, by nature, generally more empathetic and naturally bring a human touch to relationships. Increasingly, I see educated, experienced women managers in senior positions across all disciplines, whether they be law, finance, healthcare, engineering or information technology. Women are also represented in professional organisations and associations. However, I do not favour any quotas on the number of women in corporate management. In an advanced, modern-inded society, introducing artificial control elements is unnecessary.
Managerially, is there any difference in how women and men perceive the need for quality insurance of their business values?
A quality manager always takes a responsible approach to managing business risks, regardless of whether they are a woman or a man. Managers who run large businesses are professionals who can evaluate all risks and are aware of the consequences of their decisions. I cannot generalise my opinion to cover everyone. Still, in my experience, I have only seen a few cases where men have approached insurance solutions with more detachment and a small degree of risk. Women, on the other hand, go into more administrative detail and anticipate more.
Business today is about crisis management. What are today’s challenges, and where do you think insurance will go from here?
Our industry is relatively conservative, and as the nature of insurance implies, this should bring a certain degree of certainty in times of nervous markets if we have anticipated, prepared and minimised the risks well in advance with the right kind of insurance. If I have the right corporate insurance programme in place, I do not have to worry about unforeseen events such as a natural disaster in the form of a flood, fire or another event, and I can focus on dealing with the other challenges we face today.
In addition to the high volatility at all levels, the present time is also characterised by the speed with which changes are coming due to the interconnectedness of markets and access to information technology. As in other industries, the pandemic in insurance has accelerated digitalisation, automation and online sales, although we still have some catching up to do compared to banking. Ultimately, changes in other industries are also making their way into insurance, with new risks emerging and new segments like e-commerce developing. In corporate insurance, we see fintech tools as an important and supportive part of our work in the future.
Thank you for the interview
