When Denisa Materová stepped up to lead Promet Group, what was meant to be a planned transition suddenly became a true test of her leadership and character. Today, as she manages one of the most significant industrial groups in the country, she prioritises more than just financial metrics or techadvancements. For her, success is equally rooted in trust, human connection, accountability, and the courage to make difficult choices.
It has been just over two years since you took over the leadership of the group from your father, René Mater. What was the hardest part of the transition to heading the Promet Group?
My transition from marketing to the head of the holding company was not the sudden leap it might have seemed from the outside. Looking back, my father prepared me quite systematically. He first guided me to find my own replacement in marketing, which meant handing over a portfolio I truly enjoyed and proving I could be responsible for the person I selected. From there, he gradually immersed me in oper ations, the inner workings of the individual companies, and financial reporting. The technical foundation was built step by step. But the emotional side was a different story – I was not ready yet. To me, that is the nuance that truly makes the difference in a family business. While you can master the data, the workflows, and the management skills, the relational and emotional aspects are just as vital. Our family has a way of working through things – sometimes through heated arguments – but we always clear the air before moving on. That is just part of who we are.
What did you realise about succession only once you were sitting in the top chair?
It involves a broad spectrum of challenges. For instance, you have to accept that you will never have the full picture, yet you must still make a decision. Furthermore, competence alone is not enough – you need genuine passion. My father always said that there was nothing more disheartening than a talented individual who does not enjoy their work. They will perform the task, but they will never provide that extra spark of excellence. For many years, we discussed everything in the family, even topics that others consider taboo. Selling the company, keeping it, handing it over to external management, choosing a successor from within the family or from outside. We made a point of having no taboos precisely so that sensitive matters could be addressed in good time, rather than when there was no room for them. Today, that strikes me as one of the greatest advantages we had as a family.
You are a young woman in the heavy engineering sector. Was it harder for you to gain authority?
It takes a different kind of effort to build credibility. I know I will never be that traditional, seasoned industrial figure who immediately meets everyone’s expectations just by showing up. Since I cannot change that image, I focus on what I do bring to the table: my own experience, my industry expertise, and a genuine hunger to learn. I make it a point to listen to everyone – whether they are senior managers, experts in fields I have not studied, or the people working on the frontline in our factories.” Paradoxically, it has helped me a lot that there are plenty of experienced men in this region who have never treated me with a “we will try to have you for breakfast” attitude, but rather in a somewhat fatherly way. In the sense of: you have had some experience of your own, but there is still something we will teach you. And that is fine by me. And of course, stereotypes do exist. Someone ordered a coffee from me at a trade fair because they mistook me for a hostess, which was actually flattering. So I made it for him, and then we had a chat about business. Usually, situations like that make for a pretty good start to a meeting.
So, how does authority come about in your case?
Probably a combination of performance and rapport with people. Toughness alone is not enough, and rapport without performance is not either. Humility means a lot to me, but not as a cliché. Both my mum and dad brought us up to believe that you are not better than others just because you sit in a nicer office. If you are a factory owner, you cannot avoid talking to the workers. On the contrary, you have to stay in touch. After all, these people create the company’s value. And then there is reality. You can have the right approach, a well-prepared deal and a good team, and it still will not work out. Someone will come along with a better price, a better solution, or better communication skills. Those are the blows that remind you that you are not all-powerful.
What is the hardest part of filling managerial positions today?
Figuring out exactly who you are actually looking for. Once you know that, the process is much more successful. It is about priorities and whether you are looking for competence, loyalty, or drive. My biggest mistake in the past? Probably placing too much trust in the wrong people. I often tell myself that what I regret most are the good things I did for the wrong people, because they never came back to me. And then there are moments when you realise that someone might be very good professionally, but on a personal level, it just does not work. At the same time, I like people who can argue with me. When I have a work-related argument with someone, and we find a solution, that is the end of it for me. Thanks to this, I can have strong personalities around me who are not easy to get along with, but who are in the right place.
Promet Group is built on engineering, metallurgy, and manufacturing. How do you keep such a diverse entity together?
Navigating this is a significant challenge. Each company has its own unique heritage, identity, and track record of success – all of which are vital assets. Our goal is not to dilute the authenticity of these individual entities; rather, we want them to operate in synergy and complement one another’s strengths. We aim to eliminate redundant efforts and prevent internal competition in areas where collaboration would be more beneficial. Strategic work with customer portfolios is very helpful. Even if two companies have a similar production process, they may not have the same customers or the same product focus. This needs to be managed consciously. This year, we finalised our five-year strategies and are implementing them in the first year. People from the individual companies must be part of the process; otherwise, they will never take ownership. What I particularly like about this is the diversity. The companies complement each other, forming a much stronger whole.
TAWESCO plays a significant role. What does this company mean to you today?
TAWESCO is incredibly important to us, not just for its results but for what it represents. It is actually the reason we first established our selves in Kopřivnice. When my father originally bought the firm, it was a world away from the company it is today. We have invested heavily in its future, and the resulting growth – both in technology and market reach – has been massive. To me, it perfectly illustrates what happens when you pair industry know-how and investment with a strong customer focus. At the same time, it is a place where we can get a very practical feel for the future of manufacturing. Not as a conference buzzword, but as a concrete operational issue. What makes sense to test, what will really help people, what will speed up, refine or make production safer. Technology is not an end in itself. It has to prove itself in production.
Part of the business community is currently most interested in Tatra Trucks. What are your thoughts on it?
Tatra is a matter close to our family’s heart. In my view, we should not lose sight of the company’s full story. Today, people focus heavily on disputes between shareholders, but they talk less about how we got here. Promet entered the Kopřivnice scene in stages, beginning with TAWESCO. Then, in 2013, when Tatra faced a foreclosure auction, my father and Jaroslav Strnad joined forces. They each had different experiences, but at that moment, they shared the same goal – to save this traditional Czech brand and get it back into proper shape. In those early years of collaboration, a great deal of work was done. Tatra had gone through a difficult period, faced numerous operation al and commercial challenges, and the new ownership duo had to very quickly stabilise production, customer relations, and the company’s overall operations. Thanks in part to this, they managed to revital ise the brand and restore its performance and confidence.
And what is happening now?
From an external perspective, it is clear that we do not see eye to eye on the direction Tatra should take. There has been plenty of talk about our differences over investments, management, and our competing visions for the company’s growth. Although it has been reported that talks regarding ownership changes have not yet led to an agreement, this is not the “personal battle” some have claimed. We are just different people trying to find a way through a complicated situation. What matters most is that we handle Tatra’s future with technical and strategic precision, never losing sight of our duty to the plant in Kopřivnice and the people who work there. Tatra itself remains a strong Czech brand with a completely specific market position, its own know-how, and a unique end product. It is not mass production and never will be. It is a car manufacturer built on a unique product, a specific customer base, and a technical solution that has its own firm place in the market. That is precisely why I believe it deserves calm, responsible decision-making, not shortcuts. From a personal perspective, the situation is obviously not pleasant for me. But I have been through worse, especially after my dad’s death. This is still just a business situation. It is solvable.
A major international chapter for the Promet Group is the Croatian freight wagon manufacturer Đuro Đaković. What does this company mean to you?
For me, it is the story of a phoenix rising from the ashes. It is another significant engineering company in our portfolio. Đuro Đaković has an exceptionally strong reputation in Croatia. The company was founded in 1921, is based in Slavonski Brod, and today encompasses the production of freight wagons and special-purpose vehicles, machining, as well as energy and infrastructure facilities. It employs over a thousand people, so it still carries great weight for both the region and Croatian industry. When we arrived, it was clear that the local people considered it incred ibly important that the brand not disappear. And it is precisely there that one can really see the roles played by national pride, professional identity, and the relationship with a company with a long tradition. For me, it was also a reminder that an industrial enterprise is not just a collection of buildings, technology, and production figures. It is also the memory of a place and people’s connection to what they consider their own. And I think that is precisely why the revival can work there today. I feel a sense of pride when the figures show that, following our entry, the company has significantly increased production and continues to strengthen its position in the market for freight wagons, which it supplies to countries across Europe.
The second significant international chapter is India. What has the partnership with the SKH Group shown you?
Our experience in India has demonstrated that successful international industrial partnerships require much more than a mere signed agreement. A prime example is our new joint venture, SKH PROMET, formed last year between Promet Group and the Indian SKH Group. This entity will focus on producing pressed and welded components for the European automotive market. For Promet, this partnership is a strategic move to broaden our technological capabilities and client base within a sector we already master through TAWESCO, which currently ranks among Europe’s most versatile and comprehensive players in the field. For me personally, there is something else that matters too. Culturally, it is a different world, no question about it. But when the owners get on well, when they share similar values, and when the managers who live and breathe this project every day also get on well on a personal level, then even major differences can be bridged. This partnership has reaffirmed to me that, whilst technology, investment and production capacity are decisive in industry, in the long run it still comes down to trust and whether people on both sides truly understand one another.
You talk a lot about people. Is that also why you decided to develop your own internal communication app?
We launched the internal PROMET+ app last autumn and have gradually rolled it out across our companies. At the beginning of the year, around 1,500 employees had already registered. I think the reason is clear. If you do not give people information, assumptions start to replace facts. People need to know what is happening in a company that affects their lives, their work and their sense of security. In my view, the impact on their performance is enormous. That is why internal communication matters to us. The app is only a tool. Personal meetings are just as important, when management comes directly to employees and tells them not only what has gone well, but also what has not gone well and what it means for them. I consider that fair. We are people. People talk. And if a company wants to be stable, it has to work with that reality, not pretend it does not exist.
Last year, you were ranked among the top women in the Czech Republic. Yet you come across as quite authentic in public. Is that deliberate?
For me, it just comes naturally. I definitely recognise that you have to be mindful of the situation, the culture, and the appropriate attire. Your behaviour in a meeting will obviously be different from how you act on the production floor. But I have never felt like I had to pretend to be someone I am not. If a woman is uncomfortable with what she is wearing, she will spend the whole meeting thinking about her outfit rather than the conversation. And that is a real disadvantage. Perhaps it is also because I am in a family business and do not need to establish my authority through symbols. For me, authenticity is more important than a polished image. In the end, business is not about who wears what watch or what car they drive, but what they can do, how they make decisions, and the trust they inspire.
What keeps you grounded today, ensuring you do not lose touch with the reality of the people who work for you?
I would say it comes down to feeling accountable, not “above” anyone else. For me, that is a crucial difference. If your life revolves around the company, there is no such thing as a traditional work-life balance. But if you accept that, you also find your “why”. It is not just about the bottom line or expansion. It is about the human element – the fact that my choices directly affect the lives and well-being of specific individuals and their loved ones. Maybe it is because I know what real hardship looks like. Some life events just change your baseline. Afterwards, you can look at business challenges, even the hard ones, more calmly. It is not that you take the work any less seriously. It is just that you handle it with a much deeper inner calm.
