Presenting
The Czech Sustainability Leader Award is dedicated to individuals who inspire others and bring positive change through their sustainability and ESG activities. The aim is to highlight those who set an example for others and to support the development of a sustainable approach to business in the Czech Republic.
Following a successful second year, in which Vilém Řiháček won the Czech Sustainability Leader Award, we continue to search for exceptional individuals who connect sustainability with business goals and inspire others with their responsible approach.
The process begins with nominations. Then, an expert panel will select 5 finalists.
The winner gets determined by public voting, with the results announced at the Future-Proof Leadership conference.
Get involved and help us award leaders who are actively contributing to a more sustainable future.
Nominate your favorites by filling out the form by 31 May 2026.
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After a successful first year, in which Zuzana Holá was awarded the historically first Czech Sustainability Leader Award, we continue to search for exceptional individuals who connect sustainability with business goals and inspire others with their responsible approach.
The process began with nominations. Then, an expert panel selected 5 finalists.
Members of the expert panel are:
The winner gets determined by public voting, with the results announced at the Future-Proof Leadership 2025 conference.
Get involved and help us award leaders who are actively contributing to a more sustainable future!
Public voting was live from May 12th until June 25th 2025.
The winner will be announced on 17th September at Future-Proof Leadership 2025.
Join us at the event!
The Business Leaders Forum (BLF) has been bringing together responsible business leaders for over 30 years. Responsibility and emphasis on the sustainable business practices have been among the most important aspects of our activities since the establishment of the BLF. We see many examples around us that are worth following, which is why we decided to award responsible business leaders deserving of recognition.
We value those who connect climate action and business value. We believe that progress for the planet shall come through engagement and leadership of the private sector.
Scientists have identified the problem and can assess our options; activists and non-profit organisations can strengthen and enable mutual debate; but it is companies who are often best equipped to implement solutions locally and at scale.
We don’t want to create new corporate rankings and ratings.
We know that the entire framework for evaluating sustainable activities is still developing. Nevertheless, we believe in positive motivation. In our opinion, it simply makes sense to recognise company leaders and individuals who can lead by example and inspire others. Hence, we express our support and showcase that their work is meaningful.
But we can’t do it alone, and thus we want to involve the general public in the whole process. We believe that employees and colleagues of such leaders know them best and can let us know about individuals that the rest of us don’t know (yet).
A responsible and sustainable corporate leader should be focused on long-term company success in line with the needs and expectations of all stakeholders – employees, customers, shareholders, community and the environment. At the same time, they should be able to interconnect sustainability with the company business goals and profitability increase.
Do you recognize yourself, your colleague or your employer in the description? Let us know about someone exceptional who we haven’t heard of (yet).
Vítěz roku 2025
Vilém Řiháček is an engineer, designer, and the founder of the Cirkus C brand (Biouhlírna, s.r.o.), which focuses on the production of biochar and its use to improve soil quality and reduce CO₂ emissions.
He has been working with biochar for over 20 years, linking its application with flood-prevention and environmental measures. Today, Cirkus C produces biochar from waste biomass and promotes the principles of the circular economy across both agriculture and construction.
In addition, Vilém is also a scout, photographer, and an active community member.
2024 Winner
She is a graduate of the GRI Certified Training Course and the Business Sustainability Management Course at the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership. She is a founding member of the Association of Sustainability Managers (AMMUR).
In her previous role at Lidl, she established non-financial reporting and was involved in the first-ever integration of sustainable goals into the company’s business strategy. For the past four years, as Vodafone’s Director of Communications and Sustainability, she has been responsible for all ESG coordination and reporting, audits and education. Zuzana has played a major role in ensuring that Vodafone is a recognised leader in responsible and sustainable business, considerate of the environment, promoting equal opportunities and diversity, as well as partnership and transparency.
She is also the director of the Vodafone Foundation, which uses technology to contribute to improving the quality of life of people in the Czech Republic, supports individuals and communities for the public good, and tries to combat the imminent exclusion of vulnerable groups of people from the digital society. The Foundation is dedicated to digital education for seniors, are a partner of the Záchranka (Emergency) app, and are intensively involved in the fight against domestic violence.
Zuzana stojí za Akademií a Chartou proti domácímu násilí sdružující zaměstnavatele, kteří se zavazují pomáhat obětem domácího násilí mezi svými zaměstnankyněmi a zaměstnanci.
Zuzana is among promoters and signatories of the Academy and the Charter against Domestic Violence, which brings together employers who are committed to helping their employees who are victims of domestic violence.
End
Hlasování Czech Sustainability Leader Award 2025
Cyril Klepek
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Stanislav Martinec
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Milan Medek
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Vilém Řiháček
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Erika Vorlová
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