RESPECT Presented Its Family Business Story in the Family Business Week Series on CNN Prima News

RESPECT has become part of the prestigious television series Family Business Week, broadcast on CNN Prima News, which showcases the stories of the most successful family businesses in the Czech Republic. The feature offers insight into the company’s more than thirty-year tradition, its philosophy, and its role in the development of the Czech economy, as well as the personal story of founder Zdeněk Reibl and his family.

Family Businesses as the Backbone of the Czech Economy

The numbers speak for themselves. Family businesses in the Czech Republic employ approximately two million people—around half of the national workforce. They also generate more than half of the country’s GDP and account for roughly 50 percent of all economic entities. Their role in economic stability and long-term development is invaluable.

Family businesses are more than just commercial enterprises. They connect the economy with culture, traditions, and values such as responsibility and long-term thinking. They contribute to stability and prosperity at both the local and national levels. Their role is essential and deserves both respect and support for continued growth.

From Humble Beginnings to the Global Stage

The story of RESPECT began in the 1990s, when Zdeněk Reibl and Tomáš Urban set out from a small studio apartment in Prague’s Lehovice district.

“We thought—what if we did it our own way? We’ll use the knowledge we have. We know how things work in the world, and we’ll simply do it the Czech way. That’s how Respect was ‘born,’” recalls Zdeněk Reibl.

“We rented a small studio, each had our own Škoda—mine was already a Favorit, my friend had a Škoda 120—and we started making our first client presentations. We worked fourteen hours a day, Saturdays and Sundays,” he continues, describing how a small idea gradually grew into one of the most successful Czech brokerage groups.

Today, RESPECT is headquartered in two administrative buildings in Prague and operates 13 branches across the Czech Republic. The company employs more than one thousand experts serving clients on five continents. Its services cover all types of insurance, including comprehensive and specialized products such as agricultural insurance, aviation insurance, cyber risk, credit risk, and terrorism insurance.

The Art of Sharing

The foundation of RESPECT’s success lies not only in business acumen or technical expertise. For many years, Zdeněk Reibl has emphasized that the key is the ability to share—not only profits, but above all knowledge, experience, and purpose.

“We are proud of our success and that we help our clients in the business sphere. At the same time, we want to share that success in the nonprofit sector as well, which is why we support important cultural and sports projects as well as single mothers,” says Zdeněk Reibl.
“A meaningful and successful life is not only about making money—it is also about knowing how to share it in the right places.”

Family at the Center of the Business

Even after more than three decades on the market, RESPECT remains a true family company in exclusively Czech hands. Alongside Zdeněk Reibl, his wife Jana and daughter Kateřina are also active in the company. Generational continuity is part of the company’s DNA.

The path was not always easy. The family experienced a life-changing event that reshaped their perspective.

“Eighteen years ago, our son had a serious motorcycle accident and narrowly escaped death. It was a huge shock for our family. Our lifestyle changed, and we had to give up many of our plans,” Reibl recalls.

This difficult period also affected his daughter Kateřina, who was still a teenager at the time.

“Kateřina was seventeen then, and most of our attention and energy went to our son. That could have helped her, but it could also have been difficult, because she had to start taking care of herself much earlier,” he admits.

Today, Kateřina Oellerich—Director of Strategic Projects at RESPECT—looks back on that time with perspective and gratitude.

“It was a major life event, but it prepares you well for life. It brings greater humility. Although it was emotionally very demanding, I draw from that experience in both my personal and professional life,” she says.

She also remembers observing her father at work.

“I had the chance to attend business meetings where complex matters were being discussed. I didn’t fully understand them at the time, but I sensed it was a risky situation for the client, who was understandably nervous. What struck me most was how people looked up to my father with admiration because they felt he was the one who could help them. I thought to myself that one day I would also like to do work that has meaning and helps others.”

Philosophy and Personal Responsibility

For many years, Zdeněk Reibl has believed in and practiced a simple but powerful idea:

“Success is not a coincidence. You simply need to decide in what area you want to achieve it, and then pursue it patiently and persistently.”

According to him, the essential qualities for business include attention to detail, innovation, personal responsibility, teamwork, and physical well-being. He himself is an advocate of an active lifestyle and the founder of RehaGym, a project that grew out of a personal family challenge.

Partnership and Social Responsibility

Alongside its business activities, RESPECT is also strongly committed to social responsibility. Employees support a charitable initiative focused on helping children with disabilities from the Vesna Children’s Medical Spa in Janské Lázně. The company is also involved in supporting youth sports, regional cultural and social events, education, and healthcare. For many years, RESPECT has also been actively engaged in the Family Business Week initiative, which aims to support and connect entrepreneurial families.

The feature about RESPECT in the Family Business Week series on CNN Prima News is an invitation to anyone interested in understanding the values and principles behind one of the largest Czech insurance brokerage groups—and the journey a family business can take over more than thirty years of determined and responsible entrepreneurship.

Family Business Week also serves as a reminder to society that every successful economy is built on strong family businesses. And those are not created overnight, but across generations.

A Series Highlighting the Backbone of the Czech Economy

The Family Business Week series is a CNN Prima News project dedicated to showcasing family businesses as a key pillar of the Czech economy. The series is produced in cooperation with CNN Prima News and hosted by David Krajíček, a renowned family business advisor and founder of the Family Business Week platform, which has no equivalent in the Czech Republic.

You can watch the full report on our YouTube channel.