Zdeněk Reibl Spoke at the Largest Event for Family Businesses, Family Business Week
More than 87% of the backbone of the Czech economy consists of family businesses. They employ every second Czech citizen and generate 55% of the country’s GDP. Yet they are often spoken of as if they were a minority. At the third Family Business Week Summit, held at Uhelný mlýn in Libčice nad Vltavou, a clear message emerged: family entrepreneurship is not just an economic model—it is a mindset built on long-term responsibility and traditional values.
Family Business Week Summit is not just another conference—it is the largest gathering of family businesses in the Czech Republic. In just three years, it has become a key platform for exchanging experience, forming strategic partnerships, and shaping the future of family entrepreneurship in the country. In the unique atmosphere of the industrial venue, hundreds of family business owners, successors, and experts from across the Czech Republic came together for a full day of discussions and networking.
“Family Business Week is a reminder to society that behind every successful economy stand strong family businesses. And those are not built overnight—they are built across generations,” emphasized RESPECT CEO Zdeněk Reibl, who served this year as the main ambassador of the Family Business Week platform.
As one of the key speakers, Zdeněk Reibl participated in a panel discussion titled “Technology and Us: Who Is Leading Whom?” Alongside Martin Kudrna from Seyfor and investor Vojta Roček from Presto Tech Horizons, he shared perspectives on how family businesses approach technological innovation and artificial intelligence.
“Artificial intelligence can revolutionize processes, but it cannot replace the intuition and responsibility that families pass down through generations,” said Zdeněk Reibl during the panel discussion with technology and investment experts. “At RESPECT, we use AI to analyze risks and optimize services, but the final decision is always made by a person. Because behind every client there is a story—not just data. Family businesses also have one enormous advantage: we think long term.”
Family businesses are guided by traditional values, invest in the development of their regions, and actively engage in philanthropy.
“When I founded RESPECT more than thirty years ago, I knew it wasn’t only about insurance. It was about trust—trust that we would pass on to future generations,” adds Zdeněk Reibl. Today, his wife Jana and daughter Kateřina also work in the company.
In many respects, RESPECT has become a model for other family businesses in the Czech Republic. The company systematically builds a culture based on family values, long-term thinking, and responsibility. Its approach to employees, clients, and the community demonstrates how successful business can be combined with traditional family principles. RESPECT actively shares its experience with other entrepreneurial families and supports the development of the entire family business ecosystem.
The event, held under the auspices of the Council for Quality of the Czech Republic, offered participants not only expert lectures and panel discussions but also practical workshops and meaningful networking opportunities. The FBW Summit 2025 also introduced the upcoming Family Business Act being prepared in the Czech Republic. The summit connects entrepreneurial families with experts, universities, policymakers, and media representatives—creating a unique space for collaboration and growth across the family business ecosystem.