Interview with Tatra’s new CEO Petr Karasek

Kopřivnická car always doing things differently than others and relied on the original, but expensive solution. “This must change,” he says in an interview with the weekly Economist CEO Petr Karasek.

Image courtesy of HN – George Zerzoň.

Petr Karasek (49)

Education:
- Graduated from the Technical University in Brno (road construction machinery).
- obtained his MBA from Sheffield Hallam University.
- Further graduated corporate and commercial law at the Law Faculty of Masaryk University in Brno.

Career:
- Karosa High Toll (now Iveco Czech Republic) started as a designer, then it was commercial director and board member.
- He was the director of Škoda Transportation during its restructuring.
- The Vice-President of the Czech Association of interim managers and external lecturer at the University and Technical University.
- In October, he became Director of the Tatra Kopřivnice crisis.

Privacy:
- Married, two children.

Tatra must be inspired by companies such as bus manufacturer, SOR or Zetor Brno. In the interview, which can be found in the current double issue of the weekly The Economist, it says its director Petr Karasek. For the model considered and hard restructuring Kamaz. “If it can Russian truck manufacturer, why would it not prove Tatra? Just tatrováci must stop looking in the rearview mirror,” says the manager, who sent an employee to “brigade” in High Toll to assist in the pre-Christmas peak in the production of Iveco buses and know how to work elsewhere.

At the time of execution Tatry have the automobile was extremely critical. What do you all made it here now act as a director?

Maybe that’s because I’m probably not an unqualified discussed the possibilities that greeted Tatra, I was asked by the new owners, whether’ll try to prepare a detailed analysis of the situation. After that followed a logical next step, ie the design, what would be possible with Tatra do to save and develop in the future. Shareholders proposal and assess the various options chosen just this. Naturally, you want me took responsibility for its implementation.

One of the problems Tatry was not clear that the owner and the CEO had to serve many masters. As it is now, when the two owners?

Owners are moving very consistent so far not at this point to comment.

Among Koprivnice and Mlada Boleslav – Read HERE

Develops Tatra truck for farmers, which will replace the tractor – READ HERE

And what are the main findings of your examination of the situation Tatry?

Tatra lived too look into the history and not enough willing to consider changing your way of thinking and working. In the last 20 years, suffered from frequent changes in strategy, direction, organization, and management and owners did not have clear market focus – Aimed at a wide variety of targets. The concept of products, based in the past, taken alone does not provide sufficient competitive advantage. Technology base and manufacturing processes have also correspond to current needs. At the time of its creation was thought out very well, but the world is for those 40 years much has changed. It is clear what we have to focus on.

Workers Tatry mind that your consulting team was Peter Hrdlicka, a former chief designer of the car Favorit a big critic of the original kopřivnické technical concepts with air-cooled engines?

Petr Hrdlicka for his age almost 80 years of remarkably agile. He has in mind the knowledge and experience that can be found rarely. He was an important member of our team in drafting the new strategy for Tatra, mainly in the role of the expert’s report. I never noticed that with someone in the company had a problem. I think he should Czech industry people with rich experience to appreciate more and use them. The average age in my expert team was appreciably over 60 years, for example, another prominent member of the Breslau Kulhánek recently celebrated his seventieth birthday.

Original chassis design with swinging half-axles, however, is even older. Although ensures excellent flotation, but production is expensive. Will she keep Tatra, or even in this area accede to fundamental change?

At this time, we will deal with savings in the existing approaches. One of the ways that lead to the high degree of unification of components and subassemblies. In fact, I like designer Karosa High Toll growing up and I felt that Tatra, which at first glance look like bricks, have an even higher degree of unification. But in the last two decades, it’s various ad hoc projects very dilute.

Kopřivnická automaker last year produced around 500 trucks, this year planned 800 What is reality and what is your estimate for the year 2014?

I suppose Tatra this year to sell a total of about 720 vehicles. Realistic plan for next year, during which should play a substantial part of the necessary restructuring steps, is still about the same amount. One of the first goals is to reach that tipping point from which production is profitable, still lay below. That will mean strong pressure to reduce overhead and fixed costs.

Will you lay off?

Low labor productivity and high costs per car are one of the biggest weaknesses Tatry and we very quickly rectified. We compared the productivity Zetor, with the company SOR and Bobcatem in Dobris, which are manufacturers of similar products, technology and basic processes. The first rolling target we set the productivity of one vehicle produced per employee per year, but even that would be long enough. Look, how should the productivity worked Kamaz. When he therefore was able Zetor, if he can Kamaz, why should it not prove Tatra? Just tatrováci must stop looking in the rearview mirror, and even more have to look forward to those companies that belong to the most successful. There can gain inspiration. The success story is indeed valuable, but for the future survival of nothing.

Future Tatry see that fills the gaps in the market in which the big players want. But how are customers who need some specialties even aware that there exists a Tatra and what it offers?

The vast majority of customers in these segments of the Tatra knows and follows her efforts. O such strong support from users and the public may rely few companies.However, marketing is actively preparing the necessary steps.

Expect to manufacture engines, or one will be used only imported?

Production of internal combustion engines is now much rocket science. Increasing requirements to reduce emissions, noise and consumption cause extreme development costs. To make those investments could return, are then required a series of tens of thousands of pieces. Production in smaller numbers unfortunately not sustainable.

It follows that the production of engines already in Koprivnice future count impossible. In the model also allow the company SOR, which in their buses assembles imported engines, and although it is a relatively small producer, holds a significant share of home.Are you going to cooperate with it?

We have already begun to establish contacts with SOR and Zetor, which can also offer specials, and thanks to the friendly relations we have sent employees to other companies to see that many things can be done differently and better. Kopřivnická car was due to its unique position in the past their lot. I often hear that doing a thing one way or another simply can not, because in Tatra always did after her. That needs to change.

Original interview:  http://web.volny.cz/noviny/ekonomika-a-podnikani/clanek/~volny/IDC/253753/ekonom-tatru-komplet-predelam-planuje-novy-generalni-reditel-automobilky-petr-karasek.html