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Craig Johns explores the leadership styles between Logica and Vodafone with Jana Kapr; the challenges of merging different cultures andbusiness structures; reacting to being told you are dictator; becoming anentrepreneur; and understanding the vision of the client. We also talk about managing family, work, exercise and other focuses; why sport allows her to perform at ahigher level; the impact former Vodafone Australia CEO, Grahame Maher and her dad had on hercareer; and the importance of blocking time in your diary for yourself.Over the past ten years Jana co-founded Billigence, with her Husband Michael, which is an international consultancy delivering innovative business intelligence solutions. She transitioned into the CEO role at Billigence, four years ago.
Background
Jana thrives on collaboration, going the extra mile and is known to deliver beyond expectations. She is passionate, committed and easy to work with as she excels in managing and leading complex projects. In her spare time she loves to compete in triathlon, snowboard and cross country ski.
Growing up in the Czech Republic, she completed a Masters Degree in Engineering at the Czech Technical University in Prague. She continued her education at the University of California Irvine and in Australia with an MBA Graduate Diploma in Economics, Law and Finance at Deakin University.
Her career took a leap forward as she took on a Senior Consultant role at Logica, whereshe delivered Energy and Utilities projects in Europe, US and Australia.
In 2001, she commenced 9 successful years at Vodafone Australia, working her way up to Head of Marketing Planning. During this time she has delivered major projects and programs with global companies such as Apple, Google and HTC. Her expertise in integrated business plans, cross-segment product roadmaps and designing strategic processes has led to receiving Vodafone Hero and most prestigious employee excellence awards.
Jana talks about:
- Growing up in a little town near Prague, being very active in sport
- Being inspired by her mum and dad to study engineering
- Having the opportunity to work on real-life technology problems while studying
- Knowing Czech Republic was too small for her and the desire to travel.
- How Logica offering her a role as a graduate to work in England, Netherlands and then in Sydney, shaped her leadership style.
- The differences in the leadership style between Logica and Vodafone.
- How the former CEO’s of Vodafone Australia, Grahame Maher and Russell Hewitt had major impacts on her career and leadership style.
- Managing the launch of the first Apple and Google phone plans.
- Juggling having her son Martin while continuing to grow as a Senior Manager at Vodafone.
- The tough decision to leave when Vodafone merged with Hutchinson,
- Why starting Billigence, with her husband, was her best career decision
- Getting the feedback that she was a dictator by her team as a young manager.
- The importance of reflection being authentic and making leadership your own.
- The Purpose of Billigence, which involves delivering insights information to the fingerprints of the end users
- Synergistic learning from their customers and clients
- Managing stress levels, mental health, travel, family and juggling everything is the biggest challenge
- How she wouldn’t be able to do her job without being active and doing sport.
- Billigence sponsoring a kids triathlon program called Go series, in Sydney
- Why Billigence sponsors their employees to do Parkruns.
- Prague Orbit project which fundraises money for families with disabled children
- Going on her first girls trip to Bhutan before Christmas.
ActiveCEO Wellness Tip
Priority Meeting – A workout is just as much of an investment in your career as it is an investment in your physical and mental well-being. Exercise is even more effective than anti-depressants and ADHD medication for enhancing your mood and mental focus. Therefore you have no reason not to make exercise your number one priority meeting of the day.
Tweets
“Understanding the vision of the customer and how we can possibly deliver to that customer”. Jana Kapr explains howBilligence focuses on customers, on the active CEO Podcast.
“Everyoneis in charge of their destiny and it is up to you to how you organize yourtime, how you make yourself happy and healthy, and how you make your team andpeople around you happy and enjoying what they are doing. ” Jana Kapr on the active CEO Podcast.
Resources Mentioned in this show:
Jana Kapr LinkedIn
Jana Kapr Facebook
Billigence www.billigence.com
Vodafone www.vodafone.com.au
Logica https://www.cgi.com/en
UC Irvine www.cgi.com/en
Czech Technical University www.cvut.cz
Go Series Sydney
Parkrun www.parkrun.com.au
Prague Orbit www.prague-orbit.cz
NRG2Perform www.nrg2perform.com
Craig Johns craig@nrg2perform.com
Craig Johns LinkedIn
Ben Gathercole LinkedIn
Ben Gathercole Performance Coaching www.bengathercole.com.au
Recommended Reading:
Better Than Winning – Ben Gathercoles’s best selling book