Eduard Kučera of ALWIL Software is named Czech Republic Entrepreneur Of The Year 2009
Prague, February 11, 2010 – Eduard Kučera of ALWIL Software a.s. has won the prestigious Ernst & Young title Entrepreneur Of The Year 2009 for the Czech Republic. Industry and Trade Minister Vladimír Tošovský and Magdalena Souček, Country Managing Partner of Ernst & Young, which has organised the contest in the Czech Republic since 2000, presented the trophy to Kučera yesterday at Prague’s Žofín Palace. He was additionally named Technology Entrepreneur Of The Year. The trophy for Emerging Entrepreneur Of The Year went to Jan Zeman of Biopekárna Zemanka. For the sixth time this year, an award was presented to the Czech Republic’s Social Entrepreneur Of The Year; the 2009 winner was Emilie Smrčková of the citizens’ association Pod křídly.
“We started a new chapter in our business from the moment 6 years ago when I and my partner Pavel Baudiš decided to provide our anti-virus program avast! free of charge to users and let them decide whether and how much to pay. Today, we have hundreds of millions of users worldwide whom we serve from Prague with “a mere” 100 employees,” says Eduard Kučera.
“Given the ongoing economic crisis, we were pleasantly surprised by the degree of contest participation. It has become quite clear from our discussions with entrepreneurs that the majority of them have come through this difficult test quite well. Indeed, many saw the crisis as an opportunity to strengthen their business,” notes Magdalena Souček, Country Managing Partner of Ernst & Young in the Czech Republic.
Winner profile
Eduard Kučera, ALWIL Software a.s.
Eduard Kučera and Pavel Baudiš founded ALWIL Software in 1991 as an association in order to independently develop and distribute the avast! anti-virus program. They quickly managed to break into all areas of the public and corporate spheres in Czechoslovakia and dominate the market. A major turning point came after the entry of global competitors. Loss of the market forced a transition to a new business model – the provision of avast! to home users free of charge. The product only had to be purchased by companies and home users if they wanted. Thanks to this innovative approach, the company succeeded in creating a massive worldwide community of users with which they collaborate to improve and localize avast! in many languages – avast! is currently available in 33 versions. ALWIL Software is expanding its product portfolio to include complete computer security.
Its maximum use of all available technologies and automation allows the company to serve 100 million users worldwide with “a mere” 100 employees. That’s also why it generates turnover of half a billion and is growing at a double-digit rate. Thanks to the high quality of its program, some 400 thousand people download from ALWIL Software servers daily. Eduard Kučera strives to have machines (servers) do as much of the work as possible, freeing up his employees’ time for creativity and innovation and making his company more effective and productive.
The other Entrepreneur Of The Year Finalists were:
Stanislav Bernard, Rodinný pivovar Bernard a.s.
Zdeněk Jahoda, EMCO spol s.r.o.
Libor Mertl, Martin Málek , ComAp, spol. s r.o.
Ferid Nasr, EXIM Tours a.s.
Josef Šmíd, Rosso Steel, a.s.
The title Emerging Entrepreneur Of The Year, awarded to an entrepreneur who has been in business less than five years, was won by Jan Zeman of Biopekárna Zemanka, which hand-produces organic cookies and crackers. “Only when I went into business for myself did I start to feel I was doing something meaningful. One reason I went into the organic food business was to destroy the myth that organic food isn’t good. I also wanted to bring organic food to more consumers,” says Jan Zeman, adding: “In the last two years our bakery has grown almost 100% annually, so I believe organic is really coming into its own.”
The winner of this year’s general Entrepreneur Of The Year title, Eduard Kučera of ALWIL Software a.s., also won the title of Technology Entrepreneur Of The Year.
For the sixth time this year, an award was presented to the Social Entrepreneur Of The Year of the Czech Republic; the 2009 winner was Emilie Smrčková of the citizens’ association Pod křídly. The aim of this organisation is to provide children in institutional or foster care with an apartment of their own once they reach the age of majority, and to give them a helping hand finding work or study opportunities and becoming integrated into society.
“Yesterday’s award has tremendous personal meaning for me. It serves as an acknowledgment that we have taken the right path and an incentive to continue in our work,” says Smrčková, adding: “The main reason I founded the association some ten years ago was to operate residences with living conditions that are as “normal” as possible and unlike those in a children’s home. Every young person must be given a chance – what they do with it is up to them.”
“This year, we’re entering the second decade of this competition, which shows there’s no shortage of talented entrepreneurs in the Czech Republic and that business can be conducted successfully in any field here. We mustn’t forget that hard work, unwavering faith in one’s vision and talent, and the ability to successfully follow through with things are key factors in entrepreneurial success. Our primary interest in conducting the contest is to further support the development of entrepreneurship in our country. We believe this year’s winner shares this notion with us and will actively support entrepreneurship; his award will be a boon for him and those around him,” says Magdalena Souček.
Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur Of The Year 2009 contest was open to a company owner or manager with at least a 25% or greater stake in the company. The individual must be responsible for company performance and be an active member of top management. The company must be at least 2 years old.