Vratislav Prevor

His story began with a recommendation from a neighbour who thought that Vratislav's knowledge of multiple languages ​​could be an advantage for working at Vetropack. The neighbour was clearly right, as Vratislav not only perfected his knowledge of multiple languages, but also turned his time at Vetropack into a steady journey of development, both professionally and personally.

“My time at Vetropack began 22 years ago – and when I look back, a great deal has changed during that time. Not only the company and digitalisation, but also the customers, the markets and, above all, my own area of responsibility,” says Vratislav Prevor.

At the beginning, his focus was more on immediate tasks and customers. Today, as a Category Manager, his role involves coordinating many different areas – from customer care and product range development and optimisation, through the procurement of third-party products, to coordinating and supporting the team. Although all these tasks may seem challenging, for Vratislav this variety is one of the things that he likes about the job.

“I really appreciate that I’m not just able to organise and coordinate but can also draw on my many years of experience and develop solutions together with my team. For me, it’s important to bring the different areas together and ensure that everything runs smoothly in the end. At the same time, I find it exciting that I’m constantly faced with new challenges, which help me learn and grow myself,” explains Vratislav.  

All the changes he has witnessed over the years, Vratislav sees as one of the biggest challenges during his time in the company. But rather than seeing them as obstacles, Vratislav has learnt to adapt to them, with the ups and downs along the way making him stronger and showing him that perseverance, teamwork and a willingness to adapt can help overcome even the most difficult situations.

“The closure of the Swiss glassworks in St-Prex, energy surcharges, currency fluctuations and changing market conditions repeatedly presented us with new situations. Added to this were constant changes to the product range. I learnt to react flexibly, set priorities, reorganise myself and work with the team to find solutions. These many changes weren’t always easy, but they had a profound impact on me personally”, remembers Vratislav and adds that the ability to keep moving forward has been one of the most important lessons of his career.

Also, hard work, curiosity and perseverance have played an important role in Vratislav’s professional development. Over the years, he has built up a broad wealth of expertise as well as a valuable network of relationships within Vetropack. They have shown him how important trust, reliability and good teamwork are.

In times when jobs are changing more and more frequently, an important question is what motivates Vratislav at his job? The simple answer is when things move forward. “When an idea turns into a tangible result, when we win a new customer, or when we solve a challenge together. I like taking on responsibility, getting things off the ground and contributing my experience”, explains Vratislav.

That’s why he remembers so well when, many years ago, together with a long-serving colleague from Vetropack Austria, he managed to secure a brewery as a customer for Vetropack – a customer that still generates significant volumes for the Group today.

His story shows that success rarely happens overnight. It takes patience, tenacity and the willingness to carry on even after setbacks. “You don’t have to be able to do everything right from the start. What’s important is that you’re willing to learn, take on responsibility and find solutions together with others,” says Vratislav.