Alumni of the Year

The nomination period for the Alumni of the Year 2024 is going to close on April 17, 11:59 AM.

The Award Committee consists of:

• General Manager of the University of New York in Prague
• Rector of the University of New York in Prague
• UNYP Marketing Director
• UNYP Alumni Office Coordinator
• Two representatives of UNYP Alumni Association
• One representative of UNYP Student Council
• One representative of UNYP Faculty
• One representative of UNYP School Deans

1. Introduction
   1. The Alumni of the Year Award was established by Mr. Sotiris Foutsis, the General Manager of the University of New York in Prague on 15 February 2018.
   2. The award is administered by the UNYP Alumni Office.
2. Purpose
   1. The purpose of the Alumni of the Year Award is to recognize an alumnus or an alumna with an outstanding achievement in one or more of the following:
      1. service to the community
      2. contribution in their chosen field
      3. service to the university
3. Eligibility
   1. A candidate will be considered for The Alumni of the Year Award only if they meet all the following criteria:
      1. He or she must have graduated from the University of New York in Prague or one of the partner university programs taught at the University of New York in Prague
      2. He or she has no unpaid tuition or any other debt towards the University of New York in Prague
4. Nominations
   1. There is no limitation on who can submit a nomination.
   2. There is no limitation on the number of nominations a single nominator can submit.  
   3. Self-nominations are allowed and accepted.
   4. A nomination will only be accepted if submitted through an online form, which can be found above these rules.
   5. A nomination will only be accepted if submitted within a given timeframe, which is specific for each year of the competition.
   6. A nomination becomes valid only if the nominee has met the eligibility criteria and has accepted the nomination.
   7. The acceptance of a nomination consists of the following:
      1. Written confirmation of nomination acceptance
      2. Delivering a CV or a resume
      3. Optional letter of motivation stating the reasons why the nominee should be chosen as the recipient of the Award
   8. All nominators and their personal data are confidential and are collected for the sole purpose of follow-up inquiries raised by the Award Committee.
5. Selection
   1. The selection process is carried out by the Award Committee, which consists of:
      1. General Manager of the University of New York in Prague
      2. Rector of the University of New York in Prague
      3. UNYP Marketing Director
      4. UNYP Alumni Office Coordinator
      5. Two representatives of UNYP Alumni Association
      6. One representative of UNYP Student Council
      7. One representative of UNYP Faculty
      8. One representative of UNYP School Deans
   2. The selection process is up to the discretion of the Award Committee.
   3. The selection process must yield top 3 candidates to be shared with the community, one of which will be chosen as the recipient of the Award.
6. Presentation of the Award
   1. The Award is to be presented by a representative of the Award Committee or a representative appointed by the Award Committee.
   2. The Award is to be presented at an event specified by the Award Committee.
   3. The Award is presented to the recipient in person or to a representative acting on the recipient’s behalf.
   4. The form of the Award is decided by the Award Committee.
7. Additional Provisions
   1. An exception can be made to these rules if deemed appropriate by the Award Committee and decided by a majority vote.
   2. A recipient may not be selected to win the Award more than once.
   3. All the other candidates who were nominated in the previous year can be re-nominated in the current year.
   4. Any case not described by these rules is to be discussed by the Award Committee and decided by a majority vote (if applicable).

TOMÁŠ  KUBICA – WINNER 2018

Class of 2007 – Business Administration; International & Economic Relations

Tomáš has had an inspirational career path since leaving UNYP with positions at McKinsey & Co, Goldman Sachs and currently KKR, across Prague, London, and now Silicon Valley. Tomáš has been an active member of several prestigious groups such as: World Economic Forum Global Shapers (class of 2012), UK CFA Society, Mensa International. Furthermore, he is a holder of professional certifications from CFA Institute and CAIA Association. After completing his Bachelor´s degree program from SUNY/ESC in Prague (contributing to the curriculum as a teaching assistant for the Business Ethics class), Tomáš pursued to MBA at INSEAD, where he also became a Committee member of the INSEAD Private Equity club. In addition, Tomáš became a generous donator of about hundred books of leading authors to the UNYP Library in 2019. 

He has continued to stay part of the UNYP community by serving on the UNYP External Business Advisory Board, preparing a comprehensive report with recommendations for growth and improvement at UNYP, and mentoring a number of students and graduates over the years.

More about the winner: 

https://www.unyp.cz/news/alumni-year-continue-important-unyp-tradition/

JUWANA JENKINS – WINNER 2019

Class of 2013 – MA in Professional and Business Communication

With over 25 years’ experience, Juwana Jenkins is frequently requested to speak in, facilitate and design programs and customized trainings for teams and individuals in the areas of communication, leadership development and personal growth. She has equally profound knowledge in program management (as a creator of professional development courses) and project/team management. Juwana has a strong track record in coaching people to achieve their personal and career goals (holder of a Certificate in Coaching and Mentoring in Management), teaching at numerous universities and working in executive positions with companies and non-profit organizations in Europe, North America and Asia. Throughout her career, Juwana has supported students, not only as an instructor, but also as a manager for an international M.A. in Second Language Learning and Teaching program.

More about the winner: 

https://www.unyp.cz/news/unyp-awards-its-second-alumni-year/

DANAI BAOURAKI – WINNER 2020

Class of 2016 – B.A. and Bc. Communication & Mass Media and Psychology

Class of 2019 – M.A. Strategic Communication

Danai has maintained a close relationship with UNYP since graduating with a double Bachelor degree in 2016 (B.A. and Bc. Communication and Mass Media) and with a Master degree in Strategic Communication in 2019. She has consistently represented UNYP at university fairs, participated as a member of Student Council (Vice-President position) and organized and hosted MUNYP conferences, as well as the 4th International High School Model United Nations Conference 2020 in Prague for more than 100 students from various countries around the world. In 2018, Danai began a very successful brand campaign at Unilever where she also organized the Unilever CRSR Internal Conference for 350 people. Nowadays, she is building up a career as a Brand manager at Maspex. Danai is a prime example of a proud, smart and hard-working alumna.

PAVEL BYKOV – WINNER 2021

Class of 2011 – MBA MIS

Pavel has completed MBA program in IT in 2011. During his studies he absorbed not only the practical and very useful information but also built up his confidence which led him to pursue his project in 2015. Pavel  founded his startup from a need that he realized in his previous work and as he says – used the learnings and inspiration gained at UNYP to the fullest. As a network architect, he found that the solutions available on the market could not provide a comprehensive view of the entire network infrastructure well enough to reveal various risks. That’s why he founded IP Fabric, software for predictive analysis and network infrastructure security, in his garage five years ago. They sell solutions to the largest companies in the world and constantly grow revenue. Pavel currently employs 40 people. IP Fabric has all the prerequisites for global success, while pioneering a new market category with very little competition. However, Pavel has not closed the door at UNYP with his MBA diploma. He keeps coming back not only as a regular guest speaker in lectures but also for professional mentoring. 

More about the winner: 

https://www.unyp.cz/news/pavel-bykov-becomes-alumni-year-2021/

Jeffrey  Alan  Medeiros – WINNER 2022

Class of 2012 – Master of Business Administration: 

About the winner: 

Jeff is always keen to share his experiences, and with this in mind, he continues to pass down his professional wisdom by teaching several courses at UNYP. Jeff lives by the motto “If I can do it, anyone can,” which he believes is a message that needs to be presented to students in order to help them find their own success.

Jeff is the co-founder of Keastone, which is working towards developing an All-In-One software platform to help bring sanity to what has become a chaotic digital world.

Amit Grinvald – WINNER 2023

Class of 2016 – Business Administration

About the winner:  Amit, a former UNYP Student Council President, has made significant contributions to both the university and the wider community. He initiated the annual TEDxUNYP event, which has grown in popularity under his co-organization. After graduation, he joined Keastone, co-founded by a UNYP alumnus and professor, and rose to the position of Head of Operations & Accounting. Presently, Amit serves as an Associate Wealth Consultant for deVere Spain, delivering top-notch financial management services to international clients. Beyond his professional work, he is passionate about fitness and holds certifications as a Personal Trainer and Nutrition Coach. Amit is also an OCR racer and avid glider pilot.

Nikki Severin – WINNER 2024

Class of 2017 – Communication & Mass Media

About the winner:  Nikki has built a solid and successful career as Brand and Marketing Manager at the biggest Czech video gaming studio – Bohemia Interactive. During her studies of Communication & Mass Media, she was elected President of the Student Council, started UNYP’s floorball team, and designed the university’s merchandise among other activities. Nikki is an active part of several patient organizations focusing on young cancer patients, most notably F*ck Cancer and Pink Bubble. Despite a serious illness that had paused her career, Nikki managed to bounce back and thrive in her day job, as well as becoming a part time actress and a voice artist with her films nominated for several awards, such as the student Oscar or BAFTA.

Congratulations to Niki, for winning the Alumni of the Year Award! You are an inspiration to all of us!