Martin Šimonek

Educating tomorrow’s leaders is not only our slogan, it is also a mission that we have been fulfilling for many years. We take pride in the fact that our academic programs not only provide our students with knowledge in specific fields but also with a variety of soft skills and confidence. Thanks to this we create versatile and adaptive professionals with the ability to take the leading position no matter the social and economic circumstances. We have recently reconnected with our alumnus Martin Šimonek who is now a CEO of a progressive medical institution MY CLINIC.

Martin, how did you go from an International Economic Studies graduate to CEO of MY CLINIC?

After graduating from UNYP, I moved to the UK, where I completed a master’s degree at the London School of Economics. Although I was focused on and interested in global politics and economic diplomacy at the time, I graduated in 2008 – not a year when young fresh graduates could pick jobs easily! So I stayed in London, where I became a solar power analyst at the New Energy Finance subdivision of Bloomberg LP. I was a senior analyst for the solar industry, with a special focus on regulatory and market activities in CEE. Having experienced a position where one provides insights to financial institutions about markets and companies, I felt the need to better understand how individual companies work. I became intrigued about why some companies fail and others succeed within the same field or industry. I developed an interest in private equity, and as a result I moved back to Prague to work for the family office B3 Holding. Through working with multiple companies as an investor, I became intrigued by a healthcare project which now has the name MY CLINIC, and I am learning how to set up and run a company in the driver’s seat. This experience is highly rewarding given the nature of the product, but at the same time challenging, given that that healthcare is one of the most highly-regulated industries in the Czech Republic.

Could you tell us more about MY CLINIC?

MY CLINIC is a private family clinic. It offers its clients healthcare services that are head and shoulders above what the Czech market offers – and what Czechs are used to. We are centering the concept of personal health management within family care, where major emphasis is placed on prevention, and the early detection of diseases and conditions that can develop into life-degrading situations if not treated early and properly. MY CLINIC emphasizes a pro-client approach, where the patient is cared for in every aspect, and assisted with any healthcare issue that they might have. This care is delivered by a team of 30 physicians and therapists across 18 specializations, providing the best of what Czech medical education and the Czech healthcare system can offer.

What do you love most about your work, and what are the biggest challenges?

The ability to bring an idea to life, and to form it. From the early days when we first started sketching out the clinic on paper, to the most recent strategy meeting, in which we worked on detailed marketing strategies that reflect the ever-changing environment around us. What gets me out of bed every day is that I am able to work with a fantastic group of people, and to see our product being appreciated by a very demanding clientele. The remaining challenges involve highly-regulated and often unclear healthcare bureaucracy and rules, which need to be combined with the needs of our clients and physicians – and obviously, delivering the business plan that investors have agreed upon. Healthcare is mostly about patience and long-term commitments, which are challenged and questioned on an everyday basis.

In your opinion, how did a degree from UNYP help to shape your career path?

UNYP provides its students with a great deal of self-appreciation and belief in one’s own abilities. Thanks to UNYP’s approach and philosophy, and the way in which its highly-professional staff pass their practical knowledge and skills onto students, graduates enter the real world armed with the confidence that allows them to achieve great things. Having this degree was a condition for me to study in the UK, and UNYP made the process of getting enrolled at the LSE very smooth.

What’s next for you?

As a father of three, I aim to always focus on my family while successfully delivering on whatever work task I am currently engaged in. For now, I am dedicated to bringing MY CLINIC care to as many happy clients as possible.