Karel Komárek is the founder of KKCG, one of the fastest growing investment groups in Central Europe that has enjoyed dynamic development under his leadership during the last 20 years. Today, KKCG manages various companies with an aggregate asset value of over € 6 billion. KKCG and its portfolio companies employ almost 6,000 people in 18 countries around the world.
Karel Komárek is responsible for the group’s long-term strategic development. In cooperation with members of the KKCG AG Board of Directors and management of individual holding companies, Karel Komárek formulates and oversees the implementation of key investment strategies and approves expansions and new investments. Karel Komárek is also focused on establishing long-term partnerships and alliances with foreign investors and business partners.
Karel Komárek's first business venture dates back to the year 1992, when he found M.O.S. Hodonín, a company that became the springboard for their joint business activities in the oil and gas production sector. The flagship of this pillar of Komárek's business is MND, a company the entrepreneur has since developed over the course of many years.
In 2004, KKCG became the majority shareholder of Fischer, one of the biggest Czech travel agencies. In 2010, Karel Komárek achieved an important milestone by becoming completely independent in his business operations. In 2012, KKCG became the sole owner of the largest Czech lottery company, Sazka, which later served as the cornerstone for the establishment of Europe’s largest gaming conglomerate, the SAZKA Group. Komárek's SAZKA Group holds stakes in Sazka (Czech Republic), Casinos Austria (Austria), and OPAP(Greece), and takes part in the licensed operations of the biggest Italian lottery company, Lotto.
In recent years, KKCG has made large investments in information technologies, including the acquisition of majority stakes in such companies as AUTOCONT and Cleverlance.
KKCG is also active on the real estate market. It has completed various "top rezidence" residential projects in Prague and is currently building the Bořislavka Office and Shopping Center in the Prague 6 district.
He is well aware of the social responsibility he bears and has conscientiously promoted and shaped the efficient and ecological use of natural resources and provided personal leadership and active support for a wide variety of cultural endeavors.
As the creator and sponsor of Dvořák’s Prague – the international classical music festival that has showcased the works of one of the most brilliant Czech composers - he also initiated the Antonín Dvořák Award which is awarded annually to an individual who has advanced the legacy of Czech culture around the world. Laureates of this prestigious award include such illustrious names as Josef Suk, Ludmila Dvořáková and Jiří Kylián.
In 2005, Karel Komárek formed the Proměny Foundation whose mission is to revitalize neglected and abandoned urban spaces and transform them into gardens and parks. The foundation’s unique approach is designed to involve local citizens and young people in the success of each project, thus giving them a personal stake and pride in the embellished area and strengthening their commitment to preserve it for future generations.
In 2017, Karel Komárek founded the Karel Komárek Family Foundation. The foundation’s mission is to awaken in people the courage to try to make their dreams become reality, to discover their own potential, and to strengthen belief in themselves.