Breaking Barriers in Leadership

Top women in senior positions share their inspiring success stories.

Jana Hamršmídová, Director of the Energy Division at MND, has built a distinguished career in an industry where women remain underrepresented. Joining MND before the political transformation of 1989, she has since become a key leader in the sector.  Veronika Benáčková, Group Senior Counsel – M&A and Organic Growth at Allwyn, has also forged an impressive career path. Since joining KKCG Group in 2020, she has played a vital role in coordinating legal teams across seven countries and driving international market expansion. Tanja Duvander has been the Vice President of People at Qinshift since 2023, leading a global team of 150 professionals across 28 offices worldwide. Andria Vidler, appointed Chief Executive Officer of Allwyn UK in October 2023, is leading The National Lottery’s transformation—expanding its player base and maximizing funds for good causes.

What unites these women? Beyond being part of KKCG, they share extensive leadership experience, resilience, and the courage to embrace new challenges.

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What set you on the path to executive leadership?

Veronika: I’m not someone who had a meticulously planned career path from the start, but I enjoy contributing to business success and never shy away from opportunities and challenges that inspire me and push me forward professionally. Even within KKCG and Allwyn, I didn’t have a predefined trajectory. Instead, I took on tasks that interested me—ones that were demanding and complex—and they have continued to drive my professional growth. When colleagues and leadership see tangible results, new opportunities naturally arise. I’m not afraid to seize them—I see them as a chance for further growth and development.

From the beginning, I worked in areas that I oversee today, progressively increasing my responsibilities. After proving myself in Austria, the question arose whether I would take on Italy as well. Today, within Allwyn's legal department, I oversee legal services for all jurisdictions, connect general counsels across the group, and provide legal support for M&A transactions as well as both organic and inorganic growth, including tenders for new and ongoing licences. It’s an incredibly diverse role as the core business naturally takes place in the operating companies within each country. Every jurisdiction presents unique legal challenges that require us to be agile and responsive.

Andria: When I was younger, I saw untapped potential everywhere and became impatient with the pace of change. I knew I could drive better results, so instead of waiting for opportunities, I decided to create my own by persuading my then boss to invest in my MBA.

Jana: When I was deciding what to study in the early 1980s, I had conflicting ambitions. On one hand, I was drawn to international trade, but I was advised to forget about it due to my father’s lack of political engagement. At the same time, I was passionate about natural sciences and technology. So, I looked for a programme that blended both fields and landed on hydrogeology and applied geophysics.

After graduating, I came across a job advert stating that MND was looking for a hydrogeologist. My godfather told me, “I know the general director there.” So, he took me to meet him, we had a chat, and at the end of our conversation, the director turned to my godfather and said, “Alright, we’ll take your Jana.” So, in a way, my career started thanks to a bit of nepotism.

Tanja: My career choices have been guided by my devotion to creating environments where people can thrive. I always wanted to go beyond influencing policies and instead focus on shaping cultures that genuinely encourage growth and well-being. Building an organization that not only achieves business success but also makes a meaningful, positive impact is what inspires me every day, and I believe this is what has brought me to where I am today.  

What principles guide your leadership approach?

Andria: It’s all about creating an environment that empowers everyone individually and collectively to perform at their best. This requires openness, trust, and a clear destination or end goal. It’s key to set a framework with clear parameters and an understanding of the objectives we are working towards and our joint direction of travel. I also strongly believe in the benefit of having differing opinions, playing devil’s advocate, and challenging how things are done to test for gaps and see how things could be improved. In my experience, this approach to leadership creates high-performing, engaged teams and yields strong results.

Jana: I find great satisfaction in seeing things move forward. For me, it’s essential that we are steering the company in a clear direction, that this direction makes sense, and that we have motivated and fulfilled employees. I highly value expertise, proactivity, responsibility, and loyalty to the company. A directive leadership style isn’t really my approach. By nature, I am someone who enjoys connecting and motivating people. I prioritise building a team that is consistent, competent, and driven while maintaining a human-centred approach. To me, this is the key to success.

Veronika: If you want to maintain and develop strong collaboration, one of the most important aspects is listening. By doing so, I can better understand the challenges my colleagues face in different countries and gain deeper insights into both the business and its legal aspects. The role of an in-house lawyer is to solve business problems effectively, not to create them.

Mutual trust is also crucial for me—my colleagues need to feel confident that when something needs to be pushed forward, I can help make it happen. Formally, I am part of the second level of Allwyn’s legal team. However, hierarchy as such isn’t what matters to me. What truly counts is who turns to you with their challenges and how much trust your colleagues place in you. When not only legal team members but also colleagues from finance or IT come to me with questions about how to proceed and who to engage with, I see it as a real confirmation of my role within the company. At the end of the day, it’s not about what’s written on our business card, but about the real impact we have on the organisation.

Tanja: For me, leadership is rooted in empathy, empowerment, and inclusion. I believe in creating a culture where every voice is heard, where individuals are valued, and where together we can drive purposeful change. It’s about inspiring others to be their best and contributing to something greater than ourselves. 

When were you most proud of yourself?

Veronika: For example, when I secured a job at JP Morgan in New York, I thought to myself, this is truly something special—because in this case, the selection process was global, rather than limited to the Czech job market. I believe my excitement was evident to all the passers-by who happened to witness my phone call accepting the offer for the position! I also gave myself a symbolic pat on the back when I successfully finalised and signed a key business contract with an external partner just one day before giving birth. I don’t like leaving things unfinished.

Andria: There's little I have achieved alone so I can't think of a moment when I have been proud of myself. However, I take huge pride in enabling businesses to perform well and to enable individuals to fly - such as turning EMI round in the UK, launching Radio 5 Live, and successfully launching talented artists like Emeli Sandé.

Jana: I wouldn’t say I’ve ever felt outright pride in myself—I’ve never really looked at things from that perspective. Rather, I would describe these as moments of joy and fulfilment. If I focus on my professional life, these moments have accompanied me throughout my career. Among the most significant milestones were the completion of my first exploratory and production wells, which I designed, and the first underground gas storage facility at MND, where I was part of the project team. I also take pride in my work experience at the Austrian company RAG and in my career progression at MND over the past 15 years. I experience moments of joy and fulfilment every time we successfully discover a new oil or gas field. I feel happiness when the team I work with thrives. Each of these moments has contributed to an overall sense of success and achievement.

Tanja: Leadership, to me, extends beyond business—it’s about creating opportunities, opening doors, and helping others realize what they can achieve. Throughout my career I’ve had the privilege of contributing to volunteer initiatives and mentorship programs, especially for women and young individuals with sometimes difficult backgrounds. Watching people grow in confidence, shape their ambitions, and achieve their goals has been incredibly rewarding. To me, those moments reaffirm why I do what I do.  

Who inspires you?

Andria: I’m grateful to the strong women who broke the glass ceiling in the creative industry—from Martha Lane Fox to Jenny Abramsky, from the Spice Girls to Taylor Swift. I’m grateful to the women who I’ve worked for over the years, who have been excellent role models, and I’m very thankful for how much they’ve helped me shape my leadership style. I'm grateful to the many women who inspired me to set a great example for young women like my daughters; empowering them to be brave, uphold strong values, and have the courage to ask questions and challenge the answers they are given.

Tanja: It’s hard to choose only one as I’m fortunate enough to be surrounded by inspiring individuals every day—people who stay true to themselves and share their passion with the world. With that said, I’ve always been deeply inspired by those who dedicate their lives to making the world a better place, and on that topic Dr. Jane Goodall really stands out for me. As the world’s foremost expert on chimpanzees, her impressive work over the last 60 years has shown how true leadership is rooted in empathy for both animals and humans alike. Her compassion and passion for wildlife conservation have ignited global change, and Dr. Goodall’s work is a powerful reminder of how empathy and a purpose-driven mindset really can create lasting transformation.

Veronika: I am inspired by people who approach their work with dedication, commitment, and structured thinking. When someone combines expertise with enthusiasm, the results of their work are visible—and they deserve recognition. I admire such individuals across all fields because excellence is not exclusive to any one profession; with luck, we can encounter great work all around us every day. I find inspiration in people who are unafraid to take risks yet remain grounded. Those who invest time in their own development not only advance themselves but also elevate those around them. Lately, I’ve been increasingly fascinated by exceptional managers—people who don’t just lead teams but also efficiently drive the projects they work on. A great leader is not just someone with formal authority but someone whom others naturally follow because they believe in their vision and approach. I don’t have a role model tied to a specific industry. Instead, I seek inspiration from those who set high standards, work effectively with teams, and turn ideas into reality.

Jana: To be honest, the number of specific idols I look up to has decreased over time—I don’t have a single role model at the moment. However, I am inspired by creative, active, and hardworking individuals—those for whom their profession is a calling and who are engaged in making a positive impact on society. These people impress me with their passion, motivate me with their ability to generate new ideas, work hard to bring them to life, and at the same time, contribute to making the world around us a better place. As Albert Einstein once said: "Setting an example is not the main means of influencing others; it is the only means." These words remind me how important it is to inspire others through our own actions.

At their core, Jana, Veronika, Tanja, and Andria share more than just leadership titles—they embody the values of connection, empowerment, and resilience. Their journeys may have taken different paths, but they converge in a shared commitment to building strong teams and driving meaningful change. Their leadership is about impact. It is about creating environments where people feel valued, supported, and inspired to excel. They understand that true leadership extends beyond the boardroom—it is about opening doors for others, challenging the status quo, and setting an example that encourages those around them to reach higher. As they continue to shape their industries and mentor the next generation of leaders, they prove that leadership is not defined by barriers but by the willingness to break them.