ODIEN - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Director of Sales and Marketing
Ms. Mladina joined Le Méridien Lav as a part of pre-opening team in early 2006 on a position of a Revenue Manager and then re-directed her career path to Sales and Marketing at a present position of DOSM, being part of the Executive Committee from the start. Prior joining Le Méridien Lav, Split, she worked in both Sales and Revenue management of Adriatic Luxury hotels, at that time, 2nd largest hotel company in Croatia. Ms. Mladina holds a B.S.C. degree in hotel/resort management from Rochester Institute of Technology in Dubrovnik. She is a native Croatian speaker, fluent in English and Italian, as well as conversant in Spanish.
Job Titles:
- General Manager
- General Manager of Odien 's Le Meridien Lav
Mr. Zaalberg is the current General Manager of Odien's Le Meridien Lav. Prior to joining Le MeridienLav in 2011, Mr. Zaalberg was General Manager of the Sheraton in Tirana, Albania. Prior to joining Starwood Hotels & Resorts he worked for 10 years for the Norwegian hotel group Olav Thon Hotels in Brussels, Belgium were he successful opened the second largest hotel of Belgium as Executive Manager. Mr. Zaalberg graduated from the Hotel Management School Les Roches in Bluche, Switzerland. He is a native Dutch speaker, fluent in English and French as well as conversant in German.
Job Titles:
- an IT Team Leader
- ICT Manager
Atal works at ODIEN Group as an IT Team leader, where he focuses on IT project management, IT security and vendor management. His IT career began at Radio Free Europe, where he provided user support to an international team of journalists. He has diverse experience in the field of IT and specializes in infrastructure management and IT project management. In the past, he worked as an ICT consultant for clients in the field of big data and energy, where he assisted in systems transition projects. His passion for IT and goal-setting and diverse experience make him a valuable team member ready to take on new challenges and contribute to the success of any project. He graduated from the University of Finance and Administration and speaks fluent English and communicative German
Job Titles:
- Director of Revenue Management
- the Revenue Manager
Ms. Šušak is the Revenue Manager. She entered the hospitality industry in November 2006, with Le Meridien Lav Split. Working her way from Credit Manager to her current position to manage optimal revenue performance at the hotel level and develop and implement strategies to achieve the revenue goals. Prior joining Le Meridien Lav, Ms.Šušak worked as accountant in Bosnjak Grupa d.o.o. She holds a Master's degree in Finance and Accounting from University of Economics in Split, and is a native Croatian speaker also fluent in English.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Director of Odien 's Grand Hotel & Marina Lav
Ms. Vujević is a director of Odien's Grand Hotel & Marina Lav. Prior to joining Lav, Ms.Vujević performed budget and analysis, as well as sales management at Lantea group, one of the largest fashion retailers in Croatia. She later joined Eurodomd.o.o construction company, where she was engaged in business, residential, and hotel project development, including the Grand Hotel & Marina Lav, where she focused on urban planning, construction, finance, and legal aspects of the project. Following the successful launch of the 5 star resort hotel and marina complex under the luxury brand name Le Meridien, she stayed on as Executive Director of Grand Hotel Lavd.o.o. and is currently a member of the management board. Ms.Vujević holds a university degree in Economics, and is fluent in Croatian, English and German.
Job Titles:
- Chief Operations Officer
- Avia Energo
- Avia Energo Chief Operations Manager
Mr. Listík is a chief operations officer, responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of Avia Energo, s.r.o., he is also responsible for the strategic development of energy networks in Avia City and the surrounding area.
Prior to his current role, he worked in the energy industry, especially in the production and distribution of heat and electricity. Mr. Listík joined Odien in September 2019 from the innogy Energo where he was responsible for customer relations and for the preparation of new projects based on cogeneration units. Mr. Listík graduated from ČVUT Praha (Czech Technical Institute) - Machinery Engineering Faculty. He is a native Czech speaker, fluent in English.
Job Titles:
- Director of Human Resources
Mr. Leben is the director of Human Resources. He joined Grand Hotel Lav in October 2006 prior to the opening of Le Méridien Lav, Split hotel. In the past, Mr. Leben worked as a senior consultant in HILL International; an international company specialized in search and selection of personnel. Mr. Leben has an overall HR experience, is one of the founders of HR centar (Croatian Human Resources association) and, during his studies, one of the founders of Student's Radio and TV. He holds a Bachelor degree in Public Administration, is a native Croatian speaker and is fluent in English and German as well as conversant in Czech.
Job Titles:
- Controller
- Finance Director
Mr. Buček has been serving as Odien Real Estate Finance Director, and is controller for Odien. In the past, Mr. Buček acted as Avia's Director of the OEM Business Unit. He was also in the supervisory board of the travel agency Čedok, a.s.
Prior to joining Odien group in 2004, Mr. Buček was the Finance Manager for Revitalizační Traktor s.r.o., specialized in the solution of financing the production of the joint-stock company Zetor (Czech tractors). He began his professional career at KPMG as an auditor and later as a consultant.
Jan Buček completed his master's degree in economics at Masaryk University in Brno, and part of his studies at the Facolta di Economia Commercio in Verona, Italy. He is fluent in English and Italian, and also speaks German and Spanish at a communicative level.
Job Titles:
- Blue Orange Resort Manager
Láďa has been working at Odien Group as the manager of the Blue Orange resort and the Recupera Clinic since 2023. With more than 32 years of experience in management and foreign trade, he started his career in 1991 as a manager of the sales team of a company specializing in the import and export of advanced medical and engineering technologies and industrial units, with Western European countries such as Germany, Italy, France and Belgium. Before taking up the position of manager of the Blue Orange Resort and Recupera Clinic, he worked as a manager of a business company dealing with high-tech healthcare, as well as sports and wellness technologies, which are used in the public and private sectors.
Lukáš works at Odien Group as Technical Director. With over nineteen years of construction experience, he has built his career on a solid foundation of knowledge and passion for building design. Its mission is to combine technical excellence with creative design and deliver construction solutions that not only meet clients' needs, but exceed their expectations. He obtained an engineering degree in the field of civil engineering at the CTU in Brno, Faculty of Civil Engineering, and combined this theoretical basis with practical skills and practical experience.
His career began in 2004 when he became self-employed in the field of construction design, which allowed him to gain valuable experience and establish a place in the market. Since 2009, he founded his own company LV plan, s.r.o., where he gained valuable experience on various projects for clients such as Finep and Konhefr, as well as for other local developers. His job is to help clients realize their visions of construction projects and bring them to life. He believes that quality and precision are the keys to success in the construction industry and is proud to be part of a team of professionals who are passionate about achieving these goals. Their joint efforts and dedication enable them to achieve excellent results and create projects that have a positive impact on the community and the environment.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Founder
Mr. Saran is the founder of Odien. Prior to founding Odien as an investment firm in 2004, Mr. Saran worked in private investment firms in London, Boston, and Prague. Mr. Saran is also the founder of Sport 2 Life, a foundation aimed at supporting the education, development and health of youth through their participation in organized sports. Mr. Saran graduated from Stanford University with two B.A degrees in Economics and International Relations and received his MBA from Harvard Business School. He is fluent in Turkish and German and conversant in Czech.
Mr. Božiković joined Odien's Le Meridien Lav Hotel in April 2017. Prior to joining Lav, Mr. Božiković, a Split native, worked in Boston, United States as a General Manager of two brand new Marriott Hotels which he led from ground up construction to business development and operations. Mr. Božiković holds BA Degree from Lindenwood University in Saint Louis, United States that he attended on a sports scholarship. Mr. Božiković is also a project leader of Sport2Life in Croatia, a foundation aimed at supporting the education, development and health of youth through participation in organized sports. He is a native Croatian speaker and is fluent in English.
Radka has been working at Odien Group as a marketing and communication manager since 2023. With more than 24 years of experience in the field of marketing, she started her career in 1998 in the GLOBUS CR team, where she gradually rose through the ranks and eventually headed the CDCI department (Corporate Identity/Corporate Design). Her position included strategic planning of activities within CDCI, including the development of new concepts for hypermarkets and cooperation with key departments of the company.
She later moved to CENTRAL GROUP, where she managed the Interior Studio, taking care of strategy, team and business development. Subsequently, she worked for EXPERT ČR and K+B PROGRES as Marketing Manager, where she led marketing activities for the Expert, ECG and Yamaha brands. Her goal is to effectively manage marketing and communication activities and achieve measurable results for the companies it cooperates with.
As Finance Manager, he is responsible for the reporting of the Odien Group, preparation of budgets and accounting and tax declarations of the Group's foreign companies. He has been with the company since 2021. Previously, he was Accounting Manager at Apogeo Consulting Group and Head of Accounting and Tax at the Czech branch of TMF Group, where he was also a member of the Board of Directors. As an external consultant, he assisted companies in the automotive and real estate sectors. Roman Heřmánek graduated in Accounting and Financial Management at the University of Economics in Prague. His native language is Czech and he is fluent in English.
Dr. Ptacek is a lawyer specialized in M&A and real estate, and is a member of the Czech Bar Association. Dr. Ptacek manages his own legal team and oversees and coordinates all of Odien's legal affairs.
Dr. Ptacek provided legal support of a number of residential and commercial development projects, worked on various M&A and real estate transactions and has extensive experience in real estate litigation. Dr. Ptacek is a graduate from the Charles University in Prague, Law Faculty, and regularly lectures on the subject of commercial law. He is a native Czech speaker and is fluent in English.
Mr. Tatyrek is the currently responsible for business development of AviaEnergo, a.s. and in the past has served on the Supervisory Board of Čedok, a.s. Prior to joining Odien in 2001, Mr. Tatyrek was with Latona Associates of Europe, where he acted as project manager for the bankruptcy sale of ZPS Zlin, a Czech machine tool manufacturer, and was involved in the restructuring and sale of the TATRA, a.s., a vertically-integrated heavy truck manufacturer. He also analyzed a number of investment opportunities in various sectors including transportation, machine building, pharmaceuticals and cable. Prior to Latona, Mr. Tatyrek worked as an equity research analyst for Ballmaier& Schultz and subsequently Pioneer Investment Company. Mr. Tatyrek holds a BA in Economics from Silezian University and a Master's degree in Finance from the Prague School of Economics. He is a native Czech speaker, fluent in English, as well as conversant in Russian.
Ms. Pražáková joined Odien in October 2005. Prior to Odien, she studied and received her Business English certification from the University of Cambridge in the UK. Ms. Pražáková holds a Master's degree from the University of South Bohemia in ČeskéBudějovice, as well as a qualification in Business Accounting Foundations. She is a native Czech speaker and is fluent in English.
Job Titles:
- Financial Controller
- Financial Controller for Le Meridien Lav
Mr. Paradžik is the Financial Controller for Le Meridien Lav. He has been part of Grand Hotel Lav from 2011 on a position of Director of Finance / Financial Controller. He started his professional career at AD Plastik Group, Manufacturer of Automotiv parts, with several production plants accros Europe, first as an Intern and grew to a position of CFO for the entire group. His experience touches all financial aspects of the company. Mr. Paradžik holds a university degree in Economics - Finance & Accounting, and is fluent in Croatian, English and German.
Since joining Odien, Mr. Müftüler played leading roles initially in Turkey and later across the Central and Eastern Europe in investment and financing transactions as well as in managing Odien's portfolio companies. Prior to joining Odien, Mr. Müftüler co-founded an IP-based telecom start-up in Turkey. He worked at Enron Corp in Houston and London on project development, structured finance and M&A for energy and broadband assets in North and Latin America, Europe and the Middle East. Prior to Enron, he worked on restructuring and sale of state-owned assets at the Privatization Administration of the Turkish Government. Mr. Müftüler holds dual B.A. degrees from Bogazici University in Istanbul, and an M.B.A. degree from Harvard University in Boston. He is fluent in English, Turkish, conversant in German and Czech.