I was drawn to our company because of my passion for growth and innovation. I’ve been here for about nine years as Senior Director of Research and Development (R&D) in Brno, Czech Republic. When I joined, the R&D team consisted of just four engineers. Today, that number has grown to 120, reflecting both the team’s success and my vision for continuous expansion. My leadership philosophy is rooted in growth through amplification: developing people, processes, ideas, and opportunities that scale.
My growth mindset traces back to my PhD studies, when I learned the value of exploring the unknown rather than revisiting what’s already understood. You have to be open and intentionally exposed to things that are not obvious areas of risk or opportunity. If you only stay on known paths, you’ll miss out on true discovery. Coming from Czech culture, I know people want to understand the “why” behind a product. Risk management provides the chance to communicate difficult topics while also revealing opportunities in a way people can understand and act on.
My experiences have shaped my leadership approach. It’s not about ignoring risk but inviting people to think about risks and opportunities. When we identify them, we can act intentionally to mitigate the risk or enhance the opportunity. I recall leading early LEAN training sessions during the launch of the Novanta Growth System (NGS), helping teams understand that embracing both risk and opportunity is a hallmark of a mature culture. When you’re in a struggle, you can either focus only on that struggle or open your eyes to a riskier path that might lead you out of it. Some risks can actually turn into opportunities. For me, intelligent risk-taking requires both courage and structure. This includes setting realistic timelines for multi-year projects, maintaining open communication with customers, and leaving room for both known and unknown risks. Acknowledging risks shows maturity; it means we recognize opportunities as well as challenges.
As a leader, I model this mindset by removing the fear of asking questions, even the so-called “stupid” ones. I encourage my team to step outside their comfort zones, avoid tunnel vision, and seek new perspectives. Over time, what once felt uncomfortable has become second nature; my team now thrives in an environment built on openness and growth-driven innovation. Having worked in more rigid corporate environments in the past, I value and model our culture of empowerment, where people are trusted to make and participate in impactful decisions. I describe myself as an “amplification leader,” focusing not only on my own development but also on enabling others to grow and empowering them to help others do the same. A powerful example of this came after I underwent a minimally invasive surgery that used our products. Experiencing our technology firsthand inspired me to arrange for engineers to observe similar procedures. It helped them see beyond the technical device and understand what it really does for doctors and patients.
I see further potential to harness global-scale innovation and growth. We are all about growth. It’s about delivering innovations that matter in both existing and acquired product lines, organically and strategically. Focusing too narrowly on daily problems and traditional solutions can cause missed opportunities. If people stay too focused on the familiar, we’ll miss chances where one plus one can equal more than three. In Brno, my team has demonstrated this approach by reallocating talent across product lines to meet changing needs, improving efficiency and enabling growth. The more we evolve organizationally for sustainable scaling, the stronger we become. I believe our acquisition strategy continues to drive innovation and growth, but integration and operational excellence are essential. Our aggressive growth goals are achievable, but we need to ensure they are sustainable.
I also stress the importance of cross-functional collaboration. Collaboration across departments drives our ability to deliver innovation that matters. In R&D, we’re still fragmented, but when we share competencies instead of duplicating them, we create more robust solutions that are economically smarter. I see progress in other areas, such as Accounting, IT, and HR, and hope R&D will continue moving toward an integrated model. That’s where I see the future: finding inflection points where success in one area can support the entire organization.
I believe our strength is in our ability to grow intelligently by scaling sustainably, integrating effectively, and innovating collaboratively. When we connect across boundaries, share competencies, and keep our eyes open to both risks and opportunities, we truly can make one plus one equal more than three.