AZC Group’s Robert Spišák is one of the most successful and experienced top managers in Slovakia today. How is big business done? And what leadership style does he like best? We asked him these questions and more.
The portfolio of AZC Group is made up of companies from many sectors - the most important being biofuel production, transport and logistics services, distillery, beverage and snack production, agriculture, and specialized consulting services. Which of these sectors is currently experiencing the biggest boom?
The geographical aspect is also important when answering this question. Outside of Europe, for example in India or Brazil, the biofuels market is growing significantly. It’s difficult, if not impossible, to talk about any sector in Europe booming right now. However, that doesn’t mean that interesting business opportunities won’t arise anywhere. For example, logistics is growing, and so are we. According to the latest TREND rankings, we have become the 9th largest logistics company in Slovakia, regardless of ownership (the ranking includes state-owned companies) and in the transport sector. We are also growing steadily in freight wagon production, where we have become the third-largest company in Europe within five years, and we are expanding into Asia in this sector as well.
In biofuels - what is your view on the future of this business, considering the EU‘s strong support for electromobility?
We are convinced that common sense must ultimately prevail. A ban on combustion engine cars is simply nonsensical and would lead to immense economic damage. We are already seeing hints of this in the collapsing German automotive industry. Electric cars undoubtedly have a place in the energy mix, but it’s clear that they have limitations that prevent them from becoming this ultimate, saving-grace technology. In my view, such a technology doesn’t exist. To achieve decarbonization goals in the transport sector, a suitable mix of renewable energy sources must be chosen, meaning all currently available options - liquid biofuels, bioLNG, bioCNG, and renewable electricity. Otherwise, it will likely be impossible to meet the overall emission reduction targets in road transport in the short and medium term.
AZC primarily operates in Central Europe. However, you are also expanding beyond the old continent. Which other countries are most interesting for your business development, and why?
Our aim is to select countries that clearly have a competitive advantage in the global economy. Examples include India and Brazil in the biofuels sector, India in the railway wagon manufacturing sector, and Colombia in agriculture. We also consider the Middle East and the Caucasus region to be very promising.
Innovation is a buzzword in business today. Without it, growth in any sector is hard to imagine. How exactly do you innovate at AZC?
We are proponents of a broader understanding of innovation. For us, innovation also means entering new markets or simply finding a new way to do things differently and more effciently. Of course, we focus on new products - whether it's new railway wagons or new types of products from ST. NICOLAUS. Business without innovation is not possible.
When I thought about how to introduce AZC Group at the most general level,
it occurred to me to refer to what you state on your website. It mentions that your activities are defined by creating synergies and transferring experience, growth through partnerships, and respect for co-owners. Could you elaborate on this?
By creating synergies, I primarily mean what we internally call “sweeping up the margins.” We often ask ourselves - if we purchase some input in large quantities, could we not produce it ourselves and keep the margin that our supplier currently takes? This is how we decided in the past to produce food- grade alcohol for our ST. NICOLAUS spirits or to start operating freight railway transport when we were transporting hundreds of thousands of tons of goods annually to and from our biofuel plants. As for the transfer of experience, negotiating with Kaufand is different from negotiating with large refineries. But we can learn from both and transfer some experience to a new area, thus surprising others. So, it’s about shared, broad-spectrum experience across sectors. And as for respect for partners - we have co-owners in almost every company. Sometimes these are large corporations like MOL or Agrofert, in other cases, it’s the original owners who built the company and sold us a share, and sometimes even investment coupon holders from the first wave of privatization. We are convinced that partners and their perspectives enrich us and help us develop our businesses. We don’t have an inherent need to own everything ourselves.
You have been with AZC Group for nearly thirty years, and one of your main responsibilities is acquisitions. How has the acquisition process changed today compared to, say, around the year 2000? How has it progressed?
The world has changed in almost every way in the past 20 years. Today, sellers are much more professional and confident. After all, they have built companies that have survived several major crises. In the past, deals were often closed relatively quickly, even with just a handshake. Today, closing a deal is a long and sophisticated process involving entire teams, depending on the type of transaction but also on where it takes place and with which partners.
How does one become a partner, or co-owner, of a company like AZC Group? What leads a person to such a high position?
In my case, it was decades of work for the group’s shareholders and the courage to embark on new ventures. Of course, I also needed a fair amount of luck. This question, however, is more for my partners, the shareholders, who offered me this opportunity.
Generally speaking - what qualities and skills do you think are most important for achieving professional success?
It’s very hard to pinpoint just one quality. Perseverance is certainly necessary. Expertise is also essential, as is continuous improvement in the areas you manage, staying on top of new trends and knowledge. You must certainly be honest, as the saying goes, “a straight shooter.” Unfair shortcuts never lead to success. And lastly, you must surround yourself with great people who complement you, and you need to retain them.
How would you describe your management style?
I’m not sure if I even know any taxonomy of management styles... [laughs] I try to lead people by example, to speak directly and truthfully. I have high expectations of myself when it comes to expertise, and I extend these expectations to my colleagues. At least that’s what “the critics” say... [laughs] And if I’m allergic to anything, it’s when common sense is suppressed under the guise of applying new pseudo-progressive ideas.
What are you most proud of in your long career so far?
I’m certainly proud of all my colleagues, with whom I started, often right out of university, and who have become excellent managers on a pan-European scale. I’m also proud to have been present at the birth of a new industrial sector in Central Europe - biofuel production. And from current projects, I consider our breakthrough into the Indian market and the construction of two plants there a masterful stroke. If everything goes as it has so far, we’ll be launching production at both plants in 2025.
The only certainty in today‘s world is that it is constantly changing. And, logically, the way companies operate and are managed must change with it. But do you ever encounter resistance to change from lower-level managers and employees? How do you shift this mindset?
We humans, as a biological species, do not like change; it makes us feel threatened. However, I am convinced that our success is primarily based on the fact that a critical majority of people live with change and welcome it.
What are the most prominent management trends today? I ask this in light of your extensive managerial experience.
Management trends are one thing, and I enjoy reading about them, but every company or organization has its specificities, and its management - in my view - cannot be based solely on trends.
Who would you be if you weren‘t a manager?
Most likely a teacher. Passing on experience and knowledge to younger generations while drawing from their youthful energy is an amazing thing.
CV BOX
Robert Spišák (born in 1974) is the chairman of the board and one of the shareholders of AZC Orbis Invest, representing the Central European AZC Group. He is also a member of the statutory and supervisory bodies of AZCC Group companies.
He graduated from the University of Economics in Bratislava, where he completed his doctoral studies. He also completed additional studies in economic, financial, and commercial law at the Faculty of Law at Comenius University in Bratislava.
He has worked in the AZC Group for almost thirty years and is responsible for the strategic management of the entire group and implementing the shareholders‘ vision. His responsibilities also include seeking and developing new opportunities in other sectors and regions on a global level.
AZC GROUP
The group operates in many different sectors, with the most important being biofuel production, transport and logistics services, distillery, beverage and snack production, agriculture, and specialized consulting services. AZC Group includes, for example, the companies Agricultura EXATA (agriculture), Industria Novum (biofuels), St. Nicolaus (alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages), Richardi Transport (transport and logistics), and others. Its majority owner is entrepreneur Ján Sabol, one of the wealthiest people in Slovakia.
