“Slovakia is Full of Potential – We Just Need to Harness it!”

Since early 2025, Katarína Vrabcová has been Managing Director of Leadec in Slovakia, and she has big plans: strengthening Leadec’s presence in new industries, expanding sales, and further developing the company as an attractive employer. In this interview, she shares her personal vision and ambitions.

How would you describe the Slovak market – more challenging or full of opportunity?
Definitely both. The industrial sector here has long been centered around the automotive industry. That’s benefited the economy for a while, but now it’s creating challenges. Many manufacturers still focus on combustion engines, yet demand is dropping, and new orders are hard to come by. On top of that, there’s a shortage of skilled labor – especially young talent tends to look abroad, as they don’t see long-term prospects here.

But there are also very promising signs: new EV production facilities are being set up and many companies started focusing more on sustainability topic what is offering real opportunities for the region – and for service providers like us who work closely with production operations.

 

Where do you see specific potential for Leadec in Slovakia?
The automotive industry will remain important for us, but we want to diversify our offerings. The food industry seems particularly exciting right now with production of new healthy alternatives – there’s a lot happening, and with our technical expertise, we can really add value. Leadec in Slovakia already has a broad portfolio, from facility management and logistics to automation solutions. I want to raise more awareness of that and strategically expand into new sectors.

 

What are your goals for the coming months?
The focus is clearly on sales. We want to win new customers, communicate our strengths clearly, and also strengthen internal collaboration. There’s so much knowledge within the Leadec Group that we can share and leverage more effectively – especially for larger tenders.

My second priority is to make Leadec an even more attractive employer. A modern, open work environment matters to me. For example, we have a dog-friendly office. That might seem like a small thing, but it shows we care about our employees. When people feel comfortable at work, they perform better – and everyone benefits in the end.