We trust people more than AI

I co-founded the FOCUS agency with two classmates while I was still a student. I currently serve as its executive director. I have more than 30 years of experience managing projects in the fields of market research, public opinion polling, and sociological research. I specialize primarily in brand research, customer segmentation, and finding practical answers to clients’ strategic questions.

I’m also known for my dedication to work—so far, I consider work-life balance more of an interesting research topic than a personal life strategy. But when I do take a break from work, I love heading out to the water. I’m a passionate angler, and fishing is one of the few activities during which I can wait patiently for several hours without feeling the need to analyze anything.

As a sales and project manager, I’ve been ensuring for the past eight years that our clients find answers to their questions through research and move their businesses forward. I primarily work with international clients, and for me, the unique characteristics of each culture present both the greatest challenge and the greatest opportunity. If you need to carry out a research project, I’ll be with you from start to finish and help you navigate the entire process smoothly.

For more than 15 years at FOCUS, I’ve been searching through data to find what isn’t immediately apparent. I enjoy uncovering connections, translating numbers into clear conclusions, and ensuring that every result is backed by thorough analysis. I’m thorough, systematic, and perhaps a bit of a stickler when it comes to data—but it’s often the details that determine whether an analysis yields real insight or just another spreadsheet. And since some connections only become clear over a second cup of coffee, I need not only good data but also good coffee to do my job.

I’ve been at FOCUS since 2007—so long that, in my own words, I’m practically an inventory number here and know every little screw. I started out in telephone research, but gradually moved on to data, technology, and finding ways for my team and me to collect even the seemingly uncollectible. Since 2019, I’ve been leading the data collection department and have long been involved in developing our own system for CAPI, CATI, and CAWI research. When a project hits a snag, I try to keep a level head and find a solution. Outside of work, I enjoy exploring architecture and interesting places, including as a volunteer for the Open House Brno festival.

I’ve been with FOCUS since 2007, when I joined the company with the task of setting up and managing the call center. And since I’m still managing it today, you could say that this task has taken a bit longer than expected. I specialize in managing and carrying out projects through telephone surveys. I communicate with clients, coordinate the progress of projects, and train and manage a team of telephone operators.

I have also been involved for a long time in the development of our internal telephone survey system—from defining requirements and testing to its ongoing modifications and further development. Thanks to this, I know all too well that the phrase “it’ll just be a small change” can mean almost anything.

I’ve been with FOCUS since 2010, when I started as an external interviewer at the call center. During my master’s program, I worked here as a supervisor, and after completing my degree, I took on the role of call center manager in 2020. Since 2024, I have been focusing on questionnaire design, where I draw on the experience I’ve gained throughout the entire data collection process. I ensure that the research brief is turned into a functional questionnaire and that the collected responses become high-quality data—I program and technically configure the questionnaires, monitor their logic, and, after data collection is complete, I clean and verify the data so that it is ready for further processing.

I’ve actually been with FOCUS sort of since birth—thanks to family ties, I grew up with the company long before I actually started working there. I officially joined the team in September 2019 after finishing my studies, when I started as a data collection coordinator. Even during my parental leave, I stayed in touch with FOCUS and continued to work with them on a freelance basis.

Today, I’m expanding my role at FOCUS into other areas. I manage the company’s social media and online communications, and I’m also becoming increasingly involved in business activities and developing relationships with clients and partners. Thanks to my experience in carrying out research projects, I have a deep understanding of how the agency works from the inside, and I’m now applying that knowledge to identify new business opportunities.

To me, FOCUS is simply more than just a job—after all, we’ve known each other our whole lives.

I’ve been working in research for 18 years. I started out in mystery shopping and coordinating mystery shoppers, and over time I’ve worked with virtually every data collection methodology. Today, I’m most involved in focus groups and face-to-face projects. My work is mainly about people—and that’s exactly what I love about it. I enjoy communicating, organizing, and finding ways to see things through to the end, even when unexpected challenges arise during a project. And there have been quite a few of those over the past 18 years. I like it when everything goes as planned, people know what they’re supposed to do, and in the end, the job is well done. That’s probably why I still enjoy coordination even after all these years.

At FOCUS, I work as the interviewer network coordinator, and I’ve been in the market research field for six years now. I’m responsible for coordinating interviewers and ensuring the successful implementation of projects that use various data collection methods. Part of my job also involves the technical setup of focus groups, where I make sure everything runs smoothly. What I appreciate most about my work is its diversity—every project brings different requirements, new situations, and often the need to quickly find practical solutions.

Jaromír Volek is a media sociologist who has long been engaged in research on the professional roles of Czech journalists and the analysis of news coverage. He co-founded the FOCUS agency while still a student at Masaryk University, where he also taught mass communication theory from 1994 to 2018. In recent years, he has focused on researching the reception strategies and tactics of heavy consumers of disinformation and conspiracy theories. He is the author of several academic monographs and numerous studies and chapters published by both domestic and international publishers.

curirculum-vitae

At FOCUS, I specialize in qualitative research, facilitating focus groups, and analyzing both qualitative and quantitative data. I switch effortlessly between SPSS and live discussions around the table—I’m just as comfortable with numbers as I am with people. I enjoy uncovering connections that aren’t immediately obvious and getting more out of respondents than just the first answer that comes to mind. I believe there’s no such thing as a boring focus group—only a poorly phrased question.

I have been working as a data analyst at FOCUS since 2016. My job involves transforming data into charts and final reports, the results of which I interpret and present to clients. I strive to replace boring numbers with statistically meaningful insights. In addition to standard analytical work, I also focus on methods where charts and tables aren’t enough—such as conjoint analysis, segmentation, psychographic profiling, correspondence analysis, and the creation of interactive dashboards.

For many years, I worked in marketing at innogy and ČEZ. I joined FOCUS in 2016 as the head of the Sales and Project Department. I specialize in research on customer experience, satisfaction, and loyalty. I also enjoy challenges outside of work. When cycling, I tend to choose long and challenging routes, and when traveling, I prefer to backpack and visit places that typical tours don’t often go to.