Johana Heřmánková joined the English College in Prague’s Education Committee in 2018 as a co-opted member.

With a Bc and Mgr in Philosophy from the Faculty of Arts at Charles University, she co-edited the book Filosofie v podzemí – filosofie v zázemí: – Podoby filosofie v českých zemích v době normalizace a po sametové revoluci (Philosophy Underground and Overground: Forms of philosophy during normalisation and after the Velvet Revolution in the Czech Republic and former Czechoslovakia), which examines the underground philosophy seminars during the communist era and the resurgence of philosophy in Czech academia after the revolution.
She is currently on maternity leave from Post Bellum, where she has further focused on the normalisation period, as well as the dark 1950s, as an editor of the project Memory of Nations and its journal.

Her passion for education led her into teaching. She taught philosophy at the Lauder School of Prague and interpretation and analysis of literary texts at the Jaroslav Ježek Conservatory and College. She was involved in developing in-service training for philosophy teachers at the Faculty of Arts, Charles University. A strong believer in the value of collaboration between academia and schools, Johana founded Projects in Applied Economics for Talented Students, a research programme for upper secondary school students, based at CERGE-EI (the Centre for Economic Research and Graduate Studies – Economics Institute). She has also focused on educational policy, strategy, and pedagogy, which led her to study Educational Sciences, specialising in Educational Leadership, at the University of Jyväskylä in Finland.

Johana was appointed a Governor of the English College in Prague in May 2025. With her experience of both the Czech and Nordic education systems, she aims to contribute to ECP’s discussions on academic matters and to supporting its mission of providing a first-class, British-style academic education in the Czech Republic.

Greg Hands’ own education provided a strong foundation for a distinguished career in politics. Born in America to British parents, he first went to school in New York before moving back to the UK with his family when he was seven years old. He later attended Cambridge University, studying Modern History, German, Czech and Slovak. His commitment to the country was evident even then, as he also attended Charles University and, in the summer of 1989, organised a university exchange scheme between Cambridge and Charles University. This academic background has contributed to his understanding of national and international affairs. After Cambridge, he embarked on a career in Finance, and worked on trading floors in London and New York.

He has had a long-standing involvement with the English College and was a Governor of the ECP from 2009 to 2015, before standing down to concentrate on his work as a UK Member of Parliament and Government Minister. Throughout his parliamentary career, he held numerous ministerial roles across various departments, including Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Minister of State for Trade Policy, and Minister of State for Energy, Clean Growth and Climate Change. He also served as Chairman of the Conservative Party. These roles provided him with extensive experience in economic policy, international relations and strategic leadership.

Greg has also had a long-standing association with Central Europe. He speaks German, French and Czech, which is a testament to this connection and his appreciation for the rich culture and history of the area. He is a frequent visitor to Prague as a speaker at CEVRO and GlobSec, further cementing his ties to the Czech Republic. He is also a patron of the Czech National Trust and of the Friends of Czech Historic Buildings, highlighting his interest in preserving the country’s heritage. In June 2025, he took on a new role, becoming a Strategic Adviser to Daniel Křetínský and the EP Group, based in London and Prague, focusing principally on the EP Group’s operations in Germany and the UK.

Greg’s personal links to the Czech Republic, combined with his extensive political and governmental experience, makes him a valuable addition to ECP’s Governing Body. He hopes to be able to use this experience in public service, his understanding of international affairs and his strong ties to the region to support the College’s mission. He is particularly keen to contribute to the College’s strategic development, enhance its connections within both the UK and Czech Republic, and help further its reputation as a leading academic school.

Natálie originally comes from Moravia. Supported by a scholarship from the Open Society Fund, she completed her A-Levels at Felsted School in Essex in the UK and went on to study Law at the London School of Economics. Having qualified as a solicitor, Natálie practised corporate and finance law in London, Frankfurt and Hong Kong at top global law firms. She then turned her focus back to Central and Eastern Europe in her role as legal counsel at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development where she worked on projects in its countries of operation including Estonia, Ukraine and Croatia. Since her return to the Czech Republic Natálie, as Legal Manager at a commodities trading company with a global presence, was responsible for its legal function and her team. She currently holds the position of Senior Corporate Counsel at a technology company, overseeing energy-related legal matters across the EMEA region.

She is passionate about education and its power to change people’s lives – which she experienced first-hand. She served a four-year term as a Governor at the Mulberry Stepney Green Maths, Computing & Science College in London where she learned to understand both day-to-day and long term strategic challenges for a school. During the pandemic, Natálie became an amateur teacher to her nieces and nephew and enjoyed exploring how to make learning engaging, efficient and entertaining. She loves bringing people together through networking and charity events. 

Natálie would like everyone to have a fair chance at maximising their potential, to that end she participates in various mentoring programmes and has started workplace initiatives aimed at promoting gender equality.

Viktor Kotlán Studied in the Czech Republic, USA and Holland. Professionally, he is responsible for balance sheet management at the largest Czech retail bank, Česká spořitelna. Prior to his current assignment, he held several management positions in ČS and acted as the bank’s Chief Economist. He began his career at the Czech National Bank where he headed the Monetary Policy and Strategy department. Viktor holds a PhD in Economics and lectures an advanced banking course at Charles University. Viktor is the proud father of two great children and a lover of cycling and cross-country skiing. An ECP Governor since 2019, he is a member of the Finance Committee.