Behind the Spring #1: Meet The People Behind Our Expertise
08.01.2026.
“To keep developing, learning new things, and at the same time being an inspiration to others. To be part of a great team of people and give them space to grow and develop within the team.”
This is how Markéta Válková, Head of Logistics and Customer Service at BAUMANN’s Czech plant replies to the question of what her job means to her. Previously working as a salesperson in the railway industry, she is now in her eighth year at BAUMANN and is responsible for the customer service team, to which she has subsequently added planning and the warehouse team. From her position as a salesperson, she is also dedicated to local customers. We interviewed Markéta about her work and the challenges involved.
MARKÉTA VÁLKOVÁ
Head of Logistics and Customer Service
Karviná plant, Czech Republic (BCZ)
At BAUMANN since 1 June 2017
Lives in Dolní Lutyně, has two teenage sons. She enjoys sports, hiking, choir singing and spending time with her family.
“My job is anything but monotonous.”
Markéta, let’s start from the beginning. What made you choose BAUMANN as your employer back then?
I was mainly attracted by the opportunity to lead my own team, be part of the management and directly contribute to the company’s results. I am also grateful for the opportunity to work in a family-run company such as BAUMANN, and I enjoy working closely with my colleagues and customers on a daily basis.
What position did you take up? Have you had any career growth?
In 2017, I first took on the position of Customer Service Manager as well as Local Account Manager. Shortly after, a new information system was implemented and I became the key user for one of its modules, which I also trained the team on. After five years, I was then offered to take over the logistics department. It was a huge challenge for me, but I accepted it with enthusiasm and great humility.
Can you think of any particular challenge you had to face?
The SAP implementation itself was not exactly a walk in the park.🙂 You have to manage the daily routine, lead a team of people and learn to work in a new system while training colleagues. I admit that during this period it was necessary to temporarily “sacrifice” a larger pool of time at the expense of free time. With the promotion then came the pressures associated with the lack of time, but also the initial distrust of the logistics team in the new leadership.
How did you manage to cope with that? What advice would you give to managers in a similar situation?
Sometimes it takes gritting your teeth and finding the energy you have hidden within yourself. Find your way to people with your openness and show the team the right direction. And also to give more responsibility to individuals – with a functioning team that supports you and that you can rely on, everything just goes easier.
So what does your typical workday look like today? What is your work routine?
Within logistics, I monitor orders, sales of goods and delivery reliability, ensure and coordinate the smooth movement of materials to production and customers, and work with the team to ensure the most cost-effective transport around the world. My job is anything but monotonous. I perform different activities on a daily basis, all based on the current needs of customers, production, management and colleagues. At the moment, my main focus is on a project to build a new warehouse, which we will soon be leasing from a neighboring company. Working with external partners – designers, engineers, lawyers, suppliers, and other stake holders – can sometimes be quite a challenge. The goal is to find the best solution for storage capacity and align it with other requirements to ensure smooth warehouse operations, while also meeting the highest standards of a modern, automated system with mobile racks. I truly appreciate the trust from management in assigning me such a large-scale project. I’m also very aware of the responsibility it carries, but at the same time, it gives me space for creativity and improvisation.🙂
And what about the customer service? Do you even have time for it?
It is true that my workload has expanded considerably, but I have “kept” a few of my customers from my customer service position, which I continue to look after.🙂 I do not want to go out of practice with working in the information system, and being directly in close contact with clients is satisfying.
When you look back, what did you achieve during your time at BAUMANN? Is there anything that you are particularly proud of?
Definitely. Thanks to the imple mentation of SAP, processes have been considerably more efficient, and I think it is also worth mentioning the cost savings thanks to the introduction of digital document archiving. With the logistics team, we have also managed to bring more orders to the BAUMANN warehouse and set up a functioning control system. The renting of an external warehouse in a neighbouring company was also a key factor, without which, given the amount of material, we could no longer do without today.
And what about the current challenges? From your department’s perspective, how did you deal with the construction of the new BAUMANN MEDICAL production hall and the related storage space requirements?
With the growing production volume in the MEDICAL division and limited storage capacity at our plant, we started working at the beginning of this year with a company in Ostrava that provides professional external storage. We use this warehouse for both raw materials and finished products. In addition, we had special gravity racks installed in the new hall for emergency stock. But even with these measures, it’s still not enough, which is why we’re planning to move the supplies to the newly built warehouse I mentioned earlier.
What have these work projects and challenges given you personally? Do you perceive any change in yourself?
For me, new skills and experience in the logistics industry are very valuable; you learn and improve every day, which is a nice feeling. And then patience, cooperation, punctuality, delegation of tasks, and the ability to set priorities. Due to the demands and responsibilities of my position, I have also learned to make full use of my free time. Above all, however, I have been reassured that I am part of a very capable and loyal team of colleagues who stand by each other, know how to support and hold each other up, stand in for each other and pass on valuable advice and experience. And I really appreciate that.
“BAUMANN is a part of my life.”
But let’s go back a bit. You said that you had found your new position challenging at the beginning – how do you evaluate your decision to accept a job at BAUMANN in retrospect? Have your expectations been met?
My expectations have not only been met, they have been “exceeded”. At the beginning of my path, I could not have imagined that my competences would expand in this way. I was given the opportunity to learn things in a completely new field. And to have an extra supportive team and supervisor around me is a bonus that you definitely do not take for granted. So no, I definitely do not have any regrets.
But it was not easy for you. Were there times when you doubted your decision to accept the offer of a leadership position?
It is true that right at the beginning of my path I encountered rejection from an already established team that I was supposed to lead. Some of my colleagues decided to quit BAUMANN even before I started. However, due to these circumstances I ended up choosing a completely new team, which I am extremely satisfied with, and I am very happy for my current colleagues. The fact that we went through a difficult start together makes us appreciate working together all the more.
How do you perceive BAUMANN’s corporate culture now? Are our values reflected in your daily work?
There is humanity in it, I appreciate the care for employees, the personal approach, the support and the effort to develop employees. What I enjoy about it is the mutual inspiration, cooperation, healthy competition, but also the celebration of success, activities outside of work, etc. And yes, I see the values of very open and transparent communication with my colleagues in my daily work, and it shows in the care for our customers. We are also always learning new things and developing our knowledge, which we then pass on. The setting is working together on tasks, finding solutions and being able to praise for them.
You mentioned joint activities. What is your favourite memory associated with BAUMANN?
It is the times spent together with the team outside the office. I like to remember our pool party, the escape game, but also, for example, the offer of a new position or the reward for a completed project in the form of a wellness day.
You are also a mother of two sons. How did and do you manage to balance family and work life in that position?
Great – with intense and sometimes very demanding days at the office, I try to thoroughly unwind and enjoy every minute outside of work even more. So, I use the spare time to the fullest. I like to clear my head in nature, in the mountains or in a choir. Fortunately, my boys are now independent, so for me, it is mostly joy and relaxation to spend time with my family now, and I enjoy it very much. Plus, I am lucky enough to have absolute support from my partner if I must spend more time at work, which I appreciate incredibly.
Markéta, thank you so much for the honest talk. Finally, we have a hypothetical question for you. If you imagine that you didn’t accept the job offer at BAUMANN seven years ago, what would you miss most today?
It is all about the people, BAUMANN is a part of my life, so especially the years spent in the company of great, inspiring and supportive colleagues. And the friends I have made at work – they inspire me, enrich me, I enjoy working with them immensely, and they always make me look forward to work.
THROUGH THE EYES OF THE MANAGER
“Markéta is a colleague you can rely on in any circumstances and you can be sure that she will do everything possible (and sometimes impossible🙂) to ensure that the task is completed successfully. She is definitely not afraid of new challenges, and I feel that this is something she really enjoys about her job. She is always looking for solutions and not reasons why this or that does not work. Apart from her professionalism, I appreciate immensely that she is first and foremost a human being in every situation and she passes this on to all her colleagues as well. I am convinced that this is one of the main reasons why she is so popular and successful in the team.“
Jan Žabenský, BAUMANN Czech Republic General Manager
