Zuzana Hofová, CFO of OKsystem, shares her perspective on the role of a Chief Financial Officer in an IT company in the CFO Under the Microscope series.
Think IT is all about algorithms and data? Not with us – as Zuzana confirms in an interview for CFOtrends.
In the article, you’ll find out, among other things:
- Why people are our greatest asset – and also our biggest challenge
- What benefits we offer our employees
- Why we founded OKlab and became members of the Czech Association for Artificial Intelligence
- And how we are increasing profitability and reducing costs
Full interview below:
Ms. Hofová, what is your current role in the organization and what are your main responsibilities?
I am the CFO at OKsystem, a Czech family-owned IT company with a long tradition. We focus on creating information systems for public administration and the private sector, developing enterprise HR systems, and providing IT training. I’m responsible for finance, economics, procurement, and controlling. As a board member, I also participate in the strategic management of the company, with a focus on financial planning, efficient resource allocation, and supporting the company’s growth in a dynamic IT environment.
What is the biggest challenge you currently face in your role?
We’re an IT company, and our value lies primarily in our people – we need the right people in the right roles. A long-standing issue is the shortage of capable and qualified professionals at a reasonable cost.
In your view, what are the biggest opportunities and challenges your organization is currently facing?
Artificial intelligence, technological change, and process digitalization. We strive not only to embrace these opportunities and trends but, as an IT company, we want to be leaders in these areas.
What are your main strategies and tools for increasing profitability and reducing costs?
At OKsystem, we focus on improving profitability and efficiency through internal process optimization and digitalization. Since our main costs are personnel-related, which can't be easily reduced, we concentrate on the effective use of human resources and simplifying administrative and operational tasks. We invest in automation and implement modern tools for project management and communication, which help us save time and prevent errors.
What makes your company attractive in your opinion – what appeals to applicants and the market?
We’re a stable Czech IT company that offers employees the chance to work on interesting projects. We value a personal approach, good interpersonal relationships, and open communication. We’re not a corporation – even with 500+ employees, we maintain a family-like atmosphere.
Do you embrace artificial intelligence (AI) and already use it, or are you more in favor of traditional approaches and not yet engaging with AI?
We actively use AI and machine learning both in our internal processes (e.g., onboarding) and seek meaningful ways to apply it in our projects. Last year, we founded OKlab – an internal research center and incubator for innovative ideas focused on AI and robotics development. In January 2025, we became a member of the Czech Association for Artificial Intelligence.
How do you perceive the role of ESG in your company?
Sustainability and social responsibility are important to us. We see ESG as an indicator of a company's health. In terms of environmental impact, we optimize energy consumption, use cloud environments for both our operations and client systems, have electric vehicles in our fleet, dispose of technical equipment ecologically, and are installing solar panels on our company building. We’re also active socially – we support employee education and development, operate a training center that educates hundreds of employees annually, and cooperate with nonprofit organizations. We also recognize the importance of employee care – through flexible working hours and supporting their overall mental and physical well-being.
What employee benefits do you offer?
Our range of benefits is quite broad. We offer five weeks of vacation and up to five extra days off (so-called OKdays), meal contributions, pension plan contributions, access to a company cafeteria, parking in our garages, a MultiSport card, language courses, company breakfasts, as well as social and sports events. We also care deeply about work-life balance. While many tech companies are calling employees back to the office post-COVID, our employees can still choose where to work from, in agreement with their managers, if their job allows it. However, we do find it important for teams to meet in person – face-to-face contact and natural brainstorming in the office are irreplaceable.
You can read the full interview in Czech on the CFOtrends website.