FESTKA appoints new CEO to take the brand to the next level

Prague, Czech Republic, 16 December 2021 – #festka, the Czech manufacturer of high-end carbon bike frames, has appointed #robertosadowsky (45), the former boss of Pinarello US as its new CEO.

The Prague based company, which celebrated its 10th birthday last year, doesn't see resting on its laurels as a viable option for the future. "It took us a decade to create the product and find the customers for it. Now it's time to take #festka to the next level,” says the company's co-founder and Chief product designer Michael Moureček.

Roberto Sadowsky brings a wealth of top-level business experience to the table. Born and raised in Italy, he has spent the last eleven years running the US operations of prestigious Italian sports brands such as Dainese and Pinarello. Coming originally from sales management both in B2B and DTC, Roberto has acquired, especially throughout his tenure in the USA, a great experience in all the areas of business. He also has a special connection with the Czech Republic with his mother being Czech and him having learned the language. 

“Festka’s ambition is to become worldwide the most relevant and authentic key player in the luxury and high-end bicycle space,” #robertosadowsky starts his assessment of the situation. “Festka, despite the current small company size, has an incredibly strong brand and a dedicated customer base; the company builds in-house unique frames and bikes that are bought and appreciated all around the world. Our intention is to build on these extraordinary foundations, by scaling up our production capabilities dramatically, while staying here in Czechia.”

What makes him think #festka can do it? “I’ve been watching the company for quite some time just out of interest, and I’ve now been in touch with the co-owners for a long time. I always felt the brand had a special spirit I didn’t see anywhere else. Czechia is a place rich in technical know-how in manufacturing and design and is full of skilled #people willing to innovate and create value. In some way it reminds me of Italy before globalization. This great environment will allow us to innovate and bring to the bicycle industry a unique manufacturing and business approach.”

Michael Moureček and Ondřej Novotný, the co-founders of #festka, have so far been involved in both running the company as well as each being responsible for their own part of the operation – manufacturing process and product development respectively. The arrival of #robertosadowsky will free up their hands and enable them to devote themselves fully to the important tasks lying ahead of them.

When the three are asked what they want #festka to stand for, they have their answer ready: “We want to build unique bikes for everyone to love.”

Roberto is a graduate of the Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, the third oldest university in Europe, where he studied Economics. He is married and has 2 children. He speaks Italian, English, Czech, German, and Spanish. In his free time, he enjoys being outdoors with his family. He counts skiing, hiking, cycling, swimming, and windsurfing among his favourite activities