Life at Winoa: Meet Jirina Elcknerova

Employee Stories, Career Paths & Industrial Excellence

At Winoa, people are at the heart of our industrial performance and global success. Through this series of employee interviews, we invite you to discover the diverse career paths, inspiring journeys, and professional growth opportunities that shape life inside our international company.

From women thriving in industry to experienced team members who have grown through internal promotion and career mobility, from employees who have taken their expertise abroad to support our global operations to young talents leading strategic projects in e-commerce, peening, and aftermarket services, these stories reflect the strength and diversity of our teams.

I have always enjoyed working with people and communicating, so customer service suited me well.

Then a real turning point came. I was offered the opportunity to participate in a European-level project with headquarters, focusing on warehouse replenishment and stock management across Europe. Suddenly, I was exposed to supply chain topics, international collaboration, and strategic discussions. It was extremely stimulating. I was learning every day, working with colleagues from different countries, and gaining a much broader understanding of the business.

In 2024, when my previous manager left the company and was not immediately replaced, I naturally started taking over many of his responsibilities. Step by step, my role expanded. And in 2026, I was officially promoted to Europe Operations Planning Manager. Looking back, the journey feels very organic — each step built on the previous one, but it all started with the willingness to go beyond my initial job scope.

Question: You led a very complex project involving legal, technical, and logistical aspects. What did that experience teach you?

Jirina Elcknerova: Leading a complex, cross-functional project taught me that technical knowledge alone is never enough. You need patience, communication skills, and the ability to see the bigger picture.

There were legal constraints, operational challenges, and logistical issues to solve — sometimes all at once. I learned how important it is to align stakeholders early, to anticipate risks, and to stay calm when things don’t go according to plan. Most importantly, I understood that complexity is not something to fear; it is something to structure and manage step by step.

When I made mistakes — which is inevitable when you take on new challenges — they were never negative about it.

Both my local team and the headquarters in France supported me and treated it as part of the learning process. That psychological safety made a huge difference in my growth.

Question: How does Winoa enable employees to move from local roles to European or group-level responsibilities?

Jirina Elcknerova: My own journey is a good example. Moving from a local CSR position to a European operations planning role was possible because the organization is interconnected.

In supply chain alone, we have three production sites in Europe, which requires constant collaboration. Local teams naturally interact with other countries. There are also many cross-border projects that require an international outlook.

On top of that, we have yearly discussions with managers and HR where we openly talk about satisfaction, ambitions, and future development. Those conversations matter. They create visibility and allow employees to express their interest in broader responsibilities.