On trust. On transformation. On people.
"Trust grows where transparency meets consistency."
Jana Vricanova, HR Director at Notino, shapes the company’s people strategy across Europe — building a culture where clarity and care go hand in hand.
She leads teams in nine countries and inspires over
3 000 colleagues to grow through shared values —
not instructions.
In this Leaders Talk, Jana reflects on why psychological safety isn’t a trend but a foundation for growth — and how transparency can unite diverse cultures around one shared direction.
For Jana, leadership is not about control — it’s about creating space where people can thrive.
On trust. On people.
Trust across borders requires both empathy and structure.
Q1: What principle guides you in building trust when people in Brno, Warsaw, or Paris expect different things from leadership?
Building trust across cultures is about finding the balance between adaptability and consistency. I respect local context, yet I always stand on the pillars of transparency and integrity – that’s how people know they can trust both me and the system I represent.
Q2: Notino grew from Brno to 27 countries. What was the biggest mindset shift in HR that made this possible?
The biggest shift was a mindset one – from administrative HR to a true strategic business partner. We accelerated decision-making, digitalized processes, and started thinking like an e-commerce company – in data, measurable impact, and the employee experience as that of our internal customer.
Jana Vricanova, HR Director at Notino, in conversation with Vladimir Janik, Co-Founder of Menity — reflecting on trust, leadership, and transformation across Europe. Leaders Talk 2025.
On transformation. On leadership.
Culture unites where structure can’t.
Q3: What’s the toughest people challenge you’ve faced at a European scale – and how did you get through it?
Unifying nine countries and five international HR teams into one shared HR culture without losing identity – that’s my mission. We’re on the right path: we no longer talk about a ‘headquarters,’ but about ‘one way of working.’
This is how a truly European HR team is emerging – one that shares know-how and moves forward together.
Q4: Fast growth brings targets, pressure, and burnout risk. How do you keep people performing without losing them?
People don’t leave when they find meaning in their work and the space to say ‘no.’
That’s why psychological safety, fair performance planning, and transparent communication matter to me.
Sustainable performance can only exist in an environment built on trust.
Jana Vricanova, HR Director at Notino, in conversation with Vladimir Janik, Co-Founder of Menity — reflecting on how trust, values, and transformation shape authentic leadership across Europe.
On growth. On legacy.
Values live only when they’re practiced, not presented.
Q5:In your view, why do some HR leaders thrive in transformation while others burn out or get stuck?
Transformation tests whether an HR leader manages processes or inspires people.
Those who burn out focus on control; those who succeed embrace uncertainty as a natural part of growth and lead through values, not spreadsheets.
Q6: If a young HR leader asked you how to build culture in a billion-euro
e-commerce, what would you tell them?
In e-commerce, everything changes fast – and culture must keep pace.
The foundation is a shared goal: to understand the customer and grow together.
That only happens when values live in daily practice, not in presentations or on office walls.
Jana Vricanova
HR Director at Notino
As HR Director, Jana Vricanova has helped shape Notino’s people strategy across Europe, building a unified HR culture grounded in trust, adaptability, and shared purpose.
This conversation is part of the Menity Leaders Talk series (2025), curated to bring authentic perspectives from leaders who redefine leadership in their industries.
Interview by Vladimir Janik, Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Menity.
Photography © Menity.
This conversation was conducted in October 2025 as part of the Menity Leaders Talk series
— capturing authentic leadership moments across CEE.