Michaela Bakala 

Honorary Board Member

Michaela Bakala is a philanthropist with extensive business and management experience. Currently, she is mainly engaged in the development of family philanthropic activities, especially in her role as chairwoman of the Bakala Foundation’s Board of Trustees based in Prague, Czech Republic. She is actively involved in the Foundation’s various programs that support the education of young, talented people and uphold the values of modern democracy. The areas that are closest to her heart include the promotion of education, the development of a democratic society and the role of women in society. In addition, she is involved and educated in the field of mental health care.

Michaela and Zdenek Bakala were instrumental in establishing the Václav Havel Library in Prague, Czech Republic, which preserves the legacy of Václav Havel, the last Czechoslovak and first Czech president. Michaela has been a member of the Library’s Board of Trustees for twelve years and has been Chair of the Advisory Board since June 2023. Together with her husband, she was playing a fundamental role in opening the Central European branch of the American Aspen Institute in Prague, Czech Republic, where she now serves as a member of the Supervisory Board. As a board member, Michaela also supports the activities of the Frederick W. de Klerk Foundation in South Africa. As a working woman and mother, she is also proud of her role as patron of the Top Women of the Czech Republic project, which recognizes and raises the profile of successful and influential women with the aim of creating equal opportunities for all.