East Europe’s Richest Woman Signals PPF to Stay in Family Hands

Czech billionaire Renata Kellnerova revealed she’s preparing her children for future roles at the helm of her late husband’s investment company PPF Group NV.

(Bloomberg) — Czech billionaire Renata Kellnerova revealed she’s preparing her children for future roles at the helm of her late husband’s investment company PPF Group NV.

In her first public statement since PPF founder Petr Kellner died in a helicopter crash in 2021, the richest woman in eastern Europe said she considered herself responsible for her late husband’s legacy. “My job is to preserve this heritage and prepare our children – with all respect and humility – for them to one day take up that torch and carry it forward,” she wrote.

The comments were made in the foreword of PPF’s annual report, where she described 2022 as a “period of searching for new stability and a way forward” for PPF. The company named Kellner’s long-time investment partner Jiri Smejc as the CEO in May of last year.

Kellner had four children who are minority shareholders in PPF, according to the annual report.

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Kellnerova, who along with her family has a net worth of $11.9 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaire Index, also outlined her philanthropic work for the Kellner Family Foundation, laying out how the investment company helped Ukrainian war refugees over the past year.

PPF in the last two years has shifted its focus back to western markets after years of expansion in Asia and is currently seeking out acquisitions in Europe. PPF Group announced in May that it purchased a 15% stake in InPost SA, an operator of self-service delivery lockers, from Advent International. 

 

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