Petr Pěcha (GLS): Transformation? Either the CEO leads it... or gets out of the way

Petr Pěcha, CEO of GLS Czech Republic, talks about turning an “honest carrier” into the Czech number one in logistics. His focus rests on three things: a mature corporate culture where decisions get made as low down as possible; trust replacing hierarchical “respect”; and unwavering ambition to grow. In this no-holds-barred CEO podcast, he describes the first months of the transformation, open communication (breakfasts, all-hands meetings, surveys), and the makeup of the new management team.

Pěcha also draws clear lines around the leader's role: no naive “managerless companies,” but clear CEO accountability for the change — and a willingness to be “down” in operations, where the parcels get sorted. He treats artificial intelligence as a “twelfth player,” but genuineness and leading by example remain what matters most.

Mature internally first, only then grow outward

GLS in Czechia is changing both its ambitions and its approach. After years focused on stable profit and being a “quality carrier,” it's adding a growth mindset — becoming the market's number one and a partner to e-shops even at peak season. Pěcha builds the transformation on a simple equation: mature internally first, only then will we grow outward. In practice, that means opening up communication (regular breakfasts, all-hands meetings, anonymous questions), continuously measuring the company's mood (a 93.5% survey response rate), and making bold but sensitive changes to the team. New sales and finance directors have joined, HR is becoming part of the innermost leadership circle — while the company also keeps its long-serving drivers of institutional memory (a director with 16 years at the company).

Ownership is built through trust

“Ownership” is built through trust, according to Pěcha: people need the authority to make decisions and the freedom to make mistakes without punishment — otherwise accountability will never take root. He admits to having a “veto right,” but doesn't want to use it; instead of settling for compromise, the team discusses issues until the best solution emerges. An important signal of internal progress is that anonymous questions are meant to turn into an open debate people sign their names to — and eventually into resolving things directly, every day, with no questionnaires at all.

People come first

He treats values informally, but consistently: “People come first” hangs above his chair — not for others to see, but as a reminder for himself. And transforming the culture must never dull empathy: even hard decisions are made with sensitivity toward people, without any triumphant feeling of a “purge.”

Looking ahead to next year, Pěcha faces two key tests: the consolidated leadership team has to deliver visible change, and the whole company has to “open its mind” and bring in even seemingly nonsensical ideas that management itself would never come up with — and above all, see them through to execution.

What else will you find answered in the podcast?

• What were the very first steps of the transformation, and why did they start with deliberately “listening to the business” instead of quick interventions?
• How do you practically implement “ownership”: when not to compromise, when not to abuse veto rights, and how do you replace “respect” with trust?
• How does a culture of maturity grow out of anonymous questions — and what three phases does Pěcha use to measure it?
• How does AI genuinely help run the company (as a “12th player”), but why won't it replace a leader's authenticity?
• What three principles does Pěcha recommend to every CEO going through a transformation: “erase the old model from your head,” “the CEO carries full responsibility,” and “be out in operations, not just in the boardroom”?