Prague (September 2026)

Thomas Steinbrück, our Chief Executive for Brand & Strategy and lecturer at mdh University of Applied Sciences, recently took part in the Bata Leadership Workshop of the Bata Footwear Group in Prague.

In his "Brand Fundamentals" session, he worked with Bata's international leaders on a key question: why should people choose Bata in the future? Together, they explored how heritage, relevance, storytelling, curation and strong creative leadership can shape the next chapter of a global brand. Thomas Steinbrück brought both his strategic industry perspective and his experience as an mdh lecturer to this international exchange.

The programme also included a visit to Zlín, where Tomáš Bata and his siblings founded the company in 1894. Connecting Bata's entrepreneurial heritage with the challenges of contemporary brand management made this workshop especially meaningful. Thomas Steinbrück built valuable relationships and initiated conversations about potential future programmes between the Bata Group and mdh University of Applied Sciences.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR MDH?

For mdh, partnerships like this open up exciting opportunities to connect academic learning with international business practice. They can give our students access to real brand challenges, global perspectives and the experience of business leaders – while bringing the ideas and creative energy of the next generation into companies.