Stories written under the wings of the lion...

Martin Štefanka from Generali Poistovna a.s.
When I joined Generali in February 2003, I had no idea how many stories I would write "under the wings of a lion". During this time I have experienced more pleasant, happier and sometimes even more difficult moments, but many of them have brought stories and experiences for a lifetime...

I will always remember the first company cars that had no power steering, air conditioning, electric windows or central locking. I will certainly not forget the first, fortunately minor, damage to a company car, an Audi, assigned to a member of the Board of Directors, or how I was able to drive a Fiat 500 and take it to a conference in the Tatra Mountains, or the interviews for Auto, motor and sport and Fleet magazines.

Many of the stories took place in the car. When I found the CEO's wedding ring stuck in the car, or another time when I was driving a visitor - two gentlemen - to Schwechat airport, and after dropping them off at the airport, to my surprise, one of them got back in the car and asked for a lift to Generali Vienna, where I'd never been before and didn't even have a sat-nav. In the end I was lucky enough to make it, but the gentleman I was driving was probably a bit late for his appointment. :)


I also had some great moments outside the car at Generali. I fondly remember the two years I spent running up the stairs to the 23rd floor of our then headquarters, the three times I won the "Employee of the Year" award, or the unexpected birthday surprise at the Generali headquarters in Vienna, where I "only" had to park my car on my free birthday day. And did you know that my photo made it onto the cover of the book The Story of Bratislava Castle? This happened again thanks to Generali and my work at the Bratislava Castle, where an exhibition sponsored by our insurance company took place.

I still like to remember the beautiful view of the centre of Bratislava from the open space on the 21st floor of the building where we were based. One of the most memorable moments was when the Board of Directors surprised me with a great gift for my 40th birthday.

Thanks to Generali, I have had many such and similar experiences in these more than 18 years.

Generali is not only about experiences, but above all about people. Thanks to Generali, I have met countless nice people with whom it was and is a pleasure to work. And in my case, in the same household :)

In 2008, after the merger of Generali Poisťovňa and Česká Poisťovňa Slovensko, something happened that I did not expect and for which I am still very grateful.

One day, late in the evening, a colleague of mine was "assigned" to my fleet and I assigned her a company car. She had a bad back, so I offered to take the car to her personally and assign it to her. Little did I know that I was getting into a car with my future wife in an underground car park. :)

We sealed our common "fusion" in 2017 and to make the "connections" not few, we had a beautiful daughter. As usual, under the sign of LEO. :)

And this rich Generali history continues, both privately and at work.

And for all these moments that life has given me, I am extremely grateful!

Príbehy písané pod krídlami leva...

Keď som vo februári 2003 nastúpil do Generali, netušil som, aké množstvo príbehov „pod krídlami leva“ napíšem. Za ten čas som zažil príjemnejšie, veselšie a občas aj ťažšie chvíle, ale mnohé z nich priniesli príbehy a zážitky na celý život...

Navždy si budem pamätať na prvé služobné vozidlá, ktoré ešte nemali posilňovač riadenia, klimatizáciu, elektrické ovládanie okien ani centrálne zamykanie auta. Určite nezabudnem na prvé, chvalabohu, len drobné poškodenie služobného motorového vozidla, žiaľ, rovno značky Audi pridelené členovi predstavenstva, alebo to, ako som mohol šoférovať vozidlo Fiat 500 a odviezť ho na konferenciu do Tatier či rozhovory pre časopisy Auto, motor a šport a Fleet.

Mnoho príbehov sa odohralo dokonca priamo v autách. Keď som našiel v aute zapadnutú obrúčku generálneho riaditeľa alebo inokedy, keď som viezol návštevu - dvoch pánov na letisko Schwechat, pričom po vysadení na letisku mi jeden z nich na moje prekvapenie opäť sadol do auta a požiadal o odvoz do Generali Viedeň, kde som predtým nikdy nebol a nemal som ani navigáciu. Nakoniec som našťastie trafil, ale pán, ktorého som viezol, mal asi slušné meškanie na stretnutie. :)

Skvelé momenty som v Generali zažil aj mimo áut. Veľmi rád spomínam na dva ročníky behu po schodoch až na 23. poschodie našej vtedajšej centrály, na trojnásobné ocenenie „Zamestnanec roka“,  či na nečakané narodeninové prekvapenie na centrále Generali Viedeň, kam som šiel nečakane „len“ zaparkovať auto počas môjho narodeninového voľného dňa. Ináč, vedeli ste, že moja fotografia sa dostala na titulnú stranu knihy Príbeh hradu Bratislava? Stalo sa to opäť vďaka Generali a pracovným povinnostiam na Bratislavskom hrade, kde prebiehala výstava, ktorú sponzorovala naša poisťovňa.

Doteraz rád spomínam na krásny výhľad na centrum Bratislavy z open space 21. poschodia budovy, v ktorej sme sídlili. Jedným z posledných silných zážitkov bol moment, keď ma prekvapilo predstavenstvo parádnym darčekom k 40-tym narodeninám.

Takýchto a podobných zážitkov som za tých vyše 18 rokov zažil a nazbieral vďaka Generali mnoho.

Generali je však nielen o zážitkoch, ale najmä o ľuďoch. Vďaka Generali som stretol nespočetné množstvo príjemných ľudí, s ktorými bola a je radosť spolupracovať. A v mojom prípade aj žiť v jednej domácnosti. :)

V roku 2008 sa po spojení Generali Poisťovňa a Česká Poisťovňa Slovensko stalo niečo, čo som však vôbec nečakal a do dnes som za to nesmierne vďačný.

Náhoda mi „priviala“ do flotily jednu kolegyňu, ktorej som jedného dňa v neskorý večer pridelil služobné auto. Pamätám si to ako dnes, že mala bolesti chrbta, a tak som sa jej ponúkol, že jej auto osobne priveziem a pridelím. Vtedy som ani len netušil,  že si v podzemnej garáži sadám do auta s mojou budúcou manželkou. :)

Našu spoločnú „fúziu“ sme spečatili v roku 2017 a aby tých „prepojení“ nebolo málo, tak sa nám narodila krásna dcérka. Ako ináč, v znamení LEVA. :)

... a tento bohatý Generali príbeh má naďalej pokračovanie, v súkromí ako aj na pracovisku.

A za všetky tieto chvíle, ktoré mi priniesol život, som nesmierne vďačný!