AAU hired Anna Hudáková as the new Chief Executive Officer in December 2024 with a vision to strengthen internal operations, increase AAU’s attractiveness, and contribute to building the best possible student experience.
Hudáková was previously the HR director of the pharmaceutical company Sanofi Group. She spends at least 4 days a week in Prague and travels to Bratislava to spend the weekends with her husband. On occasion, he travels to Prague instead.
“It’s a fun little twist to our relationship, even after 40 years together,” said Hudakova.
As CEO, Hudakova oversees marketing and brand awareness, enhancement of the student experience, operational management, HR, and financial sustainability. She believes that AAU’s success is due to the dedication and collaboration between the administration and leadership team.
“I am very pleased that our Student Affairs team consists of excellent individuals led by Jeta Sahatqija,” Said Hudakova. “I believe all students are familiar with Clea Boban, and others who strive to ensure that the student experience at AAU is exceptional, enabling our students to promote our school’s good reputation worldwide.”
Prior to her work at Sanofi Group and AAU, Anna launched her business journey at Coca-Cola Amatil, where she quickly took on the role of Sales Manager. Having worked in a corporate environment post Velvet Revolution and during socialism, she realized she wanted to study HR with a modern twist. This brought her to Brussels, Belgium, and she later became the HR Director for Coca-Cola Amatil Slovakia.
She later served as Vice President and Chief HR Officer at Slovenské Telekomunikácie, which proved to be tumultuous as the company was shifting from a state owned monopoly to a dynamic, customer oriented company. After 9 difficult years, Hudakova took a sabbatical and traveled to Thailand, the Philippines, Australia, India, Africa, and the United States.
AAU originally hired Hudakova as a consultant to assist with transitioning from a non-profit to a for-profit institution. After several months, she was offered the position of CEO.
“AAU is an incredible institution, full of amazing people, and the students give it a unique purpose and youthful spirit. said Hudakova. “I am really happy being a part of this story.”
While education is a new field for Hudakova, learning and personal development have always been fundamental values for her.
Anna Hudakova’s office is located in room 4.14, and when she’s not in meetings, she said her door is open for students to drop by with ideas or suggestions.
