From a Programmer to a CEO – the Story of Filip Lukáč

Filip was at the birth of the first version of Sloneek which he programmed himself in his spare time. He was also the one who said the name of the application. Then we just converted it into its current form. Filip studied at the Department of Informatics at the Technical University of Košice and currently works as the CEO of Sloneek. 

You’ve been in Sloneek since its beginnings. Do you remember the beginnings with Milan Rataj and Vašek Martin- the other two co-founders?

I knew the guys before Sloneek. My programming company was working on the development for their start- up. Once I asked Vašek about their iDovolenka project and suggested that I could help them with it. We realized that there is no need to continue in this project and it’s necessary to create it again and better – so from a simple application managing leave, we began to build a complex solution for HR. 

You started with programming. What are you in charge of at Sloneek today?

I’m currently in the position of CEO. My job is to keep everything together so that it works. 😊 I make sure that the individual teams work in harmony, that we recruit the right people for the right positions and I also help my colleagues as a leader and I’m here for them when they need help or turn to someone. I also communicate with investors. Thanks to them, we can develop the application and grow faster.

What are your goals with Sloneek in the position of CEO?

My goal is to make Sloneek one of leading players in Europe in the field of HR. Of course, I would be happy if it would be possible to automate and boost the system with artificial intelligence so that it can do most of work itself and HR people would only get a notification when their decisions are needed. HR professionals would be able to focus more on working with people, their motivation and development. They wouldn’t have to just fill out the tables or offer the courses to someone who isn’t interested in them. 

What do you like the most about your job?

It might be unexpected answer, because I’m a former programmer, but it’s working with people. I’m more extrovert so I enjoy working with them. At the moment, I’m working with my business coach on leadership and preparing for the growth of the company. In my opinion, leadership education is really important for a CEO- it’s not easy to motivate, keep the team together and be able to pass on faith in the company vision to employees. 

What do you do in your free time? How do you relax?

It depends. My wife and I regularly go out to the countryside with our dog, Stafford. I have a gym at home, so I do exercise on a regular basis. I try to spend my time actively.