Masterclass – Empathy in Business

Karen is a researcher, global empathy expert (with clients including Google, Amazon, and Indeed), and a TEDx speaker with 3 million views. She considers empathy an essential skill of the 21st century — one that can be learned and effectively applied in everyday business life.

Lori Greenberg is a renowned New York-based headhunter and co-founder of Greenberg Kirshenbaum, who has spent more than two decades connecting top creative talent with leading agencies and brands. Throughout her career, she has worked with clients such as Apple, Leo Burnett, Kate Spade, and The New York Times, and is now collaborating with Empera Consulting on developing an empathy-based hiring methodology.

Michal Meško is a Slovak entrepreneur and long-time leader of Martinus — one of the most successful book companies in Slovakia. He is known for emphasizing values, company culture, and long-term customer relationships in business, rather than short-term commercial results.

He has further developed his knowledge of leadership and strategy through studies at Harvard Business School.

At our event, he will speak about how empathy helps leaders achieve better business results.

Drahomíra Mandíková works at Asahi Group Holdings and is recognized as one of the world’s most influential leaders in sustainability according to Sustainability Magazine. As the only non-Japanese executive in the company’s top leadership in Japan, she is responsible for sustainability, corporate communication, and public affairs. She also bridges cultures, aligns leadership across regions, and supports transformation at the company-wide level.

At our event, she will share her personal career story, in which she sees empathy as an essential skill for successful collaboration in diverse teams.

Eva Štefanková is a psychologist, former corporate manager, entrepreneur, and founder and director of the personal development and leadership transformation center, LeadINcenter. Together with her team, she has spent more than 13 years developing authentic leadership and transformational programs for leaders and organizations at an international level.

At our event, she will speak about empathy as a “double-edged sword” — how empathy can be misused in practice, the importance of self-empathy, and how to work with it in a way that supports healthy relationships and effective leadership.

Hugo focuses on research into social cohesion within DEKK and on ways to strengthen it in Slovak society. Drawing on his experience in humanitarian projects and analytical work, he brings a perspective on why trust is among the key prerequisites of societal stability and prosperity.

At our event, he will present data from DEKK Institute surveys and highlight what can help mitigate polarization and support better results for society and the economy.

Jana Šimková works at NN, where she serves as a strategic partner to business leaders. She helps connect people strategies with business goals and shape environments that support performance, trust, and long-term growth. She brings more than 15 years of experience in HR, leadership, and talent development.

At our event, she will share her experience with a recruitment process carried out in collaboration with Empera and explain the impact of an empathetic approach on the speed, quality, and overall course of the hiring process.

Katarína is the founder of Empera, where she leads strategy and business development and stands behind the idea of bringing a structured approach to empathy into the Slovak recruitment market — as a practical skill that can be developed. At the conference, she will appear as the panel moderator and will also present a practical case study demonstrating the use of empathy in business practice.

Martina is the co-founder of Empera and is responsible for setting up and managing recruitment processes, working with candidate experience, and implementing empathetic principles in recruitment. At the conference, she will present, together with a client, a practical case study demonstrating how a systematic approach to empathy can deliver better results in hiring and talent collaboration.