Josef Severa and David Kesl have been newly appointed as partners in Ernst & Young’s Corporate Advisory and Risk Management department in the Czech Republic. Corporate advisory has become one of the fastest growing departments in Ernst & Young’s Czech practice.
Josef Severa is responsible for the strategic development of Ernst & Young’s advisory services for the energy industry, leading the energy team for Central and Southeast Europe comprising Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia and Serbia. In the Czech Republic, he oversees a team of leading energy industry experts headed by Ludmila Petráňová and Blahoslav Němeček, which provides energy industry clients with comprehensive advisory services as part of Ernst & Young’s Global Power & Utilities Center*. With more than 18 years of experience, he is a highly respected expert in the fields of internal audit, risk management and internal control system set-up. He leads the Ernst & Young Excellence Center for Internal Audit Services in 21 central and eastern European countries while also devoting time to the personal and professional development of individuals and groups through coaching and associated development and educational programs. He has been involved for many years in the management of the Czech Institute of Internal Auditors. He joined Ernst & Young in 2001 after heading the internal audit department of Eurotel Praha. He has a degree in corporate finance from the Economics University in Prague. He is married and has one daughter.
David Kesl specializes in IT advisory and technology risk management. He has been with Ernst & Young since 2002, and before that worked at Arthur Andersen. He has been providing IT advisory, especially to financial institutions, for 15 years. His focus is IT strategy, information system selection and implementation, project and change management, information technology audit and review and technology risk management. He is a graduate in electrical engineering from the Czech Technical University. He is a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) and Certified Accounting Expert (ACCA). He is married with three sons. He enjoys spending his free time with his family and his hobbies include ballroom dancing, cycling and skiing.
“In recent years, we have seen corporate advisory develop at a dynamic pace at Ernst & Young. We attach particular importance to this development, since we provide services in key areas such as the financial sector, the energy industry and the public sector. These new partner appointments result from a rigorous selection process, reflecting the long-time professional performance of each partner and representing a vote of confidence in their leadership skills. We appreciate the excellent results that are essential for the further growth of the Advisory department and our company,” says Magdalena Souček, Country Managing Partner of Ernst & Young in the Czech Republic.
