Author: red
Source: Hospodárske noviny, 6.6.2008, issue no. 109, p. 25

My seven wonders – Pavol Krúpa, Arca Capital

1. Motto

“If you want to build others, you must start by building yourself“ – based on a statement by Tomáš Baťa.


2. Inspiration/ role model 

Lance Armstrong – the famous cyclist who wasn’t defeated by his terrible disease – he overcame it, starting competing again and became a multiple winner of the Tour de France.

Peter Krištofovič – my old friend and business partner.

My inspirers in business are Marek Dospiva and Slavo Haščák, Milan Fiľo, Paťo Tkáč, Martin Blaškovič and Zoro Kollár.


3. Experience

For me, every day is an experience when I meet people who create added value and have something to pass on to others. For example, a strong experience for me was meeting the Pope, meeting Andre Agassi the tennis player during the US Open tournament, or talking to the former Ukrainian Prime Minister, Jurij Jechanurov. 


4. Embarrassment

My biggest embarrassment was a lecture I gave in 1996. On the basis of this experience, I then reconsidered my work in brokerage and began to focus on the field in which I work today. In the end, this embarrassing incident was a victory for me. 


5. Holiday

I usually associate holiday with sport. For me, the top holiday destinations are those which are less than a four-hour flight away, for example the Canaries. However, I enjoy going to the sea just as much as to Orava , where I have memories of my childhood spent with my grandparents. On top of this, I go to a training camp there every year with a fitness trainer and professional sportsmen. 


6. Object

Books, of course. If I had to talk about all the books which left an impression on me, I would need a lot more space. These are specialised books, non-fiction, fiction and also those which shaped humanity, i.e. the Bible, the Koran or the works of Confucius. 


7. Dream

The dream I want to make come true is also Arca Capital’s next big target: to be a leader in private equity investments in small and medium-sized businesses in Central and Eastern Europe.