Executive Committee

The Association is managed by an executive committee that is elected each year at our annual general meeting. Current members are:


Ladislav Hornan (chairman)
Ladislav was born in Prague and came to London in 1968 where he completed his education and professional qualifications in accountancy and insolvency. For more than two decades he was managing partner of UHY Hacker Young LLP. Over the years he has held a number of positions in the BCSA including treasurer, chairman, president (1998-2014) and vice-president. In 2005 Ladislav received the Gratis Agit Award from the Czech government for promoting the good name of the Czech Republic abroad. More recently, in September 2017, he was awarded the silver Jan Masaryk medal for outstanding contribution to the development of bilateral relations between the UK and the Czech Republic.

Ruzena Holub (vice-chairman & membership secretary)
Ruzena was born in Prague and came to the UK in 1968. She worked as an interpreter and translator for over 30 years, and now teaches the Czech language. She has been a member of the BCSA since 1991, and on the Committee since 1995.

Ivona Klemensova (treasurer)
Ivona is a freelance Czech language teacher and an experienced administrator. Previously she worked in the travel industry in the Czech Republic, Italy and the UK. From 2017 to 2022 she was a co-director of the Czech School Without Borders in London. Recently she joined UCL as a senior administrator.

Blanka Shrimpton (secretary) 

Ed Peacock (editor British Czech & Slovak Review & writing competition administrator)
Semi-retired administrator, with family links to the Czech Republic; contact for the BCSA’s writing competition since its inception in 2002.

Jana Buresova (joint events co-ordinator)

Jana holds a PhD from the University of London and is the author of The Dynamics of Forced Female Migration from Czechoslovakia to Britain, 1938-1950. In 2019 she was awarded the Jan Masaryk Silver Medal for outstanding contributions to the development of relations between the Czech Republic and the UK and Northern Ireland. Jana was the BCSA’s first events co-ordinator.

Jana Nahodilova (joint events co-ordinator)

Jana moved to London from the Czech Republic in 1998 where she gained an MSc in Gender studies and an MPhil in Czech literature and nationalism. Since 2001 she has taught Czech language and cultural units at undergraduate level at the University of Bristol. In 2012 Jana established Okénko, a Czech and Slovak school in London; she is also chair of the Association of Czech and Slovak schools in the UK.


Angela Spindler-Brown
TV journalist, specialising in historical documentaries made for British and US broadcasters. Prague born, has lived in London since 1968.


Jozef Polom 

Jozef was born in Prešov and came to London in 2009 where he completed his BMus (Hons) Music Performance and MSc International Marketing qualifications. He is a music teacher and also focuses on creating positive values for the Czech and Slovak communities in the UK and his Slavic homeland. Jozef is also a member of Matica Slovenská, the oldest Slovak organisation for culture, founded in 1863.


The Association is also fortunate to have as its President:
Sir Michael Burton KCVO CMG – former BCSA Chairman for more than ten years, he was British Ambassador in Prague from 1994 to 1997, which included The Queen’s historic State Visit to the Czech Republic. His wife Henrietta is Czech-born.


Maria Hughes (website & social media)