All they want for Christmas

The holiday season is here. Finally! We now have the chance to wind down with our families. At last, We can catch our breath and look back over the year. Naturally, it is also a good moment to ask market players a few questions, and for a change these are not business-related. We would like to join them in wishing you best wishes for the festive season, hoping that no matter what the market holds in store for us, we are about to start a new, even better year. Happy Christmas from 'Eurobuild CEE'!

The best Christmas I ever had was...
...every holiday is the best for me as I am with my loved ones.
At Christmas time, my family and I... ...I don't think my family is any different in this regard, but from the very morning we work hard, while keeping to the spirit of goodwill. You know what they say - the next year will be just like the way you celebrate Christmas.
The thing I don't like about Christmas is...
...that doesn't apply to me.
My favourite film at Christmas is... ...A Christmas Carol, based on the Charles Dickens' book. A powerful story that touches everyone, children and adults.
For me, Santa Claus is... ...lots of pleasant childhood memories, which are refreshed by my own children and now by my dear granddaughter.
I wish my competitors... ...all the best in 2012! At the end of the day, the success of our competitors is a sign that the whole industry is doing well.

Konrad Jaskóła
president and CEO
Polimex-Mostostal

The best Christmas I ever had was...
...drinking cocktails on the beach in Australia with my shorts on!
At Christmas time, my family and I... ...do the same as everybody else: eat and drink too much, and sit around the rest of the time recovering.
The thing I don't like about Christmas is...
...the traffic chaos beforehand.
My favourite film at Christmas is...
...The Hunt for Red October.
For me, Santa Claus is...
...behind the times and should use a car.
I wish my competitors...
...too much food and drink and a slow start to the new year. :)
Paul Deverell
business director, CTPark Humpolec

The warmest Christmas I ever had was... ...the best or the warmest? The warmest I spent in bed, with a 40?C fever.
At Christmas time, my family and I...
...enjoy the huge pile of presents, bigger than the Christmas tree.
The thing I don't like about Christmas is... ...the tune to Jingle Bells, a song
I will have had to listen to since November.
My favourite film at Christmas is...
...The Grande Bouffe.
For me, Santa Claus is...
...a nice chubby fellow.
I wish my competitors...
...over-eating.

Jacek Twardowski
managing director
Kristensen Group

The warmest Christmas I ever had was... ...last year in Cape Town. I spent Christmas and New Year with family and friends, enjoying the sunshine and plenty of good food and wine. Being away from the cold and wet of London was totally rejuvenating.
At Christmas time, my family and I...
...are always together. It is always very important to us that the whole family get together over the holiday season. Even though we all live in London, we have busy lives, so it is a chance for us spend a few days together without being interrupted by work and the normal daily routine.
The thing I don't like about Christmas is... ...Christmas songs. They create the Christmas spirit, but by the end of December having heard the same songs in every shop and on the radio each day... I'm looking forward to January!
My favourite film at Christmas is... ...Polar Express. To be honest, this is my wife and children's favourite film. I don't spend too much time watching Christmas films.
For me, Santa Claus is...
...a man in a red suit.
I wish my competitors... all the best for 2012.

Daniel Harris, managing director of investments Tristan Capital Partners

The best Christmas I ever had was...
...with my family. I will go ahead and admit it - I am a workaholic, so I don't spend enough time with my family throughout the year. But Christmas is their time.
At Christmas time, my family and I... ...first of all my family is a very broad notion. At the Christmas table there are three generations sitting together, which actually means a few dozen people. This creates an amazing atmosphere.
The thing I don't like about Christmas is... ...what is this question supposed to mean? If there is someone who doesn't like Christmas, please send that person to me. Next question, please.
My favourite film at Christmas is... ...a difficult question. With such a big family we really don't have time for watching television at this time of the year.
For me, Santa Claus is...
...a joy, I share with those closest to me.
I wish my competitors... ...to carry out their plans and achieve high profitability, but most of all to have passion in their everyday work and lots of positive energy to keep them going over the next year.

Jan Mroczka
board director, Rank Progress

The best Christmas I ever had was... ...when me and my two sisters were small children and we had no money, so we had to build a Christmas tree from wooden sticks. It came out looking more like an architectural installation than a tree.
At Christmas time, my family and I... ...never have any obligations, no presents, no compulsory visits - but still at the end we all just accidentally happen to share the same table.
The thing I don't like about Christmas is...
...that the city is filled with bad music.
My favourite film at Christmas is...
...all those cute old Eastern European
cartoons.
For me, Santa Claus is...
...usually a bad actor.
I wish my competitors...
...a creative and energetic new year.

Maarja Kask
architect, Salto (Estonia)

The best Christmas I ever had was ... ...taking the family skiing to the Alps but not telling the children what we were doing until we actually got there. We also spent last Christmas Day white-water rafting down a river gorge in central Sri Lanka, which was very different.
At Christmas time my family and I... ...my immediate family and I spend time relaxing, walking, cycling and eating far too much!
The thing I don't like about Christmas is... ..being forced to have to go out and visit extended family. I also don't like the TV channels simply putting repeats on at Christmas.
My favourite film at Christmas is...
...Psycho.
For me, Santa Claus is...
...extremely poor this year.
I wish all my competitors...
...a very merry Christmas and hopefully a more prosperous and stress-free New Year.

Giles Membrey
managing director, Rioja Developments

The warmest Christmas I ever had was...
...with my family, by the fireplace, sitting in a comfortable chair, a book on my lap.
At Christmas time, my family and I...
...experiment in the kitchen, jazzing up traditional Christmas dishes.
The thing I don't like about Christmas is...
...it is over so quickly and then we have to wait a whole year until the next one.
My favourite film at Christmas is...
...127 Hours
For me, Santa Claus is...
...my family and their presents.
I wish my competitors...
...happy holidays and lots of energy
in the New Year.

Barbara Topolska
general director, Neinver Polska

The warmest Christmas I ever had was...
...up in the mountains, in the cabin of a friend of mine. We only had a gas lamp, but we were stocked up on other fuel, if you know what I mean.
At Christmas time...
...the men in my family are in charge of the cooking. We are responsible for the meat on offer and the home-made drinks.
The thing I don't like about Christmas...
...on the contrary, I love this time of the year!
My favourite film at Christmas is...
...A Christmas Carol, naturally.
For me, Santa Claus is...
...my childhood dreams for Lego. Now, the joy in the eyes of my daughters and also a measure of fear: did Santa get all the letters on time?
I wish my competitors...
...health, joy, magical moments with their loved ones and a complete rest from work.

Rafał Trusiewicz
managing partner
Trusiewicz & Siwko Law Office

The warmest Christmas I ever had was... ...my first Christmas in Poland. At first I found the Polish Christmas fever a bit peculiar, but now, after a few years in Poland I've got used to it. To be honest, this year I am really looking forward to it.
At Christmas time, my family and I... ...cook together. It is a great opportunity to bring all the family together in the kitchen. Sometimes we finish cooking late in the night and find out that what we prepared was eaten at the same time.
The thing I don't like about Christmas is... ...cleaning before and after. I always try to become "invisible" at this time in order to avoid helping to tidy up the house.
My favourite film at Christmas is...
...Love Actually.
For me, Santa Claus is...
...the Christkind.
I wish my competitors... ...and my partners and my own company to have a splendid Christmas break, the best New Year's Eve party ever and good business in 2012.

Sebastian Vetter
member of the board, UBM Polska

The warmest Christmas I ever had was...
...in a coalmine in Nowa Ruda, 800m under the ground.
At Christmas time, my family and I...
...go mushroom picking.
The thing I don't like about Christmas...
...there is no such thing.
My favourite film at Christmas is...
...I don't watch television during the holidays.
For me, Santa Claus is...
...a huge expense.
I wish my competitors...
...a fair battle.

Dariusz Niedośpiał
board director, LC Corp

The best Christmas I ever had was... ... maybe there was one Christmas. It was when my brother came back home after being abroad several years and my mother was the happiest person in the world.
At Christmas time, my family and I... ...are together in my parents' house having a traditional dinner
The thing I don't like about Christmas is...
...sometimes there is too much stress before Christmas.
My favourite film at Christmas is...
...Mrazik (Frost), a Russian fairy tale which is very popular in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. I cannot imagine Christmas without it on TV.
For me, Santa Claus is... ...someone strange. Santa only arrived in my country in the 90s, when I already understood the meaning of Christmas. I grew up with Dedo Mraz (Grandfather Frost). In Slovak Christian families, it is Jesus who brings gifts to children. Anyway, all of them represent a good man who gives presents to good kids at Christmas time.
I wish my competitors... ...to be successful so that we always have someone to compare ourselves to. Winning on your own is not such fun. You have to win in a competition with many rivals for that.

Stanislav Frňka
country CEO, HB Reavis Poland