There are only a few dozen people like him in the world. Adam Dolník is the person you call when you find yourself in an unimaginable situation: a loved one has been kidnapped and a ransom is being demanded. A globally recognized expert on terrorism and negotiation, he returned to the Czech Republic after years abroad and decided to take on a new challenge—teaching business leaders what it means to negotiate for a life.
“Come on, you bitch… What did you think, that it was over? That they paid the ransom and now they’re sending you home? They took the money and sold you to me. Move!” There are approximately twenty thousand kidnappings worldwide every year. Fortunately, this one lasted only two days and was staged as part of a survival training course for journalists and humanitarian workers organized by the Czech Army fourteen years ago.
One of the kidnappers—a terrorist from the fictional Republic of Magella—was Adam Dolník. In that scenario, I was the hostage, which is also why Adam and I use first names throughout the following interview. After someone spends the middle of the night testing how long you can withstand waterboarding, it is rather difficult to return to formalities…
Source: Forbes Czech Republic / Photo: Michael Tomeš
