A workplace that feels like a community🙌 Meet Abbie 👩💻
When Abbie Balčáková moved from Slovakia to Prague as a university student, she never expected to build a career in finance, or to find a workplace that felt so open, honest and supportive. Five months into her role as Finance Manager in our Business Service Operations (BSO) office in Prague, she discovers what makes this community special. As she explains, it’s a place where people look out for one another and where curiosity is simply part of how teams work together.
“I’ve always been based in Prague since I started working full time. I am originally from Slovakia, but I’ve been living here for the last fourteen or fifteen years. Having studied international economic relations, I originally wanted to be an ambassador, but I realized that path was not for me.”
Finance came unexpectedly.
“Finance kind of fell into my lap. There was an open position at a company, and I thought I would give it a shot. I got the job and found that I actually enjoyed working with numbers, analyzing data and doing deep dives.”
Her career grew quickly. Seven years at Accenture in corporate finance. A move to Amazon, where she stepped into warehouse finance. Then came the moment she noticed a role at the LEGO Group.
“I knew that here in Czechia, the LEGO Group is seen as a really good employer. I had friends and colleagues who knew people working here and everyone was so happy. People who moved here stayed here. That told me a lot.”
At first, Abbie applied for a senior role. But, having made it to final stages, she wasn’t selected. However, a month later, she received an unexpected call.
“They reached out and said they had another opportunity and that I was the first person they thought of. I was already in the final round with another company who had given me an offer. But I knew I would regret it if I didn’t take up this chance. So I rejected the other offer and went for this one. I’m so glad I did. I love it here.”
A few weeks after joining, she attended her first Play Day.
“Seeing how seriously the company cares about its people was huge for me. You feel it immediately. You’re not just a number. You’re not someone they will push out because they want more profit.”
Soon after, Abbie joined a town hall with the CFO team. It made an even stronger impression.
“They were open and honest. When someone asked a question, they did not give a vague answer. They invited us to challenge them. Jasper even said, you have the finance leadership team here, ask us anything. I thought, yes, this is the right place for me.”
Another surprise was how safe it felt to ask questions and admit when she needed help.
“In other companies they say ask questions, be curious, but when you actually do, you sometimes get told you should already know that. Here it is not like that. I can ask something very elementary, and people just give me the answer. No judgement. You can simply say, I do not know, and your team and leader will support you.”
Support also shows up in everyday life. Abbie’s story about getting a motorcycle license is a perfect example.
“Two months after joining, I started my motorcycle license. I needed to take some classes during working hours. I explained the situation to my manager, and he just said, absolutely, no problem. As long as the work is delivered, it is fine.”
What he said next stayed with her.
“He told me, happy Abbie is productive Abbie, and I need productive Abbie. If that means taking a few hours for your license or going home early to walk your dog and then finishing work from home, that’s fine. It exceeded every expectation I had of an employer.”
Her current role is a blend of finance, insight and data. It’s also helping her plan her next career step.
“I know I am not going to be a people leader. That is not for me. I want to be an individual contributor, and I am realizing how much I enjoy data. SQL, Power BI, Tableau. This role lets me learn more and think about new ways of reporting and standardizing things. It’s perfect for where I want to go next, which is more toward data science.”
Her work also connects directly to fans and consumers.
“I support the retail finance team by taking on the administrative side of things, giving them space to focus on strategically growing the business. I may not work directly with consumers, but my work absolutely shapes the experience they ultimately have.
"The best part of my role are the people I work with and learning new things. My team is open, welcoming, honest and incredibly supportive. If I’m overwhelmed, they help. If I need space, they give it. It feels like the best place I could be.”
Just imagine your LEGO® career.