Zdeněk Tůma graduated from the University of Economics in Prague and completed his postgraduate studies at the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences. He served as Chief Economist at Patria Finance from 1995 to 1998, after which he joined the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development as a member of the Executive Board.
In December 2000, Zdeněk Tůma was appointed Governor of the Czech National Bank, a position he held until 2010. From 2011 to 2019, he was a partner at KPMG Czech Republic, focusing on consulting for the financial sector. He is currently Chairman of the Supervisory Board of ČSOB.
In addition, he was a member of the scientific and statutory boards of several universities and an active member of the Czech Economic Society, where he served as President from 1999 to 2001.