“Robert Bosch once said that conducting business in an honest way is, in the long run, the most profitable, and that the business world values it far more than people think. This is the principle we have been guided by for over 150 years of Bosch’s operations. Transparency and honesty go hand in hand. We have a series of concrete measures in place to ensure that transparency and honesty are practiced every day,” explained Mirsada Kudrić during the “Power of Sustainability” panel at the conference. „Poduzetnički Mindset za Mlade” organized by the magazine Poduzetnik.
Except for Gordan Turkovića (CTA komunikacije), who was the moderator this time, the panel was attended by: Mirsada Kudrić, General Manager for Robert Bosch for Croatia, Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina; Andreja Dobra, Head of ESG at A1 Croatia and A1 Macedonia, and Ines Borčić, Director of the Sustainable Development Department at OTP Bank. They also referred to the challenges they face in different market segments, their specifics in the technology, telecommunications and banking industries, and the risks of doing business.
Bosch is applying new technologies such as AI that helps preserve the environment, and one example is the so-called smart spraying, Kudrić pointed out. Their smart camera with artificial intelligence can clearly recognize what the plant we want to grow is, making it easier to apply herbicides precisely.
Andreja Dobra emphasized A1’s cooperation with partner organizations and schools to encourage the development of digital skills. In addition, they actively support and empower women in the STEM field through programs such as “A1 STEMfemme”.
“We wanted to make a change in society together with our clients. At the beginning of each year, OTP Bank and Mastercard place a certain amount in a specially opened account, and our clients can contribute by rounding a certain amount to ten when paying by card. The money is donated to children’s wards of hospitals in Croatia. Clients are very happy with the financial concessions they make to support the greater good”, said Ines Borčić, Director of OTP Bank’s Sustainable Development Department, describing the multi-year initiative “OTP Round Up”.
Kudrić concluded that the key is the employee’s thinking and understanding why ESG is important. Everyone can make a large contribution for themselves, in their own microcosm, and the responsibility is not only on companies. The responsibility lies with the consumer who will reward or punish the company for their policies by (not) buying their products.
