The Croatian Association of Managers and Entrepreneurs (HUM-CROMA) announced the names of 13 winners of the Manager of the Year 2015 award at today’s press conference.
Based on documented balances and actual qualitative indicators of business performance (market share, export growth, number of newly opened or preserved jobs, etc.), the expert jury proposed the finalists, and the Management Board of HUM-CROMA selected this year’s laureates.
The lifetime achievement award winners are Branko Roglić from Orbico and Ivica Cerovečki from Kotka.
– Textiles is a specific industry; no technique or technology has created a robot that can sew a good men’s suit. They say that a suit does not make a man, but a proper men’s suit certainly makes the man who wears it a gentleman – stated Cerovečki.
Roglić emphasized that the profit earned abroad is brought back to the homeland, thus helping the Croatian economy.
– Everything changes every five minutes today, and if you do not react in time, then you are finished; neither the state nor the banks can help you. The key is caring for people; I tell everyone, never allow your people to be unprovided for – Roglić advised.
The Entrepreneurs of the Year award was given to Ilija Tokić from Tokić d.o.o. and Armando Stanišić, owner and CEO of the Istrian company Aluminijska Bravarija Stanišić (A.B.S.).
Tokić stated that they grow organically every year by 15 to 20 percent, and just this year they hired 60 new workers and achieved a turnover of 400 million kuna.
– Given that our market is small, we are increasingly turning to exports and investing heavily in staff education because the school system in Croatia is not adapted to smaller entrepreneurs and companies – Tokić emphasized, adding that it is important for older managers to pass on their experiences to the young.
In the large companies category, the award was given to Milan Vrdoljak, co-owner and CEO of the family company Ricardo from Darda, while the best managers in the medium-sized companies category were awarded to Bernarda Cecelja from the company Bernarda and Anđelko Švaljek, director of Regeneracija from Zabok.
– It is an exceptional honor, pride, and the crown of 30 years of work this award because it is a big deal when you receive recognition from the profession – said Vrdoljak, who believes he owes the award more to his colleagues than to himself.
Švaljek stated that they have undergone rehabilitation, restructuring, and privatization at Regeneracija and that today they export 90 percent of their production. Cecelja, the only female winner this year, received the award for the third time, having previously won in the project manager and small companies categories. Ferdelji joked that he hopes we will soon have a conglomerate under her leadership.
Dragan Brnić, head of Šiloturist, and Gordan Javorić, founder and director of Gotra logistics, were awarded in the small companies category. They briefly described the development of their companies from humble beginnings to today’s great successes and stated that they have no intention of stopping their development.
The best young manager was chosen as Stjepan Mihalić Jr. from Limovi and konstrukcije, while the best manager in a public company was awarded to Jadrolinija’s Alan Klanac. Mihalić stated that they mostly work in Germany and Austria and that they have been continuously growing since privatization 20 years ago. Klanac proudly mentioned the rationalization of Jadrolinija, which celebrates 70 years and is among the largest shipping companies in the world.
In the foreign companies category, the award went to Ivan Protega from Jysk, and the project manager of the year was chosen as Dario Marenić, CEO and co-owner of Elda. Protega stated that Jysk has been present in Croatia since 2009, today they have 39 branches, more than 300 employees, record double-digit growth every year, and successfully compete with rivals. Marenić highlighted that Elda is about to open a new facility, which will make them the undisputed largest producer of e-liquid for e-cigarettes in Europe and among the top ten in the world.
The ceremonial award presentation for the professional awards and recognitions of Manager of the Year 2015 to the most successful managers and entrepreneurs in various categories is the central event of today’s program, starting at 6 PM. The Manager of the Year award has been awarded since 1992, and so far, it has been received by 204 of the best Croatian entrepreneurs.
– We are proud that by marking the 25th anniversary of our existence, we can say that we have been and will continue to be a birthplace of good initiatives and pioneers of new projects – concluded Esad Čolaković, president of HUM CROMA, summarizing the association’s previous work.
