The Second Business Conference on Corporate Governance in the 21st Century Has Begun

– If there is a topic that corporations try to keep away from the public, it is the relationships between management structures, management, and supervisory boards. Therefore, we believe that with today’s conference, as well as the seminar on corporate governance from October to December, we will work on raising the culture of corporate governance in Croatia, said Miodrag Šajatović, the editor-in-chief of Lider, opening the second business conference on the topic of Corporate Governance in the 21st Century, which is held under the high patronage of the President of the Republic of Croatia, Kolinda Grabar Kitarović.

The organizers of the conference are the business weekly Lider and the Center for Research and Development of Management (CIRU).

In a welcoming speech, Lajoš Žager, the Dean of the Faculty of Economics in Zagreb, addressed the attendees, emphasizing that we live in a beautiful country and that we open topics and discussions that are often not relevant. In contrast, today’s gathering is around a topic that is indeed important as it allows us to live more harmoniously and better. Lajoš thanked Lider for organizing this conference and expressed that it is a great honor for the Faculty of Economics in Zagreb to be an academic partner of such an event.

– I congratulate everyone who will receive an award today. We are trying to build a different culture in which we celebrate people who deserve to be celebrated. We should celebrate those who create, take responsibility, and those who are true promoters of economic development. Therefore, the topics of corporate governance are indeed interesting and significant. Economic development topics often do not receive enough attention in public, and that is why Lider has an important role, emphasized Lajoš Žager.

Nikica Valentić, a former Prime Minister and now an entrepreneur and advisor to the president, stated that the first prerequisite for the success of Croatian politics is stability, which will be the foundation of change. Without that and legal certainty, we can stand on our heads, believes Valentić, who quoted Kohl: “Do not pander to the people, but work for the people’s interests!”

He also added that corporate governance is crucial for every entrepreneur who wants to succeed in the market.

At the opening of the conference, Darko Horvat, the technical minister of entrepreneurship and crafts, also addressed the attendees with a brief speech, greeting the managerial elite of the Croatian economy and emphasizing that without adequate knowledge of corporate governance, one cannot function. He is aware that many lack certain specialized knowledge, and therefore expressed satisfaction that the collaboration of four universities is networking the academic and professional community.

The conference will discuss the quality of corporate governance in Croatia, its role in raising national competitiveness, new trends in the European Union, the relationships between supervisory boards and management, and for the first time special awards for excellence in corporate governance will be given to the best joint-stock companies.