February 2015

SCA Hungary was awarded for its corporate social responsibility program

In an award ceremony in the end of November 2014, SCA Hungary was awarded for its corporate social responsibility program. “The prestigious award is the acknowledgement of all the efforts of SCA colleagues for the execution of the program. This is how SCA’s Care of Life concept has been put into practice.

SCA Hungary started a strategic cooperation with Bethesda Children’s Hospital to build a dormitory for mothers who want to stay with their children while staying in hospital. Children can pull through the hard medical treatments and recover more easily close to their mother. The goal was well defined, the actions were well planned and executed while SCA could mobilize all the local business units (Incontinence Care, Consumer Goods and AfH Professional) involving also the business partners, consumers and its own employees.

Win-win for all parties
Our efforts proved to be successful, using our communication resources and marketing expertise the hospital could collect enough money to start construction. “We must emphasize the sustainability element behind our CSR activity. Sustainability means it should be win-win for all parties therefore by definition we cannot just give away money,” says Zoltán Venter, Country Manager SCA Hungary.

SCA Hungary’s “Health is our joint mission” program has deserved the award because it is successful, efficient, and sustainable which is a model for other companies. On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of SCA Hungary next year we can be proud not only for our business results, but also our sustainable social responsibility which is an additional success factor in the forthcoming years.

Proud representatives from SCA Hungary receiving the award, from left: Zoltán Venter managing director, Dóra Pessenlehner Libero brand manager, Gyula Markovics Public Affairs manager, Personal Care, Judit Sándor trade marketing manager, László Molnár commercial director of personal care and Dezső Tápai sales manager AfH Professional Hygiene Europe.

10.02.2015

Toyota Central Europe established

Member News

As of January 1, 2015, the business activities of Toyota and Lexus brands for the region of Central Europe were reorganized into the newly established Toyota Central Europe (TCE) located in Budapest. As of the same date, three TCE front line offices began operations within this region, working separately for the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia. TCE’s start of business activities within the region of Central Europe is a part of the reorganization process announced at the end of March 2014 by the European headquarters, Toyota Motor Europe located in Brussels.

Shingo Kato, formerly president of Toyota Motor Czech and Toyota Motor Hungary has been appointed TCE president. He has 20 years’ experience in European Toyota operations. The position of TCE’s vice-president has been assigned to Alain Dujardyn, who has an excellent experience record from various significant positions in Toyota’s European operations.

As for Toyota Central Europe Hungary, the Director is Richárd László who has held different positions within Sales and Marketing in the last 15 years, most recently as Sales and Marketing General Manager of the carmaker’s Hungarian operations.

A company statement says the main objective of Toyota’s business reorganization within the region of Central Europe is to improve the efficiency of operations and individual processes, taking place jointly at all three markets mentioned above. At the same time, support function synergies will be achieved by centralizing them to the Hungarian head office of TCE. New strong offices in the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia are to play the role of ‘front line office’, focusing mainly on support provided to the network of authorized Toyota and Lexus partners, as well as all customers in the particular region.

Source: Diplomacy and Trade Magazine, February 2015

06.02.2015

The position of ‘Head of Corporate Programs’ at BCSDH

News

The Business Council for Sustainable Development in Hungary (BCSDH) has created a new position called Head of Corporate Programs that has been filled by the expert Mandy Fertetics since 19th January. The new position is proof of the successful development of the organization which now already includes 60 member companies.

Ida Petrik, Managing Director, said that the BCSDH had reached a new stage of development according to which the sustainability programs and the commitment of members made it possible and at the same time necessary to assign an expert to lead BCSDH’s corporate programs. She emphasized that the organization can be proud that an experienced and acknowledged expert who has already supported the work of the NGO as an external consultant over the last two years is joining BCSDH’s team.

Mandy Fertetics has gathered more than 10 years’ professional experience in the field of sustainable development in different roles: she has worked with NGOs, as a lecturer and trainer, in media and research and has more than 8 years’ experience as a CSR consultant. She also gained practical business experience working at Dreher Breweries (a subsidiary of SABMiller plc.) in the position of corporate affairs manager, during which time she took her maternity leave.

Mandy’s main reason for joining BCSDH was the motivating and inspiring fact that the organization is now working and thinking together with company CEOs and leaders who are key to enhancing corporate sustainability. These individuals are actively involved in shaping the goals and programs of the BCSDH. Local programs are based on the high quality global programs of our mother organization, The World Business Council for Sustainable Development, but the Hungarian organization always adapts them to local circumstances. Another important reason is that the BCSDH ensures family-friendly working conditions, which is crucial for Mandy, the mother of a small child.

Our new colleague’s aim is to further inspire committed business leaders to transform their sustainability commitment into everyday practice based on the strategies and tools disseminated by BCSDH.

Our most exciting task in 2015 will be related to the Action 2020 Hungary program which was introduced in November 2014. The next steps of the program involve collecting, developing and disseminating the business solutions which will contribute to achieving the goals that are defined in the program.

Mandy, who has wide range of acknowledged experience in the field of sustainability training and development, will also be responsible for the ’Future Leaders’ talent program which has been announced among member companies. Based on the successes of the first year, this year’s program has already commenced. Young, talented professionals and managers who have the potential to become business leaders have been nominated to participate in this program. The goal is for them to learn more about sustainable development: what it means, why it is crucial to business success and how they can translate it into business decisions. The program of development is based on a group learning, cooperative process and the active involvement of member companies as mentors.

Alongside the two main programs mentioned above, the dissemination of the ’Recommendation for Business Leaders – The Complex Interpretation of Sustainable Development’ will continue. This year’s focus is Responsible Governance.

04.02.2015

Commencement of the Future Leaders’ Talent Program 2015

News

Based on the success of the previous year’s BCSDH Future Leaders Program, 25 talented young managers started this year’s development program on the 27^th January.

What is common to the Accounts Manager of E.ON, the Consumer Sales Manager of SCA Hygiene, the PR Coordinator of Coca Cola HBC Hungary, the HR Manager of Magyar Lapterjesztő, the Production Manager of Grundfos and the Marketing Manager of Shell? Certainly the fact that they are very talented professionals, that they have already proven their leadership potential during their few year’s business working experience and that they all have a maximum of a few years’ management experience. This is why they are participating in the nine-month Future Leaders’ Talent Program where they will get to know more about the theoretical background of sustainable development and be introduced to good, practical case studies of corporate sustainability.

At the opening ceremony held on the 27^th January 2015 at Siemens participants had the opportunity to meet each other and the program-supporting mentors for the first time. President István Salgó emphasized in his welcome speech that the complex interpretation of corporate sustainability is accurately captured in the ‘Recommendation of Business Leaders of BCSDH’ which provides the structure of the educational program, covering most of the important areas of corporate sustainability for current and potential business leaders. Dale A. Martin, CEO of hosting company Siemens, stressed the importance of the program which is not only forward-looking from a macro-economic perspective but can also have benefits at a corporate level; this is why Siemens has already delegated two managers to participate in the program this year. Ida Petrik, Managing Director of BCSDH, drew attention to the key successes of last year’s program: the fact that member companies, mentoring corporate professionals and open-minded, talented participants worked together and shared experiences to successfully accomplish the learning and development goals of the program.

The newly-appointed Head of Corporate Programs of the BCSDH, Mandy Fertetics, introduced this year’s program in detail and introduced the mentor companies who are actively involved in the forthcoming program (Alteo, BDL, Ben&Loch Lomond, Biofilter, Budapest Airport, Coca-Cola HBC, Dandelion, E.ON, Grundfos, Holcim, HUGBC, KPMG, McDonald’s, MOL, Richter Gedeon, Siemens, Telenor, Unilever and Zwack). Different methods will be used in the program, which is based on group learning, to enhance learning and development outcomes. They include company visits, case studies, round table discussions, CEO interviews, presentations and interactive exercises.

During the dinner entertainment was provided by a sustainability test and a game which helped the guests to get to know each other. Dale A. Martin – who should receive an Oscar for his performance – acted the role of a fictive CEO who needed convincing about the importance of one of the Action 2020 Hungary program goals (as chosen by the group). The brave candidates came up with a wide range of creative ideas about how to harmonize business opportunities with sustainability challenges.

The 24 participants of the Future Leaders Program Hungary 2015 are delegates of the following BCSDH member companies: BASF, BDL, Biofilter, Budapest Airport, Coca-Cola, Coface, eisberg, E.ON, Generali Biztosító, Grundfos, KPMG, Magyar Lapterjesztő, McDonald’s, Nestlé, SCA, Shell, Siemens, Syngenta and Unilever. One more participant is the recipient of a scholarship awarded to the winner of a competition for university students: Beke Tomaj, an M.Sc. student from ELTE Science University.

More photos you can find here: http://bcsdh.hu/galeria/?album=1&gallery=25

If you would like to know more about the program or watch the video of 2014, click here:

http://bcsdh.hu/temak/jovo-vezetoi/

04.02.2015

Climate Week Paris 2015

News

Responding to the United Nations Secretary General’s invitation to take a more active role against climate change, business networks have joined forces to convene CEOs from around the world at the Business & Climate Summit on 20/21 May in Paris. The Business & Climate Summit will be the central event of a Paris Climate Week, which will include:

– On May 19, the second gathering of the Road-to-Paris partners: WBCSD, IEA, SDSN and IDDRI, with a high-level session the following morning;

– On May 20, the event “Mind the gap, mind the science” jointly organised by CDP, WWF, WRI, and UN-GC;

– On May 20 and 21, the BUSINESS & CLIMATE SUMMIT at Unesco Headquaters, Paris, organised by EpE, Global Compact France, WBCSD, ICC, and IIGCC, along with many other partners;

– On May 22, Climate Finance Day will follow and complement the Business & Climate Summit. Organised by Paris Europlace with main sponsors Caisse des Dépôts and EIB. These four events, and probabbly more, offer a unique opportunity for CEOs to meet their peers, stakeholders, and government representatives.

For more information, please mail to contact@businessclimatesummit.com or visit the website: www.businessclimatesummit.com

04.02.2015