This year, MK Group has celebrated its 35th anniversary with a new visual identity which has been publicly presented, among other places, at the 26th Kopaonik Business Forum. We are talking to Aleksandra Stojanović, Corporate Affairs Director at MK Group, about the impressions from the Forum and the company’s important jubilee.
”I am very proud of the fact that MK Group has traditionally become the host of the Kopaonik Business Forum. This conference is an excellent opportunity for the most important stakeholders in the region, from business people to the representatives of state institutions and non-governmental organizations, to, once a year, discuss the most significant economic and social issues. In addition to being the host, our company also actively participates in panel discussions every year. This year, Financial Director of MK Group, Dušan Radičević, Chairman of Executive Board of AIK Bank, Jelena Galić, Director General of Carnex, Mohan Shrestha and Director of Digitalization and Development Sector at MK Group, Aleksandar Bjelić participated in panels. They shared their experiences and expertise, as well as our company’s results, thus validating that we are not only an interlocutor, but an active participant in improving the economic conditions in this part of Europe,” said Aleksandra Stojanović.
You publicly and officially revealed MK Group’s new visual identity and purpose in late January. How did you define the Group’s purpose?
— During 35 years of business, together, we, as a Group, have progressed and achieved excellent results in three key areas in which we operate: agriculture, tourism and finance. Expanding into new activities, we changed our appearance, and it became necessary to represent our new size and success with a new visual identity. First, we defined our purpose, i.e. the broader character of MK Group, which is reflected in transforming the vision of the company’s founder into the growth of business, people and society as a whole. What does that exactly mean? Thanks to our efficient operations, from initial 3 employees we grew to over 7,000, and from a single company to 75 of them. Our company pays 109 million euro annuals on the basis of taxes and contributions. We are actively working on improving the quality of life, not just of our employees, but also their families and the entire community. Our work enables not only growth of profit, but also economic development of the region in which we operate.
How did the definition of purpose influence your visual identity and slogan?
— The purpose was the starting point for the adoption of the new logo of our company which, apart from the initials of our founder, depicts the strength of our team, vision and infinity of business. After that, we have defined an effective yet comprehensive slogan that unites all that we are. Everything started from our founder’s vision, and our longterm business results are achieved thanks to the people who make smart decisions every day. Hence the slogan itself – One vision. Smart decisions.
How does this new visual identity affect your corporate culture and values?
— At the heart of each corporate culture, there are values that cannot be imposed on employees, but they need to be nurtured and lived. When we started working on our re-branding strategy, we tried to highlight the essence of our company. Consequently, this also impacted the shaping of our values – reliability, team spirit, innovation and responsibility. MK Group is a reliable partner not only to our business associates, but also to all the local communities in which we operate, a total of 74 of them. Our ambitious business plans and excellent results would not have been achieved without the team spirit of our colleagues and the entire system. Every day, we make smart decisions together and contribute to the success of MK Group. We implement the most up-to-date sustainable business models by raising the standards of business and working on the digitalization of all business processes, which reflects our innovation. Finally, and perhaps the most important value of all, is our responsibility. In the last 5 years, we have implemented over 500 socially responsible campaigns, with the aim of improving the conditions and quality of life, and for this purpose, we have allocated over 4 million euros. Above all, we nurture family values, through continuous support to parents working in our system. As a result of all of this, MK Group is recognized as a safe employer, but also a stable support not only in Serbia, but also in South East Europe.