On April 9th, at the Jugoslovenska Kinoteka in Uzun Mirkova 9, the Diplomacy & Commerce magazine will be celebrating its 8th anniversary at the DIPLOMACY&COMMERCE AWARDS 2024 and rewarding those who left a mark in society with their actions. In anticipation of the event we discussed with the President of the Executive Board of Reiffeisen Bank, Zoran Petrović, about their last-year experiences as laureates, the work they’ve done in the post-award period and how they see the development of their company by the end of 2024.
How much do awards like this mean to you as a company?
An award like the one awarded to Raiffeisen Bank for supporting cultural institutions is a confirmation that we chose a good strategic path when we made the decision to support culture and art. It is a segment of society and activity for which not enough money is allocated, and it is of exceptional importance for the spirit of a nation.
Also, this kind of award draws the attention of bank employees to the fact that Raiffeisen bank is a company that takes care of the community in which it operates. At the same time, the reward and the cultural support means that employees have the opportunity to identify with the bank as a socially responsible employer.
What else have you done in the area for which you won the award in the past 12 months?
Raiffeisen Bank has supported culture and art from the very beginning of its operations in Serbia. We have been supporting the Yugoslav Drama Theater for almost two decades, we also support other forms of art such as exhibitions, performances… The bank’s strategic commitment is to support culture and art, so in this regard we have continued to proudly work in this area for which we won the award.
We are also looking forward to future projects in the time ahead and we hope to meet again in this select company of award winners who recognize the importance of what companies do in the field of donations and sponsorships.
How do you see the development of the company until the end of 2024?
The previous year was specific and record-breaking in many respects. We hope that we will do business successfully this year as well. What is our main feature is innovation in banking business, especially in the field of digital transformation of products and services. In this, we are leaders on the domestic market, and we will certainly continue this trend.
Another direction in which we see potential for development is the domain of ESG initiatives. Banking is a traditional industry whose image has deteriorated significantly in recent years. ESG is an opportunity to change that picture of banking. This is exactly the direction in which the entire industry will go, and therefore Raiffeisen Bank as well. Taking care of employees and an ethical attitude towards business, respecting the environment while taking care of the community in which we work is something that the younger generations pays a lot of attention to and it is something that we will continue to do in the coming period.
These are the topics and activities that companies will have to implement if they want to attract young and talented new employees. Raiffeisen Bank absolutely takes that direction. In addition, the bank will continue with its traditional activities, which are primarily support for culture, sensitive parts of the community and sports.
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