We have invested more than 350 million euros in Serbia in the past 20 years
Gordana Brašić, President and Head of HR of Henkel Serbia, spoke with Diplomacy&Commerce about the past eight years of being at the helm of Henkel Serbia, the company’s results during the coronavirus pandemic and the company’s future growth and development.
In 2002, Merima Kruševac was acquired by the Henkel CEE Group. Today, you operate in three locations – in Kruševac, Indjija and Belgrade. What business strategy has enabled the company to grow steadily for years?
This year we celebrate a jubilee – 20 years of business in Serbia. Since the privatization of Merima Kruševac, we have been continuously investing in the modernization and expansion of production capacities, especially in Kruševac, where we have five factories and a regional logistics center. We have invested more than 350 million euros in Serbia in the past 20 years. Our key to success is sustainable business as our priority, together with innovations, modernization and digitalization.
The coronavirus pandemic afected many businesses. Are you satisfied with the company’s last year results?
The coronavirus pandemic was a great challenge not only for business but also for all societies around the world. The biggest challenge for us was to quickly and safely reorganize our operations, having as a first priority the safety of our employees. We achieved that with excellent cooperation between our employees and our crisis team. Given that we have a wide portfolio of products, we were able to support numerous organizations in need such as Red Cross Serbia and hospitals in Serbia and to continuously supply our markets. Last year we finished on the sixth place on the list of biggest exporters in Serbia, achieving an increase in exports of more than 50 percent compared to the previous year. Henkel Serbia contributes to the Serbian GDP with 0,35% in 2021 and we will continue our new investment cycle also in the future.
You have been the head of Henkel Serbia since 2014. Which period or event was very challenging for the company?
The past two years have been challenging for the entire planet, including us. We worked according to different models and respecting the recommended measures we managed to maintain production and enable the continuous supply market with our products. The mentioned situation threw us out of the business “comfort zone” and forced us to create new flexibility, to adapt to the new reality. I am proud that we have all shown a high level of professionalism and managed to achieve great results. I am also very proud of our “Make an Impact on Tomorrow” (MIT) initiatives, through which we support Henkel employees in volunteering on socially responsible projects that are personally important to them.
“Our key to success is sustainable business as our priority, together with innovations, modernization and digitalization”
Employees apply for projects of importance to the local community and volunteer in their implementation. Confirmation that our company is going in the right direction is shown by numerous awards we received in the field of social responsibility, and I would especially like to single out last year’s Award for Corporate Social Responsibility “Đorđe Vajfert” awarded by the Serbian Chamber of Commerce for our environmental project “I love river, do you?”.
What are your plans for perpetuating the company’s growth and development?
At the moment, there are again numerous challenges that are influencing business predictability and making markets very volatile, having in mind what is going on in the energy markets and how fast the prices are rising, but also the disruption that has happened in the supply chain and logistics operations around the world. We will continue to monitor and adapt in the best way to all situations ahead of us, having our customers and partners always in focus. Locally, we will continue with investments and improvements in Henkel‘s plant in Kruševac, which directly supplies more than 40 global markets. We will also implement Henkel’s new 2030+ Sustainability Ambition Framework with three most important dimensions: regenerative planet, thriving communities and trusted partner. This year we will present innovative products, and of course, continue to provide help and support to the community in which we operate through various socially responsible projects.