Kopaonik, March 8, 2022 – CEO of Smart Kolektiv, Neven Marinović, moderated the panel discussion “Corporate Responsibility, Empathic Leadership and Philanthropy”, which was held on March 8 at the Kopaonik Business Forum. Tisa Čaušević, Public and Regulatory Affairs Manager, Coca-Cola HBC Serbia, Milena Đorić Gudurić, Head of Marketing Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mastercard, Jovan Purar, Director, Legal Affairs, MK Group and Ana Koeshall, Executive Director, Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation discussed whether socially responsible business is only PR or where there are convincing long-term interests.
During the discussion, the participants agreed that corporate social responsibility (CSR) is increasingly becoming an integral part of business and business practices, not only because of the company’s reputation, but also because of the expectations of all actors, customers, clients, employees and the community. In addition, the challenges such as climate change, inequality and inclusion are getting bigger, awareness of them is present and companies cannot ignore them. Milena Đorić Gudurić from Mastercard, said that “there are no long-term successful companies in a failed society” and pointed out that “we are guided by the philosophy that by doing good, we are doing good business “.
The panellists concluded that partnerships have a key role to play in addressing these challenges. While foundations and civil society organizations have the skills and direct contact to work with beneficiaries, the companies have the resources and expertise. They also agreed that the participation of all actors is needed, including the state, which is an important factor in promoting and stimulating sustainable business, as well as the media, which can encourage companies to do better and spread good stories.
“It is good and important for the private sector to be a driver of change and, in cooperation with state institutions, local communities and partners, to actively influence finding solutions not only for challenges, but also for continuous development,” said Jovan Purar from MK Group. Ana Koeshall, from Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation emphasized the importance of partnerships between all key players, and that the media also have a very important role.
When it comes to the future of socially responsible business, it depends on partial regulation in this area, primarily by the EU, as well as on incorporating sustainable development aims into business strategies and goals, the panellists concluded.
