The educational program of the Responsible Business Forum, ‘Sustainability Starter,’ commenced on October 19th, and so far, a total of four lectures on sustainability and sustainable business have been held. The program is attended by twenty-two exceptional participants who are gaining knowledge from top experts in this field.
The first lecture took place on October 19th, addressing the topic ‘CSR, SDG & ESG in the Service of Sustainability.’ Neven Marinović, the director of the Responsible Business Forum and Smart Kolektiv, provided insights into the origins and importance of sustainable and responsible business. Following that, Natalija Savić, the CSR coordinator, and Đurđina Draganov, an environmental protection associate at Delta Holding, presented the concept of sustainability through examples from their company and answered numerous questions from participants.
The second lecture was held on October 24th, focusing on ‘Sustainability in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises – Caring for People.’ Young program participants had the opportunity to hear from Marija Pantelić, Chief Business Sustainability Officer at Bosis Valjevo, and Milica Novaković, a legal associate from Gecić Law, about the significance of ESG criteria, the role of caring for people in successful business, as well as the importance of gender equality and diversity.
‘Strategy and Leadership/Logistics Management and Decarbonization’ was the theme of the third lecture held on October 27th. Participants of the ‘Sustainability Starter’ program had the chance to familiarize themselves with this topic by listening to two exceptional speakers, Danko Kalkan, the ESG manager at Ernst & Young, and Nada Stamatović, Corporate Sustainability Expert at Nelt Group. Their expertise and experience in this field allowed program participants to better understand the role of strategy and leadership in achieving sustainability and how to reduce carbon footprint through logistics.
The last lecture in October was held on October 31st at Elixir Group, with the theme ‘Green Agenda and Sustainable Development.’ Course participants gained a deeper insight into this area by listening to the presentations of colleagues from Elixir Group. The speakers included Nataša Todorov, Sustainable Development Manager, Dejan Ivanović, Group IT Manager, and Jelena Mago, a senior specialist in strategic planning and ESG, with the event hosted by Margareta Musić, the Chief Communications Officer of the Elixir Foundation.
‘Sustainability Starter’ is a free one-month program for final-year students and recent graduates of bachelor’s or master’s degrees who aspire to build a career in sustainability and socially responsible business. They can acquire practical knowledge and connect with the business community. The next lecture is planned to be held at OTP Bank on November 6th.
