As it has become tradition, the AmCham Slovenia community ended the year festively with an inspiring AmCham Business Breakfast. At the event, top achievements shone; we announced the best business practice of the year, Best of the Best 2023, and toasted the future. Young people from the YOUng platform selected two AmCham Business Leaders of the Year, Anita Ogulin and Dr. Jure Leskovec, recipients of the Business Award of the Future, which highlights role modeling, business leadership, and the culture of dialogue. Online voting, the expert jury’s votes, and the audience’s votes at the event chose the best business practice of the year. The project by Lek d.d., a member of the Sandoz Group – Young Advisory Board – won the most votes.

At this festive edition of AmCham Business Breakfast, we presented three of the best business practices, the superfinalists of the Innovation, Motivation, and ESGT thematic sets of the Best of the Best 2023 program, and jointly selected the true one best of the best. Young Advisory Board by Lek d.d., a member of the Sandoz Group, won the most votes. Irenej Jerič, Lek, d.d. said: “Young people’s initiative and willingness to participate in projects is at the heart of the Young Advisory Board … One of the main reasons we entered the Best of the Best 2023 competition is because we wanted to see the practice come to life in other companies.”

Best of the Best 2023 superfinalists were the winner of each thematic set:

MOTIVATION:

Lek d.d., a member of the Sandoz Group – BEST OF THE BEST 2023

Lek d.d., a member of the Sandoz Group, strives to create an inspiring and innovative work environment that enables every individual to fulfill their potential. Thus, in 2020, Lek’s visionary project for young talents – “Young Advisory Board” (YAB) – was created on the initiative of young people to establish a direct communication channel between young people and the company’s management. Together with the YAB, the top management is acquainted with the views of the youngest generation of scientists and economists. This creates an interdisciplinary and intergenerational community whose diversity further encourages new ways of thinking and tackling challenges. Over the last year, the initiative has been adopted by broader society, connecting with student organizations, providing insights into the workings of the pharmaceutical industry, and sharing knowledge and best practices through mentoring at hackathons and summer schools, including international ones. YAB is the incubator of future leaders, and it can also serve as an example for other companies to effectively promote young talent and improve the work culture for future generations.

INNOVATION:

Mega M d.o.o. – Smart Solutions for Efficient Energy Management

As a CO2-neutral operator and provider of comprehensive solutions in electromobility, Mega M strives for innovation. One such innovative and sustainable solution is smart home charging, which allows electric vehicles to be charged reliably and safely at the most optimal intervals according to grid load and electricity price. The company’s Mega Mobility mobile app provides an exceptional user experience that allows the user to manage various charging parameters such as time, power rate of charging, and adjusting the charging power to the load of the network connection while allowing charging on public transport infrastructure at more than 250,000 charging stations across Europe. The innovative solution also enables comprehensive energy management of other consumers and battery systems for storing electricity, and the car can even serve as a battery, from where energy can be returned to the grid. This provides the user with an optimal electricity price on the one hand and an optimal load on the electricity system on the other. The “Smart Solutions for Efficient Energy Management” project provides users with comprehensive energy optimization and aligns with Mega M’s mission to co-create a secure digital and sustainable future.

ESGT:

Zavarovalnica Triglav & AMZS – Refresher Driving Lesson for the Elderly

Almost 30% of all drivers on Slovenian roads are over 60 years of age, and due to the aging of the population, this number will only increase in the future. Older drivers are the most common culprits and, simultaneously, victims of the worst accidents. The joint initiative “Refresher Driving Lesson for the Elderly” by Zavarovalnica Triglav and AMZS enabled older generations to renew their driving skills free of charge with the help of experienced instructors in their hometown. Seven driving instructors helped more than 1,000 drivers regain confidence on the road. The drivers’ progress was regularly monitored, and it was found that most of the participants significantly improved their performance in all three categories: roundabouts, speed, and safe distance. Drivers rated the experience as positive, feeling more confident behind the wheel and less stressed when driving. The project stimulated intergenerational dialogue on the importance of caring for the older people’s driving skills and generated positive triggers for media reporting.

📸 The photo gallery is available HERE.