Matej Potokar, General Manager, Microsoft

Matej Potokar, General Manager, Microsoft

"The answer lies in the word itself: humane. Companies should centre their business culture and core values primarily around humans - people. People should always be considered as crucial and the most important, whether they are employees, customers or partners. Furthermore, I believe a company's success should also be measured in terms of people's satisfaction, not just financial metrics and statistics. I see this as the only way of doing business and relating with people in the future. I believe this sort of attitude will bring companies sustainability and great future success."

Vanja Lombar, Managing Director at OMV Slovenia

"Basically, global businesses should put people and their values first and create profit in a sustainable way. Many examples from history show that polarisation in a society is not a viable option.

With countless innovations, digital structures and new technologies, we irrepressibly forge the "Fourth Industrial Revolution" which brings even more possibilities for progress. In these circumstances, we have a unique opportunity to form an economic environment in which striving for profit will definitely not be the only purpose of our companies. We have to put core values such as integrity, safety, business ethics, protection of human rights and environment into the company's operating system. Corporate Social Responsibility must become an integral part of every company mindset and our employees should be empowered to use technology in a way that helps to make our world a better place to live. We should strive to make the "Forth Industrial Revolution" an opportunity for all."

Vanja Lombar, Managing Director at OMV Slovenia

Primož Zupan, CEO at MBILLS, E-Money and Payment Services, Ltd. 

Primož Zupan, CEO at MBILLS, E-Money and Payment Services, Ltd.

"The key ingredient is that global business uses the right approach. Important are values rather than profit; we should look at how the quality of life improves in the environment that the company is operating. Has there maybe been an increase in new activity or initiative? Are there more people that have gained or youngsters in school who have new knowledge? To achieve this, corporations need to adapt intrapreneurship mindset, where employees are in constant touch with end-users and trace the problem to its cause. Today, corporations still lack this approach and thinking. Some develop responsibility programs which are encouraged not only by the management but the owners. However, the more scattered the ownership, the more difficult it is to support it. For example, our company is in the ownership of the Čadež family and one can feel their values and the approach to doing sustainable business."