Zagreb, July 10, 2023 – Stjepan Orešković, the majority owner of Mplus, has been honored as the first recipient of the prestigious Nikola Tesla Award for Ethical Business. The award was presented by Transparency International Croatia and the Nikola Tesla Association - Genius for the Future on July 10, 2023, as part of the celebrations for Nikola Tesla's 167th birthday and the National Day of Science, Technology, and Innovation in Croatia.
After an extensive evaluation process that assessed various aspects of business operations within Croatian corporations and involved more than 200 reputable entrepreneurs, Stjepan Orešković emerged as the award winner. Orešković, a member of the European Academy of Science and Arts, university professor, and researcher involved in international scientific projects, is also the majority owner of Mplus, a highly successful BPTO company with more than 13,000 employees operating in 16 countries and 57 markets.
Commenting on the evaluation process, the selection committee highlighted the importance of embodying Tesla's nobility and striving for the common good in today's corporate world. They emphasized the need to elevate business standards and foster positive relationships with the community, employees, and market partners. Additionally, investing in innovation and promoting ethics were recognized as crucial factors. The initiative received support from the European Union, aiming to encourage Croatian entrepreneurs to be innovative, creative and uphold ethical principles in all aspects of society.
A recognition of ethical behavior and business practices
President of the Nikola Tesla Association - Genius for the Future, Dragica Mihajlović, expressed the intention behind the award, stating, "With this award, we aim to publicly recognize individuals and reward them for their work and business activities inspired by the actions of Nikola Tesla, primarily for their ethical behavior and business practices, as well as their humanism."
Davorka Budimir, Director of Transparency International Croatia, who presented the award, shared the same sentiment.
In his acceptance speech, Stjepan Orešković expressed gratitude for the recognition:
"I thank you for this award, which confirms all the efforts of Mplus, its management, and employees to contribute to the community in which we operate and live. We are the first Croatian company to issue a sustainable bond, and we make daily efforts to operate more responsibly and ethically, especially in the areas of environmental protection, corporate governance, and social equality. The foundation of our success lies in highly educated young people and the application of modern science and technology. Personally, Tesla, with whom I share my homeland, is a great intellectual and moral inspiration and pride. His birthday is a birthday of a different mankind."
The award ceremony took place during the three-day event "Tesla & Friends," which aimed to popularize Nikola Tesla's legacy and emphasize his significance to the world. The event attracted not only entrepreneurs but also scientists, students, pupils, and enthusiasts of the renowned Croatian and global inventor.
Attendees enjoyed demonstrations of Tesla's experiments, artistic projections, paying respects at Tesla's monument in Zagreb, the presentation of honorary awards, and the conference "Tesla in Zagreb - Water, the Foundation of Life."
For further details about the Nikola Tesla Association and the event, please visit http://eu.untgenius.hr/ and http://www.unt-genius.hr/.
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