BOSQAR INVEST

BOSQAR INVEST has joined the Croatian Business Council for Sustainable Development (HR PSOR HR BCSD), further strengthening its commitment to ESG principles and responsible business practices. As a UN Global Compact member, the group already aligns with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and is also recognized by HANFA for its excellence in corporate governance and transparency. By joining HR PSOR, we stand alongside Croatia’s businesses working towards a more sustainable and competitive economy. For the official announcement in Croatian, see: https://bit.ly/433caPI For the announcement in English, see: https://bit.ly/41atjo4 #BOSQAR #BOSQARINVEST #HRPSOR #ESG

Last night, the Croatian business community gathered at the 2024 CROMA - Croatian Managers' & Entrepreneurs' Association Awards to honor the country’s top executives and entrepreneurs. Held at the Esplanade Hotel in Zagreb, the event celebrated ten business leaders whose vision, leadership, and ethical business practices have made a notable impact in 2024. Stjepan Oreskovic, founder of BOSQAR d.d., the holding company of the BOSQAR INVEST group, was the chairman of the jury. "Change is driven by individuals who are insatiably ambitious in a positive way – those who constantly strive to build, innovate, and lead without complacency. The business leaders recognized tonight represent exactly that. It is our responsibility to support them, develop industrial policies that encourage excellence, and create an ecosystem that nurtures the next generation of globally leading companies that Croatia and Europe need," Ore?kovi? said in his address. The Manager of the Year award recognizes those who set new standards of leadership and corporate responsibility. Among this year’s laureates, Vanja Burul, President of the Management Board at Kon?ar Distribution and Special Transformers Inc., was named Manager of the Year in the large companies category. Other awardees included Jerko Jaksic (PharmaS) in the mid-sized companies category, Milan Vrdoljak (Ricardo) as Entrepreneur of the Year, and Marin Rogic (Croatian umbrella & Tobacco Logistika) for corporate social responsibility. Additionally, Ivo Usmiani, a veteran of the pharmaceutical industry and the driving force behind JGL d.d., was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award. Congratulations to all the winners, as well as CROMA and Ana Soldo, for organizing another successful award ceremony. For more information in English, see: https://bit.ly/4hZjlwy For Croatian media coverage (Dnevnik.hr), see: https://bit.ly/3QiQZ4B #CROMA2024 #StjepanOre?kovi? #BOSQAR #BOSQARINVEST

BOSQAR INVEST is proud to continue its partnership with the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb as the main sponsor for the third consecutive year. Thanks to a strategic approach to repertory planning and the partnership with BOSQAR INVEST, the theatre has seen continuous growth in its subscriber base over the past three seasons, reaching over 5,600 subscribers for the 2024/2025 season, with an average auditorium occupancy exceeding 95%. As part of the 2025 partnership, the Croatian National Theatre will introduce Croatia’s first AI-powered theatre concierge, developed in collaboration with Mplus and based on its Buzzeasy AI platform. This service will assist visitors in selecting performances, purchasing tickets, and finding nearby dining and parking options, making theatre visits more seamless and personalized. In addition, it will expand audience communication across multiple channels, including Messenger, WhatsApp, Instagram, live chat, and email. A huge thanks to the teams at BOSQAR INVEST, Mplus, and the Croatian National Theatre, as well as the leadership of Iva Hraste-So?o, Darko Horvat, Stjepan Oreskovic, Manica Pirc Oreskovic, and everyone who contributed to making this partnership happen, including Ivan Vnuk, Matija Bjelkanovi?, Marko Martinovic, Mario A. Gigovic, Iva Stilinovi? Grahovac, Nikolina Antoli? and Robin-Ivan Capar. For the full announcement in English, see: https://bit.ly/42RraQQ For media coverage in Croatian (SEEbiz.eu), see: https://bit.ly/4gydCNi #BOSQAR #BOSQARINVEST #HNKZagreb #CroatianNationalTheatre

BOSQAR INVEST is looking to contribute to the security of supply in the agri-food industry in Slovenia and the broader region, with its recent investment in Skupina Panvita playing a key role in that effort. In his interview with ?urnal24, Darko Horvat, President of the Management Board of BOSQAR d.d., shared his vision for Future Food, the newest business vertical within the BOSQAR INVEST group. "We believe that Panvita, together with future investments and partners in BOSQAR's Future Food vertical, will play a key role in laying the foundation for a strong and sustainable Slovenian agriculture over the next decade," Horvat said in the interview. For the full interview (in Slovenian), see: https://bit.ly/4hwVggW #FutureFood #Panvita #DarkoHorvat #BOSQAR #BOSQARINVEST

???? CONCLAVE 2025 - Shaping a European 2040 Vision ???? From January 16-19, 2025, Brussels hosted the 2nd edition of Conclave ??, Europe’s premier gathering before the Davos World Economic Forum ??. Organized by EuropaNova, this event brought together leaders from across Europe to discuss Europe’s strategic future in light of rising geopolitical tensions with the U.S. and China. ?? The event kicked off on January 16 with an exclusive preparatory session with Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary General, focusing on European defense and the role of NATO. ?? The next day, January 17, an intercontinental conference was held with experts from the U.S., China, India, and Morocco, exploring the future of EU relations in 2040. The discussions were centered around the question: “What relations should we envision with Europe by 2040?” ?? The Chatham House conversation continued on January 18 and 19, with deep dives into three key themes: ? Geopolitics, Defense, and Security ??? ? Science and Technology as drivers of competitiveness ?? ? Funding Europe’s Ambitions ?? Notable participants included António Costa, President of the European Council , and Alexander De Croo, Prime Minister of Belgium. The outcome of these discussions will result in three briefing notes ?? for European policy, addressing defense, technology, and financing Europe’s future. A comprehensive report ?? will also be published soon, feeding into the European Commission and European Parliament's strategic work. Conclave 2025 was a pivotal moment in strengthening Europe’s unity and resilience as it faces global challenges ahead. A huge thank you to all the participants, partners, and contributors for making this event a success. ?? Stay tuned for the full report and next steps! For any information please contact isabelle NEGRIER, Executive Director of EuropaNova and the Conclave: [email protected] Guillaume Klossa, BOSQAR INVEST, King Baudoin Foundation, Helsing, Champalimaud Foundation, Stiftung Mercator GmbH, Fondation Calouste Gulbenkian, Bertelsmann Stiftung, Bled Strategic Forum, TITAN Cement Group, Vofi Conseil, Re-Imagine Europa, Syensqo, Scale-Up Europe, European Round Table for Industry - ERT, Ilham Kadri, Aart Jan De Geus, Piero Benassi, Erika Sta?l von Holstein, Jean-Pierre Bourguignon, Mariya Gabriel, Daniela Schwarzer, Grégoire Roos, Loukas Tsoukalis, Maria Jo?o Rodrigues EU, Philippe étienne, António Vitorino, Peter Grk Thanks to ??Louis GADAY, and to ??Festival Nights with Yury Revich

For entrepreneurs across Europe, the greatest risk is the avoidance of risk itself.????????????????????????? At the Adriatic Strategic Foresight 2025 event, hosted by the In?titut za strate?ke re?itve (ISR) at The Westin Zagreb, Stjepan Oreskovic, founder of BOSQAR d.d., the holding company of the BOSQAR INVEST group, took part in a high-level discussion on "Challenges for Modern Entrepreneurs." Joining him on the panel were leaders of the financial services supervisory agencies from Croatia and Slovenia, Ante ?igman, President of the Board at HANFA, and Gorazd ?ibej, Director at AZN, with Maja Dragovic of The Adriatic moderating the session. A key insight from Stjepan highlighted the underlying threats to Europe's economy, emphasizing that the real danger lies not in the transparency, capitalization, or stability of financial institutions but in the prevailing culture and systemic setups that deter entrepreneurial risk-taking. "Since 2010, we've witnessed Europe's financial sector decline from a global leader in capitalization in 2011 to being overshadowed by the capitalization of a single U.S. bank, J.P. Morgan, which now surpasses four major European banks combined. This trend underscores the urgent need for creating conditions that empower European companies to scale globally to ensure a sustainable economic future," Stjepan remarked. While acknowledging the necessity of regulatory oversight, Stjepan cautioned against the adverse effects of hyper-regulation, stating, "Regulatory frameworks are essential for protecting investors and ensuring market stability. However, excessive regulation stifles the entrepreneurial spirit critical to Europe's economic vibrancy. At BOSQAR INVEST, our success in building a transparent, thriving business comes from active collaboration with institutional investors, such as pension funds, rather than dependence on EU subsidies or development funds." Commenting on BOSQAR's adherence to corporate governance, Stjepan noted, "BOSQAR's commitment to transparency has been consistently recognized by HANFA, reflecting our compliance with its Corporate Governance Code. Transparency should facilitate, not hinder, entrepreneurial ambition." The discussion at the Adriatic Strategic Foresight event also related to the broader initiatives discussed at the 2025 European Conclave in Brussels, where Stjepan and Jorn Fleck of the Atlantic Council introduced the Future 500 initiative, aimed at fostering a global ecosystem to support the scaling of high-potential European businesses. For more information on Future 500, click here: https://bit.ly/3PIVNAg #AdriaticStrategicForesight2025 #ISR #BOSQAR #BOSQARINVEST #StjepanOre?kovi? #Future500

At the 2025 European Conclave's International Public Conference in Brussels, the Atlantic Council's Senior Director Jorn Fleck and BOSQAR's founder Stjepan Oreskovic unveiled the "Future 500" initiative, a project that aims to empower Europe’s entrepreneurial and scientific talent by creating a robust ecosystem for scaling high-potential businesses globally. If you missed the live stream by EuropaNova, you can watch the full presentation and discussion below ?? For more details about the Future 500 project (in English), see: https://bit.ly/3PIVNAg #BOSQAR #BOSQARINVEST #Future500 #StjepanOre?kovi?

Last week, during the European Conclave's International Public Conference, which was themed "What relations should we envisage with Europe by 2040?", the Atlantic Council's Senior Director Jorn Fleck and BOSQAR's founder, Stjepan Oreskovic, co-presented the "Future 500" initiative at the BELvue Museum in #Brussels. The initiative aims to empower entrepreneurial and scientific talent across Europe by building a robust support ecosystem that enables high-potential businesses to scale effectively. "By fostering cross-border collaboration, scaling high-potential businesses, and attracting international investment, 'Future 500' seeks to shape a new economic environment where entrepreneurs and entrepreneur-scientists are pivotal to revitalizing the EU’s global position. This project will provide the resources, networks, and support necessary to ensure their success on the world stage. After the start-up phase, it’s time to become equally successful in scaling up European companies," Ore?kovi? said. Upcoming milestones include the Washington, D.C., debut this May and the official launch at the Bled Strategic Forum (BSF) in Slovenia this September. The Brussels event brought together over 50 distinguished leaders, including António Costa (President of the European Council), Mark Rutte (NATO Secretary General), and Alexander De Croo (Prime Minister of Belgium), alongside industry leaders from Vodafone, ASML, BOSQAR INVEST, and many others. For more details, see BOSQAR's announcement in English: https://bit.ly/3PIVNAg For Croatian media coverage, see: https://bit.ly/4hktvYv #BOSQAR #BOSQARINVEST #StjepanOre?kovi? #Future500 #SEEUSFutures EuropaNova Guillaume Klossa

In a recent interview with Marko Repecki of Forbes Hrvatska, Darko Horvat, President of the Management Board at BOSQAR d.d., shared his perspective on the company's trajectory for 2025 following a year of transformative strategic investments. "Alongside our organic growth strategies, we will strive to remain active in M&A activities. Our expert M&A team continues to work on potential deals, and I can confidently say that I see several exciting opportunities on the horizon for the coming year," Horvat said. He further detailed growth expectations across BOSQAR INVEST's verticals. "We foresee continued growth in the Mplus division, our BPTO segment. Significant technology investments are poised to enhance our market leadership and accelerate our transformation into a tech-centric company." Horvat was also optimistic about advancements in the HR, eCommerce, and Food verticals, citing ongoing investments that position the company to realize new milestones in 2025. For more details, read the full interview (in Croatian): https://bit.ly/4jaW2RX #BOSQAR #BOSQARINVEST #DarkoHorvat #M&A #ForbesHrvatska

Pekarski lanac Mlinar, koji je nedavno dobio nove suvlasnike, ovu bi godinu trebao zavr?iti s oko 180 milijuna eura prihoda, ?to je desetak posto vi?e nego pro?le godine, obznanio je?Darko Horvat, predsjednik uprave BOSQAR INVEST, u razgovoru za?Bloomberg Adriju. "Mislimo da su planovi koje je predstavila uprava ostvarivi i mogu biti puno bolji. Svake godine se otvori izme?u 10 i 20 novih du?ana. U budu?nosti se mogu dogoditi i nove potencijalne akvizicije u pekarskoj industriji, pone?to i sada gledamo“, ka?e Horvat. Cijeli razgovor mo?ete pogledati ovdje: https://lnkd.in/dAYBs7Mx #bloombergadria #mlinar