The FINANCIAL — On 10 June, 2016, Insurance Company IRAO – member of Vienna Insurance Group, was awarded with second prize of Dr. Günter Geyer Award for Social Conscience. The award was granted to IRAO, in the frames of corporate social responsibility project ‘Social Active Day’, carried out by the company during the last three years – taking care of children struggling with cancer, in particular children of the Monk Andrew Foundation.
Dr. Martin Simhandl, Member of the Managing Board of Vienna Insurance Group (CFO), as well as Dr. Walter Leonhartsberger-Schrott, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of IRAO, together with other representatives of VIG, attended the awarding ceremony and handed the award to Mr. Vakhtang Dekanosidze, CEO of IRAO.
The FINANCIAL interviewed Dr. Martin Simhandl, Member of the Managing Board of VIG and the Member of the Supervisory Board of IRAO. Dr. Simhandl told how VIG’s corporate values help to link their economic goals with social and environmental considerations.
Q. The main shareholder of VIG awards a prize for outstanding social commitment each year, named after Chairman of the Management Board Dr. Günter Geyer. Georgian IRAO is among the winners this year. Why do you think that the social activities of IRAO deserve special mention?
A. IRAO was awarded for its empathy and sustainable commitment to the Monk Andrew Foundation. The Foundation is an extraordinary initiative which cares for the weakest members of society, children from disadvantaged families, suffering from cancer. The continuous contact between IRAO and the organisation is outstanding. Support is also spontaneously given in urgent cases and employees engage themselves voluntarily. In addition, IRAO is the only monthly supporter of the Monk Andrew Foundation. I am proud that IRAO is among the winners of this year’s Günter Geyer Prize.
Q. VIG has a long tradition of social responsibility. How do you approach your group companies and encourage them to carry the same policy and what should we expect from IRAO?
A. Within Vienna Insurance Group, the main shareholder Wiener Städtische Versicherungsverein plays a decisive role when it comes to Corporate Social Responsibility. Wiener Städtische Versicherungsverein strives to be a bridge builder between cultures and generations and therefore supports and also initiates many social and cultural projects. The introduction of the so-called ‘Social Active Day’ was the beginning of our group-wide corporate volunteering activities that evolved with an amazing dynamic among our employees throughout Europe. Our Georgian colleagues excelled from the beginning.
Another example is an exhibition series that has been shown in VIG’s headquarters in Vienna for more than 15 years already. Each exhibition spotlights the architecture of one of the countries where our Group is active. We strongly involve our Group companies in these projects. This past March and April, we displayed “Tbilisi – Architecture at the Intersection of Continents”. The show was very successful and, moreover, the first cultural event in Austria with a focus on Georgia’s culture.
Q. VIG’s tradition of social commitment goes all the way back to its establishment in 1824. What role have social concerns played at your company? Why is it important for businesses to carry social responsibility?
A. Our core business has always required being able to think on behalf of many generations, assume responsibility and satisfy the future commitments we make to customers today. As a successful international insurance group, we want to actively fulfil our responsibility by helping to create a future worth living. We have therefore created a CSR position in the Group. VIG’s corporate values help us to link our economic goals with social and environmental considerations. Our actions and decisions are based on credibility and integrity, entrepreneurial initiative, customer satisfaction, diversity and equal opportunity, as well as mutual appreciation and respect.
Q. Recent years have been less active for the Georgian economy, mostly due to external risks, that affect the profitability of the companies and cause a budget cut on social campaigns. What is VIG’s experience of dealing with social issues during a crisis?
A. Corporate Social Responsibility is more than financial support for certain projects. It is a mindset toward society and should be seen separately from daily business and turnovers. There is high awareness of the importance of those contributions, and it has strongly increased in recent years.
Q. What is the main message that VIG and also IRAO want to deliver regarding CSR?
A. Insurance business is all about sustainability. I believe that all the steps a socially conscious acting company takes, should take influences on society and environment into consideration. Thoughtful interactions with all members of society contribute to a sustainable development. This applies to Vienna Insurance Group and all its group companies like IRAO.
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