The VI Business Awards highlight the role of 14 companies as a driving force behind the country and sustainable development
Vocento held this Wednesday the VI edition of the Business Awards with which the Group recognizes 14 prestigious companies that stand out in different facets of their activity, in a year marked by great economic uncertainty due to the war in Ukraine and the ongoing crisis.
The event, sponsored by Banco Sabadell, began with the intervention of Pilar Sainz, general manager of communications and relations at Vocento, who highlighted the role of companies as “the economic engine of our country, as great generators of employment and a fundamental component of well-being in our society”.
Sainz emphasized that “citizens are demanding answers and commitment despite adversity and that the key to meeting the challenges of the difficult times we have had to live in cannot be other than betting on the productive economy and promoting business and social behavior that sustainable development puts people at the center of their activity”.
Daniel Fernández Herráiz, director of the Business Network of the Central Territorial Department of Banco Sabadell, for his part, emphasized that “the companies that will receive the Vocento Awards today are an example of how to deal with the changes and challenges that will confront them as opportunities are presented. His vision, his responsibility and his courage serve as a guide for us to know how to face and overcome difficulties, and that is a great strength in these times ».
The bank manager, who has been supporting the Vocento Business Awards since its first edition, emphasized that “It is companies like those awarded year after year by the Vocento Group that, through their work, contribute to prestige the entrepreneurial capacity of our country and position us among the countries that stand out and are exemplary in the world for the quality of their companies and entrepreneurs, and this is a reality that fills us all with pride.
The Vocento Business Award for brand positioning was awarded to RTVE after a year in which the entity had won an unprecedented audience with the rebroadcast of the latest edition of Eurovision, with a screen share of 71.6%, with 8,853,000 views, at the time of to vote. The festival went beyond the Eurofan bubble, with strong backlash in the mainstream media. “Both the Eurovision brand and the Spanish brand are strengthened by the work of TVE,” said the organizers.
The award for international expansion went to El Pozo, present in 80 countries and with the determination to continue exporting as a pioneer company in the field of healthy nutrition, in fresh meat as well as in processed and salted products.
The recognition for Equality, Diversification and Inclusion went to Cepsa, for its commitment to promoting diversity in its own organization and in its network of partners and suppliers. The company has an extensive diversity and inclusion program dedicated to promoting gender diversity, LGBTI+ and the inclusion of people of different abilities and conducts multiple training actions to achieve these goals. In addition, Cepsa has recently joined the Principles of Conduct for Companies promoted by the United Nations to promote diversity and employment equality in companies.
For its part, WallBox was recognized as a Revelation Company for its success in designing, developing and manufacturing intelligent charging solutions for electric and hybrid vehicles. With only seven years of life, this Spanish start-up has managed to surpass a valuation of USD 1,000 million and become the first Spanish company to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
Civitatis received the Digitization Award for its Hospitality Experience Tool platform, which offers a technological solution to hotel chains, real estate managers and all types of self-catering accommodation that have access to a dedicated panel to book activities and excursions at their own reception and to obtain graphic material that stimulates sales in the branches themselves.
Meanwhile, the Innovation recognition went to Ferrovial, for the development of the Smart Formwork project, an intelligent formwork system that enables real-time control and monitoring of pressure and temperature, enables the optimization of work cycles and achieves greater safety in concrete pouring processes.
In a tough macroeconomic environment where entrepreneurship is becoming increasingly complex, the Entrepreneurial Award for Start-up of the Year went to Playtomic. Only five years old, this Spanish tennis and padel booking platform is already present in 34 countries and has bought several smaller companies in the US, Sweden, UK, Belgium, Italy and Portugal.
Grupo Osborne, in turn, was the company that received the award for the family business, “a sector that has become the backbone of Spanish business life and very important generators of wealth and employment,” said the organisers. In its 250-year history, the Group has achieved a broad international presence in more than 7 countries, with two subsidiaries in China and Brazil, 6 production sites in Spain and a portfolio of more than 30 own brands.
At a time when corporate communication and institutional relations have become key to communicating business objectives, the external communication award was awarded to the CEU, promoter of projects through which it pursues academic and professional excellence, such as ‘Making you Questions’, ‘CEU Talks, the Value of Values’ and the Podcasts. All tools with which he manages to maintain the relationship with his students, alumni and target group.
For its part, the recognition for Internal Communication went to the Elecnor Group, thanks to its determined commitment to developing communication tools with its employees based on gamification such as quizzes, games and apps, always very effective in communicating the pillars of a sustainability strategy or other issues related to ESG, creating new listening dynamics and associated new ways of working.
Telefónica wins the Sponsorship Award thanks to eSports. The operator chaired by José María Álvarez-Pallete has joined this year as a partner in the capital of Team Randomk eSports, the parent company of Movistar Riders, one of the most important clubs in Spain, with whom it will also maintain its sponsorship for the next three years.
Sustainability is already a strategic pillar of many companies that do not want to lose pace in the green transformation process that the Spanish economy is going through. That is why Vocento wanted to recognize Heineken’s work with the award for environmental sustainability. The brewery company leads projects such as ‘Last Mile’, with the sustainable distribution of beers via zero-emission electric vehicles. It is estimated that this prevents the emission of more than 51,000 kilos of CO2 into the atmosphere per year.
On the other hand, the social sustainability award went to Inditex, for its commitment to the communities where the textile giant has a presence. The group spent 63.5 million euros on social initiatives in 2021, while its employees spent more than 206,000 working hours on social initiatives.
In such complex years for generating profits due to the impact of the pandemic, Acciona received the award for results, awarded for having managed to maintain strong growth in all items, with a positive operational evolution of the various activities and a significant reduction in financial leverage. The company’s turnover grew by 25% in 2021 compared to last year to EUR 8,104 million and the Ebitda by 30.9% to EUR 1,483 million.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
