1. MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN
2
I
n a country going through its fifth year of deep recession, formulating and
adhering to a well-organised, visionary strategy is a sine qua non for mov-
ing forward, both in the short and in the long term.
In MYTILINEOS Group we are taking carefully planned steps, seeking to grow
every day while protecting the interests of the Company, of our people and
of our shareholders. With a clearly focused strategy that relies on our strong
exporting profile and on strict cost controls, we have laid the foundations that
consolidate our position today and create positive prospects for the future.
Our strategy, however, is also driven by an additional key element: our desire
to create shared value for society and for the economy. We do not limit our-
selves to a social responsibility policy, which has a marginal role within our busi-
ness strategy, functioning merely as a mechanism for redistributing a part of
our profits or for mitigating any unavoidable impacts of our business activity.
We know very well that the sustainability and the progress of organisations are
inextricably linked with the development of their environment and, therefore,
prosperity for any enterprise is inextricably linked to the prosperity of the so-
ciety in which it operates. The only way forward is to move forward togeth-
er.
Our priority to become a driver for social growth and for development, carry-
ing forward with us the society and the economy, is at the core of our Group’s
operation. And with a corporate and economic footprint that is the reflection
of 2,500 employees, €1.454 billion in turnover and subsidiary companies which
gain distinctions in Greece and abroad, our dynamism is commensurate with
our size.
This dynamism translates into a holistic philosophy of responsibility, contribu-
tion and progress that is part of our corporate DNA. MYTILINEOS Group does
not rest on its achievements, but instead works tirelessly to improve its social
and economic footprint and to achieve nothing less than excellence.
In taking every step, we want to help the efforts to strengthen the Greek econ-
omy, we support society, we protect the environment and we promote a prop-
er and balanced work environment. We are not trying to build our own im-
age along these four key action pillars, but to achieve real business and build
the future that we wish for ourselves and for our children.
We are building this future through a consistent, long-term strategy that is di-
rectly linked to our business operations and remains aligned with international
standards and requirements. It is this philosophy which, despite last years eco-
nomic adversities, made us achieve once more remarkable results.
We generated a “social product” with a value of €233 million, allocated to tax-
es, salaries and social, business and environmental investments. Indeed, the
Group’s aggregate social product since 2009 has exceeded €1 billion, in spite
of the domestic recession.
With Greece’s social structures in ever-increasing need of support, the Group
remained steadfast in its commitment to address relevant issues. During 2012
we contributed approximately €800,000 to the promotion of culture, sports
