NEW YEAR'S GREETING 2024: Moai Means Meeting and Working for Our Common Goals
Could you sum up your life's purpose in one sentence? Could you describe the mission of your company in one or two lines? If the answer is yes, then according to science, you have a good chance of living seven whole years longer than the average: 11-year-long research suggests that those who know why they get up in the morning live a longer and better life.
Of course, the results related to the Blue Zone theory are not only about the goals of the individual. The Blue Zone refers to those parts of the world where, according to studies, the quality of life leads to particularly high life expectancy and fewer chronic diseases. Factors such as a healthy and moderate diet, daily exercise, sufficient rest, coexistence of generations, and belonging to the right community emerge from the lives of its residents. In Okinawa, one of the centers of the Zone, the term "moai" covers the all-important system of human relationships, the community that supports the individual socially, materially, medically, or spiritually. Moai means meeting and striving to achieve our common goals.
CEOs FOR BALANCE
We wish our companies a long life, too. While the average lifespan of an American S&P 500 has fallen by 80% over the past 80 years (from 67 to 15 years), and 76% of UK FTSE 100 companies have disappeared over the past 30 years, organizations in other sectors are celebrating their 100th birthday as if they're here to stay forever. How do they do it? And what can we learn from them? Numerous research support that one of the secrets of organizational longevity is a clearly formulated mission. Another factor is the involvement of society, the effective appeal to young people, and the support of generations.
Perseverance in long-term goals and action for the community are important ingredients for a great, long life, whether for individuals or organizations. Perhaps this is the secret of the 30-year-old HBLF’s success: we build a community based on values; we work for a FUTURE that belongs to EVERYONE.
2023 was another busy year: We are proud to share that the number of our member companies has already reached 111; with a 30% increase we now have 83 Charter signatories; we had 50 professional events – among these, the outstanding Financial Summit Extra -; a significant increase helped us attain more than 4,000 LinkedIn followers and a media reach of 1.5 million.
XMENTOR ALUMNI MEETING / HBLF INTERNATIONAL X MENTOR PROGRAM
HBLF takes tangible, concrete steps towards the objectives of the European Union's directive on the constitution of boards, since in addition to the "Business Leaders for Balance" initiative we started in March, HBLF also launched the X Mentor Executive Program where C-level mentees can take part in workshops specifically preparing them for the board role in addition to the one-year mentoring. To strengthen international collaborations, we joined the Brussels-based European Women on Boards (EWOB), the European umbrella association for gender diversity at decision-making levels, as a partner.
HBLF DIVERSITY AWARDS AND CHARTER SIGNING CEREMONY 2023
The EU Diversity Month ended with a record number of events in May, during which ethnicity, unconscious prejudice, girls in IT, mentoring, measurement of diversity reports, the culture of speaking up, female leaders, and many other current topics were highlighted. During our annual Diversity Awards and Charter Signing Ceremony, we celebrated the values of inclusive workplaces together, and the 2023 Diversity Awards were also presented. For the sixth time, HBLF recognized companies for their outstanding efforts to promote diversity and inclusion. Of course, we will await the applications in 2024 again!
The 2023 HBLF X Mentor program is taking place with a record number of participants, 75 pairs. The 2024 application starts in January, with an excellent mentor team this year as well. The Romaster program supported the development of 50 students, who obtained a total of 7 diplomas, 2 master's degrees, and 8 school leaving certificates during the academic year with the support of 19 companies and 52 mentors. The CEO Forum, which serves to build and develop our community, still aims to inspire thinking together, sharing knowledge, and promoting the discussion of current topics, such as technological development, innovation, environmental protection, resource management, or social change affecting the entire economy.
HBLF CEO FORUM HOSTED BY IBM | QUANTUM COMPUTING
There was also great interest in the events of the HBLF Women's Forum in 2023, the study trip to Rome and Paris were both very successful. With many interesting events, our task forces started a professional dialogue in the field of business ethics, education, and HR. We held the annual meeting of compliance specialists with record attendance. We would like to thank our members and partners for their contribution and support!
HBLF WOMEN'S FORUM PROFESSIONAL PROGRAM IN ROME
In 2024, HBLF will organize its 24th unique economic conference in the country, the Financial Summit, the central theme of which will be Games People Play - Geopolitics, global economic challenges, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing. For the seventh time, our X Mentor program is welcoming company managers, young professionals or entrepreneurs wanting to develop: our mentors from the Forbes "Most Influential Hungarian Women" list support their mentees for a whole year within the framework of the personalized, award-winning international program. The application period begins in January!
Our task forces continue to initiate important professional dialogues at events focusing on the field of business ethics, HR, and education. Our Diversity Charter’s advisory board was renewed, and we will organize several events—especially during this year’s Diversity Month— focusing on the values of inclusive workplaces, while continuing our "Business Leaders for Balance" initiative with a broad partnership.
In 2024, HBLF continues its commitment to launching value-creating initiatives with which we have a long-term and positive impact on our economic and social environment.
Make MOAI the focus of 2024; let's meet and cooperate for our common goals, for a sustainable FUTURE that belongs to EVERYONE.