Visionary of the Year, tportal – February 2024
Slaven Kordić, Managing Partner at InveraEP Nominated for Visionary of the Year Award in the Economy Category
Furniture, medicine, wine, solariums, and even illusions – these are the foundations on which five entrepreneurs have crafted incredibly successful business tales, acknowledged beyond the borders of our beautiful country. Their excellence has led them to the finals of the tportal Visionary of the Year Award in the business category, after receiving the highest number of nominations.
The annual tportal Visionary of the Year Award is presented in five categories – economy, technology, society, culture, and sports, along with a special overarching award.
As in the previous year, the Visionary initiative began by gathering tportal’s 100 key collaborators, commentators, interviewees, analysts, and chroniclers of the media, who influence the content of the news portal. They nominated their visionaries of the year in each respective category.
Subsequently, five candidates with the highest number of nominations in each category were selected. The main jury will cast their votes, choose the winners in all five categories, and the overarching visionary for the year 2023. The announcement of the winners will take place at the ceremonial conference on February 14th in Zagreb.”
SOURCE: LICENSED PHOTOS / AUTHOR: NEJA MARKICEVIC, DARKO TOMAS, NEL PAVLETIC, DAVOR VISNJIC
In the economy category, the finalists are Ivo Usmiani, Tomislav Knezović, Slaven Kordić, Velimir Korak, and Stjepan Talan.
Ivo Usmiani, the founder and President of the Management Board (CEO) of JGL
Penetrating the global pharmaceutical market with its products and reaching 1200 employees requires incredible dedication and pushing boundaries. JGL completed a significant three-year investment of 53 million euros last year, consolidating its research, development, and production capacities. Usmiani built his business empire on the foundations of the laboratory for the production and control of magistral and galenic preparations at the Pharmacy Jadran in Rijeka when he founded Jadran-galenical laboratory (JGL) as the first fully private pharmaceutical joint-stock company in Croatia. In 1991, its first year of operations, JGL generated revenues of 1.5 million kuna. Today, 33 years later, it is a rapidly growing pharmaceutical company constantly expanding into new markets and introducing new products. Almost 85 percent of their revenue comes from outside Croatia, and their products are sold in 60 markets worldwide. The annual turnover of JGL is nearly 200 million euros.
Tomislav Knezović, owner and CEO of Prostoria
Knezović is a serial entrepreneur with a simple vision – to create products of top quality. With Prostoria, he quickly developed a full-fledged design company that designs modern family and business spaces across Europe and beyond. It was a breakthrough for Croatian design on the world market after a long time, and by focusing on top-notch design, quality, and sustainability, he is building an image and opening doors for others. The furniture produced in Sv. Križ Začretje adorns the interiors of five-star hotels worldwide, many restaurants, offices of major global corporations (Google, Microsoft, PwC, etc.), and even the office of the French Prime Minister.
Slaven Kordić, Managing Partner of the Investment Company Invera EP
After the investment by the Invera EP, the Museum of Illusions has become the largest chain of private museums in the world and one of the fastest-growing cultural products. And they are just getting started. Having expanded to 42 locations globally, including prestigious ones like the Las Vegas Strip, which opened this year, their goal is to reach 100 locations by 2026.The team from the Zagreb office is leading the opening of new museums, bringing incredible knowledge and fearlessness in breaking barriers to Croatia.
Velimir Korak, owner of Korak Winery and a restaurant with Michelin stars
Behind the Korak family lies an exciting journey – from a small wine cellar on the slopes of the overlooked Plešivica to a tourist gem in one of the most thrilling domestic wine regions and the first Michelin fine dining restaurant in the wider area. In the early 90s, Korak, an oenologist by profession, began to seriously develop his winery. By the early 2000s, he and his wife Mirjana opened a small cellar to offer visitors both wine tastings and food. Their son Bernard, now a respected chef, launched a luxuriously designed restaurant.
Stjepan Talan, owner and CEO of Solvis
Varaždin-based Solvis consistently innovates and grows in an exceptionally competitive niche of solar power plants. Through hard work, diligence, and continuous innovations that have connected them with renowned partners, they have positioned themselves as providers of comprehensive solutions for solar power plants, from small family homes to large industrial projects. Last year, they completed the equipment installation at Google’s campus, with the entire roof made of their solar panels. Solvis adds significant value to the industry in the entire Varaždin region. Stjepan Talan founded the company in 2008, previously working in the pharmaceutical industry. The majority of Solvis’ production is exported to Western European markets, Canada, and the USA, employing nearly 300 people.
