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The consolidation of margins and results, the decreasing debt and the importance of human capital for the company’s future were the highlights of the latest Biannual Management Meeting. Against a backdrop of uncertainty, Riopele’s Administration expects 2017 to be a year in which the company’s goal – increased productivity – will be underpinned by rationalization, digitalization and qualification projects.
The Riopele Management Meeting was held on the afternoon of 19 December 2016, in the company’s administrative building, being attended by more than two hundred employees.
The agenda covered the following items: presentation of the “2016 Balance” by Bernardino Carneiro, one of the Riopele’s Administrator; ceremony for the award of the “2016 Riopele Innovation Prize”; speech by priest Ismael Teixeira, as part of the “30 minutes with…” talks; and closing message from the Chairman of the Board of Directors, José Alexandre Oliveira.
The session was opened by Bernardino Carneiro, who asked for a round of applause for Riopele’s 90th anniversary, celebrated in 2017, as this is a major milestone reached by the company “in good health”.
He then mentioned that Riopele managed to consolidate its market position for the fourth consecutive year and reduce its debt by 3 million euros, in absolute terms, thus being able to guarantee its financial sustainability.
This was followed by a review of 2016, which highlighted some of the most important moments for the company, such as the improvements to the production facilities, various research and development projects, the Christmas Party, several visits from Portuguese and foreign students and the public recognition of the company by various entities.
The Administrator also mentioned a number of ongoing projects and emphasized the importance of the company’s workforce that, in the short-term, comes across as a mix with an enormous potential.
To conclude his speech, he stressed that Riopele’s future relies on rationalization and qualification, noting that all the employees are encouraged to put their talent at the service of Riopele’s business and projects.
The second part of the Management Meeting was focused on the award of the Riopele Innovation Prize, which, in this edition, had seven joint winners.
After a short explanation of the improvement/innovation introduced by each winning idea and of its impact on the company’s business, the prize was given to the winners, as in past editions, by José Alexandre Oliveira.
The third part of the event revolved around the guest speaker, father Ismael Teixeira, also known as the “Iron Priest”. He is the first priest in the world to complete the Ironman Triathlon, a 226 km ultramarathon with swimming, cycling and running legs.
During his speech, Ismael Teixeira shared his experience as a priest and Ironman athlete, showing that the keys to success in a major sports events, namely planning and monitoring, also apply to the entrepreneurial and professional world.
He also highlighted the importance of values such as mutual assistance, humility and ethics when it comes to overcoming challenges.
The meeting was closed by José Alexandre Oliveira, chairman of the Board of Directors, who began by thanking father Ismael Teixeira for his presence and commending his speech.
José Alexandre Oliveira emphasized that this is the fourth consecutive year in which the company makes profits, but stated his belief that next year, against a backdrop of increased global uncertainty, it will be extremely important for Riopele to reduce costs and increase productivity in order to achieve its goals.
He also mentioned the fact that Riopele will celebrate its 90th anniversary in 2017, a historic moment of which all those who have contributed to the company and helped it grow should be proud.
At the end of the event, everyone was invited for a friendly get-together with traditional Christmas sweets.
