KB prezent. angl - Komerční banka

Corporate Citizenship – Company Activities
Komerční banka’s sponsorship strategy is based on values professed by the whole of the Société Générale Group – i.e.
professionalism, innovation and team spirit. In its role as a sponsor, Komerční banka focuses on culture, amateur sports and
education. Its most important cultural project is the support of the artistic activities of the National Theatre, a symbol of Czech
national identity and cultural history. It is a matter of prestige for Komerční banka to have its name connected with the
number-one Czech theatre and to contribute to its further development and to the promotion of its exceptional position in the
world of culture. Komerční banka also sponsors important concerts of the Prague Symphonic Orchestra and has made
a donation to increase the quality of the orchestra’s instruments, intensifying the cultural experience enjoyed by those who
attend the orchestra’s concerts. Komerční banka helps gifted young musicians attend the French-Czech Musical Academy
in Telč, which offers young talents two-week stays in the company of prominent musical instructors from the Czech Republic
and France. The portfolio of the cultural events sponsored by the Bank is rounded off by the French Film Festival. French
films have traditionally been popular with Czech audiences, and this festival gives them the chance to see many interesting
new movies as well as genre-specific specialities from the rich range of French film production. Komerční banka also helped
Prague Zoo by contributing to some of the cost of transporting a new elephant and adapting the animal’s enclosure.
An example of the Bank’s support of amateur sports is its continuing co-operation with the Czech Rugby Union. Komerční
banka supports rugby in general, meaning that money is channelled not only into the national team, but also to all other teams
active in the Czech Republic. Rugby is a sport in which the players need to work together to be successful – a sport in which
the quality of individuals augments the quality of the team. It is a sport which honours the values advocated by Komerční
banka and the Société Générale Group as a whole. Every year, Komerční banka also sponsors the Czech Association of
Disabled Athletes. In 2003, KB’s contribution helped the Czech track and field team participate in the European
Championships in Assen, the Netherlands, where Czech athletes ran up a tally of 21 medals, 13 of them gold.
Co-operation with a number of Czech universities is also one of Komerční banka’s priorities. These institutions include the
University of Economics, Prague, the University of Mining, Ostrava, and the Czech Technical University. In the scope of this
co-operation, Komerční banka’s sponsorship focuses on professional conferences and support for selected scholarships, and
on the financing of students’ short-term foreign placements. Komerční banka employees and managers give lectures at
universities and offer consultation to students writing their dissertations. In co-operation with CEFRES (a French institution
for social-science research), Komerční banka has financially supported selected work of Czech students studying economics,
banking and finance. The Bank also considers its co-operation with the AIESEC international student organisation to be very
important, and KB provides financial help in organising conferences and seminars, as well as job fairs where the Bank actively
participates as the AIESEC’s chief partner. At these fairs, students have access to information from their fields and can find
extensive, important practical experience. These gifted young people can then inject new ideas and insights into the Bank,
and if they decide to work for Komerční banka their integration into the team is a guarantee that the dynamic development of
Komerční banka will be maintained.
As far as publicly beneficial work is concerned, Komerční banka is not only active as an institution – bank employees also
participate through the Jistota Foundation. This Foundation is financed out of the Bank’s contributions and out of the
contributions of individual employees. For example, the Jistota Foundation contributed to the renovation of the Children’s Optical
Clinic in Karlovo Náměstí in Prague, the hospital in Sušice, and the maternity ward at Podolí. The Jistota Foundation also provides
financial support to socially challenged and disabled citizens.
Komerční banka is clearly one of the key players on the Czech banking market. It has attained this position thanks to the
everyday fulfilment of its main motto – the client always comes first. But Komerční banka is also an important donor which is
well aware of its position in the Czech economy and which develops its activities with an awareness of the society-wide
context and responsibilities stemming from such an important position.