The 12th Annual CEE Business Services Summit & Awards

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Did you know that there has been an awards ceremony for the Polish business services ecosystem for many years? Our team at Verita HR found out about it in early 2013. That January we received an email from BiznesPolska. The email highlighted a short list. The list included companies, buildings, initiatives, and cities that a 19-member jury had chosen from 125 nominations. Back in 2013 the event was run under the “Poland Outsourcing and Shared Services Awards Gala” title. Hundreds of business leaders were involved in 2013 already. However, today the event doesn’t just represent Poland anymore. Today the Awards are for the CEE Business Services ecosystem too.

It is a huge honour to be nominated as a company at the Awards Gala. Companies like PwC, EY or CBRE have been ever present at the event over the years. This prompted companies like ours, Verita HR, to want to participate. It didn’t take long. Verita HR was short-listed for an award at the 2014 Gala.

The Gala was created by Thom Barnhard as an event to reward the shared services and outsourcing ecosystem in Poland. Industry bodies like ASPIRE or ABSL have been ever present at the Gala over the years. Which in turn has ensured that the representation is appropriate at the event. Later the ‘Summit’ was added to supplement the opportunities to network and learn.

Last year the Gala took place in March. Winners of awards included companies from across the whole of Central Eastern Europe, and not just Poland. Some of the names will be familiar to our readers. GSK in Poznan, Porsche in Romania, Euroclear in Krakow, ThyssenKrupp in Gdansk. These are just a small selection of winners that you can find on the European Business Services website.

Who should go to the CEE Business Services Summit & Awards?

Attendees include directors of over 200 business centres from across Central Eastern Europe. Lithuania, Hungary, Czech Republic, Latvia, Slovakia, and Poland are all well represented. Additionally there is a lot of interest from companies in Western Europe. Many high-profile executives from countries like Germany and the UK attend regularly. Some of them are also members of the Jury.

The nominations for 2024’s Gala have already been published. 97 companies have been short-listed. These nominations are for a total of 30 categories. Some of the companies have been nominated multiple times. Categories include:

Most Vibrant Employer
Best University – Business Cooperation of the Year
Most promising New-entrant BSC
Top Tech / IT services provider
Top BSC HR Director
Top Employer Branding Initiative
Emerging City of the Year
Most “Dynamically Developing” City
Top Diversity & Inclusion Initiative
Business Centre Director – BSC
Top CSR Initiative
Top AI or Process-Automation Implementation of the Year

PwC are nominated again in this years Awards. Other companies include IG Group, Euroclear Bank, Capita, Marsh, Cognizant, Danske Bank, EY, CBRE, Allianz, Moody’s, Societe Generale, Vodafone, SIX, or Heineken. But there are many more. Each of them representing business centres or the affiliated ecosystem in Central Eastern Europe.

Who are the Jury of the Business Services Awards?

No Shared Services event would be the same without Romek Lubaczewski. The ex-partner of PwC, now retired, has been a constant at nearly all the Galas over the years. He often helped with the Jury too. Speaking of the Jury. Another important figure over the years has been Andrew Hallam, General Secretary and Founder of ASPIRE based out of Krakow. Andrew works with leading figures from business centres and adds his balanced, judicious approach to the Jury.

This year it is great to see some new faces like Ania Raciborska, Head of People at Allfunds in Poland. Ania has been working within investment banking centres for many years. She will bring her experience from a human resources and talent management perspective to the Jury. Especially with categories like Employer Branding or Most Vibrant Employer.

ABSL, the Association of Business Services Leaders, is also represented. From Latvia by Alesja Kircenko, Chairperson of the Board. Adrian Baron represents ABSL Romania in the role of Vice President. The President of ABSL Hungary, Istvan Lenk, is also a part of the Jury. ABSL’s leaders also represent individual centres from the Central Eastern European region.

It is the Jury who take this years 97 nominations and decide which companies, cities or initiatives are the best. The winners are announced and presented at the CEE Business Services Awards Gala dinner. The Gala takes place on the 7^th of March 2024 at the Hotel Intercontinental in Warsaw.

For tickets see the link below:

CEE Business Service Centres Summit and Gala Tickets – EUROPEAN BUSINESS SERVICES ASSOCIATION

The Best Forum in Central Eastern Europe for the Business Services Ecosystem

If you are anything like our team at Verita HR. There is another reason to attend the Gala and Summit. Many of our friends, clients, competitors, and suppliers are also in attendance. Some of them have grown old together with us. One of them has even retired since the Gala started back in the early 2010s. Companies from across the region have a reason to come together. People you wouldn’t normally get to meet.

Save the Date. Remember that the 12^th Annual CEE Business Services Summit & Awards is only a few weeks away? Our team will be there. Just like we have tried to be there every year!