Interview: Dino Ebneter, Country Managing Partner, Mazars Romania

Dino Ebneter, Country Managing Partner, Mazars Romania

Businesses are, rightly, under pressure from everywhere to change how they operate. As auditors and business advisors, what role do you play in the economic world?

At Mazars, we help our clients confidently build and grow their businesses through a broad range of high-quality audit, tax, accounting and advisory services.

In the last two years, the world has experienced unprecedented struggles. From climate change, ongoing health crises, and food insecurity to human rights abuses and war, the resilience of businesses and the communities in which they operate will continue to be tested. And at the start of 2022, in the market, we have witnessed a sense of confidence and strength to carry on, qualities businesses need today more than ever. Therefore, I believe that now is the right time to close the gap between intent and reaction.

As organisations set out to increase transparency, operate more sustainably, and nurture stakeholder trust, can you tell us more info about Mazars’ mission of growing with purpose?

At this moment in time, when we are continously working towards building a better world, we have to take into account that the financial performance of businesses should not be all that matters, and that the expectations on companies should go beyond this aspect. The call for a more sustainable future has never been stronger and Mazars’ core mission is to answer this call and to help our clients embrace the sustainability imperative. How do we do that? We have dedicated experts contributing to the European CSRD effort, have developed sustainability training courses for our staff and are working with clients to help them prepare for ESG reporting and integrate sustainability strategies into their business models.

You said earlier that now is the time for action. What do you think businesses should change in their strategy?

I applaud every business that managed to overcome the many difficult situations that have appeared in our environment, as well as in the world, in the last years. And because we wanted to understand the opportunities and challenges that our clients are facing, at the end of 2021, we surveyed over 1,000 executives from 39 countries around the world. The results are very clear; leaders expect to transform their businesses, whether we are talking about sustainability matters or technology, they are confident that they can respond to the trends ahead, they have made ESG a top priority, and they are focusing more on diversity and inclusion (D&I) initiatives. All these plans and strategies are very well thought, but considering the expected transformations, confidence to respond to trends, investments planned, and commitments made on ESG, the big challenge for them is to turn those intentions and commitments into achievable objectives.

Let’s talk a little bit about sustainability. What is your promise for the planet and how do you encourage your employees to be socially conscious?

Sustainability is at the heart of our business. We have a robust strategy to drive positive change for our people, environment and local communities. This is focused on five key pillars, but I would like to emphasise just three of them right now.

Climate and environment. Our focus on reducing our environmental impact is grounded in our conviction that our world is facing an existential crisis and everyone, individuals and businesses, has a role to play in reducing our impact on the planet. We are currently working to understand our global environmental footprint, so we can develop the necessary actions to reduce it.

Community. Community engagement and impact encompasses our work to improve social and economic conditions in communities around the world. We believe in using our skills and expertise to address social challenges and create sustainable positive impact.

Supporting businesses on their sustainability journey. We help other organisations on their journey to sustainability, working together on key environmental, social and governance issues that contribute to a stronger and more sustainable economy for tomorrow. As a responsible organisation that is committed to acting with integrity and transparency, we are also a signatory and active participant in the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC). We strive to implement the UNGC principles in our work and we publish regular reports on our sustainability performance.

Mazars is a leading international audit, tax, and advisory firm, that has grown very beautifully in the Romanian market as well. What are you planning for the near future?

Mazars continued to grow in 2021, investing where it matters. We welcomed new partners and team members, enhanced our service offerings and capabilities, advanced our CSR and D&I strategies, celebrated recognition in the market, shared insights and research on various industry topics and much more.

In the future, we will continue to invest where it matters for our people, our clients and society, growing responsibly and moving forward with renewed purpose and confidence.

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