Ioan Ciolan
Stakeholder’s point of view: interview with Ioan Ciolan, CEO of Ambient: “A company cannot exist outside its community”. In February, Ambient celebrated 20 years of strong involvement in the social and cultural projects of the communities where the company activates. Its principle regarding this direction is that of participating in the building of communities as partners.
Mister Ciolan, according to your views, how does a successful business merge with the involvement in the life of its community?
Ioan Ciolan: Firstly, a company is built by people and addresses people. Behind the numbers, the percentages and margins there are also people. Only through them and alongside them can the company grow. I have understood this right from the launch of Ambient, 20 years ago. Looking at things this way, becoming involved in the life of the community that hosts our activity was a natural decision and a path we followed with conviction. A company cannot exist outside its community.
Which are the projects that Ambient implements to provide support to the business environment, culture or education?
Ioan Ciolan: Not by chance, Ambient is involved both in encouraging the development of the business environment, but also supports cultural projects, education – and much more. The long term partnerships we have with our suppliers, but also with the Ambient craftsmen are proof of our involvement in developing an active business environment. Regarding cultural projects, a 20 year old friendship ties us to the Radu Stanca Theatre, and Ambient is one of the most important partners of the “Sibiu International Theatre Festival”. Also, through the partnership we have with the Astra Museum for Popular Traditional Civilization, Ambient has taken upon itself the task of promoting authentic Romanian values. We support education by means of our Ambient 20 years Scholarships, a program that consist of internships offered to undergraduate students, but we also support sports, as partners of the three most important sports competitions in Sibiu: The Sibiu Cycling Tour, The Austrian Consulate Ski Cup and The BRD International Sibiu Challenger. And because we are very proud of Sibiu and its cultural amplitude, we have opened, as strategic partners of the Municipality of Sibiu, the Cultural Embassy of Sibiu in Bucharest. Thus, in a coffee shop situated in the heart of Bucharest, anyone can get acquainted with the cultural agenda of the Sibiu SMART 2013 platform.
What are your plans for Ambient’s future involvement in socio-cultural projects?
Ioan Ciolan: Having taken this path right from the launch of our company, I believe that this involvement in the social and cultural aspects of the community is already part of the Ambient vision and organizational culture. As before, Ambient will continue to build a capital of trust together with our partners, but also with the representatives of the community, by providing support to the Romanian economy and values. It is our duty, as Romanian capital companies, to build our own future – to invest locally, in Romanian products and businesses, to support the development of our community, but also to preserve our traditional values.