2015 Sponsor of the Year, Deloitte
Deloitte has been supporting the RBIF for a good few years now. How did it start?
We at Deloitte Hungary have been focusing on corporate social responsibility for a long time, and our commitment to efforts serving the public good dates back over 13 years. In this spirit, we were delighted to start a cooperation with the Robert Burns International Foundation in 2013, having been impressed with the focus of the foundation while attending the Burns Supper that year. The Curatorium and the organisation both operate on a pro bono basis, which allows us to provide support in the most effective form possible.
Deloitte was selected as Sponsor of the Year at the Burns Supper in 2016, meaning you were able to meet Honorary President Sir Alex Ferguson in Manchester. Putting aside your allegiances as a Liverpool fan, how was your day?
My son and myself have fond memories of that day as I can safely say that our visit to Manchester was a memorable experience for both of us, all the more so because the trip was intended as a special birthday present for my son Ciaran. The eventful day that lay ahead made up for our exhausting early flight: it was really humbling to meet Sir Alex, to get to know him in person and to spend quality time in his company. It was inspiring to see how proud he is of his Scottish roots and how devoted he is to the foundation. Meeting Frank Stapleton and Sammy McIlroy, two of the football legends of my youth, was also an unforgettable experience. After the game, another surprise was in store for us at the hotel: we received a visit from Hungarian international goalkeeper Ádám Bogdán with whom we spent a really pleasant evening. Also, Sir Alex, Ádám Bogdán and Zoltán Magyar gave some helpful advice to my son regarding football, so the trip was a truly memorable experience for both of us.
A successful partnership is a win-win situation for both sides. What does the RBIF offer you and why do you support the foundation?
The main factor we at Deloitte Hungary focus on in terms of corporate social responsibility is effectiveness. Our goal is to make an impact that matters, and this ambition guides us not only in business activities, but also in our charity initiatives. This is why we consider effectiveness to be the key to success for the organisations we support, since the progress made in terms of social issues reflects how successful our efforts were. We are proud to contribute to the efforts of the Robert Burns International Foundation as well.
How does the RBIF’s activity fit in with your company’s CSR initiatives? Which aspects of the RBIF would you recommend to others considering sponsorship?
Our sponsorship efforts focus on helping sick and underprivileged children and our corporate social responsibility scheme is centred mainly on these topics. This was also the case at the start of our cooperation in 2013 and the activities of the foundation were closely aligned with Deloitte Hungary’s charity efforts. As a result of its impressive work, the Robert Burns International Foundation has provided several hundred thousand euros of support in Hungary in the last 20 years. They also support the activities of the 2 nd Dept. of Paediatrics in Tűzoltó utca and the Children’s Hospital in Péterfy Sándor utca in Budapest, as well as the children’s hospitals in Orosháza and Gyula. They also help the lives of orphans, supporting a children’s home in Szekszárd. We are delighted to be a part of this amazing charity work through our sponsorship of the foundation.
