Giacomo Pedranzini Wins 2023 Atlas Award

Pedranzini, founder and CEO of Kometa 99 Zrt., was also a finalist for this award in 2022. He was chosen from a shortlist of five, also including Albert Wettstein, Mónika Méhész, Éva Pálfi and Zsolt Márkus. BBJ publisher Tamás Botka was a member of the awards jury.

The Italian winner (who now also holds Hungarian citizenship) could not attend the event in person but was represented by his wife, Sabrina Guidi, and he joined the evening through a video link.

Pedranzini’s active involvement in community discussions and improvement and recognition within the industry makes him an excellent example of the type of behavior the prize hopes to encourage, the organizers said.

In his long-distance acceptance speech, Pedranzini referred to ethical values that he said seemed to have been forgotten in the last few years and highlighted how family roots can inspire our collective commitment to these principles.

Fair Distribution

He emphasized that the mission of his non-profit initiative HonestFood, which currently operates in Italy but he plans to expand to Hungary, focuses on three goals: ethical food production, fair distribution of value throughout the supply chain, and environmental responsibility.

He stated that, as a food producer, Kometa is aware of its profound impact on health and more vulnerable people in the production chain. He said the pressure on prices has disproportionately affected farmers, leading to the abandonment of agriculture in some regions. Recalling the recent floods in Tuscany, Pedranzini prompted the audience to think about the consequences of climate change and natural disasters, especially in areas left untended due to farmers leaving the land.

ITL Group established the Atlas Award with the primary objective of recognizing accomplished business heroes who exemplify an Ethical, Sustainable, and Creative (E.S.C.) approach and whose companies, operating within Hungary, demonstrate a steadfast commitment to fostering a more promising world.

In the grand setting of the Academy of Sciences, ITL Group hosted 150 guests from Hungary’s business community for the prize-giving. Several invited speakers showcased the core values of the award and the community.

Michele Orzan, president of EUCham, shared his insights about the business world and its ethics, safety, honesty and integrity. Dr. Ervin Laszlo, philosopher, humanist, and Nobel Peace Prize nominee, sent a video in which he emphasized the importance of sustainability and leadership and supported the award and the organization behind it. Marco Veronese, phygital artist and the creator of the Atlas Award sculpture, spoke about creativity and innovative thinking.

This article was first published in the Budapest Business Journal print issue of November 17, 2023.