Joze Mermal – BTC
Jože Mermal, university graduate in economics, started his professional career at BTC in 1978. He worked at different management positions until 1993, when he became Chairman of the Management Board of BTC. He served as the Director of the development and planning service, assistant to the General Director and Procurator for the commercial sector, Member of the Management Board of the joint stock company and responsible head of the Interspar shopping centre which was a key step in the creation of the modern BTC City. In 1997 Mr. Mermal led the demanding project of placing BTC stock on the London Stock Exchange. In 2019 BTC company transformed it’s business structure to one-tier management system in which Mr. Jože Mermal serves as a Chairman of the Board.
Jože Mermal is the author of the versatile project BTC City, which represents a one-stop-shop that combines business, shopping, entertainment, recreational and cultural programs. In fact, it is a business unique on an international scale, since in the 20 years the company has evolved from the organizer of the first Slovenian shopping center in Slovenia into the manager of one of the largest business, shopping and recreational centers in Europe with 21 million visits per year.
The development of BTC City has been most influenced by the excellent implementation of business plans and the intense investment of the last two decades. From 1993 to 2019, the company renovated 200,000 m2 of business premises and invested 269 million EUR, and its business partners an additional 184 million EUR. With its openness, the company has achieved partnerships with the most excellent domestic and foreign partners, which have influenced the strengthening of market contents, the top offer of BTC City, the implementation of the latest technology for individual programs. New synergies have established a new culture of social contact, and BTC City has become an important, indispensable part of the map of Ljubljana, which can no longer be ignored from either a domestic or an international perspective.
As the BTC company is involved in many projects that include the wider social environment – in the fields of culture, science, education, humanitarianism and sports – which Jože Mermal actively supports, the BTC company and Mr. Mermal personally have received many important awards over the years.
Awards and recognitions
- 2024 SPORTO Lifetime Achievement Award
- 2024 The “Creators for the Century 2023” Grand Prize and Lifetime Achievement Award for Entrepreneurship, awarded during the World Congress of Entrepreneurs in Montenegro.
- 2022, ISFF 2022 Award for supporting and contributing to the development of the Slovenian sport
- 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award in management awarded by the Managers’ Association of Slovenia
- 2017 Highest honor of the Municipality of Ljubljana – Honorary Citizen Jože Mermal
- 2016 Independent agency for the selection and promotion of managers / 34th Best European Managers Awards: Jože Mermal, Chairman of the Management Board of BTC, prestigious award for exceptional results of the BTC company under his leadership, the highest managerial lifetime achievement award of “Best Manager 2016” of Southeastern and Central Europe and “Best Company”.
- 2014 Award of the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce for exceptional achievements in economics and business for 2013
- 2013 European award for socially responsible business practices in Slovenia, in the large business category for the project “BTC City and ladies ski jumping”
- 2012 The “Jože Mermal, patron of the year 2011 in culture” award
- 2012 The “Jože Mermal, Vision Manager” for visionary management and creativity
- 2011 BTC company nominated for European business award for the Ecoindex business model
- 2011 SiBrand award for the BTC City brand name
- 2011 JAPTI award for the most innovative business model for Ecoindex
- 2011 Horus Award for the most socially responsible company
- 2011 Diamond award for over 15 years of sponsorship for Cankarjev Dom
- 2010 The “Most environmentally friendly company” award
- 2005 Award of the Slovenian Scientific Foundation
- 2001 Primus Award – expert commendation for excellence in communication, awarded by the Slovenian Public Relations Society
- 1997 Award for “Jože Mermal, Manager of the Year”