Cantarutti appointed GZS director general

Ljubljana – Former Economy Ministry State Secretary Aleš Cantarutti will take over as Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) director general on 1 April. He was appointed for four years by the GZS management board as it met for an online session on Thursday.

Presenting his bid to the board, Cantarutti said his term would be dominated Slovenia 5.0, the GZS’s agenda aimed at raising awareness about the role of industry.

He believes that with a proper development partnership, Slovenia can achieve strategic goals, such as 60,000 euro in value added per employee.

He pointed to the need for green transition where he sees the GZS as an institution which encourages this direction, GZS said in a press release.

He also sees the GZS as an institution which directs digitalisation so that the broader public becomes aware of its role.

Cantarutti pointed to smart specialisation, a new industrial strategy and the role of investment in R&D.

He believes exports could be further upgraded with new approaches, where he also sees many opportunities for the GZS.

Among key activities in the coming period he listed direct close contacts with GZS members as well as key institutions in the country such as ministries, agencies, universities and chambers.

GZS president Boštjan Gorjup, who chaired the session, praised the good cooperation the GZS had had with Cantarutti, thanking him to take on the challenge of GZS director general.

Cantarutti will succeed Sonja Šmuc, who has led the chamber since September 2017 and whose term ends prematurely at the end of February by mutual agreement.

Until April, executive director Mitja Gorenšček will step in as acting director general.

The GZS board was also addressed virtually by Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek, who said that if the government drafted a new economic stimulus package, the measures would be discussed with chambers beforehand.

He said the value of measures in the eight stimulus packages passed since the epidemic broke out a year ago was eight billion euro, of which half had already been used.

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