- Darko Horvat, President of the Management Board of BOSQAR d.d., received the “Manager of the Year 2025” award in the Large Enterprise Management category
February 19th, 2026, Zagreb, Croatia – The Croatian Association of Managers and Entrepreneurs (HUM-CROMA) has awarded Darko Horvat, President of the Management Board of BOSQAR d.d., the holding company of the BOSQAR INVEST group, the “Manager of the Year 2025” award in the category of Large Enterprise Management.
The award was formally presented at the HUM–CROMA Annual Awards Ceremony, held on February 19th, 2026, at the Esplanade Hotel in Zagreb.
The event recognized managerial excellence, leadership, and long-term contribution to the Croatian business community.
Darko Horvat, President of the Management Board of BOSQAR d.d., stated: "Although I am receiving this Manager of the Year award personally, it belongs, first and foremost, to the BOSQAR INVEST group and team. Today, we are a group with more than 18,000 employees and are present in 23 countries. Behind those numbers lies something even more important: vision, discipline, teamwork, and trust. There is still a lot of work ahead of us. And I truly look forward to it- because I know the people I’ll be working with."
Other HUM–CROMA Award Recipients for 2025
In addition to Horvat, HUM–CROMA recognized Hrvoje and Marko Jurman of FILIX d.o.o. as Entrepreneurs of the Year in the Small Enterprise category, while Stjepan Bedić of ETF Airways d.o.o. received the award for Entrepreneur of the Year in the Medium Enterprise category.
Medeja Lončar of Siemens Hrvatska d.o.o. was named Foreign Manager of the Year, and Zoran Mabić of Lesaffre Adriatic d.o.o. received the award for Manager of a Foreign-Owned Company.
The “Tihomir Premužak” Award was presented to Iva Hraste Sočo of the Croatian National Theatre, while Goran Ladišić of Project O2 was recognized as Manager of an Innovative Project.
The “Anton Nino Cerin” Award for the most successful young manager was awarded to Tomislav Ivanić of Bravarija Ivanić, and the Best Start-up Award went to Dino Dragun of Hidrocibalea d.o.o.
Matija Žulj of Agrivi d.o.o. was named Manager of a Small Enterprise, while Hrvoje Parag of Herbarium d.o.o. received the award for Manager of a Medium Enterprise.
The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Nada Šimić of the Primaco Group, in recognition of her lasting contribution to Croatian entrepreneurship and management.
Addresses by HUM–CROMA Leadership and Jury
The ceremonial programme opened with addresses from key representatives of the Croatian business and institutional community.
Ana Soldo, President of HUM–CROMA, addressed the audience with remarks on the role of management excellence in strengthening the Croatian economy and business culture.
“The winners of the 2025 Manager of the Year Award are proof that vision, courage, and dedicated leadership can drive change that goes beyond business results. Through their energy and sense of responsibility, they demonstrate how an economy that is innovative, more resilient, and oriented toward a sustainable future for Croatia is built day by day. Their commitment to excellence and ethical leadership inspires all of us to raise the bar and create value that leaves a lasting impact. We are proud of their achievements and of their contribution to the development of society as a whole,” Soldo said.
Stjepan Orešković, President of the Award Jury, emphasized the responsibility of managers to combine strategic vision, ethical leadership, and long-term societal impact.
"Awards are always tied to the idea of competition—who will be faster, who will be better, who will jump farther. In fact, this reflects the world we live in today, a world in which people believe that progress, or evolution, depends on who is strong enough to achieve success. And unfortunately, the world at this moment truly does look like that. However, those who think this mindset leads to success are actually misunderstanding the world. They have failed to grasp the message of Charles Darwin, who, in his work on evolution, made it clear that the true winners are those capable of cooperating with the largest number of others in the struggle for collective survival. In the end, that is what always prevails. That is why the awards we presented were, in essence, awards for people who know how to work with others", said Orešković.
