OMV Petrom Foundation to Support Long-term Social Investments in Romania

OMV Petrom, the largest integrated energy company in South-Eastern Europe, launches the OMV Petrom Foundation, in order to develop programs and support long-term social investments in Romania.

“At OMV Petrom, we believe in building a better future based on our actions today. Since 2007, we have allocated over EUR 80 million for the development of social projects in Romania. Today, we take our social involvement to the next level and launch the OMV Petrom Foundation. An entity whose sole mission is to contribute, through its programs, to a better, sustainable, and equitable Romania. And we will constantly support this approach through funding and expertise,” Christina Verchere, CEO OMV Petrom, stated.

The role of the OMV Petrom Foundation is to bring solutions that can reduce the social gaps and can contribute to a better life for every Romanian. To this end, strategic partnerships will be concluded with experts, national and local authorities, initiative groups and other stakeholders. The Foundation aims to develop long-term programs that bring about change for the better, in three key areas for Romania: environment, education and health.

On April 7, the OMV Petrom Foundation launches its first project, ‘Together from day one’, which includes three key areas to help reduce infant mortality in Romania:

• A fund of EUR 1 million, for projects managed by the Save the Children Organization, to increase the equipment level of maternity hospitals in Romania;
• Equip the Marie Curie Pediatric Hospital in Bucharest with a mobile intensive care unit for new-borns – the first unit of its kind in Romania;
• Equip 6 SMURD helicopters with the latest technology incubating systems, at European standards.

Equipping the Marie Curie Hospital and the SMURD helicopters is made with the help of the Children’s Heart Association.

On this occasion, Ana Maria Mihaescu – President of the OMV Petrom Foundation said: “New-borns in serious condition or premature need to be cared for and transported in special conditions. We are standing beside them and the doctors who are fighting to save them: ‘Together from the first day’, the first project of the OMV Petrom Foundation, is dedicated to neonatal intensive care. We are investing EUR 2 million for the modernization of the intensive care units in the maternity hospitals in the country and in the transport system for the new-borns. Our goal is to help reduce the infant mortality rate in Romania, which is one of the highest in the EU.”

OMV Petrom Foundation is a separate entity, independent of OMV Petrom’s operations.

The activity of the Foundation is coordinated by a six-members board. The president of the board of the OMV Petrom Foundation is Ana Maria Mihaescu. Her experience includes regional managerial positions within the International Finance Corporation, a division of the World Bank. In the non-profit sector, she has been involved in programs of renowned associations, such as Save the Children, Teach for Romania, and the Association Friends of the National History Museum of Romania.

The board also includes: Serban Toader, financial officer and independent consultant, Daniela Chifan, director of Innovation Norway in Romania, Alina Petrescu, director of Communication and Sustainability OMV Petrom, Catalin Hristescu, director of the Portfolio Management department within the Gas and Power division of OMV Petrom, and Amalia Fodor, the executive director of the OMV Petrom Foundation.

 

About OMV Petrom

OMV Petrom is the largest integrated energy company in South-Eastern Europe, with an annual Group hydrocarbon production of approximately 47 million boe in 2021. The Group has a refining capacity of 4.5 million tons annually and operates an 860 MW high-efficiency power plant. The Group is present on the oil products retail market in Romania and neighbouring countries through more than 780 filling stations under two brands – OMV and Petrom.

OMV Petrom shares are traded on the Bucharest Stock Exchange and the London Stock Exchange. OMV Aktiengesellschaft, one of the largest listed industrial companies in Austria, holds a 51% stake in OMV Petrom. The Romanian State, through the Ministry of Energy, holds 20.6% of OMV Petrom shares, and 28.4% is is owned by natural and legal persons.

OMV Petrom is the largest contributor to the state budget, with approximately 35 billion euro in taxes and dividends paid between 2005 and 2021. During the same period, the company invested approximately 17 billion euro.

Since 2007, OMV Petrom has included corporate responsibility principles into its business strategy. Between 2007 and 2021, the company has allocated over 80 million euro to develop communities in Romania, focusing on environmental protection, education, health, and local development.

On July 29th, 2020, OMV Petrom announced its support for the recommendations issued by the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) regarding risks and opportunities on climate change.

 

About Children’s Heart Association

Founded in 2006, the Children’s Heart Association helps children born with serious health problems. One of the main directions of action of the association is to create the best conditions for intensive care of seriously ill new-borns.

 

About Save the Children Association

For 31 years, Save the Children Romania has been building social programs, public policies, and solid practices for the benefit of the child in Romania. The expertise and complexity of the projects at national level make the organization an essential social institution, whose role is to mediate between society and public authority, for the benefit of the child.