For over two decades, we have been honoring outstanding business leaders with our annual lifetime achievement award in management. These individuals have not only held top management positions for at least 20 years but have also left an enduring legacy on the Slovenian business scene.

Branko Franc Selak, this year's recipient, exemplifies this. His customer-centric approach, combined with his unwavering belief in innovation, has driven Marmor Hotavlje to become a global leader in the stone industry. His visionary leadership has seen the company successfully enter new markets, such as the US furniture industry, with groundbreaking products like the revolutionary stone table protection system.

Steps Ahead of the Competition on the Path to Success

After graduating from high school in 1969, Branko Franc Selak joined Marmor Hotavlje and, while working, obtained a degree from the Faculty of Organizational Sciences in Kranj. Initially, he was a plant manager, then he led assembly and production, was responsible for sales, managed major investments, served as technical director, and in 1980 took over the position of director.

During his leadership of the company, he focused on modern equipment, employee training, computer-aided information systems, the development of new materials and technologies, exports to demanding markets, and above all, on keeping the company in Slovenian ownership. Under his leadership, Hotavlje was the first stone company in the world to acquire a computer-controlled stone processing machine (1984) and developed new technologies for the extraction and production of stone. Hotavlje stonemasons participated in the construction of numerous important projects both domestically and abroad.

Red Hotavlje Stone in Villas and Hotels Worldwide

Among the most significant projects of Marmor Hotavlje was the residence of the then Iraqi Foreign Minister. The order was received in 1972. Another milestone was the conference center of the Sheraton Hotel in Zimbabwe, which was decorated with 10,000 square meters of red Hotavlje marble. The stone was also used to equip Ljubljana's Cankarjev Dom, the Kempinski Hotel in Minsk, the Temple of Saint Sava in Belgrade, and the façade of the Business Park Vienna in Vienna. Their list of significant projects is extensive.

After numerous orders from abroad, Marmor Hotavlje took another developmental step forward in 1988. They began underground mining, developed polymer-reinforced foamed concrete, focused on the production of massive elements for the renovation of existing buildings, and products of the most demanding shapes. The development of the method for underground mining is particularly important for environmental protection, as this method of extracting stone is environmentally friendly. The largest investment in the environment during this period was the construction of a state-of-the-art wastewater treatment plant, with which they set high standards for environmental protection. Environmental protection continues to characterize the company's operations today.

With Courage and Innovation Out of the Red

Although Selak partially retired in 2008, he returned to the business world five years later when the construction crisis plunged the company deep into the red. He temporarily resumed leadership of the company. The company team, with the Selak family at its helm, took on the burden and decided to save it. All subcontractors were paid, salaries in the company were never missed, and no one lost their job. They had to start over, and from this new beginning, a renewed and even greater success was born. Together with his sons and colleagues, he managed to reverse the business trend, which he achieved through a complete restructuring of the company.

With hard work and dedication, the company became a leader in equipping the interiors of large yachts with stone. To date, they have equipped over 140 mega-yachts, including participating in the construction of the largest and most prestigious private yacht in the world, over 180 meters long.

Growing Revenues and New Yacht Orders

Last year, they achieved a turnover of 19 million euros with a value added of 57 thousand euros per employee. In five years, revenues have grown by more than 60%. They build their success on knowledge, quality, and development. Marmor Hotavlje, based on almost 300 years of tradition, is a global example of sustainable and dynamic growth. They have a sustainable relationship with their domestic stone - Hotavlje marble. They market it as an exclusive stone at high prices, thus adding a piece to the mosaic of their vision of being a leading stone company in the world. Global conditions do not affect the yacht sector, and the company adds: "At least until 2025, the outlook is good, as all shipyards are occupied with new orders, and we are also negotiating new deals for the period after 2025. We do not plan to reduce yacht fitting, as the capacities of all our partners are also occupied or sold out until then."

Strength in Collaboration and Responsibility

 In the last three years, the company has allocated more than 4 million euros to various investments. They have completed the energy renovation of business premises, modernized production with the most advanced technology in the world of stone, and built new storage facilities. The installation of a solar power plant on the roof is also in the final phase. This year, they have hired more than twenty new employees, so there are now 158 regular employees.

Branko Franc Selak has been active in Marmor Hotavlje for a full 55 years. In a company that carefully cultivates the values of respect, cooperation, responsibility, honesty, belonging, and reliability, because they are aware that only by respecting and following these values can they become stronger and more successful.

The company is also involved in the local community, realizing that connecting with the local population is essential for the well-being of society. The local sports club bears the company's name, called the Marmor Hotavlje Sports Society, and takes care of indoor recreation, organizes cycling climbs to Blegoš, and other sports events. Marmor Hotavlje is also a supporter of the Vincenc Draksler Foundation for Addicts.

Awards, recognitions, and functions of Branko Franc Selak

From 1984 to 1991, he was the president of the Management Board of the Association of Stoneworkers of Yugoslavia, Kamergran in Belgrade. He also served as the president of the Association of Directors of the municipalities of Škofja Loka, Žiri, Gorenja vas - Poljane, and Železniki. From 1999 to 2015, he was the president of the Association of Construction and Building Materials Industry at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia (GZS), and is currently a member of the Management Board. In 1999, he received the GZS award for outstanding economic and entrepreneurial achievements. In 2003, he was awarded the honorary title of citizen of the municipality of Poljane. The company received the Gorenjska Gazelle 2021 award and the Bronze Slovenian Gazelle 2021 award. He has been a long-standing member of the management and supervisory boards of MAS.

As Branko Franc Selak, the long-standing director of Marmor Hotavlje, transformed the Marmor Hotavlje brand into a synonym for innovation and entrepreneurship, and his successes have celebrated both the company and Slovenia worldwide, as he has established himself not only as an exceptional entrepreneur but also as an exceptional individual through his groundbreaking work, big heart, and sense of compassion for his fellow human beings in society, and as he is, after all, an example of innovation, assertiveness, success, and excellent leadership, he has received the lifetime achievement award in the field of management for the year 2023. He accepted it with the words: "If you do business with love, no one can defeat you on your path."

Lifetime Achievement Award 

MAS awards a lifetime achievement award in management to colleagues who, through their achievements and influence, have left a mark on the history of Slovenian management. The commission that proposed the recipient of the award consists of Aleksander Zalaznik (chairman of the commission), Tomaž Berločnik, Boštjan Gorjup, Petra Juvančič, Tjaša Kolenc Filipčič, Medeja Lončar, Marko Lukić, Aleša Mižigoj, and Sabina Sobočan.

Previous recipients of the lifetime achievement award (from 2021 in reverse chronological order): Ivo Boscarol, Igor Mervič, Stane Rožman, Jože Mermal, Bogomir Strašek, Jožica Rejec, Aleš Mižigoj, Cvetana Rijavec, Danica Purg, Stojan Petrič, Cvetka Selšek, Niko Kač, Milan Matos, Zlatko Kavčič, Tone Turnšek, Tone Krašovec, Bruno Korelič, Miloš Kovačič, Jože Stanič, Janko Kosmina in Marjan Prelc.