POWERGROUP Book

SUSTAINABILITY &SOCIAL WELFARE 151

SUSTAINABILITY &SOCIAL WELFAREWe develop projects for our customers in the interest of we work in the domains of trend screening, product strategythe assumption of social responsibility. In this way these and brand and marketing concepts, develop portfolio planscompanies contribute to sustainable development which and sponsoring concepts in the culture domain and assumegoes far beyond existing legal requirements. In this respect, co-operation management. 152

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THE MUSIC EDUCATIONPROJECT “OPER ÜBER LEBEN©”The music education project OPER ÜBER LEBEN© has the The successful pilot project was launched as part of theaim of promoting students from all social backgrounds. An Mozart Festival at the Bavarian State Opera. A total ofinnovative pedagogical concept introduces these youths 109 children from 4 classes in secondary modern schoolsto the music and the cultural world of the opera. They are participated. The workshops, in which the children wereinspired by the diverse cultural world of the opera, fostering encouraged to play characters from the operas Abductionintegration among the youths and opening up personal from the Seraglio and The Magic Flute, were conducted byand professional opportunities as well as perspectives for Rainer Karlitschek (dramatist for children / youth work at thethe future. Undiscovered talents and / or particularly gifted Bavarian State Opera). In the meantime, they have becomeyouths will be stimulated by the sophisticated field of opera. an integral part of the children’s / youth programme at the opera. 155



THE 100 POORESTGERMANSEvery year the various media provide reports on the “100 The Munich-Solln Lions Club collected further donations andrichest Germans”, the “100 most beautiful people” and took over part of the financing of the first vehicle, whereby thethe “Top of...”. In Autumn 2004, the Süddeutsche Zeitung total was doubled by StiftungLife and was supplemented bymagazine converted this idea to a report on the “100 the Munich food bank’s own funds. The total sum amountedpoorest Germans” and, in a poignant documentary, reported to 50% of the list price – together with a generous donationon 100 Germans who have to live on the fringe of society as from Daimler, this provided the purchase price for the firsta result of tragedies. vehicle.The issue of poverty eradication was discussed among the Poetis and Schütz decided to expand the principle into aPoetis family. Together, they developed a project idea and system, in cooperation with the two partners StiftungLife andprovided start-up financing. The idea was presented to the Daimler. During events and by contacting other Lions, theMunich-Solln Lions Club. The club took over the administration attention of other clubs was drawn to the campaign and itsof donations, while Roland Schütz assumed co-ordination potential. The fellow Lions were cordially invited to help theas the club’s activity officer. Dr. Poetis is responsible for local food bank through their club. Initial donations for twomarketing and the strategic conception of the project. vehicles soon followed from Lions Club Pullach and Lions Club Munich Opera. The idea grew.With the good connections to the SüddeutscheZeitung magazine, free advertising was procured. The The districts’ relief agencies were contacted and asked forPOWERGROUP creative team designed the first adverts; grants by the Solln Lions member Dr. Reinhardt. He organisedpublic awareness of the campaign increased. Countless presentation dates in district meetings; articles appeared inreaders sympathised and felt compelled to help the “100 the club magazine Der LION; Schütz also wrote to the localpoorest Germans” with donations. Lions Clubs directly. This allowed the campaign to grow beyond the sphere of the Lions in Solln, and it reached clubsThus, the idea of helping the “100 poorest Germans” as throughout Germany.a symbol for helping the needy in Germany was adopted,and the initial funds became available. Since the beginning of the campaign, Lions Clubs throughout Germany have put more than 300 food bank vehicles (withIn the next step, a strategy had to be defined how the a total value of 13 million Euros) on the road.acquired means could be used long-term, sustainably and,where possible, throughout Germany. It also had to be As a second major step, the project was internationaliseddetermined how sponsors could be won from the economy, by including additional partners. Food bank vehicles werein order to reach more people. sponsored in Austria, Spain and Great Britain. This is the proof that Business Design Thinking also works perfectly inJürgen Gessner, a long-time supporter of the food banks, charitable activities of NGOs.advised the participants to take a closer look at the food bankidea. In particular, he reported on the central problem of the“food banks”: the transportation of the products – withoutdisruption to the cold chain – using expensive vehicles. Theidea of supporting the food banks in a joint campaign withvehicle financing, was born. 157



WORLDWIDERESPONSIBILITYEncouraged by the good experiences with the project the Owing to their long life and 100% recyclability (compared“100 poorest Germans”, the Munich food bank contacted to conventional packaging) the reusable containersPOWERGROUP with a request for a donation for the offer additional advantages which were confirmed bypurchase of a trash compactor. independent studies:On closer inspection, it turned out that the food banks had a  Cooling of the transported fresh goods through amassive problem to contend with – the disposal of tonnes of ventilated design, resulting in reduced spoilage of food.cardboard disposable packaging.  Optimum utilisation of storage and transport areas viaThere arose the question of whether or not there could be folding and stacking options.other measures to prevent these mountains of cardboardfrom amassing. Poetis got in contact with the board of the  Conservation of resources (e.g. up to 53% lesscompany IFCO, a market leader in RPC pooling logistics, greenhouse gas emissions compared with the sameand together they developed the idea to provide the food volume of disposable packaging).banks – in addition to the delivery vehicles – with foldablereusable containers and thereby ensuring that they are Inclusion in the IFCO sanitation cycle also allows for food-no longer dependent on disposable packaging made of safe cleaning which complies with the demanding hygienecorrugated cardboard for the transportation and storage of requirements of the HACCP standard.food. To date, the WORLDWIDE RESPONSIBILITY project has provided around 120,000 green reusable containers to more than 80 food banks in Europe, North and South America. 159



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PATTY´S CHILD CLINICSThe project Patty’s Child Clinics aims to expand the existing CBM director Rainer Brockhaus looks forward to themedical infrastructure of the Rural Health Centres in Pakistan cooperation with pleasure: “We thank the Lions Clubs andso that gratis hygienic pre- and postnatal care can be offered the Honorary Consulate for their support. Together we makeeven in the country’s remotest areas. things happen and serve many Pakistanis who need help.”Initiator Patricia Poetis describes the planned successive The Patty’s Child Clinics project – an initiative of the Lionsexpansion of the network of clinics as follows: “We want the Club München-Pullach – arose out of Patricia Poetis’ desireclinics to be fitted with modern equipment in order to provide to establish a permanent charitable facility in Pakistan whichcomprehensive pre-natal diagnoses and post-natal care, is able to provide targeted help at the local level. Honorarybecause the first year of an infant’s life is critical. We are Consul Dr. Pantelis Christian Poetis’ wife was deeplyglad that the first Patty’s Child Clinic, located in Chillianwala involved in the ‘Pakistan needs us now!’ fundraising drivewhich is in the Mandi Bahuddin district, is already in an started by the Consulate and the Lions Clubs to help in theadvanced stage of planning.” flood catastrophe of 2010. The drive raised over 150,000 Euros which, among other things, went to rebuild schools inEarlier this year, the Bavarian Honorary Consulate of Charsadda and Faisalabad.Pakistan, the Christian Blind Mission and the Lions ClubsGermany have signed a framework agreement to build25 clinics for women and children in Pakistan in the next5 years. The CBM, the German Lions Clubs and theHonorary Consulate have been engaged for several yearsin reconstruction in Pakistan, which suffered a devastatingflood catastrophe four years ago. 163

The leader of the German reconstruction project team receives a warm welcome in the Charsadda district, January 2012 Festive opening ceremony for a girls' school in the Manzooray region, January 2012

Festive opening ceremony for a boys' school in the Manzooray region, January 2012 Reconstruction project team with the German embassy in Islamabad, Nov 2011Rebuilding ruined houses in the Charsadda district (before; Nov 2010) Rebuilding ruined houses in the Charsadda district (after; Feb 2012) In the Manzooray reconstruction region, February 2012Family standing in front of their newly constructed house in the Charsadda district, Feb 2012 165

THE RACE GOES ONShould not a 10-year compendium also have, other than Medicine and Competitiona review of the events of the past decade, a look into thefuture? Competition among companies in the medical and health- care branch continues to intensify, not in the least because ofWhile the red threads of innovative strategy, creative changes in socio-political and legal parameters. Compliancemarketing/sales and analysis-based M&A have run the with EU norms and the Globally Harmonized System ofPOWERGROUP since its founding, the expertise needed in Classification and Labelling of Chemicals represents aour clients’ fields of activity has changed in the same degree considerable challenge which cannot be mastered by thethat our clients’ tasks or projects have changed. reduction of product lines or by cost-cutting.Energy on the Rise Quality instead of QuantityAs was the case during its privatisation, the energy sector The consumer goods companies which we represent areis in constant flux. Although we are currently engaged faced with a tense competitive situation. The need to initiatewith renewable wind, water and solar energy, signs of the confidence-building measures to convince consumers ofnext giant steps, hydrogen technology and fuel cells, are the quality of their goods —be it in the B2C or B2B area—beginning to appear on the horizon. indicates an altered sense of their brand identities.Growth through Knowledge We look forward to another exciting year and challenging projects with you, our clients. As your constant partner, weEuropean technology companies have set their sights take great pleasure in the further development of our ownon using their own know-how as major export hits. It’s a colleagues brought on by the POWERGROUP’s continualgreat pleasure for us to accompany them on the way to transformation.markets which were recently held to be no-go areas. Thereare interesting perspectives opening in Pakistan which are Sincerely yours,related to our consular activities: the soon to be founded, Pantelis Christian Poetisin cooperation with the German embassy in Islamabad,Association for German-Pakistani Economic Relations. Thisorganisation, which we have been assigned to guide, willunite German companies and Pakistani companies with apresence in Germany in an effort to promote and expandthe economic relationships between the two countries.

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