OMV Petrom today launched the OMV Petrom Foundation to strengthen the company’s contribution to social projects, a first project of 2 million euro following key segments of intervention to help reduce infant mortality in Romania.
“At OMV Petrom, we believe we can build a better future based on today’s actions. Since 2007, we have allocated over 80 million euro 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 the programs developed to a better, sustainable and equitable Romania. And we will constantly support this approach through funding and expertise,” said Christina Verchere, CEO of OMV Petrom.
The role of the OMV Petrom Foundation is to come up with 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.
The first project, “Together, from day one”, includes three key areas of intervention to help reduce infant mortality in Romania: an 1 million euro fund for projects managed by Save the Children to increase the level equipping maternity hospitals in Romania; equipping the Marie Curie Children’s Hospital in Bucharest with a mobile intensive care unit for newborns – the first unit of its kind in Romania, as well as equipping 6 SMURD helicopters with state-of-the-art incubators, at European standards.
The endowment of the Marie Curie Hospital and the SMURD helicopters is made with the help of the Children’s Heart Association.
“Severely ill or premature newborns are in great need of care and transportation in special conditions. We are with them and the doctors who are fighting to save them: Together from day one, the first project of the OMV Petrom Foundation is dedicated to neonatal intensive care. We are investing 2 million euros for the modernization of the intensive care units in the maternity hospitals in the country and in the transport system of the sick newborns. Our goal is to contribute to reducing the infant mortality rate in Romania, which is one of the highest in the EU,” said Ana Maria Mihăescu – President of the OMV Petrom Foundation.
OMV Petrom Foundation is a separate entity independent of OMV Petrom’s operations.
The activity of the Foundation is coordinated by a six-member board. The chairman of the board of the OMV Petrom Foundation is Ana Maria Mihăescu. Her experience includes mandates as a regional manager with the International Finance Corporation, a division of the World Bank. In the non-profit sector, she was involved in programs of renowned associations, such as Save the Children, Learn for Romania and the Friends Association of the National Museum of History of Romania.
The management committee also includes: Șerban Toader, financial auditor and independent consultant, Daniela Chifan, director of Innovation Norway in Romania, Alina Petrescu, director of communication and sustainability at OMV Petrom, Cătălin Hristescu, director of the Portfolio Management department within the Gas division and Energy OMV Petrom and Amalia Fodor, the executive director of the OMV Petrom Foundation.