ÉrMe (Érték Megőrző — i.e. Safeguarding Values) Club was founded in January 2000 by six Hungarian entrepreneurs and businessmen with the declared purpose of establishing a discussion forum for businessmen and entrepreneurs that endeavour to operate businesses in correspondence with Christian values and with a strong commitment to the nation.
In 2004 the Club events were attended on a regular basis by over a hundred entrepreneurs and businessmen that all strive as much as reasonably possible not to give profitability exclusive considerations in making business decisions.
As a result of the numerous presentations, self-awareness and self-development training courses, group discussions and the two-day conference held in January 2005 under the auspices of the Club the members of the Club share the conviction today that Christian and national values are not in contradiction with business success and efficiency. On the contrary; it rather appears that moral lessons of Christianity and other world religions and the traditional set of values strengthen businessmen and entrepreneurs in their efforts to work under often puzzling conditions in business life. At the same time it is of no doubt that such benefit to business is not measurable directly by an increase in profits and the way it is used but manifests itself in a number of other business aspects difficult to measure. However, they clearly contribute to the long term viability and growth of business.
In Hungary this sort of value-based business philosophy has not been widely adopted yet which can be most probably attributed to economic and social factors alike. When looking at small and medium size enterprises in the most developed countries of the European Union some improvements in this respect can be experienced, though. In fact, such adjectives like reliable, trustworthy, honest, fair, benevolent, etc. that are obviously not intrinsic values of Christian moral and national commitment exclusively seem to have earned ever greater respect in business life in Hungary recently.
In the future ÉrMe Club continues to be firmly committed to facilitate permanent dialogue among businessmen and entrepreneurs that beyond generating profit take various other aspects irrespective of their general human, collective, national, environmental, social or religious nature into consideration when doing business.

Zoltán Salzmann
Founding Manager and Co-ordinator of ÉrMe Club

Date: March 1st 2005

For further information on ÉrMe Club contact:
hidveroe@salzmannandpartners.hu