The General Director of Haldor Topsoe in Russia, Mr. Andrés García Romero, has been awarded His Royal Highness Prince Henrik’s Medal of Honour and the Diploma of the Danish Export Association – Denmark's most prestigious recognition for extraordinary achievement in promoting and marketing Danish products and services abroad.
Mr. Andrés García Romero received the award from His Royal Highness Prince Joachim of Denmark accompanied by Her Royal Highness Princess Marie at a ceremony at the Danish Embassy in Moscow hosted by HE the Danish Ambassador Per Carlsen on 19 November 2008.
Achievement and motivation
His Royal Highness Prince Joachim congratulated Mr. García for his leadership in the impressive work and achievements of Haldor Topsoe in Russia: “Since 1995 you are an active general director of Haldor Topsoe Representative Office in Moscow and since 2006 also general director of ZAO Haldor Topsoe, an engineering company in Russia. Due to your activities here, the motivation and training you have offered your Russian employees as well as their devotion to the company, Haldor Topsoe, has achieved an extraordinary growth in turnover and market share on the Russian market for the last five years.”
His Royal Highness Prince Joachim also touched on Topsoe’s Ph.D. scholarship programme: “You have actively promoted and conducted the programme which awards scholarships to Russian Ph.D. students. The programme is based on an idea and the initiative of Dr. Haldor Topsøe and has awarded and economically supported more than 70 Ph.D. scholarships to Russian Ph.D. students since 1996.”
A great honour
Accepting the award, Mr. García said: "It is a great honour and pleasure for me to receive this prestigious award. Being on the Russian, actually all former Soviet Union, market for more than 15 years has been a challenging though positive experience for me. But without the devotion to the company and the hardworking spirit of our Russian staff, this extraordinary growth would not have been possible.” Mr. García also stressed the role of Dr. Topsøe in this respect: “Due to his persistence, patience and long-term visions, the company has established a representative office in Moscow during the risky early 90’s and constantly supported its development, thus also greatly contributing to the achieved success.“
Guests from the Danish Embassy and officials from the Danish Foreign Ministry, the Danish Business Club in Moscow, the Rotary Club Moscow International, Topsoe management from headquarters and colleagues from the Moscow office, key people from Russia's fertilizer and refining industries and other countries of FSU as well as leading scientists, totaling about 100 guests, attended the event.
