2016 marked a turning point for MONDRAGON, as it was the year in which the foundations were laid for a new stage. The Cooperative Congress held in July that year rolled out the Group’s new roadmap, launching a new phase centred on the policy documents “MONDRAGON del futuro” [MONDRAGON of the future] and “Política Socioempresarial 2017/2020” [Corporate Business Policy 2017/2020], with both proposals being unanimously approved by the Congress. The former seeks to give a new impetus to the experience of cooperative values, migrating toward a new and more competitive organisational model and restructuring the funds and instruments of financial intercooperation. In turn, the challenge facing the latter – Corporate Business Policy – for this new strategic phase focuses on ensuring that the Group’s operations are undertaken from sustainable competitive positions based on five strategies: cooperative identity and commitment, financing, business innovation and promotion, intercooperation, and globalisation.
This Congress also saw Mr Iñigo Ucín installed as president of the MONDRAGON General Council, replacing Mr Javier Sotil, who retired at the end of July. The outgoing president delivered a heartfelt and moving farewell speech that included words of thanks for “all those that have helped me to become a better person”. He also referred to the need in the future to count on “people that are more cooperative-minded and more committed, while focusing on the development of more profitable projects”.
In turn, Mr Iñigo Ucín, the General Council’s incoming president, directed his first words to the Congress members.
The economic figures in 2016 recorded a positive trend, along the same lines as the two preceding years. In terms of milestones, specific mention should be made of the 175th anniversary of the Orbea Cooperative, and the 50th anniversary of the social welfare provider LagunAro EPSV.
