Our steel and mining company Metinvest has received two special jury awards at the 11th Premio Eccellenza Formazione (PEF), one of the leading Italian awards for corporate training and personnel development. The ceremony was organised by the Italian Association of Trainers (Associazione Italiana Formatori, AIF) at the historic Stupinigi Hunting Palace in Turin. The awards recognised two human resources initiatives: Retain to Sustain and Well-Being During War Time. Both projects support the resilience, inclusion and well-being of employees in Ukraine and Italy.
What is the award?
The Premio Eccellenza Formazione is one of the leading Italian awards recognising achievements in corporate training and personnel development. It is organised by the Italian Association of Trainers (Associazione Italiana Formatori, AIF). The award recognises organisations whose projects make a significant contribution to staff development, organisational strengthening and innovation. The 11th ceremony was held at the Palazzina di Caccia di Stupinigi, the historic Stupinigi Hunting Palace, in Turin, Italy.
What did the Retain to Sustain project receive?
Retain to Sustain received the special jury award "Il Talento della Resilienza" ("The Talent of Resilience") in the Organisation and Human Resources category. The project was presented by Iryna Konstantynivska, HR Director of Metinvest Trametal SpA and Ferriera Valsider SpA, together with Hanna Stepchuk, Project Manager of Metinvest's Business Support Department. The initiative aims to strengthen organisational resilience through leadership development, mentoring, cross-cultural engagement and employee support. It helps to retain talent and increase employee engagement during unprecedented challenges.
Receiving the award, Ms Konstantynivska said: "For us, this award is not only a result, but also confirmation that we are moving in the right direction, supporting our people in difficult and uncertain times. The Retain to Sustain project was born from one simple question: how to protect our people and their talents when everything around is unstable? We are convinced that resilience means not only the ability to withstand challenges, but also to become stronger because of them."
What does the Well-Being During War Time project do?
Well-Being During War Time received a special jury award for "Social Value, Solidarity and Transformative Impact" in the Health, Safety and Wellbeing category. The project was presented by Agnese Sommariva, HR Transformation Manager, People and Culture, based in the Genoa office, together with Svitlana Parova, Project Manager, Sustainable Development and Interaction with Metinvest's Team. In Ukraine, the project focuses on the reintegration of veterans into professional and social life through psychological support, skills development and assistance to their families. In Italy, it supports a psychologically safe working environment, inclusion, gender equality, the development of social programmes and work-life balance.
Upon receiving the award, Ms Sommariva said:
"While these initiatives respond to the challenges of different realities, they are united by a common principle: putting people at the center of attention and building organizations on the principles of resilience, respect, and inclusion. This distinction belongs to everyone who contributed to the project, but above all to our Ukrainian colleagues who have been living in conditions of war and overcoming its challenges for more than four years."
Why do these awards matter for Metinvest?
The two awards confirm Metinvest's commitment to investing in the development of its employees and building a sustainable organisation. Through initiatives aimed at developing leadership, talent, inclusion and staff well-being, the company continues to strengthen its people-centred corporate culture in all countries where it operates.
