Jože Colarič receives prestigious state honour – the Golden Order of Merit

At this year’s 20th Slovenian Economic Summit, where leading Slovenian business figures focused on the country’s economic development, the President of Slovenia, Dr Nataša Pirc Musar, presented Krka’s President of the Management Board and CEO, Jože Colarič, with a high state honour – the Golden Order of Merit. Mr Colarič was recognised for his outstanding contributions to the development of the Slovenian economy and the pharmaceutical industry, as well as for his socially engaged philanthropic activities and the efforts to enhance Slovenia’s international reputation.

In her keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the event held under the slogan “Be the Changes” the President of Slovenia, Dr Nataša Pirc Musar, stated: “When asked which principles should form the foundation of Slovenia’s economic and social development, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia responds with the Manifesto of Eight Commitments for Slovenia by 2035. These commitments are: freedom and responsibility, cooperation, work as a core value, respect for creativity and knowledge, entrepreneurship, the state as a community, trust, courage and perseverance. /…/ Today’s recipient of the high state decoration — the Golden Order of Merit — Mr Jože Colarič is an example of a person who embodies these eight commitments and serves as an inspiration to us all.”

In his acceptance remarks, Krka’s CEO Jože Colarič expressed his gratitude, pride and a deep sense of responsibility: “I was born not far from the Krka River. I have now been employed for more than 43 years at Krka, the pharmaceutical company from Novo mesto, which is among the leading generic pharmaceutical companies in the world. I am fully aware that I have received this decoration thanks to Krka and my work at Krka. This decoration is not only a personal recognition for me, but also a tribute to the work, expertise and dedication of all my colleagues at Krka. For more than four decades, we have shared a vision of providing accessible, safe and high-quality treatments that improve health and the quality of life of people around the world.”

From its beginnings as a small laboratory with nine employees, Krka has grown into a global company employing more than 13,000 people worldwide. With over 1,000 high-quality safe and effective products, it improves the lives of more than 100 million people around the world. Krka develops and manufactures medicines for the most common diseases of our time, expanding its portfolio of innovative generic products through the introduction of new pharmaceutical forms and strengths. Today, the company produces nearly 20 billion tablets and capsules annually, with more than 800 specialists engaged in over 170 development projects. Our marketing and sales teams operate across almost all the markets of Eastern, Central, Southeastern and Western Europe, and we are increasingly establishing a strong presence in the Far East, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas.

The Krka Group has experienced continuous growth under Jože Colarič’s leadership over the past two decades. In 2004, the company achieved €470 million in revenue and €65 million in profit; by 2024, revenue had risen to €1.9 billion, with profits of €356 million. The workforce increased from 4,781 to more than 13,000 employees, while annual tablet and capsule production grew from 4.8 billion to 17.8 billion units.

Quality and investment in development have always been the benchmarks of good business practice at Krka, and remain key factors of our competitiveness and long-term success. By following trends in development, marketing, sales, technology and other business areas, while continuously enhancing employee expertise, we ensure steady progress that delivers innovation across multiple fields. Through prudent investments in modern development laboratories with state-of-the-art equipment and highly automated and digitalised production, we keep pace with the expectations of our most demanding markets.

The foundation of Krka’s quality and success remains its vertically integrated business model, which is the company’s main source of resilience and agility. In 2024, Krka’s commitment to excellence was reflected in its sustainability credit rating, placing Krka among the top 10% of global pharmaceutical companies.

As further noted in the justification, “investment in development, knowledge, research and young employees forms part of the company’s vision and strategy under the leadership of Jože Colarič. It is worth highlighting that the company encourages young people to engage in research and science – to date, more than 3,000 young researchers have received Krka Prizes. On Jože Colarič’s initiative, the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Ljubljana introduced a master’s program in industrial pharmacy. Throughout his leadership at Krka he has been a strong advocate of active and wide-ranging support for cultural, sports, healthcare and other activities at the local, regional and national levels. This commitment has placed Krka among Slovenia’s most distinguished socially responsible companies. Through his vision, strategic insight and guidance, Jože Colarič has significantly influenced the work of the Board of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia, the Chamber of Commerce of Dolenjska and Bela krajina, the Managers’ Association of Slovenia and the Strategic Council for Economic Development at the Slovenian Ministry of the Economy, Tourism and Sport. With this state decoration, the Republic of Slovenia expresses its respect, recognition and deep gratitude to Jože Colarič for his outstanding contributions to the economy and to the development of the pharmaceutical industry — contributions reflected above all in the continuous and remarkable growth of Krka, the pharmaceutical company that, thanks in part to his leadership, has become one of Slovenia’s most successful and globally recognised companies.”

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