Rudi Bric
Chairman & CEO
HERMES SoftLab
Born in 1951, Rudi Bric graduated from the University of Ljubljana with a Bachelor of Science degree in Technical Mathematics. Today, he is the Chairman and CEO of the largest software house in Central and Eastern Europe, HERMES SoftLab (HSL), a leader in the field of innovative software engineering.
A clear vision and a strong entrepreneurial spirit have led his career, starting as a systems developer to currently being one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the region. In 1993, the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) awarded Mr. Bric as “European Entrepreneur of the Year” in the category of Small Businesses.
Founded in 1990 by Mr. Bric and his partners, HERMES SoftLab has since grown into an international software engineering company with offices in the USA and Europe. Today, HSL has nearly 500 employees, experiencing a 50% growth rate in 1999 with revenues of EURO 22.7 million. The Company’s client base includes major, international blue-chip vendors like Hewlett-Packard, as well as Ericsson of Sweden. New client engagements have positioned HSL in Silicon Valley with E-based start-ups such as BackWeb Technologies and Kassena. In the coming years, mobile banking, mobile commerce and other value-added services will dominate the market. HERMES SoftLab is actively involved in evolving the software expertise indispensable to these fields.
Under Mr. Bric’s management, HSL has been the recipient of numerous international awards, such as the prestigious European Marshall Award, conferred for the first time by Citibank and Wall Street Journal. Mr. Bric is also an active member in the European Foundation for Quality Management and other leading international industry associations. In Slovenia, he actively cooperates with the Technical and Business Universities, is a member of the Supervisory Board of the Slovenian Development Agency and the Entrepreneur Academy. He is the Chairman of the Slovenian Association for Technical Culture and is Vice-president of the Council for Science and Technology of the Republic of Slovenia.
Each year, HERMES SoftLab sponsors a national computer festival in cooperation with the Slovenian Association for Technical Culture. At last year’s 5th Annual National Competition for Young Computer Enthusiasts, the President of Slovenia, Milan Kučan, welcomed the contestants from primary and high schools and congratulated them on their excellent achievements.
Rudi Bric has a son and daughter, and has recently become a proud grandfather.