ISA
International Stuttering Association

A world that understands stuttering

The Croatian Public Relations Association pronounced dr. Zeljko Rohatinski, a governor of the Croatian National Bank, the best communicator amongst people in Croatian public life.

By the way he communicates, Rohatinski has raised the level of public communication in Croatia. His clear, precise and uncompromising way of communicating proves that complex and important information can be simply said. By his attitude, arguments and style he gains everyone's respect even if they disagree with him.

He is skilled with the media, available and relaxed in communicating with journalists, serious and persistent in his advocacy, sharp and concrete at attacking. Moreover, he is always ready for different reactions. In banking, which relies on concrete numbers and results, he has received many professional acknowledgments and plaudits. But besides his results, he has got a unique charisma that attracts attention.

And because of that he deserves the respect of communication professionals and this prestigious award given for the first time in Croatia, explained the jury, which consisted of 12 high level professionals in Public Relations from PR agencies, corporations, non-governmental sectors, governmental and local authorities and scientific institutions which study public relations.

This was announced on Wednesday, June 11th and the Croatian Association "Hinko Freund" had already congratulated dr Rohatinski and the Croatian Public Relations Association on this award and the specific choice. The CPR Association put our letter to their web site home page. http://www.huoj.hr/Default.aspx

Some of you might remembered that dr Zeljko Rohatinski was a member of the Honorary Committee of the last ISA WC in Cavtat. Unfortunately, he could not come to the Congress personally because he had to participate at the very important World Bank meeting in Switzerland at the same time. His stutter is severe.

Another interesting thing about it was that yet another PWS (and another member of the same Congress Committee), our national football team coach Slaven Bilic, was also in contention for the communicator of the year award.

The very next day, our Association sent our reaction to this news to the media and it was very well received and published in all major daily newspapers and announced on radio stations. There are a few links (unfortunately, in Croatian only) to those media sites at:   http://www.udruga-hinkofreund.hr 

In short, we said how important and encouraging it was for all PWS in Croatia, that it was the proof of the maturity of Croatian society, of tolerance and acknowledgment of PWS as persons and professionals of excellence and that we hoped this would be spread across Croatia. "At times when spin has become the key of public communications, when the form has exceeded and almost excluded the content of communication, this choice shows that public communication needs people who have something genuine to say and the way they say it is not important."

Dr Zeljko Rohatinski and the coach Slaven Bilic are PWS and honorary members of the Croatian Stuttering Association "Hinko Freund".