HICHERT®SUCCESS RULES. ISO 24896. IBCS 3.0.
The origin. The accomplishment. The next chapter.
For almost 15 years, dr. Mladen Meter has been part of the journey toward better reporting for better decisions, working closely with Rolf Hichert, Jürgen Faisst, and the IBCS – International Business Communication Standards community.
Last week, he returned to Konstanz as an IBCS trainer and consultant for the Annual Assembly and Conference.
The IBCS Annual Conference 2026 was not just another professional gathering.
It was a milestone moment for everyone who believes that better communication leads to better decisions.
What made this event truly unforgettable?
▪️ IBCS becomes ISO
The publication of ISO 24896 – Notation for Business Reporting marks a historic achievement. For the first time, the world now has an international standard for how business reports, dashboards, and presentations should be designed: https://bit.ly/ISO24896
Huge congratulations to Rolf Hichert, Diego Berea, and Jürgen Faisst for their dedication and impact, and to the entire IBCS community for achieving this historic milestone.
▪️ A new chapter in leadership
Following this achievement, the IBCS Association enters a new era, with new leadership ready to shape the future of the community and the global standard.
Congratulations to Bernie Smith, Stefanie Fröhner, Arne-Kristian Schulz, Edyta Szarska, Johannes von Mulert, and Diego Berea. Mladen wishes them great success in shaping the next chapter of IBCS (3.0.). He also extends his heartfelt thanks to Rolf Hichert and Jürgen Faisst for their remarkable vision, dedication, and lasting contributions, while looking forward to continuing collaboration with Rolf in his honorary role and with the broader IBCS community.
▪️ A moment of gratitude
Rolf Hichert, the visionary behind IBCS, has stepped back from his active role. What started as an idea has evolved into a global ISO standard.
A rare achievement and a lasting legacy.
Mladen extends his very best wishes to Rolf Hichert for the future and expresses his deepest gratitude for everything he has done for the entire IBCS community.
Dr. sc. Mladen Meter is a consultant and managing director of Business effectiveness Ltd. for business consulting in the field of controlling, finance, management, accounting, internal audit and business information systems (ERP/SAP).
He has extensive experience in management positions in international companies (Kaufland, Generali, Basler) and is currently working independently and with renowned foreign partners on numerous projects in Croatia and abroad.
He received his Master's degree in 2005 from the Faculty of Economics in Zagreb, in 2006 he finished Controlling Stufenprogramm at Austrian Controller-Institut in Vienna and passed the examination for the Certified Controller. In 2012 he attained his PhD from the Faculty of Economics in Split.
He also studied at Harvard Business School, IEDC Bled School of Management, and Horváth Academy in Germany. He is internationally certified HICHERT®IBCS consultant and trainer, certified partner for IBCS certified solutions for management reports and presentations.
He is a certified internal auditor for banks, financial institutions and information systems and is a member of consultants network of certified consultants of HAMAG for areas: business planning, finance, organization and business management. He is European Bank for Reconstruction and Development - EBRD's consultant.
He has been a senior lecturer at the AACSB accredited business school for a number of years, and has lectured in Germany at ESB Business School in Reutlingen and at CBS International Business School in Mainz. He also frequently teaches on open and in-house education in Croatia and abroad.
Novosti