Some of them have managed hundreds of millions’ worth of assets for over 15 years, while others have become known in the last few years, thanks to the significant increase in value of the assets they manage. They are the best-paid specialists on the capital market, their decisions move tens of millions of euros and are carefully watched by everyone on the market. They are the strongest asset managers in Romania.
EUR3.46 billion
Grzegorz (Greg) Konieczny, manager of Fondul Proprietatea
Konieczny, 40, is executive vice-president and portfolio manager of the of Franklin Templeton Investment Management Limited UK, the Bucharest subsidiary, which manages Fondul Proprietatea, one of the largest businesses in Romania, with nearly EUR3.5 billion in assets.
He joined Templeton in 1995. His responsibilities mainly involve research and analysis for companies in Central and South-Eastern Europe (Russia excluded). Before coming to Templeton, Koncieczny was manager of Capital Market Transactions within Bank Gdanski, one of the largest financial institutions in Poland at the time. Koncieczny is a graduate of the Gdansk University (Poland) and has a Masters in Economics. In 1994, he was licensed as an investment consultant by the Securities Commission in Poland.
EUR649 million
Mihai Ion, president of Raiffeisen Asset Management
Mihai Ion, 36, has been running the investment management company within the Raiffeisen Group since November 2005. Between 2002 and 2005, he headed the Department of Economic Research and then the Department of Assets and Liabilities Management within Raiffeisen Bank. He has a doctorate in economics and is a lecturer at Bucharest’s Academy for Economic Studies.
EUR642 million
Dragos Neacsu, general manager of Erste Asset Management
Dragos Neacsu, 46, has more than 10 years’ experience on the Romanian capital market, and since September 2007 has been running Erste Asset Management, the investment management company within the BCR-Erste group. He was previously CEO of Raiffeisen Capital & Investment, a member in the Board of the Stock Exchange and a secretary of state within the Finance Ministry.
EUR583 million
Marius Popescu, general manager of ING Pensii
Marius Popescu, 36, has been at the helm of ING Pensii since June 2010. ING Pensii is the largest pension fund manager on the Romanian market. He manages the largest pension fund in Romania, with EUR540 million in assets and 1.68 million contributors.
Previously, he ran ING Investment Management and was investment manager at life insurance company ING Asigurari de Viata.
EUR500 million
Adrian Tanase, CEO of ING Investment Management Romania
Adrian Tanase, 36, in July of this year took the helm of the local division of ING Investment Management, with around EUR500 million in assets. Since 2008 he has been running ING Romanian Equity, with EUR68 million in assets, one of the largest institutional investors on the stock exchange. Previously he worked for Carpatica Invest and KD Investments.
EUR349 million
Crinu Andanut, general manager of Allianz Pensii
Crinu Andanut, 54, has been running the private pensions division of Allianz since 2007. Allianz’s pensions division is the second-largest pension manager on the Romanian market. Andanut manages AZT Viitorul Tau pension fund, with EUR328 million in assets and 1.33 million participants. He was previously regional manager at Allianz-Tiriac for five years. He has a degree in engineering and a doctorate in economics.
EUR337 million
Tudor Ciurezu, president of SIF Oltenia
Tudor Ciurezu, 57, is president and general manager of SIF Oltenia, the largest investment company on the Romanian market, with EUR337 million in assets. He has been working at SIF Oltenia since 1993, and starting in 1996 was deputy general manager and managed the company’s portfolio. He has a doctorate in economics.
EUR291 million
Mihai Fercala, president of SIF Transilvania
Mihai Fercala, 61, has been president and general manager of SIF Transilvania for nearly 20 years, and is one of the most influential company managers on the local capital market. Between 1990 and 1992, he was a senator and a secretary in the Senate’s budget and finance committee. In 2004, he earned a doctorate in economics.
EUR286 million
Ioan Cuzman, president of SIF Banat-Crisana
Ioan Cuzman, 67, has been at the helm of SIF Banat-Crisana since 1994, as president and general manager. He is also a professor at Universitatea de Vest in Arad and a doctor in economics, since 1999. Before his appointment to the helm of SIF1, he was Arad’s deputy-prefect between 1990 and 1992.
EUR276 million
Petre Szel, president of SAI Muntenia Invest
Petre Szel, 66, manages the EUR276 million assets of SIF Muntenia as president and general manager of asset management company Muntenia Invest, a position he has held since 2005. He has worked within SIF Muntenia since 1993. Szel is a trained engineer and has a doctorate in industrial engineering.
EUR238 million
Costel Ceocea, president of SIF Moldova
Costel Ceocea, 55, has been president and general manager of SIF Moldova since October 2008, but filled executive management positions in the investment company since 2001. He is a trained economist and earned a doctorate in economics in 2009.
EUR171 million
Dan Nicu, president of BRD Asset Management
Dan Nicu, 54, has been running the investment management division of the BRD group since 2001 and is one of the most experienced mutual fund managers on the Romanian market. He manages six investment funds. He is a graduate of the Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest and in 1997 graduated from an Executive MBA program.
(English version by Daniela Stoican)