Most of them chose to go into the advisory business to pass on their knowledge to the entrepreneurs or even corporations.
“It’s a somewhat natural shift – probably most of those who accumulated many intense years in a corporation want it,” says Cristian Rey, the manager who ran snacks producer Intersnack for 16 years.
“There comes a time in one’s professional maturity when one wants to choose the people, the systems, the products and the work pace by oneself.” In his case, Rey says, he felt this time was coming a while ago but circumstances only allowed the shift a year ago.
He is one of the Romanian managers who left multinationals to become entrepreneurs, but most of them became business consultants.
Rey says he does not see what he does as his own business.
“I use my expertise to set a food business, RAP Confectionery, on a sound path for the future,” he says.
Marian Alecu, who had run the local McDonald’s chain for 16 years, chose to become a consultant, as well, but he also opened jewelry and tourism companies together with his family. He and his son have a company that provides advice to foreigners looking to enter Romania, as well as to local companies in the restaurant business. He also owns a jewelry factory and the Safir jewelry stores together with his family, as well as the Safir Hotel in Venus (built from scratch) on the Black Sea Coast and diamond store Diamond Boutique.
He says he would not go back to a multinational after having gotten a taste of what it means to be an entrepreneur.
“As an entrepreneur, you are own boss, your own manager and you are in charge of your own time. I wouldn’t go back, I’ve had countless offers of high ranking positions, even in Europe, but I did not consider them.”
Mihai Georgescu, an executive with more than 20 years of experience, too, is thinking of becoming an entrepreneur after having left sweets producer Kandia Dulce. Before running Kandia Dulce, he spent 21 years at the helm of Wrigley Romania.
Most of the managers who gained experience in the major multinationals operating in Romania chose to develop consultancy businesses.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)