Sources on the financial market say that after one month of talks, Prime Minister Ungureanu, 44, has made up his mind about the make-up of this board, comprising Romanian entrepreneurs that have launched their own brands or successful businesses over the last twenty years or Romanian executives running multinationals in this country or in the region.
This is the first time a prime minister assembles such a board that should come up with solutions from the private sector for the governmental sector to help with the economic growth.
Governments have been repeatedly criticized over the years for failing to listen to the ‘voice’ of the business sector when introducing new economic measures or launching programs. The business sector has created a number of organizations in the course of time that have gained both ground and a voice – the Foreign Investors Council, the Romanian Businesspeople Association, the AmCham (American Chamber of Commerce in Romania).
Romanian businesspeople have been rather divided over the years, hence no strong employer organization with one voice. According to the latest data, there are 12 employer associations in Romania representing the Romanian businesspeople.
Premier Ungureanu chose 26 people from all walks of life. The 26 advisors who will discuss with the prime minister on economic issues will be coordinated by Rasvan Radu, the chief executive of UniCredit Tiriac Bank. He is one of the Romanian bankers who has gained ground in the financial circles over the past year and is close to central bank governor Mugur Isarescu. After all, Isarescu backed Rasvan Radu to become a member of the Trilateral Commission along with Mihai Tanasescu, Romania’s representative to the International Monetary Fund. The Commission is one of the most politically and financially influential international organizations.
Ionel Blanculescu, former Nastase Cabinet minister and later chairman of the Banking Assets Resolution Authority (AVAB), which for twelve or fourteen years took over the non-performing loans of the banking system, was chosen as secretary of this board. It was also suggested that Ionel Blanculescu was one of the people considered for prime minister before the appointment of Ungureanu was announced.
The entrepreneurs on this board will include Horia Ciorcila (the founder of Banca Transilvania and also its chairman), Dan Sucu (founder of the Mobexpert furniture business), Dragos Paval (owner of the largest Romanian retailer, Dedeman), Radu Timis (founder of the CrisTim cold cuts business), Raul Ciurtin (the man who put Albalact’s Zuzu dairy brand among the top brands on this market), Gabriel Comanescu (owner of Grup Servicii Petroliere, one of the most interesting companies owned by a Romanian, considering that only international giants operate on the oil industry services segment).
Other entrepreneurs on this board are Florin Talpes (who created Softwin two decades ago, which developed Romania’s best-selling product worldwide, the BitDefender antivirus), Mihai Marcu (who established the largest private medical service operator, Medlife) and Gabriel Biris (a well-known tax consultant and partner in law firm Biris Goran).
The names on the list of multinational executives chosen by Ungureanu are: Mariana Gheorghe (CEO of Petrom, the largest company in Romania, controlled by Austria’s OMV), Constantin Stroe (vice-president of Dacia, who knows the local automotive industry like the back of his hand), Mihai Rohan (chairman of Carpatcement), Cristian Colteanu (a high-ranking official of the Foreign Affairs Ministry for many years and now General Electric’s boss in Romania), Dragos Damian (CEO of Terapia Ranbaxy, the largest local drugmaker), Andrei Caramitru (who heads an Eastern European division of the world’s most influential consultancy company, McKinsey) and Silviu Hotaran (now working as a consultant, he ran Microsoft Romania for twelve years).
The board also includes Sergiu Manea, who has worked in finance abroad and will become a vice-president with BCR once the central bank approves him.
Florin Pogonaru, who used to be a member of the reform department of the Vacaroiu Cabinet eighteen years ago, will return to the government headquarters, this time under a different prime minister. He is better known as the chairman of the Romanian Businesspeople Association and is also a member of the BCR board.
The other members of Ungureanu’s advisor team are Radu Merica, former head of Tiriac Holdings and currently the chairman of the Romanian-German Chamber of Commerce, Alexandra Gatej, former CEO of Unilever Romania, former presidential advisor and chairwoman of AmCham. Then there are also Marius Marin (head of construction supplies maker Macon Deva), Dragos Anastasiu (owner of the Eurolines group), Nicusor Serban (owner of Agroserv Mariuta and vice-president of the Romania Agricultural Producers’ Associations League) and Felix Lucutar (managing partner of agricultural and industrial and rural infrastructure investment consultancy firm Agriculture Capital and Engineering).
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)