The dairy industry, an about EUR1 billion market a year, saw three of the top five actors replace their bosses since the beginning of 2017. DIY retailer Praktiker, chocolate maker Heidi and transportation and tourism companies, too, went through a change of management.
The latest appointment was Giampaolo Manzonetto’s to chief executive officer of Albalact, a dairy producer with EUR110 million revenue in 2015. He replaced Stephane Batoux. Manzonetto also runs the other businesses French-held Lactalis has in Romania – Parmalat (Santal) and the LaDorna group.
Another dairy business to get a new boss is Danone Romania. It appointed Natalia Gelshtein-Kiss to CEO, replacing Adrian Pascu, who was promoted to the Russian operation. Hochland Romania, too, has a new CEO, Erik Hageleit. The manager has previously run Beiersdorf (Nivea) operations in Romania and Moldova in 2007-2012. Hochland has two plants in Sighisoara and Sovata and about EUR50 million revenue a year.
Eduard-Mihai Georgescu, who had previously served as chief commercial officer of diary and cheese producer Lactate Natura (INBO), is now the new chief executive for one year, after Ion Ungureanu stepped down.
Another company to get a new boss recently is chocolate producer Heidi Chocolat. The company put Peter Mueller, an Austrian executive who had previously worked for Mondelez, in charge of the Romanian subsidiary. Heidi owns a plant in Pantelimon (Ilfov County) and its annual revenue stands at about EUR24 million.
Five-star Intercontinental Hotel in Bucharest got a new manager, too, German executive Lior Bebera, who replaced Stefan Frank, who had run the hotel since 2012.
Another company to have a change of CEO is Praktiker Romania, which put Miroslaw Huczek in charge of the local operations. Polish executive Miroslaw Huczek started in the DIY business in 2005 and has 11 years of experience working for Praktiker Poland (sales manager), OBI Poland (sales manager) and BauMax Bulgaria (CEO).
On the other hand, Teraplast appointed Mircea Hotoleanu as CEO. Hotoleanu joined Teraplast in October 2016, when he became a member of the board of directors, a position he will retain. Teraplast group has annual revenue of EUR90 million.
Flag carrier airline Tarom changed its general manager this year, too. The new manager is Eugen Davidoiu, former head of Electrica Serv, Termoelectrica and Societatea Nationala a Lignitului Oltenia (National Lignite Company Oltenia). Tarom is now at its fourth boss since the start of last year.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)