President of Fildas Catena Group

Anca Vlad owns one of the most important businesses with an autochthon capital in Romania: Fildas Catena Group. In the year 2013, its net turnover grew by 15% reaching 350 million euros. Catena Group overpassed 500 units this year.

„For last year, I consider a great accomplishment the refunding of a signifiant part of the sindicalised bank loan, which thus arrived to a level of only 10% of the turnover”, says Anca Vlad. Aside the business, the entrepreneur mentions as a soul project the reopening of the art gallery Senso: „Since always my personal investment was knowledge, and the developing through culture brought me great satisfactions”, adds Anca Vlad.

2014, Forbes.ro

Anca Vlad, the president of Catena Group, is a fervent supporter of the entreprenorial spirit and believes that you cannot have a successful business without taking some chances.

Anca Vlad did her best to encourage the female entrepreneurs and wanted to mention: „You have to take the risk to invest your own money and to take credit from the bank. You also have to learn to delegate your competencies to your employees and to reinvest the profit if you want to grow. Female entreprenurs are much more cautious when it comes to counteract credits and develop their businesses more softly, in a lasting way. This is why many banks grant more easily credits to female entrepreneurs, because they are more careful at details, more calculated and less appetent in terms of risks then men.”
The president of Catena Group advocates that the entrepreneurship must be supported by the state and by the experienced business persons all the same. She appreciates that „The credit offer must be better adapted to reality. Small companies find it hard to grow into medium companies due to their fear of assuming the creditation risks, but also due to the entrepreneurs’ reticence to delegate their competences to the executives”. Anca Vlad encouraged the young entrepreneurs to take calculated risks in business and to relativize more with „the men’s world”.

Misses Vlad apreciates that: „At the beginning ot the ’90s, I started with a capital that was equal to three thirds of a Dacia. Now, Catena Group deals with businesses of over 300 million euros. I’m very pleased by this evolution, but I keep on developing new ideas.”

The president of Catena Group declared that she founded the company Nutrition Research SRL, which obtained an invention patent for healthy products, based on fibers and vegetal omega 3 and which can be consumed by diabetics, but also by persons who want to lose weight. She mentiones that she implemented this practice and entered into the production with the aid of European funds. The first elaborated products are Nucita and Sante, with a lowered glicemic index.

bursa.ro, 2014

„The business environment in Romania sees in me a pillar of resistance in the middle of the legislative, financial and policital tide from the last 21 years.”

„The lessons given by the crisis were very important. I’ve learnt that we must use our financial, material and human resources to the fullest. I have learned to discover talents and new resources left. We learnt to introduce risk elements in any economic protection.”

Alexandra Rizea: If we were to consider the present elements, we see that – this year too – your name has been registered among the personalities of the gentle business environment on the occasion of a prestigious reunion: recipient of Gala Business Hall of Fame 2012 and laureate at Gala Forbes Woman 2012. We would first of all like to congratulate you, on behalf of our readers, and, secondly, we would like to ask you to make a synthesis for us in terms of the data and facts that lie at the origin of these high appreciations.

Anca Vlad: Thank you very much for your appraisal. It is always a joy to be acknowledged in the business environment to which you belong as a person whose opinions matter.  In the year 2002, the most important thing was the fact that I overcame the extremely severe effects of the economic crisis started in Romania in the winter 2008-2009. At the same time, I believe that the business environment in Romania sees in me a pillar of resistance in the legislative, financial and political tide from the last 21 years. In 1991, I registered the company Fildas SRL, the parent of a group that has managed to keep during all this period its profile. The fields of heath and beauty continue to inspire me even now, the same as then.

AR: It is not the first time that you are present in the „Economist” with your results and your opinions concerning topics of large interest, especially in the field of economics. How do you evaluate the macroeconomic situation of Romania at present?
AV: I always try to see the positive side of things. The entire society is preoccupied by the even worse economic results from this period. We need, however, to understand that the recession continues in many European countries. Even countries with valuable economies are currently in great difficulty, and the orientation towards excessive social policies can drain any budget. In this context, Romania had an evolution estimated as being over the European average. In spite of that, the top priority from an economic point of view must be the supporting and the development of the private sector, the only source of new workplaces for the 200.000 youngsters that are entering the work market each year.

AR: What do you think it must be done for the overcoming of the difficult situation which the Romanian economics faces, especially in the private sector, for which you are a head exponent?
AV: I believe that the legislative mesures are fundamental. The unique elevation for taxing gave a send-off to the development of the private companies and brought to light the profits previously hidden by less ethical players. A lowering of the taxing by workforce would create more work places. For an entrepreneur, the most important functioning requirement is the legislative predictibility.
October 2012, economistul.ro

A painting and sculpture gallery, full to the brim by passionate people. Not in Paris or who knows what other European capital, but in Bucharest.

There exists, however, an explanation for this sudden interest in arts.  We are no longer preoccupied only by going out to a good restaurant or to a night entertainment; and art galleries have their regular public from all the fields: artists, painters, writers, art critics, television people, radio people.

The gallery from the center of the capital marked the moment with an original exhibition of painting and sculpture. Why original? Because all the artists are women: „With this new gallery, we are trying to bring a new breath to the contemporary art, basically.”

A great art lover is also Anca Vlad, considered one of the most powerful women in Romania and a great supporter of the Romanian culture: „Ever since my faculty years, I had the chance to know great artists. I used to be a great admirer of some Romanian painters that I was counting in the galleries from «Hanul cu tei» (Lime Hostel). I’ve done my first acquisition with the money earned as a guide in one of my vacations. It is a very abstract form.”

Anca Vlad confesses in all sincerity that Romanian artists have an exuberant imagination: „I keep Romanian artists in high esteem because they are extremely original. I see much less commercial art than I’ve seen in other great capitals. Bucharest could arrive a capital of arts.”

We do not know when Bucharest will arrive a capital of art, but it surely wouldn’t hurt to give ear to Irina Margareta Nistor’s advice. Art can bring us closer to the soul of the woman: „It is a very colored soul, a multicolored soul, I believe it is in fact a multi-tasking soul because we all know that women must do many things, to create, and to paint as well.”

April 2014, Kanal D

„The business opportunities are numberless in Romania, still a young society”, declared on Tuesday, for AGERPRES, Anca Vlad, president of Fildas Group.

„Apart from the funds destined to the start-ups, the business opportunities of the young entrepreneurs are especially coming from the IT field. The Romanian capacities in IT must be exploited because they can generate profitable businesses in Romania. Any young entrepreneur must start up with a positive thinking, without having in mind that they will arrive, at a certain point, at bankruptcy”, pointed out Anca Vlad, present at the debate „Beyond the first million”, organised by Forbes Romania.

The seminary „The first million” has set itself as an objective to bring into the debate of the young entrepreneurs of Romania a series of success examples from the Romanian business environment. In this context, the business persons spoke donwright about how they made their first million, about success and failures, about learnt lessons, but especially about the future of the entrepreneurship in Romania.

The main advantages of a young entrepreneur in Romania today are, in the opinion of the people owning successful businesses, the courage, the culture, the perseverance and the determination, the ability to work with people and to motivate, the creativity in approaching the crisis moments and the confidance of being able to overpass them.

„The political zone affects us very much. This is why we have to know everything that is important in the political life and, eventually, to use the acquired information in favor of the business environment. Many times, female entrepreneurs are not available to delegate their responsabilities, which affects the growth of their business. For that matter, this is exactly the main reason for which we do not have women with businesses of hundreds of millions of euros”, says Anca Vlad.

June, 2013, incomemagazine.ro

„First million”, the event organised today by Forbes Romania brought on the stage six successful entrepreneurs, among which Anca Vlad, the owner of Fildas Group.

Anca Vlad spoke on the occasion of the Forbes Romania event „Beyond the first million” about the necessary qualities of a businesswoman and about what sometimes prevents most of them to be successful or to start a business in their youth years: family preoccupations and the preference for safety. This is why, Misses Vlad’s recommendation for the female entrepreneurs involve risks, delegation and the ability to relate. „To delegate is the essence of growth. Then, there comes the importance of the relating factor, being able to talk to people who have the same problems and to be aware inclusively of what happens in the political area.”

As far as the advice „after the first million” is concerned, the owner of Fildas Group considers that it is essential to support the culture, not only as a form of relaxation, but also as an engine of a society.

Anca Vlad is the adept of the principle according to which you are born an entrepreneur. „We are talking about qualities like independence, a certain energy, that cannot be cultivated. In my opinion, the entrepreneurship classes aim at discovering these qualities in those that already posses them.”

The entrepreneur also added that among her models she counts Richard Branson, but also the president of the association Leading Women Entrepreneurs of the World, who have proven great courgae and will, founding an insurance society for truckers.

June, 2013, Forbes.ro

In a society in which the word „influence” began to have exclusively negative connotations, the Romanian edition of the Forbes magazine, a publication of the independent group BP Publishing, offers a positive interpreting and a top of ladies with a remarkable activity, whose decisions influence not only their own destiny, but also that of the society.

Forbes Romania has launched the special number Forbes Woman, edition 2013 of Top 50 most influential women in Romania. The magazine, which can already be found in kiosks, was presented for the  first time to the most influential ladies on the occasion of a reception at Elisabeta Restaurant, in a building which in the inter-war building hosted the Houses of Romanian Parliament.

The publication took advantage of this occasion in order to grant several awards to the most active female personalities in various areas of society, from entrepreneurship, to culture and NGOs. Misses Mariana Gheorghe, CEO OMV Petrom, was attributed both the first place in the top and the award „the most influential woman in Romania”, while Misses Ana-Maria Mihaiescu, the head of the mission International Financial Corporation in Romania was reserved the award „the most influential woman from the Finance and Banking area”. Misses Mihaiescu also remarked herself through her activity in the context of regional networks through which she supported along the time the ascending of women to leading positions. The youngest lady awarded was also the youngest CEO, Kinga Daradics (32 years old), CEO MOL.

Forbes Romania had the honor to grant a special award to Her Highness Princess Margaret. The special award for social implication was picked up on behalf oh Her Highness by Misses Anca Harasim, the vice-president of Princess Margaret Foundation.

From the entrepreneurs category, the ones that attracted the attention of Forbes Romania were Anca Vlad, Fildas, who received the award for „The most influential female entrepreneur” and Camelia Sucu „for creativity in business”. Awards were granted not only to the ladies from the top, but also to those who impressed us through their activity, creativity and social implication. For instance, from the same sphere of the entrepreneurship, I considered that Ruxandra Hurezeanu, Ivatherm, a possible influential lady, deserves „The special award for inovation in business”.

The first Romanian brand of derma-cosmetics, founded by Misses Hurezeanu, already exports in Asia and continues to be in full expansion. Narcis Pheres is another name that impressed through the buidling of an international luxury brand  in Japan, while Oana Pellea was awarded the prize for Culture. Leslie Hawke, the co-founder of the OvidiuRo association, was awarded too for her activity in the field of education and the dedication with which she has been developing for 13 years projects of helping the underprivileged children in our country. The special guest of the night was a personality outside the top, Misses Tvetelina Borislavova, the owner of the Bulgarian-American Credit Bank, who spoke about her professional experience, starting with her period as an insignificant entrepreneur.

Compared to last year, the new entries in Forbes Top 50 Most influential women in Romania are represented by names such as Delia Arsenie, CEO Oscar Downstream, a company of oil products trading, or Valeria Van Groningen, the president of the Association Bucharest Running Club, the initiator of Bucharest’s Marathon. Most of the places from the top are occupied by ladies from the business field, but female politicians don’t miss either. The top was carried out by Forbes Romania team according to three criteria: financial power, media coverage (according to a Media Image study) and multiple spheres of influences, in other words, in terms of the impact their decisions had.

April, 2013, forbes.ro

Anca Vlad was 27 when she became sales coordinator, thus controlling an export of over 200 million dolars.

In a short time, she was remarked by the pharmaceutical companies that were coming in Romania after the Revolution, given the fact that in 1987, she tansfered to the Chamber of Commerce as the main economist, where she began managing the medicines area. „I wanted very much to travel, and there I had large opportunities in this sense.” After 1989‚ just like everybody else, she started to make businesses on her own: „I used to have a salary of USD 1.200, out of which I would only receive 200”. So, she started the marketing consultancy, more exactly, she tried to make the strangers familiar with the business opportunities that Romania offered. Gradually, the pharmaceutical companies no longer had whom to sell their products to, because the state firms had fallen apart. This is how she decided to switch to the commercial side.

„The main capital I had was the trust that I earned from people.” In fact, this is how she received her first truck full of medicines worth some tens of thousands of pounds sterling. On the market, there was nobody else and the first product for which she created the marketing image from head to foot was Aqua Fresh. „I remember having bought some serials from BBC, serials that I would offer to the TV channels so that they air the advertisment for my tooth paste.” In the meanwhile, Anca Vlad started to distribute products towards the zootechnical joint in the country, and for three-to-four years, the business arrived quite atop. „The most difficult thing was to be able to concentrate. You coud do anything, bu the field of medicines has always been frustrating and the margins, reduced”, confesses Vlad. Fildas currently became one of the most powerful distributors of medicines on a national level, and Catena – a pharmacy network that matters more and more among the great chains. Anca Vlad’s dream is about to come true: „In ten years, I would like to hear people say not that they go to the chemist’s, but that they go at Catena.”

businessmagazin.ro, August 2012

At not even 30 years old, Anca Vlad was coordinating the sales of a company specialized in furniture manufacture, the current Silvarom, controlling an export of over 200 million dolars.

But because „money was few back then, I used to work as an English teacher in weekends and as a translator at various medicine congresses”. This is how the pharmaceutical companies remarked her, because in 1987 she transfered to the Chamber of Commerce as the main economist, where she dealt with the medicines area. After the Revolution, everybody started to make businesses on their own, and Anca Vlad alligned herself to that trend. She started the marketing consultancy, more exactly, she tried to make the strangers familiar with the business opportunities that Romania was offering. Gradually, the pharmaceutical companies no longer had whom to sell their products to, because the state firms had fallen apart. This is how she decided to switch to the commercial side. „The main capital that I had was the trust that I earned from people.” In fact, this is how she received the first truck full of medicines worth some tens of thousands of pounds sterling. In years, Fildas became one of the most powerful distributors on a national level, and Catena – a pharmacy network that matters more and more among the great chains.

December 2012, businessmagazin.ro

If men millionaires have become a regular presence in Romania and we almost used to the idea that they exist, move and breathe approximatively the same air as we do, a woman of the same caliber seems something different. 

Anca Vlad, the owner of Fildas Company is credited in “Top 50 – Women of Success” by Capital magazine as the richest woman in the country. How such a person lives, what thoughts she has and the meaning of money for her, we tried to find out from the “home-office” of the woman with such an exceptional destiny. “My home is my office. And vice versa”. It was the answer of the woman credited for “Top 50 – Women of Success” by Capital magazine as the richest woman in Romania, Anca Vlad. Somewhere along the Unirii Boulevard, it is an office on the 6th floor. The elevator does not “take” more than 2 persons. One would think: “If I had the money, such a villa with countless rooms and pool I would buy, instead of a flat.” One bedroom converted into reception room, small, full of paintings from which emerges a foggy Venice, creations of the painter Dan Constantinescu, a table in the form of – what else? – a lagoon, flowers and statues representing asian samurai. And the moment of meeting: a woman with blue eyes from which emerges a look bright as a sunrise on the seashore. She caught us admiring the samurai-figures. “Those are a gift for my son, Alex, but he has not yet seen them. He is crazy about martial arts.” The children, Alex, 10 years old and Catrinel, two years younger, are the biggest fortunes of Anca Vlad. As a true-born Bucharest citizen, her destiny is an interesting blend between art and money. “My parents, being geologists, would have wanteed to follow them in the field…but I dreamt of traveling, doing art, literature, thus, letting my parents unaware, I went to the Rosetti High school, English section”. Funny thing is that after the first year she discovered she likes math and moved to the “real” section. She came then to Academy of Economic Studies convinced that if she cannot make art – “I can do art trade”. The first money earned? Since high school, when she was giving tutoring at English or crochet hats for colleagues. “There are anthologies in English and French with translations of Eminescu where you will find the name of Anca Ionescu. This is me, with my maiden name.” In college, she became tour guide at seaside. Or was working at a chemistry lab. “We received 800 lei per month. With the first paycheck I went to Breaza and I bought Romanian traditional blouses of all money.” She looked fondly at pictures. At that time she met and became close friends with the biggest Romanian painter, Margareta Sterian. “Look, these earrings were hers”, says Anca Vlad with adolescent joy. Just as with the same joy, she still preserves the paintings of the maitresse which she bought in time. The followed the real entrance “in the workforce”. “I was working at the Chamber of Commerce, I was giving private lessons and have remained so little free time that sometimes got home at 9 o’clock in the evening and I didn’t have anything to eat but dry bread.” The first big shock: when she managed to get to England in the 80s, to a course in the pharmaceutical field. “I managed to leave with many interventions, because back then, unmarried girls did not get approval go directly to the West.” Once there, she had a nightmare: to stay or not? “I decided, surprisingly after something I interpreted as a sign. I was walking down Kensington Road, in London and I needed the toilet. Suddenly, in front of me appeared the Romanian Embassy building. I said that the fate wants to return home.” Money? “I don’t love money, but the freedom they give us. I don’t keep any objects, and I’m not a person who wants to have, but a person who wants to be, to know and to live more experiences!” The craziest things ever done? “What could be more insane that having a wage of 1800 lei – as I had in ’81 – and to want to buy a 3 bedroom apartment on the Titulescu Blvd, which I keep today, and whose rate was 1900 lei per month?! Is very interesting how, all as a single person I had no right to demand a house. So the president of C.O.W. – Committee of Workers, though – signed a paper that said «Ms. Anca Ionescu is likely to marry!» Then came 1989 with two major events: the marriage and the Revolution.” The life of Anca Vlad was about to change. Hm, I wonder how lives a millionaire in dollars? Expensive properties, hot cars, fine food, designer clothes and vacations in exotic places? Maybe for others, but not in this case. Or not at others’ magnitude. “I’m not saying I refuse anything that I think it’s normal – and I think I cover my family’s needs decently. But, here, yesterday I was telling Alex what it means for people of Romania the 50 RON which we spend to McDonald’s, at the movie and electronic games.” Holidays, yeah! “Choose yourself between India and Bermuda, which is more exotic. The children holidays are also mine. But we travel also in the country, at mountains or seaside.” The apartment next to the firm’s office is actually the Vlad’s family home, but in weekends we are leaving for Poiana Tapului, where we have “a small house with a garden, flowers and a cradle in the yard. For me, happiness is to swing in that cradle sometimes”. There is also a mansion near the capital, at Mogosoaia, which is in conservation. “I cannot get used at all there. I am from Bucharest, raised at the block and I do not cherish the country life. And it’s very time consuming when to maintain such mansion, there are all sort of problems with power, with the electricity, it’s like you’re far away from the world.” She’s used to search for ways to save. “But I couldn’t resist to a Laura Biagiotti dress, which seemed tailored for me, or to an invitation at International Conference of Women Entrepreneurs. Then I felt that I’m rich.” Recounting, her eyes filled again with azure, as if there was still need for more blue. Pleasures? “When I wake up in the morning and the children are waiting for breakfast, when they come home from school and play or do their homework. When we have fun at «train of horrors» through amusement parks in the countries we get. We seek always the biggest! … Or when I’m at the market! Yeah, I get on out there, especially for vegetables and fruits. I love to bargain over price with the farmers of the Matache market!” Free time? “Very little. I even took a course in England about how to get free time. Now, i have it «scheduled» and i try to respect it!” Marriage? It proves to be a delicate subject, because after 12 years of marriage, there is no “Mr. Vlad” anymore in the landscape.

“He’s an engineer, a computer specialist. I guess he didn’t kept up the pace with the rhythm I was working. We were like with the caravan, like the circus, moving from city to city, where we have the company’s offices.” We kind of wanted to see the “family’s nest” from the next apartment, but we did not have success. “It’s a very intimate thing and I want to protect my children. I managed to stand up to appear more discreet in your publications. Now I cannot even walk in a store with more expensive things because I am recognized by saleswomen and waiting to buy.” However, in this office-home we would see something more. A meeting room with a long, turquoise table – “my favorite color” – happily framed in paintings of the same colors, made by the maestro Viorel Marginean. The hallway ends with a staircase leading to an upper floor, where we are told that “there are other offices”. A huge tapestry of Viorica Jacob looks like a stairway to heaven. The art inspires even now, from the palm of destiny the life of Anca Vlad. After she delegated a great deal of responsibilities of her company, she handles now more her foundation, named “Fildas Art”. She tries to help as many as more true artists. The azure slowly melts towards dusk and is a sign that we must go. From door, our lips accommodate one last question: “What is the biggest regret of your life?” The answer is straight, but confusing, as the idea that, beyond those blue eyes, it sees “the green” of tens of millions of dollars “that I never knew to make tripe soup. It’s too painstaking!…” Wealth of more than $ 55 million, Anca Vlad is the president of the Fildas Company, the market leader in Romania in terms of import and distribution of medicinal products. According to the “Top 50 – Women of Success” in Romania, conducted by the Capital magazine, the company had in 2003 a turnover of $ 60 million. Fildas has over 600 employees and owns two pharmaceutical customs warehouses in Bucharest and Pitesti. It has 14 branches in the country and over 3,000 clients. Since 1998, through the acquisition of other companies, Fildas benefits from a network of 60 pharmacies. Currently Fildas group, in which Anca Vlad owns 100% of the shares, is valued at over $ 55 million. Anca Vlad spends her holidays only with her children, the boy Alex, aged 10 years old, and the girl, Catrinel, 8 years old, who are the greatest wealth o Anca Vlad. Their mother is trying to teach them the value of money even by now. The school, movies, computer games and also the piano lessons are their main concerns. Their holidays are Anca Vlad’s holidays. They like to take their mother in amusement parks located all over the places they travel, and their biggest pleasure is the “horror train”, as they did last year when they were in Geneva, Switzerland. 1st place in the “Top 50 – Women of Success” Anca Vlad is not only the richest Romanian woman, In “Top 50 – Women of Success published by “Capital” magazine this year, in March, topped first, on par with the famous soprano Mariana Nicolesco. Randomness makes the two women to be best friends.

Taken from libertatea.ro

It is said that a successful woman must combine the career with a happy family life, having also to be nice, bold, cultivated and good looking, beautiful, and to put top of it all, to have money. It seems hard or downright impossible, but there are at least 100 women who have succeeded. A president of a drug company, a president of textile Patronage in Romania and a counselor in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are the most successful women in our country, according to the Top “100 successful women” by the “Capital” magazine.

First prize with a crown of the magazine “Capital” went this year to Anca Vlad, the founding president of Fildas which sit very well not only on a single chapter. Otherwise, she has a A+ grade career and financial status, the social involvement and achievements in 2004 deserving also a high grade. These were the criteria by which the team that made the top “100 Successful Women 2005” has delimited the first 100 present competitors who are struggling for success in business, politics, medicine, entertainment or fashion, in the country or abroad. In this edition prevail business women (24), followed by those in leadership positions (21), the female staff of the medical world (11) Art (10) fashion and beauty (9), media (4) and sports (3). Other areas from which successful women are coming are politics, education and diplomacy. Of the 50 ladies of the 2004 edition, only three left the top. It’s about Mariana Nicolesco, Mihaela Nicola and Gabriela Malaele. The first was not included in the “Top 100 successful women in 2005” because she was part of the jury, and the other two because it was considered they did not have notable performances in the past year.

The girl from Rahova who stunned the Kingdom

Alina Cojocaru is the first ballerina of Covent Garden, in London. She began dancing when she was seven. She was a girl who loved ballet, though her parents wanted her to do sports. After three years, she is noticed by leaders of Ballet of Kiev and is selected. She goes to Russia, from where she leaves for London when she was 17. She was the recipient of a scholarship along with winning of the Lausanne prize. After studying in London, dancing a year in Kiev, she then returns as first ballerina of Covent Garden. Sounds like a fairy tale, but it’s a true story. Alina is ranked 12th in the top Romanian successful woman, having a little social involvement, an easy financial status, but with a successful career of an A+.

A mother for the suffering children

Ana Culcer is from 20 years on, doctor and head of the newborns Department at University Hospital Bucharest. With a small grade at her financial situation, Ana Culcer enriched with a fairy tale like family, composed of 35 generations of children, of which she never left them crying in the consultation. She collaborates with UNICEF, Save the Children, WHO and because of her career, she “forgot” to have to have her own children. She thus became a 39-year-old mother. With high scores of social involvement and career, Ana Culcer ranks top 29.

Anca Vlad, the best of the best

Anca Vlad stays this year as the first presence in the top of the “Capital” Magazine. She is a continuous, full of vitality presence in business, culture and mass-media. She supports young artists, especially painters to impose, both in Romania and abroad, an effort for which he received two awards last year, one of the “VIP” magazines and one of the “Music News” magazines. Also last year and so far, Anca Vlad was awarded the Medal of Excellence in business practice. The novelty is the acquisitions made in the media. Last year she bought the majority share pack of KLTC, which publishes the magazines “Tonica”, “Farmacia ta” and “Slab sau gras”. She also purchased PAX television channel, which will be relaunched under the name Senso TV.

Deputy prime minister’s wife on 20th place

Cristiana Copos did not have too many accomplishments last year, but she grew enormously in the social involvement chapter, through the work done to the “Heart to Heart” programme, and to the Renaissance Foundation for the prevention and early detection of breast cancer. She is the CEO of the family business Ana Co., and founding member of the Romanian Society of Senology. What she likes? White freesia scent when outside it’s snowing.

Top 10

Anca Vlad – president, founder and sole shareholder of Fildas (drugs), chairman of the Fine Arts Creative Women Association, the majority shareholder of KLTC and Pax TV

Maria Grapini – president and owner of CA Pasmatex Timisoara, president of the Patronate Federation of Light Industry

Irina Cajal – MAE counselor, Image Director of the Jewish Community Federation

Georgiana Pogonaru – general manager at Romcolor 2000, Project manager at International Association of Women

Ana Diculescu Sova – lawyer at NNDKP law firm and president of Hurmuz Aznavorian Foundation

Elisabeta Lipa – athlete, with six Guiness Book records

Anastasia Soare – stilist in Beverly Hills

Camelia Sucu – manager at Class Mobexepert

Cristina Batlan – CEO Musette

Simona Marinescu – World Bank regional coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa

Taken from wall-street.ro

“I am very lucky: I can get very upset, but it takes only a few hours, after that I forgot even its reason.”

TONICA: The image of the leader favors the company performance?

Anca Vlad: In the corporate world, companies have their lives independent of the shareholders. In our country, is still confused the founder for the management. But since we are already part of U.E., this image will dissociate because the team is what matters. It is true that the personality of the shareholder when is also the leader of the strategy may favor the company’s performance. My idol has long been Richard Branson – the owner of “Virgin” Company. Now I have a new idol whose name is Ion Tiriac.

I find it fantastic, as a Romanian in a country which lost its real values, how by simply the force of his thought, by simply applying sports tactics of tennis matches in the commercial and economic reality, was able to create economic performance for which to join in Forbes, and still not on the last places. There are families for hundreds of years producing performance. When I told my friends, i saw them surprised, because we have a habit of denying one’s performance when we cannot touch it. I educate my children to admire the winners, and to adopt their tactics.

TONICA: Is Romanian education prepared to educate and train young people to develop successful business in Romania?

Anca Vlad: I don’t know very well the Romanian education system. I preferred the British education for my children because I do not believe in “the memorization based” Latin system. I want them to become pragmatic because so is the world. Maybe I was wrong, because they now are vibrating less to the artistic beauty. I will try to develop this side on them personally.

TONICA: Can compete a 100% Romanian company, with a similar one of Western Europe?

Anca Vlad: I always believed in the Romanian ‘star’. I sincerely believe we can compete with international companies. Meanwhile, i try not to be “nationalist” because the world is opening and we must get “international” someday.

TONICA: Is there an organizational culture of your company?

Anca Vlad: There is a culture, i.e. a spirit of our company employing 79% women out of a total of 1600 employees. Sure the feminism left its mark on this culture, but we hope it is in its most constructive form: that which brings health and beauty.

TONICA: What are the characteristics of a successful leader, especially as a woman?

Anca Vlad: A successful leader must have self-confidence, because is being asked for quick decisions and also at the same time, a forward-thinking. As women, the intuition helps us a lot, but not with “feminine weapons” the commercial battle is won. I had to adopt more “manly” attitudes sometimes.

TONICA: Have reputation, success and money, produced changes in the structure of your personality?

Anca Vlad: Even if I do not recognize them I’m sure there are changes. I have become more demanding and maybe slightly whimsical. I’m not proud of this.

TONICA: Being a leader brings also negative/ inappropriate comments. How do you think a public figure must react to this type of external reactions?

Anca Vlad: A public figure should be, as we see on TV, impassive, unpredictable, smiling, happy of self. It’s not my case. I am bothered, teased, or i am truly enjoying something. Important for me is but the balance and the joy that we feel in the family, with my children and within the company, when we put dreams into practice. I believe that answering some stings or attacks of journalists validate them. I prefer to follow my path because there are also quality journalists and public as well, who understand the reality very well.

TONICA: What is the relationship between art, media and business?

Anca Vlad: Arts, media and business. Businesses are a professional accomplishment. Media is a form of communication. Art is my daily conditioner.

TONICA: How do you handle the existential crises?

Anca Vlad: I am very lucky: I can get very upset, but it takes only a few hours, after that i forgot even its reason.

Taken from tonica.ro