One third of all shareholders in Romanian companies are women, according to statistics. The role of women in business is becoming increasingly important.

The wages of women managers in the European Union are 23.4% lower than men’s wages, according to Eurostat data. Moreover, a study by the McKinsey Global Institute shows that if women had the same role as men in the labour market, then world GDP would grow by more than a quarter, or 28 trillion dollars, until 2025. At European Union level, nearly 7.3 million people hold leadership positions, of which 65% are men (4.7 million) and 35% are women (2.6 million). In Romania, the percentage of women that are associates or shareholders in a company is about 40%. Data from the Trade Register shows that out of 1.2 million associates or shareholders in Romanian companies, 450,000 are women.

Women entrepreneurs have a different vision of developing a business than men, and their motivation is different from that of men. Most of the time, women pursue social goals and have visions that include a positive impact on the community. Academic studies argue that in Romania, women are more motivated to open a business because of the need for independence and professional fulfilment that they do not find at work, while men are driven by the need for control and challenges. Sociological studies also show that businesses run or owned by women are 14% more opportunity-oriented and initiative-oriented, 10% more focused on ethics and integrity, 9% more efficiency-oriented and effectiveness-oriented and 8% more active in employee development.

According to a 2017 Mastercard survey on female entrepreneurship, taken in 54 countries in the world, Romania ranks 28th, with only 25.3% of all women-owned businesses, compared to 30.8% in Spain, 29.6% in Poland and 27.8% in Hungary. The regulatory framework and entrepreneurship support programs seem to disregard the typical needs of women in general and in particular the needs of female entrepreneurs – the difficulty of combining family life and professional life, discouragement and mistrust, as well as sexist stereotypes, demonstrates that the collective mentality regarding the involvement of Romanian women in business is still under development. All women in leadership positions persevere in the competitive business world dominated by men. Through talent and ambition, they stand out as business leaders and even tycoons.

The most powerful businesswoman in Romania is undoubtedly Anca Vlad, who was ranked first in Forbes’s top 50 most influential women last year, for the first time. The founder of one of the most powerful groups has built a valuable business in about a quarter of a century. The Fildas Group, according to the latest data available on the website of the Ministry of Finance, had businesses of over 650 million euros in 2016 and currently has over 6,000 employees. In the highly competitive market of distribution and sale of medicine, the two percent annual growth in turnover, as was the case with the companies within the group owned by Anca Vlad, is a great performance. In addition, Fildas Trading and Catena Hygeia, members of the Fildas Group, are listed by the commercial credit insurance companies with the best financial rating in the field of pharmaceutical distribution and retail in Romania. In September 2017, Fildas Trading entered, for the first time, the Top 500 of the largest companies in Central and Eastern Europe, ranked by the consulting and economic analysis company Coface. Fildas Trading was immediately ranked 355th, the best of the eight Romanian companies that had recently entered the top 500. The business of entrepreneur Anca Vlad is not only focused on pharmaceuticals. Anca Vlad is the Honorary President of the Romanian Investors’ Board (PIAROM) and supports the arts in Romania through the Senso Contemporary Art Gallery and by supporting many Romanian artists.

Article poste on Forbes.ro

According to a poll conducted by Avangarde, Anca Vlad, founder of Catena, is the most powerful business-woman in Romania, on a par with the Paval brothers (founders of Dedeman), all in a top regarding people the Romanians’ trust.

Anca Vlad and the Paval brothers registered 15% of the participants’ votes, according to the Avangarde poll, presented by Antena 3 TV station on Thursday night.

According to the results, in the general top Laura Codruta Kovesi was appointed as the most powerful personality in Romania, with 26% of the votes.

Complete results of this poll are available here:

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• Antena 3 a transmis rezultatele unui SONDAJ AVANGARDE despre România.
• Laura Codruța Kovesi conduce intr-un sondaj: E vazuta cea mai puternica din Romania / DOCUMENT

If in the field of politics, the number of women who build a successful career is steep, the situation is quite different in the business environment. And the fact that women can do business just as men is proven by the entrepreneur Anca Vlad, who own the Fildas-Catena group, states the business magazine Capital. 

“The differences between business men and women are quite significant. The approach is different, and women tend to think in a more future-based manner. There, at the horizon, there are more risks than in the near future”, states Anca Vlad briefly, according to the journalists from Capital magazine.

In order to have an even clearer idea about the role women have today in business, Anca Vlad states that in the social and health sectors there is a percentage of female entrepreneurs of 64%, over the European average of 58%, as per the publication. And Romania ranks 5^th pace in the European union in what concerns the weighting of women in the liberal professions and 8^th place in what concerns management positions held in companies of over ten employees, with a national average of 41% compared to the European average of 35%.

“Thus, a positive perspective seems to appear, in what concerns female entrepreneurship and management, which we would like to see doubled by a similar evolution in the political environment, where the female presence is reduces. Specialists state that the lack of critical female mass in politics makes them copy the male behavior. This is why confrontation in thinking patterns and issue management is diminished, which does not benefit the development of efficient public policies”, continues Anca Vlad, quoted by Capital magazine.

Read the full article HERE

The article was also published in the print edition of Top 100 Successful women, 2017 edition, in which Anca Vlad was granted first place in the “Entrepreneurship” category.

Considering that women have a more and more important role in Romanian society and that this role must be appreciated at its true worth, Capital magazine wanted to highlight these aspects upon celebrating its 25^th anniversary since its establishment. 

As such, Capital Top 100 Most successful women in Romania – 2017 edition – has changed its structure, and for the first time ever, the 100 personalities are divided into 10 professional categories: entrepreneurship, CEO, politics and public administration, law, consultancy, marketing and PR, sports, science-art-culture, journalism-celebrities and social involvement.

The award was won by Alina Marinescu, General Manager at Catena

Under the “Entrepreneurship” category, the first place was granted to Anca Vlad, the founder and owner of the Fildas-Catena Group, with 405 work points, scoring 30 more additional points, as compared to the previous edition. The award was granted during the 25 years Capital Gala, which marked the anniversary of a quarter of a century ever since the establishment f the renowned economic magazine. In the general top, Anca Vlad holds the third position, first place being granted to the well-known tennis player Simona Halep.

The team from Capital magazine established the criteria which represented the basis of the chart, as such, the highest score was granted as per the achievements in the past 12 months, whilst notoriety was the second criterion, based on importance. In addition to these, the following areas were also scored: career, social responsibility projects in which the successful women were involved in Romania and material status. Thus, each category was granted a maximum of five stars.

40 points were granted for each star from the achievements category, whilst for notoriety, each star was granted 20 points. Under the categories career and social involvement, one star received 15 points, and the financial status was scored at 10 points for each star. In other words, the weighting would be as follows: 40%, 20%, 15%, 15% and 10%.

See HERE the full article in Capital

On the other hand, in the Capital Top 300 business persons, Anca Vlad was named the most successful business woman in Romania, with a fortune estimated at 240-250 million Euros. The founder of Fildas-Catena ranked no. 13 in the general top, and the first place was granted to former tennis player and current business man Ion Tiriac.

Read the text published by Capital in Top 300

The group founded by the most powerful woman in the Romanian business ended the year 2016 with a record balance, shows the latest edition of Top 500 Forbes Romania, in which Anca Vlad, the founder of Fildas-Catena, is on the 10^th position, increasing by 3 positions as compared to the previous edition, with a fortune estimated at 700 million lei.

The Fildas Group had in 2016 a turnover of over 650 million euros and currently has over 5,000 employees. In a highly competitive market, such as the one of the distribution and sales of medicines, the turnover increase from one year to another by two percentage points represents a performance that cannot be overlooked, Forbes writes.

Fildas Trading, a company owned by Anca Vlad, the owner of the Fildas Group, recorded in 2016 a turnover of 2.41 billion Iei, increasing by 44.4% as compared to the previous year. It is a downright fulminant growth of the Fildas Trading business, the turnover being the highest from the history of the company. Fildas Trading was ranked No. 5 in the Top 500 Forbes Companies.

Fildas Trading carries out activities for the import and distribution of medicines, and operates the Catena pharmacies network. The net profit reported at the end of 2016 was of 95.8 million lei, higher by 50.0 million lei, as compared to the one in 2015, an increase of 49.3%. Both the turnover and the net profit represent the best balance since the company was established, a proof that Fildas Trading is in a continuous expansion, the Forbes article shows.

VIEW HERE THE FULL ARTICLE FROM FORBES

The elite of the business environment in Romania celebrated accomplishments achieved in time, within the fifth edition of the Forbes 500 Business Awards Gala. The event took place at JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel, bringing together over 200 business people, managers, bankers, entrepreneurs, as well as top consultants.

First among the award winners

During the gala, on the occasion of the Forbes centenary, a special edition of Robes Romania and Forbes 500 was announced, dedicated to the most important 100 business personalities, who have marked the Romanian economy – “Forbes Romania 100 Greatest Living Business Minds”. Anca Vlad, founder of the Fildas-Catena group, was the first person to be awarded this trophy, as recognition of her visionary spirit, as well as her efforts and business perseverance.

The entrepreneurial vision of Anca Vlad is connected to two of the most powerful Romanian companies, which have become reference points in the pharmaceuticals market, with accumulated businesses of over 1 billion Euros and a total of over 5.500 employees: Fildas and Catena.

Fildas Trading is one of the largest profile companies on the pharmaceutical products’distribution market in Romania and the fifth strongest entrepreneurial Romanian company, entering for the first time ever this year in the Top 500 companies in central and Eastern Europe, a top carried out by the prestigious consulting company Coface.

The pharmaceuticals distribution company achieved last year a turnover of over 500 million Euros.

Catena, on the other hand, is currently the number 1 pharmacy network in Romania, a position which, on a strongly competitive marked, has been maintained constant as of 2012. The pharmacy network has exceeded 650 units at national level and recorded in 2016, in its turn, a turnover of over 500 million Euros.

Also, as a new token of appreciation of business excellence, Fildas and Catena were named TRUE LIDERS for the year 2016, by ICAP Romania.

More details on the Forbes Gala at www.forbes.ro.

In an extremely dynamic and competitive pharmaceutical market, if you do not adjust to the challenges, you will not perform. And this is clearly proven by Anca Vlad, the founder of the Fildas-Catena Group, as demonstrated in an extensive article published in the latest print edition of the financial magazine Capital. 

The first memories from the business world date back to 1990, when she established a marketing consultancy company. Briefly thereafter, she entered into the pharmaceuticals industry, after establishing Fildas, a decision which turned out, in time, to be very wise, state the journalists from Capital magazine.

„The figures achieved in the first eight months are as planned and they offer us the financial framework necessary in order to continue the Group’s business lines. On one hand, we want to consolidate out leader position in the pharmaceutical retail area, and on the other hand, we want to expand in all traditional distribution channels, namely retail, pharmacy networks, hospitals”, states the entrepreneur for Capital magazine.

Of course, Anca Vlad’s activities are not only limited to business. The company is also involved in ample education and information actions, in activities related to the promotion and enforcement of a healthy lifestyle, as well as various social campaigns.

„We promote a healthy life style through exercising and outdoor activities, by means of the involvement in the projects of the Catena Racing Team association, a great multiple sports team of ou group. We have already gifted Romania’s champions: Simona Dumitrescu – second place at the North Pole marathon, Paul Georgescu – first place at the Aquatic marathon of Lake Zurich, first places at international table tennis championships”, states the entrepreneur. In a way, she is trying to find a balance between her professional and her personal life, especially considering that she is a movie enthusiast, she loves galleries and arts museums, as well as travelling to peculiar places, the Capital journalists add.

See the full article here

 Catena maintains its title of number one pharmaceutical brand in 2017 in the Top 100 most powerful Romanian brands, carried out by the BIZ business magazine, which was recently published.

Thus, Catena ranks 37^th in the general top, and is the best placed brand from the pharmaceutical companies activating in Romania. Also, Catena ranks fourth in the Top Romanian Retail Brands, after Emag, Dedeman and Altex. Borsec was first place in the Top 100 Romanian brands, carried out by BIZ magazine, followed by Gerovital and Arctic.

The study focuses on the measurement of the „power” of Romanian brands in what concerns their status of trustworthy investment and affectivity, granted by the consumers. The BIZ magazine study is based on 1.000 online interviews and is representative at urban, region, urbanization, gender division level and population age between 18 and 55. The performance of Romanian brands is measured based on four indicators: affectivity investment in the brand, the power of the brand, the use degree and its notoriety.

 See the full article