Apparently, where I ended up has no connection to where I started. But that is only on the surface, as graduating from a faculty like Aerospace Engineering prepared me to approach any intellectual challenge with flexibility. I have exceeded three decades of professional experience in economics and financial markets, benefiting from working both for institutional financial service providers and for institutional clients of such services.
From March 2016, I served for 10 years as President and CEO of BCR Pensii, following two years as Chief Economist and Head of Research at Banca Comercială Română. Starting in 2018, I served for 8 years as President of the Romanian Association for Private Pension Funds (APAPR). In 2016, I co-founded the Independent Directors Association, where I have currently returned as Vice President. In the spring of 2014, I had the honor of being elected for a two-year term as President of the Association of Financial-Banking Analysts in Romania, an organization I helped establish as a founding member.
Previously, my 10 years at ABN AMRO Securities and ABN AMRO Bank managing research departments were followed by 6 years managing the asset portfolio of Eureko pension funds as Chief Investment Officer and Deputy CEO.
I take great pleasure in presenting and debating economic topics with students, and institutions such as IMD Lausanne, ASEBUSS Bucharest, Kennesaw State University, Bucharest University of Economic Studies (ASE), Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien, and others have provided me with such opportunities. Since May 2017, I have been an Associate Professor at the ASEBUSS Institute of Business Administration.
Those interested in more details about how a Polytechnic graduate ends up working in financial markets—after passing through educational environments in the UK, Romania, the US, the Netherlands, and France—can find more information on my LinkedIn page.
This blog was launched in August 2015, in a Romanian version, with the aim to provide balanced and professional comments on European and global developments with a particular focus on Romania. Ever since it has been read by an increasing number of visitors and has been quoted by the local media frequently. Comments are made on topics such as economics, financial markets, geopolitics and occasionally on social or financial education matters. I like to have guests to discuss mainly topics which are not in my particular area of expertise.
The English version was launched in April 2018, by including some of the most popular posts of the past. Since the launch, I have posted simultaneous English translations for all the Romanian comments and analyses which I considered to be relevant for a foreign reader.