Expat Profile
Wajiha Haris, Scheherazade Foundation president: “No” is never an option
Wajiha Haris has been living in Romania for seven and a half years and she now regards herself as an adoptive Romanian, with no intention to leave, since “there is so much to be done” around here. She considers herself a responsible citizen of Bucharest, just like anybody else born or simply living here and [...]
You’re not in Kansas anymore: American actor James Longshore compares Romania to the Land of Oz
James Longshore is an American actor and dialogue coach who fell in love with a Romanian woman, moved to Romania and promptly fell in love with the country as well. After already appearing in a Romanian film, he’s keen to get more involved in the local film industry and ultimately produce films. In an interview [...]
A Bavarian on Romania – head to Sinaia for unspoilt Alpine country
Christian Busch found ‘fantastic country’ in Romania, vistas that remind him of his Bavarian home. The head of Arval’s local subsidiary talks to Romania-Insider.com about his passion for restoring old cars and about his long trip downstream from near the Danube’s source, to Romania, the country where the Grande Dame of European rivers finally flows into the [...]
National Opera tenor Hector Lopez: Romanians are Europe’s Mexicans. I feel I am Romanian myself
Hector Lopez is a Mexican artist who dreamed as a kid of traveling around the world and seeing as many countries as he could. And he achieved that through music. Now, almost eight years since he moved to Romania and joined the Bucharest National Opera, he sees himself as more of a local. In very [...]
Expat chefs in Romania: Federico Carsili of Cucina, JW Marriott
The kitchens of Bucharest’s restaurants harbor a number of internationally renowned foreign chefs. Romania-Insider.com talked to expat chefs about work, food and life in Romania’s capital – check this section as more will follow in the coming days. Federico Carsili, Chef @ Cucina, JW Marriott When did you come to Romania? Working with JW Marriott [...]
Expat chefs in Romania: Bernd Kirsch of Radisson Blu
The kitchens of Bucharest’s restaurants harbor a number of internationally renowned foreign chefs. Romania-Insider.com talked to expat chefs about work, food and life in Romania’s capital – check this section as more will follow in the coming days. German Bernd Kirsch, executive Chef @ the Radisson Blu hotel; before Romania, he has cooked his way [...]
Expat chefs in Romania: Henrik Sebok of Howard Johnson Grand Plaza
The kitchens of Bucharest’s restaurants harbor a number of internationally renowned foreign chefs. Romania-Insider.com talked to expat chefs about work, food and life in Romania’s capital – check this section as more will follow in the coming days. Henrik Sebok, Executive Chef @ Howard Johnson Grand Plaza When did you come to Romania? I came [...]
Expat chefs in Romania: Ashlie Dias of Crowne Plaza
The kitchens of Bucharest’s restaurants harbor a number of internationally renowned foreign chefs. Romania-Insider.com talked to expat chefs about work, food and life in Romania’s capital – check this section as more will follow in the coming days. Ashlie Dias, Executive Chef @ Crowne Plaza in Bucharest. The Indian chef previously worked with Carnival Cruise [...]
Expat chefs in Romania: Chaiyasith Srichom of Athenee Palace Hilton
The kitchens of Bucharest’s restaurants harbor a number of internationally renowned foreign chefs. Romania-Insider.com talked to expat chefs about work, food and life in Romania’s capital – check this section as more will follow in the coming days. Chaiyasith Srichom (nicknamed Lam), Chef @ Athenee Palace Hilton. Before Romania, Bangkok- born Lam also worked in Sydney, [...]
Expat chefs in Romania: Daniel Wendorf of Societe Gourmet
The kitchens of Bucharest’s restaurants harbor a number of internationally renowned foreign chefs. Romania-Insider.com talked to expat chefs about work, food and life in Romania’s capital – check this section as more will follow in the coming days. Daniel Wendorf, Chef at Societe Gourmet. In the past he worked for Elb Lounge Hamburg and Kempinski Grand Hotel [...]
Gregor Aufhauser: the Austrian who keeps carving out profits in crisis
Ten years ago, when Gregor Aufhauser started working with his family’s stone masonry company in Austria, little did he know that ten years later he’d be sitting on a terrace in Sighisoara, enjoying the ancient ambiance of the Romanian city. Or about the challenge he’d have to face running a multifunctional complex in Romania during [...]
Walter Friedl – From Vienna with love
Walter Friedl has had a long relationship with Romania. Indeed, perhaps love affair would be a better term, as his passion for the country is clear from almost as soon as he speaks. Originally from Vienna, he first came to Bucharest before the 1989 revolution as Austria’s commercial attache, he met and shook hands with [...]
Paul Wood: Romania is no longer the exotic, funny and interesting country it was in the ‘90s
Paul Wood is a Brit who fell in love with Romania while traveling here back in 1990. At that time Romania was for him one of the most interesting countries in Europe. Eight years after his first encounter with Romania, he moved to the country and started working as a Senior Consultant for Antal International. [...]
Lars Lund: Romanians are too hard on themselves. I have seen much worse in other countries
For Lars Lund, living and working in Romania is much like driving on the fast lane. And he should know a thing or two about fast driving. After all, he used to drive at rallies in the Middle East. Although he’s not in Romania to do that, Lars Lund found the pace of things in [...]
Romania: James Grindley’s meeting with destiny
When he first visited Romania in the early years of the post-communist era, little did British James Grindley know about what place Romania would end up having in his life. He had no idea that years later, he would move to the country, nor about him meeting his Argentinian wife in Romania. In an interview [...]
Arnaud Potiron, Michelin: To me, Romania is a country of contrasts
French Arnaud Potiron first came to Romania in September last year, when he was appointed Commercial Director for Truck Tires, Industrial and Agro with Michelin Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, and Serbia. It was his first time working abroad. In an interview for Romania-Insider.com, Potiron talks about his time so far in Romania and about the impact [...]
Expats in Romania spread the word in the online world. Check list of expat blogs
Pinning Romania on the map may not be easy for many- that is, without the use of the Internet. Finding online information about the country has never been easier. We at Romania-Insider.com try to give a complete set of information for those who want to learn more about the country. We can’t pretend we are [...]
Saulo Spaolanse steps outside Brazilian comfort zone to lead Schneider Electric in Romania
For Brazilian Saulo Spaolanse, coming to Romania to lead Schneider Electric’s local subsidiary was a challenge, another step outside his comfort zone. It may not seem this way, at a first glance. He came from Brazil, a market ten times bigger than Romania’s. Moreover, Sao Paolo has 21 million inhabitants, almost the entire Romanian population. [...]
For Gianluca Carlesso, not all roads lead to Rome
From the small market of Tirana, in Albania, Romania was an upgrade for Gianluca Carlesso. The first time he came to Romania in 2007, Carlesso was leading law firm Tonucci and Partners’ office in Albania and was in Bucharest for a meeting with a client. He went on to join the Bucharest subsidiary of the firm, continuing his international quest.
Ulrik Rasmussen: “I knew I would get exposure to more opportunities here than in Western Europe, where most things have been done”
When Danish Ulrik Rasmussen first came to Romania 15 years ago, on a backpacking tour of the region, he knew he wanted to return and live here. Six years later, he did that. In the past, he had been playing football, studying and working in Belgium for the European Parliament. He is now a well known head hunter in Romania, partner with executive search firm Pedersen & Partners. The 15-year path was quite filled with changes.
Laurent Piveteau eyes project expansion from Romania back to France
Laurent Piveteau is a true representative of the group of young French people doing business in Romania. He speaks fluent Romanian and has started his own business in Romania, soon after setting up his residence here. Together with a couple of partners, Laurent started Franco-Jobs.com, a human resources website dedicated to the French community in Romania, and is already working on expanding the project… to France.
Through the lens in reverse: snapshots of photographer Kathrin Weident
It’s a rainy, beginning of autumn day in Bucharest and I’m heading to Kathrin Weident’s photo studio to watch her take pictures. Not the best day to be outdoors but a good one to watch creativity at work. I had met Kathrin for an interview during the summer. Her story unfolded slowly as we talked: she had moved from Germany to Romania and pursued her dream to set up her own photography studio here.
Up and above: from 4,000 meters up in the sky to the place where Simone Favat learned to enjoy life
The image of a discretely tattooed motorbike rider who loves skydiving and martial arts is not that common yet among business people in Romania. But Simone Favat, the general manager of IQ Facilities Management, deals well with combining a couple of outdoor activities not for the faint-hearted with a more down-to-Earth activity: the real estate asset management business.
Russell Johnsen, Provident Financial Romania: It has been hard work here, the hardest I have ever worked
Russell Johnsen, the general manager of Provident Financial Romania, has been attracted to bringing change in the organization ever since joining it 28 years ago. A Jack of all trades, as he says, he has been at the helm of the Romanian subsidiary since 2009. The most intense activity so far, he tells romania-insider.com.
Chosen by art – the story of a Nigerian painter and author who embraces life in Romania
15 years ago, Kingsley Nwabia chose art – or, as he likes to say, was chosen by art. More than 200 paintings and a book after, he finds himself in Romania, where he settled in 2005. One hot summer afternoon, Romania Insider has talked to Kingsley- a natural born story teller too- in his Bucharest apartment, surrounded by an ad-hoc exhibition of his paintings.
Romania strikes gold, silver and bronze at European Gymnastics Championship, wins title after four years 
‘Magic mentalist’ wins ‘Romania’s got talent’ competition after flat-lining during live show 
Three trams collide, derail in Bucharest accident, at least 86 injured 
‘The Avengers’ epic movie almost covers production costs with first week-end box office revenues 
Athletic Bilbao files official complaint over Bucharest airport delays after Europa League final 
Wajiha Haris, Scheherazade Foundation president: “No” is never an option 
Romania’s Education Minister accused of having plagiarized three international research papers 
German STEAG buys wind farm from Romanian Monsson, plans EUR 200 mln investments 
Romanian actor Serban Ionescu left bed bound after catching Lyme’s disease from tick bite 
S Immo to put EUR 66 mln into The Mark – Bucharest office building with intelligent facade
