Profile picture for user sfodor
Simona Fodor
Senior Editor

Simona joined the Romania Insider team in 2015, first working on our travel guide in English and, later, writing features and interviews for Romania-insider.com. She holds a BA in Romanian and English and an MA in American Studies from the University of Bucharest and started her journalism career in 2003.  Simona divides her time between her hometown Ploiești and Bucharest. While in Ploiești, she enjoys spending time with her family and taking long walks with the family dog. Going through an ever-expanding reading list and traveling, now replaced by travel literature and documentaries, are some of her favorite activities. You can get in touch with her for stories about arts, culture, and travel: [email protected] 

 

sfodor
Submitted by sfodor on Mon, 03/01/2021 - 15:42
01 March 2021
Social
Central Romania: Mihai Eminescu Trust Foundation kicks off inclusive civic engagement project

Mihai Eminescu Trust Foundation has kicked off the project of an experiential laboratory for inclusive civic engagement....

Profile picture for user andreich
Andrei Chirileasa
Editor-in-Chief

Andrei studied finance at the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies and started his journalism career in 2004 with Ziarul Financiar, the leading financial newspaper in Romania, where he worked for ten years, the last six of which as editor of the capital markets section. He joined the Romania-Insider.com team in 2014 as editor and became Editor-in-Chief in 2016. He currently oversees the daily content published on Romania-Insider.com and likes to stay up to date with everything relevant in business, politics, and life in Romania. Andrei lives with his family in the countryside in Northern Romania, where he built their own house. In his free time, he studies horticulture and tends to his family’s garden. He enjoys foraging in the woods and long walks on the hills and valleys around his village. Email him for story ideas and interviews at [email protected] 

 

andreich
Submitted by andreich on Mon, 03/01/2021 - 14:58
01 March 2021
Capital markets
BVB-listed winemaker Purcari ups net profit by 49% on asset sale

Moldovan wine producer Purcari Wineries, whose shares are trading on the Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB) under the ticker...

Profile picture for user andreich
Andrei Chirileasa
Editor-in-Chief

Andrei studied finance at the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies and started his journalism career in 2004 with Ziarul Financiar, the leading financial newspaper in Romania, where he worked for ten years, the last six of which as editor of the capital markets section. He joined the Romania-Insider.com team in 2014 as editor and became Editor-in-Chief in 2016. He currently oversees the daily content published on Romania-Insider.com and likes to stay up to date with everything relevant in business, politics, and life in Romania. Andrei lives with his family in the countryside in Northern Romania, where he built their own house. In his free time, he studies horticulture and tends to his family’s garden. He enjoys foraging in the woods and long walks on the hills and valleys around his village. Email him for story ideas and interviews at [email protected] 

 

andreich
Submitted by andreich on Mon, 01/18/2021 - 08:20
18 January 2021
Social
Romanians sign up in large numbers to get COVID-19 vaccine

Romanians signed up in large numbers to get vaccinated on the first day of the vaccination campaign's second stage,...

Profile picture for user andreich
Andrei Chirileasa
Editor-in-Chief

Andrei studied finance at the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies and started his journalism career in 2004 with Ziarul Financiar, the leading financial newspaper in Romania, where he worked for ten years, the last six of which as editor of the capital markets section. He joined the Romania-Insider.com team in 2014 as editor and became Editor-in-Chief in 2016. He currently oversees the daily content published on Romania-Insider.com and likes to stay up to date with everything relevant in business, politics, and life in Romania. Andrei lives with his family in the countryside in Northern Romania, where he built their own house. In his free time, he studies horticulture and tends to his family’s garden. He enjoys foraging in the woods and long walks on the hills and valleys around his village. Email him for story ideas and interviews at [email protected] 

 

andreich
Submitted by andreich on Mon, 01/18/2021 - 08:17
18 January 2021
Politics
RO prosecutors seize EUR 0.66 mln from former PM probed for corruption

Romanian anti-corruption prosecutors seized goods worth RON 3.2 million (EUR 0.66 mln) from former prime minister Calin...

Profile picture for user andreich
Andrei Chirileasa
Editor-in-Chief

Andrei studied finance at the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies and started his journalism career in 2004 with Ziarul Financiar, the leading financial newspaper in Romania, where he worked for ten years, the last six of which as editor of the capital markets section. He joined the Romania-Insider.com team in 2014 as editor and became Editor-in-Chief in 2016. He currently oversees the daily content published on Romania-Insider.com and likes to stay up to date with everything relevant in business, politics, and life in Romania. Andrei lives with his family in the countryside in Northern Romania, where he built their own house. In his free time, he studies horticulture and tends to his family’s garden. He enjoys foraging in the woods and long walks on the hills and valleys around his village. Email him for story ideas and interviews at [email protected] 

 

andreich
Submitted by andreich on Mon, 01/18/2021 - 08:15
18 January 2021
Business
EC approves EUR 222 mln for water and sewage infrastructure around Bucharest

The European Commission (EC) has approved a major investment of over EUR 222 million from the Cohesion Fund for the...

Profile picture for user andreich
Andrei Chirileasa
Editor-in-Chief

Andrei studied finance at the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies and started his journalism career in 2004 with Ziarul Financiar, the leading financial newspaper in Romania, where he worked for ten years, the last six of which as editor of the capital markets section. He joined the Romania-Insider.com team in 2014 as editor and became Editor-in-Chief in 2016. He currently oversees the daily content published on Romania-Insider.com and likes to stay up to date with everything relevant in business, politics, and life in Romania. Andrei lives with his family in the countryside in Northern Romania, where he built their own house. In his free time, he studies horticulture and tends to his family’s garden. He enjoys foraging in the woods and long walks on the hills and valleys around his village. Email him for story ideas and interviews at [email protected] 

 

andreich
Submitted by andreich on Mon, 01/18/2021 - 08:12
18 January 2021
Business
Bucharest District 3 mayor’s family pays EUR 10 mln for 10 hectares of land

The family of Robert Negoita, the mayor of Bucharest's District 3, has bought a plot of over 10 hectares, part of the...

Profile picture for user andreich
Andrei Chirileasa
Editor-in-Chief

Andrei studied finance at the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies and started his journalism career in 2004 with Ziarul Financiar, the leading financial newspaper in Romania, where he worked for ten years, the last six of which as editor of the capital markets section. He joined the Romania-Insider.com team in 2014 as editor and became Editor-in-Chief in 2016. He currently oversees the daily content published on Romania-Insider.com and likes to stay up to date with everything relevant in business, politics, and life in Romania. Andrei lives with his family in the countryside in Northern Romania, where he built their own house. In his free time, he studies horticulture and tends to his family’s garden. He enjoys foraging in the woods and long walks on the hills and valleys around his village. Email him for story ideas and interviews at [email protected] 

 

andreich
Submitted by andreich on Mon, 01/18/2021 - 08:08
18 January 2021
Business
RO e-commerce platforms MerchantPro reports record transactions in December

Romanian e-commerce platform MerchantPro, which provides services to online stores, announced a record volume of...

Profile picture for user andreich
Andrei Chirileasa
Editor-in-Chief

Andrei studied finance at the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies and started his journalism career in 2004 with Ziarul Financiar, the leading financial newspaper in Romania, where he worked for ten years, the last six of which as editor of the capital markets section. He joined the Romania-Insider.com team in 2014 as editor and became Editor-in-Chief in 2016. He currently oversees the daily content published on Romania-Insider.com and likes to stay up to date with everything relevant in business, politics, and life in Romania. Andrei lives with his family in the countryside in Northern Romania, where he built their own house. In his free time, he studies horticulture and tends to his family’s garden. He enjoys foraging in the woods and long walks on the hills and valleys around his village. Email him for story ideas and interviews at [email protected] 

 

andreich
Submitted by andreich on Mon, 01/18/2021 - 08:06
18 January 2021
Business
Dacia to launch seven-seater SUV model Grand Duster

Romanian carmaker Dacia, part of French group Renault, will launch a seven-seat SUV, bigger than the Duster, in the...

Profile picture for user andreich
Andrei Chirileasa
Editor-in-Chief

Andrei studied finance at the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies and started his journalism career in 2004 with Ziarul Financiar, the leading financial newspaper in Romania, where he worked for ten years, the last six of which as editor of the capital markets section. He joined the Romania-Insider.com team in 2014 as editor and became Editor-in-Chief in 2016. He currently oversees the daily content published on Romania-Insider.com and likes to stay up to date with everything relevant in business, politics, and life in Romania. Andrei lives with his family in the countryside in Northern Romania, where he built their own house. In his free time, he studies horticulture and tends to his family’s garden. He enjoys foraging in the woods and long walks on the hills and valleys around his village. Email him for story ideas and interviews at [email protected] 

 

andreich
Submitted by andreich on Mon, 01/18/2021 - 08:01
18 January 2021
Business
US insurer MassMutual opens two service centers in Romania

American insurer Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) has opened two Global Service Centers in...

Profile picture for user andreich
Andrei Chirileasa
Editor-in-Chief

Andrei studied finance at the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies and started his journalism career in 2004 with Ziarul Financiar, the leading financial newspaper in Romania, where he worked for ten years, the last six of which as editor of the capital markets section. He joined the Romania-Insider.com team in 2014 as editor and became Editor-in-Chief in 2016. He currently oversees the daily content published on Romania-Insider.com and likes to stay up to date with everything relevant in business, politics, and life in Romania. Andrei lives with his family in the countryside in Northern Romania, where he built their own house. In his free time, he studies horticulture and tends to his family’s garden. He enjoys foraging in the woods and long walks on the hills and valleys around his village. Email him for story ideas and interviews at [email protected] 

 

andreich
Submitted by andreich on Mon, 01/18/2021 - 06:51
18 January 2021
Business
RO energy market regulator brings final touch on liberalisation process

Romania's energy market regulator ANRE published another order to address the problems generated by the imperfect...

Profile picture for user andreich
Andrei Chirileasa
Editor-in-Chief

Andrei studied finance at the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies and started his journalism career in 2004 with Ziarul Financiar, the leading financial newspaper in Romania, where he worked for ten years, the last six of which as editor of the capital markets section. He joined the Romania-Insider.com team in 2014 as editor and became Editor-in-Chief in 2016. He currently oversees the daily content published on Romania-Insider.com and likes to stay up to date with everything relevant in business, politics, and life in Romania. Andrei lives with his family in the countryside in Northern Romania, where he built their own house. In his free time, he studies horticulture and tends to his family’s garden. He enjoys foraging in the woods and long walks on the hills and valleys around his village. Email him for story ideas and interviews at [email protected] 

 

andreich
Submitted by andreich on Mon, 01/18/2021 - 06:48
18 January 2021
Business
RO mandatory pension funds’s assets rise by 21% in 2020

The seven mandatory private pension funds (Pillar II) in Romania ended 2020 with total net assets worth RON 75.14...

Profile picture for user iuliane
Iulian Ernst
Senior Editor

Iulian studied physics at the University of Bucharest, and he sees himself as a physicist in the broadest sense of the word. He also studied economics at Charles University in Prague and Central European University in Budapest, after a master’s program in business administration at Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies. Since recently, he’s been exploring coding and data analysis for business and economics. As a freelancer, he worked for nearly two decades as an analyst for ISI Emerging Markets, Euromonitor International, Business New Europe, but also as a consultant for OMV Petrom and UkrAgroConsult. Iulian was part of the founding team of Ziarul Financiar. At Romania Insider, which he joined in 2018, he is reviewing the latest economic developments for the premium bulletins and newsletters. He would gladly discuss topics such as macroeconomics, emerging markets, Prague, energy sector including renewable, Led Zeppelin, financial services, as well as tech start-ups and innovative technologies. Email him at [email protected] 

 

Submitted by iuliane on Mon, 01/18/2021 - 06:46
18 January 2021
Real Estate
Construction activity in RO slows down in Nov after robust growth through 2020

Romania's construction work index increased by 7.8% year-on-year in November, a robust growth yet relatively slower than...

Profile picture for user andreich
Andrei Chirileasa
Editor-in-Chief

Andrei studied finance at the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies and started his journalism career in 2004 with Ziarul Financiar, the leading financial newspaper in Romania, where he worked for ten years, the last six of which as editor of the capital markets section. He joined the Romania-Insider.com team in 2014 as editor and became Editor-in-Chief in 2016. He currently oversees the daily content published on Romania-Insider.com and likes to stay up to date with everything relevant in business, politics, and life in Romania. Andrei lives with his family in the countryside in Northern Romania, where he built their own house. In his free time, he studies horticulture and tends to his family’s garden. He enjoys foraging in the woods and long walks on the hills and valleys around his village. Email him for story ideas and interviews at [email protected] 

 

andreich
Submitted by andreich on Mon, 01/18/2021 - 08:20
18 January 2021
Social
Romanians sign up in large numbers to get COVID-19 vaccine

Romanians signed up in large numbers to get vaccinated on the first day of the vaccination campaign's second stage,...

Profile picture for user andreich
Andrei Chirileasa
Editor-in-Chief

Andrei studied finance at the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies and started his journalism career in 2004 with Ziarul Financiar, the leading financial newspaper in Romania, where he worked for ten years, the last six of which as editor of the capital markets section. He joined the Romania-Insider.com team in 2014 as editor and became Editor-in-Chief in 2016. He currently oversees the daily content published on Romania-Insider.com and likes to stay up to date with everything relevant in business, politics, and life in Romania. Andrei lives with his family in the countryside in Northern Romania, where he built their own house. In his free time, he studies horticulture and tends to his family’s garden. He enjoys foraging in the woods and long walks on the hills and valleys around his village. Email him for story ideas and interviews at [email protected] 

 

andreich
Submitted by andreich on Mon, 01/18/2021 - 08:17
18 January 2021
Politics
RO prosecutors seize EUR 0.66 mln from former PM probed for corruption

Romanian anti-corruption prosecutors seized goods worth RON 3.2 million (EUR 0.66 mln) from former prime minister Calin...

Profile picture for user andreich
Andrei Chirileasa
Editor-in-Chief

Andrei studied finance at the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies and started his journalism career in 2004 with Ziarul Financiar, the leading financial newspaper in Romania, where he worked for ten years, the last six of which as editor of the capital markets section. He joined the Romania-Insider.com team in 2014 as editor and became Editor-in-Chief in 2016. He currently oversees the daily content published on Romania-Insider.com and likes to stay up to date with everything relevant in business, politics, and life in Romania. Andrei lives with his family in the countryside in Northern Romania, where he built their own house. In his free time, he studies horticulture and tends to his family’s garden. He enjoys foraging in the woods and long walks on the hills and valleys around his village. Email him for story ideas and interviews at [email protected] 

 

andreich
Submitted by andreich on Mon, 01/18/2021 - 08:15
18 January 2021
Business
EC approves EUR 222 mln for water and sewage infrastructure around Bucharest

The European Commission (EC) has approved a major investment of over EUR 222 million from the Cohesion Fund for the...

Profile picture for user andreich
Andrei Chirileasa
Editor-in-Chief

Andrei studied finance at the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies and started his journalism career in 2004 with Ziarul Financiar, the leading financial newspaper in Romania, where he worked for ten years, the last six of which as editor of the capital markets section. He joined the Romania-Insider.com team in 2014 as editor and became Editor-in-Chief in 2016. He currently oversees the daily content published on Romania-Insider.com and likes to stay up to date with everything relevant in business, politics, and life in Romania. Andrei lives with his family in the countryside in Northern Romania, where he built their own house. In his free time, he studies horticulture and tends to his family’s garden. He enjoys foraging in the woods and long walks on the hills and valleys around his village. Email him for story ideas and interviews at [email protected] 

 

andreich
Submitted by andreich on Mon, 01/18/2021 - 08:12
18 January 2021
Business
Bucharest District 3 mayor’s family pays EUR 10 mln for 10 hectares of land

The family of Robert Negoita, the mayor of Bucharest's District 3, has bought a plot of over 10 hectares, part of the...

Profile picture for user andreich
Andrei Chirileasa
Editor-in-Chief

Andrei studied finance at the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies and started his journalism career in 2004 with Ziarul Financiar, the leading financial newspaper in Romania, where he worked for ten years, the last six of which as editor of the capital markets section. He joined the Romania-Insider.com team in 2014 as editor and became Editor-in-Chief in 2016. He currently oversees the daily content published on Romania-Insider.com and likes to stay up to date with everything relevant in business, politics, and life in Romania. Andrei lives with his family in the countryside in Northern Romania, where he built their own house. In his free time, he studies horticulture and tends to his family’s garden. He enjoys foraging in the woods and long walks on the hills and valleys around his village. Email him for story ideas and interviews at [email protected] 

 

andreich
Submitted by andreich on Mon, 01/18/2021 - 08:08
18 January 2021
Business
RO e-commerce platforms MerchantPro reports record transactions in December

Romanian e-commerce platform MerchantPro, which provides services to online stores, announced a record volume of...

Profile picture for user andreich
Andrei Chirileasa
Editor-in-Chief

Andrei studied finance at the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies and started his journalism career in 2004 with Ziarul Financiar, the leading financial newspaper in Romania, where he worked for ten years, the last six of which as editor of the capital markets section. He joined the Romania-Insider.com team in 2014 as editor and became Editor-in-Chief in 2016. He currently oversees the daily content published on Romania-Insider.com and likes to stay up to date with everything relevant in business, politics, and life in Romania. Andrei lives with his family in the countryside in Northern Romania, where he built their own house. In his free time, he studies horticulture and tends to his family’s garden. He enjoys foraging in the woods and long walks on the hills and valleys around his village. Email him for story ideas and interviews at [email protected] 

 

andreich
Submitted by andreich on Mon, 01/18/2021 - 08:06
18 January 2021
Business
Dacia to launch seven-seater SUV model Grand Duster

Romanian carmaker Dacia, part of French group Renault, will launch a seven-seat SUV, bigger than the Duster, in the...

Profile picture for user andreich
Andrei Chirileasa
Editor-in-Chief

Andrei studied finance at the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies and started his journalism career in 2004 with Ziarul Financiar, the leading financial newspaper in Romania, where he worked for ten years, the last six of which as editor of the capital markets section. He joined the Romania-Insider.com team in 2014 as editor and became Editor-in-Chief in 2016. He currently oversees the daily content published on Romania-Insider.com and likes to stay up to date with everything relevant in business, politics, and life in Romania. Andrei lives with his family in the countryside in Northern Romania, where he built their own house. In his free time, he studies horticulture and tends to his family’s garden. He enjoys foraging in the woods and long walks on the hills and valleys around his village. Email him for story ideas and interviews at [email protected] 

 

andreich
Submitted by andreich on Mon, 01/18/2021 - 08:01
18 January 2021
Business
US insurer MassMutual opens two service centers in Romania

American insurer Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) has opened two Global Service Centers in...

Profile picture for user andreich
Andrei Chirileasa
Editor-in-Chief

Andrei studied finance at the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies and started his journalism career in 2004 with Ziarul Financiar, the leading financial newspaper in Romania, where he worked for ten years, the last six of which as editor of the capital markets section. He joined the Romania-Insider.com team in 2014 as editor and became Editor-in-Chief in 2016. He currently oversees the daily content published on Romania-Insider.com and likes to stay up to date with everything relevant in business, politics, and life in Romania. Andrei lives with his family in the countryside in Northern Romania, where he built their own house. In his free time, he studies horticulture and tends to his family’s garden. He enjoys foraging in the woods and long walks on the hills and valleys around his village. Email him for story ideas and interviews at [email protected] 

 

andreich
Submitted by andreich on Mon, 01/18/2021 - 06:51
18 January 2021
Business
RO energy market regulator brings final touch on liberalisation process

Romania's energy market regulator ANRE published another order to address the problems generated by the imperfect...

Profile picture for user andreich
Andrei Chirileasa
Editor-in-Chief

Andrei studied finance at the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies and started his journalism career in 2004 with Ziarul Financiar, the leading financial newspaper in Romania, where he worked for ten years, the last six of which as editor of the capital markets section. He joined the Romania-Insider.com team in 2014 as editor and became Editor-in-Chief in 2016. He currently oversees the daily content published on Romania-Insider.com and likes to stay up to date with everything relevant in business, politics, and life in Romania. Andrei lives with his family in the countryside in Northern Romania, where he built their own house. In his free time, he studies horticulture and tends to his family’s garden. He enjoys foraging in the woods and long walks on the hills and valleys around his village. Email him for story ideas and interviews at [email protected] 

 

andreich
Submitted by andreich on Mon, 01/18/2021 - 06:48
18 January 2021
Business
RO mandatory pension funds’s assets rise by 21% in 2020

The seven mandatory private pension funds (Pillar II) in Romania ended 2020 with total net assets worth RON 75.14...

Profile picture for user iuliane
Iulian Ernst
Senior Editor

Iulian studied physics at the University of Bucharest, and he sees himself as a physicist in the broadest sense of the word. He also studied economics at Charles University in Prague and Central European University in Budapest, after a master’s program in business administration at Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies. Since recently, he’s been exploring coding and data analysis for business and economics. As a freelancer, he worked for nearly two decades as an analyst for ISI Emerging Markets, Euromonitor International, Business New Europe, but also as a consultant for OMV Petrom and UkrAgroConsult. Iulian was part of the founding team of Ziarul Financiar. At Romania Insider, which he joined in 2018, he is reviewing the latest economic developments for the premium bulletins and newsletters. He would gladly discuss topics such as macroeconomics, emerging markets, Prague, energy sector including renewable, Led Zeppelin, financial services, as well as tech start-ups and innovative technologies. Email him at [email protected] 

 

Submitted by iuliane on Mon, 01/18/2021 - 06:46
18 January 2021
Real Estate
Construction activity in RO slows down in Nov after robust growth through 2020

Romania's construction work index increased by 7.8% year-on-year in November, a robust growth yet relatively slower than...

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Editor's picks

01 March 2021
Capital markets
Romanian farm supplies retailer’s listing on Bucharest Stock Exchange makes new millionaire
01 March 2021
RI +
Urban Cultor: Bucharest project bets on urban gardening’s potential, works to get city residents to compost
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Capital markets
Romanian IT group Bittnet's shares added to FTSE Russel indices
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RI +
Fifteen large multinationals change their country managers in Romania in less than two months
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Business
Romanian fintech startup iFactor raises EUR 700,000 on London-based crowdfunding platform Seedrs
19 February 2021
Business
Former Romanian billionaire Ioan Niculae gets final five-year jail sentence for corruption
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Entertainment
Wild Danube: Wild Carpathia series producer Charlie Ottley starts work on new movie
17 February 2021
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Two Swiss investors make premium Angus beef in the green meadows of Transylvania