Exclusive: Expat CEOs run more than half of biggest 100 private companies in Romania

Foreigners make the bulk of CEOs for the biggest companies in Romania listed based on turnovers. Only 40 of the first 100 private companies in Romania have local CEOs, while more than half of these companies are led by foreigners. Romania-Insider.com has listed the CEOs of top private companies in Romania. By Corina Saceanu Why do multinationals choose Expat managers for their Romanian subsidiaries? “Many companies hire someone capable for the job, which means that unfortunately, on some occasions, there are no Romanians who have the business exposure or experience or skill-set for that specific role,” says Delia Burnham, country manager with CVO Recruitment & Simplika. She also explains that some companies want very tight control from HQ and so always have mother-country foreigners at the helm of their foreign operations, while others consider that the Romanian market has not reached the right level of development or right moment to hire a local CEO. See below the first 100 biggest companies in Romania, based on their turnovers, and who is their CEO, and further down the first ten Expat CEOs on this list.

BCR – Dominic Bruynseels BRD- Guy Poupet OMV Petrom – Mariana Gheorghe Automobile Dacia – Jerome Olive Piraeus Bank- Catalin Parvu OTP Bank- Laszlo Diosi Rompetrol Rafinare – Arman Kairdenov Metro Cash & Carry – Dusan Wilms Bancpost- Peter Weiss Raiffeisen Bank – Steven Van Groningen Banca Transilvania- Robert Rekkers UniCredit Tiriac Bank – Rasvan Radu Banca Romaneasca - Marinis Stratopoulos Orange - Jean-François Fallacher British American Tobacco - David Waterfield Nokia - Risto Meskus Hiproma/Carrefour - Francois-Melchior De Polignac Vodafone - Inaki Berroeta Kaufland - Adrian Viman Credit Europe Bank - Omer Tetik GDF Suez Energie – Yvonnik David Arcellor Mittal Galati - Thierry Le Gall Romtelecom - Yorgos Ioannidis (*has recently announced to step down from the position) Lukoil - Maxim Khitrov Real Hypermarket - Michel Lamoot Selgros Cash & Carry - Alexandru Vlad Citibank - Tibor Pandi Alpha Bank - Sergiu Oprescu E.ON- Frank Hajdinjak Allianz Tiriac Asigurari - Rangam Bir Garanti Bank - Murat Atay Volksbank - Lurf Johann Philip Morris Trading - Sergey Slipchenko Mediplus Exim - Robert Popescu Enel Romania - Luca D’Agnese Mol - Kinga Daradics Coca – Cola - Michalis Imellos OMV Petrom Marketing - Rainer Schlang JTI - Neil Coupland RCS & RDS - Alexandru Oprea ING Bank – Misu Negritoiu Porsche- Brent Valmar Rewe- Frank Wagner Omniasig Vienna Insurance Group- Constantin Toma Continental Automotive products - Pedro Carreira Alro - Gheorghe Dobra Cora - Philippe Lejeune Interagro – Ioan Niculae Fondul Proprietatea- Greg Konieczny Pludi Market - Gabor Teleki Top Brands Distribution - Wael El Ghadban Arabesque - Cezar Rapotan Auchan - Patrick Espasa CEZ Vanzare - Jan Veskrna Alfred Toepfer International - Marco Wahler Billa - Sorana Georgia Ursus Breweries - Gary Whitlie Procter & Gamble Distribution - Sotirios Marinidis Autoliv- Ionel Fierbinteanu ING Asigurari de Viata – Cornelia Coman Romstrade- Gheorghe Racaru Michelin- Eric Faidy Bunge- Cristian Ungureanu Praktiker - Michael Krahn Dedeman- Dragos Paval Farmexpert – Iulian Trandafir Holcim- Daniel Bach Daewoo Mangalia Heavy Industry – Soon Gil Hong Schaeffler- Alexandru Blemovici RBS Bank - Johan Gabriels Cargill - Martin Schuldt MKB Romexterra (Nextebank)- Dan Sandu Spedition UMB- Dorinel Umbrarescu Grup Servicii Petroliere – Fanel Hahui Astra- Radu Mustatea Libra Bank – Emilian Bituleanu Takata Petri – Dan Tulvan Unita (Uniqa Romania) – Oliviu Gabriel Stoica Banca Italo Romena- Franco Antiga Lafarge Ciment - Philippe Questiaux Carpatcement- Florian Aldea Holzindustrie - Gerald Schweighofer Arctic – Monica Iavorschi Oscar Downstream – Alin Niculae Fildas Trading- Dragos Mihai Polisano – Coca Cascaval Sensiblu – Robert Popescu Motoractive IFN (Part of Garanti Group)- Murat Atay Delphi Packard – John Hutson Generali Asigurari – Marie Kovarova Asirom Vienna Insurance Group – Mariana Diaconescu Bricostore – Isabelle Pleska Farmexim – Ovidiu Buluc Unilever - Marc Desenfans Johnson Controls – Florinel Tudor Pirelli Tyres- Giuseppe Cangelosi Domo Retail - Lorand Szarvadi Groupama Asigurari - Sanda Nicoară Bank of Cyprus - George Christoforou Pepsi Romania - Pavlos Katsivelis