We are proud to announce the publication of the 3rd volume of In search of tomorrow - Critical Thinking about the Romanian and International Business Environment. The book continues our initiative of publishing and sharing with the academic, business community and the wider public the research work of the MBA students engaged in the Hull University Executive MBA class of 2020-2023 delivered in Cluj‐Napoca.
Each chapter has been written for a specific module within the MBA program and most often takes as a case study the industry that the authors work in. The examples and the data in the texts are covering the past few years, capturing the pandemic and the effects of the post-pandemic period, making this not only a book that analyses the Romanian business environment but also a testimony of a particular period in time with specific mutations and challenges.
This book project was coordinated by Dr. Ovidiu Oltean – Research officer at Transilvania Executive Education and Dr. Alin Baiescu – TEE MBA Alumni representatives and published by Cluj University Press. The book can be pre-ordered by writing an email to
Content of the book
With each chapter readers will traverse the intricacies of sectors such as banking, technology, energy, manufacturing, services, the hospitality industry, engineering, online retail and automation. In addition to examining the macroeconomic forces at play, the contributors to this book delve into the micro-level intricacies that have shaped their industries and companies. Some of the chapters offer a granular examination of the decisions and strategies that have defined success in the ever-evolving Romanian business landscape linked to a fast changing global economy. Contributors discuss emerging trends, potential disruptors, and the future trajectory of the Romanian business environment connected with topics such as leadership, organisational change, economics, strategy, systems management, operations management, marketing, innovation, international business and HR management. Their forward-thinking analyses provide readers with strategic insights, prompting contemplation on how to navigate future challenges and seize opportunities in an ever-changing global economy.
Who are the authors of this volume
The authors of the book are the alumni of the Hull University Executive MBA class of 2020-2023 delivered in Cluj‐Napoca: Vlad Anca, Ioana Baba, Andreea Berea, Ioan‐Iulian Chiorean, Ovidiu‐Florin Cîmpan, Ioana Coruțiu, Ioan Domșa, Dan Filip, Rareș Gavriș , Alexandru Geogloman, Mircea Hășmășan, Anca Jitea, Ioan‐Ștefan Mesaroș, Iuliana Puhalschi, Andrei Rus, George Tătar, Dan‐Florin Târnăvean, Anca Țarină.
Vlad Anca is a seasoned energy professional with 12+ years of expertise in the Energy Industry spanning Upstream Oil and Gas and Renewable Energy. Armed with a technical background and a Master's Degree in Hydraulics and Pneumatics from the University of Bucharest, he excels in business development, change management, and project management. A student of the EMBA program at the University of Hull, UK, Vlad seamlessly combines technical acumen with strategic leadership. His dynamic skill set, honed through hands-on experience, positions him as a valuable contributor in navigating the complexities of the energy landscape. Passionate about sustainable solutions, Vlad's track record includes opening and developing businesses in new countries and developing industrial-size renewable energy projects as well as account management. His adaptability and strategic mindset make him a sought-after professional in the ever-evolving Energy sector.
Ioana Baba is a dedicated civil engineer, completing her bachelor's degree in 2007 and master's degree in 2013 from the Technical University of Cluj Napoca. Passionate about shaping the infrastructure surrounding us, Ioana has been making significant contributions to the public sector in Alba Iulia Municipality since 2012. She has been involved in over 40 projects successfully funded with non-reimbursable support, mainly from the European Union. While focused on sustainable prosperity, Ioana has also been involved in developing local strategies, combining technical expertise with a passion for innovation and a commitment to community development. Ioana's commitment to excellence in her field was recognized in 2020 when she was awarded the prestigious Roberto Marzanati scholarship for the Executive MBA University of Hull program managed by Transilvania Executive Education in Cluj-Napoca. This program was a transformative experience for Ioana, enabling her to develop new knowledge and critical skills while expanding her professional network. Beyond her professional endeavours, Ioana enjoys exploring the world through her love for travelling, savouring diverse cuisines, and cherishing quality time with friends.
Ioan-Iulian Chiorean is an experienced legal advisor with a demonstrated history of working in the utilities industry. With a proven 17 years experience in Legal and Compliance Matters, he was responsible for a multitude of domains such as Corporate governance, GDPR/Data protection, Anti-bribery- ISO 37001, Energy and Regulatory affairs, Compliance and Intercultural Communication, Mergers & Acquisitions, Litigations and Corporate legal Advisory (for Antitrust, Negotiations, Trade Registry, Public Affairs, Human Resources). His strong professional background is founded on multiple specialisations that include a Bachelor Degree in Law, Master's degree focused in Corporate Law and Corporate Management, respectively an Executive MBA obtained after attending the University of Hull (UK) dedicated program. His multilingual expertise offered him means to interact with different business partners in multiple business contexts. His particularities recommend him as an trustworthy partner for public and private interactions for projects and future strategies.
Ioana Coruțiu graduated from the Faculty of Economics of Babes Bolyai University in Cluj Napoca, Romania, where she obtained a Master’s degree in Banking and Stock Markets. She holds an Executive MBA degree from the University of Hull in the United Kingdom. She has completed several certified trainings in financial valuation and business mentoring. For over 8 years she worked as CFO at Yonder, part of TSS, which is a professional IT services company with over 350 developers in Cluj Napoca, Romania. During this period, she designed an effective and efficient finance function to support the scalability of the business across strategic options, with a focus on corporate governance, economic strategy and forecasting as areas responsible for ensuring the organisation maintains consistent revenue growth by monitoring industry forecasts, improving budgets and aligning marketing strategies. As a member of the leadership team, she developed financial strategies and plans to support the company’s goals. In 2015, she joined the financial leadership team of TSS, actively involved in due diligence and M&A projects of VMS companies in Europe. She has conducted more than 25 due diligence projects in Sweden, Finland and CEE and has successfully managed the acquisition and integration of 11 companies over a period of 5 years, as well as building the organisation in two countries for future scalability. Since 2021 she is the CFO of TSS, taking the next step to expand the group’s regional growth strategy through financial and business transformation to accelerate growth with efficient capital. She is responsible for formulating effective and stable financial strategies.
Andreea Berea - an experienced marketer with recent notable roles at SmartBill Romania and How to Web Conference. Her expertise spans strategic marketing, product growth, market expansion, and hands-on work, particularly in paid marketing. She has worked in industries such as SaaS, telecommunications, software distribution, events, and product education. Andreea's involvement in community and education initiatives, sports events, and NGOs demonstrates her commitment to social impact. She recently graduated with an Executive MBA from the University of Hull and holds a degree in Mathematics and Informatics.
Ovidiu-Florin Cimpan - an experienced professional with a diverse background. He has a demonstrated history of 15 years working in procurement, including Strategic Sourcing, Category Management, Inventory and Material Management, and Capex strategic investments. Ovidiu holds an Executive Master’s in Business Administration (EMBA) and a Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) certification. He also assumed central leadership roles where he showcased a significant ability to navigate challenges and drive teams towards excellence. Notably, in the Procurement Leader role, he led a team of 10 to 25 buyers on Procurement Automation Projects, earning recognition for his strategic acumen. As of last year (2023), he plays a focal role in the Procurement and Management Consultancy Industry, serving as a Management Consultant in the FMCG industry, at one of the largest consultancy companies.
Ioan Domșa started his professional career 17 years ago in the Sales and Account Management area, later coming back to his first love, programming. During his career in the software development world, he specialized in different areas and technologies. He held various positions from software developer, Tech & Team Lead to Project Manager and Unit Manager. Currently, Ioan Domsa is Director of Engineering and Head of Division leading a team of 200+ people. Guided by morality, ethics and integrity, Ioan is passionate about building teams, products, and lasting professional relationships. In his free time, Ioan prefers long motorcycle rides. Ioan has attended the University of Hull (UK) EMBA finishing the program with a distinction.
Dan Filip is a determined professional with 16 years in banking. Passionate about Leadership, Emotional Intelligence, Innovation and Organizational Change, Dan has an Executive Master in Business Administration from University of Hull (UK) and a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance from Babes-Bolyai University from Cluj. Skilled in Retail Banking, Credit Analysis, SME, Credit Cards, and Commercial Banking, Dan is a true believer in “never stop learning” and “always believe in your goals”.
Rares Gavriș has 20 years of experience in Sales, Customer Service and Sales Operations. He has held various positions as Key Account Manager, Sales Manager, Inside Sales Manager and Customer Service Manager in multinational companies, acting in the electronic consumer goods and industrial automation markets. He has a vast multicultural experience gathered throughout his career, enjoying working with customers and leading teams distributed throughout Europe, Middle East and Africa. Rares was involved in various international projects including organizational change projects, ERP implementations, process improvement and automation projects. He has setup newly formed Customer Service and Contract Management teams, developed and implemented business processes and tools, career and training plans. He is involved in different leadership and mentoring programs helping young professionals and new leaders to achieve their career goals. Rares has earned a Batchelor Degree in Electrical Engineering from the Technical University in Cluj-Napoca and an Executive MBA from the University of Hull.
Alexandru Geogloman brings over 13 years of extensive experience in industrial automation and software engineering. Throughout his career, Alexandru has made significant contributions in the industrial automation, telecom software engineering sectors. He currently leads a software research and development department at a top company in the telecom sector. Previously, Alexandru's career spanned almost a decade at a leading industrial automation company, where he held various leadership roles in sales and technical sales, industrial software engineering, and engineering learning and development. His skills in leadership, strategy, problem-solving, business operations, and continuous improvement have been pivotal in his professional journey. Alexandru's primary areas of expertise are team leadership, strategy, problem-solving, competence development, and continuous improvement. He holds an Executive MBA from the University of Hull and a BSc and MSc in Electrical Engineering at Politehnica University of Bucharest. His personal philosophy revolves around the concept of continuous learning, which guides both his professional and personal life. This approach has made him a dynamic and forward-thinking leader, constantly seeking to innovate and improve.
Mircea Hășmășan has 20 years experience in operations management, fulfilling different roles in which he gained valuable business knowledge. His most important expertise areas are operations management, technologycal systems design, performance management in technical environments. Mircea has an engineering background, having attended an Executive MBA at University of Hull and different master degrees in technical fields, including one in management of technological systems.
Anca Jitea has 19 years of experience in working for multinational matrix organizations and highly demanding environments in leading companies from various industries: Engineering, IT, FMCG. She is a passionate Marketing professional, with expertise in Product Management, Business Development, Communication and Events, Branding, Business Planning and Project Management. Anca attended the University of Hull (UK) Executive MBA program, has a Master’s degree in Strategic Marketing, and two Bachelor’s Degrees in Marketing and European Studies from Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca.
Ioan-Ștefan Mesaroș has a passion for various activities such as judo and volunteering, alongside which, solving complex challenges that affect multiple business functions in a VUCA context is what triggers him the most. He loves to lead and motivate people in finding their source of competitiveness that can contribute firstly to their self-development, and none the less to the achievement of specific team and business goals. Ștefan has over 15 years of logistics and supply chain experience working in multiple manufacturing industries such as Sensing and Protection, Automotive, EMS, and Food, seconded by the Global Transportation and Warehousing service sector. He is a Continuous Improvement and Sustainability enthusiast with the most important areas of expertise in Operational Planning, Cost-Effective Supply Chain, Project and Program Management, and Sales. Ștefan has attended the University of Hull (UK) EMBA program in 2020, has a Master’s degree in Management of Logistic Systems achieved from the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, and a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechatronics) from The University of Oradea.
Iuliana Puhalschi has 17 years of experience in finance with focus on budgeting, management reporting, NBR reporting, IFRS and financial accounting. Throughout her career, she has contributed significantly to various non-banking financial institutions within the Romanian market, progressively assuming roles of increasing complexity. This progression has afforded her the opportunity to continually enhance and diversify her areas of expertise. Currently, Iuliana occupies the position of Deputy General Manager in BT Direct part of Banca Transilvania Financial Group. Iuliana's academic background includes participation in the Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) program at the University of Hull in the United Kingdom which she graduated with “Distinction” in 2023. Furthermore, she holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Accounting, Audit, and Management Information Technology from The Academy of Economic Studies from Bucharest. A fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) – UK since 2016 and a member of The Romanian Chamber of Certified and Chartered Accountants (CECCAR) since 2013, Iuliana consistently demonstrates a commitment to professional excellence. With a mission of making a difference and spreading an attitude of positive change, she wants to inspire people to become the best version of themselves and to create added value to the business.
Andrei Rus is a passionate Sustainability professional providing leadership on Sustainability selling strategy for Emerson’s Measurement Solutions European business. With 15 years of experience working in Finance, Business Analysis, Strategic Planning and Sales – Andrei is skilled in creating/driving strategies and leading projects and individuals to success. His most important skill highlights include Driving vision and purpose, Strategic mindset, Managing ambiguity, Effective Communication, Networking and Collaborating, and Driving Engagement. Andrei has attended the University of Hull (UK) EMBA program and has two Master’s degrees in Economics, Accounting and Audit from Babes-Bolyai University – Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
George Tătar is passionately curious and invested in technology, business, and leadership. With a technical background brought forth by a Bachelor and Master of Science in engineering at the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, and diverse projects and work experience for George the next clear and lucrative step was to come full circle and develop his business attributes. To do so he continued his lifelong learning journey by completing an EMBA at the University of Hull through a wonderful collaboration with Transylvania Executive Education. With this step forward clear strengths in Innovation, Economic Environment, and Strategic Management were soon to show. Even with new strengths and experiences in the business vertical, George still has strong attractions to tech, engineering, and research. On top of all the verticals of professional drive, George always is a proponent of fun, living life, and always taking steps to be happier.
Dan-Florin Târnăvean has 20 years of IT experience working in Romanian Higher Education sector, top global Pharmaceutical, and Industrial Automation companies. Through his career he gained experience while working on a broad area of IT like IT infrastructure support, IT Applications support, ERP’s implementations, Information Security, IT Management, Project Management, IT consultancy and training. Florin has attended University of Hull (UK) EMBA programme, has a Master’s degree in Artificial Intelligence and Bachelor’s degree in Informatics from Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca.
Anca Țarina has 20 years’ experience working in banking. After the first four years, she was promoted to a leading position, responsible for coordinating operations of a branch of 5 units at first increasing to 44 units at present. Her role also increased in responsibility during this period and now covers areas like operation management, risk management, compliance management, team management (hiring, training, periodic evaluation), recruitment, customer service and others. Her constant challenges are to improve customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction, manage sales targets, but the biggest of all was to redefine and reorganise the processes and her team after a branch merger and a period of high growth for the bank. Anca has attended the University of Hull (UK) EMBA program, has a Master’s degree in banking and a bachelor’s degree in European Studies from Babes Bolyai University.
The volume could be seen as a testament to the diverse expertise and experiences of the graduates who have played important roles in shaping the trajectory of Romania’s business sectors.