Bogdan Micu – Nu succesul te schimb\. Puterea It’s not the success that changesyou but the power!

SNAPSHOT: Unul dintre cei mai boga]i români, cu o avere estimat\ la 1,5 miliarde de euro, afaceri în domeniul energiei verzi, comer]ului, banking [i IT în mai toat\ lumea, Bogdan Micu, jurat al Show-ului TV Imperiul Leilor, spune c\ nu îi place s\ piard\ vremea cu discu]ii „pe lång\” [i c\ nu prea are proiec]ii despre cum ar vrea s\ fie via]a lui. S\-l ascult\m:

BOGDAN MICU

>NU SUCCESUL TE SCHIMB|. PUTEREA!<

E[ti unul din leii din aren\ (Show-ul TV „Imperiul Leilor”), î]i marchezi teritoriul? În afaceri, e[ti tot leu? E[ti tran[ant, sau flexibil?

Ce înseamn\ tran[ant? Ce înseamn\ flexibil? Nu sunt no]iuni antonime. Sunt [i tran[ant [i flexibil.

Negociezi dur, î]i impui ferm punctul de vedere?

Nu îmi place s\ pierd vremea cu discu]ii „pe lång\”. Sunt un tip foarte direct, spun repede ce am de spus. Dar sunt flexibil dac\ simt c\ un deal pe care-l fac nu e [i în interesul partenerului meu, [i-atunci cedez de la mine pån\ simt c\ [i el este mul]umit de deal.

Generalist\. Care este cel mai important lucru din via]a ta? Business [i via]\ personal\.

Cred c\ orice faci, trebuie s\ faci cu bucurie. Pentru mine, cånd pun de un business, e important s\ m\ simt împlinit. Nu conteaz\ nimic altceva. Orice fac, business sau voluntariat, fac cu pl\cere.

{i dac\ e[ti în familie, la o bere… orice faci, fii acolo [i f\-o din toat\ inima! Fii hot\råt [i f\-o ca lumea!

Cu ce strategie de via]a ai pornit la drum? Ce ai vrut s\ te faci „când vei fi mare”? Care a fost visul t\u?

Eu nu visez! {i, în general, nu prea am proiec]ii despre cum a[ vrea s\ fie via]a mea. Mult\ lume spune c\ în via]\ e important s\]i stabile[ti o destina]ie, [i-apoi s\ te ]ii de drum pån\ ajungi acolo.

Eu, e-fec-tiv, nu [tiu peste o lun\ ce voi face sau peste un an. Foarte mult\ lume care lucreaz\ cu mine se mir\ c\ nu am niciodat\ un plan. Acum dou\ ore am avut un “call” cu unii care voiau s\ facem un parteneriat în America. {i-am discutat, OK, s\ avans\m…

SNAPSHOT: One of the richest in Romania, with an estimated wealth of 1.5 billion euros, involved in green energy, commerce, banking, and IT, all over the world, Bogdan Micu, one of the Money Tigers (Ed: the TV show), is not one to waste time with pleasantries or make projections of how he’d want his life to be. Now, let’s hear from him.

You’re one of the Money Tigers (Ed: the TV show). Are you territorial? In matters of business are you also a tiger? Are you trenchant or flexible?

What does it mean to be trenchant? Flexible? These notions are not mutually exclusive. I’m trenchant and flexible.

Well, are you a tough negotiator? Do you stick to your guns?

I don’t like to waste time with pleasantries. I’m direct – quick to get to the point. But I am flexible if I feel that a certain deal is not satisfactory enough for my partner, at which point I make some concessions until I feel we’ve reached a common ground. What was your strategy for life, your roadmap? What did you aspire to become when you grew up? What was your dream?

I don’t dream! And, generally speaking, I don’t really make projections of how I’d want my life to be. Lots of people say that in life it’s important to have a roadmap and keep to it until you get to the destination. Whereas I literally don’t know where I’ll be in a month or in a year’s time. My never having a plan is curious for a great many people I work with. Two hours ago, I was on a call with some folks in the American market who wanted to partner. So, the talks were advancing, they were asking me for details, paperwork… At some point, an employee of mine asked: “Well, what do you reckon? Are they nice fellows?”, to which I replied: “No idea!”, because I really did not know what they were made of, ultimately. This approach – your projection for the future, your plans, who you want to become – does not seem reasonable to me. I go on faith – and happiness. Everything I do today, I do with all my heart. As to what comes out of it – whether I end up as a programmer, businessman, working in biotech, energy, or back in IT – I’ve no idea. The future lies in the opportunities you cannot today predict! The only thing in your control, so to say, is projecting yourself as someone open to the opportunities that arise, interested in all that’s new and innovative. And, then, see where life takes you!

>IT’S NOT THE SUCCESS THAT CHANGES YOU BUT THE POWER!<

In general, what is most important for you (in matters of business and private life)?

I think that whatever you do, you should do wholeheartedly. For me, it’s important that I get a sense of fulfillment when I start a business. Nothing else matters. Anything I do – business or volunteering – I do with all my heart. Even if it’s just a family gathering or cracking a cold one… Whatever… If you’re gonna be there, be there! Be firm and do it right!

Are you one of those people who made it on the first try? Were you a winner from the get-go?

Is this a question? I don’t belong to that group. Generally speaking, my businesses didn’t really work out. In matters of counseling, I’m most often wrong. When I try to get involved in making decisions, I, most of the time, screw up. Nine times out of ten. A friend once asked me whether to invest in a hedge fund, and I advised him against it. He invested and it went really well. Another friend asked me about some restaurants. I thought the project wasn’t worth it – but he stuck to his guns and it went well. Yet another friend asked me about investing in a start-up. Told him it was a super idea and they went out of business. As you can see, I have no special abilities that make me stand out from the crowd. There’s one thing, though: I persevere, I keep trying different approaches. Something’s got to work out. It’s a numbers game, after all! fields are worth pursuing in Romania?

In Romania? I wouldn’t know. I don’t do business here. I don’t know what to tell you.

Do you hold a PhD? If so, you’re already suspect. According to one academician, 95% of the research done in Romania is wastepaper.

I don’t! (Ed: laughs heartily)

You’re an investor in renewable energy. Is it a good long-term investment?

Where? In Romania – no.

Do you mix business and private life? Are your friends also your business partners?

No, I try not to mix things up, because it doesn’t work out.

îmi cereau detalii, documente… iar, la un moment dat, un angajat de-ai mei cu care eram în “call” m\ întreab\: “No, cum ]i s-au p\rut oamenii, sunt faini?” {i i-am r\spuns: Habar nu am dac\ sunt faini sau nu… pentru c\ nu [tiam, de fapt cum sunt. Chestia asta cu „ce-o s\ faci cu proiec]ia ta peste timp, cu ce vrei s\ faci, sau cine vrei s\ fii… nu mi se pare o abordare rezonabil\. Merg pe încredere [i cu bucurie. Orice fac ast\zi, fac cu bucurie.

Ce-o s\ ias\?… C\ ies din asta programator, c\ ies om de afaceri, c\ o s\ lucrez în “biotech”, c-o s\ lucrez în energie sau c\ voi ajunge în IT, înapoi… habar nu am. Viitorul ]ine de oportunit\]ile pe care tu nu le po]i previziona azi!

Singurul lucru pe care po]i s\ îl controlezi în ce te prive[te, ca s\ zic a[a, te po]i „proiecta” ca o persoan\ deschis\ la oportunit\]ile care se ivesc, ca o persoan\ interesat\ de tot ce e fain [i nou [i inovativ! {i-apoi, vezi unde te duce via]a!

Business-urile din afara ]\rii î]i merg foarte bine. În România e greu s\ faci business?

E foarte, foarte greu s\ faci business în România! Sunt pu]ini bani, multe interese, foarte mult\ corup]ie [i extrem de mult\ birocra]ie.

Care sunt domeniile care func]ioneaz\ în România? Business, bineîn]eles.

În România? Nu [tiu. Nu fac business în România. Nu [tiu s\-]i zic.

E[ti dintre cei c\rora le-a ie[it din prima? Ai fost un înving\tor din start?

E o întrebare?

Nu sunt din aceia c\rora le-a ie[it din prima. În general, nu prea mi-au ie[it business-urile. Atunci când oamenii îmi cer sfaturi despre business-urile lor, de obicei gre[esc. Atunci când eu încerc s\ iau decizii în alte business-uri, gre[esc.

În majoritatea cazurilor o dau în bar\! Constant. În 9 din 10 cazuri o dau în bar\. Un prieten m-a întrebat odat\ dac\ s\ investeasc\ într-un fond de investi]ii [i i-am zis c\ nu. A investit [i a ie[it foarte bine. Alt prieten m-a întrebat dac\ s\ fac\ ni[te restaurante, i-am zis c\ nu are rost, a f\cut [i a ie[it bine. Alt prieten m-a întrebat dac\ s\ investeasc\ într-un start-up, i-am spus c\ e Your businesses abroad are doing great! Is it hard to do business in Romania?

It’s a great, great nuisance doing business in Romania! There’s little money, lots of interests at stake, lots of corruption, and a great deal of bureaucracy.

Bogdan Micu, naveta s\pt\mânal\ cu trenul de la Bucure[ti la Bra[ov [i retur, de pe vremea când lucra pentru Guvernul României

>I LIVE IN BRA{OV, NOT IN ROMANIA!<

You can afford to live anywhere. How come you chose Romania?

You see, I live in Bra[ov, not Romania. For me Bra[ov is a microclimate, from all perspectives. From the natural scenery (the town is circled by mountains, you have forests, natural parks – all minutes away), to the Old Town (built some hundreds of years ago by some very enterprising Saxons and Romanians), with a deeply entrepreneurial culture and some very proud locals… The town has a vibe. Living in Bra[ov is neat! It doesn’t have the weary air of other towns in Romania, that “Oh, how it sucks living here…” The vibe here is like “Woah, how cool is living in Romania!” Can’t get fed up with life here. It’s a very positive influence. Also, one can clearly see Bra[ov is quite clean, with plenty of fresh air. This thing with the pollution in Bra[ov is but a matter of negative publicity. It’s only two months in a year that the pollution is higher. Otherwise, all is well. Moreover, all my friends are here, my family is here. And seeing as I can do a great deal of business remotely, I don’t need to be somewhere in particular. Instead of working remotely in Bali, I work in the mountains, in Bra[ov.

super fain\ ideea [i a dat faliment… Nu am niciun fel de aptitudini mai speciale care s\ m\ fac\ mai diferit de ceilal]i oameni. Singurul lucru de care m\ ]in, perseverez foarte mult [i încerc foarte multe chestii. {i, statistic, pân\ la urm\, ceva iese!

>EU LOCUIESC ÎN BRA{OV, NU ÎN ROMÂNIA!<

Cum ]i se pare România? De ce locuie[ti în România. Financiar î]i po]i permite s\ locuie[ti oriunde.

Eu locuiesc în Bra[ov, nu în România. Pentru mine Bra[ovul este un microclimat, din toate punctele de vedere. De la frumuse]ea natural\ – ora[ul este înconjurat de mun]i, sunt p\duri, parc na]ional, totul la câteva minute distan]\ de ora[ – pân\ la centrul vechi – construit acum câteva sute de ani de ni[te sa[i [i de ni[te români foarte întreprinz\tori, cu o cultur\ local\ foarte antreprenorial\ [i cu ni[te localnici måndri de locul în care stau – ora[ul are vibe. E fain s\ locuie[ti în Bra[ov.

Nu are aerul ap\s\tor al altor ora[e din România, în care spui, „vai ce nasol e în România”. Vibe-ul din Bra[ov e pe „vai ce fain e în România”, s\ tot tr\ie[ti în Bra[ov. Aceast\ vibra]ie m\ influen]eaz\ pozitiv, ceea ce este foarte important pentru mine. Apoi, se vede foarte limpede, Bra[ovul este un ora[ curat, frumos, cu aer curat. Chestia asta cu aerul poluat din Bra[ov e o chestiune de marketing negativ. Bra[ovul e mai poluat doar dou\ luni pe an, în rest, este super, super fain. În plus, to]i prietenii mei sunt aici, toat\ familia mea este aici [i cum pot s\ fac mult business remote, nu e nevoie s\ fiu într-un anumit loc. În loc s\ fac remote working în Bali, fac la munte, la Bra[ov!

Ai doctorat? Dac\ ai, e[ti deja suspect. O analiz\ f\cut\ de un universitar spune c\ 95% din doctoratele din România nu au valoare [tiin]ific\.

Nu am (n.r. råde cu poft\)!

Investe[ti în energie regenerabil\. E o investi]ie rentabil\ pe termen lung?

În ce ]ar\? În România, nu. Amesteci business-ul cu via]a privat\? Prietenii t\i sunt [i partenerii t\i de afaceri?

Nu, încerc s\ nu amestec lucrurile, pentru c\ iese r\u!

Ai fost consilier în Guvernul Ciolo[, ai v\zut de aproape culisele politicii. De ce nu merge treaba la noi?

Am fost consilier [i în PNL-ul lui Orban [i a[ fi [i într-un guvern PSD, dac\ m-ar invita, pentru c\ apartenen]a politic\ nu conteaz\ dac\ vrei s\ faci treab\. Apartenen]a politic\ scoate la iveal\ doar „substan]a” ta! Am fost consilier pentru o cauz\, nu pentru o doctrin\ politic\, pentru un partid. Chiar nu îmi pas\ cine conduce un anumit guvern, atâta timp cât lucrurile func]ioneaz\.

Am lucrat foarte mult cu doamna Pan\ de la PSD [i lucrurile au func]ionat foarte bine. Chiar nu conteaz\ culoarea politic\, cine e la putere. Apartenen]a politic\ e doar o no]iune subiectiv\. Important este ca oamenii respectivi s\ cread\ în ceea ce cred [i eu. Dac\ avem acelea[i convingeri [i vor s\ fac\ o treab\, eu ajut pe oricine îmi cere serviciile.

Ar trebui s\ ne deta[\m de culoarea politic\. Fiecare partid are [i oameni buni [i oameni r\i. S\ nu ne ferim de cuvinte. Acesta este adev\rul. Nu exist\ partide curate cu mega-de[tep]i [i mega-frumo[i [i partide complet inepte. {tiu ni[te b\ie]i super faini în PSD, [tiu ni[te b\ie]i super faini în USR, [tiu ni[te oameni patrio]i în PNL [i la fel de multe usc\turi în toate trei. Din punctul meu de vedere, culoarea politic\ nu are nimic de-a face cu performan]a profesional\ a oamenilor care populeaz\ aceste partide.

M-ai întrebat [i de culisele politice. As an advisor for the Ciolo[ Cabinet, you’ve seen behind the scenes. Why aren’t things working out for us?

I was an advisor for the Libs, I would also be up for advising the Social-Democrats if they were to ask me… Political affiliation doesn’t stand in the way of getting things done. It only shows your “substance”. As an advisor I work for a cause, not for a party. I really don’t care who governs as long as we’re making headway.

For a long time I’ve worked alongside Ms/Mrs Pan\ from the Social-Democrats, and things went very well. Politics really don’t matter. It’s all a matter of subjective judgment. What I care about is that the people I’m working alongside share my beliefs. If we share the same vision, and they’re looking to get things done, I’ll offer my services to anyone who asks. We should overcome this red herring.

In every party there are good people and bad people. Let’s not shy away from words. It’s the truth: there exist not parties fully comprising members clean as a whistle and parties completely incompetent.

I know of some super Social-Democrats, some great guys from USR, some big patriots from the Libs – and of just as much deadwood everywhere. As I see things, political affiliation has nothing to do with the competence of the people populating these parties. You’ve also asked about the backstage. Politics is a myth.

There’s lots of “fan fiction” about political parties. Too much fiction. First of all, the government isn’t the institution we think it is, the all-powerful monolith that does this and that… Instead, there is a team of tentwelve people who discuss, like the two of us are doing now.

And so the talks begin: “What should we do with the pensions, do we increase them now, do we postpone?” Then Paul chimes in: “But then we won’t have money for X, Y, Z!”, to which George from Agriculture replies that the crop this year is good, so there will be money…

They agree to increase the pensions. This is how the talks go. It’s the same with highways and health. There are no well thought-out strategies. This is the state of affairs at present. Things are run by our own – people who are no smarter or better

Politica este un mit, e mult\ fabula]ie legat\ de partide. Mult prea mult\. În primul rånd, guvernul nu e o institu]ie a[a cum ne închipuim noi c\ este, care face [i drege.

E acolo o echip\ de oameni, vreo 1012, care stau [i discut\ a[a cum discut\m noi doi acum. {i discut\: m\i, cum s\ facem cu pensiile, le ridic\m, le amån\m… [i intervine „Paul” (n.r. personaj fictiv) care zice, m\i, dac\ le ridic\m nu mai avem bani de påine, [i-apoi vine „George” (n.r. personaj fictiv) de la Agricultur\ care spune c\ am avea [i bani de påine pentru c\ produc]ia de grâu e bun\… [i bat palma, OK, hai s\ d\m pensionarilor ni[te bani.

Acestea sunt discu]iile despre pensii. La fel se discut\ [i despre drumuri [i despre s\n\tate. Nu exist\ ni[te strategii bine argumentate. Asta e realitatea în politica româneasc\. Sunt ni[te oameni care au plecat dintre noi. Nu sunt nici mai buni, nici mai de[tep]i, sunt ni[te oameni care încearc\ s\ „menegiuiasc\” firma numit\ România! Dac\ sunt cinsti]i sau nu… eu spun c\ marea lor majoritate sunt cinsti]i. Nu spun c\ nu sunt [i corup]i, dar de cele mai multe ori mini[trii e[ueaz\ pentru c\ nu au experien]a sau preg\tirea necesar\ ocup\rii unui post de ministru, nu pentru c\ sunt corup]i.

Democra]ia d\ [i rateuri. Vine un anumit partid politic, oricare ar fi, câ[tig\ alegerile [i face guvern. Se uit\ în ograd\ [i spune, cine ar fi bun la transporturi? P\i, îl avem pe „Ginel” (n.r. personaj fictiv) de la Sibiu [i îi mai avem pe cei de la Gala]i… [i aleg dintre ei.

Nu se face o alegere în func]ie de competen]e. Dac\ vrei s\ ai drumuri bune în ]ar\, faci un concurs [i încerci s\ îi atragi pe cei mai pricepu]i manageri în domeniu, cu experien]\. Faci head hunting cu o firm\ specializat\ [i îl aduci pe cel mai bun.

Îl aduci pe cel care a f\cut drumurile din Dubai, pentru c\ a dovedit c\ [tie s\ fac\ drumuri. Nu te ui]i doar în curtea ta pentru c\, în 90% din cazuri, vei da gre[. În partid po]i avea oameni mediocri sau, dac\ ai noroc, bunicei.

Dar, în niciun caz, la nivelul pe care l-ar impune conducerea unui minister. {i e o situa]ie omniprezent\ în administra]ie. Sunt oameni de nivel sc\zut sau mediu de experien]\ care încearc\ s\ înve]e din mers. De aceea performan]ele statului sunt mediocre. În guvern nu sunt ale[i oameni excep]ionali, nu avem sistemul gândit în acest fel, s\ aducem oameni excep]ionali în sistem.

Ai lucrat vreodat\ la „st\pân”? Ai putea s\ te adaptezi acestui statut?

Ori de câte ori am f\cut voluntariat, am f\cut-o din pozi]ie de subordonat. Aveam un [ef sau mai mul]i [i nu am avut nicio problem\ de raportare. Depinde de natura muncii tale, depinde dac\ munce[ti pentru o cauz\…

Ori de câte ori am lucrat pentru guvern, am slujit o cauz\, a p\durii. Nu m-a interesat cine se afl\ ierarhic peste mine. Dac\ a trebuit s\ dau socoteal\ cuiva, am dat, dac\ a trebuit s\ fiu prezent la program, am fost prezent.

Nu vreau s\ spun c\ dac\ trebuie s\ m\nånc (…), m\nånc, dar a[ renun]a la confortul meu pentru o cauz\ nobil\. Cu ni[te limite morale [i legale, bineîn]eles, dar dac\ trebuie s\ stau drep]i s\ ascult de cineva, pentu o cauz\ special\, stau „smirn\”.

Nu avem facult\]i în Top 1200 (unii spun c\ am avea), vedem scandalul de la UBB în privin]a posibilului plagiat. Generic vorbind, „România educat\” are vreo [ans\ de reu[it\?

Of. Nu [tiu s\ r\spund la aceast\ întrebare pentru c\ nu m-am bazat niciodat\ pe înv\]\mântul românesc.

Reformulez întrebarea, te-ai [colit în România, ai fost mul]umit de calitatea înv\t\mântului old school? Se pare c\ la [coal\ nu se prea mai face [coal\.

Nu pot s\ r\spund nici la aceast\ întrebare. Eu mergeam doar la examene. Citeam rezumatele f\cute de colegii mei, profesorii [tiau c\ sunt antreprenor [i m\ mai iertau cu laboratoarele. Înv\]am bine, cât s\ iau un opt/nou\. Eu am f\cut facultatea doar de gura mamei.

Domnul Drago[ Anastasiu, Pre[edintele Grupului Eurolines, se implic\ în programe private de reformare a înv\]\måntului românesc. Ce [anse dai acestui demers?

Habar nu am. Dar, dac\ Drago[ crede, Drago[ face! than us, just trying to manage the company that is Romania. As to their motivation –I’d say most of them are honest. I’m not saying there is no corruption, but most often ministers fail not because they’re corrupt, but because they aren’t qualified for the position. Democracy is not infallible. A party wins the elections and they have to put together a cabinet. They consider the options: who would be suitable for the Ministry of Transport? Well, they have Johnny and there’s also Mikey, from Gala]i. The choice is between them. It’s not about the competencies. If you want to have good roads, you announce a call for applications and hope to attract the best qualified managers in the field. You appeal to a head hunting firm and you bring in the best of them. You get the one who did the roads in Dubai, because he’s proved that he knows his field. You don’t just stick to your brethren, because you will most likely fail. In your party, you’ll have mediocre people, or, if you’re lucky, competent peo-

ple. But you’ll never come across professionals of the caliber required to run a ministry. This is an all too common situation. The show is run by people who have a low or medium level of experience, trying to learn as they go. Which is why the quality of work is mediocre. The government is not run by exceptional individuals – the system is not thought-out in this way, to draw in seasoned professionals.

Have you ever been the “worker bee”? Could you adapt to this status?

Noi avem o regul\ în firm\. De curånd am f\cut un Team Building în Dubai [i neam distrat grozav, iar concluzia a fost c\ dac\ cineva crede cu adev\rat c\ ceva trebuie f\cut într-un anumit fel, trebuie l\sat s\-[i fac\ treaba. Poate fi un drum valoros, chiar dac\ ceilal]i cred contrariul. Nu e atât de important s\ ai argumente, pe cât e de important s\ crezi în drumul t\u. {i-atunci se schimb\ foarte multe lucruri.

E[ti în tab\ra celor care au reu[it. Succesul te-a schimbat?

Nu succesul te schimb\. Puterea! Aproape to]i oamenii pe care îi cunosc [i care au ajuns s\ aib\ putere s-au schimbat. Puterea poate veni [i prin succes economic. Sunt oameni de business care s-au trezit boga]i [i vor s\ î[i etaleze ma[inile, ceasurile, vilele [i ce î[i mai cump\r\ [i atunci, acest statut le d\ o anumit\ putere.

Puterea schimb\ oamenii. Nu cunosc niciun primar, niciun ministru, niciun director de mare companie care în momentul în

care a avut un mu[teriu sub el s\ nu se fi schimbat. Este incredibil cât de mult te poate schimba puterea.

Poveste[te-ne despre sportul t\u preferat, escalada.

E unul din sporturile mele preferate. E un sport pe care-l fac de atât de mult timp încât, practic, face parte din identitatea mea. Nu [tiu dac\ se poate spune c\ mersul pe jos e o activitate preferat\, dar pentru mine escalada este ca mersul pe jos, un act reflex, e parte din mine.

Anytime I did volunteering work, I was a subordinate. I had one or more persons above me, and I had no problem with this dynamic. I’d say it depends on the nature of the work, whether you’re working for a cause… Anytime I worked for the government, I worked for a cause – saving the forests. I didn’t care who was above hierarchically. If I had to report to someone, I did, if I had to follow a schedule, I did. This is not to say that I would eat >expletive< if I had to, but I would indeed give up my comfort for a noble cause – accounting for some moral and legal limits, of course. But if I have to “stand upright” and follow directions, for a special cause, I do so.

We have no universities in Top 1200 (though some say we do), there is also the (potential) plagiarism scandal now at UBB… Generally speaking, where do you place your bets as far as the “Educated Romania” project goes?

Ah, I wouldn’t know how to answer

here, because I never relied on the Romanian educational system.

Reformulating: You went to school in Romania. Were you satisfied with the quality of the “old school” education? The efficiency of the “new school” education is open to question.

I wouldn’t know what to say here, either. I only attended the exams. I would read the summaries written by my colleagues in preparation. The teachers, well, they knew I was an entrepreneur so they would sometimes overlook my attendance problems. I did study well enough to earn a B/C. I only went to university due to my mother’s nagging.

MR Drago[ Anastasiu, CEO of the Eurolines Group, is involved in private projects concentrating on reforming the Romanian educational system. Where do you place your bets in such matters?

No idea. But if Drago[ believes, Drago[ does so! In our company we have a rule: we recently did a teambuilding event in Dubai, which was great fun, and the conclusion we came to was that if someone truly feels that something really needs to be done in a certain way, he shall get his way. It could be a winning path, even if the others believe the contrary. Persuasion is not as important as believing in your idea is. This changes many things.

You’re a winner. Has success changed you?

It’s not the success that changes you but the power! Well-nigh all of my acquaintances that have got to know power have changed. Power can also come as a product of economic success. There are businessmen who woke up rich one day –they want to flaunt their cars, their watches, their villas, and whatever else they’re buying, and this status gives them some kind of power. Power changes people. I don’t know any mayor, minister, or CEO of a great company who didn’t change the moment they had someone below them hierarchically. It’s incredible how much power changes you.

Tell us briefly about your favorite sport, climbing.

It’s one of my favorite sports. I’ve been practicing it for so long that it has essentially become part of my identity. I don’t know whether one would say walking fits the genus “favorite activities”, but for me climbing is just like walking, a reflexive activity, a part of me. I walk everyday. Climbing is just the same for me – a way of expressing myself, a way of being. It is a sport, a community, and a way of life.

Amazon – fighting against deforestation

Merg pe jos în fiecare zi. A[a e pentru mine c\]\ratul, este un mod de exprimare, un fel de a fi. Este o disciplin\ sportiv\, o comunitate [i un mod de via]\.

Te vezi f\când pasul în politic\?

Îmi place foarte mult s\ m\ implic în via]a comunit\]ii, am foarte multe idei în cap de eficientizare a mediului în care tr\im, a ora[ului, a ]\rii… dar doar din perspectiv\ de antreprenor.

Eu caut solu]ii la probleme din pozi]ia de antreprenor. Urbea noastr\ e plin\ de probleme, de la parc\ri, la drumuri, gr\dini]e, educa]ie, mediu, autobuze electrice, pån\ la dezvolt\ri de noi tehnologii… Toate domeniile au nevoie de solu]ii, e un t\râm virgin pentru un antreprenor.

Din p\cate, politica, a[a cum este ea structurat\ ast\zi, [i nu m\ refer doar la Romånia, nu e un loc propice pentru un antreprenor. Politica are foarte multe restric]ii, mai ales pe inovare. Eu fac voluntariat la prim\ria din Bra[ov unde am g\sit oameni foarte faini, dar care sunt înc\rca]i cu foarte multe proiecte, mult peste capacitatea lor de procesare. Toat\ lumea îi ceart\ c\ nu-[i fac lucr\rile la timp… e un mediu stresant de lucru [i m\ gåndeam ce simplu ar fi de implementat un sistem de task management de tip Slack. {i mi-am dat seama c\ legisla]ia nu permite alegerea providerului pe Slack. Se putea face un sistem integrat de management, s\ aib\ Slack, Task Management, cu documente online, dar nu po]i implementa sistemul pentru c\ legea î]i impune un anumit provider.

Nu mai intru în detalii. M\ limitez la a sta „pe lâng\ politic\”, în sensul de a putea propune solu]ii [i idei [i sper s\ pot ajuta comunitatea în acest fel.

O întrebare gen Human Resources: unde te vezi peste 5 ani? (n.r., råde) Nu am nici cea mai vag\ idee.

Domestic\. De sezon. Ce faci de s\rb\torile de iarn\?

M\ duc la c\]\rat, în vest.

Pentru tine, Cr\ciunul nu înseamn\ [i pom de iarn\, cadouri, sarmale…?

Ba da, cum s\ nu! the step into politics?

I quite like getting involved in the life of the community, I have lots of ideas to make the world we live in – our city, our country – more efficient, but strictly from an entrepreneurial perspective. When looking for solutions, my standpoint is that of an entrepreneur’s. Problems abound –from roads, to kindergartens, education, the environment, electric transportation, the development of new technologies… In every field there is need for solutions. It’s virgin land for an entrepreneur! Unfortunately, politics, as it is structured today, and I’m referring not only to Romania, is not the proper arena for entrepreneurs. There are lots of restrictions, especially when it comes to innovation. I do volunteering for the Bra[ov Town Hall, there’re nice fellows there, but they are overworked with too many projects, more than they are capable of processing. Everyone scolds them for not finishing on time. It’s a stressful environment, and I was thinking how easy it would be to implement a task management system like Slack. But then I realized that the legislation doesn’t allow Slack to be the provider. A system integrating Slack, task management and online paperwork could be set up, but the legislation forces a certain provider – won’t go into the details. Therefore, I limit myself to staying alongside politics, in the sense that I propose solutions and hope to help the community in this way.

Now, a HR-style question: where do you see yourself in five years? (Ed: laughs) I’ve not the slightest idea.

And a seasonal question: what are you doing for the holidays?

I go climbing, in the West.

But don’t holidays also connote the Christmas tree, presents, sarmale (Ed: trad. Romanian food) for you?

Of course, how could they not?

Bogdan Micu la „Centrala de escalad\”, foto: © Balu Gáspár

Marcel {tef

Publisher The Robelos robelo.ro, eurolines.ro