Cristian Chirnogeanu is, first and foremost, a full-time father and husband; only after that, an entrepreneur. He is married to the woman he knew he would marry since he was 10 years old and has a “cool” kid, exactly how a Chirnogeanu should be. He loves his family life and treats it as his most important investment.

He is the co-founder of CORNiCO Snack Food. He has made many mistakes—some he didn’t learn much from, but others taught him how to learn from them. His flaw? He works a lot. Just kidding. He works a lot, but sometimes he also gets bored of work. He draws energy from people, and if the work doesn’t involve interaction or isn’t useful to others, he no longer finds meaning in it. He is a social liberal. He enjoys entrepreneurship, but equally cares about people and the idea that things should work well for everyone.

C&B: If we were to look at a narrative thread of your career, what were the key moments that defined you?

Cristian Chirnogeanu: What defines me is more related to my family life than to my business life. However, if I were to identify a few key moments that influenced my professional path, they would be:

2015 – In a martial arts gym, I met the general manager of one of our main competitors today.

2019 – We opened the CORNiCO Snack Food Services branch in Romania.

2020 – The pandemic gave us the time and context needed to position ourselves in a market that had been largely monopolized until then—the Fan Food industry.
Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying: for us, the pandemic was an opportunity.

C&B: What has been the most difficult moment so far in your journey and how did you overcome it?

Cristian Chirnogeanu: It depends on what we mean by difficult moments.
The most difficult moments were actually the ones I caused myself.

I’ll choose this one: in 2020, without formal entrepreneurial training, in a context where many of our clients were completely blocked, I decided to rent a larger warehouse—even though we didn’t have an immediate real need for it.

I did it based on a principle I had read in books: “in times of crisis, you must invest.”
Without a concrete plan and without a clear structure, that decision brought us very close to shutting down.

Looking back, it was one of the most valuable lessons: courage without strategy is not entrepreneurship, it is pure risk.

Here, the advice would be not to read books anymore. Just kidding. The real advice is not to apply mechanically what you read, without context, without numbers, and without a plan adapted to your reality. Books provide direction, not ready-made decisions. Entrepreneurship begins where you filter information through your own market, your own cash flow, and your own risk.

C&B: Is there a dream or ambition that has always guided you, regardless of obstacles?

Cristian Chirnogeanu: My goal is to live long, live well, and be free.

And if along the way I can help other people do the same, then the journey becomes truly fulfilling for me.

C&B: Cornico.ro covers a very diverse range of products, from popcorn machines and nacho accessories to packaging and ingredients. How do you decide which products enter your portfolio?

Cristian Chirnogeanu: I’d like to know the answer to that myself.

A client who is used to a certain product in a cinema or stadium is very hard to convince to try something else. There are many people who tell us:
“I go to the movies just to eat nachos, especially for that cheese.”
Try convincing that kind of client to choose something else.

What we bring to the market are not just products, but indulgence moments—what we might commonly call “cheating moments.” People don’t come to eat differently; they come to reward themselves.

For this reason, the selection process is very rigorous. We receive many samples, we test a huge number of products, and without exact statistics, I can say that under 10% of them make it to real market testing, in commercial conditions.

I constantly attend industry fairs, where we discover new products that can naturally align with what we already have in the portfolio, without forcing changes in consumer behavior.

C&B: If we met your team or collaborators, what do you think they would say about you?

Cristian Chirnogeanu: Usually, people say that we seem like a very relaxed company.

However, when they look at the numbers and our evolution, they are often pleasantly surprised. That is actually the direction we want to reach. I would like CORNiCO Snack Food to be described like this: “It’s a relaxed company that handles any situation calmly, objectively, and with maturity.”

I know we’re not fully there yet, but this is the standard we set for ourselves and build toward every day.

C&B: What is the most important decision you’ve made that changed your trajectory?

Cristian Chirnogeanu: AIKIDO

Going to Aikido classes was by far the best thing I’ve done for myself.

It taught me to stay calm under pressure, not to force confrontation, and to use the energy of the context in my favor—lessons that apply just as well in life as in business.

C&B: What differentiates the equipment and raw materials you offer from other solutions on the market?

Cristian Chirnogeanu: Clients appreciate our openness in teaching them how to use our products so that it benefits them commercially, not just selling to them.

Our main differentiator is price. We are positioned above the market average, but the value clients receive is directly proportional to what we ask. We don’t just sell products, but also know-how, stability, and predictability.

Our clients are those who want to build a premium segment in the market, who also take care of their end customers. And when we talk about individuals, they are people who want the best for their families.

This should not be seen as positioning against competitors—on the contrary. We have different categories of clients, even if at first glance we operate in the same market. Our competitors do a very good job for the segment they serve.

There are situations where we send clients to competitors when we cannot deliver exactly what they need. We see this as a sign of maturity and respect for the market.

C&B: What does a typical day look like for you now, and which moments bring you the most satisfaction?

Cristian Chirnogeanu: My day starts around 6:30. I don’t use an alarm; although it may seem counterintuitive, alarms make me sleep poorly because I’m afraid I won’t hear them. So I wake up when my body tells me it’s the right time.

After 9:00, things get busy. If this were a video game, we’d say the characters are loading.
At that point, I paradoxically become less productive, but I’m immediately activated by a client who needs advice, help, anything. I really enjoy being of service to people.

It’s office work, but often also warehouse work. I like staying connected to what actually happens in our warehouse, not just what’s on paper.

Then comes my favorite moment: when I get home to Felix, our little boy. I tell him “The Jungle Book” story and we read from “Doctor Aumădoare.” These are, without a doubt, the most beautiful moments of the day.

Sometimes I go shopping before getting home, but more occasionally, usually weekly.

C&B: What values or principles guide you in what you do, and how do you apply them daily?

Cristian Chirnogeanu: My main value is freedom—my freedom and the freedom of the people around me. That’s when I know I’m on the right path.

C&B: What trends do you observe in the food service and fast food industry, and how do you adapt your offering to stay relevant?

Cristian Chirnogeanu: It’s important to mention that we only marginally touch the fast food segment. Our real market is Fan Food—places where people go to have fun and where our products complement the experience: cinemas, stadiums, events, entertainment spaces.

Even though I said there are people who come “for nachos and cheese sauce,” the reality is that our products are an added benefit in a context where people primarily come for the experience and entertainment.

Market trends are well known: healthier food, fewer calories, less sugar, less processing. We are not in conflict with these trends.
For example, popcorn is undoubtedly one of the healthiest classic snacks when we’re talking about fresh snacks, prepared correctly and consumed in the right context.

C&B: What are the strategic plans for Cornico in the next 3–5 years? Portfolio expansion, internationalization, or new services?

Cristian Chirnogeanu: CORNiCO Snack Food’s plans are not designed for 3–5 years, but for a much longer horizon.
We don’t constantly change direction or reinvent our strategy year after year. We have the same plan, consistently applied over time: to educate the market and bring cool products, regardless of context or market.

Yes, we are constantly looking at expansion into other countries. We have branches in several states and distribute to even more. For example, from Romania we consistently deliver to Bulgaria and the Republic of Moldova. If we include occasional deliveries, we have long surpassed Europe’s borders.

For us, however, the rule is clear: existing clients have the highest priority.
New plans only appear when we are sure they do not affect relationships and the level of service offered to current clients.

Growth, in our vision, does not mean expansion at any cost, but continuity, trust, and long-term building.

For Cristian Chirnogeanu, entrepreneurship is not about rapid growth or spectacular decisions, but about balance, clarity, and consistency.

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Camelia Ene has decided to step down from her position as Chief Executive Officer of ROCA Industry, just 10 months after her appointment. Her mandate will officially end on October 31, 2025, according to the decision of the Board of Directors on October 2, 2025.

“During the valuable months spent with ROCA Industry, the last 10 of which as CEO, I had the opportunity to contribute together with the ROCA Industry team and with the teams of the five companies in the Holding’s portfolio to challenging projects that have impacted the sectors in which the company operates, with the goal of consolidating and developing the holding over the long term. I would like to thank the team for their support and wish them success in continuing the project of creating regional champions,” said Camelia Ene.

Read full article here: turnovernews.com

Read also: Hidroelectrica Left Without CEO and CFO to Protect PNRR Funds

Photo: rocaindustry.ro

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The project was developed together with Ana Maria Andreescu and Angela Călianu, specialists in strategy, organizational culture, and medical leadership. In 2023, Gabriela Ciupitu was named the most influential global expert in Customer Experience, further consolidating her role as an innovator and thought leader.

What PXcellence Brings

The program targets hospitals, clinics, medical laboratories, and pharmacy networks that aim to enhance their competitiveness through an integrated approach. Structured on three levels – strategic, tactical, and operational – PXcellence involves executive management, medical teams, and front-office staff. Its goal is to generate a coherent and sustainable transformation in how patients perceive medical services.

To measure impact, the team developed dedicated tools: PX Assessment, Patient Journey Mapping Toolkit, and PX ROI Calculator. These tools link patient experience to key financial indicators such as loyalty, staff retention, and profitability.

Key benefits include:

• Increasing loyalty and referrals,
• Reducing costs through lower staff turnover and fewer complaints,
• Improving operational efficiency,
• Strengthening reputation as a reference medical brand.

Read also: Eucom Supports the Careers of Over 160,000 Romanian Professionals Through Language Courses and Innovative Programs

The Need for a New Standard in Healthcare

In Romania, despite major investments in infrastructure and technology, patient satisfaction has declined. Before the pandemic, satisfaction exceeded 90%, but recent analyses show it has dropped to 83%. At the same time, patients are more informed and more involved in medical decisions, pushing healthcare organizations to rethink their operating models: from standardized services to a truly patient-centered organizational culture.

“I have seen how Customer Experience has redefined competitiveness in banking, retail, and telecom. Healthcare now has the same strategic opportunity. PXcellence provides a clear methodology and concrete tools that turn patient experience into a business metric – loyalty, reputation, staff retention, and sustainable profitability. I believe the future of healthcare systems will be built not only through investments in technology and retaining renowned doctors, but also through a people-centered organizational culture,” said Gabriela Ciupitu.

Professionalizing Patient Experience

PXcellence introduces in Romania methodologies already validated in mature industries such as banking, retail, and telecommunications. The program marks an important step toward professionalizing patient experience as a strategic element of the medical industry.

“PXcellence moves patient experience from the exclusive domain of medical treatment and doctor-patient interaction to an additional area of integrated services, omnichannel communication, and empathetic approaches. When you position a medical brand correctly and design the patient journey end-to-end, the impact is visible in retention rates, organic referrals, and operational efficiency. This is the standard we propose to the market,” Gabriela Ciupitu added.

With the launch of PXcellence, Romania takes a step toward aligning with international trends, where human and operational excellence becomes a critical long-term competitive factor. The program marks the beginning of a new stage for the healthcare system: a stage in which patient experience is recognized as an essential component of success.

Photo: smark.ro

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“Selection will be conducted by an independent expert specialized in human resources recruitment, whose services are contracted in accordance with the law. To ensure transparency, Hidroelectrica will publish on its website information regarding the stages of the process, selection criteria, and final results, in compliance with legal requirements, so that interested parties have easy and non-discriminatory access to all relevant data,” the report submitted to the BVB stated.

Reason for the Leadership Changes

The CEO and CFO stepped down to allow Romania to meet the conditions of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) regarding the proper selection of corporate leaders in state-owned companies. Failure to comply with these rules could cost Romania up to €300 million. Economedia has already highlighted similar issues in other state-owned enterprises.

The decision comes in the context of Romania’s obligations under Milestone 121 in Component 6 – Energy of the PNRR, as well as European Commission Decision C(2025) 3490 of May 28, 2025, which partially suspended payments with a six-month deadline for addressing issues related to the milestone. The Ministry of Energy, via a September 18, 2025 letter, requested the rapid implementation of measures to correct the deficiencies identified by the European Commission regarding Hidroelectrica’s Directorate.

Read also: Porsche alters course, causing Volkswagen billions in losses

Statements from CEO Karoly Borbely

Karoly Borbely announced his decision on LinkedIn before Hidroelectrica officially published it, in line with regulations for listed companies:

“Following today’s Supervisory Board meeting, I have amicably decided to terminate my mandate. The achievements of the past two years show that managerial performance is possible in a state-owned company listed on the capital market, despite specific challenges. The conclusions of the independent auditor KPMG, commissioned by the Supervisory Board regarding potential conflicts of interest, indicate that there is sufficient evidence in the procedure clearly defining this situation. In the Ministry of Energy’s report regarding Milestone 121 and in letters sent to the Commission, it is stated clearly and explicitly that the selection process was transparent, fair, and respected all stages and principles of corporate governance and the BVB Code of Best Practices. For Romania, it is essential that decisions regarding the leadership of listed companies are taken responsibly and in compliance with the law to avoid affecting the company’s stability and market value. My priority is to help prevent any penalty for Romania (€16 million) and support actions that minimize the risk of a decrease in H2O’s share price and the company’s market value.”

Strategic Role of Hidroelectrica

Hidroelectrica is one of eight state-owned energy companies where the European Commission identified conflicts of interest and unjustified political influence in board member selection. These irregularities risk blocking €300 million in PNRR funds.

The company is Romania’s largest energy producer and provides technological services for the National Energy System. Hidroelectrica operates 188 hydroelectric plants with a total capacity of 6.3 GW and a wind farm at Crucea with an installed capacity of 108 MW. According to the December 2024 ANRE report, the company holds a 14.66% share in the competitive electricity supply market.

Photo: freepik.com

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In a fast-moving corporate world, where decisions often seem to boil down to charts and KPIs, there are people who keep the human dimension of work alive. Radu Bourceanu is one of them. An Operations Specialist at Morningstar Sustainalytics, with over ten years of experience in the field, he talks about his career not as a succession of roles, but as a narrative thread full of challenges, revelations, and moments of stoicism.

Passionate about music, photography, and thought-provoking reading, Radu sees authentic dialogue as a more valuable resource than any process or procedure. He is concerned with how we react to events around us—how silence can become oppressive, how a delayed email solves nothing, and how happiness itself can sometimes make us vulnerable. And if there is a common thread in his story, it is simple: people matter more than the systems that surround them.

C&B: How would you describe yourself in a single sentence to pique the curiosity of those who don’t know you yet?
Radu Bourceanu: I am the kind of person who learns the most from conversations: I enjoy people’s energy, but I speak only when I feel I can bring clarity. My extroversion doesn’t mean noise, but availability—to share what I know, ask good questions, and connect points between seemingly unrelated experiences. If it had to be a single sentence, it would sound like this: “A cheerful and curious person who prefers to give ideas, not collect them.”

C&B: If we were to look at a narrative thread of your career, what were the key moments that defined you?
Radu Bourceanu: Paradoxically, I was defined by challenges that seemed easy—“just a formality”—until I found myself alone facing them. These are the situations where seconds stretch, silence is audible, and it becomes clear that resilience is built behind the scenes. After a few such episodes, I learned something simple: success is a team sport. An honest conversation can shorten a chain of emails, just as a well-written email can save a pointless meeting. When you choose the right channel and ask the right question, time returns to its natural scale.

C&B: What has been the most difficult moment in your journey so far, and how did you overcome it?
Radu Bourceanu: The hardest moments are those that touch people: restructurings, news that change destinies, or permanent losses. In such times, institutions seem very large, and the individual, very small. Stoicism helped me—not as a cold armor, but as a discipline of perspective: you acknowledge what you cannot control, strengthen what depends on you, and remain dignified. When, at the end of the day, you manage to feel at peace with the way you were there for others, you have solved most of the equation. The rest settles over time—and time usually has the habit of being fair.

C&B: Is there a dream or ambition that has always guided you, regardless of obstacles?
Radu Bourceanu: Yes: to help people understand why seemingly small things matter disproportionately. A late email doesn’t relieve stress, it postpones it; a scanner fails exactly when urgency is at its peak, not out of malice, but because systems have their breaking points; bad decisions seem excellent precisely when emotions are too high. Obstacles themselves are directional markers: they force you to make better choices next time. Each challenge, faced lucidly, makes you a bit more “antifragile”—more capable of turning tension into growth.

C&B: How did you start out, and how do you feel you have transformed to this day?
Radu Bourceanu: At 22, I was working alongside people with much more experience, and I lacked the vocabulary for high-pressure situations. I started with the healthy naivety of someone who believes they can ask anything—and that saved me. Since then, I have moved from the “planet” of enthusiasm to the “planet” of structure and back, learning to care for what matters. Today I am more attentive, more patient, and more willing to listen all the way before responding. If I were to summarize the transformation: from “fast” to “right.”

C&B: If we met with your team or collaborators, what do you think they would say about you?
Radu Bourceanu: They would probably say I’m a jovial guy, quick with remarks when a topic excites me—and surprisingly quiet when it’s someone else’s turn to shine. They would say, I think, that I like to make light of difficulties, but not of people. That I care about the quality of conversation and know how to reduce a complex problem to a useful question. And the closest colleagues would add something simple and precious: “He’s a good guy and there when it matters.”

C&B: What is the most important decision you’ve made that changed your trajectory?
Radu Bourceanu: Changing jobs—several times—and later, changing the direction of my career. Each time, it was a threshold between comfort and possibility. You take risks, recalibrate your professional identity, and learn a new language of work. And you discover that mobility is not a whim, but a form of ambition hygiene: it forces you to stay curious. Each pivot brought fresh energy and a finer compass.

C&B: How did you build your leadership style or decision-making approach? Was it a natural process or learned?
Radu Bourceanu: I grew naturally, but I learned consciously. I “stole” know-how from leaders around me, but also from colleagues without titles—because the leader is often the person who knows, not the person who signs. My style combines the patience to listen with the discipline to act quickly when the direction is clear. I like consulting people who challenge me with good arguments; I also like the calm before a decision. It’s a mix of confidence and healthy doubt that keeps you away from excesses.

C&B: What do you think differentiates your professional approach from the rest of the industry?
Radu Bourceanu: I prefer a personal approach: fewer polite formulas, more real conversations. A “Kind regards” doesn’t replace a “Let’s talk for five minutes.” On calls or face-to-face, people feel heard, not processed. And when the relationship is authentic, logistics simplify: decisions are made faster, conflicts die down more easily, and mistakes become lessons, not files.

C&B: What does a typical day look like for you now, and what moments bring you the most satisfaction?
Radu Bourceanu: The day starts with a decent to mediocre coffee—a good anchor in reality—followed by a short team meeting. Then come the conversations that matter: I explain decisions, translate strategies into human steps, align expectations. Sometimes I feel like a “help-line” for people—emotionally and professionally—but that is actually the essence of well-done HR. The greatest satisfaction comes when you see tension decrease and someone leave a conversation clearer than when they entered.

C&B: What values or principles guide you in what you do, and how do you apply them daily?
Radu Bourceanu: I am guided by three simple principles: unity, commitment, and reciprocity. They may seem abstract, but in reality, they translate into small gestures: listen before responding, be consistent even when no one is watching, give before expecting in return. Stoicism adds the necessary framework—it helps me distinguish between what I can change and what lies beyond me. Every day, I try to take a small step in the right direction: a clearer conversation, a better-weighed decision, a relationship strengthened by honesty. In the end, the consistency of these small steps is what builds trust.

C&B: If you were to send a message to people who follow your example, what would it be?
Radu Bourceanu: Be original and open to new things, without being carried away by trends. Read a lot—it’s the fuel of thinking—and talk to people, not just at them: leadership begins with successful dialogue. We all have the ability to train our minds: attention, perspective, and the courage to correct trajectories. It doesn’t happen overnight, but it certainly happens for those who remain curious and persistent. The rest is noise.

Radu Bourceanu shows us that career success is not just about roles and KPIs, but about how we relate to people, cultivate patience, and turn challenges into valuable lessons. Authentic leadership begins with dialogue, empathy, and continuous curiosity.

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