The Diplomat-Bucharest celebrated excellence at the 2023 Awards Gala – 19th Anniversary

What a special evening we had at the 2023 Awards Gala organized by The Diplomat and now in its 19th edition! As every year, the event celebrated excellence in the business community and the impressive achievements of the winners at Le Chateau in Bucharest.

These things would not have been possible without the support of our great partners, to whom we would like to say a big thank you: 

Gold Partners: RetuRO Sistem Garantie Returnare, Teleperformance Romania, Societe Generale Global Solution Centre, Hidroelectrica, Engie Romania, E.ON, Tinmar Energy, Distributie Energie Electrica Romania, INFORM, Electrica Furnizare, Romgaz, Transelectrica, Nuclearelectrica

Partners: Transgaz, Romaqua Group, Exim Banca Romaneasca, Valoris Center, Lovering & Partners Business Consultants, Auchan Romania, GreenPoint Management, Nova Power & Gas, Eximprod, Klarwin

Supporting Institutions: AHK Romania, HENRO, Invest Romania, Concordia, BRCC

Media Partners: Automotive Today, Outsourcing Today, Financial Intelligence, Economistul, Romania Durabila, Club Economic, Ziarul Bursa.

And now it’s time to reveal the list of winners at the 2023 Awards Gala – 19th Anniversary by The Diplomat-Bucharest:

STRATEGIC SUPPORTER OF ROMANIA’S ECONOMY

This award is given to one of the key institution supporting the process of Romania’s accession to the OECD, a country project with a similar significance to those related to the accession to the EU and NATO.

Last year, the OECD Council adopted the decision regarding the opening of accession talks with Romania, which thus received the status of a candidate country for accession. Romania is to be evaluated by 26 sectoral committees, according to the Key Principles for accession, and the evaluations will take place in parallel according to procedures established by each Committee.

The award goes to EXIM BANCA ROMANEASCA.

OUTSTANDING BUSINESS ENDEAVOR

This award goes to a company that carries out major investments for the energy industry in Romania. Reference projects include a $576 million contract to extend the life of Unit 1 of the Cernavodă Power Plant.

In addition to extending the life of Unit 1, the company is also preparing the project for the detritus installation, an investment estimated at a quarter of a billion euros.

Another major project on the investment list is the NuScale nuclear power plant with small modular reactors, with a gross installed capacity of 462 MWe.

These investments will bring multiple benefits for Romania: the preservation and creation of new jobs, investments in the community, an important contribution to the local and state budget, as well as projects for the local supply chain.

The award goes to NUCLEARELECTRICA.

STRATEGIC PROJECT FOR ROMANIA’S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

This award goes to a company that actively contributes to the development of natural gas transport infrastructure in Romania. A project of particular importance for Romania in terms of energy security is the Tuzla-Podisor pipeline, a project estimated at 480 million euros.

The pipeline will connect the natural gas resources available on the Black Sea coast and the BRUA corridor, thus ensuring the possibility of natural gas transportation through the existing interconnections.

The award goes to TRANSGAZ.

DIGITAL LOGISTICS OPERATIONS

This company rapidly and widely adopts digitization solutions, and in accordance with the Group-wide strategy, estimates that within a year, 80% of its logistics operations processes will be carried out through software that increases efficiency and reduces the necessary delivery times.

The digitization process within the company involves building an integrated ecosystem of digital solutions, which takes into account the specifics of its operations and needs, and which concentrates several digital solutions leading to data interoperability.

This award goes to TERAPLAST.

CUSTOMER EXCELLENCE DISTINCTION

The “Customer Excellence Award” confirms this company’s commitment to setting the industry standard for outstanding customer service and satisfaction. As an outstanding Romanian BPO, the awarded company proudly stands at the forefront of the customer experience landscape, catering to the diverse needs of its partners across various industries. With a rich multilingual and multichannel approach, Valoris consistently exceeds expectations, providing tailored solutions that meet and surpass its partners’ unique demands.

This award celebrates the exceptional achievements achieved in sustaining the growth of its partners’ businesses through customer excellence, reinforcing its position as a leader in the BPO industry.

The award is offered to VALORIS CENTER.

EMPOWERING CONSUMERS’ VOICE IN ENERGY SECTOR

This award is offered to one of the biggest energy suppliers in Romania who embarked in a difficult mission to balance and transparently address some of the most pressing issues of the energy sector in Romania. In the complicated context of the energy sector since 2022, the company wanted to directly address the issues the consumers were facing and manage the effects that the energy prices crisis had on the overall activity of companies and consumers.

So it launched a public educational platform that is consumer-driven, addressing the consumers’ concerns head-on and enabling conversations and fast feedbacks. The results of conversations developed on the platform proved to be valuable information and educational materials.

The award is offered to E.ON, for developing E.ON Energy Station dialogue and educational platform.

EXCELLENCE IN RENEWABLE ENERGY INNOVATION AND IMPLEMENTATION

This award is offered to a Romanian company engaged in investments and innovations for the construction and operation of renewable energy parks. All the company’s projects have obtained the necessary approvals from Transelectrica. The company is proud to be the first in Romania to obtain approval from Transelectrica for an innovative hybrid project, which includes both production and energy storage.

This award is offered to EXIMPROD.

BEST ENTREPRENEURSHIP LEADERSHIP IN ROMANIAN INDUSTRY

This award goes to a manager with an entrepreneurial spirit proven in over 30 years of activity in the industry in Romania. He has laid the foundations of a group consisting of 17 factories, with 12,000 employees, and with a turnover that has increased 10 times over time. He intervened in the bankruptcy of an important plant in Romania, Chimcomplex Borzești, where he invested after its acquisition in 2003, over 300 million euros.

Currently, the manager we will award tonight is focusing on innovation and visionary projects to achieve the Green Deal, such as: technologies that absorb CO2, the construction of the first trigeneration plant in Europe and the ambition to become the largest producer of green hydrogen from Europe.

We offer the prize for vision in entrepreneurship and leadership to ȘTEFAN VUZA, president of CHIMCOMPLEX.

BEST SUSTAINABLE INDUSTRIAL SOLUTIONS PROVIDER

This award recognizes and celebrates the excellence of a domestic company in providing sustainable industrial solutions for Central and Eastern Europe. From innovative technologies to streamline manufacturing processes to resource management strategies, the company has demonstrated outstanding vision. By implementing technological solutions, it has managed to both reduce its impact on the environment and promote a model of good practice as a whole.

Therefore, the “Best Sustainable Industrial Solutions Provider” award is given to Klarwin for its significant contribution to sustainable development. Klarwin has been inspiring Romanian companies for almost 20 years to adopt environmentally responsible practices in their industrial activities. Klarwin’s promise remains closely related to building a greener and more sustainable industrial future.

We offer this award to KLARWIN.

EXCELLENCE IN DEPLOYING LARGE ENERGY CAPACITIES PROJECTS

This title is awarded to a company that  implements electricity production capacity projects, having a strategic vision towards an efficient and sustainable approach to the energy sector.

Currently, the company produces more than 350 GWh of electricity annually, through photovoltaic parks, but also through gas plants in cogeneration in the mixed site in Câmpia Turzii and an installed power of 150 MW. The company has become an essential pillar in the energy sector in Romania, thanks to its outstanding achievements and commitment to a better future.

The award is given to the E-INFRA Group.

EMPOWERING CIRCULARITY IN ROMANIAN ECONOMY

This award acknowledges the merits and efforts for a major endeavor in Romanian circular economy, that of implementing the Deposit-Return System in Romania, effective since November this year. And also in November, the company opened the first center for counting and sorting beverage packaging in Romania, Bontida, Cluj County.

The opening of this center represents a historic moment for Romania, marking the beginning of a significant transformation, both structurally and culturally. Thus, the center opens a new chapter in the way we relate to beverage packaging in the future, fundamentally changing our consumption and recycling habits.

We offer this award to RetuRO Sistem Garantie Returnare.

LANDMARK ENERGY ACHIEVEMENT

This award is for the largest producer and main supplier of natural gas in Romania, which celebrated the 10-year anniversary of its listing on the Bucharest Stock Exchange. The company shares have been traded on the stock exchange since 12 November 2013. On 13 November 2023, the company capitalization was 17,9 billion RON, which makes it the 4th largest listed company, by capitalization.

From the initial public offering in 2013 to the end of October 2023, the company’s capitalization increased by 52%.

In the same period, investors made over 549 thousand transactions with over 326 million shares, worth over RON 10 billion.

The winner is ROMGAZ.

SUSTAINABLE INVESTMENT

This award acknowedges the commitment to sustainable development for a company that operates in an industry sensitive to the environment footprint. The awarded company will start three new investment projects, worth EUR 15 million, aimed at decarbonizing the technological process and increasing competitiveness, in parallel with alignment with the latest requirements and recommendations in the field of environmental protection.

Over the past 20 years, the company  has invested over 885 million US dollars, in state-of-art technology, increasing operational efficiency and environmental protection and developing products with high and very high added value, whose operations have a low impact on the environment.

The award for sustainable investments goes to ALRO.

SUSTAINABLE INVESTMENT & GROWTH

We offer this award to a company that owns one of the strongest Romanian brands in its portfolio. The company is a benchmark for the Romanian economy, having been present on the Romanian market since 1998.

With an annual turnover exxceeding 170 million euros, during the 25 years of activity, it marked significant investments totaling more than 250 million euros put in modern technologies to sustain, among othes, projects of environment, protection of natural areas and waste management.The group has approximately 2,200 employees working in 7 factories in Romania.

The award is offered to ROMAQUA GROUP.

ENERGY LEADERSHIP ACHIEVEMENT

This award recognizes the determination and commitment of a manager performing in the energy industry, who took over in 2022 the complex task of finalizing the organizational transformation process of the largest electricity distribution operator in Romania, in the general context of a merger and turmoil in the electricity market. Last year has been tough for the companies in energy, especially for this company that had to supply the power for  4 million consumers in 18 counties, making for more than 40 per cent of the entire Romanian territory.

This year, the company focused on investments, completing 5 projects financed with European funds and another 18 projects for modernization of the power distribution network, totaling approximately 2.7 billion lei.

This award goes to MIHAELA SUCIU, General Manager of  Distributie Energie Electrica Romania.

LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY

This award is given to a manager who is seen as an outstanding leader in the local automotive industry and who is almost confused with the history of the company in Romania, having been with this company since 2004. Her career began with the development and management of software quality, then developed in the automotive area, with increasingly complex responsibilities at global level.

In 2022, took over the responsibilities as country manager, managing the operation in Romania and the development of the two operational facilities in Bucharest and Sibiu.  in Romania as well as the development of the centers in Bucharest and Sibiu. Is committed to all social responsibility actions of the company and is active in the academic area, where offers supports to the development of students.

The award goes to SIMONA ALMĂJAN, Country Manager, NXP Semiconductors Romania.

INNOVATIVE BANKER

This award is offered to a CEO from banking sector. The company he currently runs is a mobile-first challenger bank in South East Europe and regional leader in alternative payment solutions, building an ecosystem by combining financing and shopping to address customers’ needs.

Their aim is to always provide fast and innovative financial services to individuals and businesses, with a focus on simplifying banking processes and enhancing customer experience. The CEO says it is all about the ‘phygital’ models of interactions, between physical environment and the digital one. In short, connecting the ecosystem of services and offering embedded payments.

We offer the award to PETR BARON, CEO tbi bank Romania.

BEST STORE DESIGN CONCEPT

This award goes to an omnichannel and innovative retail concept in Romania. The company recently invested in the development and improvement of the hypermarket model by developing a new concept for this format. Thus, it proposes a new, modern design, extensive and specialized services and ranges, structured in the form of food and non-food specialist universes, with a focus on consumer experience and a strong emphasis on responsible trade. It also stands for a strong emphasis on responsible trade, attention to protecting the environment, saving energy resources and a special attention to Romanian  producers.

We offer this award to AUCHAN ROMANIA, for the development of Auchan Berceni hypermarket.

LARGEST ON-SITE PHOTOVOLTAIC PARK IN ROMANIA

This award goes to the company that built the largest on-site photovoltaic park in Romania. Located on the land of the Saint-Gobain glass factory in Calarasi, on an area of 14 hectares, the photovoltaic panel system is intended for the production of renewable energy within the industrial site, the resulting production used 100 percent for self-consumption. With an installed capacity of 8.6 MWp, the park will provide an important part of the electricity needs of the glass factory in Calarasi.

This award goes to ENGIE ROMANIA

DIGITAL FINANCIAL OPERATIONS IN ENERGY

This award is given to a company that constantly invests in the digitalization of its operations. The company signed a partnership with Romanian fintech Finqware to access the services offered by the FinqTreasury platform, which is based on open banking technology.

The platform ensures the centralization and real-time visualization of all the company’s bank accounts, at the same time offering the possibility of managing bank balances and transactions in a single database.

The award goes to ELECTRICA FURNIZARE.

OUTSTANDING IPO ACHIEVEMENT FOR THE ROMANIAN ECONOMY

This award is for a major success recorded by one of the most important companies for the Romanian economy: 1.9 billion Euro initial public offering and listing on the Bucharest Stock Exchange, resulting in an implied market capitalization of 9.4 billion Euro. The transaction was the largest IPO in Romania to date and the largest in Europe in 2023.

The winner is HIDROELECTRICA.

MAJOR CONTRIBUTION IN ROMANIA’s AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY

This award goes to an association that plays a key role in the development of the automotive industry, one of the most important branches of the economy in Romania.

Founded in 1996, this entity received the status of a public utility association from the Romanian Government in 2020.

The association contributes decisively to the consolidation and sustainable development of car manufacturers and suppliers of components and materials for the car industry in Romania.

The award goes to ACAROM – The Association of Automobile Manufacturers in Romania.

OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP & MENTORSHIP

This award goes to a manager seen as an outstanding example of resilience, adaptability and grace in the unpredictable world of business. This leader and also mentor leading a reputed company in business services has been instrumental in navigating the organization with 2.400 people through changes, always finding a way forward with determination and flexibility.

The displayed excellence of leadership is all about inspiration and commitment leaving a lasting mark on the organization’s success story.

We award this title to DANIELA MICUȘAN, CEO of Teleperformance Romania.

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION EXCELLENCE FOR THE FINANCIAL SECTOR

This award goes to a company that provides products and services for the secure management of documents and information, innovating in the digital transformation of companies and organizations by providing highly specialized solutions.

This company is a trusted partner for banks and fintechs, providing a wide range of technologies to advance digital transformation of the financial sector.

The award goes to INFORM.

COMMUNITY IMPACT EXCELLENCE

This award is offered to an organization that implements the extended producer responsibility obligations in the field of packaging and waste management. The award comes as a recognition of its exemplary commitment to community engagement through impactful education and awareness initiatives.

A proven leader in running campaigns alongside local authorities and inter-community development associations (ADI), the company ran programs and projects totaling over 1 million lei in 2023.

The award goes to GREENPOINT MANAGEMENT.

LEADERSHIP IN EMPOWERING CONTINUOUS LEARNING 

The award goes to a company for which learning is a leadership level priority. Learning is linked to employees’ career progression, with each person being guided based on a granular capability framework that identifies the ideal skills and proficiency levels for current as well as target roles.

Completing learning on skills prioritized for an employee’s role is a critical consideration for growth. Learning is tracked as a goal as part of performance management process for all employees and employees are assessed on their learning performance. Learning is a habit and a personal matter for everyone in the company and reflected in the personal example given by senior leadership. 

The award for empowering continuous learning is offered to GENPACT ROMANIA

EXCELLENCE IN BUSINESS EVOLUTION

This award goes for a company who’s evolutionary journey transformed it business from the traditional services model towards business consulting & solutions, adapting and updating business operating model, keeping up with technology trends and constantly investing in people.

The path of evolution has been sustained by its people, through upskillig and reskiling acoording to the market anf business priorities, continuing a succes story written day by day in the business services industry.

The award is offered to SOCIETE GENERALE GLOBAL SOLUTION CENTRE.

ENERGY GRID RESILIENCE

This award goes to the transmission and system operator in Romania, with a key role in the Romanian electricity market.

The company recently signed contracts of over 330 million euros through the Modernization Fund, for the development and strengthening of the transport network and increasing resilience.

The award goes to TRANSELECTRICA

LANDMARK ACHIEVEMENT IN RETAIL SECTOR

This award is offered to a company that marked a significant achievement in the retail market, namely, the transaction with the Louis Delhaize Group, by acquiring all the activities of the Cora brand in Romania. We are referring, of course, to Carrefour group, which added 10 hypermarkets and 9 convenience stores to its network and reached a new presence milestone on the Romanian market.

Moreover, this transaction turned Carrefour into the employer of over 2,000 people who were previously part of the Cora Romania team. Carrefour’s footprint today expands to 436 stores open nationwide, consolidating its position as one of the most important employers and top retailers in Romania.

We offer this award to CARREFOUR ROMANIA.

MAJOR HEALTHCARE INVESTMENT

This award goes to Romania’s leading pharmaceutical manufacturer. The company will invest 95.4 million Euro in the construction of a state-of-the-art production, packaging, and storage unit at its Iasi site, facilitating development of new production lines, digitalization, research and development capacities.

A quarter of the total investment is a 25 million Euro loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB). This partnership marks a significant milestone for Romania’s healthcare sector, being the first InvestEU operation approved in Romania.

The award goes to Antibiotice.

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