Mr Henri Paul, 55, has been appointed as French Ambassador to Bucharest. With a degree from the Political Studies Institute in Paris, Mr Paul also has a degree in law. Prior to this position, he worked as cabinet director for the French Minister of Culture and Communication, president of the Institute for Financing Cinemas and Cultural Industries, chief counsellor for the Court of Accounts as well as Economic, Social and Cultural Overseas Director in the French Ministry for Overseas Territories. Mr Paul was waiting to present his credentials to President Basescu as we went to press.

Presently Indian High Commissioner to Tanzania, Mr Debashish Chakravarti, has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Romania, pending presentation of credentials.

Mr Iuliu Winkler, 43, is Romania’s new Minister of Information Technology and Communications (IT&C), replacing Mr Zsolt Nagy, who was suspended pending DNA investigations. Former state secretary for trade in the Minister for SMEs, Trade and Liberal Professions as well as Delegate Minister for Trade, Mr Winkler is a diplomat engineer in electronics and telecommunications and a licensed economist in finance and insurance. Mr Winkler is a member of the Hungarian Democratic Union (UDMR) and speaks fluent Hungarian and English, as well as French and German.

Mr Zoltan Somodi has been appointed state secretary in the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, replacing Mr Balint Marton Porcsalmi. Mr Somodi worked as personal counsellor for the IT&C Minister between 2005 and 2006 and, starting in 2006, was operational manager for the ‘Economy based on knowledge’ programme run by the Ministry of IT&C with the support of the World Bank.

Mrs Nicoleta Almaj-Murariu has joined law firm Mares si Asociatii as a partner supervising the mergers & acquisitions department and in issues on eneregy. Mrs Almaj-Murariu previously worked as senior associate for Stefanica, Dutu & Asociatii. She graduated from the Law School at Bucharest University and has a Degree in European Community Law issued by the French-Romanian College of European law from the Sorbonne, Paris.

Mr Guy Burrow is now a partner in Candole and Partners, a consultancy firm defining political and regulatory risk across southeastern Europe, including advice on M&A and Equity. Candole and Partners incorporates Mr Burrow’s firm CEC Government Relations.

 

Mr Zoltan Major, 41, is UniCredit Tiriac Bank’s new vice president for retail. His appointment is pending approval from the bank’s general shareholders meeting and the central bank. Born in Romania, Mr Major’s previous positions include head of EMEA product development department in the International Personal banking division of Citibank and executive director for the retail banking division of ABN Amro Hungary. Prior to joining UniCredit Tiriac Bank in Romania, Mr Major was CEO of Hungary’s National Health Fund.

Mr Jozef Belcik, 33, is the new country manager of pharma group Zentiva in Romania, following the resignation of Mrs Mariana Wencz. Prior to this position, Mr Belcik acted as Zentiva regional general manager for Romania, Bulgaria and the Republic of Moldova. His previous positions in the group include country manager for Poland and regional manager for Poland and the Baltic States, as well as general manager for Zentiva Slovakia.

Mr Bogdan Cernescu, 31, has become general manager of Immorent Romania, replacing Mr Harald Trinkl. Previously to this position Mr Cernescu was commercial manager at BRD Sogelease, the leasing arm of BRD - Groupe Societe Generale

Ms Claire Birgin has been appointed Ambassador of Australia to Romania, with residence in Belgrade. Previously, she was Ambassador to Hungary (2004 to 2007) and has also served in Warsaw, Moscow, Geneva and Washington DC. Ms Birgin has focused on political and trade relations with eastern Europe, the USA and the Middle East and issues of disarmament and multilateral trade.

Mr Oren David has been appointed Israeli Ambassador to Bucharest, replacing Mrs Rodica Gordon. Prior to this position, Mr David was head of the Economic Affairs Department within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Israel, as well as acting as a minister counsellor at the UN Delegation in New York. Promoted to the diplomatic rank of minister in 2005, Mr David is a graduate in political science and international relations from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and speaks fluent English, as well as German, Spanish and French. Mr David was waiting to present his credentials to the President as we went to press.