Romanian business owners choose Austrian managers

Good knowledge of the Romanian business environment and the relatively minor distance between Bucharest and Vienna are reasons for which local business owners choose Austrian managers.

Businessman Ovidiu Tender, owner of Grupul Energetic Tender energy group, appointed a management team made up of seven Austrian managers, led by Peter Eisnekolv. Their combined salary package amounts to €1 million. "The team manages all the companies I own. I decided to employ a team of expats because Romanian managers did not obtain the expected results," Tender said. He added that choosing an Austrian management team was intentional, but their profile was best suited to his needs. The management of Grupul Energetic Tender is carried out through Vulcan International, whose headquarters is in Vienna.

"I made this decision at a time when things were bad. The results are already visible after the first quarter. Vulcan, which last year posted losses, has become profitable," Tender said.

According to executive search specialist George Butunoiu, Austrian managers are preferred to British or French managers because Austria is closer to Romania, making relocation costs lower. He said a new trend is visible on the market, namely the "importing" of Austrian managers for construction projects.

Business Standard