ENVISIA – Boards of Elite celebrated outstanding excellence and impact of the Romanian Boards of Directors during the Future of Boards Gala 2023

Envisia – Boards of Elite, the first Business School in Romania for Board Directors, celebrated the World’s First Graduates of the Master of Arts in Board Practice and Directorship and awarded the most influential and relevant boards and board directors, during the first edition of the Future of Boards Gala 2023. Built as a benchmark event, the Future of Boards Gala brought together approximately 200 business leaders, visionaries, senior professionals and board directors for an unforgettable evening.

A highlight of the Future of Boards Gala was the Awards Ceremony that served as a beacon of recognition for the most remarkable achievements of high calibre professionals and Boards of Directors. The ceremony celebrated and acknowledged true impact on organizations, business communities and on the society overall. The key award categories were:

• Board Stewardship and Legacy for the Future: Wargha Enayati, Chairman at Enayati Group
• Stewardship in Public Administration: Ramona Iulia Chiriac, Head of the Representation at European Commission in Romania
• Excellence in Board Education Partnership: Board of Directors Bucharest Stock Exchange
• Leading Sustainability in the Boardroom: Corneliu Bodea, CEO Adrem Group
• Board Excellence in Investors Relations: Board of Directors Banca Transilvania
• Board of the Year – Excellence in Value Creation in the Boardroom: Supervisory Board Hidroelectrica S.A.
• Non-Executive Director of the Year Impacting the Boardroom: Marius Ștefan, Non-Executive Director OMV Petrom and Owner / CEO Autonom Group
• Excellence in Stakeholder Board Engagement: Codrin Scutaru, CEO Public Affairs Solutions
• Envisia Community Contributor of the Year: Claudiu Negrișan, Chair fo ENVISIA Fundraising Committee and Chief Financial Officer at Adrem Group

“We are thrilled to have had the honour to offer to the business community the Future of the Boards Gala, an event that truly captures the essence of excellence. The award recipients and attendees have demonstrated that we are part of a mature business community, that treasures performance, based on lifelong learning and ethical principles. The Future of Boards Gala is one of the many initiatives and programmes launched by Envisia, that aim to support and promote leaders, senior professionals and board members. We look forward to what the future holds and to see the impact these professionals and organizations will have on the whole Romanian business environment.”, says Carmen Micu, Founding Member and CEO ENVISIA – Boards of Elite.

“We are going through a complex period, which can be a solid growth foundation for the business environment and for the society in general. The key to the evolution we all desire lies in how we use the leadership and sustainability principles of corporate governance. This first edition of the Future of Boards Gala is just one of our efforts and endeavour to increase the level of professionalism and to promote sustainable leadership at the boards of directors level – a vital cell in the ecosystem of any organization”, adds Adriana Lobdă, Founding Member and Member in the ENVISIA Board of Directors – Boards of Elite.

A premiere of the event was the introduction of the very first cohort of 10 Romanian senior professionals internationally certified as board members, graduates of the unique Henley Business School Programme “Masters of Arts in Board Practice and Directorship” delivered by Envisia Business School. The business community present had the chance to find out what an academic experience of international scope entails and what are the features a board director needs to lead in an increasingly complex and rapidly changing world.

The 10 professionals who graduated the unique Programme are:

• Adriana Lobdă, Founding Member and Member of Board of Directors, ENVISIA – Boards of Elite
• Adrian Florea, Development and Digital Transformation Director, Concelex
• Alina Prahoveanu, Managing Partner, Ofin Consulting
• Anca Apahidean, Area Manager Eastern Europe, International Air Transport Association (IATA)
• Carmen-Daniela Micu, Chair of the Board IASE Global, Founding Member and CEO ENVISIA – Boards of Elite
• Iulia Lascău, Vice Chair Board of Directors, BKR International EMEA
• Marilena Popovici, Chief Financial Officer / Chief Operating Officer, BCR Banca pentru Locuințe
• Mircea Busuioceanu, Chief Risk Officer, Raiffeisen Bank Romania
• Radu Hanga, President of the Board of Directors, Bucharest Stock Exchange
• Simona Constantinescu, CEO Ana Hotels Romania, Chair of Romanian Hotel Industry Federation

The flagship programme delivered by ENVISIA Business School, Masters of Arts in Board Practice and Directorship, is a post-graduate program, Master of Arts type, triple internationally accredited (AACSB, EQUIS, EMBA), developed in partnership with Henley Business School – University of Reading, Great Britain, one of the most influential universities internationally. The Programme is at its 6^th cohort in Romania and is dedicated practising board members, senior independent directors, chief financial officers, non-executive directors and company general secretaries.

“A professional board of directors, connected to global expertise and local particularities, is the best guarantee in an increasingly uncertain and complex world. That’s why, for the first time in Romania, we launched programs that address education and professionalization at the highest level – that of the boards of directors, the place where the strategies that ensure the sustainable development of organizations are developed. Among the graduates of the Envisia school, there are managers and leaders in some of the largest companies in Romania, entrepreneurs who have built solid businesses. In order to further generate a potential for exponential development, it is necessary to invest in leadership education, it will generate the best profitability in the long term,” says Gabriela Hârțescu, PhD, Dean Envisia.

The event was possible with the support of: Interact Romania, Public Affairs Solutions, Bucharest Stock Exchange, ARIR – Romanian Investor Relations Association, FAN Courier, Bento – Intellectually Curious, Autonom Group, Asko Group, British Romanian Chamber of Commerce, Genesis College, aBeauty Clinique, Atelier Cortez, România Educată Financiar and Financial Intelligence.

About ENVISIA

ENVISIA is the first business school in Romania dedicated to board members, C-suite executives, as well as specialists with high expertise aiming for these positions. Envisia’s mission is to develop, through education and specialized services, generations of executives who embody professionalism, ethical conduct and responsibility, adding value to organizations and the community. Envisia actively promotes responsible corporate governance practices, preparing companies and their boards of directors for the contemporary pace of present and future challenges.

To date, more than 400 top professionals from dozens of multinational and local companies have chosen the programs offered by Envisia. Moreover, ENVISIA has a community of over 100 facilitators, renowned practitioners, internationally and nationally. For more information: envsia.eu. 

17.11.2023 / Editor, Andreea Dragan