Business STORE. Who is Vanya Panayotova, general director of L’Oreal Romania…

Raised on the shores of the Black Sea, but not in Romania, but on the border, in Bulgaria, for Vanya Panayotova, General Manager of L’Oreal Romania & Adria-Balkans, living in our country did not come with a major culture shock, but with the opportunity to to see how the two markets evolve in tandem. However, the executive says that “we tend to compare and compete, while we could benefit much more if we joined forces in social, cultural and economic fields”. How does his agenda unfold as an expat in a country neighboring his native one?

“I came to Romania for the first time at the end of the 90s for a business trip. My first impressions were quite mixed. Bucharest, at that time, seemed to me a city with a quiet but melancholic atmosphere, which contrasted strongly with the wonderful spirit of the people, especially the young people I met. Thus, the people, together with the business opportunities that Romania offers, were the main reasons for accepting my relocation to Bucharest in 2004”, says the executive with Bulgarian origins. Since then, he has lived in Romania for over a decade, in three intervals: 2004-2006, 2010-2012 and from 2017 to the present. “It is amazing how much Romania has developed in these years. Bucharest has become a much more modern city, vibrant and full of beautiful surprises. I like the fact that many old buildings have been restored and I also like the parks in the Capital. Throughout my time here, I have noticed that people have become more and more open, more tolerant and more inclusive.”

Originally from neighboring Bulgaria, Panayotova says there are many similarities between the two countries and their people, from history to mentality, customs, traditions, culture and so on, but notes that there are also “unique differences observable in the way we live everyday life. However, what never ceases to amaze me is how little we continue to know each other, especially culturally, more than anything else, being neighboring countries. We tend to compare and compete, while we could benefit much more if we joined forces in social, cultural and economic fields”.

Who is Vanya Panayotova, general manager of L’Oreal Romania & Adria-Balkans and what does she think about Romania