Representative of the second generation of leader-entrepreneurs of one of the largest family businesses in Romania, the vice president of TRANSAVIA expects that, in the next 20 years, the company will play an important role at the regional level.
„It is very likely that we will witness a significant transition to innovative artificial intelligence-based solutions that will optimize operations and provide a more personalized customer experience,” says Theodora Popa-Liteanu.
He has knowledge of strategic management, leadership, negotiation, capital investments, marketing, and sustainability, acquired both through executive education obtained by graduating from programs at prestigious universities worldwide, such as IMD Business School in Lausanne, Switzerland, Harvard, Columbia Business School, Oxford, and the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration within Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, and through business leadership practice.
In addition, he is a founding shareholder of a private equity fund that offers capital solutions and active partnership for the consolidation and scaling of SMEs in Romania.
Theodora Popa-Liteanu, Vice President, TRANSAVIA
► Turnover (2022): 991 million lei
► Net profit (2022): 205.3 million lei
► Number of employees (2022): 2.338
In 2016, along with his father, Ioan Popa, he founded Theodora Golf Club, the largest golf resort in Romania, a unique private investment. Located in the heart of Transylvania, the resort provides players with a professional-standard course.
TRANSAVIA is the local market leader in chicken meat and has the Fragedo chicken meat brand and Papane chicken-based semi-prepared products in its portfolio. The company is one of the largest Romanian employers, currently having nearly 2,400 employees, who operate predominantly in the 31 poultry breeding farms and the four crop production farms, in the combined feed mill, in the three slaughterhouses, and in the meat processing plant. In the company's farms, located in eight counties in Romania, over 100,000 tons of chicken meat are produced annually. Approximately 30% of the company's annual production goes to export.
What perspective did you have 20 years ago regarding your professional evolution? What did you want to work as, to achieve?
Two decades ago, I was preparing to enter high school, and my professional aspirations were like a book in the process of being written. From a very young age I knew exactly what I wanted to do, namely to work alongside my father and learn how to carry our family business further. This desire was fueled even more by the significant influence of my father, Ioan Popa, who successfully built the most powerful poultry business in Romania: TRANSAVIA.
I grew up driven by strong values such as honesty, integrity, and respect for people, which he instilled in me. His clear business vision and solid ethics were the cornerstones that shaped my perspective on the business world. My father not only prepared me for the challenges of the business environment, but also inspired me to become a dedicated entrepreneur determined to follow the same principles that ensured the lasting success of our family business.
Read the continuation: Business Magazine
