„There is no magic recipe to become the best overnight, say Radu Popa, deputy slaughterhouse director at TRANSAVIA, a second-generation leader in one of the largest Romanian entrepreneurial businesses. Therefore, he says, progress requires hard work and daily dedication, and perseverance in everything he does is essential.
Radu Popa
Deputy Slaughterhouse Director, TRANSAVIA
Age: 31 years old
Turnover (2024): 1.115 billion lei
Net profit (2024): 277 mil. lei
No. of employees (2022): 2,338
At 31 years old, Radu Popa is a second-generation leader of the family business TRANSAVIA. Since 2018, he has been the deputy director of the slaughterhouse, playing an essential role in managing this vital sector of the company. A food industry engineer by profession, with over 8 years of professional experience within the company, he has continuously honed his professional competencies and leadership skills. He holds a bachelor's degree in Food Products Processing Technology and a master's degree in Food Processing Systems and Quality Control obtained at USAMV.
Its main objective is to bring added value to the family business and to be a solid pillar for both the family and the team it leads.
TRANSAVIA, one of the largest players on the poultry meat market, ended 2024 with a turnover of 1.115 billion lei, up by over 1% compared to the previous year. The net profit of the company from Alba reached 277 million lei, up by 33% compared to the previous year. Since 2015, TRANSAVIA has not reported a single year of business decline, and since 2020 the profit has grown year after year. The company has nearly 2,400 employees, who work predominantly in the 31 poultry breeding farms and the four crop production farms, in the feed mill, in the three state-of-the-art abattoirs, and in the meat processing plant. In TRANSAVIA's farms, located in eight counties in Romania, over 100,000 tons of chicken meat are produced annually. Approximately 30% of the annual production goes to export, to several European states and from other continents.
What is your current career objective?
My main objective is to bring added value to our family business, TRANSAVIA, and to be a solid pillar both for my family and for the team I lead. I want to contribute to the growth and sustainable development of our business, to implement innovative strategies, and to guide the team toward achieving the set goals. I want to develop and implement innovative strategies that continuously increase our operational efficiency and reduce our environmental footprint, while continuing to offer safe products of the highest quality to our customers. Another objective I am pursuing is to maintain a positive and motivating work environment for my team, to encourage my colleagues to develop their skills and contribute to the shared success of our business.
What are the main challenges you encounter in achieving this and how do you plan to overcome them?
One of the major challenges is ensuring a skilled and motivated workforce in an environment where competition for talent is fierce. It is essential for the TRANSAVIA team to be well-trained and dedicated, capable of meeting the increasingly demanding requirements of the food industry—which is why TRANSAVIA constantly invests in the development of its personnel, as well as in programs dedicated to high school and university students, who are the future workforce of the food industry. Another challenge is the continuous change in the food industry, whether we are talking about regulations, consumer preferences, technological developments, or innovations. To overcome these challenges, I continuously inform myself about the latest trends and innovations in the field, collaborate with specialists from various relevant domains, and pay close attention to the feedback from our customers and partners. I believe it is very important that at TRANSAVIA we have a culture of change that helps us remain agile and adaptable in the face of challenges.
What does your ideal work week/day look like to you, in the current context?
Perseverance in everything I do is essential, and knowing my sector inside out and the specific problems we encounter is a priority. Thus, every morning begins with a detailed report to identify and solve problems with precision and to have a clear picture of the situation in the factory. A daily tour of the slaughterhouse allows me to know the exact reality on the ground and stay connected to the needs of my team and our family business, TRANSAVIA. After work, I divide my time between family, sports activities, and hobbies to maintain a healthy balance between professional and personal life.
How do you manage your time and priorities on a busy workday? Do you have any special method or routine for this?
As a leader, I know how important it is to always be available to my colleagues and oriented toward the needs of my team. This means good time and priority management, following clear objectives, and prioritizing tasks based on importance and urgency. More than just a routine, good organization is a way of being for me. I plan every aspect of my morning so that I arrive at work prepared and rested, ready to handle activities without delays or excuses. I maintain effective communication and delegate responsibilities to my colleagues. I believe it is important for employees to find a role model in me, so I am always focused and dedicated to solving daily problems and challenges. I deeply care about the values I learned in my family and promote a culture of respect, openness, and collaboration at TRANSAVIA, where every team member feels valued and supported in their efforts.
Remote work or from the office? Why?
Manufacturing work requires a rigorous, on-site approach that demands physical presence to carry out specific activities. I prefer to be right in the middle of my team, offering support and guidance, motivating and inspiring my colleagues to reach their full potential. Direct involvement in the slaughterhouse activity at TRANSAVIA allows me to closely monitor processes, gives me the ability to intervene quickly if necessary, and allows me to come up with innovative solutions to manage the activity as efficiently as possible.
How do you continuously develop your leadership and management skills? Do you attend specialized courses, seminars, read books, or use other methods?
My family instilled in me the desire to learn and constantly evolve, to appreciate and respect the ideas and opinions of those around me. From my very first days working at TRANSAVIA, I understood that progress requires hard work and daily dedication, and that there is no magic formula to become the best overnight. I follow these principles when it comes to my professional development, but especially in the area of leadership, where you must earn and maintain people's trust, inspire and motivate them to push their limits. I deeply appreciate the diversity of learning sources and their practical application as the key to my continuous development as an authentic, empathetic leader and professional. I participate in professional training courses, read scientific articles, books, and relevant materials to always stay up-to-date with the latest trends and practices in the field. Besides specialized literature, I also read fiction—the last book that brought me joy being „Nostalgia” by Mircea Cărtărescu, which enriched my soul and offered me a different perspective on human and social aspects.
What is the most important lesson you have learned so far in your career, and how has it influenced your leadership style or approach to work?
The most important lesson I have learned in my career is that success is not a result of chance or luck, but the result of hard work, determination, and constant perseverance, of doing things exactly as they should be done. Just like a high-performance athlete, you must train day in and day out, work hard, with discipline, and also have a „coach” (leader) to support and motivate you. It takes self-confidence and the ability to make decisions to face challenges. And, very importantly, in building relationships and a strong team, it is fundamental to respect those you work with—because only in this way can you receive respect in return and earn the trust of those you lead.
Who is your mentor or the person who inspires you in your career?
I had the privilege of having mentors and role models in my family who guided me and offered me valuable advice throughout my life and career. The values and teachings passed down by my parents and other family members have been fundamental to my development as an individual and a professional. Their example of hard work, integrity, perseverance, and dedication has provided me with a solid foundation that guides my journey in career and life. Besides my family, I seek to surround myself with capable people who inspire me, regardless of their field of expertise. I learn from them through observation and dialogue, and the experience and knowledge I gain this way help me constantly improve my skills and performance.
What are your hobbies and what career lessons have you learned from them?
I am an active person, and in my free time I play golf and have a passion for hunting—activities that allow me to relax and connect with nature in an active and passionate way. From both activities I have learned how important patience and focus on the objective are, as well as planning and strategic thinking, along with understanding that temporary failures are part of the process, and learning the lesson, continuing, and persevering are essential to achieving success.
BUSINESS Magazin also launched the catalog last year 100 Top Young Managers. Under the umbrella „Rising Stars: How leaders from the new generations are changing Romanian business?”, the 2024 edition aimed to reveal that business leaders from the new generations are just as eager to generate profits as previous generations, but not at any cost, being the first executives to make the transition toward assumed freedom and relaxation. Radu Popa, deputy slaughterhouse director at TRANSAVIA, is among the 100 young managers included in the 2024 catalog.
Interview taken from Business Magazine
