ZF Gala or how to take the lion's share

More than 250 representatives of the business community in Romania on Tuesday night answered the invitation of Ziarul Financiar to celebrate three years since the newspaper’s first issue, at Athenee Palace Hilton.

As any anniversary calls for assessment, Ziarul Financiar reviewed the business year 2001: 24 companies and personalities were awarded by ZF, as they were granted the Lion’s Share.

The sword (a tool to take the lion’s share, gaining a higher market share for instance) set in a lion head hilt (the logo of ZF, i.e.) – the award granted to each winner – provided for an endless spring of metaphors and comparisons.

On the same occasion, Ziarul Financiar launched ZF 100 yearbook comprising information on this year’s activity of 100 Romanian or foreign companies having businesses in Romania.

ZF would like to thank to all the guests for having attended this event and to the award winners for the good wishes and praise they offered us. The tri-lingual (Romanian-English-French) humour of the businessmen was noticed.

The banking sector, obviously healthier this year, was granted no less than seven awards. Nicolae Danila, the chairman of BCR (Romanian Commercial Bank) Group, who was granted “Expansion on Multiple Markets” award, would like that the competition “should not stab in the back” in the future, either; Anthony van der Heijden, chairman of Ion ?iriac Bank, who received the “Banking Re-launch” award, emphasised that this was the result of teamwork; Dan Pascariu, the chairman of HVB Romania, who was granted the “Year’s Re-branding” award, confessed that he had asked himself for what he was going to be granted a prize.

The highlight of the evening was the simultaneous presence on the stage of the eternal rivals Bernard Moscheni and Ted Lattimore, heads of the “communication champions” MobilRom and MobiFon.

They jokingly played the tight competition between the two companies, but the end was a serious one – a warm handshake.

Florin Talpes, the general manager of Softwin, considers that the company is just a “lion cub.” HP and Compaq were awarded two ZF trophies. The two companies might merge next year.

IT&C minister Dan Nica was one of the two “officials” having been awarded. Nica was granted the “Political Initiative in IT” award, while the second official, Privatisation minister Ovidiu Musetescu was granted “The year’s Privatisation” award for Sidex.

Tarom general manager Nicolae Demetriade received the award for restructuring, the same evening when the New York aircraft crash grieved the aviation industry again.

Isaac Sheps, the head of Tuborg Romania, had the idea to bring on stage the sculptor having organised the exhibition in the yard of the beer plant.

Juan Pradera, chairman and general manager of Michelin Romania, winner of “The Year’s take-over” award, confused everybody by the fast turns from French to Romanian and back.

Advisor Adrian Vasilescu received the “Back to Work” award (back to the NBR, i.e.), on behalf of NBR Governor Mugur Isarescu, who was away. The message was clear: the Romanian economy is on the right way, therefore NBR was right. ZF