Hubs and Hub Managers

Monica Catana-Petraru

Hub Manager Romania (Cluj/Napoca)
 

Senior Management Consultant

Executive MBA Bucharest
 

Hey everyone, I'm Monica, and I'm thrilled to be part of the WU Executive Academy team. As a Hub Manager, I will work tirelessly to create exceptional events for you both on a national and international scale. The community is vital, and together as a team, we will achieve excellent results.

I bring over 15 years of hands-on experience in management and business consulting, and I'm committed to helping our alumni reach their full potential. I am deeply committed to leveraging pragmatic approaches and maintaining a results-oriented focus to explore inventive methods to enhance processes, facilitate change, and transform businesses. This includes focusing on digitalization and AI tools and delivering dedicated results.

With my strong interpersonal and communication skills, leadership and management expertise, and international experience, I aim to be a valuable asset to the WU Alumni Community. I am passionate about building communities and fostering engagement, which will be my primary focus in this role. My doors are always open for new ideas and discussions, so feel free to reach out. Let's start this adventure together!

Let’s connect

Stefan Popescu

Hub Manager Romania (Bucharest)
 

Red Bull Romania, On Premise Manager Romania and Moldavia

Executive MBA Bucharest

First, best thoughts to all WU community! I know  you are winning in keeping the ballance right with full time job, family, entrepreneurship or academic studies!

Allow me to keep it very simple: I am a natural socializing person acting in the hospitality sector, so WU community members should find this very easy to contact me and answear their needs. Cohesion and trust, built during formal and informal gatherings - proud I did that as Class President 2011-2013, WU EMBA Bucharest!

Right after being appointed as Hub Manager for RO/Bucharest area  and with full participation of my colleagues, I managed to organize multiple International Alumni Reunions in Bucharest during 2018 and 2019, as well as an online intervention in front of 33 new students of 6 nationalities of the Executive MBA Bucharest 2020 cohort.

So, should the need be, to get in contact with another colleague, to foster a kick-off meeting, or to scout and find together new business opportunities – please contact me! It is very important that we keep the WU spirit alive and this is my mission as Hub Manager: Interconnected, Consistent, Unified, Eager to Succeed, Empathic, Strong, Diligent

Looking forward to see you in person, hopefully very soon and in a safe environment!

Let’s connect.

Adrian Pocola

Hub Manager Romania (Timisoara)
 

Chief Executive Officer, SCZ GROUP SRL; Deputy CEO, MDX RESEARCH

MBA Project Management
 

Let’s connect

Gabriela Marin

Hub Manager Romania
 

Managing Director, Masima Consulting Center SRL
 

Gabriela attended the EMBA Bucharest MBA between 2011 and 2013 and has been serving in the International Advisory Board for a couple of years. She started her career in Human Resources, over 20 years ago, in prestigious companies, such as MobiFon, OMV-Petrom, Uniqa Asigurari, BCR, Electrica group, where she held Executive Management positions and coordinated both HR activity and strategic projects in companies. She currently has her own company "Masima Consulting Center" and offers Coaching, Mentoring and HR Services. Having a background as Socio-Psychologist, she also owns a Psychology Office where she works with athletes from various sports branches. Gabriela is passionate about traveling, networking and participates in events in her area of activity, so that she is constantly up to date with the challenges and news in the market.

Let’s connect

Eliza Elena Gereanu

Hub Manager Romania
 

Founder of Civic Partnership for Development and Inclusion Association

Executive MBA Bucharest
 

Hello! I’m Eliza Gereanu, and I’m honored to co-lead the WU Executive Academy Female Leaders Network Hub for Romania — a role that brings together my passion for women’s empowerment, authentic leadership, and building purpose-driven communities.

With a background in international finance and public policy, I’ve served at the Romanian Ministry of Finance and the European Commission, and I currently contribute to the EU Council Working Group on the Digital Euro, the OECD Task Force on Financial Consumer Protection, and the EU AI Board’s Financial Services Subgroup. These platforms allow me to advocate for innovation, inclusion, and financial well-being on a European level and beyond.

As an EMBA Alumni Ambassador for the Executive MBA Bucharest 2023–2025, I co-created "Layers of a Woman" — a community-led initiative on emotional intelligence and personal growth, supported by WU FLN and fellow Ambassador Monica Catana-Petraru. This impactful event addressed emotional intelligence, stress management, and personal growth, receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback. We consider to further develop dedicated workshops for our broader community.

Together with WU community and with the support of WU Hubs Managers Stefan Popescu, Adrian Pocola, and Monica Petraru Catana, and Alexandra Covrig, in December 2024, I’ve Launched “Civic Partnership for Development and Inclusion Association”, with a personal art exhibition that welcomed over 100 people. It was a moment where purpose met passion — and I’m proud to see the initiative grow with the support of incredible people and organizations.

The NGO is focusing on sustainable development, social inclusion, and financial education for vulnerable communities — including women, youth, and the elderly. Financial education and inclusion are central to both my NGO and my broader professional vision.

As Hub Manager, my mission is to create an inclusive space where Romanian women can connect, grow, and lead confidently. Let’s share knowledge, strengthen our network, and create real value in society — multiplying our impact across Romania and beyond.

Let’s connect

Aleksandar Nedeljkovic

Hub Manager Adriatic Hub (Serbia)
 

Chief Business Officer, Mainstream

MBA Finance
 

Hello, my name is Aleksandar Nedeljkovic. I am a business & finance executive of a high growth cloud computing company from Serbia with more than 20 years of passionate engagement with various community-based organizations. As a Hub Manager my goal is to strengthen our regional WU EA community of more than 100 professionals by fostering our alma mater alumni network value beyond classroom experience.

If you have an idea how we can jointly approach this quest, let’s connect.

Genc Zeka

Hub Manager Adriatic Hub (Kosovo)
 

Swisscontact, Trade Facilitator

MBA Project Management
 

Hi, my name is Genc, and I am from Kosovo. With over 15 years of professional experience in the corporate sector, I have specialized in telecommunications, ICT, and SaaS products for several Fortune 500 companies. My entrepreneurial journey includes founding and leading Kosovo's first craft brewery, a venture I successfully managed for eight years.

Earning my MBA in Project Management from the WU Executive Academy was one of the most rewarding investments I have made in my career, and it continues to yield dividends today. I am passionate about mentoring and guiding future generations in their career paths.  As a Hub Manager, my goal is to make our alumni network stronger beyond just the academic experience.

Let's collaborate on innovative ideas! I look forward to connecting with you and exploring ways we can work together.

Let’s connect

Velimir Smetko

Hub Manager Adriatic Hub (Croatia)
 

LUSINI HRVATSKA, Managing Director

MBA Marketing & Sales
 

Let’s connect

Svetlana Prodanova–Valcheva

Hub Manager Bulgaria
 

National Director BNI Bulgaria

Executive MBA Bucharest
 

Svetlana is passionate about growth and leadership. She has dedicated 25 years of professional life to marketing. After more than a decade of a successful career in global FMCG companies, working for brands Gillette, Braun, and NIVEA, she joined WU Executive MBA Bucharest. During her MBA studies, she got inspired to jump from the comfort of a corporate job to running her own company.

In 2015, Svetlana rolled out the concept of BNI to Bulgaria – a global referral marketing and networking organization with more than 300,000 members worldwide and billions of dollars generated by referrals. She helps hundreds of SME owners achieve growth using a proven business-generating system.

Being aware of the value structured networks and long-term relationships can bring to people, Svetlana is highly motivated to further disseminate the knowledge, contacts, and support available in the WU community via FLN in Bulgaria and beyond.

Let’s connect

Andon Simeonov

Hub Manger Bulgaria
 

Vice President, Bulgaria Country Manager

SoftServe

Global Executive MBA
 

Let's connect

Angela Putylina

Hub Manager Russia
 

GILEAD Sciences Russia, Regional Lead

MBA Marketing & Sales
 

My 20+ experience in marketing and sales in the pharmaceutical industry allows me to create high performing teams to ensure access to modern medicines for the treatment of socially significant diseases.

My personal values are honesty, love of life and hard work. Family is my main value. Strengthen business connections is one of my life priorities, both for career development and inspiration from communicating with amazing people.

The Russian WU Executive Club brings together well-educated people, with similar values and promoting the introduction of innovations, new technologies for outstanding results. It is not only about pleasant meetings with classmates and the WU EA team. We also try to continue our training, to educate in different aspects of professional life, to analyze trends in order to be in demand and competitive in the labor market. Being a part of the community I am very happy to continue business education, share experience and enjoy communicating with people on the same wave from different countries.

Let’s connect.

Damir Matrljan

Hub Manager Switzerland
 

SBS Swiss Business School, Senior Lecturer & Researcher

MBA Project Management
 

About me:

I am a 36 year old Croatian, I work as a PMO Manager in Zürich and I am currently finishing my doctorate program in PMOs, Strategy and Leadership.

I have devoted almost 30 years of my life to handball as a player, coach and referee. I like to spend my free time scuba diving, dancing ballroom and Latin dances, playing darts and spending time in nature. 

My "superpower":

My career path, education and professional experience have always been closely connected to the project management world. My experience and expertise empower me to look at situations from many different angles and to understand how everything is connected even in the most challenging projects. This also helps me to influence key stakeholders and the dynamics within the team to ensure the highest chances for the successful project completion. In a way it makes me a business generalist with great expertise in managing people, projects and organisations. 

WUEA CH:

Our WUEA community consists of passionate individuals who create an outstanding network of experts willing to help, support and connect each other. Our Swiss Hub organises networking meetings and lectures held by experts working in Switzerland. Often our reach includes the entire DACH region and we work very closely with the WUEA community engagement team.

Why am I a hub manager:

I have become a Swiss hub manager as my wish is to help other alumni members to expand their networks and find the right contacts to boost their business, to access important learning and development materials, to change their career path or find another opportunity.

I am also happy to help in any other way that I can, so please be free to reach out :-)

Let's connect

Laura Morareanu

Hub Manager Benelux
 

Managing Partner, FCG Luxembourg

Executive MBA Bucharest
 

Canadian-Romanian, living in Belgium and working in Luxembourg, with close to 20 years experience in global IT consulting, working with SAP and Cloud technologies in various industries ranging from Banking, Oil & Gas, Pharma, Retail, Public Institutions, Professional Services, and a few others. I am truly honored to have the opportunity to serve in this role and work alongside such a talented and accomplished group of individuals. 

Having been a part of the MBA program myself, I understand the immense value of our alumni network. Our shared experiences, diverse backgrounds, and collective knowledge are invaluable resources that continue to shape the success of our alumni association and its members. 

My interest in this role goes beyond the professional sphere. It's about fostering connections and facilitating growth within our alumni community. I've seen how alumni networks can be powerful platforms for collaboration, mentorship, and support. As someone who believes in the strength of our shared experiences, I'm committed to creating an environment where we can all thrive. I am eager to channel my energy and enthusiasm into building a regional hub that not only connects us but also elevates each member of our MBA family.

As the Regional Hub Alumni Manager, I will be dedicated to enhancing the impact of our alumni association within our region. My goal is to create a dynamic and engaging hub that serves as a platform for networking, professional development, and collaboration among our local alumni. Whether you are a recent graduate or a seasoned professional, I am here to support you in your journey, provide resources, and ensure that our regional hub thrives.

Please feel free to reach out to me with any thoughts, suggestions, or questions you may have.

Let’s connect

Markus Kirchschlager

Hub Manager Germany
 

PANTARHEI Corporate Advisors, Managing Director

MBA Finance
 

Let’s connect

Vitaly Berezka

Hub Manager Middle East North Africa (MENA) Region
 

Regional Head Central Asia, MENA & APAC, PlanRadar

Global Executive MBA
 

Hello, dear fellow WU EA Alumni!

My name is Vitaly, and I had the honor of joining the GEMBA class in 2012-2013. A decade ago, I embarked on an incredible global learning journey with a group of brilliant individuals. Since then, we have maintained a close friendship as a class.

Throughout my career, I have managed real estate development projects, entities of global companies, and tech startups in Russia and Central Asia. In addition to being an experienced manager and businessman, I am also a mentor and researcher. As of now, I am responsible for business development across Central Asia, MENA, and APAC regions for PlanRadar, a prominent Austrian PropTech startup.

In addition to lecturing on digitalization topics at universities, I am also the author of several scientific publications and co-author of four books: "Real Estate Development", "Economics of Real Estate", "Surveying in Real Estate" and “Smart Construction: a case book”.

I am a member of the International Real Estate Federation (FIABCI) in the United Arab Emirates.

Let’s connect

Vladimir Vano

Hub Manager Slovakia
 

GLOBSEC, Chief Economist

Global Executive MBA
 

Let’s connect