<strong>Team size:</strong> 12

<strong>What are the most significant cases, projects and/or transactions that you and/or your legal team have recently been involved in?</strong>

In the past twelve months, I have been mostly involved in several strategic M&A projects for Vodafone Romania, and I had the opportunity to act as the legal lead for the acquisition of Telekom Romania Mobile Communications. This was a transaction with a very unique structure, in which Vodafone Romania acquired the company excluding the prepaid business, two-thirds of the spectrum resources, and 20% of the telecommunications towers (and related equipment), which were transferred to Digi Romania. My role was to lead, from a legal perspective, the due diligence and regulatory approval processes, and to be part of the negotiation team for the transaction documents.

Since the beginning of October, I have been leading, on the legal side, the integration of Telekom Romania into Vodafone, which has been an extraordinary journey towards a better future together. This transaction represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in terms of complexity and legal expertise, and I am very proud of the work done by the entire legal team, including the external lawyers from Țuca, Zbârcea & Associates, Ionescu & Stoica, and Osborne Clarke.

<strong>How do you approach managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crisis to ensure the organisation’s resilience?</strong>

Periods of instability or crisis are normal in the life cycle of a large company such as Vodafone Romania, and part of my role is to support company management in navigating through such periods with strong legal guidance, a dedicated team (specialised or most closely aligned with the matter under discussion), clear prioritisation of key topics, risk assessments, alignment with business strategy, calmness, integrity, resilience, dedication, an excellent understanding of business needs, and a multi-angle approach. The role of the legal team during periods of instability or crisis is crucial and depends on the team’s ability to become a strong business partner over time, in order to provide the best possible support to the organisation, acting as a true cornerstone in such moments.

<Strong>Have you had any experiences during your career as a lawyer that stand out as particularly unique or interesting?</strong>

I consider that the experience of being the legal lead in a transaction such as the acquisition of Telekom Romania, structured to include one of the competitors in a market of four at the time, is a unique legal experience. The negotiation of the transaction documents and the process of obtaining all regulatory approvals – including from the foreign investment committee, the competition authority, and the telecommunications authority – as well as drafting and discussing the behavioural commitments, was indeed a very interesting and educational experience, providing a valuable opportunity to grow and enhance all possible skills.

<Strong>What is a cause, business or otherwise, that you are passionate about? Why is this?</strong>

I am passionate about sports, mainly running and mountaineering, as well as about carrying out good deeds and charity projects, being a proud member of the Vodafone Romania Foundation. I believe that sport makes us stronger, better organised, more resilient and focused, improving our quality of life and fuelling our competitiveness in a positive way. At the same time, I believe in the principle of leading by example and in the saying that it takes a whole village to raise a child; therefore, if you wish to see change, you must commit to it and drive it. The Vodafone Romania Foundation is involved in multiple areas, being one of the largest investors in the modernisation of the neonatology sector in Romania, maintaining a long-term partnership with Salvamont Romania (the mountain rescue association), and also supporting education and social services through its projects.