GRAMPET Group – Grup Feroviar Român, the first Romanian-based multinational, operates strategic changes of its management team

GRAMPET Group – Grup Feroviar Român, the first Romanian-based multinational, operates strategic changes of its management team

The new leadership structure includes 4 Vice Presidents in charge with the group’s main business areas

Bucharest, December 5, 2018 – GRAMPET Group, the largest private rail freight and logistics operator in Romania and in Central and South Eastern Europe, and the first Romanian-based multinational, announces strategic changes in its management structure, in view of ambitious expansion plans at an international level.

As such, Sorin Chinde becomes Vice President position of the Transports division.

Sorin Chinde – with 13 years of seniority in GRAMPET Group – will coordinate all freight rail operators and the Group’s international development. A graduate of the Faculty of Transports at the Politehnica University of Bucharest, Sorin Chinde has worked in this industry for the past 30 years, in both the state and private rail sectors. In 2005, he became the General Manager of Grup Feroviar Român, the largest private rail operator in Romania, with almost 2,800 employees and a 158.55 million Euro turnover in 2017, higher than the previous year.

Tomoni Vizante becomes Vice President of the Freight Rolling Stock division.

Tomoni Vizante has 19 years of experience in GRAMPET Group, more than half of its entire 34 years of industry experience. He started his career as an engineer at REVA Simeria. After the company’s privatization and takeover by GRAMPET Group, he became General Manager (1999 – 2006). He was later promoted to an Executive Director position within SC GRAMPET SA. Starting 2007, he is the President of OPREMAR – The Rolling Stock Repairs Employers’ Organization. He graduated the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering with the Traian Vuia Politechnica University of Timisoara.

Grațian Călin becomes Vice President of the Passengers Rolling Stock division.

Grațian Călin, with 9 years of experience in GRAMPET Group, joined in 2011 and took over the position of President of RELOC SA and General Manager of the TRAIN Hungary operator. He has more than 22 years of management experience in the rail industry. He graduated the Politehnica University of Bucharest with a degree in Rail Transports, has an MBA in Railway Management, and a Ph.D. at the Politehnica University in Timisoara, the Electronics Engineering Faculty.

Belgin Bactali becomes Vice President of the Financial division.

Her seniority in the Group exceeding 14 years, Belgin Bactali has graduated the Academy of Economic Studies – the Banking & Finance Faculty. Her career at GRAMPET Group started in 2004, as economist. In 2008, she became CFO of the Rolling Stock Company. Four years later, she took over the same position at Grup Feroviar Român, and starting 2016 she is the Director of the Financial Division of GRAMPET Group. She is a member of the GRAMPET Debrecen Supervisory Board and of the GRAMPET Foundation Board of Directors. She been an ACCA member since 2015.

Following more than 16 years of experience in the Group, Cristian Rădulescu takes over the General Manager position of flag ship company Grup Feroviar Român. He joined the team in 2002 as Head of the Brazi Subsidiary of Grup Feroviar Român. Starting 2005 he became General Manager of Trans Expedition Feroviar, and in 2018 – Deputy General Manager of Grupul Feroviar Român. He has a bachelor’s degree in financial accounting and administrative management and a master’s degree in the Management of Economic, Touristic and Administrative Systems.

At the same time, Amedeo Neculcea becomes Deputy General Manager of Grup Feroviar Român. He has 13 years of Group experience and 22 years in the railway transports and logistics industry. He joined the GRAMPET team in 2005, as Head of the Commercial – Marketing department at Grup Feroviar Român. He became Commercial Director in 2008. During 2012 – 2015 he was the Deputy Director and, eventually, the General Manager of GRAMPET Logistics. Starting January 2016, he is special advisor for rail projects developments at Grup Feroviar Român. A graduate of the Faculty of Transports, the Transports Techniques section with the Politechnica University of Bucharest, he has a master’s degree in Transports Logistics (the Faculty of Transports) and a Ph. D. in Engineering Sciences – Transports Engineering. He is also an important contributor to the scientific literature in the field, while also having major contributions to the development of several IT railway-dedicated applications.

“The hardest thing to do for a market leader is to remain on top. To do this, one needs the best people in charge,” said Gruia Stoica, Chairman of GRAMPET Group.

“We are entering a new stage of development in 2019, a year marking GRAMPET Group’s 20-year anniversary. I am confident that the management team we announce today is talented, well-prepared and knows very well what to do. Their competence, perseverance and management abilities have brought GRAMPET Group into the leadership position it holds today”.

A few months ago, GRAMPET Group became the first European company to join the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) Association. The project launched by the Chinese, Kazakh and Azerbaijani governments has set an objective for the development of a new Asia – Europe multimodal transports corridor, thus placing Romania on the New Silk Road – the largest infrastructure project in recent history.

“It’s a giant step for the Group, but also for Romania, as it confirms the country’s strategic position on the European transportation system,” Sorin Chinde underlines. “We are honoured that our efforts over the past 20 years have been acknowledge through this opportunity. We are bound by ambitious engagements to our partners, for the following years. At the same time, we have plans to expand to seven new countries. As such, our vision, management decisions and next steps become essential and I am honoured to take over part of this responsibility.”

The GRAMPET Group – Grup Feroviar Român is strategically designed to span the entire chain of rail transport solutions and products: freight railway transport, building, repairs and upgrading of rolling stock, spare parts production, lease of rolling stock, freight transhipment, logistic services, as well as innovative IT solutions for railway operators.

Its rail operators – GRUP FEROVIAR ROMÂN, EURORAIL LOGISTCS doo Serbia, GRAMPET CARGO AUSTRIA, TRAIN HUNGARY, TRAIN HUNGARY CROATIA, BULGARIAN RAILWAY COMPANY – provide complex logistics solutions managing a park of 20,000 wagons and 400 locomotives. The group reports a volume transport of approximately 22 million tonnes in commodities per year.

The Group’s companies Reva Simeria, Electroputere VFU Paşcani, Reloc Craiova and Electroputere VFU Craiova, account for 100% of the rolling stock repair market in Romania. Also, the group owns GRAMPET Debrecen Vagongyár -Hungary, which specializes in freight wagon repair and manufacture. The company is also the domestic market leader for the repairs of wagons for gas transport, and one of the leading plants in Europe.

The GRAMPET Group has approximately 7,100 employees in total.

The Vice President mandates will be effective starting January 1, 2019.

ENDS

About GRAMPET Group

Established almost 20 years ago, GRAMPET is today the largest private rail freight and logistics operator in Romania and in Central and South Eastern Europe. Its 16-company structure is strategically designed to span the entire chain of rail transport solutions and products, thus offering clients an integrated experience at the highest level of competence: freight railway transport, building, repairs and upgrading of rolling stock, spare parts production, lease of rolling stock, freight transhipment, logistic services, as well as innovative IT solutions for railway operators.

With a declared objective to connect the Atlantic Ocean through the North Sea, to the Pacific, through the South China Sea, GRAMPET Group is one of the main drivers for the development of transport corridors which connect Europe and Asia.

Its flagship company – Grup Feroviar Roman (GFR), is the biggest private railway transport operator in Romania, with a total market share of approximately 30%, and a strategic position in key industries such as Oil & Gas, Constructions or Agribusiness. Also, 20% of the GFR transports activities are international. The operator has agreements with sister-companies in the group, as well as with state-owned and private rail operators in Hungary, Bulgaria, Moldova Republic, Serbia, Slovakia, Croatia, Austria, Germany, and Greece.

The Group’s companies Reva Simeria, Electroputere VFU Pascani, Reloc Craiova, and Electroputere VFU Craiova account for 100% of the rolling stock repair market in Romania.

In parallel, the group has an intense research and development activity, aimed at developing technical solutions that provide clients with a transparent and real-time experience of services. In this respect, GRAMPET Group launched its e-client portal last year – a first in Romania, which is a tool for client relationship management throughout the entire process, from posting of orders to billing.

Further details are available on the official webpage – www.grampet.ro.