Lectori – Ediția Constanta, septembrie 2026
Steve Jarding taught for 20 years at Harvard University, becoming one of the most renowned professors of public leadership. He twice won the prestigious “Teacher of the Year” award at the Harvard Kennedy School.
He is an expert in strategic communication, campaign management, and strategy. Nine of his former students have been presidential or prime ministerial candidates in various countries around the world.
Steve Jarding is the CEO and founder of the international political consulting group SJB, which has worked for clients in 22 countries and 5 continents, and the co-author of the book "Foxes in the Henhouse" (2006, Simon & Schuster).
Alessandra Stoicescu is one of the most well-known and respected journalists in Romania, with a career spanning over three decades in television. She has established herself through professionalism, balance and consistency, being an emblematic presence in Antena 1's main news program, but also in debate shows that have addressed topics of major interest to society.
In parallel, he is president and ambassador of the Mereu Aproape Foundation, as well as executive director of Intact Media Group, where he coordinates strategic projects that promote dialogue between authorities, the business environment and civil society. He is also an associate professor at the Faculty of Communication and Public Relations of SNSPA, contributing to the training of new generations of communication professionals.
Over the years, she has become a credible and influential voice in the media landscape, actively involved in promoting social dialogue, civic and humanitarian projects. Through her entire activity, Alessandra Stoicescu has gained public trust and professional recognition at a national level.
Marian Alecu este unul dintre cei mai cunoscuți și respectați executivi și antreprenori români, cu o carieră de peste trei decenii în leadership, dezvoltare de business și investiții.
A fost unul dintre oamenii care au contribuit decisiv la intrarea și dezvoltarea McDonald’s pe piața din România, fiind primul angajat al companiei la nivel local și, ulterior, Director General al McDonald’s România timp de aproximativ 12 ani. Sub conducerea sa, compania s-a transformat într-una dintre cele mai importante operațiuni din industria de restaurante din România, ajungând la o rețea de aproximativ 60 de restaurante, 4.000 de angajați și vânzări anuale de peste 100 de milioane de euro.
Experiența sa de leadership a depășit granițele României, Marian Alecu coordonând de-a lungul carierei operațiuni McDonald’s în 12 țări din Europa de Est.
Anterior, a ocupat funcția de Director de Vânzări al Coca-Cola România, fiind astfel implicat încă de la începutul anilor ’90 în dezvoltarea pe piața românească a unora dintre cele mai importante branduri internaționale.
După încheierea carierei executive în cadrul McDonald’s, a continuat ca antreprenor, consultant și investitor, fiind implicat în proiecte din industria ospitalității, restaurante, real estate și consultanță pentru companii și investitori interesați de piața din România.
Cu o experiență construită într-o perioadă esențială pentru transformarea economiei românești, Marian Alecu reprezintă una dintre vocile cu experiență autentică în leadership, antreprenoriat și construirea organizațiilor performante în România.
Andrei Ciobanu is a Romanian comedian, actor and writer. He became known through his stand-up comedy shows and his work within the group Sector 7, appreciated for his intelligent and self-deprecating humor.
He is the author of the best-selling books "Suck it, Ramona!" and "Suck it, Andrei!", which were the basis for the film "Oh, Ramona!" (2019). In addition to his literary and artistic work, Andrei Ciobanu was also a radio producer, having a constant presence in the Romanian media.
His style combines sarcasm, social observations, and situational humor, which has made him one of the most appreciated comedians of the new generation in Romania.
Andreea Paul is a PhD associate professor at the Faculty of International Economic Relations, ASE and the president of INACO, with extensive experience in public administration and the Romanian and European institutional triad: the Presidential Administration, the Government of Romania, the Parliament of Romania, respectively the European Parliament, passionate about the economy of the future, performance, education and sports.
Antonio Momoc was Dean of the Faculty of Journalism and Communication Sciences, University of Bucharest. He is an associate professor at the Department of Cultural Anthropology and Communication, and teaches courses in Political Marketing, Electoral Advertising, Mass Media, Politics, Society, Introduction to Online Communication, Reputation Management in Social Media, Presentation and Public Speaking. He is a trainer and consultant in media relations, reputation management in social media, presentation skills and public communication for clients of Red Carpet Production.
He holds a PhD in sociology, a master's degree in political science, a master's degree in communication science, a bachelor's degree in journalism and public relations, and a bachelor's degree in political science. He was a fellow at the United States Institute on Journalism and Media, Ohio University, E.W. Scripps of Communication, and an FSE fellow with a research trip on Italian populism, at the LUISS "Guido Carli" University in Rome, at the School of Government.
He is a speaker and trainer with over 15 years of experience in radio and television journalism. He has been a political consultant in national and local electoral campaigns. He is the author of the books
"Communication 2.0, New media, participation and populism",
"Political communication and the Internet. Populism and the crisis of liberal democracy" and "The political traps of interwar sociology".
Marcel Ionescu-Heroiu
Senior Urban Development Specialist, World Bank Group
Marcel Ionescu-Heroiu works as Senior Urban Development Specialist in the World Bank office in Vienna, Austria. Marcel received his undergraduate degree in Economics from Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, and holds a Ph.D. in Urban and Regional Development from Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA.
Some of the key areas Marcel has worked on include: urban and regional development policy and competitiveness; the management of EU Operational Programmes; project prioritization; local and regional governance; sustainable development and climate change; urban regeneration and brownfields redevelopment.
Marcel has led or contributed to projects in: Romania, Poland, Turkey, Slovakia, Czechia,
Greece, the US, Serbia, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, India, Georgia, Azerbaidjan, Croatia, and Hungary.
Oana Babagianu is the executive director of the Future Romania program. He is an entrepreneur and former government advisor, with significant experience in central public administration. He works at the interface between the public and private sectors, contributing to the transfer of expertise and the development of partnerships between the two sectors.
She has founded and led several start-ups in the UK and Romania, strengthening an international perspective on leadership, innovation and good governance. He completed his undergraduate and postgraduate studies in the UK, Spain and Switzerland. He is currently a PhD student in economics in Romania.
As the author of the best-selling novel "Eva", she addresses themes related to identity and personal evolution, exploring the human dimension of transformation and adaptation in complex contexts.
Mircea Gâjâilă is a strategic communication specialist with experience in national security and public affairs. He works with governmental and non-governmental institutions, focusing on institutional relationships and decision-making dynamics.
He held training sessions and collaborated with participants from political and organizational backgrounds, being directly involved in campaign construction, political storytelling and the formulation of strategically important messages, contributing to the development of the skills necessary in competitive contexts.
Valentin Ștefan, directorul general al Poștei Române, cu o carieră care traversează cu succes zona serviciilor financiare internaţionale, investigarea fraudei digitale şi transformarea organizaţiilor publice, aduce în o viziune unică asupra modului în care infrastructurile tradiţionale pot fi reinventate pentru economia digitală şi sustenabilă.
After studies in Romania and the USA and extensive professional experience at institutions such as MorganStanley or international anti-fraud investigation teams, in 2020 he returned to Romania to join the management of the Romanian Post as Deputy General Manager, and in 2021 he took over the mandate of General Manager.
In his current position, he leads the transformation of the organization: modernizing infrastructure, digitizing postal operations, expanding the role of the Romanian Post as a regional logistics hub, and assuming a distinct social purpose – by supporting human capital, inclusion, and crisis response.
At Future Romania, Valentin Ştefan will explore the challenges of a nationally relevant company, faced with global dynamics – from regional logistics competition, to the integration of emerging technologies and the reconnecting of traditional infrastructures with the digital economy. The audience will be invited to reflect on how significant public organizations can adopt the startup mindset, while maintaining the balance between social responsibility and economic efficiency.
Constantin Saragea is a general director within the Ministry of Investments and European Projects, with approximately 25 years of experience in public administration, in the field of attracting non-reimbursable European funds, investments, procurement, management of European projects and control, irregularities and anti-fraud. He was the head of a Management Authority, which manages European funds in Romania and secretary general of the Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitalization (2022-2023) and of the Ministry of Energy (2023-2025).
He is a graduate of the Faculty of Automation and Computers at the Politehnica University of Bucharest, has a master's degree in "Advanced Automation" at the same faculty and completed postgraduate courses in "Management of Public Institutions" at the Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest.
He coordinated teams and contributed to an absorption of almost 100% of the European pre-accession funds PHARE, ISPA, the Transition Facility and the structural funds, PNRR and the Modernization Fund, allocated within important investment projects for Romania.
It is guided by the principle: "Don't tell people your plans, show them the results".
Sebastian-Ioan Burduja was the Minister of Energy from June 2023 to June 2025 and the Minister of Research, Innovation and Digitalization (May 2022 to June 2023). He is a member of the Romanian Parliament, honorary advisor to the Prime Minister of Romania, and president of the PNL Bucharest.
He holds a PhD in Economics and International Affairs from ASE (Summa Cum Laude), a BA from Stanford University, and a double master's degree from Harvard University (MBA & MPP). He is an associate professor at the Faculty of Management at the National School of Political and Administrative Studies (SNSPA).
Between 2012 and 2015, he worked as a specialist at the World Bank in Washington, D.C. He is the author of several volumes: "Between Hope and Disillusionment. Democracy and Anti-Corruption in Post-Communist Romania" (Curtea Veche, 2016), "The Plan for Romania. Seven Intellectual Revolutions for a Country We Want to Stay in" (Litera, 2020), "The Plan for Bucharest" (Litera, 2024) and "The 10 Commandments for Romania" (Litera, 2025).
He is honorary president and founding member of the League of Romanian Students Abroad (LSRS) and the CAESAR Foundation.
Remus-Ioan Ștefureac is the president of the think-tank STRATEGIC Thinking Group (www.strategicthinking.ro), and general director of INSCOP Research (www.inscop.ro), one of the most active and respected sociological research companies in Romania.
He is also the co-founder of the news portal www.informat.ro. Remus Stefureac is a university lecturer at the Faculty of Communication and Public Relations, SNSPA where he teaches courses on combating disinformation, building resilience to disinformation and public opinion polling. He worked for a period in diplomacy at the Romanian Embassy in the United States of America. He has a degree in Political Science and a Master's degree in Governance and Institutional Development. His doctoral thesis covers the vast subject of active measures, disinformation and propaganda.
He has published books, book chapters, journal articles in Romania and abroad, and hundreds of analyses and editorials in the Romanian and international press. He is a regular contributor to various radio and television channels as a political analyst.
Mariana Ioniță represents the model of the professional trained in public administration in Romania, being a
civil servant career that has gone through, step by step, all the steps of the administrative hierarchy.
This organic evolution has given her a deep knowledge of the mechanisms of the state, transforming her into a
mark of stability and competence in the transport and infrastructure sector.
A construction engineer by profession, Mariana Ioniță has built her reputation through over three decades of experience, successively occupying executive and management positions within Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure. This trajectory allowed him to understand in detail both the technical challenges on construction sites and the legislative and procedural complexity of high-level administrative acts.
His negotiating ability was validated at the highest level during Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union (2019), when he held the position of Vice President of the Land Transport Group. From this position, he coordinated legislative files essential for European mobility, harmonizing the interests of the Member States with the strategic vision of the European Union.
During his term of office Director General of CNAIR, demonstrated a results-oriented leadership style, being the craftsman of unlocking vital infrastructure projects for Romania, currently in operation or in advanced stages of execution:
- Sibiu - Pitești Motorway (A1): Start of critical mountain sections;
- Moldovan Motorway (A7): Rigorous preparation of documentation for the launch of execution;
- Craiova - Piteşti Expressway (DEx12): Accelerating works on key sections;
- Brăila Suspension Bridge: Efficient management of complex construction stages.
Today, Mariana Ioniță continues to put her experience at the service of the public interest, advocating for the professionalization of the civil service and for a long-term vision in the development of transport networks.
Her presence is a guarantee of the balance between technical rigor, administrative expertise and European strategic vision.
Ioan Iacob este CEO & fondatorul FlowX.AI, compania care livrează infrastructură AI pe care rulează în producție unele dintre cele mai mari instituții din lume - US, UK, si Europa - in banking, asigurar, logistica, manufacturing, healthcare, dar și platforme guvernamentale de securitate națională în țări NATO.
Într-un moment în care majoritatea companiilor încă experimentează cu AI, FlowX.AI rulează în producție milioane de execuții de agenți pe lună cu zero halucinații în fluxurile decizionale critice. Este o diferența dintre AI-ul individual, care face individul mai productiv, și AI-ul instituțional, care poate prelua în siguranță procesele critice ale unei organizații. Pe acest teritoriu construiește FlowX.AI.
Cu o pregătire în matematică și peste 15 ani în tehnologie enterprise, Ioan a fondat în 2023 compania care a atras cea mai mare rundă de Serie A din enterprise software la nivel global, desemnată în 2025 de Gartner drept jucător cheie la intersecția dintre AI și serviciile financiare.
Dan Sultǎnescu este conferențiar universitar la SNSPA, doctor în Științele Comunicării și Fulbright Visiting Scholar la University of South Carolina. Este expert în științe politice, comunicare politică, new media, participare civică și electorală, cu experiență în comunicare și campanii politice din anul 2000. Este asociat cu Centrul pentru Participare Civică și Democrație (CPD SNSPA), unde a coordonat proiecte de cercetare privind participarea civică, comunicarea online, dezinformarea și impactul narațiunilor anti-occidentale.