Article taken from Biz Magazine
How the Adrem Group plans to strengthen its position on the market as one of the strongest Romanian entrepreneurial businesses and to play a central role in terms of energy transition, energy use and sustainable consumption, Corneliu Bodea, CEO of Adrem and president of the Romanian Energy Center, explained to us.
The Adrem Group has recently celebrated 30 years since its establishment. What was the vision with which you started the journey and how do you see things now?
The vision behind our business was to play an important role in the modernization of the industry in Romania. As far as the energy industry is concerned, we aimed to support the transition from an obsolete system based on fossil fuels to a modern, sustainable, efficient and automated system. We are one of the largest suppliers in Romania of smart grid systems, from complex general contracting works, SCADA automation systems, to the installation of photovoltaic panels and the construction of electric car charging stations. Over time, we have been involved in various national strategic projects such as the automation of the BRUA gas pipelines, DN600 Ungheni – Chisinau, the natural gas metering station in Isaccea and others. Today our vision is to play a central role in the energy transition, energy use and sustainable consumption, with care and respect for society and the environment. We aim to play a role in changing the mindset towards the use of energy to ensure a better future for the next generations.
Starting on the path of entrepreneurship in the early 90s, at a time when there were no courses, books or internet to learn from, was very difficult and there were high chances to start with the left. How did you manage to develop and become a complex entrepreneur?
In entrepreneurship in general and in our field in particular, it really takes a lot of ambition, vision and perseverance to succeed and keep up with all the changes that occur with the development of the economy and technological progress. At that time, my brother, Adrian Bodea, who also founded Adrem, had the experience of his time as a researcher at the Institute of Atomic Physics, which he later applied in the development of our company. I had to learn, both from books and from the field. In 1996 I started courses at a British university through distance learning and obtained a certificate in management, then a diploma followed by an MBA. In parallel, I added to my basic education of technical studies complex knowledge of the energy industry, spending over 30 years working, investing and contributing to the development of the industry. I’m a lifelong learner, that’s why I’m still learning today, my most recent graduate program is the Board Directors’ Programme at Henley Business School.
What is the most important business lesson you have learned during all this time?
The most important business lesson I learned was the goal of reinvesting in the business everything I had accumulated, both the financial resources to generate growth, and the know-how resources – the specializations I did, the MBA, the school of governance, the life and business lessons from colleagues, acquaintances and family. At first glance, it seems like an insignificant lesson, but when you look back and see a company with over 1,000 people, who follow you, the partners that surround you, the important projects you build, you feel an extraordinary satisfaction. There you also see a part of your DNA, of your identity, and you feel that you have contributed and done important things both for people and for you personally.
What are your plans for the Adrem group?
In the coming years, the Adrem group will continue to develop its activities in the energy field and to play a central role in the energy transition. Thus, we want to strengthen our position on the market as one of the strongest Romanian entrepreneurial businesses that offer complex general contracting works. We aim to further support the digitalization of the Romanian energy infrastructure from the leading position on the local industrial automation market and last but not least to develop our portfolio of energy efficiency solutions and to increase the customer portfolio. The potential is great in this segment and we have the objectives that in the near future we will also build photovoltaic parks at the level of 5 – 10 MW.
Adrem currently has more than 1,000 employees. How do you manage to maintain the organizational culture at a time when the talent crisis is increasingly acute, and remote work is still preferred by employees? What leadership style do you approach?
I encourage the personal development of my colleagues and continuous learning. I constantly expose them to projects with real challenges, likely to develop their skills, strategic thinking and entrepreneurial spirit. I believe that authenticity, respect and resilience are the assets that any entrepreneur should have. He must show the people around him the greater goal towards which the organization strives, a dream, and be able to bring everyone to the realization of this dream. Together with my colleagues, we try to adapt to the current context of the labor market and to develop in-house staff for the jobs of the future, both current employees, through various trainings and courses, and students, young talents, through dedicated internship programs. Further, some of the staff work remotely, where activities allow; I support and respect this because people are different and work differently – some are more efficient at home, others vice versa, the important thing is to take into account the objectives that we have to meet on time and that it is a win-win for both parties.
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