Mihai Ghyka's Post-Bergenbier Plans Don't Include Entrepreneurship

05.04.2011 ZF English

Mihai Ghyka, one of the best-known Romanian executives, has resigned as general manager of beer producer Bergenbier after a term of just one year and four months, and has been replaced by Jens Hoesel, previously chief sales officer of StarBev, the group that Bergenbier is part of.

Ghyka, 39, remained at the helm of Bergenbier only for a year and a few months, filling the same position he previously held between January 2006 and March 2008. His departure can be considered a surprise, especially ahead of "Men's Day" held on May 5th, one of the strongest brand promotion campaigns on the Romanian market, launched during Ghyka's first term in 2007.

There is no information available as to what Ghyka will do from now on, with Bergenbier saying only that he resigned from his position "in order to pursue professional challenges.

Asked by ZF if he was considering setting up his own business, he answered he was not an entrepreneur by training or by expertise.

"I hold in high esteem those who managed to build profitable, solid, long-term private businesses from scratch, without depending on public contracts. I am not an entrepreneur by training or by expertise. So I will not take the route of entrepreneurship this time around, either," Ghyka added.

The former Bergenbier head rules out working for a rival of the beer producer "over the next few years".

When Ghyka returned to the beer industry, Bergenbier had reported a loss of EUR3.5 million in 2009 compared with a profit of EUR15 million in 2008. The company's turnover was EUR135 million in 2009, 10.4% lower in lei terms and 22.2% lower in euro terms against the previous year.