Business in Shakespeare's language

When Gordon Brown became the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom last summer, he promised major changes for the nation, setting priorities like education, healthcare and restored confidence in politics. Few would have expected the exercise he would soon propose: a set of steps to amplify national pride.

Among them, a motto and a "public statement of British values." . Some reacted with the traditional English humour, making fun of themselves. Others took the matter seriously, generating debates. There was even talk of "an identity crisis" caused by social and cultural "mutations" over the last few decades.

"Let's face it," one Brit wrote on the Internet about the matter. "Britain is a bit vague on quite a few things. For example, there is no written constitution. Even with the help of Wikipedia, I struggled to explain how this worked to my 15-year old son. Among Gordie's initiatives was the idea of having a motto. The French have one - Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité. In the USA there is et Pluribus Unum, so it's about time the Brits got one."

While politicians were heatedly debating the issue, The Times mobilised its readers to search for a representative motto. The response was up to the challenge and the readers simply loved some of the suggestions, reminding everyone that Brits love to make fun of themselves.

We Apologize for the Inconvenience, Sorry, is this the queue?, Americans who missed the boat (or  Irish who couldn't swim), Best before Nineteen fifty six, Two World Wars and One World Cup, I sold it on Ebay, No motto please, we're British! or At least we're not France. (In a similar exercise run in parallel in Australia, a former British colony, the top ten mottos included At least it's not Britain and Australia - on parole since 1901, a reference to the year the Commonwealth of Australia was formed, an autonomous state under the British Crown).

Actually, some experts say, it was precisely the diversity of this kingdom - its complex history and centuries-old culture, which makes it hard to find a relevant and comprehensive definition

In an article in the New York Times, Vernon Bogdanor, an Oxford Professor, explains, "Britain never really began as a country, but rather just evolved endlessly through time. In the past, Britain was something that just happened. You didn't have to think about it. No one's ever sat down and thought about what it means to be British."

To Anne-Marie Martin, a Romanian that immigrated to Britain in 1972 and is now CEO of the British-Romanian Chamber of Commerce, this country is diverse in every respect. "It is diverse as a general concept and militates for equality nationally and internationally."

Growing up in a foreign country, but with so many qualities, Martin learnt how to accept it, admire it and eventually assume it. "I feel very lucky to be here, to be a good Brit, but I am equally proud of my roots. I believe Britain cultivates this sense of pride very well - being British and at the same time enjoying your own cultural or multicultural roots that reveal who you are as a person. It is a country that is always open to suggestions, which it considers even though it does not always take them in."

An island of individualists
Even without an official motto, things are quite clear as far as foreigners are concerned. Britain means the driving wheel on the right side, the emblematic red phone booths, Big Ben and the London Bridge, the teacup, cricket, soccer and the guards at the Buckingham Palace, the Scottish kilt and cultural highlights like Shakespeare and Oxford. As far as Brits are concerned, their reputation speaks of an outstanding moral code, of the cult of individuality, social tolerance, strong sense of duty and implicitly charity.

"Britain will always be one of the first countries to rush to help in case of disaster or controversy," Anne Marie-Martin says.BRCC's chairman Brian Davies adds, "In our country it's nothing usual to work part time or dedicate a few days to other activities when you are 50 or 60 years old."

Davies first came in Romania in 1996, when he opened a packaging factory (Romfilms) in Arad. His position with BRCC since July 2007 entails voluntary work, but - he says, business only takes half of his time so that he dedicates the rest to this organisation, as well as to charity.

"I talk a lot about such activities in Romania. Until they get to this stage of their lives, people work, earn money and pay debts. From hereon it is time they gave something back to the community and become involved in social activities, charity campaigns or provide consultancy for free based on the experience and knowledge they accumulated."

Romania, he adds, does not have such a generation yet, because it is still an emerging economy. "Everybody is busy catching up - they work, buy flats, earn their security. Several friends of mine have told me that, before World War II, charity and volunteer work were something usual in Romania."

One of the priorities of British investors and businessmen is the focus on ethics, integrity and corporate social responsibility, Davies says, emphasising that he is trying to convey these values to his employees in Romania.
"I have five Romanian managers. Most of the time I try to guide them as a mentor. The principle is that if you think right, you will act right. So I help them think."

Davies goes on, "Fifty years ago, people deemed us to be an island of shopkeepers, alluding to everyone's wish to have their own business. We are a people that places great emphasis on independence.  If Americans are known for their abilities to create effective teams, we are good at developing individuals."

The effect of this individualism, he says, can be seen in the national economy, which operates at "two speeds": London on the one hand, an important financial centre of the world and the rest of the country, on the other.

The English connection
A recently published Eurostat survey showed Inner London in Britain was first among the 15 most developed regions in the European Union (with a 303% share of the Gross Domestic Product per EU inhabitant, calculated in relation to the purchasing power). At the bottom of the ranking are six regions in Romania. The only Romanian region that was not included among the poorest in Europe is Bucharest-Ilfov, 74%.

If compared, the gap between the two countries may seem huge. Yet there are numerous synergies and a common history that can be exploited to the best interest of both parties, Anne-Marie Martin believes.
"Three years ago, we celebrated 125 years of bilateral diplomatic relations.

The tight partnership of the two countries, which goes back to Queen Victoria's time, was highlighted by Britain's support for Romania in its accession to the European Union, as well as by it being among the most important investors in Romania."According to the British Embassy in Romania, the value of exports in Romania came close to 800 million euros last year, while imports amounted to some 1.1 billion euros. At the same time, the investments on the Romanian market exceeded five billion euros.

The balance of the last few years has its plus and minuses.
Raymond Breden, BRCC director and director of the Taxation Services Department of KPMG Romania has been living here for six years and says he was impressed with the economic performance (the increase in the Gross Domestic Product and the manner in which the authorities have controlled the inflation).
"The negative perception is related to the lack of sufficient measures to reform the judicial system and fight corruption and red tape," he adds.

As a BRCC director, Breden is actively involved in the initiatives of the Chamber to improve the business environment. It is not an easy job, and Breden likens it to an iceberg (the organisation itself, as an exponent of the British business community is at the top of it, while at bottom is the multitude of events, debates, projects and meetings with Romanian authorities).

If this iceberg sinks the 'Titanic' or not, that remains to be seen.
"It is best to become involved and contribute to the change than to not get involved at all," he thinks.
In the ten years since the establishment of BRCC, things have changed very much, Anne-Marie Martin feels.
"At first, it was a challenge, to say but the least, to arouse the interest of business people in Romania. This is precisely why we feel encouraged and happy about the many success stories and the rising interest of our members."

Over the past few years, the conditions of the business environment have improved. The Doing Business report published by the World Bank last year put Romania on a higher position from 67th to 49th, ahead of neighbouring countries such as Hungary, Poland, Slovenia and Bulgaria.

The performance, Martin adds, was made possible by the development of the financial sector, of the capital market and of the private pension funds, insurance and leasing segments. "Romania has been the second market in terms of profitability in the region over the last two years and is expected to retain this status in the future."

The positive trend can be seen in the development of the Chamber of Commerce, after all.
"We started out with a handful of members, a lot of very good intentions and determination, but with almost no resources," Anne-Marie Martin recalls.  "In the first few years and even until recently, I served as a factotum (a person that starts things, makes decisions and solves all the problems that come up in an organisation, according to the dictionary i.e.).

Lately, we have turned into a functional and financially viable organisation, we have managed to bring new people onboard, and that has allowed me to focus on what I call "the bigger picture'."

As far as chairman Brian Davies is concerned, figures speak for themselves: "We had five members in our first year in operation. Two years ago we had 100. Today we have about 170. We expect more over the coming years, since there are around 3,200 British firms operational in Romania."

The establishment of BRCC in 1998 received support from the then Romanian Ambassador in Britain, from the UK Trade & Investment governmental organisation and from several people that became founding chairmen of the organisation.

"It seemed it would take forever to get the companies to join us," Martin admits. "All the founding members, companies that had already invested in Romania (such as software distributor ICL or pharmaceutical producer GlaxoSmithKline, industrial Balli group or special chemical material distributor Brittain Engineering) convinced their own contacts to do it, especially law firms, consultancy companies and freight carriers."

BRCC promotes bilateral trade and investments, and its role is to provide information, organise networking events and represent its members before government institutions (UK Embassy in Bucharest, Romanian Embassy in London and other official organisations).

"We are member-run organisation," Brian Davies explains. "We are not a lobby group but represent the interests of our members before the government. The key word is access - we cannot act on their behalf but we can point them in the right direction and can put them in contact with the right people."

The tenth anniversary of BRCC will be marked by a series of events and initiatives grouped under the "British Days in Romania, Romanian Days in the UK" motto.

The goal of the project is to consolidate traditional bilateral economic, social and cultural relations.
The events will take place on June 11-12 in Britain ("Romanian Days in the UK") and June 17-18 in Romania ("British Days in Romania").

Mentalities challenged on two fronts
In the minds of British tabloid readers, Anne-Marie Martin says, Romania continues to be a faraway country where Dracula used to live, which has recently joined the European Union and whose people are invading their territory.
"It is true that Brits do not know too much about the real Romania yet, about its people and natural beauty.

To be honest, things haven't changed much since I came to the UK, as a child. The number of British tourists in Romania is still very low. Let's hope it will change once the operations of the low-cost airlines expand."
Once here, Raymond Breden says, people are pleasantly surprised by the extent of the developments taking place. Curiosity therefore turns into constructive interest.

"Most Romania-related events have a great impact in the UK, which is fantastic," Martin smiles. "We are witnessing the development of the Romanian community there and more and more talented young people are working in the City of London, in various fields, especially in the financial sector and in the professional service sector. It is equally interesting to see that some Romanian companies are opening offices in the UK."
Breden warns that such a project has to be approached carefully.

"There are many aspects, the British business environment is different from Romania's. If it expands, the Romanian company has to take time to understand. It then has to choose its partners very carefully. It is best not to rush and to take care to achieve success rather than rush and fail."

The main condition, he says, is a business plan to help the company make profit on the British market. "It is very important for the investors to make sure they stay within the bounds of the British law and that they prepared the best operating structure for implementing their business plan."
Maybe it is because of this barrier rather than the geographic distance, that Britain is not the first destination in the expansion plan of Romanian companies.

"There are significant Romanian exports, but few companies operate directly there," Breden says. "Truth be told, there are companies interested in floatation on the London Stock Exchange, but the number of SMEs active in the UK is small. Maybe things will change with time."

Until then, bilateral relations are built and developed mainly in Romania.
There are and there will still be problems. The global economic crisis makes an impact on Romania, as well; Anne-Marie Martin warns that rating agencies are growing alarmed by the widening current account deficits in Eastern Europe.

"Even though outlooks seem positive, alarms bells are starting to ring. Our members have serious reasons for concern, especially the human resources shortage and the high taxation applied to employers, compared with the relatively small net income of employees. The perception is that there is limited support for the industry. In addition, the latest version of the Investment Law has not been finished yet, which sends out negative signals to both existing and potential investors."

Beyond the outstanding economic performance and the sustained development of t
An example in this regard: business people - whatever their nationality, are waiting for that moment when the word "problem" will not be so frightening for the authorities. Most of the time, the authorities talk about "opportunities" or "challenges" without reaching the 'sore spot'.

A British official was recently saying that he would rather stay away from the government, because frustration might make him "give them a piece of his mind". "And I would do it in a very British way," he laughs. "At first they would not understand very well what I meant and it would take them some time to get the hidden meaning."

"In 1992, when I started travelling to Romania on business I would invariably see the same business people travelling back and forth. Today, I am lucky if I recognise even a single person and it is fun trying to associate somebody's face with the name of a British actor that comes here regularly to shoot films."
Anne-Marie Martin, CEO of BRCC

"When I first came in Romania in 1996, I got the impression that you had very little or nothing here but shared everything. As a comparison, things are exactly the other way around in the West - we have everything but share nothing. This is consumer mentality, which is gaining ground here, too."
Brian Davies, BRCC chairman

"The British business community observes the rules of the country where it operates and always takes the 'can do' stance when it comes to problem-solving. It commands respect for its long tradition and expertise in all fields of endeavour." Raymond Breden, BRCC director and Taxation Services director KPMG Romania

Vodafone Romania
Division of the Vodafone Group, the telecommunications operator had more than 8.8 million clients at the end of last year, over 600,000 for its 3G services. The year 2007 was its tenth year on the Romanian market. The first GSM services in Romania were introduced in April 1997 under the Connex brand, which Vodafone Group took over in 2005.

Revenues for the fiscal year that ended March 31, 2004 came close to 1.37 billion dollars.
Vodafone is the largest international mobile communications group, with divisions in 25 countries on five continents and more than 250 million clients, in addition to 39 partner networks.

Mivan Development
Established in 1975 in Northern Ireland, Mivan is an important name among international builders and developers with offices in the UK, Europe, the United States, the Middle East and Romania.Its important projects include Euro Disney (general contractor, 1991), the rebuilding of the Dome of the Rock roof in Jerusalem, interior work in the Scottish Parliament.

Mivan came in Romania ten years ago, as part of the Mivan-Kier joint venture. It has completed 150 million-dollar worth of projects financed by the Romanian Government. It is now developing retail and residential projects - Liberty Center, NewTown Residence and the national Tiago mall chain.

Aviva
The insurance group entered Romania at the end of 2000. It is the latest investor that decided to tap into the Romanian-British synergies by taking over SAI Certinvest in September. The deal was closed before the start of the mandatory private pension campaign at the end of which Aviva ranked fourth on the market with as 7.8% market share.

Aviva is number one among insurers in the UK, as it has the longest experience in this field and an over 300-year history. The group manages assets worth almost 540 billion euros and has more than 40 million clients throughout the world. Sales in 2007 increased by 25%, exceeding 38 billion pounds sterling (almost 52 million euros).

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)
One of the leading drug producers in the world, GSK claims the top position on the Romanian market.
The group successively acquired Europharm companies (1998 and 2003) and invested approximately 80 million dollars in Romania. Approximately 13 million dollars went to designing and building the new Europharm factory in Brasov.

According to a preliminary report, GSK's global sales came close to 23 billion pounds sterling last year (more than 30 billion dollars), slightly down from last year.

Unilever
At the end of the 19th century, William Hesketh Lever - the founder of Lever Bros and later Lord Leverhulme revolutionised Victorian England with a new product. Sunlight Soap would introduce in the minds of the people the need to take care of their own hygiene and cleanliness.

The Unilever group of today was formed in the thirties, as a result of Anglo-Dutch takeovers and mergers. Its portfolio comprises Dove soaps, Hellmann's mayonnaise and Knorr soups. The company is present on the Romanian market through the Unilever South Central Europe subsidiary, which coordinates the region comprising Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia and the Republic of Moldova.
Its turnover slightly exceeded 40 billion euros last year.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland comprises England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Population reaches almost 60 million people. Over 24 million people (more than Romania's population) visit its various tourist destination every year from modern cities, full of light and life to traditional places.
According to i.uk.com, UK attracts almost 25% of the foreign investments in Europe and well over 40% of the Japanese, American and Asian funds. London is maybe the biggest financial centre in Europe, as well as the base for the European operations of the most important businesses in the world.

This status has turned the city into one of the most expensive in the world. A Cushman & Wakefield survey shows that London had the highest rents for office space last year, twice higher than in Paris, three times higher than in the commercial district of New York and four times higher than in Frankfurt.

The reputation of the British Capital seems to even dampen some of the major economic shocks. Even amid the subprime crisis, the houses on the well-known Bishop Avenue, nicknamed "billionaires' street" set record sales prices at the beginning of the year. Two foreign investors paid 35 million pounds sterling (more than 65 million euros) for villas on this street. They therefore became neighbours of one of the properties of Lakshmi Mittal, the Indian steel tycoon.

articol scris de Ana-Maria GAVRILA -