I started my career in an administrative job in a small company, right after I graduated in 2002, but I first entered publice office in March 2004, when I was recruited in the Ministry of European Integration as integration advisor. I worked in this position for several years, preparing Romanian institutions to implement the European Union legislation (acquis communautaire). Romania became an EU member on January 1, 2007.
Between 2007 – 2009 / 2009-2011 I worked in & managed consultancy companies in Brașov and Bucharest. Together with my teams and partners, I consulted public, private and nonprofit client on accessing financial aid schemes from EU and national programmes, on local development and on strategic planning for counties and local communities. We also assisted our clients in implementing EU-financed projects.
In March 2009 I was appointed deputy–Prefect in Brasov county, in which capacity I coordinated the public services from Brașov county. According to Romanian legislation, the prefect and deputy prefect are higher civil servants who represent the Romanian Government in each county. My appointment ended in October due to changes in the structure of the central Government.
From 2011 to 2014, I was the executive manager of the Brașov branch of the Romanian Business School Foundation. This was an NGO previously created by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Together with my team of experts, our partners from Romania and our trainers, we successfully implemented several major EU-funded projects through which more than 1000 startups and existing SMEs from Center Region received training, business counsel and support to identify resources to launch and develop their business.
In 2015 I served as a state secretary in the Ministry of European Funds. This is a political, public dignity leadership position, appointed by the Prime-Minister. My key task was to coordinate the taskforce that worked at the Reform Strategy for the public procurement system in Romania. This taskforce included representative all Romanian institutions that impacted the public procurement process as well as representatives of the European Commission – DG Grow.
That same year, in September, I took on the position of President of the newly created Public Procurement National Agency and, thus, I coordinated the first phase of capacity building and legislation drafting in the reform of public procurement. I operationalized the new Agency, coordinated the drafting, consultation and official governmental initiation of the four public procurement laws (98, 99, 100, 101 / 2016). I also obtained the formal approval of the Public Procurement Reform Strategy through Gov. Decision 907/2015.
From December 2016 to December 2020 I served as Member of Parliament, a social democrat representing my beautiful native county, Brasov, located in South-Eastern Transylvania.
In the Romanian Chamber of Deputies I served in the Industry and Services Committee as well as in the European Affairs Committee. In 2019, between June and November I also served as Minister of European Funds in Romania.
Details about my work and my results in Parliament and in the Ministry are accurately registered in the Romanian version of my website – roxanaminzatu.ro and in the connected social media channels.
As MP I spoke up, initiated and worked to pass important legislation on topics such as aid schemes for start-ups and small businesses, equal access to education, digital education, women’s rights, fighting domestic violence, children’s rights, adoption legislation, infrastructure projects (hospital, airport) much needed in the county I represented in Parliament – Brașov.
For each law or decision in which I was involved, I worked with all stakeholders – my colleagues from inside the Parliament, from civil society (for example: the National Council of Students, The Employers Federation from the Construction industry). My aim was always to advance the causes of the very diverse beneficiaries– whether they were small entrepreneurs, the construction industry, children, women, beneficiaries of EU funding or the inhabitants of Brașov county.
In April 2021 I founded a consultancy and training startup called Ro Agora and in November 2021 I started my work as an expert for Didactica Foundation in implementing two EU-Funded projects, EduTime and EduFit, dedicated to supporting the education of Romanian children (from Tara Fagarasului region) whose parents are abroad, for work.
I am a Vital Voices Engage 2022 Fellow and proud to be part of a community that empowers women across the globe and promotes women leaders.
Although my new professional projects in the private area had just begun, due to a challenging political context, I accepted the request of my political party, the Social Democrat Party, to return to the public area, in December 2021. From January 2022 until July 2024, I served as Secretary of State coordinating the Department for Integrated Evaluation and Monitoring of Public Funded Programs.
It is my wish to continue to work for a number of causes that are important to me: digital inclusion, fair access to education, empowering women and SME growth, including startups, regional development, integrated territorial development.
More about my background can be found in the attached CV.
On a more personal level,
I enjoy building bridges – that is, connecting people and organisations, helping them work together and… help each other. I am enthusiastic whenever launching new professional projects. Novelty has always been my passion, accompanied, unfortunately, by impatience J.
I am a moderate, supportive and goal-oriented personal. I am confortable with team-work, I am all for transparency and communication, and I have been told that I am a good, though a bit emotional, public speaker.
I love to read, dance, hike and travel.
