Victor Vadaneaux co-founded Centerra in 2006 following a 10-year career in Western European private equity. Romanian by birth, Victor was attracted by the opportunity to bring his experience and skills to this country almost three decades after having defected from its communist regime. The motivation behind the creation of Centerra was the opportunity to build thriving businesses of a quality and transparency that stands out against competition.

 

In leading the Centerra team, Victor worked to instil a culture of integrity and quality. It was essential to Victor that the team upholds the highest standards of these values, while at the same time maintaining an entrepreneurial spirit, taking advantage of a fast-developing economy. Romania being an emerging market, it was equally important to anticipate potential risks and be prepared to manage them when they materialised.

 

By managing teams and projects that delivered results of a high standard, Centerra was able to attract international financial and commercial partners, and ultimately international buyers for the companies it managed in Romania. Coresi Braşov is an example of the high-value, complex projects Centerra was able to deliver due to its capabilities and access to Western capital and expertise.

 

As the financial crisis hit Romania hard, Centerra had to adapt. Its organisation had to change in order for it to uphold the highest standards of quality and integrity it embodied from the start. For Centerra to maintain these values, one of the founders had to leave the firm.

 

In 2012, having completed the sale of Coresi Braşov (Flavus), Centerra achieved an exit from all the four companies it managed. Subsequently, it undertook a more pan-European role, working with private equity firms to help build value in their portfolio companies.