Fildas Group
Quote: “A company is as valuable as are the people who work for it.”
In 1991, once with the first private pharmacies, appeared the necessity to distribute pharmaceutical products. In a landscape dominated by state owned companies, appears the first privately owned company in Romania, FILDAS. These were the grounds of a company that was to register the most spectacular growth rates on the Romanian market – from a turnover of EUR 1 million in 1991 to almost 230 million euros in 2010.
Fildas is one of the most interesting success stories from the beginning of the free market in Romania. Although it started from scratch, Fildas became a top player on the national market under the leadership of its founder, Anca Vlad, an economist by profession and a graduate from the Romanian Academy of Economic Studies. With ambition and perseverance, Anca Vlad founded in 1990 her own business and got involved in its development. Today, she is considered one of the most successful business women in Romania.
Convinced that the interest in health and beauty will evolve in parallel with the national development, Anca Vlad diversified her company and she created a retail group, developing also other brands. “All women are interested in health and beauty, so I thought I should develop this concept.” CATENA is “The Pharmacy of the Heart ” and “The Pharmacy that Helps You ” and “Naturalis” – “The Intelligence of Nature”. This was actually my dream: to create a company dealing with health and beauty, a respectable company based on honesty, flexibility, creativity and innovation. This makes Fildas a strong Group.”
Our goal is to provide quality products and services for the health and beauty needs of our customers. Fildas slogan is “The Name of Health in Romania”.
The achievement of our objectives is based primarily on the human capital. The Group’s team has grown with the business, from a total of 17 employees in 1991 to 1.500 in 2010 and with the prospect of growth to 2000 in 2012. In this respect, our Group promotes a young, dynamic and qualified team, the average age is 33. Over 700 of the group’s employees are college graduates.
Fildas has national coverage through its 14 existing logistics centers – Bacau, Brasov, Cluj, Constanta, Craiova, Galati, Iasi, Pitesti, Ploiesti, Satu Mare, Sibiu, Targu Mures, Timisoara.
FILDAS Group began to develop his own network of pharmacies in 2000 with the acquisition of ARGESFARM SA, following a process of privatization. ARGESFARM held on that date a network of 30 pharmacies in urban and rural areas. Currently, the Group’s chain of pharmacy has over 250 units in all counties, operating under the brand name CATENA.
Catena is the second largest chain of pharmacies, with national coverage. Catena, “The Pharmacy of the Heart” / “The Pharmacy that helps you”, offers professional advice and recommendations for a wide range of pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, dermatocosmetics, herbal remedies and nutritional supplements. We invite you to browse www.catena.ro portal pages to understand better our brand.
Recently our Group has developed its own concept and product line called Naturalis. This line includes a wide range of cosmetics and nutritional supplements.
To support the clients and to facilitate communication with the medical and pharmaceutical community we publish over 200,000 copies of the monthly magazines Tonica, Farmacia Ta, Slab sau Gras and GALENUS. The promotion activities of Fildas Group regarding health and beauty are also supported by our on-line television called SensoTV – www.sensotv.ro .
Anca Vlad is more than a successful business woman. She is passionate about culture, art and contributes to the social and intellectual development of Romanian society. “I value very much creativity and therefore, we have established the cultural foundation Fildas Art, which is an active sponsor of Romanian artists.”
FILDAS ART Foundation aims to promote Romanian artists in the country and abroad, holds the license Poduri Europene (EUROPEAN BRIDGES) and is also sponsor of annual international camp also called EUROPEAN BRIDGES, attended by representative artists from many European countries.
Anca Vlad has also received numerous awards and honors:
– March 2010 Business Arena Review, Model of Exellence Award for analytical expertise and leadership in a competitive field awarded at Most Admired Business Women Awards Gala in 2010.
– May 2010 Title of Laureate for vision and leadership, active involvement in the economic development, sustainable and responsible, of the community, model of professional and career success awarded by Business Hall of Fame
– March 2010 Leader She prize for professional performance, human quality and social discretion awarded by Forum Invest.
– December 2005 “Successful Investor’s vocation” awarded by Balkans magazine;
– December 2005 the title Manager of the Year awarded by the Institute of Directors – London;
– In 2005 Fildas was nominated for the prize “The best companies in Europe,” as a recognition of the company’s outstanding contributions to the progress of Central and Eastern Europe by Europe Business Assembly (EBA), Oxford – England
– September 2004 Gold Medal for Excellence in Business Practice in the context of the Fourth International Forum for Excellence in Business Practice, held in Geneva.
– In 2004 and 2005 the First place among the successful women by Capital magazine.
– Two awards for patronage: from VIP magazine and Actualitatea Muzicala.
She is a member in several associations and employers:
– Since 2004 – Chairman of GALENUS Media Group (publisher of the magazines: Farmacia Ta, Slab sau Gras, Tonica, GALENUS)
– Since 2004 – Honorary President of the Romanian Association of Creative Women in Fine Art Field;
– 2005 – Vice President of the Romanian Businessmen’ Association (AOAR)
– Since 2007 – President of SensoTV
– 2008 – Vice President of the National Confederation of Employers in Romania (CNPR)
Ms Anca Vlad – Quotes from the interview for A Guide of Successful Women – edited by ADAF, 2011:
“The challenge of any business is represented by the way we choose our collaborators and by the funding arrangements. The entrepreneur’s ability to implement his/her dreams is to select the team first of all. The economic processes are in constant evolution and the problems never end, they are part of the nature of any business.”
Her mentors: “Besides my teachers and business managers I am impressed by the people who are able to look me into the eyes, that know how to explain me where I am wrong or not, especially by the people who look beyond appearances.”
Regarding her family she says – “It’s better that the family space remain one of the soul. No matter how much energy you invest in your business, you must save enough so that your family and friends be close to you. For an entrepreneur, a working day doesn’t have 8 hours. Therefore, you have to make time for your family by combining them every day with your work program.”
“The times of recession are best suited to get involved in a new business because they reduce the number of options, offering only those truly viable. The risk of failure is lower. The most important ingredients of the entrepreneurial success is the enthusiasm and the ability to sacrifice. The desire “to make money” is the most inefficient ingredient.”
