From Internship to Leadership, or the Road from an Intern to Managing Director in 10 years
Roxana Diba is the New Managing Director of Golin Romania
CommPRO Editorial Staff
Starting May 2021, Roxana Diba will be the new Managing Director of Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG) agency Golin, one of the main PR agencies in Romania. The management team is completed by Cristina Butunoi, who will become the agency’s Deputy Managing Director. After ten years spent in Golin, of which the last four in a management position, Irina Roncea steps back from the agency.
“Our organizational culture is built around people, and the most eloquent example is Roxana, who joined Golin 10 years ago as an intern, and today takes over the management of the company,” said Veronica Savanciuc, President & CEO of Lowe Group. "I have great confidence in the new management team, which is responsible for carrying on the story of dozens of successful brands – those of our clients; and dozens of passionate people – the Golin team. I thank Irina for these years of success and lessons learned together, and for her significant contribution to consolidating Golin as a market and people builder.”
“My professional path is synonymous with Golin, and this means having had the privilege of developing long-term relationships with our clients, but especially the opportunity to learn and build with the best people,” said Diba. "In addition, I am proud of being a part of a team that has set performance standards, relies on a culture based of mutual support, and enjoys that enviable having fun at work. I am excited about this new chapter, and I am happy to team up with Cristina who has a lot to offer both as a person and as a professional.”
Cristina Butunoi joined Golin in March 2020 as Head of Corporate. With 20 years of experience in corporate and consumer communication, communication with authorities, and the non-profit sector, Cristina’s expertise covers multiple areas, such as energy, banking, industry, retail, real estate, IT, pharmacy, and FMCG.
“My first year in Golin overlapped with the pandemic, therefore with a lot of remote work, which wasn’t an impediment, on the contrary - this context brought us closer than I would have thought,” said Butunoi. "I was happy from the beginning to find an extraordinary team and clients with whom we share the same solid values, and I am glad we can write the Golin story together.”
“In all these years, I had the privilege of working with talented, motivated, and passionate people, who have inspired each other and have built meaningful initiatives and projects for other people,” said Roncea. "I believe that Golin’s success will continue to be fuelled by this strong trio of leadership, mentorship, and strong values, and I know that the Golin team and its clients are in the best hands.”
Golin consolidated its leading position in the local communication industry by securing the #1 place in the Top of PR Agencies in Romania in 2020. Golin is also the only agency that ranked number one at five of the eight editions of Biz PR Awards, while also achieving the record to maintain the first place for four consecutive years. In 2020, the agency’s campaigns also received recognition at the In2Sabre Awards, and the Golin network was again named Global Agency of the Year at the PRWeek Global Awards 2020. Golin’s expertise in social media and influencer marketing led to establishing The Bridge, the first integrated digital and social media hub of a local PR agency. As a result, the agency’s digital and social media campaigns gained recognition every year at awards festivals, and Golin became number one in the top of best agencies to collaborate with, as voted by bloggers in Romania. Golin is the only agency in Romania that has developed an owned tool that analyzes the evolution of social media and digital trends: the annual Digital Recap Report, has reached the 10th edition this year.
