User:Vanturis/Jean Valvis

Jean Valvis is Jean Valvis, a businessman of Swiss and Greek citizenship born in Athens on the 16th of July 1954, is one of the most famous entrepreneur in Romania. His name is related to two of the most important multinational transactions: the sale of Dorna Apemin S.A. to Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company and The Coca Cola Company in 2002, and the sale of Dorna Lactate to Lactalis Group in 2008. At present, the holding’s activity is focused on Eco Food and Eco Energy.

Biography

Jean Valvis is born in Athens on the 16th of July 1954, but his family lives in Geneva, where he starts his studies. He is married to Ioana Istratescu and he has two sons: Christos Nicolaos, born in 1998, and Stefanos, born in 1999. After finishing primary and middle school in Geneva, he goes to “Varvakios” Model High School. In 1973 he starts his academic studies at the National Technical University of Athens, graduating in 1979 when he gets an architect engineer degree. In 1980, he attends the courses of the University Paris I, Sorbonne, getting an Advanced Graduate Diploma in Architectural Aesthetics (DEA), entitled “Argument on Space and Architectural Composition”. In 1982, he obtains a research grant from the Aristotelis Onassis Foundation and draws up a thesis at the same University of Sorbonne, entitled “Model Theory in Architectural Design Process”.

Entrepreneurial Activity

In 1994, he establishes Valvis Holding setting up Dorna Apemin, a joint-stock company with Romanian-Swiss capital. Within this company, three mineral water plants are built under Dorna brand in Vatra Dornei, Suceava (Dorna, Poiana Negri, Izvorul Alb), between 1996-1999. In 1998 he establishes Dorna Lactate SA and builds, under the green field scheme, a diary processing plant in Dorna Candreni and, in 1999, a process cheese factory in Vatra Dornei, processing a range of 85 diary products under LaDORNA brand. In 2000 he establishes a subsidiary of the holding in Athens: Dorna Hellas. In 2001 he establishes Carpathian Plastics Corporations. In 2002, he concludes the transaction with Coca Cola and sells Dorna. This year he also lays the foundations of the Ecological Biofarms project, as part of the eco agricultural activity performed by the Dorna Agri company, project launched in 2004 for Bio cereals. In 2003 and 2004, a cottage cheese factory (Ortoaia, Suceva) and a sheep milk feta cheese (Mihail Kogalniceanu, Constanta) are built under the green field scheme. In 2004, he also concludes the property transfer to ICPPAM Balotesti, a platform meant to be part of the eco agricultural project. In 2006, he invests in SC Viti-Pomicola Samburesti and in 2009 he is going to launch a range of wines under the following brands: Château Valvis, Domeniile Samburesti and Samburel de Olt.

Organisations

From 1998 to 2002 he was the President of the Mineral Waters Employers’ Organisation (OPA). Since 2000 he is a member of the Management Board of the Romanian Employers’ Confederation. Since 2005 he is a member of F.I.C. (Foreign Investors Council), and in 2007 he was elected as a member of the Management Board of F.I.C, currently on its third mandate.

Awards and Honours

2006: The Diplomat Magazine, Greek Investment Awards - "Best Regional Development" 2006: Bucharest Business Week Newspaper, Swiss Leadership Awards - "Most Admired Swiss Businessman" 2004: Capital Magazine, Oskar Award - "Businessman of the Year" 2004: "The Moldavian Cross", Medal awarded by His Beatitude Daniel, Metropolitan Bishop of Moldavia and Bucovina at that time, currently His Beatitude Patriarch of Romania, honour awarded for environmental concern and workplaces created in the area 2002: Ziarul Financiar Daily newspaper, Leaders – People that shake the market - "Excellence Award" 2002: University of Bucharest – Research, Implementation and Micro-production Department Excellence Diploma for Production, Research and Marketing Activity 2001: Bucharest Business Week Newspaper, Swiss Leadership Awards - "Businessman of the Year"