Anna Gruszka, Chief Growth Officer at Adquery, discussed why digital marketing budgets are still being wasted on low-value campaigns despite increasingly powerful algorithms. She spoke about the main sins of the advertising industry, traps of excessive automation, and true online security in an episode of MamStartup Podcast.
Cristina Stan is a Romanian wedding and event planner who founded her business in 2021 after working four years in event planning agencies in Bucharest. She is a solopreneur who organizes weddings and events across Romania. She recently participated in the Avânt în antreprenoriat program by BT Stup, which helped her transition from running her business as a hobby to operating it professionally. She plans to target premium clients and mentor other event planners.
Aon, the world’s second largest insurance broker, appointed Portuguese executive Pedro Penalva as CEO of its Latin America region, effective July 1, 2026. Penalva previously served as CEO of Enterprise Clients for EMEA and brings over 15 years of experience at Aon, having held positions including CEO for Iberia, Africa, and Israel, and CEO of Aon Portugal.
eMAG, Romania’s largest e-commerce platform, laid off 3% of its workforce in April 2026 as a preemptive measure against anticipated economic downturn and declining consumer spending. CEO Tudor Manea stated the company observed declining real incomes starting in August 2025 and prepared organizational restructuring to withstand difficult economic conditions. Layoffs targeted offline operations (showroom closures) and content processing areas where AI adoption improved productivity. The company does not plan further restructuring in 2026.
Dissatisfaction is growing at Swedish online brokerage Avanza as several senior executives have departed and more are reportedly leaving. Internal sources cite a spreading ‘Klarna-culture’ as a factor.
Austrian wellness group Therme Group, founded and led by Romanian businessman Robert Hanea, appointed Ramona Chiriac as Vice President for Global Impact. Chiriac, who ended her mandate as head of the European Commission Representation in Romania in March 2026, will focus on strategic partnerships, institutional relations, and thought leadership on the future of wellness and human development. The appointment reflects Therme Group’s ambitions for international expansion and positioning at the intersection of wellbeing, cities, communities, culture, and societal transformation.
Inter Ikea Group announced 850 job eliminations globally (300 in Sweden) to reduce complexity and costs. The reorganization aims to improve decision-making speed and reduce prices for customers. In Portugal, Ikea is undergoing gradual structural updates with individual transition plans for affected employees. The company reported a 32% drop in net profit to 1.5 billion euros in fiscal year 2024/25.
Matt Brittin, 57-year-old former Google executive who led the Europe-Middle East-Africa region for a decade and spent 18 years at Google before leaving in autumn 2024, officially took leadership of BBC as Director-General. He replaces Tim Davie, who resigned following controversy over editing of Donald Trump’s speech in a BBC documentary. Brittin assumes command during a challenging period as BBC plans to cut 2000 jobs and save 500 million pounds over two years due to financial pressures. The BBC also faces a 10 billion dollar defamation lawsuit from Donald Trump over the controversial documentary aired before the 2024 US presidential election, with trial scheduled for February 2027.
Sebastian Becker, 30, became General Partner at Swiss venture capital firm Redalpine based in Zurich. He started as a working student during his studies and became partner after three years. Two years ago he was made Equity Partner and is now helping build out the London office. He discusses his career path, deep tech investments, and SpaceX investments.
Mawave CEO Jason Modemann shares perspectives on workplace culture, arguing that employees who disagree and challenge ideas are more valuable than those who practice people pleasing. He discusses how people pleasing can become a career inhibitor and emphasizes the importance of clarity, honesty, and taking clear positions in professional settings.