Alexandru Nomicos, CFO, Bergenbier S.A, EMBA graduate from Tiffin University
Authority and notoriety, power and influence, but also the other side of the coin, multiple
responsibilities and difficult decisions.
Being an Executive, say most of those who have already reached the heights of success, is not
a job. It is, rather, a vocation. Because being an executive is not just about being the best in a
field, but about going far beyond professional boundaries and acquiring excellent leadership,
organizational, communication, vision and passion, ambition, perseverance and courage.
For those who aim for the top of the organizational hierarchy and wish to strengthen their
managerial career, an Executive MBA program offers a fertile ground for developing and
amplifying the necessary skills and knowledge.
Alexandru Nomicos is currently CFO of Bergenbier S.A., part of the Molson Coors Beverage
Company group. He has 18 years of experience in finance in various Fortune 500 companies,
locally and internationally, such as Procter & Gamble, Microsoft, Molson Coors. In his role as
CFO, Alexandru leads the financial strategy and portfolio investments while coordinating the
interaction with Molson Coors Global Business Services, located in Romania.
Alexander is fully committed to growing the finance organization and bringing innovative
solutions to stakeholders with the intent to meet the long-term goals of Molson Coors Beverage
Company. Along the way, he has contributed to projects that go beyond finance, such as
Process Transformation or the Guarantee-Return System.
Alexandru played professional tennis as a junior in Romania and established himself as a
student-athlete in the United States. He holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Southern
Illinois University, where he was also nominated for the Lincoln Academy SIUC College of
Business Student Laureate.
He recently successfully completed the Executive MBA program at Tiffin University and has
been an ACCA member for more than 10 years. How this EMBA reshaped his path to the C-
suite, what challenges he encountered and how he overcame them, he recounts at length in an
interview for MBA Guide 2024.
Every leader has in his or her own baggage what is necessary for the ascent: education,
skills, character, behaviors, etc. What has helped you, what has made your climb more
difficult?
First of all, being a leader means something different for each of us. If when we go on vacations,
we know clearly what to pack for a successful experience, once we decide that we want to
“become leaders”, things are completely different. Basically, we don’t really know what to fill that
“baggage” with, because leadership is an ongoing journey that requires a high degree of
adaptability and perseverance.
For me, it all started with unconditional support from my parents when I was combining
competitive tennis with school. Sport has always been a part of my life and has given me the
structure, discipline, ambition and resilience that I have so desperately needed every step of the
way as I have evolved into a better version of myself.
I had the inspiration to know exactly what I wanted and to choose the ‘right job’ at university and
I haven’t looked back since. After getting my degree, I remember that a position as a financial
analyst seemed like something wow. But it’s extremely important to note that no leader exists
without a solid team behind them. I realized that to become a leader, you have to dedicate time
and resources to value and develop your team and create the conditions for each member to
reach their potential.
It is extremely important to note that no leader exists without a strong team at your side.
What have been the motivations that have sustained you throughout this journey? What
were your expectations?
Analyzing carefully, I didn’t feel pressure from anyone and I was not motivated to career
development to prove something. It came naturally to me to want to be better at what I do,
whether it’s performance in sports or in my professional career. Over time, I created higher
expectations and worked hard to achieve my aspirations.
However, I have managed to remain balanced and focused on each stage because I am aware
that many variables can arise along the way, and it becomes frustrating when a carefully long-
term plan falls apart. For example, when I became CFO, I felt that it wasn’t this step that was the
most complicated but remaining a leader who makes a positive impact and develops teams and
the business in a sustainable way. I am not a practiced mountain climber, but from the books
I’ve read on the subject, I’ve learned that the hardest part is getting safely back to the base, not actually reaching the summit. It’s the same in business; it’s important to reach your goals, but it’s
very important to have a foundation because it gives us the confidence to go to higher peaks.
What aspects of the EMBA program have contributed most to developing your leadership
skills and perspective?
I have a rather interesting short story here. When I was first asked if I wanted to join this
program, I said “no”, because I felt the timing was not right. We were talking about 2020, in the
middle of the pandemic. I had a major responsibility for the company and the team at that time,
and I didn’t think I could fully commit myself to this program. I probably created a bit of upset
around me, but I took the decision.
The following year, I agreed to go through the EMBA program at Tiffin University because I
knew what I could learn from my professors and colleagues and what I could bring in return. I
would point out two impactful aspects of my experience: the team collaboration on different
projects and the free and debate-friendly teaching style of the professors. When you bring
people with different backgrounds, personalities, challenges, and personal priorities into the
same team, you need coordination, delegation, leadership, and execution skills to deliver a
project or case study correctly.
The teachers, applying an American teaching style, fueled extremely varied and engaging
discussions on multiple topics, from which we all learned something new. Moreover, being in an
executive program, I had the opportunity to acquire knowledge from marketing, human
resources, statistics, legal, and many others, as well as information that I can use to generate
strategies and evaluate real business situations.
What personal challenges did you face during the EMBA program, and how did you
overcome them?
The EMBA requires a physical presence on weekends and enough hours for homework, case
studies, and teamwork. For me, the biggest challenge has been time management, migrating
from activities with family, friends, or work to analyzing and school reports. In addition, it was
necessary to mentally readjust to an academic environment with a well-defined curriculum and
class attendance.
Nonetheless, I tried to maximize the added value from the program, savor the experience, meet
new people, and build lasting relationships after graduation. Obviously, I could not have
successfully overcome this challenge without family support and a real balance at home.
What do you see as the biggest benefits of the EMBA program?
The benefits are individual and personal. Each participant in the program knows why he or she
initially enrolled and what he or she pursued during the course. I would point out three major
benefits:
a) The relationships created with other professionals, experts in their fields, and people with
values and principles to appreciate.
b) The success of combining the job of CFO, with all its challenges, with a broad executive
education program.
c) The development of “business vocabulary”, i.e. acquiring new management and problem-
solving skills on topics perhaps not so familiar before. I think we represented a special cohort with strong personalities and pushed each other to push each other to go beyond our limits and understand different perspectives or new approaches.
Last but not least, graduating from an Executive MBA program conducted over a year and a half
demonstrates the level of commitment and motivation required in Executive or Director roles.
How do you plan to integrate (or have you already integrated) the new knowledge and
insights gained during the EMBA program into company strategy and operations?
Naturally, we all try to utilize the knowledge gained from one project or experience in other
areas in which we operate, as we ultimately talk about replicating the same interpersonal skills
to achieve goals. I believe that I already use everything that I have gained as part of the EMBA
program at Tiffin University in my job, whether we are talking about confirming corporate
strategy or streamlining and impacting certain operational processes.
Certainly, they now better understand the thinking and positioning in the Marketing sphere and
can relate more easily to broad brand analytics.
At the end of the day, we live in a world of information, and it’s up to us how we use this to
develop teams, help colleagues, please consumers, or achieve our aspirations.
Article published in the MBA Guide 2024.