Interview with Colin Lovering, Chairman of the British Romanian Chamber of Commerce

In a candid conversation with Colin Lovering, Chairman of the British Romanian Chamber of Commerce (BRCC), we delve into the chamber’s remarkable journey over the past 25 years and its significant contributions to the bilateral trade between the United Kingdom and Romania. With an unyielding commitment to consistency, principles, and fostering valuable connections, the BRCC has stood as a cornerstone of trust in the business community. Colin shares his insights on the challenges and opportunities for businesses in Romania, the evolving workspace trends, the chamber’s 25th-anniversary celebrations, and its role in nurturing emerging talent. Furthermore, we explore his experience as a sales trainer and business coach, delving into the inspiration behind his first book and offering a glimpse into the intriguing themes of his upcoming second book.

Can you share with us some key milestones and achievements of the British Romanian Chamber of Commerce over the past 25 years, and how these accomplishments have contributed to the growth of bilateral trade between the UK and Romania?

As with Business Review, maintaining that quality image and trust for all of that time takes consistency and perseverance. The BRCC still abides by the same standards and principles that it did back in 1998 when it was founded. Our number one duty is to our valued members, some of which have been with us throughout this journey. A combination of business support, social and cultural experiences and a dedicated support of NGO’s and Education has enabled the BRCC to have a very clear value to anyone wishing to develop or expand their interests.

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As the Chairman of the British Romanian Chamber of Commerce, what do you believe are the most significant challenges and opportunities for businesses seeking to invest in Romania, and how does the chamber support and address these issues?

I think that Romania’s USP has shifted over the last few years as certain expertise and industries are now putting the country firmly on the global map. The challenge is the talent pool being tempted outside of Romania now that it has this reputation, particularly in IT, AI and digitalization in general.

Saying that, these industries are growing with phenomenal rates and the trend of start-ups is still in full flow. These means that any investor has a strong platform in which to work here in Romania or use the expertise on a global level.

The chamber supports in making the strong and right connections which also underlines the value of the diversity of membership that we have in many , many different domains.

With your experience in real estate and office design, how do you see the future of workspace trends in Romania, particularly in the context of evolving work environments and the impact of technological advancements?

I really still believe that the concept of hybrid working is not working as well as having people full time in the office despite the research and feedback buts that’s just my opinion. Interestingly the people spending less time working from home are C-Level and senior management which says to me that, if given the choice without any kick back, these would wish their teams to be in the office most of the time but that’s a very delicate subject of course.

There is a certain paradox developing here as the global ‘automation’ revolution that ultimately affects jobs is actually being created here to a large extent. Fortunately Romania has matured in certain industries such as outsourcing as I am sure that call centres will be the first to be predominantly turning to AI in the place of humans.

People need social interaction but will deny any mental affect of working from home since WFH is an ‘option’ they would wish to keep so they will say they are ‘fine’ which worries me. Around 25% of long-term relationships are born in the workplace, what does that mean for young people, particularly the more introverted ones?

The year-long celebration of the chamber’s 25th anniversary promises to be exciting. Could you provide some insights into the events and initiatives planned to engage the business community and celebrate this milestone?

We have had many events this year kicking off with the inaugural BRCC Awards Gala where we recognized the achievements of our members across business, NGO’s and Education. In July we held our special 25^th anniversary summer party which was a wonderful experience listening to great stories and happy memories from our members. We will continue to fly the 25^th flag through to the end of the year with more business and social events in Bucharest, London and Cluj.

Building partnerships is crucial for the success of any chamber of commerce. How has the British Romanian Chamber of Commerce fostered strong collaborations between British and Romanian companies, and what role do these partnerships play in promoting economic growth in both countries?

I think we all need role models in life and the great work done by The British Embassy in creating a clear and workable trading path has enabled a stronger investment into the UK for Romanian enterprises such as UiPath, Fintech OS, ClusterPower etc  as well as the continuing growth in investment from the UK, particularly in the energy sector. The BRCC is there to compliment these ongoing trade agreement initiatives and provide an extra resource for two-way communications and setting up business operations. Match-Making between companies and resources such as Real Estate, Legal, Financial is becoming a regular, daily task for the BRCC team.

As a sales trainer and business coach, you have had the opportunity to interact with young aspiring entrepreneurs and business professionals. How do you see the role of education and professional development in shaping the future of business in Romania, and how does the chamber contribute to nurturing emerging talent in the business sector?

This is a great question and something we are very conscious of supporting. Confidence is key to eliminating the horrible statistic of 90% of start-up failing in the first 12 months. There is a strong task orientation culture in Romania versus the more people orientated one in the UK. This means that the British can be more efficient minded and the Romanians can be more people orientated.

There is a very strong and wide younger business community in Romania and we hope to attract them to the chamber and help the next phase in our journey as we expand our geographical and interest reach.

Congratulations on the success of your first book, ‘A Day in the Life of Exceptional Sales Professionals,’ and its transition to a hardback edition. Could you tell us more about the inspiration behind the book and the key lessons you hope readers will take away from it to enhance their sales skills and performance? Additionally, can you give us a sneak peek into what readers can expect from your upcoming second book?

After accumulating so many experiences and memories in a long sales career I decided to put them in a book along with solid advice on every aspect of a professional salesperson’s day. With nearly 24,000 copies sold, I’m really delighted with the response and hope that many of the readers have now taken their performance to a next level.

Part of my learning along the way was about the psychology of everything we do so my second book “THE PSYCHOLOGICAL ADVANTAGE” takes a look at every aspect of business life from a psychological perspective and provides study and tips for achieving more whether its in Leadership, Starting a new business, Managing teams, HR, Project management etc. The book is available on Amazon.de