This blog post was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

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Raluca Bragarea

Head of Communications, Bucharest

Part of UK in Romania

23rd January 2012 Bucharest, Romania

Entrepreneurship is GREAT Britain

Sir Richard Branson is reportedly going to visit Romania in May! He is one of the most inspiring entrepreneurs of our days and a personal role model given his multifaceted achievement, whether in business, personal life, charity work, music or sport.

Sir Richard Branson featured in the GREAT Campaign
Sir Richard Branson featured in the GREAT Campaign

A visionary with astounding resources, Richard Branson is the offspring of Britain’s economic boom following the WWII. A man of many talents with undeterred perseverance when it comes to the pursuit of his vision, Richard Branson once said:

“My interest in life comes from setting myself huge, apparently unachievable challenges and trying to rise above them”.

Thanks to Twitter, I have been following his journeys across the world for quite a while, and have gained a very deep appreciation of his work especially through Virgin Unite, the charity arm of his now iconic company. I share his passion for lifting up people from poverty through education and self-empowerment. And I was deeply impressed to learn that Virgin Unite’s overheads are covered by Richard Branson and the Virgin Group, meaning that all of additional donations received go direct to frontline activities. Virgin Unite is definitely a hub for creative approaches to tackling global challenges affecting our livelihoods!

So from a virtual follower on social media, I will hopefully have the opportunity to meet this British visionary and tap into his thinking during the visit to Bucharest. Will be walking on virgin territory… 🙂

6 comments on “Entrepreneurship is GREAT Britain

  1. Hi Raluca, I am a big fan of Branson, and yes I believe that it is the entrepreneur that makes the difference. As complex as business gets, it is still the leaders and visionaries that make the difference; Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg to name a few examples.

    What is Branson coming to Bucharest for? Anyone know? Any off chance of getting to meet him, or participate in any event that he might be coming for?

    P.s. Thanks for the great blog Raluca!

  2. I totally disagree with Steven. There are lots of individual entrepreneurs operating in UK and worldwide. They may not be as rich and colourful as Branson, but they are there. Dragon’s Den is a good example. Low cost airlines and clockwork radios are two recent examples, but what about Sir Clive Sinclair and Sir Alan Sugar. The British are great at solving problems and, sometimes, go on to make a fortune out of their solutions.

  3. Branson is an inspiring figure, don’t get me wrong! But I do think that the age of the one man entrepreneur is over, and the modern business model is a little more complex. Figures like Branson have become a “brand” of person that doesn’t really exist, but are paraded as aspirational figures for us to look up to. He is a smart guy, and was hugely successful in a time where there was the facility to be a one man army, but not so sure if that is the case anymore.

    1. Thank you Steven for your comment, please can you give me an example of a modern business model that you find inspirational? I believe there is always an inspirational leader behind the most successful businesses 🙂

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About Raluca Bragarea

I joined the British Embassy in 2004, and have ever since enjoyed one of the most diverse and challenging jobs as a professional communicator, from partnering up with MTV Romania…

I joined the British Embassy in 2004, and have ever since
enjoyed one of the most diverse and challenging jobs as a professional
communicator, from partnering up with MTV Romania to promote the UN
anti-poverty agenda to handling Prince Charles’ press conference on a
hill top in picturesque Transylvania. One of the highlights working for
the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has been the introduction of an
internship scheme in the Embassy; we bring along students from various
backgrounds to help us deliver our objectives while they get a unique
opportunity to learn hands-on about diplomacy.
I am a former TV journalist, specialising in foreign affairs, and a
Fulbright scholar. I hold a Master of Arts in Information and
Communication Studies with California State University at Chico.
I am a major cafe latte fan and like to collect hand-painted icons.
My other hobbies include travelling and watching movies with friends,
particularly Quentin Tarantino’s. The latest memorable film I watched
was District 9, a superb science fiction with a social twist – anybody
seen it?

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