Stefan Stroe – About me

If you’re curious about who Stefan Stroe is, let me take this opportunity to provide you with a clear and concise introduction.

This page offers a comprehensive overview of my background, including my birthplace, education, professional experience, NGO involvement, and key milestones in my career. It is designed to provide you with up-to-date and relevant information, which I am committed to revising periodically.

To help you navigate easily, a table of contents below will guide you directly to the sections of interest.

Explore my journey, and I hope you find value and inspiration in the stories and facts I’ve shared about my life and career.

I was born in Bucharest, Romania, and grew up during the 1980s. Although life under communism had its challenges—limited TV access and a single-day weekend—my childhood was filled with outdoor adventures and creativity. My friends and I always found ways to make the most of our time and enjoy the simple joys of being kids.

Reflecting on my childhood, I am grateful to my parents for their unwavering support and dedication to my education. Both were accomplished professionals who served as inspiring role models.

My mother worked as a senior editor at the Romanian National Press Agency, covering Romanian and French news. She was one of the most well-read individuals I have ever known, deeply passionate about literature and knowledge. Her cherished six-volume French Larousse Encyclopedia was her constant companion, much like how we rely on technology today.

My father was a prominent structural engineer, contributing to major industrial and transportation projects. Among his achievements, he designed the structures of several Bucharest metro stations, used by millions of people over the years—a testament to his lasting impact on the city.

A few years after the 1989 Revolution, I graduated from the prestigious CN Gheorghe Lazăr National College in Bucharest. Interestingly, my mother also graduated from the same institution, although during a time after World War II when it was exclusively a girls’ school.

In the mid-1990s, marketing was a relatively unknown field among my high school peers. It was a mathematics teacher, whose daughter was studying abroad, who first introduced us to the concept. He humorously explained that marketing could be applied to anything, from selling products to promoting a cause.

Inspired by this perspective, I felt that marketing would be the perfect vocation in the rapidly transforming landscape of post-revolution Romania.

Four years after starting my studies, I earned my degree in Marketing from the Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest. Growing up in the 1980s, where state-owned advertising dominated (and often missed the mark), I was inspired by the idea of creating impactful and compelling ads in a rapidly opening market.

While working in media planning during my final year of university, I decided to build on my marketing foundation by pursuing a post-graduate degree in Advertising at the Faculty of Journalism and Communication Studies in Bucharest.

During my academic journey, I had the privilege of learning from outstanding professors who greatly influenced my path, including:

• Ioana-Cecilia Popescu (ASE)
• Calin Veghes (ASE)
• Dan Petre (SNSPA)
• Sorin Psatta (FJSC)

In the 2000s, the advertising job market in Romania was dynamic and full of opportunities. The rapid growth of the industry felt like something out of a sci-fi series, with career possibilities expanding in all directions. If you excelled at your job but found yourself limited by poor leadership, it was relatively easy to move to another agency offering better prospects.

Over this decade, I had the privilege of working with top international advertising and media agencies, gaining experience across four key areas:

• Media planning (at Media Direction/Graffiti BBDO);
• Consumer Context Planning (at Starcom Romania);
• Strategic Planning (at Leo Burnett and Grey Worldwide);
• Client Service (at Saatchi&Saatchi and Leo Burnett).

Being a Strategy Director is both challenging and rewarding. However, as any advertising professional knows, the real test comes during events like the Effie Awards. While these awards celebrate marketing effectiveness, experienced professionals understand the fine line between presenting optimized case studies and manipulating data to create an exaggerated impression of success.

Recognizing the need for greater transparency in the awards process, I initiated a collaborative effort among senior strategic planners across competing agencies. Together, we authored a white paper titled “35 Tricky Questions for 2009 Effie Case Studies.” This groundbreaking document marked the first time competitors in Romania’s advertising industry united to promote integrity and honesty in the evaluation process. It highlighted common data presentation techniques used to influence juries and offered guidance for maintaining fair competition standards.

This white paper was presented during the 2009 IAA Effie Romania Awards event, setting a precedent for collaboration and accountability in the industry.

During my time working with leading international agencies and developing advanced capabilities in Consumer Context Planning and Strategic Planning, I had the privilege of learning from some of the most influential figures in the advertising world.

Icons like Jon Steel, Chris Forrest, Mark Earls (the HERDmeister), and Faris Yakob significantly shaped my approach to strategic planning. Listening to their insights and engaging with them directly was both inspiring and transformative for my career.

Sharing the stage or contributing alongside such industry legends was a remarkable experience. Seeing my name, “Stroe,” alongside luminaries like Steel and Forrest felt surreal but deeply motivating.

Another pivotal moment in my career was joining the Account Planning Group UK and later co-leading APG Romania, which connected me with a global network of strategic planning professionals. These experiences enriched my perspective and solidified my role within the international account planning community.

In 2009, I decided to embark on an entrepreneurial journey and start my own business. While initially considering the name “Stroe. An Ideas Store,” I ultimately chose a more versatile approach, launching two innovative marketing services: Online Brand Ambassadors® (OBA) and Brand Ambassador®. These services later became the foundation of INCANDESCENT Marketing, my communications agency.

As the founder and leader of INCANDESCENT Marketing, my responsibilities extended beyond running the company. I actively managed key functions to ensure the agency’s growth and reputation:

• Acquiring new business to expand our client portfolio.
• Building and managing the agency’s market image, ensuring it stood out in a competitive industry.
• Coordinating Client Service and Creative teams to deliver impactful campaigns.
• Overseeing the quality of all campaigns, ensuring they met the highest standards.

Through this entrepreneurial endeavor, I blended creativity, strategy, and leadership to create meaningful results for our clients and establish INCANDESCENT Marketing as a trusted name in the industry.

• Business management
• Marketing
• People management
• Branding
• Start-up strategies
• Word of mouth marketing
• Consumer research.

Entrepreneurship was both exciting and physically demanding, involving long nights, high-pressure pitches, and a relentless drive for success. Reflecting on the transition from agency strategic planning to real-world entrepreneurship, I’d compare it to moving from simulated wrestling on a tablet to stepping into the ring with a champion like Khabib Nurmagomedov—it was intense, but incredibly rewarding.

The third decade of my career marked a deep focus on marketing, starting in 2008 with Synevo Bulgaria and later continuing with Medicover Diagnostic Services (MDS) in the Czech Republic. While in Poland I started working for medneo, the radiology services company based in Berlin, Germany,

My first role in this chapter was both a bold risk and an ideal fit. Synevo Bulgaria, a diagnostics company struggling after seven years of losses, had great untapped potential. Thanks to a compelling proposal from Romanian manager Sebastian Rotariu, I accepted the challenge.

In this role, I made a decisive impact by implementing an innovative digital marketing strategy, including launching Bulgaria’s first website enabling online preordering for laboratory tests. This digital transformation contributed significantly to the company’s turnaround.

Key Achievements at Synevo Bulgaria

• Turned the company profitable after seven years of decline.
• Shifted marketing to a digital-first approach.
• Relaunched the website, pioneering online test preordering in Bulgaria.
• Introduced a groundbreaking marketing strategy, “The Health Manifesto.”
• Built a high-performing local marketing team.
• Implemented a content strategy and SEO efforts that increased website traffic by 47 times, growing from 10,000 users (Jan 2019) to 473,000 (Nov 2020).

Synevo Bulgaria was a leap of faith, but it proved to be a defining moment in my career, validating the power of bold strategies and innovative marketing in driving measurable success.

I held a senior position within the divisional eCommerce team at Medicover, working remotely from Prague, Czech Republic, and reporting to the headquarters in Berlin, Germany. My role focused on delivering digital marketing excellence across Medicover Diagnostic Services (MDS) in ten markets: Belarus, Bulgaria, Georgia, Germany, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Serbia, and Turkey.

My work involved managing and optimizing divisional search engine marketing activities (PPC and SEO), enriching local SEO expertise with tools like Semrush and Ahrefs, and improving the use of platforms such as Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and Google Data Studio. A significant achievement in this role has been creating Medicover’s first divisional SEO and content marketing framework, which I used to guide local teams in developing effective eCommerce, SEO, and content strategies.

Additionally, I piloted and implemented a unique CMS solution for websites and web stores and co-led the digital branding initiatives for Synevo.

Top achievements in this position:

• Manage divisional Search Engine Marketing activities (PPC + SEO);
• Enrich local SEO expertise via Semrush & Ahrefs;
• Improve local usage of Google Analytics, Google Search Console, Google Data Studio, and Google Ads;
• Create the first divisional SEO & Content Marketing framework;
• Build with the local marketing teams eCommerce, SEO & Content Marketing strategies;
• Pilot and implement a unique CMS solution for websites and web stores;
• Co-lead the digital branding process of Synevo brand across Europe.

In Romania, my name became associated with both “advertising” and “professor,” as I actively accepted invitations to lecture while working in the advertising industry. My passion for teaching allowed me to create courses and curricula, contribute to expert panels, and engage with students eager to explore the latest marketing trends.

• University of Journalism and Communication Studies (FJSC): Media Planning
• National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (SNSPA): Branding
• Academy of Economic Studies (ASE): Strategic Planning and Integrated Communications

For 15 years straight (2002–2017), I taught courses on topics including 

• International Marketing;
• YouTube Viral Marketing;
• Branding;
• Strategic Planning;
• Media Strategy & Planning;
• Integrated Communications.

• International Unconventional Marketing (2014-2015)
• International Media Strategy (2006-2007, 2007-2008 and 2009-2010)

Teaching MBA students, many of whom were older than me, challenged me to deliver content at the highest level. This pressure pushed me to refine every presentation and anticipate questions, resulting in highly rewarding and interactive sessions.

Beyond academia, I co-founded two NGOs to support young professionals in marketing and cultural development:

At Marketer Club I focused on co-training programs for students in collaboration with industry leaders, funded by European programs.

Together with my wife Natalia and a team of marketing students I developed nationwide programs promoting progress for younger generations, the national event White Libraries Night (Noaptea Bibliotecilor), which attracted over 22,000 participants across Romania.

Throughout my advertising career, I’ve been a speaker and moderator at numerous marketing and advertising events, including:

• Digital Marketing Forum – 2014 edition
• Conferința PR Beta –  Timișoara, 2013 edition
• PR Beta Workshop series in Timișoara, Cluj, Iași, Oradea și Brașov – 2013 edition
• Digital Marketing Forum – 2012 edition
• Young Professionals / IAA România – 2012 edition
• Webstock – 2011 edition
• Digital Marketing Forum – 2011
• Marketing 360 – 2011
• Digital Marketing Forum – 2010
• SMARK KnowHow Series conference – 2009
• IAA Young Professionals: Planning vs. Research workshop – 2009
• APG Romania: “Developing a great strategy” – 2008
• Inspire – 2008
• Master Plan conference – 2007

As a trainer and mentor, I collaborated with business and student associations to share insights through workshops and conferences, including:

• Marketing Faculty 10-year anniversary conference – 2013
• Serile Marketer organized by Marketer Club – 2013
• Job Arena organized by BOS Romania – 2013
• AdRev 8 organized by Advice Students – 2012
• Teach Me organized by Advice Students – 2011
• Think Strategy v Advice Students – 2011
• AdRev 7 organized byAdvice Students – 2011
• AdRev 6 organized by Advice Students – 2010
• AdRevolution organized by Advice Students – 2008
• Advertising Community organized by BOS România – 2007
• Think Strategy organized by Advice Students – 2007

In 2006, I launched my first blog, Constructive Brand Strategy Criticism, to share insights on advertising and branding. Over a decade of blogging, my articles engaged professionals worldwide, including leading strategic planners. Following my relocation, I transitioned the blog to stefanstroe.com to continue sharing my expertise with a broader audience.

Contrary to autocorrect assumptions, “Stroe” is not a misspelling of “store.” It is a typical Romanian name with variants in Eastern European languages, including “Stroevici” in Moldova, “Строев” in Russia, and “Stroevic” in Serbia. My ongoing “branding battle” with AI autocorrect continues to be an amusing challenge.

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