RCI Holding and Ascent Group launch HorizonX: A new strategic player for an age of unprecedented change

(Bucharest, Romania – December 29th, 2025)

This article highlights the skills of the future.

Ascent Group and Oxford Process Excellence strengthen their strategic partnership started in 2023.

Alex is our fellow active recruiter and generous disseminator of personal development resources (if you’ve followed us over the past few months, chances are you’ve come across his name as the author of Ascent articles).

Vlad is our colleague in the training arm of the company, who in addition to the technical expertise and agility he brings to our processes, also makes delicious homemade bread (on the test).

Iulia is our colleague in the HR branch of the company, who brings not only support to the team, but also a lot of good humour. We invite you to meet her.

Iulia is our colleague in the HR branch of the company, who brings not only support to the team, but also a lot of good humour. We invite you to meet her.

Timea is a student at the Faculty of European studies. Initially she had done her practice in Ascent in HR and because she enjoyed the domain, but also the team, wanted to stay in Ascent.

Adela Cristea is the founder of Ascent group of companies and also the person who coordinates the activities of the group globally.

Ascent Group continues its expansion plans, and November 2021 marks the conclusion of a strategic partnership, an agreement that is covering the Greek and Cypriot markets.

Florina joined the team in 2019 as a HR Manager.

Reliana is our colleague from Arad, who has been advising Ascent clients in their legal matters since 2008, prepares their papers and contracts necessary to carry out their activity.

Alexandra is our colleague from Arad and she has joined the team more than a year and a half ago.

Marcel joined the Ascent Group team from the very beginning, and in 15 years of activity within the group, it mainly coordinated the part of operations and digitisation.

Ascent Group is continuing its regional development through an important partnership with LMPC Consulting in Sibiu.

Today we want to stop our attention to our colleague from Bucharest, Adina. If you have already crossed paths with her (in workouts, coaching sessions, etc.), we are sure that you have noticed the naturalness, charm and good mood that characterizes her.

Starting with October 2009, Mirela Dinu became the new coordinator of finance and accounting department of Ascent Group office in Bucharest.

Mirela graduated the Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest, Management and Business Administration specialization. Her professional experience includes 5 years in developing projects as economist and accountant for important companies from the Romanian and foreig financial market. In all these years Mirela has developed activities of management, financial reporting and economic analysis.

Ascent Group supports this year, as partner, the START Internship program, developed in Romania by Junior Achievement.

In today’s labor market, students are hardly dreaming of a career and graduates have already entered into the race for getting a job. But their success depends very much on the practical skills and knowledge they learned. And unfortunately Universities in Romania offers still too few opportunities for students to get in contact with what is happening in the concrete business.

Ascent Group, in cooperation with the partner Jordan Sheppard, is currently deploying intensive efforts to identify the market’s most talented IT professionals.

Our client is a Service Provider for the European Union and the opportunities are aimed at young IT professionals who wish to access interesting and international IT career perspectives (the employer is Belgium based), either at a senior but also a more junior/entry level. Interested professionals can review enclosed a list of currently available positions.

The ability to speak fluently both English and French is essential. The applicants can send their resumes to email

On 18th of June 2009 took place in Bulgaria, Ruse the „No Borders” event, a Romanian – Bulgarian bilateral business meeting organized by Ascent Group in partnership with UNPR – National Union of Romanian Employers, BRCCI – Romanian–Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the magazines Manager Bulgaria and Consulting Review Romania.

Bulgaria and Romania, two neighboring countries separated by borders several decades that remained now only symbolic, gathered in No Borders event all their business potential and colaboration interest. No Borders event aimed to encourage the cross-border cooperation and investments, to facilitate the neighboring market acces and to stimulate business partnerships for both countries companies.

Starting with January 2009 Ascent Group has signed a strategic agreement with the famous American specialist in research and promotion of the entrepreneurship and innovating solutions in business – Larry Farrell. Based on this agreement Ascent Group will represent exclusively The Farrell Company in Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia and Republic of Moldova for training and consultancy services on entrepreneurship.

Larry Farrell is a world wide authority, being deeply involved on spreading the entrepreneurial spirit all over the world. He presented the entrepreneurship principles in front of more than 1.3 millions of professional individuals, organizations and government.

As a company, we consistently care about our customers, which are în their turn other companies. We are concerned with their work – helping them in business development – , with their activities – legal or accounting – , with their people – through the management of human resources, training and evaluation.

In many trainings made at the client I tackle themes as team management, personnel motivation, leadership, conflict, organizational communication. Recently I asked myself if the managers I work with and train have somebody to the other end of the relationship. Who are their employees? Are they ready to benefit from the training of their managers? Perhaps all the actors involved in these situations requires a type of training, preparation to fully benefit of information, new skills and attitudes.

Starting January 2009 the new manager of Ascent Group’s office in Bucharest is Elena Manera. From this position Elena will coordinate the whole activity of one of the most important Ascent Group’s offices. Elena took over the management of the office from Luciana Căciuleanu, recently promoted Group Training Manager of Ascent Group.

Elena Manera joined Ascent Group’s team in August 2008 as coordinator of the projects department.

Starting December 2008 Luciana Căciuleanu became Group Training Manager of Ascent Group. From this position Luciana will coordinate the whole training activity of Ascent Group in Romania, Bulgaria, Republic of Moldova and Serbia.

Luciana joined Ascent Group’s team in 2006, holding during the time various positions within the organization, the most recent one being manager of Ascent Group’s office in Bucharest.

Luciana has an University degree in Economics and Public Administration within Ştefan cel Mare University in Suceava, her professional experience including 7 years of activity in various fields, especially company’s reorganization and restructuring processes, human resources, business consulting and training.

Ascent Group has constantly developed in the last years high quality training programs. As a result of the feedback received from the customers and also of the recurrent demands from the actual and potential customers, we decided to start some open trainings in all the countries where we have offices: Romania (Bucharest and Arad), Republic of Moldova (Chişinău), Bulgaria (Sofia), Serbia (Belgrade).

The trainings will contain many new topics for the Romanian training market such as: Operational management, Supply chain management, Transports management, Finances for sales people, Cost controlling, Performance as assistant manager.

The open trainings will also cover general topics such as: Communication, Presentation techniques, Leadership, Time management, Project management, Conflict management, Stress management.