Curriculum vitae Maria GRAPINI

Education (qualifications and diplomas)

• 2004 : Specialisation under the US State Department’s International Programme for participants from outside the US on ‘Business Development Issues for Women Business Leaders’
• 2004 : Forum on best practices for SMEs held at the Palais des Nations in Geneva
• 2002 : ‘Women in Business entering the 21st Century’ workshop organised by the United States Agency for International Development and World Learning
• 1999 : ‘GSM Connex for Successful Entrepreneurs’ organised by FIMAN and Connex GSM
• 1999 : Training seminar in Management/Marketing/Cooperation organised by the Integrated Consultancy Service for the Economy in Romania in conjunction with the Academy of Management of Saxony, Germany
• 1998 : Training course in anti-dumping and the accounting law system organised by the US Department of Commerce
• 1997 : ‘Assisting Local/Regional Development Initiatives’ course organised by GOPA Consultants Germany and the International Management Foundation, Romania
• 1997 : ‘Internal financial management’ course organised by the US Agency for Industrial Development
• 1997 : Course in external financial marketing and management organised by the Romanian-American Consulting Centre
• 1996 : ‘Total quality management’ course organised by FRPC, CCIA, Timișoara (1996)
• 1996 : Qualification in training for company managers in the market economy, organised by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Timișoara and OWZ, Germany
• 1994 : ‘Top management through GEGOS’ organised by the Ministry of Industry and the Institute of Management and Computer Science, Bucharest
• 1978 : Polytechnic Institute ‘Gheorghe Asachi’, Iași, Department of Textiles, specialisation: ‘Spinning and Weaving Mechanical Technology’, Iași (Romania)
• 1969-1973 : Berești High School (Galați)

Professional career

• 12/2012-03/2014 : Minister Delegate for Small and Medium Enterprises, Business Environment and Tourism – Government of Romania, Bucharest (Romania)
• 01/05/1995-10/12/2012 : Chair of the Board and General Director – SC Pasmatex SA, Timișoara (Romania)
• 1998-10/12/2012 : Chair of the Board — SC Pasmatex Conf Internațional SA, Timișoara (Romania)
• 2005-10/12/2012 : Administrator – SC SP LABEL Srl, Timișoara (Romania)
• 2004-2009 : Chair of the Board of the Commodities Exchange, Timișoara (Romania)
• 2002-2006 : Vice-President of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, Timișoara (Romania)
• 2001 : National consultant for the project ROM/00/01 ‘Improving Romania’s export capacities’ funded by the Swiss Government, United Nations Development Programme and coordinated by the Romanian Foreign Trade Centre
• 1998-2002 : Member of the Management Board of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, Timișoara
• 1994-1998 : Vice-President of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture
• 15/09/1989-22/01/1990 : Head of engineering – 13 Decembrie, Timișoara (Romania)
• 20/04/1987-15/09/1989 : Head of the Organisation of Production and Labour Office – IT Garofița, Timișoara (Romania)
• 1980-1987 : Head of Section
• 1978-1980 : Engineering technologist

Political career

Offices held in a political party or national trade union

• 2019-... : Vice-Chair of the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection of the European Parliament
• 05/2014-... : Member of the European Parliament, Brussels (Belgium)
• 11/2012-03/2014 : Member of the Romanian Parliament, Bucharest (Romania)
• 2015-2019 : Co-Chair of the Romanian Party of Humanistic Power (Social-Liberal)
• 2015-2019 : Chair of the Timiș County branch of the Romanian Party of Humanistic Power (Social-Liberal)
• 2006-06/2015 : Vice-President of the Romanian Conservative Party, Bucharest (Romania)
• 2006-06/2015 : President of the Romanian Conservative Party, Timiș County branch (Romania)

Honours

• 2019 – ‘WOMEN WHO ARE CHANGING ROMANIA’ Gala award from FINMEDIA press trust and journal Piața Financiară (Financial Market) for outstanding professional achievement and management qualities
• 2019 – ‘MEP AWARDS’ prize awarded by ‘The Parliament Magazine’ – the most prestigious award granted to MEPs for their legislative work at the European Parliament
• 2017 – ‘Your MEP’ (‘Europarlamentarul care te reprezintă’) - ‘Bursa’ newspaper group
• 2014 – Award of excellence for dynamism, style and effectiveness in the development of Romanian tourism at the Awards Gala of the Romanian Association of Tourism Journalists and Writers
• 2013 – Award of excellence for ‘Pro Green’
• 2013 – Diploma of excellence for contribution to the development of tourism in Romania, at the ‘Money Channel’ Gala
• 2013 – ‘Female Excellence Award– Coalition of Romanian Businesswomen’s Associations (CAFA) at the CAFA national conference
• 2012 – ‘Women Matter!’ trophy, awarded by the COLFASA Association, Timișoara
• 2012 – ‘Woman of the Year 2011’ trophy, Business Section, awarded by the ‘Mihai Eminescu’ International Foundation at the Gala ‘Successful Women’ 2011, 8th edition, Bucharest
• 2012 – Diploma of honour awarded by the National College of Arts ‘Ion Vidu’ as part of the 11th edition of the ‘Timișoara Musical School Days’
• 2012 – Diploma of excellence awarded by the ‘Mihai Eminescu’ International Foundation at the ‘Successful Women’ Gala 2011, 8th edition – ‘Outstanding personality of contemporary public life, for prodigious activity in the country and abroad’, Bucharest
• 2011 – Diploma of excellence awarded by the business association ‘PRO INVEST’, Brașov
• 2011 – Title ‘Ambassador of women entrepreneurs in Romania’
• 2011 – ‘No Limits Woman’ diploma awarded by MH Media Solution
• 2011 – ‘Paul Harris Fellow’ diploma awarded by Rotary International
• 2011 – Mr RON excellence prize 2010, awarded by Săptămâna Financiară (Financial Week)
• 2010 – ‘Ambassador of the European Network of Female Entrepreneurship Ambassadors’ certificate awarded by the European Commission, Brussels
• 2010 – title ‘Senator in the Senate of Honour’ of the West University of Timișoara
• 2010 – Prize for excellence awarded by the Business Press, 2010 edition, for active involvement and support in the Romanian business environment
• 2010 – Diploma of excellence awarded by the General Association of Engineers in Romania (AGIR), Timiș branch, for outstanding achievement in engineering and AGIR work
• 2010 – Diploma for community services awarded by Rotary Club Ripensis, Timișoara
• 2010 – ‘Best Managers’ diploma awarded by Brand Awards in the category ‘Brand Top Ten/Timișoara 2010’
• 2010 – Title ‘Most Ardent Business Community Advocate’ awarded by the Business Arena Magazine at the ‘Most Admired Business Women Awards’ gala 2010
• 2010 – Plaque ‘Sons of Gorj everywhere’ (‘Fiii Gorjului de pretutindeni’) awarded, for work done, by the ‘Scientific association to strengthen the associative environment’
• 2009 – Trophy ‘Woman Leads’ awarded by the newspaper ‘Financiarul’
• 2009 – Trophy for business excellence awarded by the magazine ‘Felicia’
• 2009 – ‘Crisis beaters’ prize awarded at the first edition of the Felicia Awards Gala – ‘People for the heart, mind and soul’
• 2009 – Honorary diploma ‘Consul Honoris Causa Indiae’ awarded by the West University of Timișoara for lifetime activities
• 2009 – Only Romanian entrepreneur to appear with 32 other European entrepreneurs in the ‘Secret of Success’ brochure published for the first European SME Week held in Brussels on 6-14 May 2009
• 2008, 2009 – Trophy and honorary diploma awarded by ANEIR for export activity
• 2008 – Top Business prize for excellence for management and entrepreneurial development in Romania
• 2008 – Business Press ‘Manager of the Year’ prize for excellence, 2008 edition, for the most effective management activity
• 2007 – ‘Justice-Honesty-Honour’ diploma from the Timișoara-based Organisation for the Defence of Human Rights in Romania, on the World Day of Universal Human Rights
• 2007 – Diploma from the International Conference on ‘Management of Technological Changes’, 25-26 August 2007, Greece
• 2007 – Business Press prize for excellence, 2007 edition, for the contribution made to the development of Romanian light industry
• 2007 – Diploma of recognition for ‘Outstanding people of Banat’ awarded by the Augusta Foundation Union
• 2007 – 10th place, ‘Top 100 successful women – 2007’ published by Capital magazine; ‘Gender-sensitive person’ diploma awarded by the AUR organisation; Diploma of excellence for best management performance for a successful brand awarded by the CEFTAC Platform, Pasmatex Fashion House, for the brands Mary's Style and Marion; Prize for business commitment in the regional contest ‘Ioana and Sensiblu award you!’
• 2006 – 3rd place, ‘Top 100 successful women – 2006’ published by Capital magazine
• 2005 – 2nd place, ‘Top 100 successful women in Romania – 2005’ published by ‘Capital’ magazine; ‘People for People’ diploma in the ‘Fundraising Campaigns’ category awarded for social involvement through donations, sponsorships, fundraising activities and voluntary work, for socially responsible behaviour in business at the ‘People for People Gala’ (‘Gala Oameni pentru Oameni’), 3rd edition.
• 2004 – Honorary diploma awarded by the ‘George Pomuț’ Foundation of Romania, Timișoara, for moral and material support in the organisation of activities commemorating Romanian heroes who died on battlefields abroad
• 2004 – Title ‘Senior Honoris Causa’ for outstanding contribution to the reconstruction of the employers’ institution in Romania, awarded by the Romanian Forum of Employers’ Association Presidents
• 2004 – 3rd place, ‘Top 50 successful women in Romania – 2004’ published by ‘Capital’ magazine;
• 2002 – ‘National Top Private Companies 2002’ prize for business excellence awarded by the National Council of Private Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Romania
• 2000 – Knight of the National Order for Merit awarded by the President of Romania for outstanding achievements in leading economic activities
• 1999 – Sintex diploma, 1999, awarded by the Ministry of Industry and Trade
• 1999 – ‘Manager of the year’, awarded by Consorțiul XXI, Timișoara
• 1996 – 'Women who have contributed to the development of their native countries' diploma and plaque – Sicily