Bogdan Baltazar (22 September 1939 – 28 December 2012) was a leading Romanian banker and the first spokesman of the Romanian government following the fall of the communist regime. He was also a significant financial and banking advisor.

Bogdan Baltazar
Born(1939-09-22)September 22, 1939
Died28 December 2012(2012-12-28) (aged 73)
Bucharest, Romania
NationalityRomanian
Alma materPolitehnica University of Bucharest
City University of New York
University of Bucharest
OccupationBanker
Years active1971–2012
Children2

Early life and education

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Born in Bucharest on 22 September 1939,[1] Baltazar studied mechanical engineering at the Politehnica University of Bucharest and graduated in 1962.[2] He then obtained a master's degree in economics at the CUNY Graduate Center, City University of New York, in 1971.[2] He received a Ph.D. in International relations from the University of Bucharest in 1964.[2]

Career

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Baltazar worked in the ministry of foreign affairs as first diplomatic secretary and then as manager of the Africa division in the same ministry from 1971 to 1981.[3] Then he left the ministry, but returned in 1990 and began to serve as general manager of the Northern and Southern America divisions.[3] Next, he was named as spokesman for the Romanian Prime Minister Petre Roman following the fall of communism in December 1989.[4] His term lasted until 1991.[1] During this period, Baltazar was described by journalists as full of humor and charm.[5]

From 1991 to 1996, he worked as a senior banking adviser and coordinator for the banking group for Romania in London.[3] In 1997, he was appointed vice president of the State Property Fund (FPS) and his term lasted until 1998.[3] He was appointed director of the French-owned Romanian Bank for Development (BRD) in 1998 and served there until 2004.[4] Later he led a consultancy firm,[1] and worked as an economy analyst, focusing on Central European countries.[6] On 18 April 2011, he was re-appointed director of BRD.[3]

Personal life and death

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Baltazar was married and had two children.[1][2] He died of cancer at Elias Hospital [ro] in Bucharest on 28 December 2012.[1][4]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Banker Bogdan Baltazar dies, the former BRD head was 73". Bucharest Herald. 28 December 2012. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  2. ^ a b c d "Bogdan Baltazar". Romania Online. Archived from the original on 1 April 2017. Retrieved 2 January 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link).
  3. ^ a b c d e "Bogdan Baltazar" (PDF). BRD. Retrieved 28 December 2012.[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ a b c "Bogdan Baltazar, banker and Romania's 1st post-communist government spokesman, dies at 73". Fox News. Bucharest. Associated Press. 28 December 2012. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  5. ^ "Bogdan Baltazar, banker and Romania's 1st post-communist government spokesman, dies at 73". The Washington Post. Associated Press. 28 December 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2013.[dead link]
  6. ^ Rodina, Mihaela (17 August 2009). "Economic gloom continues in Central Europe". The China Post. Bucharest. Agence France-Presse. Retrieved 28 December 2012.