From legal support to COO: Adrian Vitelaru’s fifteen years at WDP Romania
Adrian Vitelaru passed the bar exam, then walked straight into WDP as legal support. Fifteen years, and a great deal of trust, later, he’s COO of WDP Romania. Read his story.
When I joined WDP 15 years ago
I started at WDP in 2011, right after passing the bar exam and officially becoming a lawyer. I was hugely excited to discover the real estate world. In the beginning I had a mostly supporting role: filing case documents, submitting legal paperwork, drafting small notices and contracts, and keeping up my first contacts with government authorities. Month after month I gained experience within a small team that was driven, ambitious and results-oriented. In those early years, every action I took on the company’s behalf came with a strong sense of responsibility. Every day I could make a concrete contribution to how WDP operated, and that always gave me energy.
What WDP means for me today
Today I focus fully on the growth pillars set out by the Group. What I value most about #TeamWDP is the belief that people are a company’s greatest asset. You reach your goals through resilience, determination, good collaboration and a results-driven mindset. And yes, a healthy dose of intuition too.
What I value most about #TeamWDP is the belief that people are a company’s greatest asset.
How I see WDP in the future
In the coming years, I hope we keep delivering on our growth plan while staying competitive in a challenging market. I hope we keep diversifying our investments, strengthening our development hubs and building new ones. I also hope we can keep growing our existing partnerships, by maintaining strong client relationships and further expanding the leased space with the clients who already choose WDP today.
The project I’ll never forget
Jeroen showed a great deal of trust in me, and in 2013 he handed me a tough challenge: my first negotiation of a lease agreement, with the Spanish group Roquet, a hydraulic solutions company, for a site in Ariceștii Rahtivani, in Prahova county. I felt nervous, excited and afraid all at once, surrounded by lawyers, architects, project managers and the client’s management team. My role was clear: as legal advisor, I supported the negotiations and safeguarded WDP’s interests, while making sure the file kept moving forward.
The real turning point came later that same year, when Jeroen asked me to take on the role of Legal Manager at WDP Romania. I couldn’t have been more proud, and above all I was deeply grateful for the trust. That moment sparked the ambition that still drives me today. The result was a successful negotiation, a project delivered on time, and, most importantly, a satisfied client. What I learned from it is simple: ambition shapes the future.