100 Most Powerful Women in Business. Nicoleta Manea, CEO and Creative Director and Co-Founder of NESTELLI; Co-Founder of ANG Luxury Properties
Total Sales (for ANG Luxury Properties): 15 million euros
Biography: Nicoleta Manea began her career in business while still in college, although her focus was on graduating from Law School and, implicitly, entering the magistracy. However, she considered that her place was not there, which is why in 2012 she chose to get involved in real estate. Since then, 12 years have passed since she has been at the helm of ANG Luxury Properties, a period during which the company has constantly grown and developed its activity. In December 2023, she launched the NESTELLI jewelry brand.
Ever since high school, I wanted to study at the Faculty of Law, have a career in the magistracy field and bring added value to the Romanian judicial system. At the same time, growing up in an entrepreneurial environment, I dreamed of a big business, with many people, with many departments. In reality, I always flirted with the two fields that, at first glance, are different; but the Faculty of Law really gave me a different perspective on entrepreneurship, and today I managed to be surrounded by a valuable, involved team, from which I, as an owner, have something to learn every day.
I am an extremely practical person, but at the same time against the wind, I like different things, those that should not be done in a classic entrepreneurial environment, in which we try to follow certain patterns. So I consider that every stage of my life, as an entrepreneur, has helped me to be the strong woman of today, who knows exactly what the vision of her business is, knows exactly where she wants to go, even if sometimes the path is not very clear. I believe that the most important thing is to know how to make the right decisions on this path or, if they are not the most appropriate at that moment, not to deviate from intuition, which very rarely deceives us, women. My biggest dream, when I came from Satu Mare to Bucharest, was that, regardless of the field in which I would work, I would make myself noticed and have a say. And today, at almost 35 years old, I have put an important pawn on the map of the real estate field and, soon, I will be able to say the same about the jewelry field.
I believe that what distinguishes us, first as people and then as business owners, is the level of involvement and vision - they are the ones that make the difference between what you were in the past and what you will be in 20 years. For me, it is very important that everything I do in the companies I have built, together with my husband, Alexandru Manea, brings added value not only to the entrepreneurial environment in Romania, but also to the professional career of each person in our teams, because they are the ones who make a business strong and the team involved. I have no expectations from anyone, except from myself. And through my own actions I can make a field - or a segment of the field in which I operate with the business - change for the better.
