LATROBE, PA – When arriving at college, many students bring with them dreams larger than the world, visions that will help them leave their mark long after they’ve gone. For McKenna School alumnus Bogdan Ochiana, C’08, originally from Romania who experienced these same dreams, the hope to return to Europe with his Business Administration degree and begin a business of his own flourished under his advisors’ guidance. After graduating early from Saint Vincent College (SVC), however, Ochiana didn’t return to Europe right away; – instead, he used his new degree and certification to work at Navigator Business Solutions, a company that aids in creating enterprise application software, as a consultant in California.
“My experience at SVC,” Ochiana claimed, “and especially my time in California, allowed me to quickly adapt to new environments and to learn fast what needs to be done.” This ultimately gave him the ability to focus on results rather than process.
“This allowed me to build strong businesses with huge potential, and for this I will be forever grateful to my years at SVC,” Ochiana continued. The skills he learned and the experience he gained gave him the skills necessary to build a bright future and granted him the indispensable knowledge that would aid him later on.
Although Ochiana enjoyed his time in California, after about a year of working there, he believed that the time for a change of scenery had come upon him.
“I decided that I wanted a bigger challenge,” he explained. Ochiana returned to Europe, deciding to pursue a Master of Science at Utrecht University in the Netherlands in Sustainable Development.
During his time in graduate school, not only did he receive an Erasmus Scholarship, but he studied for a semester in Switzerland and worked as a consultant for Henkel, a German multinational chemical and consumer goods company, eventually relocating to Germany after finishing his degree. Despite his larger aspirations, Europe presented Ochiana with a number of unique challenges, the largest of which being the language barriers. He quickly realized that without a proper understanding of the local languages, he’d struggle to find employment or complete the work given to him.
Not one to easily give up, Ochiana took an intensive, six-month course in German and pursued a new career in Germany; when he began hopping from place to place, working in countries like the Netherlands, Spain, France,and Belgium, he picked up Spanish and French. Ever the traveler, he lived and worked in a number of European cities, spending time in Berlin, Paris,and Cologne to name a few, continuing to work towards achieving his dreams and aspirations.
“It was a fun time,” he said, “I learned a lot and managed to put to good use everything that I have learned at SVC and in my graduate studies.” Thus far, every place he’s visited has not only shared with him a piece of the world but also has given him the skills to further himself and his career.
Eventually, when he reached Paris, he discovered that his contacts from SVC allowed him to connect with individuals from London and Paris, all of whom aided him in starting his first business. But, despite his grand visions and hopes for his business, his startup soon failed. Unwilling to give up, Ochiana remained steadfast, taking his mistakes and failures in stride and trying again.
“I decided to concentrate on a different type of business, in an area that I knew very well,” he explained. Taking his new lessons with him, Ochiana founded Principal33 in 2018, an IT nearshore outsourcing company in Romania. The business quickly became a success, employing more than 200 people since its inception and is currently targeted to increase the employment pool by about 50% by the end of 2023.
Principal33 is not the only business of Ochiana’s that has found fortune: shortly after starting Principal33, he opened Leryon Holdings, a real estate company with operations in Romania, France,and Spain. With pride, the company’s accomplishments have allowed operations to swiftly expand, and Ochiana is hopeful to create even more homes for future consumers across the other countries in the European Union.
Despite the uphill battles that Bogdan Ochiana experienced over the years, he carried with him a strong will and spirit, one that allowed him to never give up¾even when obstacles that might’ve seemed insurmountable to some came his way. In bearing the lessons and friends he gained from SVC alongside his dreams, Ochiana has managed to leave his mark long after he’s graduated. We’re excited to see how much his businesses grow in the coming years!
-Madison Kozera, English major, of Abingdon, MD
