"Those who decided to return to Romania have already done so or are preparing to return," Manolopoulos said. Since Romania joined the European Union, freedom of movement allows Romanians to work abroad and visit their families back home whenever they want to. Managers choose Romania because expatriates enjoy high living standards here, the country is increasingly developing, and it is becoming European, according to Manolopoulos. Romania has the highest degree of expat manager retention of all the countries in the region, 2.5 years on average, compared to 1.5 years in Serbia, Bulgaria, and the Czech Republic.

The number of Romanian top managerial teams is also increasing. "Nationality will no longer be a criterion for selection. Romanian managers will occupy more top positions," Manolopoulos added. Salaries are becoming more balanced. Romanian managers demand more money, while wages of expatriates  are dropping. "Coming to Romania is no longer perceived as going into exile," Manolopoulos explained. He expects competition on the manager market will increase. In segments such as telecom, IT, real estate and banking, more people are needed in top management positions than current resources on the market are meeting.

Stanton Chase is one of the world's largest executive search companies and entered the Romanian market in 2003. The company registered €1 million in revenue in 2006, a 55 percent year-on-year increase. Stanton Chase estimates that its business will increase by one quarter in 2007, and one fifth in 2008. The company’s main competitors on the Romanian market are Alexander Hughes, Antal Romania, Lugera&Markler, Stein&Partner Management Consulting, Pedersen&Partners Romania.