Meet the Chiefs: Mihai Guran, Bitdefender
This week in Meet the Chiefs we got the opportunity to speak with Mihai Guran, sales director of Regional Operations at Bitdefender, a cybersecurity vendor.
![Meet the Chiefs: Mihai Guran, Bitdefender Meet the Chiefs: Mihai Guran, Bitdefender](https://eu-images.contentstack.com/v3/assets/blt10e444bce2d36aa8/blt388950e7758c4dc1/65246f4653c26e84f04d834f/Mihai_Guran_Bitdefender_2BW_0.jpg?width=700&auto=webp&quality=80&disable=upscale)
Mihai Guran, sales director of Regional Operations at Bitdefender
Guran: As a student I had several temporary jobs like selling newspapers or being a translator for businesspeople doing a trade show – many other great business people actually started the same way. My first proper job was as a Product Manager for Unisys and Sun Microsystems products in a Romanian company.
The VAR Guy says: It sounds like you were a bit of a jack-of-all-trades! But we suppose you have to be if you want to be successful as a channel chief.
Guran: I’ve always been a fan of convertibles, but lately I’ve been drawn to electric models as well. However, I plan to keep my current one for another couple of years and wait for electric vehicle technology to mature more.
The VAR Guy says: That’s a smart decision. As tempting as it can be to buy one of the (many) beautiful cars currently on the market, who knows how the automobile landscape will change over the next several years?
Guran: My favorite destinations for vacation are Italy and Austria. These are my go-to places, either for enjoying nature or for some really tasty Italian dishes.
The VAR Guy says: You really can’t go wrong with either of these destinations. Make sure to bring us back some authentic Italian cuisine next time you visit!
Guran: For business, Kotler’s marketing strategy books make for an interesting read. I’m also a Science Fiction fan, so an Isaac Asimov book should be a must-read for everyone.
The VAR Guy says: A good marketing book is always welcome, especially when you deal with so many business partners on a global scale. And as for Asimov, we agree that everyone should know the three laws of robotics – ignorance is no excuse if the robots decide to rise up one of these days.
Guran: Although I don’t consider myself a hedonist, I do enjoy and appreciate quality scotch or opening a bottle of good wine when celebrating a business success or celebrating a birthday event with my friends or family.
The VAR Guy says: There’s nothing wrong with a good bottle of liquor to commemorate a special occasion or enjoy time with loved ones. Plus, who doesn’t like a good bottle of scotch?
Guran: I seldom watch TV, but some Saturday evenings are spent watching good, particularly old, movies.
The VAR Guy says: There may be a seemingly unlimited amount of television shows to watch these days, but sometimes it’s best to stick with the classic films you know and love. We personally like Turner Classic Movies for some of the best golden oldies.
Guran: While my childhood was spent dreaming of becoming a jet fighter pilot or a (good) President, I ended up studying math and physics to become an engineer. I never thought that building technology sales teams would be so rewarding and fun.
The VAR Guy says: But what about a president who just so happens to be a fighter pilot, like Bill Paxton in Independence Day ? Now that would be pretty cool.
Guran: All 6 Star Wars episodes, which I enjoy watching at least once a year. That’s probably because they have a little bit of everything – good fighting bad, romance, futuristic technologies and, of course, The Force.
The VAR Guy says: We can’t wait to see what director JJ Abrams brings to the Star Wars franchise later this year with Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens. Until then though, we’ll be watching the original six movies on repeat to prepare.
Guran: All 6 Star Wars episodes, which I enjoy watching at least once a year. That’s probably because they have a little bit of everything – good fighting bad, romance, futuristic technologies and, of course, The Force.
The VAR Guy says: We can’t wait to see what director JJ Abrams brings to the Star Wars franchise later this year with Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens. Until then though, we’ll be watching the original six movies on repeat to prepare.
This week in Meet the Chiefs we got the opportunity to speak with Mihai Guran, sales director of Regional Operations at Bitdefender, an antivirus and cybersecurity vendor.
Although not a channel chief in name, Guran works to grow the company’s Enterprise sales by establishing a professional Enterprise sales team and channel partner network in North America and EMEA. He joined the company in January 2014 and previously held a number of executive level positions at companies including Dell, IBM and Hewlett-Packard.
What is Meet the Chiefs?
Meet the Chiefs shines the spotlight on the channel’s head honchos and offers an opportunity to learn a little bit about the person beyond his or her company profile. Click on each photo to learn more about the channel chief you’re viewing.
Want to be included in an upcoming Meet the Chiefs? Send an email to The VAR Guy Associate Editor Michael Cusanelli at [email protected] for more information. He’s really good at answering emails on time, we promise.
Follow Michael on Twitter @MCusanelliSB and remember to add him on Google+ and LinkedIn.
About the Author(s)
You May Also Like