Petrescu Irina-Elena is PhD associate professor at The Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Department of Agro-Food and Environmental Economics. She started her academic career in 2007, as assistant and followed all the academic steps, until 2017 since when she is PhD associate professor. Her main topics of interests are agro-food economics, rural and regional development, and logistics of agro-food enterprises. Since 2016, she has been involved in the administrative activity of the university, as Director of the Rector’s Office. She is member of the following professional affiliations: counselor at the Association of Economic Faculties from Romania (2012 – present); member of European Association of Agricultural Economists; member of the Chartered in structural funds and Cohesion; member of Romanian Society of Statistics; member of Regional Center for Analysis and Policy. The research activity started in 2007, with the elaboration of the doctoral thesis entitled “Integration of the agri-food system of Romania in the agriculture of the European Union“, which she finished in May 2012. As well, she is author or co-author of more than 25 articles and 2 books having as main topic agro-food economics and she was involved in 14 research projects.

Her main objective is to improve her activity through a better understanding of the values-based leadership and to increase her ability to identify and manage challenges.

She is a fellow of the second edition of the Aspen Public Service Leadership Program, organized between 2019 and 2020.