Dragoş Pîslaru is an economist by training, having a PhD in Economics with the Romanian Academy of Sciences and a MSc. in International Relations with London School of Economics, UK. He started his career in the academic and social science research field, by teaching Economics and International Economics at the Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest between 1998-2006 and engaging in several public policy research projects with the Romanian Center for Economic Policies (CEROPE) and the Group of Applied Economics (GEA) focused on the institutional and structural reform in Romania on the way to EU accession.
After an executive training at Harvard Business School, in 2007 he co-founded and became GM of Gea Strategy & Consulting (Gea S&C), a leading local management consulting company aimined at guiding private and public actors to think, plan and act in a more competitive way for business and community development.
Dragoș is a dedicated supporter of entrepreneurship development in Romania, with focus on creative industries and tech-based innovation. In 2013, Dragoș cofounded the business accelerator RICAP – Innovation from lab to market, as a pilot innovation commercialization program helping Romanian tech innovators reach global markets.
In November 2015 he joined the technocrat government led by Dacian Ciolos, first as a State Advisor on Economic Affairs for the PM, and then being appointed in April 2016 Minister of Labour, Family, Social Protection and the Elderly.
In the period 2016-2018 Dragos returned to the private sector, as Partner focused on Innovation & Entrepreneurship of Civitta Romania, the local chapter of a leading consultancy active in thirteen CEE countries.
In December 2018 Dragoș joined the PLUS party in Romania and was recently elected as MEP for the 2019-2024 mandate of the European Parliament.
