Who am I

 

This little girl grew up in a communist country, Romania, where the norm was to keep one’s mouth shut to avoid troubles with the regime & the authority. 

Whilst she was lucky to live in a loving family, the youngest of 4 siblings and with a mother who always encouraged her, this little girl wasn’t afraid to respectfully challenge the status quo & express her different opinions, either in her family against having to pose in this picture, or in school for having to regularly start a sports class at 7 am.

Whilst living in a country with limited personal resources, the communism taught this little girl to find creative solutions, the power of paying attention, of questioning the rules & suggesting changes to frameworks to become more inclusive. And the power of persistence. Like when, after her 1st year at Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, she was offered the opportunity to represent the City of #Sibiu at a conference on languages in #Austria, and her family didn’t have the money to pay for her flight ticket. She didn’t give up! She visited different local companies and convinced them to sponsor her ticket. Probably it’s for this reason that, for 10 years already, she has been offering scholarships in her home city to the best students. 

This little girl has followed her dreams & created 4 companies in 3 different countries, published several books, games& pedagogical materials, available in #Luxembourg, her country of adoption.

This little girl has co-founded the most important women organizations in Luxembourg, to give a voice to women entrepreneurs & inspiring leaders who are role models in their communities: in 2004 - the FFCEL / Fédération des Femmes Cheffes d’Entreprises de Luxembourg, in 2007 - Femmes Leaders du Luxembourg, in 2009 - Inspiring Wo-Men. And in 2013 she became the only woman from Luxembourg to have been awarded by EIGE the title of “Woman Inspiring Europe”.

This little girl then had the courage to enter local politics. She even became the 1st Romanian candidate in Luxembourg-city’s elections & the 1st foreigner to join the leadership of a political party in Luxembourg, CSV, where she is currently deputy General Secretary. She is also the 1st & only foreigner in the Board of the biggest association promoting the national language of her new country, Actioun Lëtzebuergesch, eis Sprooch, which is celebrating next month their 50th anniversary.

She remained modest, humble & grateful for everything she has achieved and also for what she didn’t achieve, but taught her powerful lessons.

This little girl is me. 

From that year when I’ve asked companies to help me make happen my 1st trip abroad, I now lead since 2004 my own company, Languages.lu, and am supporting other people in their quests to change their lives & pursue their dreams. 

Why am I sharing my story with you?

Because, according to Inspiring Girls International, more than 90% of girls feel they have higher personal & career aspirations after following inspirational women on social media. 

#thislittlegirlisme 

#inspiringgirlsinternational #inspiringwomen #womensupportingwomen

Daniela Lacramioara (Clara) Moraru

Entrepreneur
Romanian & Luxembourgish, living in Luxembourg 

EDUCATION:

• University of Luxembourg, Doctoral School of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences, PhD candidate - February 2021 - to present. Doctoral thesis on Self employed, freelancers and entrepreneurs in Luxembourg. 

• INSEAD, Advanced Management Programme, November 2016
• INSEAD, Advanced Industrial Marketing Programme, April 2016
• INSEAD, Competitive Strategy Programme, November 2015
• INSEAD, International Directors Programme Certified, January – October 2015
• Sacred Heart University, John F. Welch College of Business, Master of Business Administration, double concentration in Marketing and International Business, 2003
• Lucian Blaga University Sibiu, Engineering Faculty, Master in Management, thesis in Quality Management, 2001
• Lucian Blaga University Sibiu, Letters, History and Journalism Faculty, B.A., Philology, 1999
• Spiru Haret Theoretical High School, Foreign languages, Russian – French, 1995

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

Founder & CEO, Group Moraru sàrl: Languages.lu (language courses, translation and interpreting), Inspiring Wo-Men Business Club (a private club aimed at empowering, supporting and giving visibility to members), Leadership Academy (a one-day leadership forum) and Fête des Langues et Cultures (a regional fair dedicated to language providers and learners) 03/2009 – to present

National expert for Luxembourg, Ecorys, Nederland: research for the European Commision on the topics of Banktrupcy and second chance, Internationalisation of SMEs, 2014

Founder & CEO, Outsourcing Partners Ltd (based in London and Luxembourg) 08/2003 – 12/2013

Lecturer, International Marketing and International Management, University of Cooperative Education, Mosbach 2004 - 2008

Academic Affairs Assistant, Sacred Heart University, Jack Welch College of Business, Luxembourg campus, part time 06/2001 – 08/2003

Project Manager, European Institute for Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe, Luxembourg, part time 06-09/2002 & 04-07/2000

Founder & Co-owner, Transylvania Tours, Sibiu, Romania 2001-2002

Project Manager, Luxembourg City Tourist Office, Luxembourg, part time 04-08/2002

Marketing & Business Development Assistant, Cargolux Airlines S.A., Luxembourg, 09-12/2001

Project Manager, Ministry of Culture, National Heritage Office Luxembourg, 01-07/2001 and 1998-2004   (House of Luxembourg project in Sibiu + Luxembourgish language in Transylvania)

Director, Youth Information Center INFOcenter Sibiu, Romania, 2000–2001

PR Officer, International Jazz Festival, Sibiu, Romania, 2000

Owner & Director, Chinese Restaurant “Drumul matasii” Sibiu, Romania, 08/1999 – 03/2000

PR Officer, International Theatre Festival & Cultural Student Center Sibiu, Romania, 1997 – 1999

Project Assistant, University Lucian Blaga Sibiu, Romania, 1996 – 2000

Member of the Board of Directors, Cultural Students Center Sibiu, Romania, 1998

Journalist and Project Assistant, Romanian Broadcasting, Sibiu department, 1997 – 1998

HONORS AND AWARDS:

2023 Received the award "Dicks-Rodange-Lentz" and became the first person whose mother tongue is not Luxembourgish who received it, for exceptional contribution to the Luxembourgish language.  

2013 “Woman Inspiring Europe” – elected by the European Institute for Gender Equality of the European Commission

2013 Diploma from Romania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Romanian Embassy to Luxembourg for numerous actions to promote Romania - on the occasion of the 150 anniversary of Romanian diplomacy in Luxembourg 

2011 Following numerous charity projects, among which “Support the education” ( offering IT equipment to Romanian schools and high schools), Spiru Haret National College from Tecuci (Romania) has named their IT labs “Clara Moraru” which were officially inaugurated on the 22nd of March 2012

2010 The City of Tecuci and Spiru Haret National College from Tecuci (Romania) have created the “Clara Moraru scholarship” which is awarded every year to the Romanian students with the best results at the international and national competitions.

2003 Dean’s Award for Service, Sacred Heart University, John F. Welch College of Business
2002-2003 International Scholarship – Ministry of External Affairs and Cooperation, Luxembourg
2002 International Scholarship - Ministry of Culture, Higher Education and Research, Luxembourg
2001 International Scholarship - Ministry of Culture, Higher Education and Research, Luxembourg
2000 Research scholarship - Ministry of Culture, Higher Education and Research, Luxembourg

ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE:

Secretary of Rotary Luxembourg - Kiem 2023-2024 

Member of the Board, Actioun Letzebuergesch, eis Sprooch - December 2020 to present

President of the Board of Directors of Sacred Heart Alumni Association, Luxembourg, 2004-2010, 2012-2013

Member of the Board of Directors, Executive Club Luxembourg, 2012 to present

Member of ILA (Institut Luxembourgeois des Administrateurs), 2013 to present, Member of the Training Commission, 2016 to present

Member of Cercle Munster Luxembourg, 2010 to present

Member of GUBERNA (Institut Belge des Administrateurs), 2013 to present

Founding President of the Board of Directors of Femmes Leaders du Luxembourg, 2007-2010

Founding member of the Federation of Women Entrepreneurs of Luxembourg, and first PR, press and events responsible, 2004

Member of the Board of Directors of the American Business Association Luxembourg (ABAL/Amcham), 2004 – 2008

Member of the Board of Directors of the British Chamber of Commerce to Luxembourg, 2007 – 2010

Founding President of the Board of Directors of the International Cultural Association ICAR Sibiu, 1997 – to 2002

Founding member of the Town-twinning Association Sibiu - Rennes, Sibiu, since 1999

Member of the Board of Directors of the Cultural Students Center, Sibiu, Romania, 1998

Founding member, International Association 'Friends of Emil Cioran' (Romanian philosopher), Sibiu, since 1997

Founding member of the National Association of Teachers, Romania, since 1997

Member of the University Business Association, Lucian Blaga University, Sibiu, 1997

Member of the local association 'Friends of the books', Tecuci, 1994

PUBLICATIONS:

The fortified town of Sibiu and the cultural itinerary “Sibiu, perspective on eight centuries of urban history”, Journal “Europa, un patrimoniu comun”, Council of Europe, 2002

Doing business in Luxembourg, article in Occasional Papers, Sacred Heart University, Jack Welsh College of Business, Luxembourg, 2003

Leadership féminin au Grand-Duché de Luxembourg (2009)
Women leadership in Luxembourg and the Greater Region (2010)

Promoting gender equality in Luxembourg, article in the Journal “Business Compliance”, 2014
100 expressions you need to master in Luxembourgish (2015)
Wie sinn ech? Who am I? (in LU & EN) (2016)
365 days to learn Luxembourgish / 365 jours pour apprendre le luxembourgeois (2016)
Déi bescht Lëtzebuerger Spréch (2017)
Meng éischt 100 Wierder (2017)

Our Magic Journey on Earth. A book of Kindness, Friendship and Respect (2019)
Eis fantastesch Rees op der Äerd. Ee Buch iwwert Frendlechkeet, Frendschaft a Respekt (2019)

Wie sinn ech - Inspiring Wo-Men (EN edition) - educational game about 55 inspiring women who changed the world (2022)

HOBBIES:
Cuban salsa, painting, travel, photography

FOREIGN LANGUAGES:
Romanian mother tongue
French understanding, speaking, writing, reading – C2
English understanding, speaking, writing, reading – C2
Spanish understanding, speaking, writing – very good, reading – C1
Luxembourgish understanding, speaking, writing, reading – B2/C1
Italian understanding, reading – C1, speaking, writing – B1
German understanding, speaking, writing, reading – A2
Russian understanding, speaking, writing, reading – A2-