There are people for whom the professional and personal paths are built simultaneously. In the case of Valentin Șoneriu, these two dimensions have evolved together, from a childhood spent in the town of Victoria to the responsibilities he carries today in the food industry and the hospitality sector.

Returning to the country in 2004, Valentin Șoneriu took over a family business founded in 1993, at a time when the meat industry was entering a difficult phase, marked by increased competition, cost pressures, and rapid European-level changes. What followed were years of expansion, tension, insolvency, and reconstruction — a tough sequence, but one that positioned Carmolimp on its current coordinates in the market. For Valentin, that period was not only a managerial test, but also a stage of maturation that shaped the way he thinks about the food business today.

The model he now leads no longer resembles the classic factory of two decades ago. Carmolimp has moved into the area of ready-to-eat products, direct delivery, process digitalization, and preparation of a national network of refrigerated lockers — an infrastructure that can change the logic of food distribution in Romania. In the conversation for the new Meat.Milk. show, Valentin Șoneriu clearly explains this strategic shift that the food industry is forced to undergo: from industrial flow to e-commerce, from counter display to mobile app, from traditional production to modern logistics.

His professional trajectory also includes an essential public component. Valentin Șoneriu served as Secretary of State in the Ministry of Agriculture and in the Ministry of European Funds, a period during which he managed situations where institutional pressure and public responsibility were real. That experience now complements his perspective in the private sector, and he can recount difficult moments with a smile.

During that time he also found himself at the center of one of Europe’s most tense episodes: the 2013 horse-meat scandal. Under the pressure of national and international media and in a politically charged environment, Valentin Șoneriu had to manage, in real time, institutional communication and official inspections. The conclusions of ANSVSA, DG SANTE, and OLAF clearly showed that the substitution did not occur in Romania — a difficult moment that strengthened his reputation as a professional capable of managing major crises with clarity and rigor.

Today, as President of the Federation of Employers in the Hospitality Industry, he brings forward a rare perspective: the real link between agriculture, processing, and the consumption generated by HoReCa and retail, as well as the need for balanced representation at government level. In his current role, he represents a sector that directly influences food consumption, the relationship with producers, and the economic dynamics of Romania.