Daniela Păunescu leads the marketing strategy and development of Alexandrion Group’s Prestige Spirits Portfolio, which includes Brâncoveanu Vinars, Carpathian Single Malt Whisky – the first Romanian single malt whisky – JA.AR Single Malt, Highland Peak Single Malt, Highland Mountain Blended Malt Scotch Whisky and Dictador Rum.
Her role is focused on building distinctive, relevant brands with long-term value in categories where provenance, craftsmanship, innovation, education and memorable experiences play an essential role in consumer choice. Her responsibilities span brand strategy and positioning, integrated communication, premium activations, strategic partnerships, product launches, and the development of meaningful experiences for both consumers and trade partners.
Her most recent project is Single Malt Community, a pioneering initiative developed and launched under her coordination to help shape and grow Romania’s premium whisky culture. Conceived as more than a digital platform, Single Malt Community is an integrated ecosystem bringing together education, curated content and experiential activations across HoReCa, digital and PR. The platform connects whisky enthusiasts with industry experts, trade partners, media representatives, content creators and category opinion leaders, creating opportunities for discovery, dialogue and a deeper understanding of single malt whisky.
Through her work, Daniela contributes not only to the development and premiumisation of the brands in Alexandrion Group’s portfolio, but also to building a more informed, engaged and connected community around premium spirits in Romania.
What is the #1 change that you have applied following BRAND MINDS across your company?
The most important change has been to challenge ourselves to think beyond individual campaigns and focus more on building meaningful brand ecosystems.
A campaign can generate visibility, but a strong platform creates continuity, relevance and a genuine relationship with people. This way of thinking influenced how we approached brand initiatives, premium partnerships and the experiences built around Carpathian Single Malt Whisky and Brâncoveanu Vinars.
Personally, BRAND MINDS also reminded me to ask a very simple question more often: Will people remember how this brand made them feel? If the answer is not clear, then the idea is probably not strong enough yet.
How is AI changing what leadership means inside Alexandrion Group?
AI is changing leadership by making access to information faster, but it is also making human judgement more important than ever.
A leader today is no longer expected to have every answer. The real responsibility is to ask better questions, understand context and decide what deserves to be acted upon. AI can support analysis, speed up processes and help teams explore more possibilities, but it cannot replace instinct, accountability or the ability to understand people.
Inside Alexandrion Group, I believe the opportunity is to use AI to create more space for strategic thinking and creativity. The technology should make us more capable, not less human. Ultimately, leadership remains rooted in direction, trust and the courage to make decisions, qualities that are inherently human and that AI, regardless of its capabilities, cannot truly possess.
How is Alexandrion Group bringing its premium portfolio closer to a new generation of consumers in Romania and internationally?
A new generation of consumers is not impressed by premium positioning alone. They want to understand what makes a product different, where it comes from and why it deserves their attention.
This is why we are bringing our portfolio closer to them through experiences, education and contemporary cultural contexts, from private tastings and specialist-led events to festivals, digital storytelling and carefully selected partnerships.
Our role is to make their stories more accessible without making them less meaningful. Whether we speak about whisky, vinars or other premium spirits, the objective is to create discovery: to give people a reason to taste, ask questions and eventually develop their own relationship with the category.
How is Brâncoveanu Vinars reinterpreting the idea of Romanian nobility for today’s consumer?
Brâncoveanu Vinars does not interpret nobility as status, privilege or distance. For today’s consumer, nobility is expressed through character, generosity, discernment and the legacy one chooses to build.
The brand draws inspiration from Constantin Brâncoveanu, but it translates that heritage into a contemporary language. It is less about looking nostalgically towards the past and more about carrying its values forward.
In this sense, Brâncoveanu Vinars celebrates a modern form of refinement: confidence without ostentation, success accompanied by substance and an appreciation for the things that require time. It is Romanian nobility understood not as something inherited, but as something demonstrated through the way one lives and what one leaves behind. Because true nobility is not defined by an era. It is timeless.
What makes Romanian craftsmanship a powerful and distinctive part of the Brâncoveanu Vinars brand story?
Romanian craftsmanship gives Brâncoveanu Vinars authenticity because it connects the product to a real place, a real tradition and a particular way of understanding time.
Vinars is a category with deep Romanian roots. Its value comes not only from the quality of the grapes and distillation, but also from maturation, patience and the experience required to know when a spirit has reached its full expression.
There is something deeply relevant today in this respect for time. In a world that constantly asks for speed, Brâncoveanu Vinars represents the opposite: the belief that certain things cannot and should not be rushed. That combination of local knowledge, patience and attention to detail makes Romanian craftsmanship not simply part of the story, but one of the brand’s strongest points of distinction.
How can Brâncoveanu Vinars become an international ambassador for Romanian taste, culture and excellence?
Brâncoveanu Vinars is already an international ambassador for Romanian taste, culture and excellence. Celebrating 20 years on the market this year, the brand has spent two decades introducing both Romanian and international audiences to vinars through exceptional craftsmanship, a contemporary expression and a story deeply rooted in Romania’s rich cultural and historical heritage.
This anniversary represents an opportunity not only to celebrate the brand’s journey and achievements, but also to further strengthen its role on the international stage. Through meaningful connections with art, luxury hospitality and carefully selected partnerships, Brâncoveanu Vinars can continue to showcase Romania in a sophisticated, authentic and relevant way.
How is Carpathian Single Malt Whisky building a distinctive Romanian identity in the international single malt whisky category?
Carpathian Single Malt Whisky does not seek to replicate established whisky-making traditions. It respects the defining principles of the category while expressing them through distinctly Romanian ingredients, landscapes and winemaking heritage.
Crafted using 100% Romanian malted barley and pure Subcarpathian water, under the guidance of Allan Anderson, Master Distiller and Whisky Director of the Alexandrion Group, Carpathian Single Malt Whisky combines international whisky-making expertise with a strong sense of Romanian origin. One of its most distinctive features is its remarkable portfolio of wine-cask expressions. By bringing together single malt craftsmanship and Romania’s rich winemaking tradition, Carpathian creates expressions and tells stories that could only originate here.
The brand’s identity is rooted in exploration, innovation and the untamed character of the Carpathian Mountains. “Whisky of the Wild” is more than a communication platform; it embodies the brand’s origin, spirit and attitude.
Through Carpathian Single Malt Whisky, Romania is presented not as an unexpected whisky-producing country, but as one capable of bringing a genuinely distinctive and innovative perspective to the global category.
What role do Romanian wine casks and innovative maturation techniques play in creating the brand’s unique portfolio?
They are central to Carpathian Single Malt Whisky’s identity. The casks are not used merely as a superficial point of differentiation; they actively shape the aroma, texture, colour and personality of every Carpathian Single Malt Whisky expression.
Romanian wine casks, particularly those associated with native grape varieties such as Fetească Neagră, create a direct connection between whisky-making and Romania’s winemaking heritage. This approach has resulted in expressions with a strong sense of origin, including Carpathian Single Malt Whisky Peated Fetească Neagră Cask Strength, at 63.1% ABV – the world’s first peated whisky fully matured in Fetească Neagră casks – bringing together the Scottish tradition of peated whisky and Romania’s distinctive winemaking identity.
This willingness to experiment is important, but innovation must always serve taste. The objective is not to be different simply for the sake of it; it is to create whiskies that are genuinely distinctive and memorable.
What has international expansion revealed about the global appetite for premium products created in Romania?
It has shown us that international consumers are far more open to discovering premium Romanian products than people sometimes assume.
Origin can attract attention, especially when it is unexpected, but curiosity alone is not enough. The product must deliver. When international consumers discover the quality and innovation behind our portfolio, Romania becomes an advantage rather than a barrier.
Expansion has also confirmed that authenticity travels well. Global consumers do not necessarily want another version of something they already know. They are looking for credible new stories and products with a clear identity. Romania has both the heritage and creative potential to contribute something original to the global premium market. We simply need to communicate it with consistency and to bring brands to life with confidence.
What is the Single Malt Community initiative?
This is not a traditional brand campaign. It is a community created for people who already appreciate single malt whisky, as well as for those who are curious about the category but may not yet know where to begin.
Through guided tastings, dedicated events, conversations with whisky experts and relevant digital content, we make the world of single malt easier to explore without losing any of its depth or fascination. Members can learn how to taste whisky, understand different cask finishes, compare styles and, most importantly, discover what genuinely appeals to them.
The community brings together four whisky brands and an exceptionally diverse portfolio, – Carpathian Single Malt Whisky, JA.AR Single Malt Whisky, Highland Peak Single Malt Whisky 15YO, Highland Mountain Blended Malt Scotch Whisky – offering a wide range of expressions to taste and explore. From different origins and styles to distinctive cask finishes, there is always something new to discover.
Above all, Single Malt Community removes the sense of intimidation that can sometimes surround the category. You do not need to be an expert to join the conversation, curiosity is enough. We will guide you from there.
Those interested can join the community and discover upcoming events, tastings and more at www.singlemaltcommunity.com/ro.
What does a human-driven future look like for your brands?
From my perspective, a human-driven future or a human touch will be the ultimate luxury. It means using technology to understand people better without allowing data to replace empathy, creativity or genuine connection.
For our brands, this means creating fewer generic interactions and more experiences that people truly want to be part of. It means listening carefully, building communities, supporting meaningful conversations and recognising that consumers are not audience segments on a presentation slide. They are individuals with different tastes, motivations and stories.
Technology will help us become faster and more precise, but humans will continue to give brands meaning. A product may begin the conversation, but it is the experience around it the people, the place, the story and the emotion.
