With a Swiss-German father and a Romanian born mother, Mandana likes to say that she lives her life with disciplined passion. Educated at Le Rosey, Mandana studied History of Art at the University of Geneva and then completed her studies at the Webster University in Business Administration, Marketing and Sociology.

Mandana found her calling early on in the world of art counselling and organizing socio-cultural events as well as art exhibitions. In 1997, Mandana took over the direction of the Marketing and Strategy Development Department of The Romanian Historical Foundation FIRO, founded by her mother in 1993.

More than just a simple mission, FIROs philosophy is based on a transversal approach in order to obtain a sustainable impact of its achievements.

FIROs Mission: To act efficiently and effectively on the beautification of the urban Environment, the promotion of the Eco-Education and the improvement of Public Health through intercultural long lasting Programs that promote the common history between the Romanian people and other people.

FIRO distinguished itself by the creation of the Napoleon III Memorial Square and Place in the centre of Bucharest, as well as through its major museum exhibitions, numerous Symposiums held at the prestigious Romanian Academy and its support to the Arts. FIRO is partner of other Romanian cultural flagships such as the Bucharest National Opera House, one of the worlds most recognizable Opera Houses, the Dan Puric Passe-Partout Theater Company which combines all the styles of the performing Arts and the Fatzada project of the Urban Art Depot aimed to raise awareness on the necessity to restore historical buildings. Children and women victim of domestic violence are helped by the Foundation.

At the same time, Mandana is still very attached to Le Rosey and its values. In recognition for everything she learned in school she remains active in the alumni association for which she created the United AIAR Artists group uniting all of her artistic colleagues.

We are grateful that she has taken the time to answer our two questions.

Everything that is related to seeing further, aiming higher, feeling deeper and especially loving passionately is the source of my happiness.

The smallest of pleasures and each windows of opportunity that life gives me, brings me happiness.

Happiness is also anything that brings me peace of mind, joy or that makes me laugh.

My concept of happiness has a direct relation to the time factor. I try to find time for everything that brings me happiness and when this happiness comes, I spend more time on it.

Happiness is also being able to share, seeing and speaking with friends in order to stay close despite geographical distances, enriching my circle of sympathetic and cultivated acquaintances and seeing that my actions bring peace around me.

Professionally, happiness stems from the satisfaction of a job well done and that my advice and direction is accepted with enthusiasm by others. Happiness is seeing one of my projects realized as it was meant to be. The joy of having ideas that make matters progress in a good and correct direction.

That is exactly the purpose of my daily work: to increase the quality of life and to improve the social cohesion of a small part of the world where we may have some influence.

I am a Virgo, thus a perfectionist that wants to help. I wish we could all strive to perfect the beautiful, the good and the just.

My action for a better world is to create and promote intercultural projects that indeed unite people around a common ground, take action to end domestic violence which is a terrible source of human misery and lastly do more in Eco-Education for preserving our magnificent environment, the Earth. This is what we do in the Firo Foundation.

Most important is that the right message gets across when we communicate. For experience has taught me that good humour and natural politeness open wide the doors of life because they are the most important tools for positive interaction as well as an excellent survival kit in a hostile environment.

Editorial | Image Courtesy Of Mandana De Batten