Ms Danila moved to Dubai in 2011 and founded Millennial Capital in 2016. Pawan Singh / The National
Ms Danila moved to Dubai in 2011 and founded Millennial Capital in 2016. Pawan Singh / The National
Ms Danila moved to Dubai in 2011 and founded Millennial Capital in 2016. Pawan Singh / The National
Ms Danila moved to Dubai in 2011 and founded Millennial Capital in 2016. Pawan Singh / The National

Money & Me: 'We can be both mothers and CEOs'


Nada El Sawy
  • English
  • Arabic

Andreea Danila is the founder and chief executive of Millennial Capital, a home-grown venture creation and management firm. The Romanian, 35, moved to Dubai in 2011 after starting her career in the UK. In Dubai she held senior roles at venture capital company Porton Group, local private equity group Al Masah Capital, and Ernst & Young before founding Millennial Capital in 2016. The firm focuses on partnering with international consumer brands looking to enter the GCC, such as Brazilian beauty giant O Boticario, the world’s largest cosmetic franchise. Ms Danila lives with her husband and 15-month-old daughter Amaiya in Business Bay.

How did your upbringing shape your attitude towards money?

My mother worked for the education department and my father is an entrepreneur, so he has businesses in Romania across various sectors, mainly manufacturing. Coming from an emerging market, you definitely have an extra dose of entrepreneurial spirit. The desire and ambition to be successful I would say is the main driver that differentiates great executives or super professionals. I see money as the result or the outcome of professional expertise, education and upbringing, and I would also add emotional intelligence to the technical skills that are required to have a comprehensive view in terms of money management and wealth creation and preservation.

Females should have the right support so that we can be mothers, we can be CEOs and we can be entrepreneurs.

Looking today at me and my daughter and then looking at me and my mother, I would say definitely there is a generational gap, or a generational evolution. From the traditional family in Europe in a very Democratic society with public schooling, public healthcare and citizenship where you live, I would say definitely those factors are quite different from where I see myself and my daughter today. For the new generation, we have to look at financial sustainability and financial independence quite differently from our parents. I think understanding that the creation of financial sustainability is a process and you have to invest in yourself and your professional skills.

What was your first job?

I stared in venture capital in the UK. I was paid $2,000 (Dh7,346) a month. I would have amazing lunches at Subway and take the metro.

Ms Danila left Romania for the UK to start her career in venture capital. Pawan Singh / The National
Ms Danila left Romania for the UK to start her career in venture capital. Pawan Singh / The National

What brought you to Dubai?

Hearing at that time about Dubai, I’d see those nice documentaries on TV, mainly related to construction and real estate. 2010 was also the time when the financial crisis was quite recent. Especially in private equity, we definitely felt a significant impact. But from an investor mindset, you look at those situations as opportunities for development and growth.

I’m a risk taker. I had an interest in enhancing my international experience and after London I looked at Dubai as the city of the future, as a hub. I got a job opportunity in a similar private equity firm and I decided to expose myself to this region. I believe there will be significant growth. I’m so happy I did that, looking back at my decision almost 10 years ago. Now I see Dubai totally as my home and Dubai has given me so much back — the ability to create a business, to have a family, to enjoy the beautiful facilities and services that we have here. It has been a wonderful experience.

How difficult was it to lead your business after becoming a mother?

Recently I saw the first visibly pregnant CEO on the cover of a magazine [Audrey Gelman, chief executive of women-focused shared workspace The Wing on the cover of Inc. Magazine's October issue], and I said, wow, those times have come where females can actually go to work, be visibly pregnant and investors still endorse them for the individual and professional they are, as opposed to looking at them and putting them into silos: the pregnant woman, the mum.

Having my daughter after I established my firm was definitely challenging and required a lot of planning and dedication — especially because in entrepreneurship, venture management, consulting, the work-life balance is always skewed. Investing in yourself — getting yourself equipped with the right tools, the right MBA, the right education, the right experiences — in the early stage of your career allows you in your mid-30s or late 30s to capitalise on those early-on investments you made.

For females, it’s quite difficult because you have the age consideration. By mid-30s, early 40s, you have a biological clock ticking to have babies. [As a working mother] definitely your working hours per day increase. You probably go from 12 to 15 or 16 hours, because you spend 10 to 12 hours every day at your work and then you come home and you have to extend the shift. At the end of the day, that is unpaid work at home. I think females should have the right support so that we can be mothers, we can be CEOs and we can be entrepreneurs.

What do women need to succeed in their career?

It’s both mentorship and sponsorship. Sponsorship is that colleague or manager that says ‘I believe in her’ or that investor that says ‘she’s great and let’s give her the opportunity’. And then you have the mentor, the person who guides you, inspires you and gives you feedback. I definitely take a lot of mentorship from my husband — he is in a similar business, also an entrepreneur, and he has been a great support. Having that teamwork at home definitely helps.

What luxuries are important to you?

I would love to have more time to spend with my family, especially my daughter. Something I enjoy spending on is travelling.

What is your philosophy on spending and saving?

It would be quite challenging not to spend in a city as Dubai with beautiful offerings, an abundance of F & B, super services. It’s quite an expensive lifestyle. At the same time, I have looked at saving through enhancing my professional skills, working hard, getting that right job, and then investing that additional income I’m generating per year by taking calculated analysis and calculated risk with the help of financial advisers.

Do you use financial advisers often?

I get a lot of financial advice, mainly from advisers at banks and large institutions. Before having a family, I would probably look at a higher risk profile – less cash, more into real estate, more into venture capital, more into asset classes that will immediately accelerate, which worked very well for me. After having my daughter, I’m looking more into safe investments. For example, I’m evaluating an education plan for her that will allow me to put a monthly payment that would go under a fund that is managed by a financial institution and backed by an A credit rating. Everything is insured, so even when the market is going down, we would preserve the capital that is invested.

What is your most cherished purchase?

The investment in my own company. That really set me up for financial independence. I also did extremely well in real estate here in Dubai. I looked at real estate investment in 2012, 2013 and I was very conservative. I bought a property to live in and I looked at it long term, seven to 10 years. So even now with the correction in market prices, that asset is still performing well.

Do you have a retirement plan?

At the moment, I truly love my job. I feel retirement is a little bit far for me. I still plan very carefully for it. I hope I am able to be an entrepreneur for the next 15, 20 years and during those venture cycles — entry and exit — have the ability to take one to two years off and spend time with my family. We hope the UAE can be a home for us for retirement. We definitely see it as home now.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Difference between fractional ownership and timeshare

Although similar in its appearance, the concept of a fractional title deed is unlike that of a timeshare, which usually involves multiple investors buying “time” in a property whereby the owner has the right to occupation for a specified period of time in any year, as opposed to the actual real estate, said John Peacock, Head of Indirect Tax and Conveyancing, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates, a law firm.

David Haye record

Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4

INDIA SQUADS

India squad for third Test against Sri Lanka
Virat Kohli (capt), Murali Vijay, Lokesh Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Vijay Shankar

India squad for ODI series against Sri Lanka
Rohit Sharma (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul

ESSENTIALS

The flights 
Emirates, Etihad and Swiss fly direct from the UAE to Zurich from Dh2,855 return, including taxes.
 

The chalet
Chalet N is currently open in winter only, between now and April 21. During the ski season, starting on December 11, a week’s rental costs from €210,000 (Dh898,431) per week for the whole property, which has 22 beds in total, across six suites, three double rooms and a children’s suite. The price includes all scheduled meals, a week’s ski pass, Wi-Fi, parking, transfers between Munich, Innsbruck or Zurich airports and one 50-minute massage per person. Private ski lessons cost from €360 (Dh1,541) per day. Halal food is available on request.

A MINECRAFT MOVIE

Director: Jared Hess

Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa

Rating: 3/5

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THE BIO

Ms Davison came to Dubai from Kerala after her marriage in 1996 when she was 21-years-old

Since 2001, Ms Davison has worked at many affordable schools such as Our Own English High School in Sharjah, and The Apple International School and Amled School in Dubai

Favourite Book: The Alchemist

Favourite quote: Failing to prepare is preparing to fail

Favourite place to Travel to: Vienna

Favourite cuisine: Italian food

Favourite Movie : Scent of a Woman

 

 

How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
  1. Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
  2. Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
  3. Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
  4. Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
  5. Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
  6. The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
  7. Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269

*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

Infiniti QX80 specs

Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6

Power: 450hp

Torque: 700Nm

Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000

Available: Now

TO A LAND UNKNOWN

Director: Mahdi Fleifel

Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa

Rating: 4.5/5

Afcon 2019

SEMI-FINALS

Senegal v Tunisia, 8pm

Algeria v Nigeria, 11pm

Matches are live on BeIN Sports

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
STAY%2C%20DAUGHTER
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APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)

Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits

Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine

Storage: 128/256/512GB

Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4

Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps

Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID

Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight

In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter

Price: From Dh2,099

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What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Lamsa

Founder: Badr Ward

Launched: 2014

Employees: 60

Based: Abu Dhabi

Sector: EdTech

Funding to date: $15 million

The biog

Name: Younis Al Balooshi

Nationality: Emirati

Education: Doctorate degree in forensic medicine at the University of Bonn

Hobbies: Drawing and reading books about graphic design

The biog

Age: 23

Occupation: Founder of the Studio, formerly an analyst at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi

Education: Bachelor of science in industrial engineering

Favourite hobby: playing the piano

Favourite quote: "There is a key to every door and a dawn to every dark night"

Family: Married and with a daughter

Dust and sand storms compared

Sand storm

  • Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
  • Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
  • Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
  • Travel distance: Limited 
  • Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

  • Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
  • Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
  • Duration: Can linger for days
  • Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
  • Source: Can be carried from distant regions
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
​​​​​​​Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km

The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

On sale: Now

UAE - India ties

The UAE is India’s third-largest trade partner after the US and China

Annual bilateral trade between India and the UAE has crossed US$ 60 billion

The UAE is the fourth-largest exporter of crude oil for India

Indians comprise the largest community with 3.3 million residents in the UAE

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi first visited the UAE in August 2015

His visit on August 23-24 will be the third in four years

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, visited India in February 2016

Sheikh Mohamed was the chief guest at India’s Republic Day celebrations in January 2017

Modi will visit Bahrain on August 24-25

Visit Abu Dhabi culinary team's top Emirati restaurants in Abu Dhabi

Yadoo’s House Restaurant & Cafe

For the karak and Yoodo's house platter with includes eggs, balaleet, khamir and chebab bread.

Golden Dallah

For the cappuccino, luqaimat and aseeda.

Al Mrzab Restaurant

For the shrimp murabian and Kuwaiti options including Kuwaiti machboos with kebab and spicy sauce.

Al Derwaza

For the fish hubul, regag bread, biryani and special seafood soup. 

Specs

Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request

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