Cătălin Rusu

Co-founder Apollo111, Co-founder Brand Growers , Partner DBO, Co-founder, Creative Director & CEO Rusu+Borțun

 

Cătălin Rusu is an entrepreneur and creative leader with more than two decades of experience in building brands, teams, and business concepts with measurable impact. He began his career in advertising in 2001 and, in 2008, co-founded Rusu+Borțun, where he serves as CEO and Creative Director. Under his leadership, the agency has become one of Romania’s leading independent players, recognized for its strategic creativity and integrated approach to brand building.

Beyond the agency, his work extends across several entrepreneurial directions. He is co-founder of Apollo111, a multidisciplinary cultural hub in Bucharest, co-founder of Brand Growers, and a partner in DBO, while also investing in technology and marketing startups. Cătălin is actively involved in the international creative industry, serving as a jury member for major competitions such as Effie, ADC Europe, and Golden Drum, and holding leadership roles within ADC Romania and ADC Europe.

His career reflects a constant drive for reinvention, from building businesses to taking on entirely new challenges, including becoming a professional basketball player and the oldest debutant in Romania’s top basketball league.

LinkedIn Profile

Voices of Support and Appreciation

  • The conference was fabulous!

    "Thank you for your impeccable hospitality, I myself am a conference organizer also and all I can say is - thank you for your hard work!"

    Nikola Skoric - CEO Electrocoin (Croatia)

  • The experience was terrific.

    "Getting to Sinaia and back, and the different tours were also great. Looking forward to next year!"

    Arturo Gonzales Mac Dowell - Chair at Asociación Española de Fintech e Insurtech (Spain)

  • Thank you

    "Thank you for your excellent logistics and warm hospitality."

    David Birch - Author, advisor and commentator on digital financial service (UK)

  • A great pleasure to participate

    "Thanks again for all your efforts, it was a great pleasure to participate in Banking 4.0."

    Zakariya Rahmouni - Key Account Management at HPS (Morocco)

  • Everything went very well

    We thoroughly enjoyed our time at the conference and in Sinaia. Many thanks to you for organising and making this run so smoothly!

    Ralf Ohlhausen - European Third Party Providers Association Chair (Germany)

  • Thanks again for a wonderful Banking4.0 event

    I was impressed with the topic, the community you have built and of course the location and the castles we visited. It has been a superb experience.

    Henk Marsman - Principal Consultant Identity and Access Management at SonicBee (The Netherlands)

  • A big thank you to the organizers

    For putting together such a well-structured and insightful event. It was also a pleasure to connect with so many amazing professionals."

    Anke Marin - Development Manager, CEE - LexisNexis Solutions (Poland)

  • A fantastic experience

    Thanks a lot for having us and for the great organization! It was a fantastic experience.

    Emiel Coppieters - Strategy Associate itsme (Belgium)

  • International, vibrant and insightful

    BANKING 4.0 is probably the top digital banking and fintech conference in Eastern Europe. Big congratulations to organizers for growing BANKING 4.0 into an international, vibrant and insightful event!

    Radu Topliceanu - EVP, Head of NEO and Personal Banking at Mashreq (UAE)

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