La trecerea la cele veşnice a Profesorului Iacob CĂTOIU, Profesorul Valeriu Ioan-Franc a adresat următorul mesaj:

„Cu durere nespusă și tristeţe nemăsurată am primit vestea tragică a plecării dintre noi a mult-preţuitului Profesor şi prieten Iacob Cătoiu.

Mai sărac și mai însingurat de acum înainte voi purta în inima mea bucuria inegalabilă de a-i fi fost prieten, la catedra de specialitate a Academiei de Studii Economice Bucureşti, la Institutul de Economia Comerţului și a Turismului, la Institutul Naţional de Cercetări Economice „Costin C. Kirițescu” – INCE, al Academiei Române, la Comitetul Român al Distribuţiei, la Asociaţia Română de Marketing, la Universitatea Lucian Blaga din Sibiu – unde am îmbrăcat hlamida de Doctor Honoris Causa în aceeaşi  solemnă reuniune academică, în redacţiile revistelor de marketing cărora le-am dat viaţă împreună…

Însingurat și mai sărac aşadar, înlăcrimat îţi spun să ai drum lin către locul hărăzit Ţie de Bunul Dumnezeu şi către care cred că te-ai cam grăbit să pleci, încă tânăr şi în rodnică putere.

Valeriu Ioan-Franc”

Prof. dr. Valeriu Ioan-Franc, Membru Corespondent al Academiei Române

Director general adjunct al Institutului Național de Cercetări Economice „Costin C. Kirițescu” – INCE, al Academiei Române

Membru al Consiliului Academic al Asociaţiei Facultăţilor de Economie din România

Vicepreşedinte al Comitetului Român al Distribuţiei

Membru Corespondent al Academiei Regale Spaniole de Ştiinţe Economice şi Financiare – Institutul Spaniei, Barcelona

A true symbol of the Romanian Marketing fascinating world, being the first Romanian with both a PhD and a Master’s degree in Marketing in the US, Professor Iacob CĂTOIU was the first Dean of the Faculty of Marketing, Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies, which is well-known for understanding marketing’s full impact in the face of growing complexity, and in understanding the trends and also looking beyond them, while interacting with brands in the digital and physical worlds, and considering the emerging technologies and the rapidly adoption by the customers of the new technologies and incorporation into the everyday live, and adequately measuring ROI and proving marketing’s worth in different companies on different relevant markets (https://www.crd-aida.ro/our-team/iacob-catoiu/ ).

The “Holistic Marketing Management” Journal, Volume 11, Issue 2, Year 2021 (pp. 40-43 ) (https://issuu.com/holisticmarketingmanagement/docs/holistic_marketing_management_volume_11_issue_2_ ) characterized Professor IACOB CĂTOIU (beyond his well-known qualities and characteristics as a great teacher: strong knowledge, solid education, and communication skills, effective teaching style, disciplined and professional, always able to convey materials and methods, listening to students and making time for each of them, and inspiring them with his passion for Marketing art and science) as: “…a valuable subject of passing and coming time, time being a permanent wise counsellor. Professor sought his destiny, choosing it skillfully and realizing it. He demonstrated all along power of thought, power of will, power of heart, integrity, generosity, making the difference between the dream and the grand vision preceded by commitment. Professor bravely fought through difficulties, confirming the strong root, being discreet and temperate, experimenting and learning, giving the lessons of life, beautifying himself and beautifying those around him. Professor reconfirms with this new book the science of acquiring by giving. This time Professor leave us as a legacy also a symphony from beyond the horizon we were used to.”

Professor Iacob CĂTOIU – an Honorary Member of the scientific association Romanian Distribution Committee (RDC) – was the distinguished representative of the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies (ASE) at the formation, in 1996, of the Romanian Distribution Committee. He was also directly involved (together with other distinguished RDC members), not only during the initial working visit of the Professor Léon F. Wegnez, Secretary General, International Association of the Distributive Trade (also Administrator Secretary General of the Diplomatic Club of Belgium, and Co-Founder of the Diplomatique Gazette Brussels, General Manager of the Royal Belgian Committee for Distribution, and Member of France’s Academy of Commercial Sciences), but also in the preparation of the 24th International Congress of A.I.D.A. (organized in Bucharest, at Athénée Palace Hilton, on 18-19 May 1998).

We pray for Professor’s repose, having the conviction that, on his way to eternity, he will continue to feel our love for what he built.

May God rest him in peace and may his memory be eternal!