Hundreds of members, dozens of projects, a quarter century, and a whole lot of stories. That's BOS in short. But the long version is far more interesting.
Everything started in 2001, with five students who had the courage to try something different. What followed was 25 years of reinvention, friendships, and lessons no university could ever teach you. We invite you to discover our story — from the chaotic early days to the present.
THE GENESIS OF BOS | 2001–2006
Picture this: the year 2001, five ASE students with ideas bigger than their budget — Mihai Olteanu, Alexandru Cristea, Bogdan Bereanda, Ionuț Dinu, and Olimpiu Galani. The dream? A place where students could test their business ideas before entering the real market. That same year, the association's visual identity took shape through a green logo, reminiscent of the Nike checkmark.
The period between 2003 and 2004 marked a turning point in BOS's history, when Cezara Buhoci took over the association's leadership and fundamentally redefined it: departments, new projects, legal structure, a website, organizational culture — and perhaps most importantly, the concept of team building that still defines us today.
Also in 2004, Alina Alexandra Nicolae proposed and implemented the concept of the two circles in the BOS logo. This change marked the definitive transition to the modern visual identity, replacing the old graphic symbol.
What followed was a period in which BOS proved it could do anything with almost nothing. In 2004, the Advertising Days project dominated the student market. A year later, the association pulled off the first live video streaming of a conference at ASE — a genuine technical achievement at the time. On top of that, BOS independently rehabilitated the AGIR hall for an event with 500 attendees. Around the same time, the team managed to organize an IT conference at the Moxa Cultural Club, even though the building was under renovation.
A new phase unfolded from 2004 through mid-2006, as the third generation of the association consolidated external relationships. With minimal financial resources, members managed to build a strong brand — and the results speak for themselves: from this core group emerged future leaders at companies like McDonald's, Unilever, and Mondelez.
This is where the Genesis of BOS comes to an end. But as every ending is just a new beginning, the next chapter was already underway.
FROM MEMBER TO "BOSULEȚ" | 2007–2014
The 2007–2014 period was defined by the association's development, marked by both internal restructuring and international expansion that brought BOS closer to the organization it is today.
The most significant step of 2007 was joining JEE (Junior Enterprises Europe) — the European umbrella network that connects and coordinates Junior Enterprises across the continent, plugging BOS into its performance standards. BOS remains the only member organization from Romania.
In 2010, BOS made an important move: establishing the BoA (Board of Advisors), initially made up of former board members. The idea was straightforward — those who had already led the association would be there for the next generation, as a kind of survival guide for incoming leaders.
Four years later, in 2014, the BoA opened up to external specialists. Two outside professionals joined the team, bringing a fresh market perspective.
Also in 2010, the team building that year played an important role in strengthening group cohesion. The theme was vulnerability — which helped members open up to each other, deepen their sense of belonging, and bring the community closer together.
BOS became a community with solidified relationships, ready to face the next set of challenges.
EXPANSION PACK | 2016–2019
2016 is remembered in BOS history not just for the legendary vibes and the carefree energy of those years, but because it was the year the family grew. The IT and Eventum teams appeared, fundamentally changing how the association operated internally.
The Creative department wrote its own piece of history: through connections with the JEE network, it introduced Figma into its workflow, delivering a significant boost in performance. At the same time, the Echilibrum project became the undisputed star in terms of visibility. And because every association needs the right ally, this period also saw the partnership with Kaufland take shape — a relationship that helped the association grow.
The journey continued, and in 2018 the PR and Digital department went through a minor rebrand, receiving a new name: "Communication." A year later, in 2019, BOS expanded its horizons all the way to Cluj — the heartland of IT — where it established a collaboration with the Business Students Association, an exchange of experience built on mutual training sessions and visits.
THE REBIRTH OF BOS | 2020–2023
2020. Enough said. The entire planet was caught off guard and forced to adapt to a completely new way of life. In response, the BOS board of that era felt the need for a rebrand in the one space that had no restrictions: online.
Both the logo and the official website received a makeover, and the evolution of online content led to the creation of the Video Team, whose mission was to adapt BOS's image to the fast-moving digital dynamics everyone had grown used to. Thanks to them, the association began attracting more and more attention.
The importance of the alumni process was also emphasized — allowing members who completed their senior year to continue their involvement and help shape the next BOS generation. By 2023, the organization's structure included six core departments along with two additional ones.
Alongside the Video Team, a dedicated project team was active. The "Meme of the Day" experiment involved creating and sharing memes designed to bring all members of the organization together.
BOS 25.0 — Latest Version | 2024–2026
When a student association reaches a quarter century, the biggest question becomes: how do you keep what was built from being lost? In the 2024–2026 period, BOS demonstrated that a 25-year legacy can be kept alive through constant adaptation and seriousness. These years marked the transition to a mature phase, where solid structure meets the energy of new generations.
In 2024, processes were organized around four clear directions: Recruitment, Mentorship, NextGen (the process through which the next Executive Board is selected), and Alumni Integration. The goal: ensuring that accumulated experience isn't lost with every generational handover, but passed forward. The dissolution of the projects team as a separate entity led to the direct integration of its members into execution teams — eliminating communication barriers and giving every volunteer concrete insight into project management, turning volunteering into a genuinely practical experience.
Between 2025 and 2026, BOS took an important step externally: official affiliation with ANOSR (National Alliance of Student Organizations in Romania). Through this membership, the association solidified its role as an active voice representing student interests at the national level. Internally, the Video Team and GameTeam became the new pillars of creativity, adapting audience engagement to the pace of rapid digitalization.
At 25 years since its founding, BOS now operates as an autonomous mechanism, with a structure consolidated around six core departments — Sales, Research & Development, IT, HR, Communication, and Creative — plus two additional ones: International Relations and Eventum. While the system is more complex than in the pioneering years, this rigor is precisely what allows the association to remain stable in the face of its annual leadership handover. Thanks to the Mentorship and NextGen programs, knowledge is transformed into a carefully transmitted legacy. BOS is no longer just a student project — it's a place where community spirit meets the professionalism demanded by business partners, preparing the next generations of leaders.