Legal

This page sets out important information about the use of victorvelea.com, the nature of the content published on this website, intellectual property, privacy, cookies and analytics.

1. About this website

victorvelea.com is a personal website operated by Victor Velea. The website contains personal writing, commentary, analysis, interviews and other content relating to topics including markets, finance, organisations, leadership, business and related subjects. Unless expressly stated otherwise, all content is published in a personal capacity.

2. Personal views and professional independence

The views expressed on this website are my own and are made solely in a personal capacity. They do not represent, and should not be attributed to, any current or former employer, client, professional association or other organisation with which I am or have been associated.

Nothing published on this website should be understood as having been reviewed, approved, endorsed or authorised by any such organisation unless expressly stated otherwise. Any reference to professional experience, organisations or market practices is made solely for the purposes of personal commentary and analysis.

3. General information only

The content of this website is provided for general information, discussion and educational purposes only. Nothing on this website constitutes, or should be relied upon as:

investment advice;
financial advice;
legal advice;
tax advice;
regulatory advice;
accounting advice;
professional or consulting advice; or
any other form of advice on which a person should rely when making a decision.

Readers should obtain appropriate independent professional advice where relevant to their individual circumstances.

4. Financial markets and investment disclaimer

Some content on this website discusses financial markets, financial institutions, investment funds, private assets, securities, financial products, regulation, market structures or related topics. Nothing published on this website constitutes an offer, invitation, solicitation, recommendation or inducement to buy, sell, subscribe for, hold or otherwise transact in any investment, security, financial instrument, product or service.

References to particular companies, sectors, jurisdictions, transactions, asset classes, products or market developments are made for informational or analytical purposes only and should not be interpreted as investment recommendations or endorsements. Past performance, historical examples or observations about markets are not indications or guarantees of future results.

Any investment or financial decision should be based on an individual's own circumstances, objectives and assessment, together with appropriate professional advice where required.

5. No professional relationship

Accessing this website, reading its content, subscribing to updates, contacting me or otherwise interacting with the website does not create any advisory, fiduciary, consultancy, client, contractual or other professional relationship between you and me. No duty of care or professional obligation arises solely as a result of access to or use of this website.

6. Accuracy, completeness and timeliness

I aim to publish information that is thoughtful and accurate at the time of publication. However, financial markets, regulation, businesses, laws, policies and other matters discussed on this website can change. I make no representation or warranty that information published on this website is complete, current, error-free or suitable for any particular purpose.

Articles and other content should be understood in the context of their original publication date. I am under no obligation to update previously published material following subsequent developments, although I may do so where appropriate. Any errors brought to my attention may be corrected at my discretion.

7. Confidentiality and professional information

Nothing on this website is intended to disclose confidential, proprietary, client-specific, commercially sensitive or otherwise restricted information belonging to any employer, client, counterparty or other organisation. Professional experiences, market observations or examples may be discussed at a general level where they contribute to a broader idea or analysis.

Unless expressly identified as public information, no reference should be interpreted as disclosing the details of a particular confidential mandate, transaction, client relationship or internal matter. Any similarity between a general example and a specific organisation, transaction or situation should not in itself be taken as confirmation of a connection.

8. Interviews, conversations and guest contributions

This website may include interviews, conversations, quotations or contributions from other professionals. Unless expressly stated otherwise, contributors participate in a personal capacity and the views they express are their own. Their views do not necessarily represent the views of their employer or any other organisation with which they are associated.

Publication of an interview or contribution does not imply my endorsement of every opinion expressed by the contributor, nor does participation imply that the contributor endorses all other content published on this website. Contributions may be edited for clarity, length, structure or readability with the intention of preserving the substance and meaning of the contributor's remarks.

Where a contributor has reviewed or approved a contribution before publication, this does not imply approval or endorsement of other content on the website.

9. Third-party information and sources

Content published on this website may refer to information, research, reports, statistics, publications or other materials produced by third parties. Where appropriate, sources are identified or linked.

Although I aim to use sources that I consider credible, I do not independently guarantee the accuracy, completeness or continuing validity of information produced by third parties. Information obtained from third-party sources remains subject to the limitations, methodologies and assumptions applicable to those sources. Any intellectual property rights in third-party materials remain with their respective owners.

10. External links

This website may contain links to websites, publications or services operated by third parties. These links are provided for information and convenience only. I do not control third-party websites and am not responsible for their availability, security, accuracy, content, privacy practices or terms of use.

The inclusion of a link does not necessarily constitute an endorsement of the third party, its website, its products, services or opinions. Visitors should review the relevant terms and privacy information of any external website they choose to visit.

11. Intellectual property

You are welcome to share links to material published on this website and to quote reasonable extracts for commentary, discussion, research or other legitimate purposes, provided that appropriate attribution is given to Victor Velea and, where practical, a link to the original material is included. Substantial reproduction, republication, commercial use, distribution, adaptation or modification of original content without prior permission is not permitted except where otherwise allowed by applicable law.

Third-party names, logos, trademarks, images, quotations, data and other intellectual property remain the property of their respective owners and are used where appropriate for identification, commentary or informational purposes. Nothing on this website grants any licence or right to use a third party's intellectual property.

12. Privacy

Who is responsible for your personal data?

For personal data processed directly in connection with victorvelea.com, Victor Velea is the data controller. Questions relating to privacy or the use of personal data can be sent to contact@victorvelea.com.

What information may be collected?

Depending on how you use the website, personal data processed may include:

your name;
your email address;
information contained in correspondence you send;
information submitted through a contact form, subscription form or similar feature;
technical information such as IP address, browser type, device information and server logs;
information relating to how the website is accessed and used;
approximate geographic information;
referring sources;
pages viewed and interactions with the website; and
cookie identifiers and similar pseudonymous identifiers where applicable.

I do not intentionally seek to collect special-category or other sensitive personal information through this website. Please avoid sending confidential or sensitive information through general website contact facilities unless necessary.

Why is personal data processed?

Personal data may be processed for purposes including:

responding to messages or enquiries;
managing correspondence;
operating and maintaining the website;
protecting the website against fraud, abuse, malicious activity or security threats;
understanding website usage;
measuring readership and the performance of content;
improving the website and its content;
maintaining appropriate records; and
complying with applicable legal obligations.

Legal basis for processing

Depending on the circumstances, personal data may be processed on one or more of the following legal bases:

Consent — where you have actively agreed to particular processing, including the use of Google Analytics and other non-essential cookies or similar technologies where consent is required.

Legitimate interests — where processing is reasonably necessary to operate, protect and maintain the website, manage correspondence or maintain appropriate records, provided that those interests are not overridden by your rights and interests.

Legal obligations — where processing is necessary to comply with an applicable legal or regulatory obligation.

Contractual necessity — where processing is necessary in connection with a request made by you before entering into an agreement or for the performance of an agreement, should such circumstances arise.

Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.

13. Google Analytics

This website uses Google Analytics 4, a web analytics service provided by Google, to understand how visitors use victorvelea.com and to help evaluate and improve the website and its content.

Google Analytics may collect information including:

pages viewed and interactions with the website;
numbers of users and sessions;
session and usage information;
approximate geographic location;
browser and device information;
referring sources; and
pseudonymous identifiers used to distinguish users and sessions.

Google Analytics stores a client identifier in a first-party cookie in order to distinguish users and sessions when analytics storage has been permitted. The information provided to me through Google Analytics is primarily statistical and analytical in nature. I use Google Analytics to understand readership, traffic sources, content performance and general patterns of website usage. I do not use Google Analytics for the purpose of personally identifying individual visitors.

For users in the European Economic Area and certain other jurisdictions, Google applies measures relating to the collection and processing of location and IP-related information in accordance with its Google Analytics policies. Google acts as a service provider in connection with Google Analytics and may process data using infrastructure located outside Ireland or the European Economic Area. Where international transfers of personal data take place, they are subject to the transfer mechanisms and safeguards applicable to Google's services and required under applicable data-protection law.

Google Analytics is used only where the required consent for analytics has been provided. You can refuse analytics cookies when first visiting the website and can subsequently change or withdraw your consent using the cookie-preference controls available on the website.

Google Analytics data retention

User-level and event-level data collected through Google Analytics is retained in accordance with the data-retention settings configured for this website's Google Analytics property and Google's applicable retention controls. Data is not retained for longer than reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it is processed. Google Analytics data-retention settings do not necessarily determine the availability of aggregated statistical reporting, which may remain available for longer periods.

14. Cookies and similar technologies

victorvelea.com uses cookies and similar technologies. Cookies are small files or identifiers that may be stored on or accessed from your device when you visit a website.

Strictly necessary technologies

Some technologies are necessary for the operation, security or functionality of the website. Where permitted by applicable law, strictly necessary technologies may operate without consent because they are required to provide functionality requested by the visitor or to operate the website securely.

Analytics cookies

Analytics cookies are non-essential and are used only after the relevant consent has been provided. Where you consent to analytics, Google Analytics 4 may use first-party cookies including:

_ga
Used by Google Analytics to distinguish users. Google's standard default expiry for this cookie is two years, subject to browser restrictions and configuration.

_ga_<container-id>
Used by Google Analytics to maintain session state. Google's standard default expiry for this cookie is two years, subject to browser restrictions and configuration.

Browser technologies and privacy controls may shorten the effective lifespan of these cookies. Analytics cookies allow me to understand matters such as:

how many people visit the website;
which pages and articles are viewed;
how visitors navigate the website;
general patterns of usage;
the sources through which visitors arrive at the website; and
how content performs over time.

This information helps me understand which content is useful to readers and improve victorvelea.com.

Your cookie choices

When you first visit the website, you can accept, reject or manage non-essential cookies through the cookie-consent mechanism provided. Analytics cookies will not be activated unless the relevant consent has been provided.

You can change or withdraw your consent at any time using the cookie-preference controls available on the website. You may also delete or restrict cookies through your browser settings. Restricting technologies that are necessary for the operation of the website may affect some functionality.

15. Who may receive personal data?

Personal data may be processed by service providers supporting the operation of this website, including where applicable:

website hosting providers;
WordPress and website infrastructure providers;
website security and spam-prevention services;
email and communications providers;
Google in connection with Google Analytics;
technical service providers; and
professional advisers or public authorities where disclosure is required or appropriate under applicable law.

Service providers may act as processors, independent controllers or in another capacity depending on the nature of the relevant service and applicable arrangements. I do not sell personal data to advertisers or data brokers.

16. International transfers

Some technology providers used in connection with the website, including Google, may process information outside Ireland or the European Economic Area. Where personal data is transferred internationally, applicable safeguards required by data-protection law are used where necessary. These may include adequacy decisions, standard contractual clauses or other legally recognised transfer mechanisms.

17. Data retention

Personal data is retained only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, taking into account the nature of the information, operational requirements and any applicable legal obligations.

Correspondence may be retained for as long as reasonably necessary to respond to the relevant communication and maintain appropriate records. Technical and security information may be retained for periods reasonably necessary for operational and security purposes. Google Analytics information is retained in accordance with the settings configured for the relevant Google Analytics property and Google's applicable retention controls.

Where personal data is no longer reasonably required, it will be deleted, anonymised or otherwise disposed of as appropriate.

18. Your data-protection rights

Subject to applicable law and the circumstances of the processing, you may have rights including:

the right to be informed about how your personal data is processed;
the right to access personal data held about you;
the right to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information;
the right to request deletion of personal data in certain circumstances;
the right to request restriction of processing;
the right to object to certain processing;
the right to data portability where applicable;
the right to withdraw consent where processing is based on consent; and
rights relating to certain forms of automated decision-making.

To exercise a relevant right, please contact contact@victorvelea.com. You may be asked to provide sufficient information to allow your request and identity to be reasonably verified.

You also have the right to raise a concern or lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Commission in Ireland or, where applicable, another competent data-protection supervisory authority.

19. Automated decision-making

This website does not use personal data to make decisions about individuals based solely on automated processing that produce legal effects or similarly significant effects.

20. Children

This website is intended for a general professional and adult audience and is not specifically directed at children. I do not knowingly seek to collect personal data from children through this website.

21. Security

Reasonable technical and organisational measures are used to protect personal information processed through this website. However, no internet transmission, website or electronic storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Visitors should therefore take reasonable care when deciding what information to transmit electronically.

22. Limitation of liability

Use of this website and reliance on its content are at your own discretion. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, I accept no liability for losses, damages, costs or consequences arising from reliance on information published on this website, from the use or inability to use the website, or from access to third-party websites through external links.

This includes, where permitted by law, direct, indirect, incidental or consequential losses arising from decisions made on the basis of general information published here. Nothing in this Legal page is intended to exclude or limit any liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.

23. Availability of the website

I do not guarantee that victorvelea.com, or any particular content on it, will always be available, uninterrupted or free from technical issues. Content may be changed, corrected, removed, reorganised or discontinued at any time.

24. Changes to this Legal page

This Legal page may be amended periodically to reflect changes to the website, its functionality, the technologies used, applicable practices or relevant legal requirements.

25. Governing law

To the extent permitted by applicable law, this website and these terms are governed by the laws of Ireland. Any dispute relating to this website will be subject to the jurisdiction of the Irish courts, without prejudice to any mandatory rights or jurisdictional protections that may apply under applicable law.

26. Contact

Questions about this website, its content, copyright, privacy, cookies or this Legal page can be sent to contact@victorvelea.com.