Being a VP is a role that many people want, but few are aware of what it actually means. Because being a VP comes with a huge responsibility and a calendar extremely full. At least this is what our 4 VPs are saying about this topic.
So, today, we want you to meet the new formula of VPs at CGM Software Romania and get to better know the people behind the functions.
OVIDIU DRÎMBĂ: How can you become one of the youngest VPs within CGM
He was born on the same day as Harry Potter (well, only the day, not the year) and he dreamed to become a police officer, just like his grandfather. Until he entered the 4th grade, when he saw and touched a computer for the first time and fell in love immediately with it. It became such a true passion, that a few years later he even helped his mother, a pharmacist, to find out more on digitalization. He then followed an IT profile at highschool, a Computer Science Faculty and entered the IT work field.
This year, at 32 years old, he became one of the youngest VPs within CGM, coordinating activities like a police officer the way he dreamed it and doing his magic just like Harry Potter. He is a true Star Wars fan, he simply loves Science Fiction, especially Isaac Asimov, and tennis, both playing and watching it.
There is a question on everyone lips, so we have to solve the mystery: how can someone become a VP at such a young age?
Well, let me tell you my entire career path and you will easily understand how I evolved within CGM and, especially, how everyone can do it. When I joined CGM in September 2018, I knew that it was the perfect place for me to grow.
At first, I started with a technical role as an iOS Developer, which I loved, because for me iOS is more than work, it is passion.
In December 2019, I became Team Lead, a role that I wanted to have for a long time, because I love coordinating things and making sure that all the things are going into the right direction. In September 2020, exactly two years after I joined CGM, I became PO, which it was a different level of leading – developing a product, clarifying specifications, having a certain power and responsibility.
In May 2022, after almost 4 years in CGM, I became VP on mobile teams, which is a totally different level of communication, transparency, responsibility and alignment.
Because you have to be there for the people, to make sure that both them and the company are going to the planned direction. It is a new place in my career where I can learn more and more and where I am able to implement so many amazing ideas and projects. It is a different league and I`m totally loving it. And I wouldn`t have been able to succeed if it wasn`t for the right people around me and their trust in me, knowing that I am the right person for the job and that I can do it.
Everyone knows that you have an amazing team. What makes a successful team for you and how did you manage to build such a united team?
I strongly believe in Scrum values: commitment, courage, focus, openness, and respect. I think that there are some indispensable things that you cannot succeed without and that can help you move forward, into the right direction. I`m speaking about respect, transparency, communication, patience, trust, giving time, the chemistry between people and, of course, the luck of having the right people around you.
LOREDANA ARMANU: What it takes to become the first woman VP within CGM
She never saw herself working in IT. She wanted to become a doctor since she was a little girl and she even wanted to apply for the University of Medicine, but her parents had a different plan for her. Now, after an IT University degree, a Master on Computational Linguistics, 10 years in the IT field and more than 5 years in CGM, Loredana Armanu became, from 1st of August, the first woman VP within CGM. She`s not doing medicine, but she is excelling at doing IT in the medical field. And, of course, she continues to watch movies about medicine, because she simply loves this domain.
Loredana, let`s share with the rest of the world the story of your career path in IT.
I began working in this field in 2012, as a BackEnd Developer. At some point, my partner, who is a chef, had the opportunity to work in London, so he asked me if I want to go with him and find something to work in IT there. I went and I started everything from scratch. I applied for a job as a Full Stack on Angular and .NET, I went to a 4 and a half hours interview, and I got hired.
After a few years, I came back to Romania to organize our wedding. And while I was planning and organizing the wedding, I wondered how the IT market in Romania is. I clicked on some websites, and I found the CGM Software Romania website. I liked a lot what I saw, so I applied. After 10 minutes, I received a call from Corina Matei from HR, and the next day I went for the interview.
My first day at CGM was on May 23rd 2017, and I started as a Xamarin Developer. After half a year I switched to Angular for a year on a project that was moved to Germany. At some point, I received the offer to work from Germany for over a year. But after I accepted and one month before I should have gone there, I found out that I was pregnant. Then I began my work on CLICKDOC Web, where I put the basis of Angular 7.
After I gave birth to my son, I stayed home a year and 4 months, and I came back to work in January 2021. This time the project was CLICKDOC Pro V3. It was pretty chaos and it really needed someone with good organizational skills to put it on the right track. I`ve managed to do it and since then I am working on this project, coordinating activities and leading people as Functional Lead Area on FrontEnd.
What motivates you to go on?
I like to see results. That is what motivates me. I can never let something unfinished. I have been working since college and I worked a lot really hard. I am used to be responsible and totally engaged in my work.
I am inspired by people who are passionate, who know what they want and who love what they do. Their passion is feeding my motivation. That is why I also felt in love with my husband, who is simply breathing passion for what he is doing.
And what keeps me active and motivated in IT is that each day is different. I do not get bored, and I get to enjoy all the diversity that my job has to offer.
ADRIAN CRISTEA: How to evolve from an introvert BE Dev to an empathic VP
He was born on the sunny hills of Vrancea, he went for an Informatics high school in Bacău and then followed a Computer Science University in Iași, with a Master in Distributed Systems. He doesn’t remember what he wanted to be when he was a little kid, but he surely remembers that when he opened a computer for the first time it was love at first sight. He was in the 5th grade, and he simply knew that this is what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. Well, initially he saw himself in the gaming world, but now he is more than happy to be part of the eHealth revolution that we started at CGM.
In his spare time, he reads a lot, especially stories like Game of Thrones or Lord of the Ring, he likes to play video games and tennis, and… be the co-owner of Caferamica, a small, cute new café where you can paint ceramics and get your own personalized cups home. Well, he mostly is helping and supporting his wife, the one who came up with the idea of the coffee shop, because he is busy at CGM being one of the newest VPs.
Adi, let`s talk about your career path so we can better understand how you become one of the 4 VPs within CGM.
Well, I started working in IT in 2013, when I was in my 4th year at University. At that time, there weren`t so many IT firms in Iași like today. I started with C++ at a firm, then I tried Java at another company, because it was the next best thing to do.
A friend of mine told me about CGM Software Romania and how things were done there, so I got interested. I found out that many of my ex-colleagues were here, so I came for an interview. I remember that I was head hunted by several IT companies at that time, and I went for interviews at all of them, but in the end, I decided that CGM is the best option for me.
After only 3 or 4 months here, I became Tech Lead, then Team Lead, then Discipline Lead, then Functional Lead on BackEnd Area, from September 2020 Head of Functional Area on BackEnd and starting the 1st of August this year, I became one of the VPs.
What do you like most about working at CGM?
Definitely, the community. It is the reason why I am here for more than 5 years and why I intend to stay. The people are simply amazing, with an awesome mentality and attitude. Plus, here you have time to learn and grow and it is an environment where you simply feel good while working. Oh, and one more important thing that I like working at CGM: working in the eHealth field is really meaningful.
ADRIAN BARNA: How to become a VP after only one year in CGM
He dreamed of becoming a football player and his mind was only at football all the time. Until he entered high school, and he met the girls. Joking aside, he entered high school and he met the IT world. After the Informatics profile at the high school in Bacău, his hometown, he graduated The Mathematics Faculty in Iași and a Master on Scientific Calculus and Programming Engineering. After years from that moment, he is still kicking the ball, but this time as a VP.
How did you start working in It and what was your career path until you became VP?
I remember that I was a student and I was applying for all kind of IT jobs. At some point, someone called me at 8 AM and asked me if I could come to a job interview in a few moments. I was a student, so I went. I was sleepy and hungry. After 4 hours of talking, I told them that I must leave, because I had to eat something. I came back much later, but I still got the job. It was a PHP developer role.
After that, I switched to some other companies as Java Developer and Team Lead, but at some point, I felt like moving to a bigger company. I was in my vacation when someone from HR within CGM called me and offered me a Developer position. I wasn`t convinced, because I wanted to be more than a Developer, I wanted to be a Team Lead. But I came to an interview and I really liked what I saw, so I accepted the offer, thinking that I will be the Team Lead that I wanted pretty soon. Six months later, I became a Team Lead. And another six months later, I became a VP.
What I love most about being a CGMer is by far the community. The people and the atmosphere around the people. I don`t feel like I come to my job to work, because it is a real pleasure to be a CGMer. I love the encouragement for free ideas and the empowerment of the people to speak out. Working in eHealth is also something that I love about being a CGMer. Even if you only write code, you feel like you are a little god that is creating objects from nothing in a virtual world, in order to help the humanity to get healthier.
You told me you found here the best team since you started working in IT. What does a successful team mean to you?
It depends on how you define success. In my opinion, success is when you are good with yourself, when you feel complete on your personal level. When you get that personal goal, the professional ones will come quickly by themselves. For me, family comes first, and I know that I reached my personal goals, that is why it is so easy right now to reach my professional ones.
A successful team is a team where you see the results and the impact, and you feel that satisfaction when the client is happy. For example, CGM succeeded to implement the video consultation during the pandemic, which changed a lot people’s lives. So, we felt a successful team together, because it was rewarding knowing that we did this together and that we contributed to the humanity`s wellbeing.
Because this is what we do every single day – we make the world a better place. So that you know, you can be part too of this amazing eHealth revolution that we have started, so make sure you follow CGM Software Romania on LinkedIn and find out how is it like to be a CGMer. And who knows, maybe one day you will be the next VP at CGM Software Romania.
