BeyondWork: About good grades, at work and on stage

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Andreea Ciocoi: If You Have Inner Peace, You Can Move Forward More Calmly in Life

What connection exists between a Customer Service Analyst job and the spotlight of a stage? At first glance, the two fields seem completely unrelated. But not for our colleague Andreea Ciocoi, who proves the opposite: at 27, she manages to remain equally active at work during the week, while also bringing musical notes to life, on stage or in the studio. Whether at the microphone or in professional relationships within a highly competitive industry, her skills remain the same: patience, confidence, and a positive vibe.

Music, a Childhood Love Story

“I am an optimistic and hardworking person. I like Asian languages, Asian food, and traveling. But my greatest passion is music,” says Andreea.

In her professional life, she excels in the role of Customer Service Analyst for one of Connections’ top clients, while her free time is mostly dedicated to composing music at Art Music Studio and performing at private events on her free weekends.

“I enjoy contributing to the composition of musical themes for various artists or even for my own pieces, and at the events where I sing, I feel like I always learn something new and open up more to the audience,” Andreea confesses.

For Andreea, it all started at the age of 6 when her parents enrolled her in a children’s club in the 5th District of the capital. There, among many other activities, she discovered her passion for singing and the talent inherited from her grandmother. At first, Andreea reproduced the performances of artists from her mother’s favorite TV shows, but she continued to practice with unwavering dedication every day. This perseverance paved her way to bigger and more prestigious stages. “In everyday life, I try to sing for at least an hour from the songs I know or that I try to learn for fun. Even during high school and university, when I wasn’t as involved in music, I always made time to sing for an hour. No matter how much I tried to distance myself from music due to circumstances or my inner critic, I couldn’t escape it,” says Andreea, who began to take her passion more seriously at 21.

How Does Play Become Passion? With Effort and Faith in Your Path

Andreea’s hobby is one that involves a lot of time, passion, dedication, and emotional intelligence, and she has faced her share of challenges. She encountered people who tried to impose their own limits on her, but she felt she could do more and had much more to discover. So, she considered each failure as a redirection and a lesson for her growth.

As a result, over time, Andreea Ciocoi’s voice has echoed in numerous places, in clubs and at various events, until she stepped onto the stage of “The Voice of Romania” in 2019.

“I managed to sing on the stage of The Voice of Romania in 2019 thanks to my stubbornness, my family’s encouragement, and the help I received at the Art Music Singing School. I got honest advice and a clear evaluation of my talent. I was ready in two months, and then I passed the pre-selections,” says Andreea.

And things didn’t stop there.

“With the performance of songs came the passion for creating new ideas and musical concepts from scratch, a kind of experimentation, I could say. I have progressed a lot, and music is, for me, a moment of relaxation: it’s three minutes where you detach from the everyday, dive into the story of the song, and experience that feeling. Lately, I really like gospel songs because they have a divine vibration and harmony that bring me peace and even a certain state of happiness. And jazz songs, too.”

The love for musical notes is a story that continues for Andreea. The difficulties and people’s opinions have made her more hardworking and more confident in her vision and talent. They have strengthened her optimism, and today, Andreea says, “I manage – why not – to help and uplift others with my experience.”

A Few TIPS for Those Who Hesitate to Follow Their Dream

Don’t let the advice of inexperienced people or those close to you discourage you; instead, seek professional help. My advice for those who want to start singing is to have more confidence in their vision and not to be easily discouraged.

Persist, even if everything seems to be against you. Practice for an hour a day and sing at every opportunity that arises. Believe that what is meant for you will find its way to you.

If you’re anxious or have fears related to certain situations, prayer helps. When you have inner peace, you can move forward in life more calmly.

Nothing is impossible, and the only obstacle is our fear of the unknown. It’s best to try.

BeyondWork: Knockout Hits in RPA and Kickboxing

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Aura Damaschin: At 33, I Discovered That I Can Achieve More Than I Ever Thought

Precision, patience, agility, and discipline are qualities that intertwine to make a good RPA Developer and also a good kickboxer. How do we know this? From our colleague Aura Damaschin, who, after a full day of automating complex processes for Connections’ clients, steps into the kickboxing ring in the evening and demonstrates her extraordinary strength, helping her to push her limits, both at work and in her personal life.

The Logic of Programming and the Intuition of Fighting

In the world of automation, Aura is a master of details. Creating software robots for automating repetitive processes requires an organized mind and meticulous attention to detail. Every variable and condition must be anticipated and perfectly integrated into the code.

In kickboxing, however, the pace is different. There is no time for debugging. Everything happens in a fraction of a second, and each move is a combination of strategy, intuition, and speed, depending heavily on prior preparation.

“I had long wanted to practice a sport regularly. I physically felt this need, and the sedentary lifestyle I had since childhood became painful. Over the years, I tried various forms of exercise (rollerblading, cycling, running, tennis with friends, fitness), but I couldn’t integrate any of these activities into my routine. Everything changed at 33, when I took my first kickboxing lesson, during a very stressful period when I wanted to do something with high physical intensity,” Aura explains.

Algorithms and Training

When you automate a process, it’s all about repetition and continuous refinement until you achieve a flawless result. In kickboxing, training follows a similar dynamic: basic punches, defense techniques, and combinations must be practiced repeatedly until they become reflexes. “I train 3-4 times a week, and at home, I practice basic punches and do gymnastics,” says Aura.

Additionally, just as software robots need to be programmed to handle any errors or exceptions that may arise, Aura simultaneously prepares herself to handle unexpected situations in the ring. She studies her opponents and adjusts her strategy for each competition. Every strike and counter-strike must be thought out in advance, just like a well-designed algorithm.

Overcoming Fear

No matter how well-designed a program is, bugs can appear at any time. Similarly, in the ring, no matter how prepared she is, there is always the fear of an unexpected punch.

“The biggest challenge for me is the fear of being hit in the face. It’s an almost paralyzing feeling, but with each training session, I learn to manage it better,” explains Aura.

The experience of learning to manage fear and accepting that she cannot control everything has given Aura a new perspective on life, whether it’s dealing with an unexpected software error or a surprisingly strong opponent in the ring.

The Impact of Kickboxing on Life

Practicing kickboxing has not only shaped her body but also the way she approaches all aspects of life.

“I feel like I’m no longer the same person as before I took up this hobby. Kickboxing gives me purpose, direction, order, and discipline, pushing me to adopt other healthy habits to keep up. I quit smoking and improved my diet and sleep. I carry out my other activities more efficiently and have more energy, strength, and mental clarity. I’ve learned not to waste my energy needlessly and to be more understanding and tolerant of myself and others. I’ve also increased my productivity and capacity in other areas because I discovered I can do more than I ever thought.”

Advice for Those Who Want to Practice a Contact Sport

If you want to practice a contact sport, try several and find out which one suits you best.

You don’t have to force yourself to do sports, just remember why you started in the first place.

Fear is your best friend. It will help you take things seriously, push you to prepare, and make you better.

BeyondWork: About the beauty of small things

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Ana Chirion: Photography, source of inspiration and personal balance 

Some people perceive life in a simplified black-and-white palette, while others view it through a vibrant spectrum of colors. But some don’t just stop at colors but notice every subtle nuance.

Ana Chirion belongs to this rare category of people who not only perceive the subtle differences between identical colors to others, but explore, capture, and immortalize them through photography. Ana Chirion is a 27-year-old Taurus sign, a Business Analyst at Connections, a position that requires attention to detail, precision, and analytical thinking.

But beyond numbers, data and business processes, Ana has discovered a new passion: photography.

This hobby is not coincidental, but an extension of her ability to find beauty in insignificant details.

I discovered photography several years ago, back in my high school days, when I used to pose for various acquaintances who were as passionate about photography as I was. From posing to the first photo was just one step. I still remember it now: it was a beautiful, almost magical sunset that I couldn’t help but capture, to make it a memory. Every sunset is unique for me and that’s why I try to admire and photograph it every day.

Analyzing business and everyday beauty 

In her daily work, Ana analyzes complex data, creates reports, and proposes innovative solutions to improve business processes. Her work is important to the Connections team, as Ana must see patterns and uncover details that may seem invisible to others but are essential to achieving high execution standards.

When I want to photograph a landscape, a building, an animal, or a sunset, I always make sure that the natural light is favorable, so I prefer to shoot in the morning or late afternoon. Since I do not own a camera yet, I use my cell phone camera. I maximize my phone’s default settings such as HDR mode, 4K, manual focus and exposure. I also use portrait mode, night mode and panorama. One of the advantages of using my phone camera is that I’m always ready to capture the moments I don’t want to miss. Cell phone photography also involves various challenges that I have faced along the way: cell phone cameras have smaller sensors than DSLR cameras, which can sometimes limit the image quality. Another challenge has been the size of the screen, which is small and limits my view of delicate details.

Attention to such details often makes the eye behind the camera more important than the camera itself, and Ana has learned to use different editing tools such as Lightroom or Photoshop.

She wants to get better and better at photography, which is why she watches video tutorials, from which she learns new photography techniques, and raises her standards by following other photographers in social communities.

In terms of inspiration, anything can be a good subject for Ana to photograph: from an oasis of beauty discovered on a trip, to unique moments at events or the smiles of friends on a night out.

Photos help me to preserve the special moments in my life and the beautiful places I have visited so far. Thanks to my Instagram account, where I post my own photos, I’ve met other amateur photographers,” says Ana.

For her, photography is a relaxing activity, and it also helps her to train her attention to detail and ability to adapt and mobilize quickly to different conditions.

Between her professional responsibilities and moments of artistic creativity, she manages to harmoniously combine logic with emotion, confirming that a well-chosen hobby can have a positive impact on one’s well-being. And photography becomes not just a passion, but also a source of inspiration and balance.

Tip for photography beginners 

Make the most of natural light. Especially in the beginning, this will help you get that extra touch.

Experiment and play with angles and perspectives.

Feel free to bend down and shoot from unusual angles to get dynamic compositions. Turn your phone upside down to give your photos a unique touch. Maybe the angle from which you take the photo will capture unusual details.

Make full use of your phone or camera settings.

They will help you capitalize on what your eye and your emotion want to capture.

Here are some photos Ana took:

 

BeyondWork: About patience and adaptability in business development and tennis

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Alex Vîlcea: Success doesn’t depend on one perfect shot or one good decision 

He tightens his racquet and concentrates. Every serve is calculated, based on precision and instinct. Every stroke requires balance and timing, just as every business decision must be well thought out and goal-oriented.

Failures in the field are often like challenges in business – difficult but fundamental to evolution. Both require adaptability, learning, and resilience. In both tennis and business, it takes patience, strategic thinking and the ability to adapt quickly.

Alexandru Vîlcea is a Connector, he works in business development and one of his favorite hobbies is tennis.

It’s an activity that not only keeps me physically fit, but also gives me a great opportunity to relax and disconnect from the daily routine. I discovered tennis a few years ago when a friend invited me to a friendly match. What initially attracted me to the sport was the combination of strategy, speed and stamina needed to play well, but also the pleasure of spending time outdoors.

Practice, patience, perseverance 

In the beginning, tennis was just a curiosity, an opportunity to learn something new. With each practice, however, he discovered the pleasure of playing and perfecting her techniques – from serve to forehand. Over time, he realized that tennis and business have a lot in common: both need strategy, attention to detail, and a desire to constantly evolve. It wasn’t easy to integrate this passion into her daily life, but through dedication, he managed to organize her time in such a way that he could train at least twice a week. And, of course, he began to watch professional tennis matches closely to learn new strategies and techniques to apply to his game. Progress came gradually and it showed especially in the first matches he won. But victory on the court is not about one perfect shot or one good decision, but countless moments of practice, patience and perseverance. And the road from learning to hold the racquet to winning in two sets has often been a challenging one.

It wasn’t always easy. One of the biggest challenges was learning to stay calm and focused during matches, especially when I was at a disadvantage. To overcome these difficulties, I constantly worked on controlling my emotions and developing a strong mental strength, which allowed me to stay focused and improve my game.

Win or lose, the challenge stimulates you 

When we take up sports as a hobby, there are many benefits, physical, mental and emotional. We are stronger, more flexible, healthier, less stressed and more disciplined. We generally have a much better mood and mental clarity. So, all the hours Alex spent on the tennis court did not go “unpunished”.

I can’t help but notice how much tennis has helped me. First, it has helped keep me in excellent physical shape, contributing to better cardiovascular fitness and toned muscles. In addition, it has become an important source of relaxation and disconnection, giving me precious moments of escape from everyday. From a mental point of view, tennis has taught me to be more disciplined, patient and strategic, skills that have served me well in other aspects of my life.

At the end of the match, win or lose, it’s the challenge that energizes Alex. Whether he’s on the pitch or taking on the ‘coat’ of business developer, it’s about pushing boundaries and refining skills at every opportunity.

Tip for those who want to play tennis 

Be patient with yourself.

Tennis is a technical sport and mastering it takes time and practice. It is also essential to invest in quality equipment, especially the right shoes, to prevent injury.

Start with basic lessons.

Either with a coach or friends who have experience, and don’t hesitate to ask for advice or practice as much as possible.

Enjoy the game.

Don’t be discouraged by difficulties. Tennis is a sport that can be very rewarding if you give it the time and dedication it needs.

 

Meet our Connectors: Ciprian Onofreiciuc, The contributor and the poetry behind programming

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An engineer interested in what technologies can do to improve and simplify people’s lives. Pragmatic. Client-focused.

This is how Ciprian Onofreiciuc describes himself.

But if you get the chance to talk to him longer, you’ll also discover the eyes of an artist in Ciprian, one who loves people, values creativity just as much as cutting-edge technology, and has a broad perspective on the engines that drive the world forward, contributing to its development himself.

An artist in programming solution architecture, part of the Connections team since 2021, and one of the members involved in the major projects of the moment.

After being involved in projects with top 5 companies in banking and telecom in Romania, in roles such as Senior Developer or solution architect, in December 2023, he made another leap toward clients from the public sector, transitioning from the role of consultant to that of implementer and integrator.

The Secret to Success: Contributor in Every Role in Business and Life

Ciprian’s work, alongside the other connectors at CC, is based on a few clear principles: he focuses on results; he continuously strengthens his knowledge and skills base, from which he periodically makes technological and informational leaps; in his relationships with others, he always seeks to honor his commitments, offering predictability and consistency.

Throughout his career, he has been involved in various teams, either as a leader, taking on shared decisions and responsibilities, or as an executor/consultant, following directions defined by other people in leadership roles.

“I enjoy blazing new trails, seeking out untapped opportunities, taking moderate risks, and accepting challenges in unknown and high-potential areas,” he says. “In my career and life, I have alternated between leadership and management roles and that of an individual contributor. In every scenario, it’s important to adapt and contribute as much as possible to a project.”

Digitalization, the dance where technology takes other fields by the hand

If anyone doubts that poetry and programming go hand in hand, and that it is built on a deep understanding of the world we live in, they must meet Ciprian. For him, digitalization looks like a memorable dance, where impactful fields move in sync, holding hands with technology, and passing on multiplied value.

“When I started, I believed that computer science, or what was called digitalization at the time, was only about programming, and I felt extremely proud to be a programmer—until I saw other equally complex and useful technological wonders.

Today, I see digitalization more as one of the dancers in Henri Matisse’s painting ‘The Dance’: it joins a dance you admire with wonder, making the dance possible together with other dancers, which for me represent other important fields in people’s lives. Digitalization must intertwine with other domains to offer the maximum benefits, and the more fields there are, the greater the impact and the more beautiful the dance.”

“The Dance” by Henri Matisse, 1910. Image sourced from HenriMatisse.org.

We cannot disdain ancient civilizations for being outdated

How does Ciprian personally relate to technology? It is made to help and support human activity, he reminds us, and from this perspective, he views with respect all the stages of development humanity has gone through. He knows a well-known secret, though less often discussed in public: at some point, every technology was considered spectacular before it eventually became commonplace.

“We cannot ignore or depreciatively evaluate a certain technology, just as we cannot disdain ancient civilizations for being outdated. Everything is built by integrating or improving upon previous technologies. Many times, we adopt and use technology without realizing it, and only its absence makes us aware of its importance.”

The industry’s challenge: what do we choose to become along with progress?

The greatest challenge Ciprian sees is undoubtedly tied to progress.“Performance issues seem the most interesting to me because that’s where technological limits arise. Solving these problems generates progress and creates technological leaps,” he says.

Consequently, the challenge he would pose to the IT industry is one that will undoubtedly spark long debates for years to come: Do you believe augmentative technological implants will bring progress and a better life for humanity?

“I believe that, in this entire evolutionary context, it’s important for people to be aware of natural human value. I’m sure the answer would be a resounding yes, but I’m not sure if humanity will remain the same with this progress.”

Message for a Beginner in IT: The Foundation is Everything!

For a junior just starting out in the industry, Ciprian has a fundamental piece of advice: Build a foundation, and then explore from there.

How can you do that?

“There are several ways to build this foundation,” he says. “You can do it theoretically, by accumulating knowledge in an academic way, followed by a certification aimed at achieving certain objectives; or practically, by participating in a project that follows specific industry standards and covers all stages of a product’s lifecycle.”

Simple, right? 🙂

Connections has achieved a revenue growth compared to H1 2023 and a record net profit of 4.6 million RON, surpassing the estimated budget by 200%

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Connections Consult (CC), a digitalization company listed on the BVB, AeRo market, announces significant improvements of the financial performance for the first half of 2024.

Net profit has exceeded the budgeted growth for this year by 200%, reaching 4.67 million RON, which is a 29% increase compared to the same period in 2023. The company’s revenues are also on an upward trend, showing a 15% increase from the first semester of the previous year and a dynamic business line performance that ensures balanced development.

“Early in 2024, at Connections, we aimed to focus on improving business efficiency, and the first six months demonstrate that we are achieving this goal successfully: profitability is rising across all indicators, including both gross and net results, as well as profit margins—an achievement all the more relevant given the ongoing challenges and consistent declines in the IT market quarter after quarter. The results we are reporting today confirm that effective management generates enhanced value, and CC is a pillar of stability for our shareholders“, says Bogdan Florea, Founder and Co-CEO of the company.

 The negative effects of the market context have only impacted the company’s results at the level of initial expectations—actual figures versus budgeted ones. However, Connections reports double-digit growth compared to the previous year in key indicators, including a reduction in debt levels, and continues to anticipate an even better second half of the year.

“The first half of the year was, overall, a period during which local market players were cautious about launching new digitalization projects, focusing instead on a thorough analysis of IT providers’ capabilities. Our advanced level of expertise is one of our strong points, so Connections is well-positioned to achieve significant growth and relevant projects in the second half of the year. We thank the entire team, as their talent and capabilities are the major differentiators”, says Radu Marcu, Co-CEO of the company.

 In addition to achieving revenues 15% higher than the first semester of 2023 (47.1 million RON), Connections Consult also experienced increases in expenses, primarily related to higher salary costs. During the same period, the company also internally launched the Stock Option Plan (SOP), through which the first 50 employees have become shareholders, in order to, as Bogdan Florea specifies, “clearly show the team that Connections’ success is directly linked to their performance“.

In parallel with enhancing business efficiency, Connections is strengthening its governance by developing a new resource management and workflow system, which is currently being operationalized to ensure a solid foundation for medium- and long-term development.

“We are making steady progress toward a clear multi-year vision“, says the company’s founder, “and in the second half of the year, we will extend our efforts to securing funding for research in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. We likely have some of the most educated and skilled colleagues in the market in the area of artificial intelligence, with experience and proven experimental results over the past two years, well ahead of the global market surge“.

The company will also intensify its efforts to secure foreign territories and projects, which generated 30% of revenues in the first semester, and is also focusing on accelerating digitalization projects funded through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) and other European funds.

The financial results report for the first half of 2024  is available for consultation at the following link.

CASE STUDY Connections Consult: High-standard cybersecurity. Collaboration in mixed teams

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CLIENT: Agnostic Intelligence AG

Agnostic Intelligence, a Swiss innovative startup, has developed a platform that automatically analyzes various sources of information to manage supply chain risks. The platform targets companies in various sectors (e.g. financial, chemical and manufacturing). These face complex challenges, such as managing many suppliers, maintaining compliance with specific regulations (e.g. DORA, NIS 2, GDPR), and protecting against risks associated with their supply chain.

PRODUCT DEVELOPED

Agnostic Intelligence needed additional technical expertise to develop this highly complex product and chose Connections Consult as a partner. The collaboration led to the improvement of the innovative Third-Party Risk Assessment and Management (TPRM) platform.

PROJECT DURATION

The implementation of the platform’s key functionalities lasted approximately 2 years. The technologies used included backend .NET 6, SQL Server database, and Azure cloud infrastructure, with Agile methodology adopted to ensure efficient project management and adaptability to changing requirements.

The main functionalities of the platform included automatic risk assessment using artificial intelligence, agnostic integration, continuous threat monitoring, report generation, transparent communication, and the ability to add customized functionalities through add-ons.

IMPLEMENTATION AND FUNCTIONALITIES

The platform required a series of essential functionalities to be comprehensive and efficient, and the implementation included:

Automatic third-party risk assessment: using state-of-the-art Artificial Intelligence technology, the platform can automatically and comprehensively evaluate risks associated with third parties based on a questionnaire incl. documentation which significantly reduces time to market and ressources involved.

Universal integration: the platform seamlessly integrates with various data sources, such as open-source systems, risk questionnaires, and third-party proprietary solutions, ensuring a holistic view of supply chain risks.

Continuous monitoring: the platform provides a continuously updated external threat view on a company. Potential vulnerabilities and threats are identified and notified on the platform.

Detailed reports: the platform generates different reports (audit report, management summary) which provide a complete picture of the identified deviations and risks associated with a third party.

CHALLENGES IN THE PROJECT

Cultural diversity within the team: The project brought together members from countries such as Switzerland, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary, and Spain, each with their own working norms and organizational culture.

Connections’ expertise was essential in adapting the solution to the specific needs of the clients, ensuring easy and efficient use.

The implementation of the platform led to a significant reduction in time and costs associated with third-party assessments, while also enhancing cybersecurity and operational efficiency for Agnostic’s clients.

IMPACT

  • Significant reduction in time and costs: Third-party assessment became up to 90% faster, resulting in substantial savings for clients in both time and costs. (On average, a manual third-party risk assessment process took two months, with costs amounting to 60’000 Euros per assessment.)
  • Enhancement of TPRM: Continuous monitoring and real-time notifications enable rapid identification and mitigation of potential vulnerabilities and risks.

CONNECTIONS TEAM INVOLVED

The collaboration resulted in a top-standard cybersecurity product, and from a technical standpoint, the project involved a team from Connections with expertise in areas such as software development, AI & ML engineering, and technical consultancy on product architecture.

Meet our Connectors: Georgiana Sotir, the Harmony Wizard

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Within the software industry, challenges are everywhere, and the complexity of the situations we face increases as projects become more ambitious and technologies rapidly evolve. It is essential to have a flexible and innovative approach, to be willing to constantly learn, and to collaborate effectively to find optimal solutions to complex problems.

In such moments, different perspectives can lead to conflicts or misunderstandings, and a mediator becomes indispensable within every team. We have Georgiana, and we genuinely acknowledge: when things tend to get complicated, it’s incredibly reassuring to have her around, as she brings harmony to any team, turning tense moments into opportunities for collaboration. With a deep understanding of human relationships, she manages to bring the necessary balance to our team, no matter the challenges that arise.

The challenges of a Wizard: turning obstacles into creativity

Georgiana’s ability to integrate different personalities into a common project is based on one essential principle: people are what make a team, and their skills extend beyond professional duties, encompassing aspects related to character and compatibility with other team members, as well as with client teams.

“My strengths lie in the ability to create high-performing teams that align with the requirements, patterns, and values of Connections, as well as the client’s expectations. This demands a great deal of flexibility, adaptability, and continuous analytical skills. With my colleagues on the projects I work on, I must demonstrate and prove my ability as a team leader, but always in a delicate balance of empathy and understanding, which go hand in hand if you want things to work perfectly—or almost perfectly.”

Beyond her ability to bring talented people together, her success as a master of balance is also due to a special ingredient: every new challenge pushes her to refine her skills. In fact, that’s how we managed to win her over 🙂: through the complexity of the projects, we’ve been working on together since 2017.

“I was really drawn to the idea of joining the team for one of the largest projects in Connections’ portfolio at the time, under the guidance of Vlad Sgindar. I saw a huge opportunity for professional growth alongside a manager who worked directly with the company’s CEO—so on very relevant projects—and was known for his unconventional style, which was the first challenge. The fact that I was facing a complex, difficult-to-coordinate project—a kind of ‘trial by fire’—was the second challenge,” Georgiana recalls. “It was one of my best decisions, especially since I met wonderful people here, whom I now consider a second family. I am always surrounded by positive energy from satisfied people, whether they are clients or teammates, and that brings me great joy.”

Digitalization? The perfect relationship between humans and technology.

After seven years with the Connections team, Georgiana has begun to see digitalization as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) that everyone turns to when complex situations arise.

“I believe digitalization should represent the perfect relationship between humans and technology. As IT innovations evolve, digitalization finds efficient and adaptive methods of communication, saving time and resources for those who manually perform certain processes. It helps them increase their productivity and knowledge in areas relevant to the future, and technology has enormously changed the way we work. This is particularly evident in private companies, as many state institutions still operate on principles where digitalization remains aspirational.”

For her personally, technology is very convenient, as it provides access to information, and she often wonders: where would we be now if this continuous evolution had not existed?

“Technology helps us do things more efficiently, from a washing machine that knows how to wash clothes faster and better with a fraction of the resources a similar product used 10 years ago, to the cars we use to move around and innovative safety systems like pedestrian detection or imminent impact alerts, things that save lives. It’s also convenient that trips to the bank, to various institutions, and online shopping can be done much more easily from a distance, adding extra time in a world where time means everything.”

Equally relevant is how technology is changing opportunities for digital native generations.

“I believe the internet and the benefit of having it available anytime on a device that fits in your pocket is the greatest human progress. This is not just because there is raw information that you can access anytime, but because every person is now free to inform themselves about anything at any time, making it easier to turn a simple curiosity into a passion and a possible career in a certain field. In the past, we were adaptive; there were opportunities for which school prepared you. Current generations are reactive: school presents the basics, but they will discover the specifics on their own. It’s important to mention that misleading, false, or purposefully biased information online is a future issue that, if unregulated, has the potential to severely impact human evolution, and it’s important to always be interested and up to date with what is happening.”

Regarding the future, all is well: everything is always changing

 Automation and Artificial Intelligence are two “hot” topics that Georgiana closely follows, not through the eyes of a programmer, but from a sociological perspective, considering their concepts and impact on human behavior.

“Role and service automation is a field that, at first glance, might scare many people regarding job security in the medium term or how they will be valued as professionals in the future. However, people are not dispensable by principle; it’s just that those who cannot adapt will suffer more than those who are adaptable and curious.”

How does she envision the evolution of a career that can be considered secure in the future? It’s deeply tied to two key words: relevance + openness to change.

“It is our duty, and that of future generations, to choose a relevant field and to remain always open to change. It’s important to embrace change, whether it comes in the form of digitalization, artificial intelligence, or automation. AI currently helps us find detailed answers faster than we can through search engines. However, the information that AI is trained on is both public and private, and it is not particularly accurate. It is based on probabilities, in a field that is not well regulated. When Deep Fakes and cyberattacks are taken to an art form, human value becomes even more important,” Georgiana believes.

She also thinks that the IT industry should support the creation of artificial intelligence based on accurate information, the reorganization of cybersecurity with an increased focus on information protection and fraud detection, and the development of applications that improve medical systems, transportation safety, the sustainability of manufacturing processes, and the reduction of pollution.

MESSAGE FOR A BEGINNER IN IT

“Always keep your curiosity alive, adapt and stay informed, and stay one step ahead of your current role. Your career will change the world we live in, but only the best will go far.”

CEO TALKS – 2024 IT MARKET TRENDS: WHAT DO LOCAL CLIENTS WANT?

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We are halfway through 2024, and we are analyzing to what extent the year’s trends are confirmed or changing. Bogdan Florea, founder and co-CEO of Connections Consult, discusses the construction of the IT business this year and what local clients desire. 

“While on international markets, the trend we observe is the localization of services, in the domestic market, we notice an accelerated trend of concern, investment, and development in the area of technologies that define the cloud/cloud computing, both at the infrastructure level (Infrastructure as a Service) and at the Platform as a Service level, as well as the entire technological stack that defines the cloud. 

When we talk about the cloud, we are referring to a generic term that actually provides the possibility of accessing services economically and efficiently from anywhere, offered by a service provider, not just infrastructure and applications. 

As I mentioned, we observe a marked trend of companies investing and developing and accumulating new capabilities in the cloud computing area. We have seen this trend starting from 2023, and, in my opinion, we will continue to see it in the coming years.“ 

Connections follows this trend, just like many other players in the market. Although our main specialization is in application development and, more recently, in technology integration, the vast majority of client requirements focus on cloud-ready applications, prepared to operate in the cloud in various forms—whether we’re talking about Microsoft, Amazon, Google Cloud, or OpenStack. Consequently, the push from technological advancements compels us to take steps towards developing cloud-ready applications. 

At this moment, we consider ourselves one of the leading providers of complex enterprise applications that are ready to be used in the cloud. 

Meet our Connectors: Ionuț Stănescu, The Listener

Posted on by andreea.pislariu

In every team there is a person who prefers to keep quiet, to listen, to extract information and then put it into practice, without too much discussion. In our case, that’s Ionuț Stănescu, who, in the almost two decades he’s been part of the team, has listened, evolved, helped train new IT talent, delivered complex solutions and put brick upon brick to Connections’ growth. Now, he holds the role of AI Expert & Data Scientist.

Ionuț is curious, so he’s always exploring new technologies and solutions, adapting, and in doing so, he manages to keep up with the changes in the industry and shows perseverance. This perseverance “keeps me going, even when I face challenges,” he says. Both in IT and in sporting events – we say – because Ionuț is a dedicated sportsman, taking part in competitions and triathlons. Deeply enthralled and engaged in the fast-paced development of Big Data and Artificial Intelligence, Ionuț is doing his best to keep up.

“This emerging sector, with its potential to revolutionize different industries and aspects of our lives, has managed to arouse intense interest and deep passion on my part. I’m excited to delve deeper into this field and contribute to the innovation that is happening now.”

From 2007, when he was still in college, to the present, Ionut has been part of the Connections team. Throughout these years he has been involved in numerous projects and has been the one to listen, assimilate information and then put it into practice.

“I became part of the Connections team in 2007, during my university studies.  Since then, I have been constantly evolving, working on innovative projects and learning a lot from colleagues, professionals, clients and various projects. I’ve always taken responsibility for technical decisions, set the direction and acted proactively or reactively – depending on the situation – to remove possible obstacles. With this way of working, I participated in the development and delivery of complex solutions, contributed to the training of new IT talent, and I hope I played an important role in Connections’ rise.”

About digitization and physics

After 17 years of extracting valuable lessons from every action, of always approaching every project and every situation from a forward-looking perspective, Ionuț has fully understood what digitization means and sees it as… an element of physics, more precisely, light.

“Like light, digitization can reach the farthest corners of the world, bringing clarity, removing information barriers and bringing knowledge. Light has a dual behavior, behaving both as electromagnetic waves and as packets of energy (photons). Similarly, digitization also has a dual behavior. It can be a tool for development and learning as well as a medium for entertainment and relaxation. Light is also composed of many colors, each with its own wavelength. Similarly, digitization is composed of many different elements – data, software, hardware, networks, people, knowledge – all working together to create a complex system. Digitization, like light, is essentially good, but it can also be used maliciously. For example, in the case of light, ultraviolet radiation can cause sunburn and other health problems), and digitization, in its essence, is a good thing. Digitization on the other hand can be used in the case of cyber-attacks or invasion of privacy. Both are highly adaptable: while one adapts to its environment, the other adjusts to new technologies and trends, overcoming obstacles and always moving forward, and both transmit information extremely fast! And last but not least, they are both so necessary! Just as the physical world needs light to function, the modern world needs digitalization. Without it, many of our daily activities, such as communicating, working, learning and entertaining, would be much more difficult, if not impossible.”

Message for a beginner programmer

Learn to listen and evaluate opinions through your own filter, be curious and don’t be afraid to make decisions. Failures are part of the process, but recognizing them will point you in the right direction.