Florin Manoloiu is the Chief Operating Officer at Exenne Technologies, a professional with nearly a decade of experience in the digital transformation of Romania’s construction sector, being directly involved in the digitization of processes in over 200 companies in the industry. He coordinates complex commercial and operational strategies based on innovation, data analysis, and the development of sustainable partnerships.

C&B: If we were to look at a narrative thread of your career, what were the key moments that defined you?
Florin Manoloiu: Looking back, my career has not been linear but rather a progressive construction, where each stage was about learning and laid a brick in the foundation of what I am today. I would highlight four defining moments:
• Volunteering at BEST (Board of European Students of Technology): This was the “school” that shaped me before the job. There, I learned about collaboration, organizing large-scale events, and the dynamics of an international team.
• Experience in FMCG (Danone): Here, I had a “wake-up call” about what a career really means, beyond the romantic view I had as a student. I realized that “not everything that flies can be eaten” and that before being friends, we need to deliver results. It is a tough school that drives you toward performance, where I learned the importance of strategic marketing, working with large volumes, and extreme organization.
• Transition to Engineering and Technical Sales (Linde Gas & Schneider Electric): This stage refined my B2B negotiation skills, but the fundamental lesson was about responsibility. I learned that you are the only one responsible for the results of your work and that talent alone is not enough to achieve remarkable results. This was also where I had my first lessons as a segment leader.
• Joining Exenne Technologies (2016): Moving from a corporation to tech entrepreneurship was a moment of full maturation. Here, I could apply everything I had learned, building strategies from scratch and having a direct impact on the digitization of an entire industry. The daily lesson here is that without grit—perseverance and passion—you cannot build anything.

C&B: What has been the most difficult moment in your journey so far, and how did you overcome it?
Florin Manoloiu: The most challenging moment was undoubtedly realizing that your product is perceived as good only to the extent that the market trusts you. My dreams of being associated with a company scaling overnight collided with the construction sector’s resistance to change. After a year, even though our numbers were almost doubling, I felt like I was trying to break down a 2-meter-thick wall with a 5 cm drill. I overcame this by understanding that the path is long and that the secret ingredient is trust. When you persevere, listen openly, and innovate, trust follows. In construction—a field addressing the fundamental human need for shelter—trust is more important than anything else.

C&B: Is there a dream or ambition that has always guided you, regardless of obstacles?
Florin Manoloiu: Yes, my constant ambition has been to understand how the world works. To do that, you must constantly expose yourself to the stress of leaving your comfort zone. I strongly believe that if you are the smartest person in the room, you shouldn’t stay in that room too long. You need to seek environments that challenge you to grow.

C&B: What were you like at the beginning of your journey, and how do you feel you have transformed to date?
Florin Manoloiu: At the start, I was an enthusiastic executor with a romantic vision of business. I believed that all interests in the market naturally converge so that everyone benefits. Today, my perspective is much more nuanced. Yes, we all want what’s best, but “best” can vary for each person, or timing can be wrong. Therefore, my focus has shifted to deep understanding and aligning interests, because without this alignment, you risk doing Sisyphean work.

C&B: If we met with your team or collaborators, what do you think they would say about you?
Florin Manoloiu: I would like them to see me as an analytical person open to ideas. However, I think they would say that for me, efficiency is a “religion,” with all the pros and cons that come with it. Beyond perceptions, what is visible in interactions with me is that:
• I enjoy precise, structured discussions.
• I always ask, “what impact could this have?” and on which data that impact is based.

C&B: What is the most important decision you have made that changed your trajectory?
Florin Manoloiu: The decision to join Exenne Technologies in January 2016. It was a bet on myself—to leave a comfortable position at Schneider Electric to contribute to the growth of a Romanian software product. It meant moving from the stability of a multinational to the direct responsibility of delivering performance to be able to pay the team’s salaries.

C&B: What role does innovation play in Exenne’s strategy, and how do you integrate new technologies into your products?
Florin Manoloiu: Innovation is not just a department at Exenne; it is our very reason for being. In the traditionally conservative construction industry, we bring automation and innovation with a precise goal: reducing time wasted on repetitive tasks so that professionals can focus on what truly matters.

C&B: What is the main differentiator that sets Exenne apart from other companies in the industry?
Florin Manoloiu: Our differentiator is the symbiosis between technology and contextual understanding. We do not just offer software (eDevize); we identify needs that the market does not yet know how to name and develop solutions to address them. I always tell my team: a discussion that starts with presenting product functionalities is a “lost” discussion. Our thinking must always be centered on the needs of the person in front of us; only then do we learn and develop quality products.

C&B: What does a typical day look like for you now, and what moments bring you the most satisfaction?
Florin Manoloiu: A typical day is a balanced mix of analysis/introspection and human interaction:
• Morning: Dedicated to growth projects I lead and actions needed to push them forward.
• Afternoon: Meetings, discussions, and interactions with the team and partners.
• Evening: Introspection and prioritization of tasks for the next morning.

C&B: What values or principles guide you in what you do, and how do you apply them daily?
Florin Manoloiu: I follow three simple but essential principles:

1. Integrity: Promises made to partners or colleagues are sacred.
2. Data-driven decisions: I try to eliminate subjectivity. If the numbers don’t support an idea, we reevaluate it.
3. Continuous learning: The market changes, technology changes. If we don’t learn daily, we fall behind.

C&B: What are the core values underpinning the organizational culture at Exenne Technologies?
Florin Manoloiu: Exenne’s culture is based on:
• Customer Orientation: Everything we develop must solve a real user problem.
• Transparency: We communicate openly, both internally and with clients.
• Pragmatism: We do not innovate for the sake of innovation, but for efficiency and profitability—both ours and our clients’.
• Accountability: The most important thing is identifying what we could have done better in a situation, not looking for excuses.

C&B: If you were to give a message to those following your example, what would it be?
Florin Manoloiu: Don’t look for the easy path and let go of corporate romanticism in favor of pragmatism. Talent is important, but without grit and perseverance, it is useless. Seek environments where you are not the smartest person in the room, because only there will you truly grow. And, last but not least, base your decisions on data but execute them with integrity toward people. Efficiency without direction is just noise, and ambition without work is just a dream.

Florin Manoloiu’s story demonstrates that success does not happen overnight but through perseverance, continuous learning, and trust in the team. His experience shows how innovation and authentic leadership can completely transform a traditional industry.

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Remus Lăzăreanu is the co-founder of Supraviețuire Inteligentă (Intelligent Survival), a project dedicated to developing practical skills in orientation, adaptability, and resilience in critical situations. With vast experience in survival and tactical training, he combines solid theoretical knowledge with applied exercises, offering both courses and resources designed to prepare people for real-life challenges.

C&B: How would you describe yourself in a single sentence, in order to spark curiosity among those who don’t know you yet?
Remus Lăzăreanu: To be accurate and precise, our Intelligent Survival team consists of Cristi Bozgan and myself, Remus Lăzăreanu, former Special Forces officers turned entrepreneurs and survival trainers, who combine military experience with a passion for education and personal development—through children’s camps, for over 8 years, and corporate teambuilding programs, for more than 12 years.

C&B: If we were to follow the storyline of your career or business, what were the key moments that defined you?
Remus Lăzăreanu: There were three key moments: the “light bulb moment”—the idea that the experience gained in the Special Forces could be turned into an educational project; the research and continuous specialization phase, through courses and partnerships; and finally, the development of a solid business that, for over a decade, has been shaping people to become stronger and more confident in their own abilities.

C&B: What were the first challenges in convincing people of the importance of preparing for unforeseen situations?
Remus Lăzăreanu: In the beginning, the challenge was to show people that preparing for extreme situations is not a luxury, but a necessity. People need leaders with real experience, who can practically demonstrate what planning, organization, and resilience mean. Only those who have gone through extreme situations can credibly pass on these lessons. And our team can!

C&B: Is there a dream or ambition that has always guided you, regardless of obstacles?
Remus Lăzăreanu: Yes. For us, every project started as a dream and turned into a challenge that we carried through with ambition, perseverance, and a lot of preparation. The ambition to succeed and to prove that any obstacle can be overcome has guided us constantly.

C&B: What were you like at the beginning of your journey, and how do you feel you’ve transformed since then?
Remus Lăzăreanu: At first, it was difficult: we had lots of ideas but lacked practical business experience. We invested time in study, courses, collaborations, and research. The first year was a string of trials, but with every step we gained experience, built partnerships, and grew steadily. Today, we have a solid portfolio behind us and a professional team.

C&B: If we were to meet your team or collaborators, what do you think they would say about you?
Remus Lăzăreanu: They would describe us as ambitious, fair, and people-oriented. We are two leaders who complement each other, who know when to assert themselves, but also how to listen, to provide support, and to demand results. I strongly believe that success is built together. Very important!

C&B: What is the most important decision you’ve made that changed your trajectory?
Remus Lăzăreanu: The radical decision was to leave behind a promising military career in the Special Forces and enter the business world. We started with sales, moved through management and consultancy positions, and in parallel, we built educational projects and teambuilding programs. We chose a difficult path, but one that brought us fulfillment.

C&B: How do you manage to combine the practical side—survival techniques—with the educational and community aspect?
Remus Lăzăreanu: “Survival is an art”: it’s not just about physical techniques, but also about mental, emotional, and team development. Each exercise—whether for children or adults—is a life lesson about trust, communication, resilience, and solidarity. Our team, made up of former Special Forces members, brings both technical expertise and a pedagogical style that makes learning engaging and relevant.
Connection with nature—and learning from it—allows us to transfer these activities into daily life, into professional and educational life. Our professional trainers have a strong pedagogical and psychological approach. All activities are coordinated by former Special Forces members who went through grueling selection and training processes.
Our team’s experience has been proven over 12 years through corporate teambuildings for renowned companies in telecommunications, beverages & food, insurance, banking, IT industries, etc., and more than 8 years of children’s camps. All with the same goal: learning and perfecting basic techniques for survival in both urban and wilderness environments.

C&B: What do you think differentiates your business or professional approach from the rest of the industry?
Remus Lăzăreanu: “Children and adults are challenged with experiences you only see on TV!” The difference lies in our authentic experience combined with methodology: theory immediately applied in practice. Participants live experiences “like in Discovery documentaries,” but in a safe, controlled, and well-organized environment. In fact, our participants carry out the same activities as those shown on TV survival shows. That’s why their final reaction is always the same: “Wow! I did it!”

C&B: What does a typical day look like for you now, and what moments of the day bring you the greatest satisfaction?
Remus Lăzăreanu: The day starts with rigorous planning: logistics, location scouting, designing scenarios, and preparing surprises for participants. Nothing repeats itself, every program is unique. We design teambuilding activities together with clients, in a modular way. We choose equipment, create activities, and much more. But we also prepare surprises, to excite and amaze people.

C&B: What values or principles guide you in what you do, and how do you apply them daily?
Remus Lăzăreanu: To prove that what we teach, we can also do; that we can be good trainers; that people take away valuable knowledge and practice their skills under our guidance. Professionalism, perseverance, and respect for people. I believe that high-quality information and skills we share must stay with participants for a lifetime—even if one day they might forget us as trainers. We have to be “pro”!

C&B: How did the Intelligent Survival project come about, and what inspired you to turn it into an educational business?
Remus Lăzăreanu: The project started from an idea discussed with my colleague and partner, Cristi Bozgan, with whom I served in the Special Forces. The training we both went through at home and abroad, in the USA and Israel—with various special units like SEALs, Rangers, SWAT—shouldn’t go to waste without finding a “civilian” application. It could be turned into an educational program. This is how “Intelligent Survival” was born—specialized programs for Strong People.
Then came the whirlwind of promotion: teasers about survival, filming in the forest, attending workshops, pitching, promoting on social media, and so on. And now, as I’ve mentioned, we’ve reached 12 years of corporate teambuildings and 8 years of children’s camps: Wilderness Survival and Urban Survival.

C&B: Can you share an experience or feedback from participants that confirmed the project’s value for you?
Remus Lăzăreanu: One interesting experience was with an IT team whose leader was very smart and nonconformist, and who proposed a teambuilding activity with us. They enjoyed the theoretical part, but it was harder to challenge them to go into the forest to apply what they learned. We completed the activity, and they were enthusiastic: “Wow, that was awesome, we want more, we’ll come back next year, you guys are amazing!” We thanked them, congratulated them for their achievements, and smiled knowing we had prepared another surprise: that night, we took them back into the forest, for just one hour. They didn’t want to go at all—until their leader scolded them and told them it was mandatory.
Then came the trek into the forest, in the dark, each with a headlamp, in a wild area with bears. We entered with firecrackers, horns, and a lot of noise, plus strobe lights to scare away animals. We carried out two more activities there, using only the light of their lamps. At the end, we congratulated them, but then came the big second surprise: returning to the hotel with their headlamps turned off. Pitch black. No exceptions. This was the real challenge: fear of the dark, fear of wild animals, orientation in the forest, and applying the theory learned earlier in the day. They were literally shaking with fear. The girls clung to the two trainers—what would happen next? Luckily, Cristi had built a glowing stick trail marking the path back to the hotel while they were busy with their tasks.
The “wows” multiplied, they overwhelmed us with hugs and thanks, and the evening ended with a campfire and a glass of wine.
The next morning brought another round of thanks and promises that they would return the following year—and they kept their word. We gave them new surprises, too.

C&B: What are the development plans for Intelligent Survival in the coming years?
Remus Lăzăreanu: We will focus on corporate teambuilding—both urban survival and wilderness survival—including live-fire shooting sessions at the range. In addition, we are working on partnerships with tour operators from Romania and Norway to put Romania on the adventure tourism map: cultural visits, wine tastings, and survival programs, all in one complete package.

Remus Lăzăreanu and the Intelligent Survival team show that preparing for unforeseen situations is not only a practical skill but also a form of personal and professional development.

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