Eugen Cojocaru is a serial entrepreneur (with over 20 years of experience as a technology expert) who, over the past 13 years, has built several companies in fields such as technology, marketing, investments, media, and business consulting.

His declared mission is to support, through everything he does, the development of a world shaped by authentic leaders who create environments where people grow together, excel, and prosper.

He is the organizer of the Transylvania Meets Business People event and has participated as both a speaker and moderator at numerous business and personal development events. In addition, Eugen supports entrepreneurs through one-on-one consulting, leadership courses, and business strategy programs.

C&B: If we were to look at the narrative thread of your career, what were the key moments that defined you?

Eugen: You’re inviting me to take a wonderful trip down memory lane. I’ll start with the moment when, after my first three months at university, I sought and received support from two professors to study beyond the curriculum and the standard coursework. Later, at the end of my first year, I decided to get a job so I could learn real things from the industry, complementing what I was studying at university. I didn’t care how much I would be paid—I was actually willing to pay for the opportunity to access environments where I could interact with professionals developing technology. I had the privilege of meeting people who trusted me, were patient with me, and guided me through my first steps in the field. That encouraged me to keep growing, realizing that personal development is a never-ending journey that I can enjoy throughout my entire life.

Another defining moment was the experience I gained while working as an employee in a multinational organization, where I came to understand the importance of systems and the fact that, within a company, people are a form of capital rather than merely a resource.

In 2013, together with an exceptional person who became my business partner, I founded my first company—a technology company. Over the next four to five years, we built a team of passionate professionals around us, all engaged in a continuous development process. However, I eventually realized that everything revolved around me. I was an excellent leader and a very good manager, but I also realized that business is about much more than that.

The next step involved educating myself in entrepreneurship while deepening my self-awareness. During that journey, I met extraordinary people who became true mentors. I enjoyed this growth process so much that I became involved far beyond simply learning concepts. The results quickly became visible in my business, and those who noticed the transformation began asking me for consulting. That is how both the desire and the personal fulfillment of helping others grow came into my life.

From there, things expanded further. I founded and developed other companies while simultaneously helping dozens of entrepreneurs grow their businesses. Yet, directly or indirectly, everything intersects with what will soon become as commonplace as electricity is today: technology and artificial intelligence.

I then became involved in business communities, created events designed to make a positive impact on society, and taught at university. I’ve managed to accomplish many of the things I once only dreamed about, and the story continues. Over time, I’ve learned that one of the most important abilities a person can develop is the ability to reinvent themselves, and that becomes possible by creating a vision with genuine purpose for the next stage of growth.

C&B: What has been the most difficult moment in your journey so far, and how did you overcome it?

Eugen: I gave this question a lot of thought, and I realized it’s difficult for me to choose a specific moment simply because I don’t really perceive any experience as a burden. Early on, I understood that every challenge I encounter is an opportunity for growth and that, as long as I don’t give up searching for solutions, I will become stronger. I’ve learned to appreciate challenges when they arise and even to seek them out by placing myself in situations where they are inevitable. I’ve faced many challenges, and I’m certain there will be many more because I have no intention of stopping.

To answer your question more directly, I believe my greatest challenge was understanding that nobody owes me anything and that everything ultimately depends on me. That realization gave birth to a level of responsibility that freed me from expectations and empowered me to act with confidence.

C&B: Is there a dream or ambition that has always guided you, regardless of the obstacles?

Eugen: I don’t believe there’s a single thing that has had that effect, but it’s certainly not ambition—it’s commitment. Commitment to excellence. I want to dedicate myself to things that honor who I am because life is too short to play small. The difference between who I am today and who I can become lies in what I do every single day, and that occupies all of my time.

C&B: Which professional experiences shaped you the most before launching Universum?

Eugen: Beyond my career as an employee, where I learned a great deal about work ethic and professionalism, I also had the opportunity to build at least one company beforehand. That allowed me to approach consulting, media, and marketing with maturity and confidence, as they all became part of the Universum group.

Before developing this group of companies, I had recruited hundreds of people, built high-performing teams, worked with international clients, and understood that every successful business is built upon an inspiring vision, a strategy firmly rooted in market realities, exceptional people, and effective systems.

C&B: If we were to meet your team or collaborators, what do you think they would say about you?

Eugen: Some time ago, I read something that completely changed the way I approach life. To paraphrase it, it goes something like this: “I don’t know the secret to success, but I certainly know the secret to failure: trying to please everyone.”

Some people might say that I turned them down, but it’s important to be selective about whom we dedicate our limited energy to and why. Others might say that I could have done better—and they would be right. That mindset pushes me to continuously learn from every experience and keep evolving. Perfection doesn’t exist, but I am fully committed to excellence.

The vast majority of my collaborators would probably say that I am a man of principles (although that doesn’t necessarily mean they always appreciate it! ). They would also say that whenever things don’t go according to plan, I’m there to look for solutions—and we always find them.

I’m a loyal person who values long-term relationships built on mutual trust and on the idea of creating situations where three parties benefit: myself, my collaborator, and society. We all need people we can rely on, and we all need to surround ourselves with individuals we trust. I constantly strive to choose such people to be around me while also being that kind of person for them.

C&B: What is the most important decision you’ve ever made—the one that changed your trajectory?

Eugen: Choosing, with confidence and pragmatism, the right people to accompany me on a journey that would ultimately impact many others. Refusing to compromise just to keep close those who were unwilling to do what we had agreed upon.

In business, emotional attachments and excessive emotional involvement undermine performance and the ability to build something solid and scalable. I’ve concluded that true success requires harmony between the passion and spirit of a people-oriented culture and the pragmatism of systems focused on delivering excellent results.

C&B: How did you develop your leadership style and your approach to decision-making? Was it something natural or something you learned?

Eugen: The answer is actually in your question—I built it.

From an early age, I paid close attention to the small details that make a difference, and I’ve always loved people. That naturally helped me do many things in ways that now feel instinctive. However, over time I realized that everything is actually the result of thorough preparation—initially unconscious and later intentional—which gave me the privilege of knowing how to choose valuable people to have by my side and how to filter those who had already passed the initial selection.

The easiest problems to solve are the ones we never have because we’ve anticipated them and elegantly avoided them.

From my perspective, every organization relies on two essential forms of capital without which it cannot perform: financial capital and human capital.

I genuinely love people, and it brings me great satisfaction to identify those with whom I can share different stages of our journey. Leadership has become one of the central areas of everything I do because, in reality, abstract leadership principles lie at the root of most of our successes and challenges, whether we’re talking about our professional or personal lives.

Over the years, I’ve learned that one of the most valuable abilities a person can develop is self-awareness. The better you know yourself, the better you are able to understand others.

For me, an authentic leader isn’t someone who has followers, but someone who creates other authentic leaders.

C&B: What differentiates Universum Media from other agencies or media projects on the market?

Eugen: We chose to enter the marketing and media industry because this is where we can create meaningful impact for both businesses and society. There are many aspects that make us different, but I’ll mention just a few.

We operate at the intersection of marketing expertise and business consulting—an essential combination that allows us to understand much more than traditional marketing expressed through social media posts, articles, or other execution-focused activities. We begin by understanding the company’s objectives and then reflect them in measurable strategies and implementation.

We’ve also developed our own proprietary framework, ValueDrive, which enables us to work in a structured and transparent way, starting from the real needs of the business and implementing concrete actions that generate equally concrete and measurable results.

The media landscape is essential for visibility and social impact. We live in a world that is becoming increasingly dependent on authentic and valuable information, and that comes with great responsibility.

C&B: What does a typical day look like for you now, and which moments of the day bring you the greatest satisfaction?

Eugen: My day starts early, before sunrise, with exercise and time spent with my family. It continues with activities that provide direction and support for the companies I’m involved in, and it ends with quality family time, reading, and rest.

The moments that bring me the greatest satisfaction are those spent with my family and those in which the people I work with succeed. It’s easy to feel good when you’re surrounded by people who are doing well.

C&B: How do you manage the challenge of creating content that remains authentic while also delivering results for your clients?

Eugen: Authenticity is an essential ingredient of great content, but it’s amplified by the ability to truly understand clients’ real needs—beyond what they initially express during the first conversations.

It’s a process of discovery. Clients gradually open up, we explore together, and together we uncover deeper levels of need and the reasons behind them. Once we’ve reached that point, it becomes much easier to identify exactly what best fits each unique situation.

At the same time, we benefit from technology that enables us to significantly accelerate many stages of implementation and delivery. The real key lies at the intersection between the human element and technology.

C&B: How did the idea for Universum Media come about, and what motivated you to start your own business in the media industry?

Eugen: Universum Media emerged from a personal need that I identified within the other businesses I already owned: the need to approach brand exposure and promotion in a structured, measurable way, at the intersection of business and marketing.

We quickly realized that marketing and media are industries with tremendous future potential and a significant impact on both business and society. Our main motivation was to contribute to the evolution of this industry while also benefiting from that evolution ourselves.

C&B: What strategic directions will Universum Media explore over the next two to five years?

Eugen: Our focus will be on helping brands benefit from the intersection of promotion, visibility, and trust-building.

Additionally, we will continue to adapt to the constant changes taking place in this dynamic industry. We are currently developing an online platform that will allow not only us but also other agencies in the field to intelligently automate both marketing strategy development and implementation.

This will enable professionals to focus on what people will increasingly be expected to do in the future: build authentic relationships with clients, guide them through meaningful questions to uncover relevant answers, and master the ability to truly understand their needs so they can provide solutions that make a real difference.

It sounds great in theory, but putting it into practice is an art—and that’s exactly what we do every single day.

Eugen Cojocaru’s interview highlights how authentic leadership, innovation, technology, and continuous growth can transform both businesses and people. Drawing on his extensive experience in entrepreneurship, business consulting, and media, the founder of Universum Media shares valuable insights into the future of marketing, artificial intelligence, and building high-performing organizations founded on trust, strategy, and people.

The post Eugen Cojocaru, Universum Media: “Authentic leadership means creating other leaders, not just followers” appeared first on careers-business.com.

Ten Agencies Across Romania and Europe Get the Chance to Be the First to Test Briedo Connect. The AI platform launched by Briedo, an innovative solution for digital marketing agencies, aims to transform the way agencies interact with clients by replacing traditional forms with a dynamic virtual assistant. Clients present their projects while being guided by the AI assistant, provide their contact details directly within the chat, and the agency team receives an operational brief before the first conversation even takes place.

3 Out of 4 Agency Founders Lose Valuable Hours During the Discovery Stage

In performance marketing, data is everything, yet the proposal and qualification phase remains stuck in the past. A study conducted by Briedo among 23 local agencies reveals that 3 out of 4 agency founders personally handle data collection. The discovery process can take up to five hours per client and is fragmented across dozens of WhatsApp messages, emails, and forms submitted through various channels.

The lack of a standardized system for collecting information from potential clients creates communication chaos. Clients often fail to provide essential information required for the proposal process, leaving agencies in the position of either making recommendations based on incomplete information or starting a lengthy process to gather the missing details. This results in unnecessary delays throughout the sales cycle.

Briedo Connect Transforms the Client Onboarding Experience

The onboarding process becomes simple, fast, and efficient. Briedo Connect replaces the effort of filling out lengthy forms with the simplicity of a friendly chat experience. Integrated as a website widget, the virtual assistant conducts natural conversations in multiple languages, adapting to each user’s pace and level of expertise.

The AI assistant listens and responds intelligently. When it detects inconsistencies or overly general answers, it asks follow-up questions to gain clarity. The platform also eliminates potential client frustration: whenever users get stuck on a complex question, the assistant instantly provides context and practical guidance.

The process concludes only after users review their information and provide their contact details, ensuring the accuracy of the data transmitted to the agency.

Goodbye to Hours Lost on a Single Brief: Briedo Connect Turns Data into Actionable Intelligence for Agency Professionals

Once a client completes the conversation with the AI assistant, the agency manager or owner instantly receives a complete analysis ecosystem delivered via email and dashboard:

Readiness Brief: A strategic report that includes a client readiness score based on objective criteria, a compatibility assessment, and a risk analysis featuring severity levels and mitigation recommendations. To ensure a highly productive first meeting, the report automatically generates a client profile along with a personalized list of key discussion questions.

Briedo Insights: A module that instantly performs automated market research on the client’s company, market dynamics, industry demand, and competitive landscape. Professionals enter their calls understanding not only what the client says, but also the reality of the market in which they operate.

Secure Client Portal: Each project receives a unique digital hub where follow-up workflows, contracts, and documents are centralized. Information is no longer scattered across secondary channels, and every team member gains instant access to the complete project history from any device.

“Most professionals spend their first meeting with a client trying to understand what the client actually wants. We built Briedo so that conversation can start at an entirely different level — with context, clarity, and the questions that truly matter,” says Alex Stanciu, Founder of Briedo.

From Performance Marketing to Other Key Service Industries

Briedo Connect officially launches through the activation of a three-month pilot program, marking the first strategic step in a broader scaling plan. The first ten performance marketing agencies from Romania and across Europe accepted into the program will receive personalized implementation support and work directly with the Briedo team to validate the effectiveness of the AI assistant.

The pilot program is only the foundation of a broader expansion strategy. Briedo Connect’s architecture is designed to scale rapidly beyond marketing into industries such as consulting, recruitment, real estate, and legal services, standardizing the onboarding process across entire sectors.

About Briedo

Briedo is a technology startup founded in Bucharest by Alex Stanciu and developed together with Adina Săniuță and Cristian Ciobotaru. The AI-powered briefing platform helps professional services teams transform initial client conversations into structured briefs complete with readiness scoring, risk assessment, and first-call guidance.

Agencies interested in participating can request access by emailing contact@briedo.com. Availability is limited.

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Cosmin Dărăban is the CEO & Co-Founder of Gomag, one of Romania’s leading eCommerce platforms, which he built based on the belief that every Romanian entrepreneur deserves access to high-quality technology, regardless of budget or technical experience.

C&B: If you were to look at the narrative thread of your career, what were the key moments that defined you?

Cosmin Dărăban: My career has never followed a linear plan; rather, it has been a series of moments when I chose to take calculated risks.

It all started in 2005, when I founded SilkWeb, a digital agency. At a time when the Romanian internet landscape was still in its infancy, the idea of building a business exclusively online seemed, to many, like something out of a fantasy story. I saw something different: an enormous opportunity and a market that was about to explode.

Working closely with clients who wanted to sell online, I quickly realized that their problem wasn’t a lack of ambition; they lacked the right tools.

Existing platforms were either too expensive, too complex, or simply unsuitable for the realities of the Romanian market. That’s how the idea emerged to build our own platform from scratch, right within the agency.

It was a long process filled with testing and adjustments. It wasn’t until 2016 that the platform received the name it still carries today—Gomag—with a distinct identity. That moment represented a public commitment that we were no longer building an internal tool, but a standalone product with a clear vision and a market we wanted to serve.

It was a strategic pivot that permanently differentiated us from the competition and brought us to where we are today.

C&B: What has been the most difficult moment in your journey so far, and how did you overcome it?

Cosmin Dărăban: The first thing that comes to mind is the period when I had to balance the platform’s growth with the resources available.

From what I’ve seen, every startup reaches a stage where pressure comes from all directions at once: customers demand more, the team needs clear direction, the market evolves rapidly, and you find yourself in the middle of the storm carrying the responsibility of staying on course.

I got through that period through a combination of discipline, accountability, and honest communication with the team. I never pretended to have all the answers. I involved the people around me in finding solutions, prioritized realistically, and accepted that you can’t do everything perfectly at the same time.

In practical terms, that translated into 12 years during which I personally worked without a salary.

The lesson I carry with me from that period is that resilience doesn’t mean never falling; it means having reasons to get back up every time you do.

C&B: How does Gomag contribute to the development of the eCommerce ecosystem in Romania and the region?

Cosmin Dărăban: Today, Gomag is essentially a driver of online commerce democratization, not just an eCommerce platform. We contribute to the ecosystem on several levels.

First, we reduce entry barriers. Anyone—from a craftsman in Transylvania selling handmade products to an entrepreneur with an established distribution network—can quickly launch a functional online store without needing an IT department.

Second, we constantly educate the market. Through content, webinars, events, guides, and community-building initiatives, we actively contribute to improving the digital competence of Romanian entrepreneurs. Why? Because we don’t want customers who depend on us; we want a community of entrepreneurs who understand what they are doing and why they are doing it.

Third, we are building an ecosystem of partners—agencies, freelancers, and consultants—who work with Gomag and, in turn, serve hundreds of businesses. That’s how impact multiplies.

At a regional level, we are already present in other markets, and our model—a SaaS platform with local support and features adapted to each market’s specifics—has proven to be a real competitive advantage over global solutions that treat all markets the same.

C&B: What does it mean, in practical terms, for an entrepreneur to “reach their potential” through a platform like Gomag?

Cosmin Dărăban: In short, it means selling more with less manual effort and being able to make decisions based on real data.

Let me be specific. An entrepreneur who joins Gomag can launch a fully functional online store within a few hours—with integrated payments, inventory management, automatic invoicing, and courier synchronization. No coding, no agency contracts, and no waiting months for implementation. This means they can test a business idea quickly and validate the market before investing significant resources.

As the business grows, the platform grows with it. Gomag offers over 400 native features, including GoBots for task automation within the platform, dozens of customizable themes, loyalty programs, customer segmentation, automated upsell and cross-sell tools, marketplace integrations, Facebook Ads and multichannel feeds, as well as a dedicated Google Shopping Ads automation service.

All of this is available without requiring external developers or customization budgets worth tens of thousands of euros.

For example, a merchant who activates native abandoned cart recovery can recover between 10% and 15% of lost sales automatically, without manual intervention. One who uses segmentation and automated post-purchase emails will see significantly higher retention rates. Another who integrates all sales channels into a single dashboard can save hours every week and invest that time elsewhere.

The combinations of possibilities offered by the platform are virtually limitless and can be adapted to the specific needs of each entrepreneur.

C&B: If we met your team or collaborators, what do you think they would say about you?

Cosmin Dărăban: Honestly? I think they would say I’m demanding but fair. My vision requires setting high standards consistently—for myself and for those around me—but one of my personal principles is never to ask anyone to do something I wouldn’t do first myself.

They might also say that I’m direct, sometimes uncomfortably direct, but that I never have a hidden agenda.

They would probably add that I’m deeply involved in the product, that I have an almost obsessive curiosity for details, that I ask a lot of questions, and that I never accept a “good enough” mentality. But I hope they would also say that I give people room to grow, that I listen to their ideas, and that I recognize everyone’s contribution when we celebrate company victories.

C&B: What is the most important decision you’ve made that changed your trajectory?

Cosmin Dărăban: Without a doubt, the decision to transform an internal agency tool into a standalone product.

We initially built the platform to better serve SilkWeb clients because it was a practical solution to a real problem. But at one point, I realized it had outgrown the boundaries of an internal tool and that its potential was much greater.

Giving a project its own identity—a new name, a dedicated team, and a separate strategy—means taking a double risk: you risk the agency’s resources and you risk the possibility that the product won’t be adopted at the scale you envision. In 2016, when we decided to focus on Gomag as a SaaS solution, we had no guarantees. We only had the conviction that the market needed what we were building and that we understood that market better than anyone else.

An equally important decision was staying focused—not getting distracted by premature diversification, but striving to become the smartest eCommerce choice for Romanian and regional merchants.

C&B: How did you develop your leadership style and decision-making approach? Was it natural or learned?

Cosmin Dărăban: It was both natural and forged through experience. I believe I came with certain traits already in place: curiosity, pragmatism, and energy. But my leadership style was largely shaped by difficult experiences, mistakes, and the people I worked alongside.

I learned that a good leader is someone who asks the right questions, not someone who has all the answers. I also learned that decision-making speed matters just as much as accuracy: a perfect decision made too late can cause more damage than an imperfect one made at the right moment.

And I learned something else: people don’t follow visions—they follow people. If you’re not authentic, you won’t build anything that lasts.

C&B: How does your impact translate into numbers and tangible results for clients?

Cosmin Dărăban: Today, there are over 5,000 online stores built on Gomag, which collectively generated more than €500 million in sales during 2025.

Those figures speak for themselves, but beyond the aggregates, I’m interested in individual stories: the entrepreneur who grew from 50 to 500 orders per month during their first year on the platform; the store that automated post-purchase interactions and increased retention rates by two or three times; the business that achieved in three months after switching to Gomag what it had failed to accomplish in an entire year on another platform.

Operational efficiency is actually one of the most underrated indicators. When an entrepreneur gains 10 hours per week through a well-implemented automation process, those are 10 hours they can reinvest into growing the business. That’s real impact, and it’s what our technology delivers.

C&B: What does a typical day look like for you now, and which moments bring you the greatest satisfaction?

Cosmin Dărăban: My mornings are dedicated to sports and exercise. It’s a ritual I try hard to protect. Beyond physical health, I believe it’s essential for the mental clarity it provides. Many of my best decisions have taken shape during a workout rather than in front of a screen.

The rest of the day alternates between strategic thinking, internal meetings, product analysis, conversations with partners, and sometimes direct interactions with customers or our community.

The moments that bring me the greatest satisfaction are, paradoxically, the small ones: seeing a feature we’ve discussed for months work perfectly on the platform, receiving a message from a customer who has reached an important sales milestone, or seeing a team member come up with an idea that is clearly better than what we had originally planned.

Those moments confirm that we are shaping something alive with our minds and hands—and they are invaluable.

C&B: What differentiates Gomag from other international or local eCommerce platforms?

Cosmin Dărăban: There are several structural differences.

The first is that we are built for the Romanian and regional markets, not adapted to them afterward. That means integrations with local couriers, payment processors, invoicing systems, and marketing platforms are native, not workarounds.

The second difference is the balance between complexity and accessibility. Gomag provides features usually found in enterprise-level platforms—advanced automation, customer segmentation, integrated marketing—but within an interface that entrepreneurs without technical backgrounds can easily use.

The third difference, and perhaps the most important, is support. We’re not a product you buy and then figure out on your own. We have real people who know the platform in depth and who guide customers step by step as they grow.

C&B: How do you maintain a balance between advanced functionality and ease of use for entrepreneurs without technical backgrounds?

Cosmin Dărăban: This is actually one of the fundamental challenges of our product and an ongoing discussion within the product team.

The principle we start from is that advanced functionality should be available, but not mandatory. A new entrepreneur should be able to launch a store within hours without feeling overwhelmed by options. At the same time, an experienced merchant should find the sophisticated tools they would expect from an enterprise solution.

In practice, this translates into progressive design: default settings are optimized for the most common use cases, while complexity reveals itself gradually as users need it. We constantly test with real users and listen carefully—the feedback from our community has generated some of the platform’s best features.

C&B: What are the most common obstacles entrepreneurs face when scaling an online store, and how does Gomag help them overcome them?

Cosmin Dărăban: The first obstacle is often technical: the platform can no longer keep up with growth. Performance slows down, errors appear, and integrations break. Gomag addresses this through a scalable infrastructure that grows alongside the business, without painful migrations or unexpected surprises.

The second obstacle is operational. At a certain order volume, manual processes become unsustainable. Inventory management, invoicing, and customer communication consume enormous resources if they are not automated. Our automation features are specifically designed for this stage of growth.

The third obstacle comes from marketing. Entrepreneurs often lose visibility into where customers are coming from, what is working, and how to scale further. Gomag provides analytics and integrated marketing tools—email, SMS, abandoned cart recovery, and customer segmentation—that transform data into actionable decisions.

And there is a fourth, more subtle obstacle: the entrepreneur’s sense of isolation. Scaling a business is difficult and often lonely. The Gomag community—made up of customers, partners, and educational resources—provides exactly that feeling that you are not alone in the process.

Through vision, perseverance, and a deep understanding of entrepreneurs’ needs, Cosmin Dărăban has turned Gomag into a benchmark for eCommerce in Romania. From democratizing access to technology to building an ecosystem that supports business growth, his journey demonstrates how innovation and education can create real impact in online commerce.

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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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AHEAD integrates data from various systems and departments, transforming it into relevant information. The platform helps companies manage resources efficiently, reduce operational risks, and make fast decisions based on customized AI models.

“Our strategy has always been to invest in areas that bring resilience and long-term value. Technology is an integral part of this direction, and AHEAD is a relevant example: an AI platform that brings structure to complex processes and generates measurable value for organizations across various sectors. Launching AHEAD gives us the opportunity to reaffirm our belief that artificial intelligence is not just a passing trend, but an essential factor for efficiency and competitiveness in business,” says Sorin Preda, CEO & Founder of Global Vision.

Read also: Digitalization in the Cement Industry: Holcim Aleșd Implements Predictive Maintenance with AI and Machine Learning

Flexibility and tangible results for companies

AHEAD can be implemented in the cloud or on-premises and adapts to the needs of each organization. The platform’s applications range from optimizing back-office operations, where it analyzes contracts, processes documents, evaluates suppliers, and automates procurement, to supporting industrial processes through machine learning models that detect anomalies, provide predictive analytics, and optimize production in real time.

“We wanted to make AI usage more relevant for companies, through personalized models adapted to each organization’s context. AHEAD marks an important step in this direction: it brings information into the right context and transforms it into relevant outcomes for management and operations. Instead of isolated answers, companies obtain orchestrated processes through customized AI models, context-based decisions, and consistent results,” explains Marian Anghelache, Managing Partner of AHEAD.

For complex organizations, the platform integrates with existing ERP and CRM systems, facilitating consistent and transparent decisions across departments. AHEAD thus provides coherence and visibility, helping companies achieve their strategic goals and leverage artificial intelligence as an essential factor for competitiveness.

Photo: globalvision.ro

The post Global Vision launches AHEAD: The AI Platform that Revolutionizes Business Decisions appeared first on careers-business.com.

Cristina Nila, a fractional CFO, explains how she brings financial clarity and strategic leadership to companies experiencing growth, transition, or restructuring.
Cristina Nila is a rare type of leader who manages to bring stability amid uncertainty. With a career that started in multinational corporations and evolved toward rapidly expanding tech startups, she transforms financial chaos into clarity and lack of structure into opportunity. Today, as a Fractional Chief Financial Officer, she offers companies more than just numbers – she provides vision, balance, and genuine partnership at critical decision-making moments. With a rare combination of financial discipline, empathy, and strategic agility, Cristina is an essential support for founders, CEOs, and teams undergoing critical transitions.

C&B: What are the key stages in your professional journey?
Cristina Nila: Looking back, I would divide my journey into three defining stages. I started in corporate finance, within a multinational group. That period was marked by extreme rigor: IFRS reporting, clear processes, and responsibility across multiple markets. That experience trained my systemic thinking and shaped a professional discipline that still guides me today.

The second stage – and one that challenged me deeply – was in the fast-growing tech startup space, such as FintechOS. There, I learned what it means to build on the fly, scale quickly, and bring structure without stifling innovation. It was the perfect ground to learn how to stay flexible without losing control.

The most recent stage is also the most fulfilling: my role as a fractional CFO. I chose not to dedicate myself to a single organization anymore, but rather to contribute where I can create the most impact – during periods of transformation, financing, restructuring, or expansion. Today, I work side by side with founders and leadership teams to turn the finance function into a strategic ally for growth.

C&B: What was the most difficult moment in your career, and how did you overcome it?
Cristina Nila: One of the most tense moments was when we were preparing for a major investment round and needed consolidated financial statements for six global entities. The systems were outdated, the team fragmented, and the pressure immense. I chose not to panic. I built a clear plan, broke the workflow into concrete steps, and brought the right people to the table – from four different countries. Instead of reacting, I led. We delivered on time, accurately, but beyond the numbers, we earned the trust of investors and the team. That’s when I understood that the true value of a CFO is not just in the results – but in how they manage pressure and turn crisis into opportunity.

C&B: Have you always had a clear professional purpose, or has it developed over time?
Cristina Nila: I have always known what I wanted: to be that voice of clarity when everything becomes confusing. Whether it’s financial chaos, lack of structure, or strategic uncertainty, I have always felt the calling to bring order and meaning. My purpose is not just to manage numbers, but to build trust through them – for teams, founders, or investors. That has guided me and continues to guide me.

C&B: How has your working style evolved over time?
Cristina Nila: In the beginning, I was the executor: reporting, compliance, audits. Everything had to be perfect – and it was. But over time, I realized that true value doesn’t come just from accuracy, but from direction. I moved from executing to guiding. From checking numbers to building strategies. Today, my role is hybrid: strategic, yet grounded in reality. I guide but also roll up my sleeves when needed. I ensure financial decisions are clear, coherent, and aligned with the business vision.

C&B: How would the teams or collaborators you’ve worked with describe you?
Cristina Nila: Most likely, they would say I’m calm under pressure, structured, and solution-oriented. I’m the kind of leader who inspires confidence in critical moments. I don’t raise my voice – I raise the level of clarity. I care about people, but also about results. At Bourbon Tech Solutions, I took over as CFO during a difficult period – no team, no control, with major risks. Within a few weeks, I restructured processes, brought compliance, and implemented clear rules that put the company on a stable path. This, I believe, is my signature: order that liberates, not constrains.

C&B: What decision radically changed your professional trajectory?
Cristina Nila: Without a doubt: transitioning to the role of fractional CFO. It gave me the freedom to work where impact is greatest – in decisive moments for companies. I became more versatile, more strategic, more present where urgent clarity is needed. It’s a choice that expanded not only my career but also my sense of contribution.

C&B: How would you define your leadership style?
Cristina Nila: Transparency, structure, and trust. I don’t believe in imposed authority, but in authority built through consistency. I believe in autonomous teams, clear communication, and creating space for real performance. My teams know they can count on me – for direction, support, and well-reasoned decisions. Leadership, for me, means building a framework where others can grow. That’s what I do, consistently.

C&B: What sets your professional approach apart?
Cristina Nila: I see numbers as a language – not as an end in itself. Many stop at “what the data shows.” I go further: What do they say? What can we do with this information? What happens if we don’t act now? I treat the finance function as a growth engine, not just a reporting department. I bring vision but also immediate applicability. I integrate quickly into companies on the move and build clear structures without slowing the pace.

C&B: What does a typical day look like for you, and what brings you the greatest satisfaction?
Cristina Nila: The day starts with strategic meetings: I talk with founders, directors, we align decisions, priorities, risks. Then I move to the operational side: cash flows, dashboards, scenarios. It’s a mix of deep analysis and pragmatic execution.

The greatest satisfaction? When I see that an important decision was made with confidence – because I helped, through structure or a simple question, to bring the clarity that was needed.

C&B: What values guide you, and how do you put them into practice?
Cristina Nila: Three values constantly guide me: clarity, integrity, agility. Clarity – in thinking, communication, and numbers. When things are clear, trust and speed appear; Integrity – not negotiable. In finance, trust is the main currency; Agility – because the environments I work in change rapidly. I move fast without sacrificing quality. I can step into a business in the middle of a crisis and build order without stopping the momentum. These values aren’t just theory – they are daily practice.

C&B: What message would you give to those aspiring to a similar career path?
Cristina Nila: Too many people wait to be “fully prepared” before taking the step. The truth is, you never feel completely ready. Leadership isn’t a label—it’s a daily decision to step out of your comfort zone, learn on the go, and say “yes” to challenges that seem too big. In my career, the biggest leaps happened when I said “I accept” before I felt I had all the answers. And that’s exactly what pushed me to grow. Real preparation isn’t a feeling—it’s a choice.

Editor’s Note:

Uncertainty is becoming the new constant, and financial leaders who can bring structure without rigidity are more valuable than ever. Cristina Nila is one of those leaders. With rare clarity and remarkable adaptability, she manages to transform the finance function into a true strategic partner.

Expanding startups, companies undergoing due diligence, or businesses reinventing themselves need people like her: rigorous yet agile, firm yet empathetic. Cristina doesn’t just bring numbers – she brings solutions, vision, and the calm presence of a leader who has been through a lot and delivered every time.

For those looking for a trusted fractional CFO with experience in complex environments and mature strategic thinking, Cristina Nila is a name to watch – and to bring to the table.

The post Cristina Nila: Financial Clarity in Turbulent Times – Leadership That Transforms Startups into Solid Businesses appeared first on careers-business.com.

Adrian Enache is an award-winning entrepreneur and executive (Top 50 CEOs – UK Magazine, Top 40 under 40 – SEE Business Awards, Top 100 Young Managers – Business Magazine, Excellence Award for Executive and Entrepreneurial Achievements – Repatriot) with solid experience in digital transformation, media and communication, marketing, e-commerce, and investments in high-potential startups.
He has successfully led diverse teams across various industries and countries, both within large corporations and through his own ventures. Throughout his career, Adrian has accelerated the digitalization processes of the corporations he worked with and founded companies such as Omniperform, specializing in personalized communication powered by artificial intelligence.

Passionate about education and knowledge sharing, Adrian has trained over 25,000 professionals globally and has been invited to speak at hundreds of international events such as DMF Dubai, Cairo, IMWorld, and Technology Week. Currently, he is also a lecturer at NextMBA, alongside renowned figures such as Philip Kotler, Seth Godin, and other globally recognized leaders.

C&B: Adrian, how would you describe yourself in a few words?
Adrian Enache: I’m someone who seeks to explore and become the best version of himself. And if possible, to change the way things are done in the industry I’ve chosen. In the meantime, I enjoy building great teams that take pleasure in the journey of creating something innovative in advertising and marketing.

C&B: What were the key moments in your professional journey?
Adrian Enache: The key moments in my professional path include: Opening my first agency at the age of 24 in Romania, achieving growth well above the market average; Taking over and leading the investment fund and alternative financing platform Angels Den Funding, operating in the UK, Poland, and Romania; Reaching over 100 conferences and training sessions, with more than 25,000 participants in digital and media workshops; Being invited to teach alongside Philip Kotler, Seth Godin, and other international trainers at NextMBA; Launching Omniperform, into which I invested all my resources—including mortgaging my own home—to build a product based on artificial intelligence and personalized communication, dedicated to transforming the way brands connect with their audiences.

C&B: What has been the most difficult moment so far, and how did you overcome it?
Adrian Enache: One of the most difficult moments was when I had to urgently shut down the first agency I had founded — due to reasons beyond my control. It was a shock, but also a turning point. That’s when I realized that the only real solution was to take control of my future, to be much more careful about whom I choose to trust, and even if it meant risking everything, to do it in a format I truly believed in. That’s how Omniperform was born — the first advertising agency in Romania that, from day one, offered part of the company to its employees through an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan), as well as a bonus directly tied to the company’s profits.

C&B: Is there a dream or ambition that has always motivated you, regardless of obstacles?
Adrian Enache: Our ambition is rooted in the belief that advertising can be effective without being intrusive for consumers. We want brand messages to first and foremost capture attention, be relevant, and be memorable.
Our mission is to innovate and completely transform the way creativity contributes to media campaign performance — by developing solutions that deliver personalized messages tailored to each consumer type.
Personally, I believe each of us has a responsibility to try to reach our full potential in the field we choose to work in. And that journey should be guided by ambition, but also by humbleness — that kind of authentic modesty that’s hard to fully translate into Romanian, but is essential in leadership and innovation.

C&B: Looking back at the beginning of your career, what do you see?
Adrian Enache:
I believe each of us has a duty to build a personal guide — a set of values and beliefs that reflect how we think, what motivates us, and what helps us grow both personally and professionally.
Looking back at my early days as a manager and entrepreneur, I recognize that period was marked by a drive for perfection, but also important lessons about the transition from expert to manager.
Later came the challenge of becoming a leader capable of turning a group of individuals into an autonomous, motivated team aligned with a common goal.
Over time, I’ve learned that authenticity plays a crucial role in leadership style. A team immediately senses when you lead with honesty, vulnerability, and consistency in your values — and that creates real trust, not just authority.

C&B: If we were to talk to your team or collaborators, what do you think they’d say about you?
Adrian Enache: That’s a great question — in fact, it’s one we often use in our self-awareness evaluations.
I’d say my leadership style is built on motivation, constructive high standards, and trust. I want us to grow together at a sustained pace, in an environment that challenges but also inspires. I believe in leadership that offers vision and innovation, but most importantly, builds ambitious teams capable of exceeding market expectations.
I seek excellence in everything we do, and I live by a clear principle: I don’t want to be the best in the room. That’s why my goal is for every team member to become better than me, in their own way.
Collaborators choose to work with us because they trust the people, the technology, the personalization innovation, and the consistent, solid results we’ve delivered over time.

C&B: What’s the most important decision you’ve made that changed your trajectory?
Adrian Enache: I chose to completely switch industries for two years and made a sustained effort to learn a new field — financial services, equity investment, pre-seed, seed, and Series A — in under six months.
That experience matured me significantly. It pulled me out of my comfort zone — out of the industry where I was already trained and the country I lived in — and pushed me to work, lead, and collaborate with people from over 15 nationalities across the continent.
It was one of the most valuable periods of both professional and personal development.

C&B: Should a leader be authentic or adaptable?
Adrian Enache: It’s a continuous journey of evolution, grounded in learning, conscious decision-making, and discovering what authenticity in leadership really means.
I believe every leader should be authentic, should take responsibility for their team and its results, and should create a space where people can grow in a healthy, meaningful way.
True leadership doesn’t come from title or position — it comes from responsibility and genuine care for the people you’re building with.

C&B: How do you and your team stand out in the industry?
Adrian Enache: Right now, we deliver an integrated and fluid experience for consumers, through personalized communication in media campaigns and by adapting digital assets (like landing pages and websites) in real time based on consumer behavior.
This process, combined with our proprietary AI models — which generate a unique attention and result prediction algorithm — gives us a distinct market positioning: an innovative, reliable partner for brands that choose to work with us long-term.
In an industry where brands typically change agencies every 2–3 years, we have partners who have worked with Omniperform for over 8 years — a clear sign of trust and consistent value delivery.

C&B: What does a typical day look like for you, and what moments bring the most satisfaction?
Adrian Enache: A typical day for me focuses on no more than three clear objectives that can be accomplished that day, and working closely with the team to become better at what we do. In parallel, we decide what new functionalities are essential for the future of online advertising.
I believe in achievements and continuous progress — if we’re better than we were yesterday, the day was meaningful and contributed to the future of both myself and the company I lead.

C&B: What’s your set of values and principles?
Adrian Enache: Our values are applied daily and guide everything we do: Evolution – We believe in continuous personal growth, starting with a high level of self-awareness; Responsibility – We take ownership of our promises and deliver what we say, to colleagues, clients, and partners; Enjoying & having fun at work – We maintain a culture of transparency and ease, where serious work is balanced with the joy of collaboration; Teamwork – We support one another and function as a unified team, not just as individuals; Respect – We show and offer respect to everyone we work with, regardless of role or experience; Humbleness – We strive for excellence but remain aware that we always have something to learn from those around us, no matter how much we innovate.

C&B: How did the idea for this business come about, and where does the name “Omniperform” come from?
Adrian Enache: From the very start of my career in media, I felt that irrelevant advertising messages had no place — not from a professional perspective, nor as a consumer.
The idea of sending one message to an entire audience always felt wrong and ineffective to me.
So when technology finally allowed it, and I was able to launch a new company, Omniperform, I invested all my resources — including personal ones — to build a solution that could deliver personalized communication, tailored to each consumer type, both in media campaigns and on websites or conversion landing pages.
The name Omniperform came to life one weekend in London, together with my mentor (who is now also a shareholder in the company). After a few hours of intense discussion and a glass of whisky, we arrived at a formula that combined Omnichannel and Performance Marketing — perfectly reflecting what we aim to deliver: personalization at scale, with tangible results.

C&B: If you could send a message to people following your example, what would it be?
Adrian Enache: Entrepreneurship isn’t easy — but it’s worth it.
Building a team and, as a leader, seeing people grow and reach their potential because of the environment and context you’ve created is a type of fulfillment that’s hard to compare with anything else.

When trying to build and go far, you need a team.
Alone, you may go faster — but with a united team, you can build something lasting.

When I started and talked to brands about personalized communication, 9 out of 10 meetings looked at us as dreamers. For many, the idea of not sending the same message to everyone seemed crazy.
But I believed in the idea — and we kept going.
And today, nearly every brand is looking for exactly that: a personalized communication solution, because the market reality has changed and consumers now expect relevance.
That’s why I believe it’s essential to have the courage to move forward, even if you’re 3–4 years ahead of the market.
Believe in your solution before everyone else understands it.

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