I didn’t grow up dreaming of being an accountant, but I was always curious about how things worked behind the scenes in businesses and liked the idea of bringing structure to complexity. My real inspiration came early in my career when a mentor showed me how finance isn’t just numbers but about influencing outcomes and enabling decisions.
I started out in banking, then worked in fast-moving consumer goods at Kraft Foods. I moved into shared service operations at Samsung, before going on to lead FP&A at Micro Focus. Currently, I lead the finance team for Medicover Romania’s healthcare division.
The real value comes when teams learn to work alongside AI, not fear it
Artificial intelligence (AI) is already changing we how work in finance. I don’t see it as replacing people but helping us move away from repetitive, manual tasks towards smarter, more forward-looking work. In corporate finance, this means cleaner, faster reporting, more dynamic forecasting and better decision support. However, it’s also about how people adapt. The real value comes when teams learn to work alongside AI, not fear it. Upskilling and mindset shifts are just as important as the tools themselves.
I stepped out of my comfort zone when I took on a global role at Micro Focus, tasked with building a finance centre of excellence from scratch. It meant coordinating teams across continents, often with no blueprint to follow. The learning curve was steep, especially in how I led, communicated and managed uncertainty, but it helped me to grow in many ways.
My favourite quote comes from author Jim Collins: ‘Good is the enemy of great.’ This has stuck with me as it’s a reminder not to settle – that complacency, or ‘good enough’, can quietly kill ambition and progress. I’ve seen how easy it is to stop pushing once things are going okay, but the real impact comes when you aim higher and refuse to coast.
What I genuinely enjoy about my job is working with people, when building teams and seeing ideas come to life. I also like the variety, with everything from cost control to aligning strategy. In healthcare, there’s a deeper sense of purpose, too, as I know our work has a real impact on people’s lives.
My biggest achievement has been building high-performing teams that outlast me
My biggest achievement has been building high-performing teams that outlast me. Helping someone step into leadership has a lasting impact, which means a lot to me. Balancing ambition with my family has also been a meaningful win.
If I had law-making powers, I would have mandatory financial education in schools. Many people reach adulthood without understanding money, budgeting or how economies work. Giving everyone a solid foundation in financial literacy would be a long-term investment in society.
If I wasn’t in finance I would have worked in IT, probably building or optimising something behind the scenes. I’ve always been fascinated by seeing how structure, logic, code and systems can combine to solve problems. That same love for structure and logic is what pulled me towards finance.
My biggest passion is aquascaping, which is the art of designing natural underwater landscapes. It’s a creative outlet that also teaches patience, balance and care for living ecosystems, and I have a planted aquascape at home. It is similar to building sustainability in an organisation; in both cases, it’s about creating the right environment, where different components interact in a balanced way. Whether it’s in an aquarium or a business, sustainability is something you nurture continuously.
