What is your first memory related to the beginning of your career?
Each of us writes their own story. I chose to start my story in the 5 th  year of faculty, more
precisely in the 2 nd  semester of mandatory practice, when I had my first contact with the reality of
the working field. Therefore, after 2 weeks of knocking doors, I started a traineeship program at
the National Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices of Romania, within the European
Procedures Department.

How did you cross paths with RASCI?
I am a pharmacist by profession who had the NGO calling from the very beginning. But, if you
asked me a few years back what I would be doing today (that standard “where do you see
yourself in 5 years?” type of question), probably I wouldn’t have known what answer to give.
And, mainly, the reason behind it would be because RASCI wasn’t yet established 5 years ago. I
have always tried to find solutions to making people’s lives easier, happier, healthier and I
believe that through self-care people can have the right balance among these 3 elements.
Contributing to advancing people’s knowledge towards self-care and, at the same time, leading
the industry beneath it in an ethical and responsible manner, were the 2 reasons that motivated
me to contribute to the establishment and development of RASCI as a CEO, a position which
allowed me to grow alongside the association and the Romanian self-care sector altogether.

What didn’t you learn “at school”, but life/ experience taught you?
I don’t think there is a certain subject in school that helped me in this experience. But, the way
the study takes place at the “Carol Davila” Faculty of Pharmacy in Bucharest structures your
thinking in an analytical way and makes you offer more attention to details, which surely made
me rapidly and easily adapt to the work volume and requirements. Because I am the kind of
active person, who likes discovering new challenges all the time, I managed to gain the life
experiences and lessons so-needed in my future career by becoming a volunteer in a students’
association (more precisely in my 3 rd  year of university – what in the case of other universities
would have been the last year of studies – one of the advantages of the pharmacy faculty being
that one can be a child a little longer, up to 5 years more precisely – if you are lucky and pass all
your exams in time). And it was the best decision! This kind of experience, apart from making
you responsible and opening new perspectives, it also puts you in contact with other
environments and cultures.

If you did not do what you are doing right now (as a job), what would you do and why?
I always considered myself a person who easily adapts to new working conditions, who went
through a path full of professional challenges before being proposed for taking the CEO position
of RASCI. I always was of the opinion that youngsters bring added value to the society,
especially to a dynamic society as the one we live in, and that is why I think I would have dealt
with pleasure of shaping the minds of the youth by managing different training programs.

How do you see our industry transform in the next 10 to 20 years?
Digitalization is on the tip of everybody’s tongue and it is considered to revolutionize the way in
which healthcare services are being provided. Citizens’ needs with regards to healthcare
digitalization are directed towards improving the quality of life, the quality of interactions with
healthcare professionals and the quality of the overall health status. Although, in the past,
patients acted as passive recipients of healthcare, we now assist a paradigm shift, as they start
playing an active role in managing their own health. Therefore, their attitude is a major game
changer in healthcare and the healthcare industry should adapt rapidly. We shouldn’t let
ourselves surprised if in a few years’ time the visit we pay to the doctor will end with a
prescription for… medical apps!

What is your source of motivation and good mood?
My main source of motivation and good mood are the people around me with whom I interact
daily. They give me the energy to succeed in wrapping up a full day, to move forward after a
challenging period, and also, they are ones I chose to celebrate my success stories with.

What do you admire at your fellow industry colleagues?
This “corporate” environment in the healthcare industry shapes oneself very well: not only as a
professional, but also as a person. Not only as a person who works alone, but also as one who
works in a team. And in the same time, it gives you the freedom to interact with other
departments and other teams, teaching you to discover closely the qualities of those you get to
interact daily with.

What do you like to read (as favorite authors and/ or books)? Do you remember a book
that you read as revealing?
I try to prioritize reading in my daily activity. Although I read a lot of personal development
books, the last book I read was “The Trial”, a masterpiece in world literature written by Franz
Kafka (FK).

You like to spend most of your free time doing…
Traveling! I like discovering new cultures and people, and, if time doesn’t allow me to discover
distant places, I choose to discover new places in Bucharest. I very easily intertwine my free time
with my work, even in the busiest days, because I consider that spending time with family,
friends and colleagues brings me the recommended daily energy dose.

You feel the happiest when…
… I manage through my actions to make those around me happy.

If you could choose any place in the whole world to live, what would that be?
United States of America, more precisely New York – through the energy, vibration and
countless possibilities it offers, both from a professional and personal perspective. Though, after
a certain age, I would very much like to retire on a remote island where I could practice what
recently became my favorite activity – SURF!

A thought for young people who want to join this industry or are at the beginning of their
career in the industry?
The journey of each of us is different. Each writes their own story and no decision is wrong.
Whether your road has 2 lanes or more, whether you’re traveling in a straight line or not,
whether you’re surrounded by beautiful and picturesque views, or rather scary ones, always be
careful to make travel insurance. And the rest will come by itself! At the same time, you have to
consider what motivates you, what you like, what you are good at and to welcome eye-opening
experiences.