Inside Stories: The journey of the ones who inspire us

At Grapefruit, our well-rounded teams are led by exceptional leaders who ensure that each member has motivation and joy in their work. By fostering a supportive work environment, our team leaders help their colleagues to deliver their remarkable job. This combination of individual and team success is what makes Grapefruit such a dynamic place to perform.

Meet Andreea Sauciuc and Mircea Muraru, two of our team leaders. Their passion, curiosity, and impeccable organization are the main keys behind their success. From challenges faced to lessons learned, this is a story of perseverance.

5 mins read

Andreea - a perfect mix between ambition and passion

Andreea studied economics in high school, and she wanted to get a bachelor degree in Finance and Banking. However, a marketing course from high school opened her eyes to a new world. Now she is a graduate at the Faculty of Marketing in Iasi, and she also finished her Master’s degree in Marketing.

Andreea’s love for marketing and SEO only grew stronger as she got deeper into her studies. She loves the challenge of understanding consumer interests, intentions, and behavior. Her knowledge in SEO and Analytics has helped her to become an expert in her field.

Her journey at Grapefruit began in the midst of the pandemic, summer of 2020. Despite the challenges of remote work, the seamless hiring process made Andreea feel like she was part of the team from the very first day.

At Grapefruit, Andreea found not only a talented and diverse group of people, but also exciting and challenging projects. One of her first projects was in the automotive industry, which pushed her to grow and learn. Andreea’s hard work earned the trust of the team and clients, and her journey of growth within the company was a beautiful and fulfilling one. Today, Andreea is the team leader of the Digital Marketing department.

As Andreea reflects on the first days at Grapefruit, she is filled with a sense of nostalgia and joy. Though she never expected to become a team leader so soon, the desire to lead was always within her. When the opportunity was presented to her, she was shocked and thrilled, but as the saying goes, be careful what you wish for because it might come true.

Being a team leader requires a unique set of soft skills. This includes the ability to make informed decisions for the team, understand and meet the needs of the colleagues, and exceptional organizational skills.

When stepping into the role of a team leader, the support and guidance of the company is crucial for a smooth transition. At Grapefruit, any member of the team receives all the resources they need to succeed. Anca Teletin, our Chief Operations Officer, and Alexandra Pavel, our HR Manager, provide coaching sessions that help members develop their skills and become more efficient. In these 1-on-1s they cover some of the most important topics: active listening, how to provide feedback, conflict management, etc.

Anca and Andreea focused not only on the professional aspect, but also on the personal side. Our personal lives can influence our professional performance. During their meetings, they discuss the situations Andreea has faced and the decisions she has made, allowing her to receive valuable feedback and tips to improve continuously. These 1-on-1 sessions helps Andreea to become the confident team leader she strives to be.

Maybe you are wondering how a day in a team leader’s life looks like. Andreea’s typical workday begins with a few snoozes, followed by a much-needed cup of coffee. To start the day off right, she participates in a daily meeting with the Digital Marketing department. This daily check-in allows her to stay in the loop on what the other colleagues are working on and to socialize and connect with them.

In addition to the daily meetings, she also participates in a weekly delivery meeting. This meeting brings together all the team leaders, project managers, and the delivery manager. They discuss project allocation and make sure that each employee has a balanced workload.

After a long day at work, she taps into her creative side and goes to a salsa and bachata class. With each step, she feels re-energized and ready to take on the world with grace and passion. Another thing that Andreea loves to do to relax is cooking. With some well-chosen ingredients, she can cook the most delicious and healthy meals and desserts. We are already drooling thinking about the recipes she makes!

Mircea - perseverance combined with competitiveness

Mircea graduated from a private faculty of computer science in Bucharest. The flexible schedule allowed him to strike a perfect balance between studies and his job as a front-end developer. But let’s get back in time, when Mircea started his career as a web designer at only 16 years old.

Mircea’s first love was design, and his passion for programming started from a PC game. Remember the time when GTA San Andreas Multiplayer was super popular? The game was online and there were several role play servers where we could simulate life: we had a job, a house… but Mircea wanted to have a car too. How else can he go to his workplace in the game?

His natural curiosity led him to go deeper into the game, and he discovered that all it takes to add a car was a single line of code. Mircea reached out to the server owner and he successfully added the code. This small step sparked something within him, and he began to experiment with writing scripts for the server.

His talent for graphic design was impossible to ignore, especially because of the many contests he had won by the age of 16. A recommendation led him to an interview for the position as a Web Designer. During his 2 weeks of probationary period, he learned a lot about the industry. On the last day, when he thought that he will not get the job, his CEO at that time offered him an employment contract. That moment marked a turning point in his life, as he realized that he wants to work in the IT industry.

Looking back, when he was hired at Grapefruit in 2016 as a junior front-end developer, Mircea is filled with a sense of pride and accomplishment. He recalls being struck by the transparency and organization of our company, and how well everything was put together. Seven years have passed since then, and Mircea not only achieved his goal of becoming a senior front-end developer. He is now also the team leader of both the development and design department in Grapefruit.

His success as a leader for two teams can be attributed to his exceptional organizational skills. He ensures that his colleagues are meeting deadlines, are happy with their work, and receive help when needed. Over the years, Mircea improved his soft skills, overcoming shyness, and gaining confidence in himself. By combining his technical expertise and interpersonal skills, Mircea became a true leader.

When he’s not working, Mircea enjoys taking long drives with his car or spending quality time with his family, girlfriend, and friends. The simple things in life are valuable, and these moments of relaxation and connection are what keep him grounded and centered.

At Grapefruit, we’re grateful to have Andreea and Mircea as part of our team. If you’re interested in meeting them in real life, don’t hesitate to check out our open positions. We’re constantly searching for talented people to join our team!

Inside Stories: The journey of the ones who inspire us

5 mins read

Andreea - a perfect mix between ambition and passion

Mircea - perseverance combined with competitiveness

Looking to join our team?

Blog

Terms & Conditions

Privacy Policy

© Grapefruit 2022

Contact us

Contact