CIVITTA Annual Review 2018 | Page 11

Carmen Maris, Managing Partner in Romania and Moldova Describe CIVITTA Romania and Moldova operations. Currently, in Romania and Moldova we have around 40 employees working across 5 offices in Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Iasi, Timisoara and Chisinau. In our region, CIVITTA offers a complex portfolio of services addressing stakeholders at all levels. In public sector, we support central and local public authorities in substantiating strategies, programs, public policies, and evaluating the impact of adopted measures. In private sector, we are enabling innovation in SMEs and corporations, providing strategic management consultancy, technology transfer and commercialization, facilitating access to national and EU innovation funding, as well as supporting the growth of innovation ecosystems. message to pass to your team, and only by being so yourself, you can inspire others to be. Where do you see the major development in your region in the upcoming years? What leadership lesson can you share? In Romania and Moldova, 2019 is the year we will continue to reinforce our position on the market as a leading consulting company for the public as well as for the private sectors, by strengthening our regional presence. This will help us to be closer to our clients and to create a network of professionals capable of implementing various projects. We are continually growing our team, looking for new bright minds, starting from junior analysts and ending with partners, so that our growth is sustainable and organic and in line with our growing portfolio of projects. It is our desire to enforce the services for the private sector, to bring to Romanian and Moldovan markets new state of the art consulting services and to be the challenger and influencer of the market. Define a great leader. One of the most important qualities that define a good leader (yes, good, not great!) is honesty. Your team will follow your lead, so having an ethical behavior and being honest is an important I remember when I first started leading a team, I was given some people to work with, and by trusting their capabilities they turned out to be the greatest team I could ever hope for. Throughout my experience I learned that everyone is different, so you cannot treat all people the same and expect the same outcome. And if you as a leader can inspire each individual to find their own path, they will be the most efficient, loyal, dedicated team members you can ever hope for. What career advice do you have for younger colleagues starting to work in consulting? Be bold, take chances, experiment on different projects until you find your true calling. Beginnings can be tough but look at every project as a chance to learn and grow. Be kind, help your team, be proactive, try to come with solutions, in most cases you have a fresh view over the situation that can solve and overcome obstacles. 11