In any room, there’s a person who stands up first to answer the door when someone knocks. In our case, that’s George, a tech enthusiast and the jack-of-all-trades. ‘Every digitalization project I work on is a personal challenge. If you want to grow, then step out of your comfort zone,’ he says. George’s story, the one who spontaneously raises his hand to the toughest challenges, can be read below.
Who is George Radu?
A technology enthusiast, whose story began with his first visit to an Internet café (an explanation for tech natives: long ago, in the ’90s, internet access was only possible this way). Since then, some years have passed, and his passion for technology has become a full-time job alongside the Connections team.
In the approximately 15 years of working in the IT field, he has done and been through a lot, from being a Community Manager in the gaming industry to an Account Manager for antispam solutions for web hosting companies, to an Enterprise Account Manager for chatbot solutions, and eventually a Business Development Manager for Connections. The IT industry solutions and services he has interacted with throughout his career have helped him develop technology consulting skills that he uses today in interactions with Connections’ clients and partners.
‘I am fascinated by everything related to technology, from software development to exploring the cosmic space. I keep up with every significant technological progress and discovery; I subscribe to numerous technology news sources and magazines, dedicating a considerable part of my time to it.’ says George.
Since when Connector@CC?
I joined Connections Consult in October 2020 for two significant reasons. The first reason was my resonance with George Nita, who at that time held the position of RPA Manager at Connections Consult. I was drawn to his expertise and his unconventional and innovative approach in the field of business process automation.
The second major reason was my meeting with Bogdan, the founder and CEO of Connections. I was impressed by his ‘western’ thinking and his growth-oriented vision. Although we’re talking about an industry where innovation is a driving force, it’s rare to find a CEO in Romania who adopts such a progressive vision and is so open to innovation—those who have explored the field know what I mean.
Why did I continue to stay in this team?
Because we all approach technology similarly: we view digitalization as a powerful tool that can free people from monotonous and repetitive work, and has the ability to pave the way for mental and creative energies to generate greater value, elevating things to a new level. Technology can create a virtuous cycle that brings concrete value into our lives as individuals and professionals.
What do you specifically do at Connections?
I handle Business Development, or more specifically, my role is to aid in the company’s business growth, both by identifying new opportunities locally and internationally, and by maintaining and developing existing partnerships. In other words, when I’m not already in meetings with the company’s clients, I strive to find new business strategies to attract new clients for the projects in their initial stages. And for this, I benefit from working closely with multidisciplinary teams within Connections, ranging from project managers, marketing, development, and legal, to top management.
This multi-disciplinary perspective offers me unique opportunities and aligns well with my personality. I’m constantly passionate about new things, and innovative tools that make our work easier, and discussions with colleagues from various departments challenge me to discover new ways in which I can help the organization work better and more efficiently. I strongly believe, and I have practically validated, that professional and personal development opportunities arise from situations that are less comfortable. Those situations make you know your limits, push past them, and explore further.
3 essential impacts of technology in your life.
Communication: For me, one of the crucial aspects is communication. Technology has created numerous channels through which I can converse with clients, collaborators, and colleagues. Whether it’s during work hours or leisure time, there’s always an application that makes communication easier and more efficient for me, changing the way I interact with the world around me—for the better, as it no longer matters where I am, I can stay connected.
Utility: I mention it as second, but it’s equally important. For 90% of my activities, whether work-related or in my free time, I find an application or a technological solution that makes my respective activities more efficient. You feel more in control and relaxed when you know you can manage almost anything with ease and speed.
Access to data and facilitating learning: Someone once said that if you were to show a smartphone to a person from the 1800s, they’d likely consider it a magical object. The idea of being able to access practically any information in just a few seconds seems truly remarkable to me. Technology has brought us into a ‘vast ocean of information,’ providing an invaluable resource for learning—and the effects are visible and will continue to be seen in all areas that involve continuous learning, research, and access to global experiences.
If the IT industry were to organize a global roundtable discussion, what would be the top subject on which they should agree?
In my opinion, the IT industry is at a crossroads similar to the situation faced by scientists who developed the nuclear bomb. Today, the major challenge in the IT world is the development of General Artificial Intelligence (AGI), which can have a significant impact on how we live.
The key decision that needs to be made is whether research on AGI should continue at the current accelerated pace or if certain limits and restrictions are necessary in this field so that each step in AGI development consistently aims to protect human interests and undergoes an ethical filter to prevent it from becoming a threat to society.
Binary code reflections: If digitization were a character, what would it look like?
I don’t think I could categorize digitization into a specific character type. I see technology more as a revolution, much like the industrial revolution in the early 19th century or the WWW revolution that essentially changed society from individual lifestyles to how the global economy functions.
This new revolution comes armed with machine learning algorithms and artificial intelligence, which we will use to anticipate human needs and provide solutions to complex problems we face in the 21st century. Essentially, digitization will cause a pivot in all structures of modern society to make the world more efficient, and smarter, and help us evolve towards a better future.
Message to a beginner tech enthusiast: What would you say?
The IT industry is extremely dynamic, with a vast array of technologies emerging and evolving constantly. This dynamism is reflected in the fact that IT has been rapidly adopted in all other industries. A simple message for a beginner in IT would be: ‘Stay curious and embrace new challenges; every line of code can shape the world we live in! ‘
