Alexandra Bondar, Head of Department Employee Services – OMV Petrom Global Solutions
I am Alexandra Bondar, and I am responsible for the Operational HR activities at OMV Petrom Global Solutions. We are a team of 100 colleagues providing administration and support services in the areas of payroll and payroll tax, personnel administration, talent management and training for approximately 8,000 Petrom employees located in Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, and Moldova.
I am a Chartered Accountant and started my career as a tax consultant with KPMG. My dream was to grow in a dynamic environment guided by professional and passionate leaders. I found there a diverse working place, always connected to the market challenges, and actively involved in shaping the industry. I had great people-oriented mentors and also extraordinary colleagues, with whom I shared the passion of making a significant contribution to the organisation. I believe this represents one of the best environments for everyone’s talent to learn the profession, connect and understand the market trends, and how contribute in any way.
Being an accountant, I like numbers, but at the same time, I’ve continuously looked for an environment where I could feel motivated to express my creativity and to work with people having similar beliefs and aspirations. For me, it is very important to believe in the strategy of the company I work for, to feel that my ideas work, and efforts come to life and bring value that inevitably opens doors to even more success.
Here at OMV Petrom Global Solutions, my team is closely working with the other departments (Finance, IT, Real Estate Management) and together we are partnering with our main customer, OMV Petrom, for a sustainable future. We believe that people are the heart of our strategy, and we as leaders have the responsibility and the honour to inspire them.
Guided by extraordinary mentors and leaders, here I’ve learnt the power of diverse teams and the power of honesty and speaking up. These are the basis for trust. Further, on the trust, you can build a learning environment, incorporate new technologies, change mindsets, and reinvent business models.
I received also great development opportunities: obtaining a Diploma in GBS – certified by the Hackett Institute and working internationally within OMV Group contributed substantially to my professional evolution.
Partnering with the largest integrated energy company in Southern and Eastern Europe with a strategic impact on the national economy but also on Romanian people’s life, we face many and constant challenges. One of my learnings is that a leader’s value is demonstrated under challenging circumstances. But, at the same time, another learning is that people cannot perform under continuous crisis, but they are only able to develop and capture opportunities when acknowledging transformation as a constant in their lives.
When it comes to work-life balance, I perceive my life as a fluid flow with focus moments on family, work, and myself. All are essential for me to feel accomplished; I remain open, curious and determined to continuously challenge myself and the people around me – that gives me energy.
I believe that the growth mindset stays within our human nature. The challenge is to create the right environment and provide the right opportunities to our children, to our colleagues, to the people we are responsible for – and that gives me motivation and satisfaction.
My private life is also a transformational journey full of challenges, especially those brought by our two sons as they grow and develop. Family time is very precious to me. We travel, play, do sports, and have a lot of fun together. We continuously learn from each other; they are my source of strength for which I am very grateful.
If I were to start now my professional life, I would definitely invest the same curiosity, enthusiasm, and hard work in learning. I would invest to the same extent in my technical and soft skills and even more in the people around me.