Andreea Ifrim, P2P Manager – TotalEnergies Global Services Bucharest (TGSB)
Hi,
My name is Andreea Ifrim, and I’m the manager of the Process-to-Payment (P2P) department at TotalEnergies Global Services Bucharest (TGSB) – the Shared Service Center (SSC) in Bucharest within TotalEnergies, the global multi-energy company.
How did you start your career? Which were your first steps? How did you envision your career?
After graduating from Economic studies at Iasi University, and moving to Bucharest to continue my studies with a Master’s in Economics, the first step in my career path would have probably been to start a job in Finance. However, French language skills guided my first professional experience in a call centre until I moved to a BPO company and started building +12 years’ experience in the BPO&SSC environment, with a focus on Accounts Payable, Procurement, Customer Excellence, People and Project Management, involvement in Transitions, Process Standardisation, and Continuous Improvement initiatives, trained and certified in Lean Six Sigma methodology. I took every opportunity as a learning experience and focused on improving my hard skills while working on my soft ones. A milestone in my career has been the moment when I became aware of the fact that I enjoy working with people, supporting their learning and growth experiences, and decided to pursue a People Management career. This has been my path for the last 7 years and still counting!
What are the three most valuable career lessons you have learnt?
Never miss opportunities, stay relevant & agile, and never stop learning! You are your most important project, and investing in developing skills and abilities will always pay off!
Why did you choose Business Services Industry? What were the top 3 reasons for choosing your company?
I’ve been part of the corporate environment since 2011, working in the e-Commerce and Pharma sectors. Joining TotalEnergies Global Services Bucharest in 2018 has been a turning point in my career, and it turned out to be a perfect fit. First of all, I was interested in the domain of oil and gas, with a high emphasis on renewable energies, which is totally different from the domains I’ve been involved with and kind of goes back to the basics where the energy kicks in. Secondly, I was interested in the business model of a Shared Service Centre, where I could contribute to a common set of values, guidelines, and vision. Deeply diving into details, I could relate to the company’s core values and ambition, and I felt I could have an impact on the way it’s set up and developed with the knowledge and expertise I was able to bring in.
Tell us a little bit about your private life: your passions, family. What do you do to relax?
I’m interested in Interior Design, as a hobby, and the way it interferes with the set of skills I managed to develop working in the BPO/SSC industry: attention to detail, communication, active listening, people/project/time management, and customer support. I’m also keen on learning more about sustainable living at home and in the office, as it helps combine my interest in waste reduction, recycling capabilities, and circular economy with my appetite for design thinking and business acumen.
In no particular order, I also enjoy photography, travelling, nature in all its beauty, Formula 1, snowboarding, reading, watching movies, as well as a good glass of wine.
If now you were starting your career, knowing the present and near future opportunities, what would you do?
I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be, as a result of taking enough time to learn, fail, and become a better version of myself in every step of my career path. So I would have probably taken the same steps; however, I would have chosen a mentor the moment I decided to go for a People Management career path – that would have enabled quicker access to specific insights, connections, and extra experience to boost my confidence.
What skills do you believe are essential for young professionals to develop in order to be successful, and why?
Curiosity and appetite for learning, adaptability, commitment, and teamwork. The world we are living in is continuously evolving, and there will always be many changes in our lives and careers. Therefore, it’s important to be able to easily adapt to changes and new or improved ways of doing things. This will help you to always seize the opportunity and not let the “I don’t feel like I’m ready” feeling get in the way of pursuing your goals and ambitions. I’ve also mentioned “teamwork”, although we adapted our way of working since the COVID pandemic context and embraced a hybrid one; however, in both your personal and professional life, you will always need people—to socialise, mentor, exchange ideas, refer, and ask for help.
What would you do and what would you avoid doing?—practical advice to young professionals
You have to start somewhere to get somewhere 😊. Choosing which career path is right for you is not an easy one, and sometimes it can be quite a journey. My advice would be to explore various possibilities and areas of interest, be open to all types of feedback, be self-aware, and learn from people you admire. Nowadays, just one click away, you can have all the insights you need directly from the people whose careers you enjoy on social media, in the news, or on podcasts. And don’t forget to enjoy the journey and be nice to the people you will come across!
Mugur Deatcu, Business Analyst – TotalEnergies Global Services Bucharest (TGSB)
Hi,
My name is Mugur Deatcu, and I am Business Analyst within Business Excellence department at TotalEnergies Global Services Bucharest (TGSB) – the Shared Service Center (SSC) in Bucharest within TotalEnergies, the global multi-energy company.
How did you start your career? Which were your first steps? How did you envision your career?
My journey began in 2014, when I accepted a position as a P2P Service Desk analyst, where among emails and phone calls, I started thinking about how I could make my work and that of my colleagues easier. After 2 years, I decided to take on a new challenge and moved forward accepting a position as a P2P Quality Assurance analyst, where attention to detail was key. Therefore, I started thinking even more about how I could automate my work and eliminate manual tasks from our processes to ensure the highest quality of services. After another 2 years, the desire to see and improve other processes brought me to TotalEnergies, where, after another 2 years, I found the perfect role within the company as a Business Analyst: it’s where terms like automation, continuous improvement, and excellence not only coexist but are also our guiding principles.
What are the three most valuable career lessons you have learnt?
A valuable lesson I’ve learnt throughout my career is that, with dedication and sufficient practice, nothing is beyond reach.
Why did you choose Business Services Industry? What were the top 3 reasons for choosing your company?
I’ve joined TotalEnergies Global Services Bucharest because, as a quite newly established Shared Service Center of a multi-energy company on the local market, it presented numerous opportunities and processes that could be enhanced and improved. That sounded like a real challenge that I was up for.
Tell us a little bit about your private life: your passions, family. What do you do to relax?
For almost 2 years, my wife and I have had a new passion, our son. We enjoy exploring the world through his curious eyes. From simple outings to exciting vacations, we value the moments of discovery and create beautiful memories as we witness his growth and development.
If now you were starting your career, knowing the present and near future opportunities, what would you do?
If I were to start it all over again, I would definitely:
- Acquire relevant skills;
- Build a professional network;
- Seek mentorship and guidance;
- Gain practical experience;
I believe developing these four at the very beginning would allow me and anyone else at the start of their career to adapt to changing circumstances and build a fulfilling professional path.
What skills do you believe are essential for young professionals to develop to be successful, and why?
- Problem-solving.
- Communication
- Adaptability
Having these skills equips you with a versatile toolkit to tackle various challenges, effectively convey ideas, and navigate through a rapidly changing world.
What would you do and what would you avoid doing?—practical advice to young professionals
Never settle, always seek new ways to improve yourself.