5 Years of Chris. 10 Years of CGM Software Romania. One Story About Believing in People Who Make the Difference

This year is a special one for CGM Software Romania. On July the 7th, we celebrate 10 years since the beginning of our journey in Romania. Ten years of growth, challenges, friendships, projects, office laughs, company events, lessons learned and milestones achieved together. 

For Christopher Roy Turner, our General Manager, 2026 marks another important anniversary: 5 years since he took over the role and started leading CGM Software Romania. 5 years later, the company looks very different. Bigger. Stronger. More international. More connected. 

But what about Chris? What did the 26-year-old who first walked into the Iași office think? What scared him? What excited him? What did he learn? And who is the person behind the suits, the colorful socks and the leadership role? 

We sat down with Chris for a conversation about growth, curiosity, leadership, Romania, and everything that happened between the first day and today. So, grab yourself a cup of your favorite drink and enjoy this lovely conversation.

You became a General Manager at only 26 years old. Everybody wants to know: how? What does it take for a 26-year-old to become the General Manager of an important corporation? 

The answer surprises people because it starts with a word most successful leaders rarely use. 

“Luck,” Chris says immediately. 

“I honestly think a lot of it was luck. Throughout my career, I met incredible mentors and leaders who decided to invest in me. I found myself in situations that many people never get access to, even after decades of work.” 

But luck alone doesn’t explain the story. Chris believes there are two things that helped shape his journey. 

The first is his ability to recognize opportunities when they appear. 

“When I see an opportunity, I go all in. When I got the invitation to interview for CGM, I spent more time preparing for that interview than I did for my university final exams. I knew it mattered.” 

The second one is simple. 

“Hard work. I’ve worked long hours. I’ve prioritized my career over many other things. When something matters to me, I commit completely.” 

Then he pauses. 

“And maybe there is a third thing: curiosity.” 

As it turns out, curiosity has been following him for much longer than his career. 

Long before becoming a General Manager, Chris was the kid who listened to business discussions during family vacations. While other children were playing, he preferred sitting next to his father and his father’s friends, listening to conversations about companies, leadership and work. 

“I was fascinated. I wanted to understand what people did, how businesses worked, how decisions were made. I was always interested in what people did for a living. My dad would sometimes get frustrated because I'd ask him endless questions after every work call. I'd sit there listening and then spend the next hour asking what happened, why it happened and what he was going to do next.” 

His parents played a major role in shaping that mindset. 

“My father was extremely successful. My mother is incredibly intelligent, incredibly cultured and one of the hardest-working people I know. Growing up, there was never any doubt that hard work mattered.” 

One story, however, stayed with him for years. As a teenager, he helped his mother organize conferences. One day, he was assigned to pick up a senior executive from one of the world’s largest robotics companies at the airport. Instead of sitting quietly during the ride, Chris spent an hour asking questions. Lots of questions. 

"I asked him question after question. I wanted to understand everything. At one point, I asked him: 'How advanced robotics is today?'" 

A few hours later, during the opening keynote in front of hundreds of attendees, the executive began his presentation by mentioning the conversation. 

"He said that was the most important question someone could ask. Then he looked into the audience, saw me sitting there with a microphone in my hand and said: 'Oh, hi Chris.'" 

Years later, Chris found him on LinkedIn. The executive remembered him. The two met again and spent an entire afternoon discussing leadership, technology, innovation and business. Looking back, Chris believes the lesson was simple: 

"People are usually willing to share their knowledge if you're genuinely interested. You just need to ask." 

And perhaps that's the quality that has defined his entire career: Curiosity. 

Do you remember your very first day as General Manager at CGM Software Romania? What did that version of Chris think, fear or hope for? 

Chris laughs. 

“I think I had several first days.” 

There were the first calls with the leadership team. The first online meetings. The first conversations with colleagues. 

But the moment that stayed with him happened when he arrived in Iași and entered the office for the first time. 

“I remember seeing the sign on the door that said ‘General Manager’. And I couldn’t stop smiling. I wanted to take pictures of everything and send them to everyone. I was thinking: 'Look! I'm the General Manager!' But at the same time, I was trying to act professional. For a moment, the title didn’t feel real. I remember thinking: What on earth am I doing here?” 

Then came the second thought. A much bigger one. 

“What did I get myself into?” 

Despite the excitement, Chris knew he was walking into a significant challenge. Even before arriving, he had already spent weeks talking to people and trying to understand the organization. 

“I knew there were things we could improve. I wanted people to feel connected. I wanted communication to be better. I wanted leadership to be stronger. I wanted people to feel that this wasn’t just a place where they worked.” 

He wanted to build something people would genuinely care about. 

"I was desperately scared of losing my job. I genuinely thought that sooner or later someone would realize they had hired a 26-year-old with five or six years of experience and wonder what they had done." 

But he made a promise to himself. One that would shape many decisions in the years ahead. 

"I'm not going to fight to keep the job. I'm going to fight to do the right thing." 

If he could go back and talk to Chris from five years ago, what would he say? His answer comes surprisingly quickly. 

"Relax more. Enjoy it more. Don't stress so much because it's going to go by incredibly fast." 

What is one thing that changed completely in these five years and one thing that never changed at all? 

When Chris arrived, he quickly identified several areas that needed attention: Communication. Leadership. Engagement. Culture. 

"I wanted people to feel connected. I wanted them to feel they were part of something meaningful, not just coming to work because it was another job." 

One of the first major challenges involved a topic that affects every company: retention. People were leaving. Frequently. At one point, Chris remembers feeling that every resignation was a personal failure. 

"I felt terrible every time somebody left. I kept thinking: 'Wait, I'm here. Let me fix this.'" 

After reviewing market data and compensation studies, he realized meaningful changes were necessary. The easier option would have been to ask for a smaller improvement. The safer option. The more politically comfortable option. Instead, he decided to ask for what he genuinely believed was needed: Increasing salaries and transforming CGM Romania into the Center of Excellence for Software Development in CGM. 

"The data said one thing. My comfort zone said another. I remember sitting there and thinking: 'Well, if I truly believe this is the right thing, then I need to stand behind it.'" 

The proposal eventually made its way to the highest levels of the organization. It was approved. And for Chris, it became an important lesson. 

"In hindsight, doing the right thing worked out." 

The company itself changed enormously in these 5 years. Teams grew. Products expanded. New countries joined the story. CGM Romania became part of something much bigger than a local success story. But according to Chris, the most important change happened beneath the surface. 

“The level of confidence.” 

Five years ago, many people knew the organization had potential. Today, they know what they can achieve. 

“We’ve proven ourselves repeatedly. We know we can build important products. We know we can influence strategy. We know we can lead.” 

And what never changed? 

“The people.” 

For all the growth, new responsibilities and international visibility, Chris still believes the defining strength of CGM Romania is the same one he saw years ago. 

“The talent, the energy and the willingness of people to help each other.”

Leadership looks glamorous from a distance. It rarely feels that way from the inside. 

What were the hardest leadership lessons you had to learn? 

“The biggest lesson is that you can’t solve everything yourself.” 

Like many young leaders, Chris initially believed that being responsible meant personally carrying out every challenge. Over time, he learned something different. 

“Leadership is much less about having the answers and much more about creating the environment where the right answers can emerge.” 

He also learned the importance of patience. The importance of listening. And the importance of trusting people. 

“Sometimes the best thing a leader can do is step back.” 

When he looks back, there is one period that stands out in particular. The years between 2023 and 2024. The period when the leadership team found its rhythm. Its chemistry. Its flow. 

"It felt special. Looking back, I wish I had appreciated it even more while it was happening." 

Chris references a quote from the TV show The Office: 

"I wish there was a way to know you're in the good old days before you've actually left them." 

"I reminded myself of that quote several times. But you never fully realize it in the moment." 

Even today, when he reflects on those years, there is a sense of gratitude. Not because everything was perfect. But because a group of people came together and built something meaningful. 

Five years is enough time to transform a company. So, what changed the most? 

"Our approach to leadership." 

And what never changed? 

"The people." 

Chris believes that one of the biggest misconceptions in business is assuming that people are the problem. Sometimes the real issue is the environment around them. 

"The majority of the people who were here during some of CGM Romania's most difficult moments are still here today." 

Then he adds something that perfectly summarizes his leadership philosophy: 

"People in the wrong context and the wrong structure often cannot perform. If you fix the structure around them, incredible things can happen." 

Many leaders would answer this question by talking about growth, revenue, products or strategy. Chris doesn't hesitate. 

"The Steering Board team." 

He speaks about them with visible pride. Not because they helped him. But because of who they became. And because they are his direct team. 

Over the years, he watched leaders grow into bigger roles, take on greater responsibilities and influence projects far beyond Romania. 

"When I receive feedback from global colleagues about our leaders, those are the moments when I lean back and think: yes, all the hard work was worth it." 

He pauses. Then smiles. 

"If the people currently leading teams inside CGM don't go on to achieve incredible things in their careers, I will be genuinely surprised." 

For him, leadership has never been about creating followers. It's about creating future leaders. 

Today, Chris's role extends beyond Romania. The vision that started years ago as a presentation called Strategic Locations has evolved into something much bigger. A network of a Global Engineering Center of Excellence connecting Romania, Portugal and India. And Chris in charge of it.  

The idea itself isn't new. What changed was the opportunity to bring it to life. 

"We proved in Romania that high-performing engineering teams can have a huge impact. The next step is to replicate that success." 

What does it feel like to lead this initiative? 

"Humbling. Honoring. After everything we achieved in Romania, I would have been disappointed if we weren't asked to help build it. And we are ready to prove ourselves again." 

Outside meetings, strategy sessions and leadership discussions, Chris is surprisingly simple. He loves driving. He enjoys Formula 1 and football. He plays video games with his brother. He watches a lot of YouTube. He reads constantly. Mostly business books. 

And, according to his own admission, he has been remarkably lazy when it comes to furnishing his apartment. 

"I still haven't properly finished it." 

We wouldn’t say lazy. Rather, he was busy perfectly leading CGM. 

There is also another side that many people don't expect. 

"I'm actually quite shy." 

Those who know him well have probably noticed it. Those who only see him speaking on stage during Town Halls may find it surprising.  

But perhaps that's part of what makes him approachable. The same curiosity that pushes him to ask questions also keeps him interested in people. Even today, he still enjoys sitting down with someone simply to hear their story. 

Because away from strategy meetings, growth plans and leadership discussions, Chris is still driven by the same thing that fascinated him as a child: People. Stories. Ideas. 

“I love meeting interesting people and hearing their stories.” 

He admits that many of his dinners end up feeling like informal interviews. Not because he wants anything. Because he is genuinely curious. 

“If someone has an interesting story, I want to hear it.” 

It’s a habit that has never really disappeared. And perhaps that’s exactly why so many people enjoy talking to him. He listens.

When people look back at your first five years as General Manager, what do you hope they will say about this chapter? 

Chris thinks for a moment. Then his answer is surprisingly simple. 

“I hope they say we left things better than we found them. And that it was meaningful.” 

Not perfect. Not easy. Meaningful. Better. A stronger company. Better leaders. More opportunities. More confidence. More impact. That people learned. That they grew. That it was worth it. 

What do you hope CGM Romania becomes over the next decade? 

"The company that defines the standard for leadership and for whatever the future of technology becomes." 

At the same time, there are things he hopes will never change. 

"Our values. Our identity. Our principles." 

Finally, we ask him one last question. 

If CGM Romania were a 10-year-old child, how would he describe it? 

Chris smiles. 

"Someone kind. Very smart. A bit of a nerd. Curious. Someone with a lot of potential." 

The answer feels strangely familiar. Because after an hour of conversation, you realize he might not be describing only the company. He might also be describing himself. And maybe that's why the story of Chris and the story of CGM Software Romania have grown so naturally together over the last five years. Both are still curious. Both are still learning. And both are only getting started. 

And as CGM Romania celebrates its first 10 years, that feels like a fitting summary. Because the story of these 10 years isn’t only about growth. It’s about people who chose to build something together. People who stayed curious. People who cared. 

And if you ask Chris, that’s probably the most important lesson of all. Curiosity opens doors. People make the difference. And the best chapters are still ahead.

Because no conversation with Chris would be complete without a few unexpected questions. 

A Romanian habit, word or tradition that secretly became part of your life? 

"Ce faci?" 

You know you are a CGMer when... 

"...you roll your eyes because Chris is speaking for too long during a Town Hall." 

One Romanian word you use too much? 

"Ce faci?" 

The CGM event you enjoyed the most? 

"Hopefully, the CGM10 Gala, that is just around the corner." 

Until then, Chris admits that team buildings hold a special place in his heart. 

"My first team building was particularly memorable because it was my first experience seeing the company outside the office environment." 

Most overused phrase in meetings? 

"Can you hear me?" 

Your most 'Chris' pair of socks? 

The gingerbread man socks. The colours somehow match a surprising number of my outfits. 

A movie or TV series that describes your five years at CGM? 

Community 

A movie or TV series that describes CGM Romania's first ten years? 

Also Community 

"It's a story about a group of misfits who come together, build meaningful relationships, go through ups and downs, laugh a lot, learn a lot and eventually end up in a better place than where they started. That feels surprisingly close to our story." 

One thing that instantly makes you smile in the Iași office? 

People saying hello. When colleagues stop by my office in the morning just to say hello, that always makes me smile. 

Your wishes for CGM10? 

"That we continue leading the way. That we continue learning. And that we never forget who we are. As long as we do those things, we'll be fine."

10 years ago, CGM Software Romania started with a small team, a lot of ambition and a belief that great things could be built here. 

5 years ago, a 26-year-old walked into the Iași office, looked at a sign that said General Manager and wondered what on earth he had gotten himself into. 

Today, both stories continue. The company is bigger. The impact is bigger. The ambitions are bigger.  

But some things remain unchanged. The curiosity to keep asking questions. The courage to do the right thing. The people who make the journey worthwhile. 

And maybe that's the best way to celebrate both milestones: 10 years of CGM Software Romania and 5 years of Chris. Not by looking only at how far we've come. But by being excited about everything that's still ahead. 

Happy 10th anniversary, CGM Software Romania. Here's to the next chapter. Growing Forward. Staying True.