Leaders of CGM: Alexandru Covașă – 9 years, 1 company, 100% work-life balance

Alexandru Covașă was born in the tiny, quiet village of Măneuți, Suceava, in the beautiful area of Bucovina, not far from the Ukrainian border. In a place where “𝑛𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑑,” except the usual household work and kids shouting outside, Alex’s world was 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥. Every single day, he’d be outside with a ball at his feet, dreaming of becoming a famous football player. 

He remembers those years with a smile - waking up to the sounds of roosters, slow mornings spent in the garden, and the comforting rhythm of life in a small countryside village. There was 𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲: meals made from the land, familiar paths walked barefoot, and a close-knit sense of community where everyone knew everyone. The quiet, steady life in Măneuți taught him early on about 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐞𝐭 𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭. 

When high school came, he picked mathematics and computer science, not because he knew what was next, but because he was good at math. With no clear idea of the future, he continued this path into university, enrolling at the Faculty of Computer Science in Iasi. Mind you, this was all before he had access to the internet - 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐈𝐓 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐫. And yet, the field fascinated him. He wanted to explore more. 

There was something about logic, structure, and problem-solving that resonated with him. Even without much exposure to technology growing up, Alex quickly adapted and embraced the possibilities that computing could offer. 

Alex didn’t waste time. He took internships and jobs during university, knowing he wanted more than just theory. After a few roles in other companies that didn’t fit his professional or mental health needs, he found his place - CGM. 

He was drawn to the idea of a product-based IT company, something rare in Romania at the time. A place where he could actually build things that lasted. And so, he applied - and was hired. 

That decision marked a turning point. Not just in his career, but in his mindset. At CGM, Alex found not only meaningful work, but also 𝐚 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐭. It wasn’t about perks or flashy titles. It was about building something with purpose, surrounded by colleagues who cared. For the first time, work felt like a place where he could truly belong. And that made all the difference. 

He started in 2016 as a Junior Java Developer on the License Management project. From there, it was one project after another: one in Sweden, then HIIS, and eventually, our already famous 𝐏𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐜𝐲 – 𝐂𝐆𝐌 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚. He joined the Pharmacy project just two weeks before the pandemic began. 

Despite the remote start, Alex did what he always does: focused, worked hard, and made things happen. He became Scrum Master and then, in 2022, Team Lead. For a while, he juggled three roles: 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫, 𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐦 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝. 

“𝐼’𝑣𝑒 𝑛𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑙𝑒𝑠,” Alex says. “𝐸𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑐𝑎𝑚𝑒 𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦, 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑑𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛.” Even when he took on the responsibilities of a Functional Lead BackEnd Area, his focus remained the same - supporting the team, building good software, and growing together. 

Alex remembers the early days of CGM Romania well. No structure, few roles, and a start-up mindset. It was chaotic but full of potential. Watching the company grow into what it is today - product-focused, people-centered, strategy-driven - has been a 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐞. 

He recalls how each new hire, each new project, added a piece to the puzzle. And as CGM matured, so did he - growing into a leadership role without ever losing the humility and calm that defined his beginnings. 

“𝐶𝐺𝑀 𝑖𝑠 𝑒𝑥𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑙𝑦 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑡 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑛𝑜𝑤,” he says. “𝑊𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑝, 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑣𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒.” 

For Alex, being part of that transformation has been more than just a professional journey. It’s been personal. 𝐇𝐞’𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐆𝐌 𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐚 - 𝐡𝐞’𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐞 𝐢𝐭. From setting up processes where there were none, to mentoring newcomers and driving technical improvements, he’s left a quiet but lasting mark on almost every phase of the company’s development. And through it all, his sense of ownership has only deepened.  

“𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢’𝑣𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑑𝑎𝑦 𝑜𝑛𝑒,” he says, “𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑑𝑜𝑛’𝑡 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑎 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑦 - 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑤 𝑟𝑜𝑜𝑡𝑠.” 

Alex runs his meetings like he runs his life - 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲. “𝐼’𝑚 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑚𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑘. 𝐼 𝑑𝑜 𝑚𝑦 𝑗𝑜𝑏.” True to his words, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐝. 

𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦, 𝐏𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐜𝐲 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐭𝐨𝐧, reflects his values: experienced, reliable, self-driven. They are known for being hard-working, reliable, focused on results, great senior professionals, and the go-to team for tricky tasks. 

The team is stable and steady. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 “𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞” 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐝 - Adrian Barna, now VP Software Development. And the rest? They’re still here, thriving together. 

For Alex, leadership doesn’t mean micromanaging. It means 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞. He believes that when every team member knows their role and takes ownership, things simply work. That’s why Pharmacy Newton doesn’t need daily reminders or endless syncs. They operate like a well-tuned machine: quiet, efficient, and always moving forward. And behind that smooth rhythm is Alex, leading not with noise, but with quiet consistency and unwavering trust. 

Over the years, Alex found in CGM not just a company, but a community - one that values stability over flash, consistency over chaos, and long-term growth over short-term trends. The reasons he stayed aren't flashy headlines; they’re steady truths that have shaped his journey day after day: 

• A genuine focus on people and long-term support. 
• Access to training, conferences, and both development and personal opportunities. 
• No overtime, true work-life balance. 
• Building and maintaining our own products, with a strong focus on quality. 

For Alex, staying wasn’t about comfort - it was about alignment. The values CGM stands for are the values he lives by. And that alignment is what kept him here. 

Alex doesn’t believe in shortcuts. His journey - from a junior developer with no internet access in high school to a respected team leader - has taught him that growth is built slowly, through consistency, humility, and an eagerness to learn. For those just starting out, his message is clear: don’t rush, don’t compare, and don’t forget to ask questions.  

• Understand the industry isn’t what it used to be. Quality matters more than ever; 
• Be patient. Titles and money come with time and effort; 
• Find what you love, and become the best at it; 
• Network. Ask questions. Dare to reach out to professionals on LinkedIn or at events. 

“𝐴𝑠𝑘 𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠. 𝑇𝑎𝑙𝑘 𝑡𝑜 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒. 𝐵𝑒 𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑜𝑢𝑠,” he says. “𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑑𝑜𝑛’𝑡 𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑤 𝑏𝑦 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑙. 𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑤 𝑏𝑦 𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑎𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑔, 𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑙𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒.” 

Outside of work, Alex is a family man. No longer into traveling (unless planned to the last detail), and no longer playing football (ankles said no), he now practices karate with his eldest son. 

What started as waiting around during karate classes turned into: “Why not join in?” Today, they train side-by-side, learning discipline, balance, and respect - both in martial arts and in life. 

The younger son is not far behind. For now, he joins Alex on bike rides, but it won’t be long until he’s donning a white belt and joining the family dojo.

When he’s not coding or practicing martial arts, Alex fixes things, builds stuff, or chats with Corina about work, kids, and life. Each corner of their home tells a story. Of things built with hands, shared with joy, and lived with heart. 

It’s not about fancy getaways or picture-perfect weekends. It’s about slow Sunday mornings, bike rides at sunset, and the comfort of knowing you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be. In their home, the Wi-Fi is strong, but the connection between them is even stronger. It’s a place where values are passed down not through lectures, but through examples. Where their kids learn that success doesn’t mean constant motion, it means being present, being kind, and building something that lasts. 

In a world that celebrates fast moves, quick wins, and constant change, there is something deeply inspiring about people like Alex. People who stay, who build, who grow slowly but steadily. People who don’t just talk about balance - they live it. 

Alexandru Covașă is not just a leader at CGM. He’s a reminder that leadership starts with showing up, doing the work, caring about your team, and putting people first - both at work and at home. 

In the calm, steady rhythm of someone who’s seen it all, done it all, and still shows up every day with the same integrity and quiet strength, you find the kind of leadership that lasts. The kind we need more of. The kind that, like Alex himself, is here to stay. 

And maybe, just maybe, in this world of endless options and constant motion, we could all use a little more of Alex’s way: grounded, grateful, and growing where we’re planted.