Leaders of CGM: Georgiana Andrieș – The Chef Who Found Her Unique Recipe for Growth

Georgiana spent her childhood vacations playing endlessly at her grandparents' house in the mountain village of Tașca, Bicaz. Every single vacation was a ticket to freedom: climbing trees, catching that high-altitude sun-kiss, and forming solid childhood friendships. She used to imagine that, once school was over, she would move back there for good, living among her childhood friends and the peaceful forest silence. 

Later, her interests expanded beyond nature to the world of TV series. Depending on what she was watching, she wanted to become a forensic doctor, a lawyer, or even apply to the military academy. 

She was lucky to have her parents – calm, supportive, and realistic. They helped her navigate through the fantasy of each profession, showing her the real-life challenges behind them. As soon as she learned that military school meant strict discipline, loss of freedom, and worst of all – early mornings – she quickly moved on. 

But one dream stuck and never faded: becoming a chef. She has a clear plan to follow professional chef courses in parallel with her tech career, to open her own bakery, and maybe, one day, a full restaurant. 

“I love cooking. It gives me a unique kind of energy. Especially desserts and anything that involves decorating. I adore plating – it`s not only about tasting delicious, but it is also about looking amazing.” 

Georgiana cooks (almost) everything (she’s not thrilled about making „sarmale”), including every type of Romanian soup. They all turn out great, though she’s not very excited to eat them herself. Luckily, others are more than happy to "sacrifice" themselves. 

What she does love cooking and eating are her signature number-shaped honey cakes with white chocolate mascarpone cream and tons of fruit. We're already salivating. She’s also famous for her classic eclairs and her uniquely plated, flavor-packed homemade fast food. 

Her mother, who also makes the beloved sarmale, was always there for her, guiding her with strength and care. From her, Georgiana learned to treat everyone with respect, regardless of age, status, or anything else. Her mother also passed on two important gifts: an iron will and a passion for mathematics. 

At first, Georgiana didn’t like math. But her mother sat with her, patiently explaining every step. Her explanations were so good that Georgiana ended up loving math and craving that special feeling of solving one equation after another. 

Choosing a math-informatics high school track came naturally. When it came time to pick a university, she reflected deeply: what did she actually want to do? 

Informatics wasn’t her favorite due to a poor experience with a teacher. Medicine was off the table – she’s incredibly empathetic and couldn’t bear to see people suffer, especially on an operating table. Law was out too – too hard and too long. 

But since she had studied informatics for the baccalaureate, and it promised a future-proof career, she chose to study Computer Science. 

And to this day, she doesn’t regret it. Besides all the tech she learned, she joined ASII (The Association of IT Students in Iași), where she was part of the Internal Relations Department. Parties, teambuildings, meetups – she was the one making people smile. 

That’s also where she met Augustus, one year ahead of her, from the External Relations Department. They truly connected at a New Year’s Eve party, and since then, Gus became her boyfriend. Recently, he proposed. Do we need to mention she said YES? 

In university, she realized she wanted to pursue IT. But she had no clue what a real IT job looked like. She lacked confidence but wanted to grow. Gus encouraged her to apply for internships. So, she started sending her CV everywhere, regardless of the technology. 

She applied for CGM’s 2019 internship – and nailed the interview. The technology? FrontEnd. That was the moment Georgiana fell in love with it. 

“At CGM, I saw how real work is done – organized, with estimations, teamwork, and real deadlines. It was totally different from university. A thousand times better.” 

After the 3-month internship, she was offered a full-time job. But her mom stepped in again: „Finish your studies first. Otherwise, the taste of a paycheck might delay graduation.” So, Georgiana focused on university, with one thought in mind – to come back to CGM. 

But when she graduated, the pandemic hit. It was even harder to get a job. She checked with CGM, but there were no open FrontEnd entry-level roles. She searched high and low until she found a listing for a Junior Python position. She passed a C++ interview and ended up doing DevOps. She stayed there for 8 months, but it never felt right. Plus, she kept comparing it to CGM and the great vibes she left behind. 

Eventually, she quit. Shortly after, she got COVID. Then, both her grandparents passed away. Then, she had an appendix crisis. It felt like life was crashing around her. 

But all storms pass. About a month later, she received a message from George Augustin, her mentor from CGM: 

“Hi Georgiana. We now have two open positions you might be interested in: Junior FE and a mentorship in FE. Are you interested?” 

She was thrilled. But instead of the Junior role, she chose the mentorship one – eager to learn even more, even if it meant a smaller salary. She already knew the culture and the people. And she would get to work with George again. 

“I admire George so much. He’s an extraordinary person, a mountain of knowledge, and a true professional. His curiosity, growth, and generosity in sharing knowledge have shaped me more than I can say.” 

She spent three intense months learning under George’s wing. Meetings, readings, reviews, coding. Georgiana absorbed everything like a sponge, eager to grow. 

Her perfectionism – inherited from her grandmother – meant she wanted everything to be flawless. She took every tiny failure to heart, even crying over failed cakes. But that same drive helped her get back up and try again until it worked – whether it was a dessert or a bug fix. 

After the mentorship ended, Georgiana was offered a Junior FrontEnd Developer role on the License Management project. Of course, she said yes. But soon after joining, she realized she was the only FrontEnd developer on the team. 

“I was just a Junior and completely alone. But everyone helped and encouraged me. They had patience and supported me to build my confidence and grow fast.” 

It was a challenge, but also a huge opportunity. She had to figure things out on her own, troubleshoot without a safety net, and grow fast. License Management became her crash course in confidence, accountability, and real-world software development. 

Each year, she rose in seniority – like a phoenix with a code editor, learning to soar through ever more complex challenges. From intern to mentee, to Junior, to Mid, to Senior – Georgiana’s growth was steady, remarkable, and inspiring. 

In August 2024, she moved to the MDA project. She was nervous. Not only about the project itself, but also about leaving behind her tight-knit License Management team – her second family. But she wasn’t completely alone. Claudiu Guriță and Carmen Ioniță also moved with her, giving her strength and familiarity during the transition. 

In her new team, she rediscovered the CGM spirit: professional, but friendly. Relaxed, but focused. It felt like home. And once again, she flourished. 

Soon after, her Team Lead, Claudiu Guriță, was promoted to interim VP. Georgiana was tapped as the new Team Lead for MDA. 

She was shocked. She didn’t feel ready. Until she realized – no one ever really feels ready. 

“I panicked. I didn’t feel prepared at all. But then I told myself: you’ll never feel ready. You just have to try, to say YES to opportunities. And I knew I’d have the support of all my colleagues.” 

The leadership path hadn’t come out of nowhere. Iulian Liță, then in charge of the FrontEnd community, had already asked her to join the mentoring program for future leaders. She said yes immediately, especially because she had great admiration for Iulian. 

Adrian Barna, VP Software Development, also saw her potential and recommended her for CGM’s internal leadership workshops. Those workshops, held by Judit, were transformative. 

“Judit’s leadership workshops were pure gold. They helped me become calmer, more mature – at work and even at home.” 

Before the official promotion, Christopher Roy Turner, GM of CGM Software Romania, called her in for a meeting. He didn’t tell her why. He just wanted to understand her vision, her values, and whether leadership fit her. You can imagine her thoughts and fears, not knowing why she is being called for a 1:1 meeting with „the big boss” 

A few days later, Claudiu called her from vacation and gave her the news. Even when he was away or busy, Claudiu was still close to Georgiana, always ready to give her a helping hand. „I've always felt that I have Claudiu`s support and that he is next to me on each step of the journey. I have learned a lot from him and I am still learning, especially leadership skills. He is one of my most important pieces of my career puzzle and I will always be grateful for everything that he has done for me.” 

Stepping into leadership was both exciting and overwhelming for Georgiana. Every day, she discovered that leading a team wasn’t about knowing everything, but about listening, supporting, and growing together. She found herself learning as much as she was guiding, and realizing that leadership is a journey paved with constant reflection, trust, and courage. 

Georgiana’s leadership lessons so far: 

• Delegate. 

“I’ve learned that I don’t know everything, and I can’t do everything alone. Delegation is key – and I had to learn it the hard way.” 

• Time Management. 

“If you learn to manage your time and set priorities, everything flows easier. I’m still working on this because I tend to help my team a lot.” 

• Feedback. 

“Because of my high empathy, giving feedback is still hard sometimes. But Judit’s workshops and leadership experiences helped me understand how important and helpful feedback really is.” 

Georgiana is still growing into the role – but she’s doing it with heart, purpose, and the full support of her team. 

Staying in one place, especially in the dynamic world of IT, takes more than habit – it takes heart. For Georgiana, CGM is more than just a job. It’s where she grew up professionally, where she found mentors, friendships, meaning, and purpose. It’s the place where she knows she can continue evolving, surrounded by people who truly care. 

When asked why she stays at CGM, Georgiana’s eyes light up. 

• The People. 

“People are the main reason I don’t want to leave. No matter how hard things get or how much more money I could earn elsewhere – the right people make all the difference.” 

• The Leadership Culture. 

“When I talk to people from other companies, I realize how good we have it. All the work put into our leadership program really shows – in every person, every action.” 

• The eHealth Mission. 

“There aren’t enough words to say how rewarding it is to work in this field – to know that our app actually helps doctors. And now, working with AI – it’s extraordinary and motivating.” 

It’s this direct impact on people’s lives that fuels her motivation every single day. Knowing that behind every line of code lies a potential solution for someone in need gives her work deeper meaning and purpose. 

“Even when things get chaotic, it’s organized chaos. And I’m grateful that, compared to what I hear from others, we’re a thousand times better.” 

Outside of work, Georgiana’s passions shine just as bright: 

• Dancing – whether at home or with friends, it releases her energy. She’s even considering dance classes, especially with her wedding coming up. 
• Painting – not because she’s the next Picasso, but because it relaxes her. 
• Traveling – every weekend or free day is a chance to go somewhere. She walks tens of thousands of steps on vacation. On a rocky cliff in Zakynthos, Gus popped the question. She didn’t expect it then and after saying YES, she made him repeat the whole speech. 
• The Sea – though she grew up in the mountains, her heart belongs to the sea. Its calmness brings her peace. 
• Snowboarding - a passion that gives her an adrenaline rush and lets her reconnect with her mountain roots while slicing through snowy slopes.
• Tattoos – her stories, her milestones, her identity. 

Georgiana currently has four tattoos: 

1. Dream On lyrics by Aerosmith („Maybe tomorrow, the good Lord will take you away”) – a reminder to live in the moment. 
2. A family of three elephants – her and her parents, always united. 
3. A matching tattoo with her mother – two flowers taking care of one another. 
4. A phoenix – because every time she falls, she rises stronger. 

She plans to get one tattoo each year, just like she levels up in seniority each year. The next one? She doesn’t know yet, but it will be something meaningful. And green. Her favorite color. Maybe something about the ultimate kind of love she hopes to have with Gus – the kind her grandparents had. Her grandmother passed away two days after her grandfather passed away. She just couldn’t live without the love of her life. 

Georgiana Andrieș entered our CGM story like a summer breeze and stayed like a tattoo on our skin – a constant, vibrant reminder to live boldly, love deeply, and grow fully. 

She codes like she bakes: with soul, beauty, and detail. She leads like she lives: with grace, fire, and kindness. She gets knocked down – and rises. She doubts – and dares. She hesitates – and says YES anyway. 

In every project she touches, in every teammate she helps, in every cake she plates, there is a spark of something real and lasting. 

In Georgiana’s story, we see our own: the trials, the triumphs, the learning curves, and the people who lift us. 

And like the ink she wears with pride, Georgiana leaves a mark that doesn’t fade.