Women in Business – Power and femininity in business

With a sector worth over 6 billion dollars and a growth rate of over 30%, Romania is one of the most interesting emerging markets for online commerce in Europe. As a leader in online payments in Romania, PayU is proud to be part of this growing ecosystem.

 

As e-commerce and digitalization have expanded rapidly in recent years in the Romanian market, few people have been closer to the action, and among them is Elena Gheorghe, PayU Romania Country Manager. With the help of important projects carried out by Elena and her team, PayU has become a trusted voice in the Romanian media and online commerce industry.

 

In recognition of her efforts, Elena was recently presented by Business Magazine Romania as one of the 100 strongest women in Romania. In the catalog interview, Elena talked about leadership, employee motivation and the relationship between power and femininity in business.

 

Elena Gheorghe’s appearance can be seen on page 14, and the catalog can be accessed here.

 

 

Interview with Elena Gheorghe, PayU Country Manager Romania

 

The most important lesson I learned in the pandemic is:

Being close to numbers and analysis, I would rather say what I observed during a year of pandemic. The way we socialize has changed, we use the digital environment a lot, the physical interactions have been significantly reduced, and all this is directly reflected in the way we act. We analyze much more deeply the things we do and whether they are really relevant to us, if they really fulfill us. I think the “normal” after the pandemic will be very different from what we knew until now.

 

The most important decision I have made in the last year:

Taking over the current role, in the midst of a pandemic, was not only the most important decision but also a challenge that I accepted with great courage. I think a good leader is always close to people, and during this period it was quite difficult to achieve, due to restrictions. Practically the only physical interaction was during the Black Friday event, with a very small number of colleagues. But I always found solutions to keep the team spirit.

 

 

Work from home or from the office? Why?

I strongly believe that a balance between the two is best. Going from one extreme to another is not a healthy thing, and we see this from the research that has emerged recently. Complex projects are better managed when there is physical interaction, the dynamics change, and the degree of attention and involvement during meetings is different. On the other hand, we must also mention the good parts of working from home. For example, it allows women, especially mothers, to spend more time with children who are still young or with household activities.

 

How I kept my colleagues motivated over the last year:

A leader must be close to people and inspire them. I like to believe that through my energy, involvement and attitude of “we can do it” I managed to maintain team spirit and motivation among colleagues.

 

The place where I get the energy I need to overcome a crisis, such as the one generated by the pandemic:

Going out in nature and, of course, my passions are the main sources that charge me with energy.

 

The person who inspired me the most during this period:

My family and people close to me were the main source of inspiration. The support of family and loved ones, especially in such a period, are very important.

 

Power vs. femininity: are they excluded or vice versa?

Power and femininity are not excluded. On the contrary, a mix between the two helps balance, moderation and empathy in society, but especially in business.