Cătălina, how did you originally come to Xella?

At the beginning of my career, I worked as a history teacher for two years. When my daughter was born, my priorities shifted, and I decided to take a new professional path, where I have opportunities to grow further. I started as an office clerk in the building sector, where I was involved in a wide range of tasks from onsite support to purchasing and logistics. That experience gave me my first insights into the industry.
Later, I joined Xella as an assistant. From the very beginning, I felt warmly welcomed by a supportive team. My colleagues shared their knowledge openly, and that made the integration smooth. The team spirit was truly everything.

And how has your journey at Xella evolved since then?

I started out handling administrative tasks and supporting colleagues in various departments and brought in my organizational skills. Recently, I moved into a new role as area sales manager. I’m still in the transition and learning phase, but it feels like a natural step forward. Luckily, I already knew the sales colleagues, which made it easier to integrate and get started. The big difference is that now I’m not just supporting the team, I’m part of it and will be responsible for my own area.

How would you describe the challenges in your new area of responsibility? What benefit does your past experience grant you in this?

The transition itself is both exciting and challenging. My background helps me a lot: as a teacher, I developed strong communication skills and learned how to explain things clearly, which is something very useful in sales. As an assistant, I built organizational skills, and my earlier onsite experience gave me a practical, hands-on perspective. Altogether, it feels like a natural progression. I’m motivated to keep growing, push myself, and rise to new challenges.

What drives you personally?

My biggest motivation is my daughter. I want to be a role model for her and make her proud. That inspires me to keep learning, improving, and stepping outside my comfort zone. I’m ambitious and always aim to exceed expectations.

Outside of your usual role, you’re also engaged in voluntary work together with your colleagues and charities. What motivates you there?

For me, volunteering is about giving back. I’m also a first aid volunteer, and I try to do everything I can to support others. I believe that when you receive things in life, it’s important to show gratitude and also share something with the community.

What do you do when you're not working?

Running has become a big passion of mine. It all started with training together with colleagues for the charitable United Way runs at Xella Romania. That inspired me to keep going, and now I’m even preparing for a half marathon in September. What makes it even better is that I motivated my husband to take up running again, and he’s also joining the race.