Axel Girardetti, Central & Eastern Europe ALTEN Director: "Although financial growth was lower than we expected, we still had positive results"

Forbes Romania invited the Romanian business community to answer the most important questions of the moment in the editorial project # lecțiipentru2021.

Evoluția companiei într-un cuvânt

Flexibility.

This year has undoubtedly turned out to be quite different from what we had envisioned back in January. Nevertheless, it was a year in which we grew and learned a great deal. At team level, we unequivocally understood the power of adapting to the changes around us and, having learned to integrate the values we believe in (a job well done, professionalism, expertise) in a remote way of working, we succeeded in staying close to our clients and continuing all the projects we had initiated prior to the pandemic. Moreover, at least where we are concerned, since the fall, we noticed a rising appetite for new projects, which indicates that our market and activity are on the way to recovery. Even though the financial growth was smaller than expected, it was still a positive result, especially in the Telco and Finance industry, less in the Automotive sector. Consequently, overall, I am confident that 2020 will contribute to the evolution and maturing of the engineering and IT services’ market, while simultaneously positioning ALTEN as a long-term partner for our clients.

The most important lessons

I believe that the multitude of changes during this period, but especially remote work, have once again underlined how deeply important the team is. In essence, employees are a company’s most important assets, because it is on them that its development rests. Thus, ensuring a working environment in which people can reach their potential and literally shine in their roles is essential for me personally, as well as for ALTEN Romania. Consequently, this year, we paid even more attention to each individual employee in order to ensure that, despite the difficult period we faced, they all continue to appreciate their work, continue to learn and develop their careers as they wish. Our teams and the business are very resilient and we are more than ever focusing on taking care of each other.

Authorities performance

I believe that the Romanian authorities, just as we all did during this period, have tried to adapt to the situation and find the right solutions even when not all details were available. This is, undoubtedly, a daunting task. I would like, in 2021, to see a more long-term strategy for supporting the economy, especially covering those industries which were directly affected by restrictions in the past months, thereby ensuring that the entire business environment will be able to successfully navigate the challenges and become stronger and more competitive. In a global context in which most countries are facing similar challenges, a more flexible and responsible approach could positively impact Romania’s competitiveness in a major way.

Business Strategy for 2021

Pesonally, I hope that this year and the projects undertaken in these months will serve to convince the world’s biggest companies to have more confidence in Romania’s potential and either increase their existing investments or contribute with new ones. I expect that the high speed of digitalization will allow for physical distances to become irrelevant and lead to a never before seen flexibility of processes. I believe that, should these two trends come to fruition, we could see important opportunities for us, as a company and as a country. Hence, building on these characteristics, the first point on ur list is and always was to invest in our existing and new talent. This is followed by another key point, the flexibility of our internal processes with more empowerment at all levels. Last but not least, new investments – we are actively looking for potential in the market, to invest in new cities and also in external acquisitions.

2021 Challanges

I believe that the arrival of 2021 will not immediately lead to solving all the issues and challenges related to the pandemic, even if the perspectives for managing the global situation in the coming year are looking more promising. As a result, I feel that the “healthiest” approach will be to continue to be adaptable and to no longer expect a return to the old “normal”, but to continue to innovate in the way in which we work.

Article published by Forbes Romania.