Ovidiu Drîmbă: How can you become one of the youngest VPs within CGM

He was born on the same day as Harry Potter (well, only the day, not the year) and he dreamed to become a police officer, just like his grandfather. Until he entered the 4th grade, when he saw and touched a computer for the first time and fell in love immediately with it. It became such a true passion, that a few years later he even helped his mother, a pharmacist, to find out more on digitalization. He then followed an IT profile at highschool, a Computer Science Faculty and entered the IT work field.  

This year, at 32 years old, he became one of the youngest VPs within CGM, coordinating activities like a police officer the way he dreamed it and doing his magic just like Harry Potter. He is a true Star Wars fan, he simply loves Science Fiction, especially Isaac Asimov, and tennis, both playing and watching it.  

Let`s get to know Ovidiu Drîmbă better and find out what he has to say about his career path and his values in life.

There is a question on everyone lips, so we have to solve the mystery: how can someone become a VP at such a young age?  

Well, let me tell you my entire career path and you will easily understand how I evolved within CGM and, especially, how everyone can do it. When I joined CGM in September 2018, I knew that it was the perfect place for me to grow. At first, I started with a technical role as an iOS Developer, which I loved, because for me iOS is more than work, it is passion.  

In December 2019, I became Team Lead, a role that I wanted to have for a long time, because I love coordinating things and making sure that all the things are going into the right direction. In September 2020, exactly two years after I joined CGM, I became PO, which it was a different level of leading – developing a product, clarifying specifications, having a certain power and responsibility.  

In May 2022, after almost 4 years in CGM, I became VP on mobile teams, which is a totally different level of communication, transparency, responsibility and alignment. Because you have to be there for the people, to make sure that both them and the company are going to the planned direction. It is a new place in my career where I can learn more and more and where I am able to implement so many amazing ideas and projects. It is a different league and I`m totally loving it. And I wouldn`t have been able to succeed if it wasn`t for the right people around me and their trust in me, knowing that I am the right person for the job and that I can do it.  

A VP role comes with a lot of responsibility but also with a full agenda and with a very little time for yourself. I know that you are always in meetings, always running from one team to another, always helping someone or solving a problem. Why do you do it and, more importantly, how do you do it?  

I want to offer support and I like being able to do it. It`s easy to do it once you get organized and you love what you are doing. So, in order to succeed in doing everything and doing it good, you must be totally engaged, always in the loop, understanding the people and the situations, perfectly organizing your calendar and always blocking some slots for administrative or development tasks. That is how you make sure that there will be no unexpected situations and even if they appear, you have the time and the plans for them.  

Everyone knows that you have an amazing team. What makes a successful team for you and how did you manage to build such a united team?  

I strongly believe in Scrum values: commitment, courage, focus, openness, and respect. I think that there are some indispensable things that you cannot succeed without and that can help you move forward, into the right direction. I`m speaking about respect, transparency, communication, patience, trust, giving time, the chemistry between people and, of course, the luck of having the right people around you.  

Let`s see what Alexandru Sima, Quality Assurance Professional, Scrum Master & Ovidiu`s colleague, has to say about Ovidiu Drîmbă.

„I met Ovidiu in May 2019, when I joined the LIFE project. My first impression of him was that he was categorical, direct and maybe a little exigent. But once we started to work together, we formed a perfect team, because we are both focused on solving problems and on open communication. He was a developer by that time, but I noticed from the very beginning that he wanted to do more than his role and that he actually had the potential to do it. So, when he became a VP, it was no surprise for me. And even if I got a little sad, because I knew that it meant that we won`t spend as much time together, I was really happy for him. Ovidiu supports others` growth, gives the vote of confidence when needed, he is a fun and easy to work colleague and he likes to take action when red flags are spotted. When he became PO, he created an environment of openness, respect and communication and he managed to take the team to another level. And what I`ve learned from him, besides all the technical stuff, is what he encourages everyone to do: to stand and speak for yourself. And to speak out even those things that are a little less pleasant, because this is the only way to change things and let them grow into the right direction.” 

Please tell us more about your team and the projects that you work at.  

There were just a few changes within the team over the years. For example, only two people left in 4 years. From 2018 to 2021, we worked on LIFE, an application which is a personal health record in Germany, with around 22 different medical information about the patient. Starting September 2021, we moved to CLICKDOC, the main product within CGM, which centralizes communication and information exchange between healthcare professionals, payers and patients in one digital platform that is seamlessly integrated into CGM and non-CGM primary healthcare systems.  

We are now working at some new features for CLICKDOC that will help a lot the users in Germany in the next months and further on. Until we will launch them, all we can say is that we are involved in improving the user experience and the native functionalities of the operation system.  

Indeed, we have a lot of work to do and so many big plans for the future. Lately, the company passed through some good changes, one of them being that there is a new formula of VPs, with a fresh mindset and a pro-active attitude. What can you tell us about the plans for 2023 in this formula?  

We are definitely focused on growing. First of all, growing the teams on both technical and non-technical level. Second of all, growing new products in Romania, either developed from scratch, either already developed.  

So, yes, I am really excited about my colleagues in this new formula and I am absolutely convinced that we are on the right track, moving things forward, towards the perfect growth.  

Ovidiu, what do you like most about working at CGM Software Romania?  

Oh, there are so many things that I like here. It is the freedom that we have in creating the products and coming with our input. It is the flexibility. The opportunity of growing and evolving. And, the most important thing, it is the people who are simply amazing.  

„I met Ovidiu in my hiring interview at CGM. My first impression was that he was very dedicated and professional. We are working together now so it did not take too much time until he actually proved those qualities to me and many others (so yea, I got hired). He is easy to work with, he was basically my closest mentor, he gladly answered all of my questions and really helped me along the way. Nothing bad to say about him, but on a funny note, let's say that his flaw is that he is too busy. I guess this comes naturally when you are good at what you're doing.”

You told me that for you iOS is more than a job, it is a passion. If you could define iOS for an old lady, what would you explain to her about iOS?  

I would say that iOS is the foundation on which you can build anything, if you have the imagination and the freedom. And it is so pleasant and so common nowadays, that even a 9 years-old can do it.  

Speaking of children, go back to your childhood and think about your entire life until now. What is the best piece of advice and the best lessons that you`ve learned in your life?    

That it is ok to make mistakes. Most of the things that I know I`ve learned by making mistakes. And, of course, by spending a lot of time for my personal development. I strongly believe that if you want to excel and to be good at what you do, you must spend more time on yourself than the normal working program. That is why I have always worked and studied in my so-called „free time” and I will always will, because I know how it can help me in becoming better and better in who I am and in what I do. And of course, to understand that it takes time to grow, so having patience and working all the time on your plan is crucial.  

Now that we`ve reached the end of our discussion, let`s look more into the future and let`s talk about eHealth, this beautiful domain that we work in. How do you see the future of eHealth in Romania and worldwide?  

When you say eHealth, you say so many things. Because this area and its niches are huge. eHealth should be clear and easy to understand. And it should be for everyone. It should be accessible from 2 clicks and it should be fast. Basically, eHealth improves life quality and it reduces the costs. And, most importantly, it connects the patient with the doctors and the medical systems and it keeps the humanity healthier.  

And I am more than honored to be part of this eHealth revolution and to contribute to the digitalization of health with the best people aside. Because I know that what we do saves people's lives across the globe and improves the work of so many professionals in the medical market worldwide.  

If you want to keep in touch with Ovidiu and find out more about what we are doing so great together in here, you can follow both him and our page on LinkedIn. Be #ALLINforInspiration and #ALLINforGrowing.