If you ever hear someone at the Bucharest North branch calling out for Radu, you might be surprised when a young woman with a big smile turns up, ready to help whoever needs it. Yup, that’s Alexandra Mihaela Radu, one of our #OameniidelaBanca whose positive energy is impossible to resist!

Let’s start at the beginning: why Radu and not Alexandra or Mihaela? When she joined BT in the summer of 2015, her colleagues called her Mihaela — but there was a snag: a colleague had the same name, and when clients called (sharing the same office meant they shared the same phone) they’d say, “I want to speak to Mihaela.” Okay, but which one? To end the confusion and the tongue-tied moments, Mihaela started introducing herself as Alexandra.

In the meantime (more on that in a moment) she moved to another branch and became a Client Relationship Manager for SMEs. Her new colleagues put their hands on their hips, tilted their heads with an appraising look, thought it over, and said something like, “You know what, Radu? That sounds better — we’ll call you that.” It didn’t take long for her to make friends with her new teammates, who keep the office atmosphere wonderfully warm.

As she moved through several roles at BT — starting in account administration for six months from day one, then acting branch manager, senior account administration, client relationship manager in retail, then in Micro, and now in SMEs — she’s proven there’s no such thing as “I can’t” and that it’s always worth finding the courage to try something new.

Two simple examples: at her 2015 interview, Alexandra had just graduated and wasn’t intimidated by the unknown; a few years later, when she decided to apply for a Client Relationship Manager role in Micro, the branch manager asked, “Do you feel ready?” and she replied firmly: “No. But it’s a challenge,” and turned that challenge into something she’s mastered. A big factor in this success is that, for her, the workday doesn’t have a fixed schedule — she loves what she does, doesn’t watch the clock, and doesn’t call it a day at 5:30; she finishes only when she knows she’s ticked everything off her to-do list.

When it comes to the clients she talks to every day, her priority is to:

“explain things and be honest with them. Some clients come to me and don’t tell me what loan they want; they say — Here are my plans, tell me what loan suits me — and they go with our advice because it’s only benefited them so far. They’ve appreciated our honesty — mine and my colleagues’ — and things have gone very well for them afterwards. (…)”.



And when she meets someone new who isn’t yet her client, the conversation is just as open: “When they come to the bank, clients want to know about transactions, how we communicate, whether they have an RM (relationship manager) assigned, whether they can rely on us. That’s why they come to the bank and that’s why we RMs are here: to provide support, information, documents — anything — and the discussion starts from there. We try to learn as much as possible about the business, how it works and what the client needs.”

Weekdays don’t leave her much spare time, but she keeps weekends for trips home to her parents in Slatina, walks in IOR Park — her favorite — and meet-ups with close friends. Sundays are the most relaxing, starting with a steaming cup of coffee and ending calm and 100% ready for a new week.

Somewhere along the days when she lets her mind wander, she’s reminded how much she’d enjoy a mountain hike, fresh air and green grass — and that one day she’d even like to have an owl as a pet. Yes, Alexandra loves owls! They have a charm of their own: they’re wise, mysterious and very sure of themselves — just like our Alexandra!

Dear Alexandra, we’re delighted to count you among the #OameniidelaBanca and we’re glad you’re part of our team! ❤

Photo credit: Vlad Cupsa