If we were to write a script with Alex Cojocaru as the protagonist, one of the #OameniidelaBanca from the Cluj team, it might go like this: after a full day at the BT branch on Bulevardul Eroilor, Alex drops into his office chair, closes his eyes and gives himself a push to spin around—at which point the air stirred by the movement takes his mind to the wind he’ll feel on his next bike ride along a spectacular mountain ridge. Alex does both banking and biking. Mountain biking.

He loves the outdoors. When he’s surrounded by mountains, Alex is in his element—and it recharges him, especially if he’s out there with his wife, who shares the same passions, including skiing, snowboarding and trekking.

We could say Alex is a branch manager, because he is, but something about that sounds wrong. No, Alex isn’t a boss. Alex is a leader. 

“If you’re a good manager, a true leader, you help each person develop and grow more. My role is to be there for them. I’ve always liked that, and my colleagues know it. We must always have open conversations—from their lives to work-related issues—because it all blends together. You can’t ignore that,” he says.

He’s been in banking since 2004. He attended a computer science high school in Resita, then went on to the Bucharest University of Economic Studies, only to realize that the hustle of a big city wasn’t for him, so he returned to his hometown.

At 23 and a bit, he pictured himself working for a foreign trade company, but an opportunity came up at a bank. His relationship with banking was interrupted for two years while he worked in consulting. Still, as he told us, you never forget your first love, so he came back to banking.

After feeling that Resita had nothing more to offer, he took a big step and joined us in Cluj: “Banking is very stressful, but people who have worked only at BT don’t realize that. BT has something special, for the simple reason that people care about people. (...) It’s something I’ve taken on board myself and I want to carry it forward.” – the first ingredient in the recipe for a successful leader.

“The main thing I look for in a candidate isn’t for them to recite security protocols, but to see that they, as a person, could fit into the team we already have there” – the second ingredient in the recipe for a successful leader. The rest of the ingredients remain secret.

Alex, your perspective makes us proud that among the #OameniidelaBanca there’s also a mountain lover! ❤

Photo credit: Vlad Cupsa