“Passionate and stubborn, with a good sense of humor”: that’s how Monica Lefterica describes herself. “At work I try to be the best version of myself, especially since I was promoted to Capex Manager at Mega Image, Ahold Delhaize’s brand in Romania. Sure, I need to be a ‘tough boss’ at times, but for the most part, I want to be the sort of leader that my team feels comfortable approaching if they have questions or need advice. Seeing the members of my team grow is the most fulfilling aspect of my job.”
If it wasn’t for her parents, it’s highly unlikely that Monica would have chosen to study accounting. Had she been making the call alone, she would have done something that allows her to express her artistic, creative side. Fate, or, rather, her parents, decided otherwise. “They strongly advised me to pursue studies in a field like accounting, where I could actually make money. In a country like Romania in particular, it’s often smarter to go for the safer choice. Don’t get me wrong, I have no regrets: I like my job, I’m happy with the career I’ve had so far, and I appreciate the things I’ve learned and the people I’ve met along the way. But studying accounting was definitely a choice made with the head, not with the heart.”
Before joining Mega Image in 2010, Monica worked for a Romanian bank as a debt collector. “I had a great time there, but after two years, I was ready for a change. I wanted to switch to a role more relevant to my area of study. I applied for several jobs but was rejected every time due to a lack of real work experience in the accounting field. It was incredibly frustrating. How was I supposed to get experience if no one would hire me? Things changed when I applied at Mega Image. They looked beyond my CV and hired me despite my lack of ‘real’ accounting experience. I was over the moon!”
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From 100 to 1000 stores
So much has happened in the 12 years that Monica has been with the company. “We’ve both grown massively – the company and I. I remember when we celebrated the opening of our 100th store. Today, we have over 1000 stores. Can you imagine? It’s amazing to think about how far we’ve come and how we, as a Finance team, have contributed to that journey. The company has matured and evolved on so many different levels. We have built a team based on trust and humor. We work incredibly hard and always deliver, but we also like to have fun together. The incredible people at this company are, without a doubt, the main reason I still enjoy my work as much as I do, even after 12 years. There are just so many amazing, smart people here with whom it’s so easy to connect – I call many of them friends.”
Personally, Monica has made great strides, too. “I’ve learned so much from the different people I’ve worked with and their approaches, as well as from the various teams I’ve been part of. I need to feel challenged and like I’m constantly moving forward; otherwise, I get bored. I’ve made many strides along the way, with my promotion to Capex Manager last April being my most recent achievement. It was actually a bit like history repeating itself: again, I applied for the role without any real experience in the relevant area, which, in this case, was management. Even though the company interviewed other candidates who all had managerial experience, they still decided to appoint me. Like the first time, they showed that they look further than a CV and rather focus on the skills needed for the position, while also offering opportunities for learning and growth. When they offered me the job, it was like being proposed to all over again – I was just as happy!”
From darkness to light
As Capex Manager, Monica wants to give her team the same opportunities that she’s been given over the years. “There are 12 of us in total. The team is completely new – no one has been with the company longer than a year. It’s great to see them develop and grow. They’re excellent professionals and fantastic people, too. One of them is very shy, while another can’t stop talking. There’s a man who’s passionate about poetry – every email he sends is essentially a poem. It’s a ‘sweet chaos’ when we’re all together, but collectively, we deliver the best results. As their manager, I hope to be able to lead them from darkness to light, as biblical as that might sound. I just hope they know that they can always approach me with any kind of question they might have, and if I don’t have the answer, I’ll go out of my way to find it. They can rely on me for support and trust, but they’re also welcome to send me funny WhatsApp messages, which they often do. Those always make me smile.”
At the end of the day, Monica’s number one source of happiness is her four-year-old daughter, Bianca. “She’s the most amazing creature. I love her to pieces. Every morning we leave home together at 6.30 and I drop her off at daycare. At the end of the workday, I leave the office at 6pm and pick her up, but thanks to traffic, it takes us two hours to get home. As annoying as that is (particularly when it would take only 20 minutes without traffic), it’s the perfect opportunity for Bianca and me to chat about our days. It makes me love our daily commutes.”
Weekends are 100% reserved for Bianca and Monica’s husband, Mihael. “We start the typical weekend day with a nice family breakfast, followed by a stroll in the park with our dog – a big white wolf named Yuki – or a trip to the mountains. Otherwise, sometimes we stay at home and Bianca plays in the garden where we have our own ‘mini farm’: aside from Yuki, we also have a cat, Maya; a chinchilla; and an aquarium filled with different fish. Luckily, Bianca is just as much of an animal lover as I am. She feeds them, brushes them and takes care of them. It’s one of the life lessons I hope to teach her: to love and take responsibility for animals. What else do I hope she learns from me? To keep believing in herself, and to always hold her head high. And to pursue whatever career she wants to, haha.”
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Name: Monica Mihaela Lefterica (1988)
Started working at Delhaize Romania (Mega Image): December 2010
Studied: MA Accounting (Bucharest University of Economic Studies, 2012)
Living with: My husband, Mihael, and our daughter, Bianca (4)
Hobbies: Painting, caring for animals and playing snooker (and no, that’s not the same as playing pool!)
Wake me up in the middle of the night for: An all-girls pajama party
Favorite holiday destination: Greece or Paris
Life-changing event: The journey from getting pregnant to giving birth to Bianca. The entire process blew my mind
Biggest source of inspiration: My husband and my parents
Best advice I’ve ever received: Same advice I give everybody else: “Always believe in yourself and hold your head up high”
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