What does a workplace look like when culture isn’t merely communicated, but truly lived? Where leadership creates psychological safety, development is personalized, and excellence does not mean perfection, but progress and real impact.

We continue our interview series with Booking Holdings Romania, ranked 1st in the Overall Top Angajatori Undelucram.ro ranking and also 1st in the IT&C industry. We spoke with Anca Fotache, General Manager of the organization, who joined the team in April 2022 with the mission of developing the Center of Excellence in Bucharest and scaling both operations and the team.

With solid experience in strategic leadership and active involvement in Romania’s business ecosystem, Anca speaks about excellence, organizational culture, and the balance between performance, technology, and humanity in a constantly evolving world of work.

1. Workplaces are no longer just managed, they are lived as experiences. How would you describe the employee experience in your company through the eyes of an employee?

I view the experience within our company through the metaphor of a harmonious orchestration, rather than simple administration. For an employee, this means an environment where our employer branding concept, “Excellence is Never Ordinary,” is not just a slogan, but a lived reality. We like to say that we provide the “score” – the shared vision – while every colleague is encouraged to bring their own instrument, “sound,” and “voice.” Here, authenticity, creativity, and an openness to innovation are highly valued and leveraged because we work together on projects with a global impact.

2. What aspects of your company’s work environment do you believe could be truly appreciated by future candidates?

I believe future candidates will appreciate the fact that we are a Center of Excellence supporting critical operations for global brands within the Booking Holdings portfolio, offering them the chance to work on projects with real-world impact. But beyond the technology and our premium workspaces in U-Center, I believe what they will value most is the power of connection and growth.

3. A new year brings new challenges. What have you changed in the way you present yourselves as an employer to stay aligned with what candidates will look for in 2026?

Our employer branding strategy so far has been based on tangible experiences and the real stories of our employees, as we believe that getting to know one another before becoming colleagues fosters a sense of trust and belonging even before they join the team. This year, we will continue to remain visible to potential future colleagues by attending industry events and strengthening our presence in the spaces where they are active, maintaining an approach based on transparency and direct interaction with the talent community.

4. How is the leadership direction reflected in the overall well-being of employees? In what ways does it contribute to talent attraction and retention?

Our leadership is based on the principle that the job title does not define human value – or as I like to say, “Leadership is not about altitude, but about attitude”. This approach, where the leader does not stand on a pedestal but is a partner, creates psychological safety and encourages high retention. People stay where they are treated as valued contributors to shared objectives and where leaders harmonize innovation with ethics and care for people.

5. What are the biggest challenges in talent recruitment in Romania, and how do you adapt to them?

Organizational culture is the foundation upon which our long-term success is built; it is the element that differentiates us, attracts top talent, and ensures retention. Regardless of market challenges, continuous adaptation is essential, and our direction remains clear: to continue to be an “employer of choice” by always placing people at the heart of our business strategy.

6. Personally, what leadership benchmarks inspire you in your role and daily activity? Name three people or information sources you follow.

I am deeply inspired by the people around me; I believe that every person is a source of valuable lessons. I learn most from those for whom achieving excellence involves sustained, yet meaningful effort, and who view life not just as a series of limits, but as a continuous process of transcending them.

Through our “Portraits of Excellence” initiative, I’ve had the privilege of interacting directly with remarkable figures such as Constantin Lăcătușu, Ana Maria Brânză, Andreea Răducan, and Cornel Amariei. They are true role models for me, as they exemplify the vision that authentic leadership springs from the courage to explore the unknown and achieve high performance, while simultaneously preserving our humanity and our orientation toward doing good.

7. How would you describe your professional journey within this company? What lessons have you learned, and how do you apply them to offer employees the best possible experience?

My journey began in April 2022, with the mission to lay a solid foundation for the Center of Excellence in Bucharest and to scale both the operations and the team. The most valuable lesson I’ve learned is the power of connection – my role is to be an architect of connections between people, as well as between people and the organizational vision. I apply this lesson by ensuring that we provide employees with strategic clarity and an environment where collaboration is authentic, so they can develop and perform at their best.

8. Among the projects you have coordinated, which do you believe had the strongest impact on the organization?

It’s difficult to rank them. I view the organization as an ecosystem where every initiative contributes to the success of the Center of Excellence. We have projects that impact both the organization and the local community. For example, this year we are launching the fourth edition of the MAGIS MUNDI program, through which our colleagues step into the role of trainers for two weeks. This initiative brings about real change in participants’ lives, supporting those who seek a career change or helping to balance the workforce within the technology sector.

9. If you were to describe in one word your most important contribution to the company’s success so far, what would that word be?

Excellence – and this word describes not only my contribution, but that of all my colleagues. This is the essence of the company, embedded in the DNA of every employee, and visible both in our culture and in the quality of the services our teams deliver.

10. Personal development is an essential part of an employee’s experience. How do you encourage this direction?

Continuous learning is an integral part of our organizational culture. We support professional development by offering a high degree of autonomy through our Learning Wallet program, which allows every employee to choose the learning resources that best fit their needs. Complementary to this, we have our own internal academies: DARE for all employees (focused on upskilling) and LEAD for managers (focused on leadership growth).

Through these initiatives, we create an ecosystem where curiosity is encouraged and professional growth becomes a personalized journey. We also actively foster a culture of learning and knowledge sharing through our Communities of Practice.

11. Every employee is unique. How do you encourage and leverage each team member’s strengths to achieve better collective performance?

We see the team as an orchestra made up of people with unique instruments. One of our values is to ensure that “the sum is greater than our parts”. We encourage diversity of ideas through Communities of Practice and recognize individual contributions through the “People of Excellence” program. Thus, each colleague feels valued while contributing to the collective symphony.

12. Is salary still the most important factor when choosing an employer? How is this topic perceived from your organization’s perspective?

The decision to choose one company over another varies greatly from one employee to the next. From my perspective, it is the result of analyzing a combination of factors, where salary plays an important role but is not always the deciding one. Employees look for a holistic package that includes high-impact projects, flexibility (such as our “Work from Abroad” program), wellbeing (like our “Excellence in Me” initiative), and, above all, a healthy culture.

13. AI is increasingly present in organizations across Romania. How do you approach this phenomenon? How do you prepare employees, emotionally and technically, to ensure a smooth and positive experience with this tool?

We view AI as an opportunity for transformation and innovation. We integrate it not only into our products but also into internal processes and learning. To prepare employees, we created the “AI & Friends” community, a safe space where engineers share expertise and innovate. At the end of last year, we also organized an internal knowledge-sharing conference where our colleagues took on the role of trainers.

Together, we explored the AI tools available within the company that help us streamline our work and stimulate innovation, while diving deeper into the practical meaning of responsible AI and the policies that guide us. Our approach is balanced: we use technology to amplify human potential while maintaining a people-centric culture.

14. Name three trends you expect to shape the labor market in the coming year. How are you aligning your strategy to respond effectively to these changes?

We anticipate three major trends: the need for flexibility and personal life–professional life integration (not just work-life balance), digitalization/AI in HR and operations, and a growing focus on reskilling. We align our strategy by being an adaptable company: offering programs like Work from Abroad, investing in digital HR tools to improve the employee experience, and running internal upskilling/reskilling programs such as Career Compass.

15. Our recent study indicates a gap between graduates’ preparedness and the real expectations of companies in Romania. How do you address this phenomenon? Does your organization have mentorship or onboarding programs for entry-level roles?

We don’t wait for the system to solve everything; we believe it is our duty to contribute to development and are active in the local educational sector through various initiatives. Last year, we inaugurated the renovation of four seminar and laboratory spaces at the Faculty of Automatic Control and Computer Science of the National University of Science and Technology Politehnica Bucharest. For three years, through the MAGIS MUNDI program, we have been supporting those seeking professional retraining in emerging fields and promoting gender equality within the IT sector.

Additionally, through our partnership with the Employers' Association of the Software and Services Industry (ANIS), we have provided scholarships for educational projects. We also joined the ABSL (Association of Business Services Leaders) “Careers Day” initiative in collaboration with the Values School Association, aiming to facilitate interaction between students and career opportunities in the business services sector.

16. How do you adapt your benefits packages to meet the expectations of different categories of candidates?

We use a data-driven approach and continuous feedback to understand diverse needs. Thus, we created a flexible package that responds to different life stages: from Bike Rental and events for active employees, to initiatives for our colleagues’ children and the Learning Wallet for those eager for accelerated growth. Flexibility is key to meeting the needs of a diverse team.

17. If some of our readers are candidates interested in joining your team, what feeling would you like them to leave with after reading this interview?

I want them to walk away feeling that at Booking Holdings Romania, excellence isn’t about perfection – it’s a source of inspiration, a drive to push boundaries and reach one’s full potential. I want them to know that their ambitions are backed by a united team in a safe environment, where managers understand that leadership is more about attitude than the “altitude” of a job title. We are a place where they can innovate, be their authentic selves, and make a global impact.

18. What elements do you believe contributed to your company being recognized as a Top Employer, and how do employees experience these aspects within your organizational culture?

I believe the key element was authenticity – the fact that our values are integrated into our culture and daily lives, rather than being just slogans written on the walls. Ranking first confirms that we have built a healthy organization as a result of the constant feedback we receive from colleagues, where people feel heard and respected. Employees experience these aspects through an environment that supports their balance and development, feeling that they are part of a community of excellence, not just a corporation.

19. What measures do you implement to support a culture of continuous employee feedback, and how does this help maintain your company’s status as a Top Employer?

We support continuous feedback through dedicated tools in the performance management process, frequent surveys, and All Hands events. We promote a culture where each voice matters. This helps us remain a Top Employer because it allows us to quickly adapt and correct things that aren’t working, demonstrating that we truly care about everyone’s experience.

20. What role does leadership play in sustaining your company’s success as a Top Employer, and how is this reflected in your team development strategy?

Leadership is the architect of this culture. Our role is to harmonize innovation with care for people, always remembering that people are the subject, not the object of our work. We invest in leaders through development programs such as our LEAD Academy so they can inspire and support their teams. A good leader does not put themselves on a pedestal but creates the context for their team to shine; this is the attitude that sustains success.

If you would like to discover more about the culture and career opportunities at Booking Holdings Romania, we invite you to explore their employer page on Undelucram.ro.