Cristian prefers dogs to cats, books over films, and mountains over beaches. His love for classical music and art mirrors his appreciation for elegance, and well-developed ideas. He prefers board games over online games, calling over texting, and LinkedIn over Instagram. Apple or Android? “That’s easy,” he answers, “Apple is more creative, clever and user-friendly!”
Happiness is a process.
Cristian’s considers his family his greatest achievement: “Happiness is a process, not something you buy or create. I feel this the most when I can be totally present ‘in the moment’ with the people I love, especially my kids.” His heart is with his family, but Cristian is equally passionate about his job and his team, always looking for ways to improve and move forward together. Maybe that’s why he admires Elon Musk’s success, even though he doesn’t like him as a person. And maybe that’s why Steve Jobs inspires him, with his sense of focus, quality and simplicity, communication skills and leadership.
Technology? It’s always about people.
“HR tech is not really about technology. It’s about UX, how we integrate tools into our lives. That’s why IT should always make things simple and pleasant,” Cristian says. A good example is Overcast, his favourite app. Besides managing your podcast, it delivers good audio quality, eliminates silences, lets you adapt speed and skip intros and outros. His second example is work-related: the Miro tool for engineering teams is a power tool to map processes and customer journeys, scale product planning structure ideas, and expand creativity.
The Birth of ProUnity
Cristian’s love for simple things is a reminder that happiness can be found in the everyday moments we overlook so often. This is also a recurring theme in his journey as a founder and Director at ProUnity.
Cristian met his co-founder David Muyldermans when he worked as an IT freelancer and David contacted him as a supplier, to hire him for a project. They immediately felt a ‘click’, and agreed there was a real need for a new hiring and collaboration model for external talent. There had to be a way to create a fairer, more transparent, and efficient way to work together. ProUnity was their answer, revolutionizing how companies interact with external talent. What started as a dream, became a daring start-up project, challenging the status quo in the market.
Ciuperca and Muyldermans, ProUnity co-founders
The moment the ProUnity team received the news that they had won their first Smals agreement, right after securing Credendo as a client, still is a powerful positive memory, Cristian says: “It was not just a new client win. It was an important validation of our idea and our approach. It confirmed we were on the right track and marked a turning point for the company”.
Looking back, Cristian believes that his best decision in developing the platform was to give a chance to the Romanian Edgeless software development team: “They had the right credentials, but it still was a leap of faith. You need to hire for attitude, not for skills. And it worked: the mindset was right, and the learning followed. Today, we’re stronger than ever, working as one team.”
ProUnity? Crazy!
If Cristian is asked to describe ProUnity in one word, he chooses “Crazy.” He believes the company’s relentless pursuit of improvement and its ability to adapt quickly to changing circumstances make it a unique environment: “If ProUnity would be an animal, it would be an octopus: It’s a fascinating and original animal, constantly moving, intelligent, and it has a lot of heart.”
Cristian is proud of this perpetual constructive motion, and the positive client feedback it generates. It highlights ProUnity’s agility and ability to quickly adapt to their needs. He also appreciates the recognition from the management of HeadFirst Group, which further confirms the value of the years of hard work and growing together.
ProUnity’s Product Director is energized by these constant opportunities to learn new things. The rapid evolution of both technology and the clients’ needs creates new opportunities he enjoys. As the company grows, he also appreciates the challenge to adapt his management style and adapt his strategic insights, which pushes him to grow as a person and professional.
Stay current and creative and embrace challenges
Cristian stays current with the latest in business and HR technology. His recent favourites include Tune and Perrins on ‘Architecture Modernization’, Rick Schwartz approach on ‘Adaptive Ethics for Digital Transformation’ and his ‘War and Peace and IT’.
He also enthusiastically follows some influencers, like ‘Reason Why’ storyteller Simon Sinek, Wall Street lawyer turned podcast interviewer Jordan Harbinger, and the editors of The Wall Street Journal’s CIO Journal. These sources confirm his belief that empowering the team and encouraging open communication is essential for staying creative and approaching continuous learning.
“Jordan Harbinger on his podcast said a quote I really like: ‘We rise by lifting others’. This is very true and applies to our team. We come from different backgrounds, countries, cultures, religions, and languages. That makes clear communication a constant point of attention, but somehow, we make it work. We rise by lifting each other; show trust and interact in a positive and open way.”
Accept change, and keep moving forward, step by step
What advice would Cristian give to other entrepreneurs? “Keep believing in your ideas, and keep moving forward, even when facing challenging times. Learn to live with uncertainty. Show persistence and support others, especially when the going gets tough.” Somehow, the idea that you need to accept things will never go perfectly, and that difficult moments are learning opportunities, are part of Cristian’s quiet strength, and as a result, of ProUnity’s success. “Keep going, also when the going gets tough, and it’s less fun. Persist. Move forward, step by step. It helps you to take well-balanced decisions and guide your team through complex challenges.”
Maybe this can be a valuable lesson for professionals and entrepreneurs who read this: accept change as a constant factor, keep an open and constructive mind, empower your team, stay calm and enjoy the rollercoaster ride, with all its ups and downs (It’s the ProUnity way!).
