Horea Ratiu (.msg Romania): Focusing on outcomes instead of obstacles is what breeds success

Although 2022 was a rather difficult year for the local economy in general—and the IT sector in particular—Horea Ratiu, managing director at .msg Romania, saw his company blossoming as it capitalised on its competitive advantages and managed to turn challenges into business opportunities.

By Anda Sebesi

At .msg Romania, among other significant achievements, 2022 was marked by the onboarding of over 100 new people, on a market that is flooded with job openings, and this was achieved without making any compromises in terms of quality and values. “.msg Romania is a unique combination of product development and IT solution consulting. That provides the business and its employees with real stability even in volatile periods, such as the one our industry is experiencing right now,” says Horea Ratiu, adding that reaching the milestone of 700 employees helped the company better manage the growing number of challenging projects that it is currently working on, such as the development of the group’s global marketplace, which is 100 percent made in Romania, or a range of new innovative solutions for its clients. “Our skills allow us to develop ecosystems that support our clients’ plans to become more sustainable in the long term. We are also one of the few companies with cross-industry expertise, which makes a massive difference for the companies we are working with and generates a steady stream of new projects as well,” Ratiu adds.

Read more about

Roxana Memetea (DDB & Tribal): There is a growing emphasis on the power of emotion to create a strong connection between brand and consumer, even with a slight hint of “nostalgia”

read more

The managing director says that even in today’s highly competitive job market, .msg Romania has maintained a low turnover rate by helping its employees access every benefit made available through the company’s culture. “What others called ‘the new post-pandemic way of working’ was already the norm for our team: high flexibility in terms of schedules, remote working, and so on.” The company’s biggest current challenge is predicting and meeting the evolving needs of its employees. “Companies are not yet equipped to handle the potential increase in cases of burnout, anxiety, and similar issues inside their teams in the coming years. We want to be part of our colleagues’ future as a supportive and open-minded partner,” Ratiu explains. He also mentions that he strongly advocates positive thinking and believes a positive attitude can help people overcome even the toughest challenges. He also encourages others to adopt this mindset and helps them find their ideal role based on real skills, not on their assigned tasks.

“.msg Romania sets itself apart from other IT companies on the market by sitting down with its clients and collaborating closely to discover their true needs; we are on equal footing with major clients in industries such as automotive, insurance, and banking. This requires a forward-thinking and innovative approach as well as deep expertise in multiple areas.”

Asked about a lesson he has learned during his career, Ratiu says that even in long-term partnerships, one success story is not necessarily followed by another. “Therefore, I treat every new project with the same level of attention and enthusiasm and ask my team to focus on its outcomes, and not on its challenges. Having been appointed Managing Director of the Romanian team, I believe that we’ve proven our contribution to the group’s growth through successful and unique projects that reinforced the reputation of the local know-how,” Ratiu concludes.