Meet Iulia-Nina! Validation and Synthesis Pilot at AKKA Romania

Tell me about your background and culture, where you took off, and how it evolved.

Born in a small village in Transylvania, I moved to Cluj-Napoca when I was 19 to follow my dream of becoming an automotive engineer in order to be capable of inventing and innovating in my field. During my University years, I was involved in different projects which led me to achieve experience and to grow my skills.  

Being passionate about vehicles and motorsport, I worked consciously with a rally team in Romania which was in the National, European, and World Rally Championships. I am a certified Driver Trainer with experience in off-road, scenic drive, and worldwide driver training and events, and I was part of the official team in Romania for all the BMW driver training and events. I am also a certified Trainer by the Romanian Federation of Motorsport and Romanian Automobile Club. I am training and certifying young drivers for national competitions.

What interested you in AKKA?

I felt drawn to AKKA for the tremendous career opportunity that it offers me. Working as a Validation and Synthesis Pilot gives me great fulfillment knowing that I have direct input in the final product that comes out from the manufacture. At AKKA, I work on various projects for Renault Technologies Romania: all the Euro 6 DFull versions, the new Dacia Dokker, and all the Serial Life models for Pitesti, Tanger, and Somaca plants. I am the key interface between the management and expertise team, coordinating and reviewing all the necessary tests before new vehicle launches. I make sure the validation plan is respected and that all the pilots are receiving the vehicles on time and according to their needs to do the tests. I am also taking care of the dynamic performance of the vehicles on proving grounds at Titu Technical Centre, the biggest testing center from South-Eastern Europe. I control the execution and performance of all required functions. 

Working in the automotive industry gave me one thing that I needed to view the big picture – a chance to see how a road car is put together, how it works, what it needs, and how a variety of systems interact.

What’s the greatest challenge you’ve overcome in your professional/academic career?

My greatest challenge is to fulfill my dream to invent and innovate in my field, therefore I took on a passion project in my spare time as a Senior Technical Support Engineer for a NY-based Tech company. This company offers a solution for safe driving through an e-learning platform and a mobile application. Being part of a company admitted into an accelerator program for startups and working with high performers makes me very proud and challenges me to strive for perfection. I feel that my mission is to contribute to ever-increasing road safety by creating technology-based aids for drivers worldwide.

Tell me about the greatest thing you’ve learned from a colleague/mentor.

The greatest learning from my mentor is to put love into everything that I do. He has also taught me that to achieve greatness and to become a high performer and a high achiever, I must set end goals, means goals, and never settle. 

Tell me about your hobbies/interests.

I never get bored as I always find something to do. I love outdoor activities like hiking, skiing, biking, running, and playing with my two labradors. I also like to read and to spend quality time with my family. I discovered an interest in cooking and I enjoy traveling and having amazing culinary experiences.

Find out more about AKKA Romania by clicking HERE