Knowledge sharing is important to Andreea Popescu; after all, she decided to study engineering at the Politehnica University of Bucharest due to the fact that her father, mother and one of her sisters were all engineers in the construction industry. “Given my family environment, becoming an engineer quickly became the obvious choice for me,” she said. 

After four years designing hydraulic machines for a specialised company, she joined Frigotehnica in 2012. “I didn’t know anything about refrigeration! But the prospect of learning more about a new field, and in a Project Manager role, is what helped me make up my mind.” 

Here in particular, knowledge sharing was once more decisive for Andreea. “My more experienced colleagues immediately took me under their wing and taught me a lot. Two days after I started, my manager had to go on a work trip. I was left to finalise a contract for a client. It was very stressful but also very educational!” 

Now, at 39, Andreea manages two of Frigotehnica’s biggest accounts: Lidl and Penny. In 2022 alone, she managed equipment for over 15 Lidl stores in Romania. This year, she is responsible for equipping a dozen points of sale for the company’s new client, Penny. When working with both Penny and Lidl, as a Project Manager, what she really likes is managing the unexpected. “We have to come up with solutions in every situation.”