Marketing Insiders Group organized the 16th ROMANIAN CONTACT CENTER AWARDS edition. The gala took place on Friday, May 22, 2025, during the 20th anniversary edition of Customer Care Conference & Expo, in Bucharest.
In an economic landscape where B2B growth outpaces B2C by 400%, and operational efficiency surged by 20% in 2024 alone, companies can no longer afford to ignore the pressure to deliver seamless services with real customer value. In this new environment, innovation is no longer a competitive edge, it’s the only path to stability and relevance.
Investments in generative AI are already proving their worth: every dollar invested returns an average of $3.70. And the future is no longer a distant projection, it’s already unfolding. By 2028, at least 15% of day-to-day decisions will be supported by AI, compared to virtually none in 2024. Over 90% of developers are already using AI tools, and more than one billion new applications are expected over the next three years.
At the same time, organizations face a deeply human challenge: toxic workplace culture drives 62% of resignations, and 1 in 3 employees is considering quitting. The absence of people-centric organizational cultures is costing the global economy up to $8.8 trillion. Meanwhile, companies with engaged and motivated employees retain over 80% of their customers, and happier teams can boost customer satisfaction by as much as 62%.
Sources: Gartner, Gallup, FlexJobs.
The transformation of the business ecosystem is not only digital, it’s cultural, strategic, and inevitable.
Customer Care Conference & Expo, the leading customer care industry event in Eastern Europe, marked its 20th edition by bringing together over 400 professionals from 18 industries and multiple regions around the world. The anniversary conference took place on May 21–22 at the unique Orangerie Herăstrău venue in Bucharest, and focused on solutions for navigating customer interaction over the next decade.
The strategic agenda featured a wide range of high-interest topics, including: human-touch automation, the role of employee emotions in boosting customer satisfaction, the impact of voice, deepfakes, and emotional dynamics in customer relationships, and the growing potential of AI agents. Discussions also explored how artificial intelligence is redefining B2B strategies and enhancing the ability to “listen” to what remains unspoken. Other key themes: future of work and employee experience, the risks of outsourcing critical thinking, the need for responsible AI use, and the role of innovation in transforming customer feedback management.
The audience deep-dived into the shift from traditional contact centers to intelligence hubs for patients, operational strategies shaping the future of customer care, and the rise of a new economy powered by AI-augmented conversations. The redesign of professional roles in the coming years was also a central topic, along with the importance of resilience, autonomy, and emotional intelligence in ensuring business stability. The event also emphasized the strategic link between EX (Employee Experience) and CX (Customer Experience), reinforcing the idea that engaged employees are at the heart of lasting customer relationships.
The second day of the business event hosted the most anticipated moment of the year for the local customer experience community: the 16th edition of the Romanian Contact Center Awards (RCCA). As a build-up to the awards ceremony on May 22, the Marketing Insiders Group organizing team created a memorable moment of unity and inspiration during the first conference day, by bringing to the stage unmatched examples of passion and performance, historical champions.
In partnership with ONYX, Romania’s first association dedicated to adaptive rowing for people with disabilities, EMIL CURTEANU took the CCCE 2025 stage. A high-performance athlete, serial entrepreneur, and active advocate for inclusion, Curteanu spoke about ambition, courage, and the power of collaboration, delivering a powerful message that echoed through the audience. He also brought forward the words of FILIP GHIORGHI, Paralympic champion, whose message deeply resonated: “Attitude is everything.” #NoExcuses
The standout moment of the event was the appearance of ELISABETA LIPĂ, the most decorated rower in the history of the Olympic Games, with five gold medals, two silver, and one bronze, earned across six Olympic editions. Her journey stands as living proof that determination can overcome the impossible, and as a powerful reminder to never give up on our dreams or the people who inspire us.
The Romanian Contact Center Awards (RCCA) is more than a niche competition, it is a celebration of genuine performance and leadership that transforms with every thought and interaction. Under the discerning eye of the inspiring Jury, featuring visionary leaders shaping the future of the industry, each 2025 nomination became a manifesto for excellence, innovation, and true commitment to both customers and employees.
2025 RCCA Jury: Mădălina Vilău, CX Advisor, Care Academy and RCCA Founder, and CEO of Marketing Insiders Group; Leigh Hopwood, CEO of the Contact Centre Management Association (CCMA) and Chair of the European Customer Contact Alliance (ECCA); Adrian Lipolit, Senior Executive and Jury Member of the European Customer Awards; and Mădălina Uceanu, Managing Partner, Career Advisor, and Founder of Portal HR.
“Over the last years, we’ve seen that beyond customer needs related to products or services, the Customer Care industry is undergoing a profound transformation, one that reflects a commitment to building a high-performing climate of psychological safety, through empathy and compassion, amplified by innovation and 360° operational strategies. The uncertain times we live in teach us that a healthy business is rooted in cultivating resilience through essential cognitive restructuring, the foundation for agile and stable organizational cultures, as well as in a strong commitment to ethics in business, technology, and in day to day life. Congratulations to all RCCA winners; they are living proof that true leadership and positive change begin from within” – underlined MĂDĂLINA VILĂU, Romanian Contact Center Awards Founder and CEO of Marketing Insiders Group.
We proudly present the 2025 champions in customer care, professionals and teams who stood out through exceptional performance, empathy, innovation, and strategic vision in their interactions with customers, partners, and internal teams.
The Winners of the Romanian Contact Center Awards 2025 are:
„Best Workplace” – Foundever Romania
„Excellence in Leadership” – Ana Maria Bratu, Pluxee Romania
„Best LARGE Internal Contact Center” – ING Bank Romania
„Best LARGE External Contact Center” – Foundever Romania
„AI Insights” – Mediatel Data & Engie Romania
„Excellence in Learning & Development” – Foundever Romania
„Best Contact Center Team Manager” – Murat Husamoglu, Salt Bank
„Best MEDIUM Internal Contact Center” | BANKING – BRD Groupe Société Générale
„Best MEDIUM Internal Contact Center” | INSURANCE – Groupama
„Best Support Center Team Manager” – Mădălina Văduva, Freshful
„Tech Impact” – Banca Comercială Română
„Best SMALL Internal Contact Center” – Renault Commercial Roumanie (RCR)
„Best LARGE Support Contact Center” – eMAG
„Customer Care Champion” – Alexandru Spiridon, Salt Bank
„Best Telesales Contact Center” | ROMANIA – Optima Solution Services
„Best Telesales Contact Center” | INTERNATIONAL – Ascensos Contact Centres Romania
„Best MEDIUM Support Contact Center” | B2B – eMAG
„Best MEDIUM External Contact Center” – Optima Solution Services
„Best SMALL Support Contact Center” – Freshful
„Telesales Champion” – Roxana Elena Grigore, Evalue International
„Best SMALL External Contact Center” – Pluxee Romania
„Support Champion” – Kostas Roditakis, Schneider Electric Romania
„Innovation in AI” – RepsMate
„Best Collection Contact Center” | MEDIUM – Kruk Romania
„Best Complaints Team” – Samsung Electronics Romania
„AI Excellence” – Ascensos Contact Centres Romania
„Learning Champion” – TDCX
„Tech Innovator” – RepsMate
„Complaints Champion” – Adrian Anghel, Samsung Electronics Romania
„Complaints Management” – Erika Mihai, Schneider Electric Romania
„Social Media Mastery” – Versuni Romania
„Talent Development Program” – Talent Academy, Schneider Electric Romania
„External Impactful Collaboration” – Mediatel Data & Bringo Romania
„Customer-First Partnership” – Concentrix România & Orange Romania
„AI-Powered CX” – Mediatel Data & Cargus România
Special Award: „Excellence in Cloud-Based CX Transformation” – Intrarom & Genesys
Special Award: „CX Technology Implementation” – Signal IDUNA & Mediatel
„Customer-First Partnership” | FINANCE – Foundever Romania & Manzo
The Customer Care Conference & Expo 2025 anniversary edition of reflects the power of strategic collaboration, bringing together a strong network of partners united by a shared business mission: redefining the standards of interaction in the business environment.
PLATINUM PARTNER: Mediatel Data
GOLD Partner: PPC Romania, SILVER Partner: Foundever and RepsMate.
STRATEGIC Partners: European Customer Contact Alliance, ARCET Global, and Customer Centricity World Series.
DAN MAZILU, General Manager and Founder of Mediatel Data, reaffirmed his commitment to the industry: “Real digital transformation starts with the customer experience. Our participation as a platinum partner reinforced Mediatel Data’s dedication to supporting contact centers as they evolve into digital hubs, where AI and technology optimize every interaction and create long-term value for customers, teams, and brands.”
“Customer care is an organizational mindset, not just the role of a single department. At PPC Energie, we’re learning to listen to what our customers feel and to adapt to their constantly evolving needs. Because we value the emotions of those we interact with, even my colleagues from top management go into our stores and speak directly with customers. These on-the-ground experiences truly change how we perceive our customers. We focus on creating friendly experiences, leveraging technology, and staying flexible, to show our customers that we are a company that takes action and stands by them with genuine care” – shared IONUȚ DUNĂ, General Manager of PPC Energie.
“Artificial intelligence is not a copy-paste solution, it’s a living ecosystem, constantly evolving. In an era where customer experience is amplified by AI, human judgment must not be abandoned, but practiced. We are the first generation learning to coexist with an intelligence we did not create biologically, even though we designed it. That is the paradox of AI: it reflects us, yet it can also reshape us. The future won’t be automated, it will be co-created. And real value doesn’t come from following AI blindly, but from challenging technology through critical thinking and human vision” – stated ALIN ROȘCA, CEO and Founder of RepsMate.
“At Foundever, we believe the future of customer care is, and will remain, about people. Technology helps us evolve, but it’s our people who truly make the difference. They are our superheroes: they listen, solve problems, and build real connections with customers. Every conversation is a chance to make someone’s day better, and that’s what makes customer care truly valuable” – highlighted RUI DA SILVA, Country Director, Foundever Romania.
SUPPORTING Partners: Geomant, Future Station, Career Advisor, Care Academy, and Mystery Shopping Agency.
Inspiration Partner: The Alternative School.
Academic Partners: Universitatea POLITEHNICĂ București with Speech & Dialogue Research Lab.
Community Partner: Asociația Club Sportiv Onyx
Media Partners: VOYO, Portal HR, Customer Insider Magazine, Conference Arena.
Conference Supporters: Genesys, Intrarom, Spitch, Bluepoint, Skina.
Beyond the members of the RCCA jury, Customer Care Conference & Expo 2025 brought to the forefront of customer care debates an impressive lineup of speakers – exceptional leaders across industries and regions: Kate Law, Membership & Learning Director UK at the Contact Centre Management Association; Sergiu Pop, Data & AI Specialist EMEA, Microsoft; Dan Mazilu, Owner & General Manager, Mediatel Data; Ionuț Dună, General Manager, PPC Energie Romania; Rui da Silva, Country Director, Foundever Romania; Ela Banu, Director and Head of Operations, ING Romania; Horia Cucu, Associate Professor at POLITEHNICA University of Bucharest and CEO & Founder, Zevo Tech; Alin Roșca, CEO & Founder, RepsMate; Cosmin Pascu, Customer Engineer, Google Romania; Carmen Cucu, Contact Center & Patient Experience Director, Regina Maria; Iulia Florea, Head of COPs Digital & AI Transformation, Vodafone Romania; Roxana Ivan, Head of Contact Center, BCR; Raluca Tătărușanu, Vice President of Sales EMEA & APAC, DRUID AI; Andreea Coca, Customer Experience & Quality Manager and Research Lead, Pluxee Romania; Ioana Barbu, Transformation Architect, Allianz Services; Ciprian Teodor, Business Unit Manager, Geomant România; Valentina Cuturescu Oprea, Customer Experience Manager, OLX Group; Adrian Mîndreanu, Customer Experience & Product Manager, Mediatel Data; Edmona Popa, Director of Operations, Foundever Romania; and Andreea Stoica, Contact Center & Customer Experience Manager, Regina Maria.
The 20th conference edition was hosted with empathy, charisma, and inspiration by ARYANA POPESCU, Managing Partner of Interpersonal Connections, who created a genuine connection between the stage and the audience.
More information about the business conference is available on customers.ro, conference-arena.com, or on the Marketing Insiders Group social media channels. For partnership opportunities at upcoming Conference Arena business events, reach out via email at alexandra.cozma[at]market-insiders.com.
ABOUT MARKETING INSIDERS GROUP
For Customers. With Customers.
Group of multidisciplinary consultants that support people and companies in cultural and operational development through innovative customer-centric programs and solutions.
FACTS AND NUMBERS | 6 international CX and PX benchmarking studies, 11 countries served on 2 continents, 21 targeted industries, 95 international customer partners, 131 organized business conferences, 200 covered cities, 205 generated research reports, 760 graduates of customized CX and leadership programs, 3500 mystery shoppers nationally, 55500 mystery customer evaluations in Romania.
BRANDS | CX Insiders, Customers.ro, Care Academy, CustomerInsiderMagazine.ro, PatientExperience.ro, Customer Experience Awards, ConferenceArena.ro, Romanian Contact Center Awards, Mystery Shopping Agency.
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