Leadership often reveals itself in unexpected places, and for Octavian Andritoiu, it began on a basketball court in his teenage years. Long before corporate titles or boardroom decisions, he discovered the essence of guiding others while playing purely for the love of the game. Basketball, he learned, is a team sport: victory is impossible without the coordination and commitment of all five players on the court. He states, “It was the first time I took on the team leader role. It didn’t happen overnight, and I didn’t aim specifically to achieve this role. I just focused on doing my best to play better every day until my teammates started to respect me, listen to me, and follow my lead.”
It was here that Octavian first understood the weight of responsibility a leader carries, not just for oneself but for everyone following your guidance. From that moment, he knew leadership was not a skill taught in classrooms but a spirit cultivated through dedication, integrity, and a willingness to put others first.
Today, as Managing Director at DMG MORI Romania, Octavian applies the same principles he learned on the court, including teamwork, accountability, and perseverance, to drive innovation, shape industry standards, and inspire those around him. His journey is a testament to the idea that true leadership emerges not from titles but from the consistent pursuit of excellence and the courage to lead by example.
“There is no special school or training for becoming a leader.”
A Career Built on Engineering and Entrepreneurship
Octavian’s professional path has always been rooted in a love of mathematics, physics, and engineering. His ambition to become a mechanical engineer led him to POLITEHNICA University of Bucharest, where he ranked among the top graduates. By 1990, he had already written his first CNC program, an experience that cemented his lifelong connection to industrial manufacturing and machine tools.
In 1995, alongside his wife Gabriela, he founded Technology Signus 1995 s.r.l., a company specializing in the production of precision metal parts for the automotive sector. Their entrepreneurial venture grew steadily, balancing technical mastery with Gabriela’s managerial talent.
Octavian’s first encounter with DMG MORI came in 2003, when he purchased machines for the family company. That relationship quickly evolved, with the global brand inviting him to open a Romanian representative office. Initially, he hesitated; his focus was firmly on expanding Technology Signus. Managing two businesses at once, he knew, was risky.
Over time, Gabriela’s strong leadership and their son Alex’s decision to join the company gave Octavian the confidence to hand over the family business. In 2008, he accepted the challenge to lead DMG MORI Romania as Managing Director, a role he has held ever since, driving growth and building the brand’s presence in the region.
Redefining Success Beyond Wealth
When asked what success means to him today, Octavian’s response is thoughtful and grounded. He acknowledges that society often equates success with wealth, career status, or material possessions. Yet, his own definition has evolved far beyond that.
“However, I discovered that there is a category that defines their success in a very different way: by how much they have a positive impact on the world, and I realized that I am fitting well in this category,” says Octavian.
Success is not measured in numbers alone; it is measured in influence, impact, and the difference made in people’s lives and industries. As he puts it, “I never just aspired to make a living. I always aspired to make a difference.”
Resilience Tested Every Day
Resilience is defined not by a single dramatic episode but by the ongoing discipline of holding oneself to the highest standards. Octavian describes himself as a forward-looking person, one who refuses to dwell on what cannot be changed and instead channels energy into shaping the present and future.
Always looking forward, he treats every day as a test of resilience, guided by the mindset that progress is built on persistence and focus. Perspective does not shift so much as it adapts. Markets evolve, technology advances, and societies transform, but his approach remains rooted in adjusting with determination while never losing sight of his guiding vision.
The Weight of Leadership in a Global Industry
Octavian sees that leadership carries its own inherent pressures, regardless of the level. In an industry as technical and global as advanced manufacturing, the demands are amplified by constant innovation and fierce competition. Yet, he sees pressure not as a burden but as part of the responsibility that comes with guiding a company and a team toward ambitious goals.
Octavian shares that once someone steps into a leadership role, the responsibility extends far beyond personal performance; it encompasses the team they guide, the company they manage, and the results they are expected to achieve.
His way of managing complexity is straightforward: preparation, competence, and open-mindedness. Relying on his knowledge and skills, while keeping the flexibility to think beyond convention, gives him the calm confidence to make decisions even under intense pressure.
Anchored by Habits of Discipline
Behind Octavian’s ability to stay grounded is a discipline forged through consistent routines. He has long embraced an early start to his day, finding quiet hours in the morning to focus and create without distraction. He has maintained the same routine for decades, waking up around 4:00 a.m., even on weekends, and beginning work by 6:00 a.m. Those quiet hours before the world awakens give him nearly three uninterrupted hours of focus, a rhythm that fuels both his productivity and creativity.
For him, this consistency is not just a habit; it is the foundation of productivity and creativity, ensuring that no matter how demanding the day becomes, he has already set the tone with focus and clarity.
Family as a Source of Balance
Balancing work and personal life, Octavian admits, is never easy. What grounds him is his family, a unit bound by a strong work ethic and a shared belief that nothing in life comes for granted. His wife and son are his first sounding board for ideas, visions, and challenges, offering a sharp critical spirit that helps him see situations from different perspectives. He values their sharp, critical insights that allow him to see ideas from different perspectives and refine his path forward.
When the challenges of business feel overwhelming, he turns to family as his refuge, his place of grounding and renewal. As he says with conviction, “My family is my personal refuge from the exterior world,” and that is something he would never trade.
A Double Triumph
When asked about the milestones that stand out most in his career, Octavian points to two accomplishments that reflect both personal pride and professional impact.
The first is deeply personal: founding his company, which started as a vision, has evolved into a highly competitive manufacturing business that produces cutting metal parts for various industries.
Since 2005, his wife, Gabriela has managed the business exclusively, and in recent years their son has also joined the leadership. Built with care and vision, the company produces cutting metal parts for a wide range of industries and stands strong against competitors worldwide. This work is more than a business; it represents his family’s spirit, pushing the boundaries of quality, resilience, and responsibility.
The second is tied to his role at DMG MORI Romania. Leading the subsidiary of the world’s largest machine-tools producer, Octavian has helped elevate the company to the top of the Romanian market. Achieving this was no small feat; success required not only technical knowledge and market insight, but also persistence and vision.
As he reflects, “Bringing DMG MORI on the position to be the first machines-tools supplier on the Romanian market, it was a very challenging mission which I was proud to achieved.”
Drawing Inspiration from Change
Octavian does not see inspiration as elusive; it is woven into the very dynamics of the business world. To him, the constant evolution of technology, markets, and society is a wellspring of ideas.
Octavian finds inspiration everywhere, requiring only open eyes and an open mind. He draws his vision from the very forces that shape the business landscape, analyzing how they might influence the future. From there, he builds flexible strategies that align with his vision, ensuring adaptability without losing direction.
The Spark That Defines Leaders
As per Octavian, leadership is inseparable from legacy. Every action, decision, and word, he believes, becomes part of the influence left for those who follow. This awareness shapes not only how he leads today but also how he imagines his contribution to future generations of professionals. If others look to him as a model, it is not only an honor but also a profound responsibility, as his vision can shape their thinking and future decisions.
Rather than offering grand speeches or complicated theories, Octavian turns to the essentials, common sense, logic, and the ability to connect people, situations, and ideas. He likens this to a mental matrix that helps future leaders make sound decisions when equipped with the right data and the right mindset. For him, the ultimate differentiator is innovation, the spark that separates the exceptional from the merely excellent.
The Influence of Mentorship and Family
Though Octavian never had a formal mentor in leadership, he has always drawn inspiration from a wide range of thinkers: writers, mathematicians, philosophers, and scientists. Their knowledge, he says, lives in his mind like a library, accessible whenever needed. Yet, when it comes to life philosophy, one figure stands above the rest: his grandfather.
He says, “However, I had a mentor. Not for leadership philosophy, but for life philosophy. It was my grandfather. He was a professor of Romanian & French languages, but he also knew Latin, German, Old Greek, and Cyrillic. He had a lot of patience with me, and he was the one who opened me the gates of literature & culture. Because of him, I read a lot. And I really mean a lot…”
From literature to philosophy, his grandfather guided him through the great works of human thought, shaping the intellectual depth that continues to inform his leadership today. Alongside his love for mathematics and physics, this exposure helped mold the balanced, thoughtful person and leader that he has become.
Advice for Aspiring Leaders
For those who wish to step into leadership roles with impact and authenticity, Octavian offers advice that blends practicality with principle. First, he highlights the importance of mastering the fundamentals of one’s field, whether engineering, finance, or another discipline.
For those in mechanical engineering, excellence as an engineer is essential; for leaders in finance, mastery of finance is critical. This expertise enables them to understand the core of their business quickly and make the right decisions, particularly in challenging situations.
Beyond knowledge, he stresses the need for continuous learning in a rapidly changing business environment. Adaptability, he believes, is what separates leaders who succeed from those who falter. Just as critical, however, is the human side of leadership: earning respect through competence, humility, and authenticity.
Additionally, Octavian highlights that leaders must earn the respect of those they guide. This respect comes from demonstrating high competence and skill, paired with a friendly and approachable demeanor. Intelligence and education alone are not enough because a flashy or arrogant leader, no matter how capable, will never be fully valued by their team.
A Legacy of Preparation and Perseverance
When considering the legacy he wishes to leave through his leadership journey, Octavian distills it into a simple but powerful truth. He asserts, “People, no matter what domains, jobs, or positions they may have, must always keep in mind that ‘there is no secret recipe for success. Is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failures.’”
It is a philosophy that captures both his personal journey and his vision for the next generation: success built not on shortcuts, but on discipline, resilience, and the courage to learn from every step along the way.
