Ilona Lixandru, RetuRO SGR: “Our team will reach 600 employees by the end of 2024”

“Our role as HR directors is to create tools, to create a framework so that we can help our colleagues to find that combination of solutions by which the company can achieve its objectives, and people can feel helped, encouraged and convinced that we respect their wishes. Mutual trust and flexibility are very important.

I represent a very young organization, RetuRO Sistem-Garantie Returnare. It is a company that was appointed in the summer of 2022 to manage the deposit-return system for Romania. February brought 18 million packages to our factories, where we are going to sort them. It is an impressive result obtained in such a short time,” Ilona Lixandru, HR director, RetuRO SGR said during HR Conference | Elevating Work powered by The Diplomat-Bucharest.

“The first RetuRO employee, the CEO of the company came in November 2022. The management team was completed in May 2023 and last November we launched an absolutely unique system in Romania, the second largest return guarantee system in Europe, which brings together 19 million citizens of the country, 80 thousand merchants, 4 thousand producers and the Romanian state through the Ministry of the Environment, to make a better country for us and for our children, to change metals and the way recycling will be happen in Romania.

Today we are 120 colleagues and by the end of the year we will reach a team of 600 people.

Artificial intelligence will give us the opportunity to have more time for interactions with other people, to take care of the personal development of the people in our organization.”

Ilona Lixandru holds an important role within the RetuRO Directorate team, making significant contributions to the company’s establishment and success. Her leadership skills and specialized knowledge in human resources earned in 20 years of experience in different industries, have played a crucial role in attracting and retaining top talents in the industry.

Remarkably, within a year, toghether with her team, Ilona has brought on board 100 talented colleagues, and with her continued support, RetuRO anticipates expanding the team to around 500 by the end of this year. Ilona’s dedication to fostering a positive and inclusive workplace culture has been instrumental in building a team that is deeply passionate about the company’s mission and values.

Beyond her HR expertise, Ilona is a genuine team player and collaborator. She has proven to be an invaluable partner to the entire leadership team, driving RetuRO’s mission towards a more sustainable future.

Full recording of the conference HERE.