Four Superpowers of Technology: A Talk with Cristian Tisan, General Manager of Intel Romania

Intel Romania is expanding and growing its team, all while developing the latest technologies and contributing to different strategic areas of Intel technologies and products. We recently spoke with Cristian Tisan, the general manager of Intel Romania to find out what motivates him, what challenges he faces and why he thinks Intel is a perfect place to unleash one’s potential.

Cristian, last year you took on the role of general manager of Intel Romania. What brought you to Intel?

I joined Intel as Romania’s GM and site manager for Intel Timisoara in September 2021. My focus is on growing and developing the Romanian sites, building relationships with universities and the IT ecosystem in Romania and developing Intel’s employer brand in my country. In parallel with the GM role, I manage an AI engineering department at Intel Romania, focusing on the development of core AI software components and tooling.

Could you tell us about the biggest challenge in your current work? 

Intel is part of a complex transformation process, integrating and developing—at a fast pace—new technologies to unleash the potential of data. At the same time, we need different ways of thinking and working to achieve this transformation. We want to be customer-obsessed, results driven and totally fearless, operating with transparency in everything we do. Managing this cultural transformation and change is a big challenge for any manager at Intel, including me.

What motivates you at work? 

I enjoy working and sharing ideas with intelligent and innovative people in an open global environment. Making friends from around the world is a huge plus of working at Intel. Most of all, I’m motivated by the new technologies and amount of data and information I can access and that I have something new to learn every day. I love that I’m part of Intel; a company creating world-changing technology.

Which technologies are developed at Intel in Romania?

I’m proud to say that we participate in the development of all the four superpowers of technology, that is artificial intelligence, the internet of things, connectivity—especially 5G—and cloud computing. We currently have engineering centers in three Romanian cities, contributing to different strategic areas of Intel technologies and products.

In which cities?

The site in Timisoara focuses on the architecture, design and development of core components of Intel’s AI proliferation, from cloud to edge. In Galati, we develop, validate and deliver in-vehicle software solutions, cloud computing, robotics and industrial applications. The Brasov site mainly deals with designing and developing structured ASIC platforms. We’re extremely proud that, here in Romania, we get to create world-changing technology.

That is impressive. Tell us why these technologies are so important for the tech industry?

Artificial intelligence is the fastest-growing computer workload and one of the four superpowers that Intel believes will have a transformative impact on the world. At Intel Romania, we develop the hardware and software platforms that unleash the AI superpower whilst speeding up the democratization of the technology. We develop products incorporating both computer vision and deep neural networks inference that constitute the ’eyes and brain elements’ of robotic applications and other industrial and medical automation. We contribute to the global AI ecosystem scaling, which will accelerate wider adoption of Intel technologies by developer and end-user communities. Very soon, the AI components developed by our teams in Romania will be used on a large scale in laptops and edge devices, robotics applications, health, retail, industrial automation, digital networks and in building smart cities of the future.

We know that autonomous driving is a megatrend for the car industry, and we’re contributing by developing, along with our automotive partners, the ADAS components that integrate Intel technology. Structured ASIC platforms developed by our teams in Romania are offering a shortened time-to-market and reduced costs for a multitude of application domains like wireless communication and telecommunications, including 5G, automotive, AI and non-volatile storage (SSD). Finally, we’re proud to be involved in the development and validation of cloud technologies.

It sounds like Intel has a lot of career opportunities for employees.

The possibilities to learn and evolve at Intel are unlimited. We offer parallel personal development programs for technical engineers and for managers, with guidance, support and mentoring, both on a local and global level. New employees joining Intel benefit from a structured integration process, where they're assigned a ‘buddy’ who guides them through all the aspects of starting at Intel.

Can anybody find a job at Intel?

Indeed. It doesn't matter if you’ve just graduated from university, you’re a senior engineer with a lot of skills and technological knowledge or an experienced manager. You will find a path to grow and to unleash your potential at Intel Romania.

How is Intel Romania different from other companies on the local market?

First of all, the number of new technologies that are in work at Intel Romania create both a great challenge and an opportunity for any engineering or IT professional. Secondly, as Intel is one of the ’parents’ of computer technologies, Intel employees have access to industry experts and a huge database of technical information that can help accelerate learning and personal development. We also focus on providing a work environment that promotes high diversity and inclusion. People are encouraged to speak up and share their thoughts, no matter their degree of experience at Intel. Plus, we offer flexible work schedules and highly competitive benefits for employees.

What constitutes the ideal job candidate for Intel?

We need people that are passionate and open to learning new technologies and ways of working. We hire young graduates from technical universities, eager and able to learn, as well as experienced specialists that can guide and lead the technical transformation and growth of Intel in Romania. Collaboration and teamwork are key characteristics that we look for in candidates.

Interested in growing your career at Intel Romania? Explore our open opportunities today.