Monica Grama-Paunel
Bucharest
Summary
Dynamic IT Delivery and Transformation Leader with 15+ years of experience guiding large-scale technology organizations, complex transformation programs, and strategic initiatives.
I bring a distinct combination of Delivery Leadership, Data Architecture and People Leadership.
Throughout my career, I have evolved from Project Manager and Solution Architect into a Delivery Leader, currently managing cross-functional teams of 35+ professionals while maintaining a strong strategic and architectural mindset.
My foundation in Data was forged as a Business Data Architect and Solution Architect at Societe Generale, where I led architecture activities on regulatory projects and served as Lead Architect for the Finance District of the enterprise Data Lake. Today, I leverage that data expertise in my role as Delivery Manager, overseeing multiple teams including the nearshore Data team in the Insurance Business Line in SG.
Overview
4
4
Languages
1
1
Certification
17
17
years of professional experience
Work History
Delivery Manager
Societe Generale Global Solution Centre Romania
Bucharest
06.2025 - Current
- Led multidisciplinary teams of up to 39 FTEs within the IT Division of the Insurance Business Line, focusing on Production, Software development, and Data.
- Provided leadership for technology teams in Incident & Production support, Software development, Data Engineering, Data Science.
- The Data team consists of various resources working on Datalake, Informatica, Data Analysis, Data Science.
- Drive delivery excellence by ensuring successful execution of complex projects while maintaining operational stability, service quality and continuous improvement
- Led workforce planning, recruitment, onboarding, talent development, performance management, AI adoption, and knowledge management initiatives to foster high-performing, engaged teams.
- Build and strengthen trusted partnerships with internal clients, senior business and IT stakeholders through proactive communication, risk management, structured governance, while leveraging strong influencing skills to support business growth and strategic decision-making.
- 2026: Successfully scaled the organization by 30%, expanding delivery capacity while integrating a broader and more complex portfolio of activities without compromising delivery quality or operational performance.
- 2025: Successfully led a large-scale IT transition programme within the Insurance Business Line, transferring critical activities from onshore to nearshore delivery.
Team Leader
Societe Generale Global Solution Centre Romania
Bucharest
07.2021 - 06.2025
- Led two multidisciplinary teams of up to 17 FTEs (including Agile Leads and Project Managers) within the Corporate Functions Technology Division, ensuring the successful delivery and operational management of a portfolio of enterprise SaaS applications supporting 100,000+ global users.
- Led teams delivering Application Management, Support, Business Analysis, Project Management and Agile Delivery.
- Managed a portfolio of critical enterprise applications, including Neocase, UKG PeopleDoc, UKG Electronic Vault, SG4U, C4U and Charisma.
- Drove business transformation initiatives, including platform replacements, functional enhancements and process optimization.
- Managed an annual budget of €1M+, including financial planning, vendor and complex contract management.
- Led recruitment, talent development, performance management and stakeholder engagement while ensuring delivery excellence and alignment with business objectives.
Solutions Architect
Societe Generale Global Solution Centre Romania
06.2018 - 06.2021
- Coordinated end-to-end architecture and security activities for Finance projects, focusing on standardization, simplification and digital transformation.
- Served as Architecture Lead for the Finance District of the Group Data Lake and contributed to the Group Data Strategy, including cloud data initiatives.
- Partnered with business stakeholders, Enterprise Architects, Security teams and engineering teams to deliver scalable, secure and business-aligned solutions.
- Developed multi-year Strategic Transformation Plans, translating business priorities into technology roadmaps.
- Applied TOGAF architecture principles across all assigned programs and contributed to enterprise architecture studies.
- Delivered architecture for major regulatory reporting initiatives (AnaCredit Securities, FINREP, COREP, CIRBE and Internal Liquidity Dashboard).
- Led the architecture of strategic transformation projects, including the replacement of accounting platforms, automation of 200+ Finance KPIs, Finance capacity management solutions, time-tracking tools and AWS-based service offerings for tactical applications.
- Successfully completed multiple medium term assignments in Paris: 6 months in 2019 and 3 months in 2018
Business Data Architect
Societe Generale Global Solution Centre Romania
06.2016 - 05.2018
- Managed data in the Finance data domain within the Digital Transformation Office, driving data architecture, governance and business data modelling to support enterprise-wide transformation initiatives.
- Partnered with Business Data Owners, Data Managers, IT Architects and the Chief Data Officer to strengthen the Group Data Governance framework and foster the business data community.
- Defined and implemented Group-wide reference business data models for Liquidity, Rates, Legal entities and Product data, improving consistency and standardization across the organization.
- Completed multiple assignments in Paris.
IT Strategy and Planning Team Leader
BCR
Bucharest
07.2015 - 05.2016
- Led the IT Strategy & Planning team within the Enterprise Architecture department, driving the definition and execution of the multi-year IT Strategy for Banca Comercială Română.
- Led and developed a high-performing team responsible for IT strategy, portfolio planning and budget governance.
- Partnered with C-level executives to translate business priorities into a multi-year portfolio of strategic IT initiatives and investment plans.
- Managed the IT rolling plan, including budget planning, forecasting and reporting.
- Led the bank-wide assessment of business and IT capabilities, applying BIAN and TOGAF frameworks to identify transformation priorities and improve organizational maturity.
- Selected as a member of the Erste Group International Talent Pool (2014-2016), recognizing high-potential leadership and strategic contribution.
Project Manager
BCR
Bucharest
09.2011 - 06.2015
- Progressively advanced through strategic Project Management roles, leading business and IT transformation initiatives, portfolio management and organizational change within Banca Comercială Română.
- Managed complex business and IT projects, ensuring delivery within scope, budget, timeline and quality objectives.
- Turnaround Programme (2013-2014): Coordinated strategic transformation streams across Retail, Operations and IT as part of the bank's Turnaround Program, partnering with C-level executives to define priorities, allocate resources and support executive decision-making.
- Reported directly to the Deputy COO (CIO) (2014-2015), contributing to the definition of the 2015-2019 IT Strategy, IT Capacity Management improvements and the modernization of IT governance and delivery processes.
- Played a key role in the reorganization of the IT organization, supporting the creation of the Business Intelligence & Reporting Competence Center and the Enterprise Architecture Department.
- Selected as one of the key Project Managers to design and implement a new Project & IT Governance framework, including portfolio management, project prioritization and approval processes.
- Successfully delivered strategic projects including the BCR Group Rebranding, Electronic Archive implementation, Discounted Cash Flow Builder, Payments Reconciliation platform, Just Deliver IT! Program.
International Management Trainee
Erste Group
09.2010 - 09.2011
- Selected for Erste Group Graduate Programme, an international leadership programme for high-potential graduates, delivered in partnership with the University of Vienna and CaixaBank.
- Successfully completed international rotations across Erste Group, including Project Management assignments at Erste Group Bank AG (Vienna) and Česká spořitelna.
- Participated in international assignments and executive training programs across Austria, Spain, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Croatia and Ukraine, focusing on banking management, leadership and project delivery.
- Contributed to strategic initiatives, including IFRS migration, while rotating across key banking functions such as Retail, Corporate, Risk Management, Operations, Business Analysis and Core Banking Systems.
- Mentored by senior Project and programme Managers, building strong foundations in project delivery, stakeholder management and international collaboration.
IT Analyst
Stefanini Group
Bucharest
02.2010 - 08.2010
- Provided 1st level IT support in French and English for a multinational enterprise, delivering high-quality technical support in an international environment.
Education
Msc - Databases Systems
Faculty of Cybernetics, Statistics and Economic Informatics - Academy of Economic Studies
Bucharest01-2012
Postgraduate Corporate Course - Applied Bank Management
University of Vienna
01-2011
Bachelor's degree - Cybernetics, Statistics and Economic Informatics
Faculty of Cybernetics, Statistics and Economic Informatics - Academy of Economic Studies
Bucharest01-2009
Skills
- Delivery Management
- Data Architecture
- Solution Architecture
- People Management
Certification
- Project Management Professional (PMP)
- ITIL
- Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English
- DELF B1
Languages
Romanian
First Language
English
Proficient
C2
French
Proficient
C2
Spanish
Elementary
A2
Custom
www.linkedin.com/in/elenamonicagrama
Timeline
Delivery Manager
Societe Generale Global Solution Centre Romania
06.2025 - Current
Team Leader
Societe Generale Global Solution Centre Romania
07.2021 - 06.2025
Solutions Architect
Societe Generale Global Solution Centre Romania
06.2018 - 06.2021
Business Data Architect
Societe Generale Global Solution Centre Romania
06.2016 - 05.2018
IT Strategy and Planning Team Leader
BCR
07.2015 - 05.2016
Project Manager
BCR
09.2011 - 06.2015
International Management Trainee
Erste Group
09.2010 - 09.2011
IT Analyst
Stefanini Group
02.2010 - 08.2010
Msc - Databases Systems
Faculty of Cybernetics, Statistics and Economic Informatics - Academy of Economic Studies
Postgraduate Corporate Course - Applied Bank Management
University of Vienna
Bachelor's degree - Cybernetics, Statistics and Economic Informatics
Faculty of Cybernetics, Statistics and Economic Informatics - Academy of Economic Studies