Lavinia Handra was born and raised in Romania, Timișoara, a city that boasts a multicultural background and has been designated as the European Capital of Culture in 2021. In 1996, Lavinia earned her B.Sc. in Communications from the University Politehnica.
Her career with Imprint Plus began as the Marketing Coordinator and early on she had the passion for creating artwork that led her to the pre-press operation department. During her time there, she gained experience with color management and print design. In 2017 Lavinia was promoted to Team Lead, providing support to the Pre-Press Team. Her responsibilities included problem-solving, coaching, and training, ensuring the proper procedures are followed, quality issues are resolved, and suggesting continuous improvement ideas.
Today, Lavinia holds the title of Product Development Associate. Her past year has been packed with hard work and abundant excitement especially with her involvement and expanding the product line with new and innovative items. Her values for living a balanced life include being true to herself, being sincere, keeping an open mind, and being fair. The motto of her life is simply to do good and good will come your way.
What's the first thing on your mind every morning?
The first and most important thing is, my family. In both my personal and professional life I always like to plan my day ahead.
Describe your work at Imprint Plus in one sentence or phrase?
I am extremely passionate about product design and innovation. Working on developing, optimizing, and improving our line of products involves finding ideas, sourcing materials, and collaborating with suppliers and vendors. Parallel to that, I keep tabs on industry trends. My workday goes by so quickly. Besides marketing, I assist the production department by developing, testing new products or prototypes, enhancing existing processes, and striving to meet customer demands.
What/who inspires you?
The people in my family are my inspiration. Having two kids with unique personalities is a great joy and source of happiness for me. It's heartwarming watching them compete on sports teams and debate contests.
My inner inspiration comes from nature: hiking and feeling energized and relaxed, experiencing peace and contentment. At work, I am greatly motivated by the leaders who walk alongside their teams, those who are visionaries and achieve great things.
Where do you see Imprint Plus in 5 years?
With the advent of new technologies and sustainable materials, I see a great deal of growth potential in large format printing. The scope of our expertise in printing extends well beyond ordinary outputs. We can design great visuals for any type of marketing, branding, or advertising.
Tell us one thing we don’t know about you?
Whenever I have the opportunity, I like to play table tennis. The switching of hands makes it a fast and fun game night addition.
Recommend one Imprint Plus product to our followers.
Custom cut name badges are my absolute favorite! I have the freedom and ability to use any shape, color, or material to create new and attractive designs. There are no limits when it comes to custom-cut badges.
What book are you reading at the moment?
I'm reading La Prisonniere, which is an autobiographical book by Malika Oukfir, the true story of a Moroccan family with a singular desire to survive and overcome life's biggest challenges.
What’s your favorite TV show?
My favorite Netflix shows and movies are historical episodes packed with beautiful costumes and art design. They usually are based on true stories.
What's your go-to productivity trick?
All tasks that I want to accomplish during my day are recorded on a simple to-do list. I feel great when I mark them as complete!
What behavior or personality trait do you most attribute your success to, and why?
I hold myself to high standards of integrity, honesty, and accountability in my day-to-day life. I'm always respectful of my teammates' opinions and listen to their concerns, showing patience and flexibility at all times.
What was your first job?
Working as a volunteer on a media production TV channel (TeleUniversitatea Timisoara), promoting the image of the university and broadcasting their successes. It was fast-paced fun all around!
What's the worst job you've ever had, and what did you learn from it?
While there is no such thing as a perfect job, company culture is something I have always considered. Making choices based on my intuition has always helped me make the right decisions. Every job I've had in the past has been enjoyable and I have learned a lot.
What would we most likely find you doing on the weekend?
Spending time with family and hiking are some of my favorite things to do.
What's one thing that surprised you about working at Imprint Plus?
My favorite part of working at a fast-paced company is how everyone pitches in to help when an urgent order has to be shipped out. It's amazing to see the dedication and involvement of my colleagues. It pushes me to do better every day.
