13 Years of Office Depot – Interview with Adina Sraum

About Adina 

I work in the AR department and since 2013 I’ve been the Credit Manager for Italy. My main responsibility is to optimize company sales and reduce bad debt losses by maintaining credit policy. I work closely with my team in the SSC to make sure that credit & collection procedures are properly applied, and the aging values targeted are met. I also collaborate with the sales and finance department in Italy and we support each other in order to ensure that our objectives are aligned.   

Office Depot journey 

I started as a Team Leader for the Credit & Collection Spain team and after a couple of years I took over the responsibilities for the Viking team as well. I was also involved in projects related to Prelegal and Quality processes. In 2013 I was promoted as Deputy Operation Manager for Spain and I also accepted the challenge of taking over the Credit Manager position for Italy. As this was the first Credit Manager role transitioned to the SSC, it was a little scary at the beginning as I knew the position involved a lot of responsibility. It was a big step for my professional development and it turned out to be a good move 🙂     
First day at Office Depot 

Although it happened ages ago, I still remember my first day at Office Depot. I was excited to start, to find out more things about my role. My previous job was in Bucharest and everything was new to me. The people – except some familiar faces met in other environments; the building – it was among the most modern in town at that time and what I remember for sure is that every time I stepped out from one room I got confused and didn’t know how to go back; the town – which changed a lot while I was away.  

The very first day, I met the transition team and the day after we left for 5 weeks in Spain to perform the transition of the credit & collection processes and procedures. And so, the adventure started,  with a combination of hard and long working hours but also a lot of fun.   

Why Office Depot? 

I remember that the first time I was asked this question was in my second year in OD, by the previous SSC general manager and I think my answer is the same as the one I gave at that time: it’s hard to get bored of Office Depot. There were so many challenges and opportunities and so many changes that happened all these years that made me stay focused and engaged with the company because I like changes and challenges.   

As a funny fact, I remember my last day before my maternity leave. I was waiting for one of my colleagues to finish her day. It was around 8 pm, the floor was almost empty, and I was looking to a photo album that my team gave me as a present and crying because I realized how much I’m going to miss this place. Then I met the doorman who was walking the floor and looked at me (a small pregnant lady with a big belly, crying) with worry  … It was so embarrassing. 

The people of Office Depot are… 
…full of energy, kind and lovely, different, demanding. 

#GrowingStrongerTogether 

I think one of the more important benefits that OD offers is development. Therefore, I took advantage of any learning opportunity that I considered useful for me. Also, I had the chance to have good managers that guided me and challenged me to move forward towards new career opportunities. The path was not always smooth, but it was worth the effort.   

Advice for those who want to join Office Depot 

My first advice for the people that wish to join Office Depot is that if they are pleased with what the company offers, they should go ahead and take the opportunity. You should join OD, because you will be presented with a lot of benefits along your way, that will make you stay with the company for a long time. Another advice would be to be patient because rewards come with dedication and patience.