Not everyone who works with people does it just as a job. Some are people driven by a deep curiosity about what lies beyond roles, titles, and processes. Dan Cătană, People & Culture Business Partner at Connections, is one of those. He is defined more by the questions than the answers, and for him, the search for meaning is not a hobby, but a daily compass.
In the fast-paced world of technology, Dan maintains a different kind of balance: one that does not forget about relationships, meanings, and harmony. Having spent nearly a decade at Connections, he plays a crucial role in what doesn’t immediately show up on a bar chart: a team’s health, a project’s dynamics, the culture that either grows or erodes over time.
Under his sleeve, Dan carries a motto that guides him throughout his career and says a lot about his personality: “My happiness is the happiness of others.” It may sound simple, but it demands a genuine willingness to listen, to understand, and—most importantly—to avoid judgment. With a background in Communication and Human Resources, along with numerous certifications (ranging from trainer to personal development counselor), Dan has always preferred to delve deeper rather than simplify. He describes his professional path as a journey of knowledge, not just a checklist of achievements: “I am an analytical spirit, but also in love with details,” he says. This is evident in the way he analyzes not just what happens within a team, but why it happens.
If we were to consider his informal role within our team, we might call him the “untangler of emotional knots.” He is that colleague who is always ready to listen and understand; someone who doesn’t hand down verdicts but instead asks the right questions, with a calm tone and a perspective that—almost always—manages to bring a bit of clarity to a chaotic mix of ideas.
When Technology Meets Empathy
On March 1, 2017, Dan joined the Connections team following a defining conversation with the company’s founder, Bogdan Florea. From there, he embarked on a long journey that has brought him to his current role in the People & Culture department, where he combines HR expertise with his true passion: authentic human relationships. The projects that excite him most are those that create real value—projects where people are not just “resources” but individuals with fears, ideas, enthusiasm, and obstacles.
This human-centered perspective is also reflected in his view of the future and technological transformations. For Dan, digitalization is neither the ultimate savior nor the invisible enemy, but rather an inevitable character, part of the landscape ahead: “I’d call it Byte, like the unit of measure in IT,” he tells us. He imagines it as a character with dry humor and sarcastic comments about “bugs,” with odd hobbies and a presence that’s hard to ignore. Not good, not bad—simply there, an essential actor in a play that we rewrite every day, with every line of code and every technological decision.
However, this play is not staged only within IT companies; it unfolds in each of our lives. Dan sees the impact of technology as both profound and significant. First, he appreciates it for providing rapid access to information—a wide-open gateway to knowledge, development, and quick answers to complex questions or fleeting curiosities. Then, connectivity—that invisible thread that keeps us close, even when we are far apart. And last but not least, productivity, because technology has radically changed how we work, collaborate, and organize our time.
A Modern HR, A Strategic Partner
In a world where technology changes everything, including how we “do HR”, Dan believes in redefining the role: not merely administrative, but strategic. Artificial intelligence, automation, predictive analytics — all demand an HR that understands data but doesn’t forget the people behind it.
And if there were to be a referendum within the IT industry, Dan would vote for a clear cause: the regulation of AI.
“We cannot talk about real progress without an ethical compass. We need rules, not to limit, but to protect what is essential: our humanity.”
And precisely because he understands how challenging this path can be, Dan has an honest message for those just stepping into the world of technology:
“Don’t hesitate to ask for help. Don’t be afraid to be honest. Don’t lose yourself trying to be something you’re not.” That’s what Dan would tell those entering the IT industry today. Because, ultimately, what matters is not having all the answers, but knowing what questions to ask—and to whom.