Building a lasting cultural legacy through people and purpose

Luminița Bornoiu, Partner, Head of Outsourcing, and Edwin Warmerdam, Partner, Head of Tax, are two professionals who have embodied this ethos at Forvis Mazars in Romania for decades. Their careers are marked not just by tenure, but by transformation - guiding their teams through rapid technological evolution, cultivating talent, and anchoring every advancement in a deep commitment to integrity, excellence, and human connection.

Turning process into progress with people leading the way

In an age defined by digital transformation, our Outsourcing team in Romania emerged as an early frontrunner in intelligent automation. Long before AI and RPA became mainstream, they strategically built an in-house Automation team to enhance process efficiency and ensure accuracy in their deliverables.

This strategic focus has delivered measurable results. Today, automation tools streamline repetitive tasks, accelerate processing times, and ensure data integrity across major ERP systems, including SAP, NetSuite, Navision, Sage, and Oracle. What was once a paper-intensive process - from payroll to accounting - is now a digitally enabled service that enhances client outcomes.

Still, technology alone doesn’t define this achievement. Strategic partnerships with automation innovators reflect a deeper philosophy: empowering people to move beyond routine tasks and focus on higher-value work. At our company, automation isn’t a substitute for talent, but rather a force multiplier that elevates it.

Leadership that listens builds trust

For Luminița Bornoiu, true success comes from leaders who build trust and bring their teams together as one.

“People make leaders,” she says. “Not the other way around”.

This philosophy is deeply embedded in the Outsourcing team’s culture, characterised by mutual respect, mentorship, and leading by example. It fosters an environment where individual development drives collective success, and where leaders engage closely with their teams - not from a distance, but as active partners.

This human-first leadership style is far from sentimental; it’s strategic. Over the years, it has built resilience, commitment, and a team capable of carrying forward a legacy that younger professionals now inherit and evolve. “Today’s results”, Bornoiu reflects, “are the product of 365 days of involvement, repeated year after year, over decades”. In other words, legacy is cultivated, not claimed.

Her advice for future leaders is clear: listen, learn, trust your instincts, be human and respectful, and never stop growing.

Reimagining change through courage and collaboration

Edwin Warmerdam has witnessed Romania’s transformation first-hand - arriving from the Netherlands in 1998, when fax machines were still common tools for communication and documentation.

Now, he speaks of AI and robotics with the enthusiasm of a pioneer on the frontier of innovation. Yet what excites him most isn’t the technology itself - it’s the behavioural shift they demand.

“Innovation is the easy part”, he explains. “Changing behaviour - that’s the real challenge.”

Implementing tax technology is no longer a one-way street. While businesses are rapidly advancing, reporting systems often lag behind, creating resistance - not from technology itself, but from people uncertain how to adapt. This is where leadership plays a critical role. Empathy, agility, and entrepreneurial spirit are, in Warmerdam’s view, the essential foundations of progress.

“Technical knowledge is our safety zone”, he reflects, “but driving real change means stepping into the unknown, and that requires courage, curiosity, and above all, collaboration”.

Enduring values guide us through change

Amid constant change, both Bornoiu and Warmerdam agree that some principles are timeless. At Forvis Mazars, success is grounded in a people-first philosophy. Teams are built on technical excellence, open communication, and shared responsibility. These values remain just as essential today as they were decades ago.

“Innovation means more than adopting tools”, Warmerdam notes. “It means cultivating a mindset that doesn’t fear uncertainty but embraces it as an opportunity”.

And opportunity here is abundant. With a new generation stepping into a legacy shaped not by tradition but by transformation, Forvis Mazars in Romania is preparing its future leaders to think big, lead smart, and act with purpose.

Legacy isn’t something left behind. It is something built choice by choice, day by day. In our company, this means leading with empathy, innovating with purpose, and transforming through trust. The outcome is more than a strong business. It is a living culture of progress where each generation is equipped with the mindset, tools, and values to shape what comes next.