If you ask Manuela Sodinca about a “wow” moment in her career, she can think of several. The first was during her studies at the “Politehnica University of Timisoara” in Romania, where she completed an internship at the branch of an international electronics company. “Right from the start, I thought it was great to work in an international team and to have a direct line to the headquarters in Germany,” says the computer scientist as she reflects on the early days of her career. She has since made Lake Constance, Germany her home. The interaction between code and application still fascinates the automation specialist today: “This was the first time I had to work with oscilloscopes and signal generators. Working with them was important for improving existing test procedures and evaluating new test methods. During this time, I came to understand that quality assurance and testing are crucial to successfully bringing innovative technologies to market.”

After more than eight years of driving and testing in the field, she decided to switch sides: “I found it interesting to not just follow predefined processes to work through test requirements, but to define these requirements myself.” From then on, she translated the specifications of renowned automotive manufacturers into system and software requirements.

She has been working directly on Next Generation Mobility at ZF for three years. That’s why she feels like a FutureStarter: “The cars of the future will be differentiated and distinguished in their quality more by their software than by their hardware. Software makes the difference and it’s not just about writing code, but also about defining exactly the right test procedures to optimize and test functions.” As Cross Divisional Test Manager, she and her team are always looking for synergies to optimize these procedures in the various ZF divisions. To this end, test strategies are created and used across different projects, in the passenger car sector but also in projects with truck or industrial OEMs.

If you want to be at the forefront of future mobility, you have to be fast and efficient. That’s why it’s especially important not to keep reinventing the wheel, but to create collective knowledge within the Group from which everyone can benefit in further projects – both in terms of improving quality and saving time.” She also leads an international team that is spread across several locations: “Leading a team like this is enormously challenging and requires very good communication skills. I really enjoy working with many people in a team and motivating others.” She adds, “At ZF, I have found perfect opportunities to integrate my professional ambitions and family life well. Above all, I feel maximally supported and encouraged.