I joined this team after spending 18 years working exclusively in my home country, Romania. It marked both a professional and personal turning point. My primary responsibility was to help design and implement a three-level partner certification framework, and subsequently to manage the annual certification process.
The scope of the certification is to establish standardized service performance across the EMEA region, ensuring consistent, high-quality service delivery aligned with customer-centric principles, environmental protection, and data security. The certification process includes a structured and transparent service performance evaluation covering the full product portfolio – hardware, solutions, ICT and ECM services. In parallel, the certification has a mandatory component of technical competence evaluation. New and existing partners have access to clearly defined and permanently updated training pathways on the online learning platform.
The service performance evaluation brought me over the years to various countries from Hungary to Oman, from Ukraine to Tunisia, required me to understand the work culture, business practices, and customer expectations on various markets from Kenya and Somalia to Iceland and Kuwait.
The certification program grew over the years, and now it covers 30 partners and 46 countries. The official service certification on one of the 3 levels: Yellow Belt, Blue Belt and Black Belt became well known on the local markets, serving as a powerful sales differentiator, reinforcing customer trust, and enhancing engagement.
Alongside the program, I grew as well—both professionally and personally. Through my colleagues and partners across three continents, I gained far more than business experience. I learned about life beyond reports and performance metrics: about diverse cultures and beliefs, about resilience shaped by war, about loss and the strength required for recovery.
Despite our differences in language, customs, and traditions, I realized how deeply similar we are at our core. We may pray to different gods, and live by different cultural norms, yet we all light candles, lanterns or lamps while hopping for the same fundamental things: health, prosperity, peace, and happiness for ourselves and those we love. This has been one of the most powerful lessons of my journey—and perhaps one of the most important reminders in today’s world.
About the Contributor
Adina is a business services professional at Kyocera Document Solutions Europe Management BV, responsible for partner support, business development, and service certification across the EMEA region, including organizing training, workshops, and partner conferences. Previously Key Accounts Administration Manager at Orange Romania, managing partnerships and cross-functional projects related to the launch of various telecommunication services.
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