Here’s to the women who are empowering, inspiring, and leading others!
This Women’s History Month, we’re celebrating our Women of BMW! Each nominee exemplifies the pillars of movement and BMW and serves as an inspiration for the BMW family. Throughout the series, we will hear the stories and advice from women leaders who have broken stereotypes and shattered glass ceilings. We created the #WomenofBMW series to highlight the progress of women in their roles throughout the automotive industry while motivating change going forward.
Name: Corina Pandelica
Division: National Technical Support TeileClearing Team
Location: New Jersey
Q: In a few words, describe your role at BMW?
A: In Technical Support, we help dealers service our customers’ cars, and our 3 teams: TeileClearing, Hotline Support and IRAP provide 1st level support to help dealers’ technicians fix complicated technical problems. Within the Technical Support Groups, I manage the TeileClearing process in the US, and supervise 11 members of the TeileClearing team.
Q: How important do you feel workplace diversity and cultural awareness is?
A: I am looking at this topic from the perspective of someone who – still – considers herself “different” here in the US, and who was very common in the world I come from. In 2011, I immigrated to the US from Romania, and even though I have worked for international companies for the last 15 years, I was definitely amazed to experience this change and how, this time, I am the one who is different from my neighbors, my work colleagues, or the lady behind the cashier at ACME, for example. I am not talking about gender, age, color that are usually the first obvious differences that come in our mind – but culture, education, mindset, background and the list can continue. And like me, are millions out there who feel the same way. We are all surrounded by diversity, but our own blind spots are preventing us to see the beauty of it. And once we clear our blind spots one by one, we discover its beauty. Diversity means different perspectives, different point of views, different habits, different preferences for food, clothes, cosmetics, housing or… cars. And here it is: our customers are diverse! If we miss this diversity aspect in everything we do as a company, there might be another company that doesn’t!
Q: How do you feel you’ve grown, both personally and professionally, throughout your role at BMW?
A: I consider myself extremely fortunate to work for BMW! And not only because of our extraordinary products, but because its culture! I started as a contingent worker in 2012 in International HR. After almost 3 years, my job changed to engineering where I was responsible for implementing the BMW Quality Management System. In October 2015, I changed to another role, but this time an internal position within BMW NA: my current one in Technical Support.
This company has so much to offer, and all we need to do is to be aware of our passions, our strengths and go for it. I kept learning and never stopped learning. Since 2018 I have developed “The Blind Spot” series in the Aftersales division as a member of the Aftersales Diversity committee. I also got involved with the Connected Culture Club and ended up leading the Volunteering arm of it – upgrAID – last year.
Look at me: an immigrant who thought that working as a contingent worker in February 2012 for BMW was the best thing that can happen, here I am 8 years later having an amazing role and be nominated for the Woman of 2020 in BMW! How cool is that? Can you imagine how proud my daughter is, who keeps saying that I am her role model?
Q: What advice would you give to women pursuing a career in your field?
A: I would give her the same advice I would give a man: learn, observe, listen, get involved and ask for support if you need it! There are no obstacles out there other than the ones we build ourselves. On top of that, my favorite one: Change is good! Look for it. It’s going to be hard but the reward of getting through it is beyond extraordinary! How do I know that? I did it many times, and I loved it.
Q: What inspires you in the workplace and why?
A: The world is transforming. We saw that with other industries, and it will not stop. At BMW we get it, and we are prepared to lead it! It’s challenging but we push! And we can only do it with great people working in a great working environment. We push, we do, we try new things, we fail, we learn, we get up, we trust each other and keep pushing! All of this while keeping the eyes on the prize and fulfill the promise we make our customers: offer and build the ultimate driving machine! This is what inspires me: lead the change and push for excellent performance.