Since joining the team in fall of 2020, as FVREB’s Director of Information Technology, Ovidiu Mot has led an ever growing and evolving team, comprised of:
Anthony Ball, Network Administrator
Greg Batchelar, Senior Helpdesk Specialist
Warren Brown, Lead Developer
Steven Fishburn, System Engineer
Robert Hu, Intermediate Software Developer
Hemant Kumar, Helpdesk Specialist
Hannah Kuo, Junior Software Developer
Gregg Medwid, Senior Project Manager
Maricar Paraiso, Team Lead, Member Applications
Roshan Perera, Helpdesk Specialist
Brian Thai, Business Analyst & Programmer
Carlos Torres, Software Developer
Ovi remembers being introduced to the world of computers during his formative years in Romania. His father had a significant influence on his interests and ultimately his career path, illustrating that the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree.
Recounting the family history, Ovi said, “In those earliest days, my father was a trailblazer in Romania, during a time when the first undergraduate IT programs were in their infancy – and there were no computers in the country! When he graduated, the country was seeing the very beginnings of the IT sector, and the first graduates were true pioneers.”
As a boy, Ovi recalls seeing his father poring over reams and reams of paper containing binary code, in zeros and ones, with uncanny ability to effortlessly spot the errors, thinking like a computer. Hoping to share his passion for programming with his son of six years of age – who was still learning to read and write – had its share of challenges.
Everything changed when at the age 12, the senior Mot walked in the door with what Ovi calls the precursor to the PC. Even now, he remembers the little computer that set the trajectory for a very successful career. He recalls, “It looked like a keyboard which connected to the TV, and I remember being utterly enthralled by it – that’s when I started learning programming.” Captivated day and night for months on end, he honed his skills and began competing at a national level, reaching the highest rankings, year after year.
Ovi characterizes his approach to work and life by saying, “In work and personal life I am the ultimate optimizer – whether it’s packing my bike for a road trip, a shopping trip, how I spend money, or even how I pack my groceries, I optimize everything!” It’s no wonder at all that this translates to his approach to work with the Board. In building and optimizing his team, Ovi has created what he calls micro-centres of excellence, together with a crystal-clear, long-term vision, to bring the FVREB through a digital transformation, helping to preserve its legacy of innovation.
Upholding the three pillars of people, technology and processes, Ovi leads his team towards a new tech-based way of doing business. Of this vision, he says, “We’ll move everything to the cloud, and all of our processes will be fully automated – and where there are opportunities to innovate, for the benefit of our members and the industry as a whole, this is where my team and I will thrive.”
Ovi’s bucket list is equally important as his work and involves a life-long plan to travel around the world on his motorcycle. He shares this dream with his wife, Stephanie, who once said, “Don’t stop dreaming, ever. Your dreams inspire me to believe that anything is possible!” And, of this dream, Ovi adds, “We are constantly training for that day, to get on the bike, pick a direction and go – with no set return date. I have a travel bug, and I’ve already checked off 70 countries of 197!”
FVREB Communications