Member Interview with Madelina Cretu

We are delighted to bring you a Member Interview with Madelina Cretu, Marketing Director, Ex Alcatel-Lucent

What’s your golden rule?

Do it well or don't do it at all. If I choose to do something, I want to do it properly. Not perfectly, but with care, with attention, and with a standard I’m comfortable standing behind. I’ve seen too many things rushed or done halfway, and in the end it always shows - in the details, in how it lands, in how it’s remembered. For me, it’s a matter of respect: for the work itself, for the people on the receiving end, and for my own name on it. If I can’t give it that, I’d rather step back than do it just for the sake of doing it.

Who has been your biggest influence?

My mom has been my biggest influence. She’s been my constant supporter, but more than that, she’s the example I’ve always measured myself against. I learned professionalism from watching her - how she carries herself, how she treats people, how she shows up consistently, even when things aren’t easy. She has a way of giving advice that’s clear and grounded, never dramatic, always thoughtful, and it’s shaped how I make decisions. A lot of how I work, how I lead, and how I handle situations comes from her - not from what she told me to do, but from how she’s always done things herself.

What is your most hated business expression?

We have to double down, I hate it because most of the time it doesn’t mean anything real.
“Double down” sounds decisive, but it usually hides a lack of clarity. It skips over the actual thinking - what exactly are we doing more of, why, and what changes? — and replaces it with a phrase that feels strong but isn’t specific.
It also assumes the direction is right. Sometimes the problem isn’t that we haven’t pushed hard enough, it’s that we’re pushing the wrong thing. Saying “double down” shuts that conversation down instead of opening it.
And honestly, it’s become a bit of corporate shorthand. People use it to sound bold without having to explain the plan.

What’s the smartest business idea you’ve ever had?

I stopped trying to make marketing look successful, and started focusing on making it useful. That meant fewer “nice” activities and more things that actually helped sales move: clearer messaging, better materials for conversations, campaigns built around real opportunities, not just visibility. It wasn’t louder, but it was sharper.
It changed the way the business saw marketing - from a cost to something that actually supports growth.
Nothing flashy, but probably the most valuable decision I’ve made.

What leader do you admire most and why?

Michelle Obama.
Not because she was in a visible position, but because of how she used it. There’s a consistency in the way she shows up, grounded, articulate, and clear about what she stands for, without needing to dominate the room.
What I admire most is her balance. She’s strong without being aggressive, influential without forcing it, and she communicates in a way that feels both intelligent and human. You understand her, and you trust her.

What is on your mind the most right now as a marketing leader?

AI is on my mind a lot - I want to use it as a tool without losing what actually makes marketing work.
It can speed things up, give you a starting point, help you test ideas faster. But it can also flatten everything if you’re not careful - same tone, same structure, same thinking. And in a world where everyone has access to the same tools, the risk is that everything starts to sound the same.
For me, the balance matters. Use AI to move faster, but keep the human part where it counts - judgment, nuance, knowing what to say and what to leave out.

Why is being part of The Marketing Society important for your career?

The Marketing Society brings together people who are dealing with the same realities - growth pressure, shifting expectations, the tension between brand and commercial impact. Being part of that kind of community matters because it challenges your thinking. You see how others approach similar problems, what’s working, what isn’t, and it forces you to stay honest about your own approach.
It’s also one of the few spaces where marketing is treated as a leadership function, not just execution. That matters to me. I’m interested in how marketing shapes decisions, not just how it supports them.
And beyond that, there’s value in being around people who take the role seriously. It raises your own standard.

Why does marketing matter to you?

It’s a profession that combines creativity and pragmatism, and that balance is what drew me to it and kept me in it. I like building things, but I also like knowing they work. Marketing sits exactly there - between ideas and outcomes.
Over time, it stopped being just a role and became something more instinctive - I see it as both my passion and my calling.

Tell us something that’s not on your CV

I'm a pretty good salsa dancer - being married to a Colombian can do that to you.