Sami Al Hakim

As Manager of Business Club, part of VIP Romania, I led one of the most active student business communities in Bucharest, developing programs and events that helped students grow their entrepreneurial mindset and connect with real business environments. My role combined strategic planning, community management, and partnership coordination, focusing on creating impactful opportunities for learning and collaboration. I coordinated a team of over 50 members and managed the organization’s main projects. A major milestone was Business Summit 2025, hosted with Stup, which brought together more than 150 participants, corporate partners, and speakers for two days of conferences, workshops, and networking. The event positioned Business Club as a key bridge between students and the Romanian business ecosystem. Throughout the year, I organized multiple training sessions on design thinking, sales, mindset development, financial education, legal topics, and entrepreneurship, helping members develop both soft and hard skills through interactive learning. I also coordinated the Business Stories conference, an internal event for new members in their trial period, introducing them to the business world through discussions with entrepreneurs and professionals. Internally, I led several team sessions and organized an international teambuilding in Morocco, a fun and unique experience that strengthened bonds and reinforced team spirit. I also focused on maintaining and expanding strategic partnerships with organizations like BT Stup and Commons, while improving the public image and visibility of the community. Through this role, I helped shape Business Club into a dynamic and cohesive community, one that blends education, collaboration, and memorable experiences to prepare students for real opportunities in business and entrepreneurship.

I lead sales and partnership efforts and design the processes that move work from first contact through pilot into production. I scope client needs with product and engineering leads, draft PoC and pilot plans, define milestone roadmaps, and align stakeholders on KPIs, compliance and production readiness. I run pilots end-to-end to validate fit quickly, reduce ambiguity, and hand work off to delivery with clear acceptance criteria and measurable outcomes. A major part of my role is removing friction between pre-sales and delivery. I clarify requirements, surface blockers early, set handover rules and establish reporting so teams start execution with shared goals and realistic timelines. I also build repeatable commercial blocks used across deals: pilot templates, pricing approaches, contract clauses for knowledge transfer and operating models that keep collaborations low-friction and scalable. GambIT is a technology partner that pairs seasoned engineering teams with pragmatic product building blocks to accelerate launches and reduce delivery risk. We operate in regulated and high-impact domains — fintech, retail, healthtech and enterprise platforms and provide capabilities in core engineering, cloud & DevOps, enterprise solutions and AI & data. Our portfolio includes industry-focused components (digital onboarding, loan origination, BNPL flows) and an internal BRIDGE program that drives innovation and productization. I focus on measurable outcomes: faster time-to-market, predictable delivery, lower operational risk and partnerships that scale engineering impact without excess overhead. I represent GambIT in client conversations and industry events, feed market insights back into product and commercial design, and support talent initiatives to keep delivery stable.

As a Partnership Officer within the How to Web team, Eastern Europe’s leading tech and startup event bringing together over 3,000 founders, investors, and professionals, I was responsible for developing and managing partnerships that supported both the commercial growth and brand positioning of the conference. My work covered the entire collaboration process, from identifying potential partners and negotiating terms to coordinating contracts, deliverables, and post-event follow-ups. I played an active role in maintaining strong relationships with B2B companies and service providers, ensuring that each collaboration aligned with the conference’s objectives and created measurable value for all parties involved. This included drafting and managing partnership agreements, coordinating on-site visibility and activations, and acting as a key contact for partners throughout the event cycle. Beyond the conference itself, I contributed to organizing and supporting community events such as Leap of Tech meetups and Summer Gatherings, initiatives that extended How to Web’s presence throughout the year and nurtured long-term engagement within the regional tech ecosystem. This experience helped me refine my skills in account management, business communication, and event operations, while giving me first-hand exposure to how large-scale events can become catalysts for innovation, collaboration, and business growth. Working alongside founders, executives, and ecosystem leaders taught me how to manage complex partnerships in dynamic environments and deliver consistent value across multiple stakeholders.

During my bachelor’s in Industrial Engineering at the University POLITEHNICA of Bucharest, I built a solid foundation in mechanical design, product development, materials science, and manufacturing technologies, while also exploring the connection between engineering and digital innovation. I worked extensively with SolidWorks, Fusion 360, and ANSYS, and gained practical understanding of database systems and automation processes. For my final project, I designed and developed a 3-in-1 charging dock for wireless mice, smartwatches, and smartphones, integrating both hardware and digital components. Alongside the prototype, I created a full-stack web platform using React, TypeScript, and Supabase, combining product engineering, user-centered design, and software development into a single coherent solution that reflects modern product innovation.