Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Good morning, captain Papadopoulos.
Thank you for having us over.
I'd like to ask you some questions.
How do you define your occupation? Which are your main activities?
Thank you for visiting me...
and congratulations for this programme.
I am the Chief Executive Officer of Marine Managers Ltd.
I am currently in charge of the Operations Department.
How did you find this job?
It was a gradual process.
I started as a cadet.
Then I served in the Greek Navy...
as ensign and naval officer.
I was discharged with the rank of Lieutenant...
and I've been working here ever since.
I first joined the company on November, 1971.
So I have been working here for 40 years.
That relates to my third question. How long have you been CEO?
I have been CEO for the past 11 years.
Can you summarize how your career evolved?
You started as a captain in this company...
or did you come here later?
I joined the company with the rank of second mate.
Then I made captain and two years later...
the company appointed me to its New York office...
then to London...
and in 2001...
the London office was moved to Piraeus.
What experience did you have...
both at sea and in the office before you became CEO.
As I said before...
I was a captain in this company for two years.
After that, I decided to go to London...
in order to expand my knowledge on shipping.
I lived for 18 months in London.
I spent the first 12 at Morley College...
which was then called London School of Foreign Trade.
That's where I got my shipping diploma.
I studied further for the following six months...
and got my International Chamber of Shipping diploma...
specializing in Marine Insurance, Hull Insurance and Cargo Insurance.
What skills are required for being the CEO of this company?
First of all, a complete technical knowledge of the ship is required.
Only by knowing the ship...
the crew and the way the ship works...
you can communicate with the crew...
and solving the many problems that come up every day.
Regarding the position of the CEO of a shipping company...
what personal skills are the most important?
Regarding interests, physical...
or personality traits. How do they affect you in your job?
In order for someone to run a shipping company...
they need to have managerial skills.
This means that they have to be able to communicate...
with other people.
An excellent communication among the office staff is required...
and with each department...
as well as with the crews.
In a shipping company...
the Chief Executive Officer...
is either a master mariner, naval architect or marine engineer...
an economist or even a lawyer.
Their background needs to relate to shipping.
However, that's not enough.
Apart from the background of the CEO...
meaning the subject of their studies...
they must fully understand the managers...
of each office department.
They need to communicate.
It's not necessary to know every technical issue...
but they need to understand what the technician is telling them...
or the accountant or the crew manager.
Only then do we achieve complete harmony.
Have you received any further training...
since you've been appointed as CEO of this company...
after your studies and your practical experience?
I've been trained as an ISM auditor both in London and in Greece.
Also, ISPS Code...
and Company Security Officer.
I have also attended several bunkering seminars...
by DNVPS.
Can you describe an average day in the office?
That's hard. Regarding operations it's incredibly complicated.
You arrive at the office having one particular task in mind...
and you get a ton of messages about unforeseen events...
which ruins your schedule.
However, that's the beauty of this profession.
Under uneventful circumstances...
I start by reading every incoming e-mail and fax.
I then meet with every manager department...
regarding any possible issues.
Most of the time, though, as I said before...
you need to deal with something unexpected.
You need to give instructions in order to solve the problem.
What are the main aspects that you enjoy in this job?
Generally speaking.
What do you enjoy the most about this job?
It's a job...
that has really...
pulled me in.
There are so many continuous changes.
There is no routine.
Something new always comes up.
Whether we're talking about new regulations...
both at a national or at an international level...
or the everyday challenges that always keep you on your toes.
And certainly you enjoy the respect and admiration...
of your employees...
as well as that of your partners.
Something very positive, deriving from your everyday work...
and your personality.
That is definitely true.
That's what the English call, "job satisfaction".
If your job pleases you, you feel satisfied.
In order to succeed in your job you have to love it.
If you don't love it, it would be better to do something else.
In all these years as CEO...
have you noticed any drawbacks?
Maybe in regard to the workload...
or maybe you're stressed for time...
and you don't have enough time to do everything.
Or maybe that you spend more time on your job...
and less on personal activities that you'd like to do more of.
Someone who really loves their job...
even if it has its drawbacks, they tend to overlook them.
I belong to this category. I ignore anything that's bothering me.
There are drawbacks, as with every profession.
E.g. the issue of family.
If something happens to a ship and I am required to go there...
this will upset my family.
However...
if the family is understanding, you get inspired...
and you can overlook it.
How do you view your career evolving in the future?
E.g. in the next five years.
Where do you see it going?
Will you remain in your position?
Can it be improved?
Can you rise above the position of CEO here...
or in another company?
Having worked here for 40 years...
I have already reached the highest rank.
I have never even thought...
of moving on to another company, at least not right now.
What I would like to see...
even though it's not directly relevant with your question...
is more young captains in our field.
I don't approve the mentality...
of most of them...
who are content with a career at sea.
We need people in the offices.
Competent people who love this line of work.
However, more would be required of them.
Even at a young age...
they should be willing to go abroad for a couple of years...
to study further...
so that they will stand out...
which will give them the right to work where we are now.
That's what you would advise someone who would want...
to pursue the same career path such as you.
The captain who believes that they can work in an office...
they must be willing to study...
even here, since nowadays we have the means in Greece...
or abroad, so that they can be accepted in the office.
We need this kind of people.
What would you advise someone who is not yet sure...
whether they are a man or a woman...
whether they want to pursue this career.
To join an office after serving at sea.
What advice would you give to them?
I would advise them the following.
If they are not willing to work...
under a great amount of stress.
If they are not willing to work for long hours...
and under any circumstances, don't even try it.
If they are having doubts...
whether they would like working in the office...
I would advise them to work as a trainee...
at an operations department of an office.
After a couple of months they would have all the information they need...
to decide whether this work suits them.
Mr. Papadopoulos, thank you very much...
for this interview.
We wish you all the best.
You can view your interview online...
at the website of the programme, www.sailahead.eu.
Thank you very much. It's been an honour.