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Meet Mladen: The calm analyst and problem solver in the delivery team.
Profile
- His greatest strength: nothing upsets him.
- Turns on top form when he has to dig in.
- Specialist for: The difficult cases - never shies away from a challenge and tackles them.
- Most important equipment at work: Outlook and Slack (internal communication tool).
Hey, I'm Mladen, project manager at S&P | Element Logic since June 2023 and I'm really happy. But before I talk about my job, I'd like to talk about a few personal figures and briefly describe my professional background.
I am 47 years young, married and father of three wonderful girls aged 7, 8 and 10. Do I know how to deal with women? I think so - after all, I have my own team of 4 girls at home. (laughs)
After training as a wholesale and foreign trade merchant in the automotive tire trade, I worked there for almost two decades - working my way up to sales manager and responsible for 10 employees. At some point, however, I missed the challenges and development potential. So I took the plunge and went back to school to study business psychology. After graduating, I started working for a food manufacturer, where I slipped into the logistics track. After four years, my path took me through logistics and IT process optimization until I finally ended up here.
How did it come about? I saw a recruiting video from Rémy, one of the managing directors, on Facebook. It was shown to me by chance. I have no idea why. Sometimes it's the unexpected things in life that offer the best opportunities. Logistics and cool projects are my world and that's what I found here.
I also got off to a great start. As I don't shy away from a challenge and communicate this openly, they gave me the chance to carry out test runs at a very important customer after just 3 weeks. It was a gigantic warehouse, the likes of which I had never seen before. For me, it was A a vote of confidence in my abilities and B a valuable experience and challenge for me personally. I don't know anything about it, I'm learning the ropes. (laughs).
In my job as a project manager, I love the variety of tasks and the daily contact with our customers. I really enjoy the on-site appointments. I am happy when I can support customers with their logistical challenges. But the best thing is when my ideas are put into practice, work perfectly and inspire customers.
"What is particularly important to me are challenging tasks in project management that contribute to my personal development. And that's what they do here."
For me, the fascinating thing about logistics is seeing how our elaborate logistics concept works in practice. Our warehouse management software controls huge warehouses and the processes run one after the other as if by magic. I find it really impressive when large automated warehouses are set in motion at the touch of a button. The industry also has enormous development potential and is very diverse.
Iappreciate the short decision-making processes, the flat hierarchies and the opportunity to organize my own day. The corporate culture is characterized by open communication, a lot of personal responsibility and a modern approach to work-life balance. We laugh a lot and sometimes allow ourselves to have fun with colleagues. I think that's very important. Another plus is the flexibility to work somewhere else (visiting parents in Slovenia).
"I have always wanted to work in a company that is modern and lives what it says and communicates to the outside world. At S&P | Element Logic, these are not just empty words, but a living culture."
My day starts with my essential dose of coffee (laughs) and a quick coordination meeting with my colleagues. I'm part of the delivery team and we support new customers during commissioning from the start to go-live. Our focus is on implementing the customer's requirements and wishes. These are initially worked out by another team in-house with the customer and recorded in a document (specifications).
Specifically, our tasks consist of:
- Plan and accompany software development
- Test functionalities
- Edit tickets
- Meetings and coordination with customers and internal teams
- Provide training and instruction for employees
"I can realize myself and, for example, give training courses on what I have learned in recent years. I think that's great."
We are the ones on site, solving problems and gradually implementing the processes. It helps that nothing upsets me. I'm pretty relaxed, no matter what happens. First analyze and then proceed step by step.
What do you need for this job? Negotiating skills, technical understanding and an affinity for IT, as we have to map the processes in the system. You should also be a kind of "people catcher". (laughs) That means being able to pick up different types of customers and deal with them, even if they are a little more difficult. That requires empathy and communication skills. Enthusiasm for logistics and a love of travel round off the profile.
Finally, a little insight into my private life.
I am passionate about soccer and skiing. As a member of the senior team, my teammates are not only my sporting companions, but also my private friends. We've been on the soccer pitch for 35 years and are a close-knit community. It's great fun and provides a good balance to everyday life. I have to be honest when it comes to skiing - I'm more into the après-ski. (laughs)
When cooking, I let my creativity run free, inspired by my mother, who is a trained chef. I like to enjoy a glass of wine with it - after all, life isn't just about work. I take a more relaxed approach at home, but at work I am absolutely reliable and conscientious.
I have a very special talent: I can remember license plates and numbers like a fool. It's a leftover from my time working at a tire dealer. I should apply for "Wetten, dass...?". (laughs)
When it comes to planning parties or any kind of mischief, you can also count on me. Because a hands-on mentality is my thing. But sometimes I'm a bit naïve and think I can do the job quickly. Then this and that comes along and I'm faced with a bigger construction site than I thought. (laughs) But because I always stay calm, it doesn't throw me off track.
