Plamen's story: Fast development in various areas

I was lucky to start in Hellenic as a Business Developer, directly from the student bench. The responsibilities grew in parallel, when I was appointed a Team Leader, uniting individual contributors and raising every day the bar towards the common goal. After successful accomplishment of Cappy RGM test launch in North East Bulgaria, I was promoted as Area Sales Manager.

It wasn’t always an easy time – successfully launching Bankia in Plovdiv area, where we become #1 player in HoReCa for 1.5 years, being the best- selling RGB area in the country, followed by the challenging and exciting period as an ASM in Sofia, just at the launch of the New RTM model (Pre-selling) and strong competitive response all over the city. Through such experiences a person gains something, which can’t be taught or learned –the ‘CAN DO’ attitude, powered by the energy and the willingness of the whole team. A team, who is aligned towards very ambitious, even scaring goals. The lessons learned served very well in the turbulent times of the economic downturn, when already a Regional Sales Manager, I’ve participated in some tough business-critical decisions.

Then, leading the Customer Service and Support team, we introduced optimizations and innovations, which supported our functional and organizational goals, leading ultimately to the biggest one: Customer Satisfaction recognition. During that period, I was first time leading people who were bigger experts in their fields than me. Here I’ve explored in-depth the potential of the coaching, to help my team members growth. One of the biggest learnings was linked with the Country NKAM role, namely to value differences. It helped us, having the company strategy in mind and following our priorities, to achieve a break-through in the cooperation with two of toughest customers.

After that I opened a new page in my learning and growing path, by embracing a role in CCH IT function, Business Solutions and Systems (BSS). Here we combine the latest digital technologies, analytical models and process optimization to serve Hellenic business functions and, at the end of the day, our Customers.

> What’s your job like?

Currently I am BSS Commercial Customer and KA Solutions Manager, leading a blended team of Product Managers, Solutions Architect and Applications Managers in several commercial areas – RTM, RGM and Execution Excellence.

My team supports our BSS Mission to accelerate Growth at the service of the business, we co-create customer centric, cost efficient, user friendly & scalable digital solutions, while ensuring simpler, faster, integrated, reliable and secured systems. ​

To plug in technology and digital solutions in practice we collaborate closely with other sub functions and country teams in BSS. We work every day with internal stakeholders, with vendors and strategic partners.

The solutions we launch enable the Commercial function to connect 24/7 with our customers and consumers. 

> In which of the IT pillars have you worked in and what have you learnt?

Our team supports Hellenic to digitize externally, with key focus on Frontline Sales and Revenue Growth and Next Generations Customer Management Platforms. Some of the learnings I’ve captured so far: everything matters only when it reaches to the end user; there is no small or big country – only faster and more eager to embrace the novelties.

The motivated team can make even the impossible to become a reality and Hellenic has a very special place in the TCCC digitization map. 

> What skill or behavior do you continue to leverage or remind yourself to use?

Listen and Reflect to Act: only then I can capture the ‘wholeness’ of the business problem, personal motivation and concerns, and be open of different viewpoint of even most complicated situation. Not so easy in the dynamic world we live, yet always rewarding.