“Led by the need to provide myself with finances for a summer vacation, I applied for a seasonal worker with the intention of staying only 3 months, but after 28 years I am still here”- this is how Pance Ninovski, Logistics Manager in Pivara Skopje starts his successful professional story. Personal upgrade and career development went together, ranging from a variety of positions in the company, such as operator positions in Beer Production, Technical Administrator in the same sector, Corporate Report Coordinator. Today as Logistics Manager says that the first precondition for achieving outstanding results are the employees, their commitment to work, professionalism and the clear goals set in front of them. With great pleasure, he says that Pivara Skopje has one of the most efficient and most sophisticated distribution networks in the country and beyond and the way of distribution and sale of Pivara Skopje and the systems Coca-Cola HBC & HEINEKEN is always willing to share with the partners as an example of good practices. Leisure time, says is the hardest to find, but when he does, he completely devotes to family and friends.

1. What is your career path? When and how did you join the team of Pivara Skopje?

It was 28 years ago, on April 25, 1990. It is interesting that the idea to start working in Pivara Skopje was quite accidental, driven by the need to provide myself financials for the summer vacation. I applied for seasonal worker with the intention to stay only for 3 months, but after 28 years I’m still here 😊. Pivara Skopje simply gains you with the way it is organized, care for the employees, great opportunities for personal upgrading and development, and thus career advancement. That’s why all employees in Pivara Skopje can easily see their pride and satisfied to be a part of this company, and at the same time part of the two perhaps largest corporations in the world in the field of production and sales of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, Coca-Cola HBC and HEINEKEN.

2. What was your dream at the beginning of your career and the vision for professional development? How much Pivara Skopje has helped you to progress and achieve your professional goals?

At the beginning of my career, it was only important to upgrade myself within the production sector, both with technical knowledge at the workplace and with improving managerial skills through various trainings and workshops that Pivara Skopje offers to young employed people. Now from this time distance, I can say that the personal upgrade and career path somehow went along via many different positions within the sector. I started to develop a career in different operator positions in Beer Production, so after a certain period of time I was offered the position of Technical Administrator in the same sector. A new job promotion Coordinator for Corporate Reports arrived in a short time. I got the first managerial position at the end of 2008, and I got the opportunity to manage the beer planning department. Probably the key moment in my career was the appointment for a Business Process Leader in the project for the implementation of SAP system in 2014 as being responsible for the processes within the supply chain sector. Extremely complex and difficult project, but at the same time a huge opportunity for learning. All of us, involved in this project, came out with a vast experience, gained knowledge of the overall processes in all functions that make the operation of a company and especially important for me, the team work for achieving results. Shortly after the project was finished, I was offered to become part of the leadership team of Pivara Skopje at the position – Logistics Manager and I immediately accepted this new challenge without much hesitating.

3. Logistic management is a supply chain management component used to meet customer needs by planning, controlling and implementing the efficient movement and storage of related information, goods and services from origin to destination. This would be the definition for this branch. Your position in Pivara Skopje is a Logistics manager. What specifically does this position mean and what are your working responsibilities?

There are many definitions for Logistics Management, but in principle they all reflect the main point of the process. The Logistics sector covers several branches and processes within the supply chain, such as distribution of finished goods, transport and customs, fleet of light vehicles, warehouse operations and management of finished products, raw materials and marketing materials, spare parts, refrigerators, beer dispensers, etc. While the primary responsibility of my position is developing logistics solutions that will provide greater flexibility and faster response to market demands with better services and all at optimal cost. Furthermore, ensuring the storage of raw materials and products and guaranteeing them to meet quality standards. I am responsible for creating the overall budget for logistics operations and controlling its realization and of course the most important thing, for the care of my employees, their development and proper direction in performing their tasks.

4. What is the logistics network of Pivara Skopje?

Here I can say with great pleasure that we have one of the most efficient and most sophisticated distribution networks in the country and beyond. Starting from automatic transport planning using the most up-to-date IT tools and equipment available to our dispatch team, to the developed secondary distribution for the city of Skopje, as well as an appropriate primary distribution in combination with our logistics partners to ensure the smooth supply of our customers with our products and in the utmost places in the country. Recently, a logistics conference “Logistics – the New Way of Success” was organized, by our key customer Tinex. At the conference attended by ambassadors, representatives of the banking sector and business partners of the company from the country and the region, among other speakers, I attended together with our Commercial Director, Roderick Rosenbaum, where we were pleased to present the logistics model of Pivara Skopje, a way of distribution and sales as an example of good practices of our company and the systems Coca-Cola HBC & HEINEKEN to which we belong. The occasion for organizing the conference was the launch of the new Tinex logistics and distribution center, and our presence there was in a direction of supporting our partners, something that we, as a company, always unselfishly do.

5. How much the experiences and the cooperation with the two cooperation Coca-Cola HBC & HEINEKEN to which Pivara Skopje belongs help?

The huge privilege of every employee in Pivara Skopje is that he/she has the best of the world’s leading industries for alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and the availability of their experiences and knowledge, which can be applied in our work. On the other hand, it is our responsibility to keep them, but also to consistently improve the high standards set by Coca-Cola HBC & HEINEKEN.

6. How do you manage to deliver products of good quality, with good prices and always on time?

The first prerequisite for achieving exceptional results are our employees, their commitment to work, professionalism and the clear goals set in front of them.

7. How important is the cooperation with the other sectors in the company?

I would say that the cooperation with the other sectors in the company is crucial in achieving success. This is even more important for our sector which is related to all other sectors in the supply chain and with the commercial sector where we market together.

8. Is there gender equality in your profession or is this a more “male” profession? 😊

In the past, there was such belief that only the male population can be successful in our profession, but these opinions are outdated, and this is best confirmed by the fact that the Logistic team in Pivara Skopje includes women who are excellent experts in their field with developed skills in logistics and great results in their work.

9. What is the professional challenge you designate in your career as the peak to which you aspire?

The greatest professional challenge is always my personal achievement in every job position I have and “taking out” the best of me and the people around me in order each year to have better results

10. According to you, how important is the team spirit and teamwork in your sector, and the company in general?

Most important! Without satisfied employees, who teamfully and diligently deal with all challenges, no good results can be expected. In our sector, and in the whole company, we spend a lot of time and care to nurture the team spirit, which is an integral part of our work.

11. How do you manage to adjust the work and the private life? Do you have time for free activities, hobbies …?

It’s probably the hardest part of every professional’s work, no matter the profession it comes from. I always try to organize my self and complete all my professional obligations on time and to have enough time for myself and my family, but also for some beer with my friends 😊.