- Two decades is a long time. We have achieved a leading position in the Port of Klaipėda, what is the reason for this success of our company?
- The success of our company depends on the efforts of the entire MIT team, clearly defined tasks and the company's strategy. Even the smallest job has to be done to a high standard, only then will the customer and ourselves be satisfied. And this is where the role and responsibility of each and every one of our employees is crucial, e.g. if the loading manager does not organise the loading process properly, the whole chain suffers. This is why we need constant communication between everyone, from the lowest level, the production staff, to the higher levels. Teamwork and unity are our greatest successes.
- Let's go back in time for a moment, what was your path to joining this organisation?
- After graduating in civil engineering in Vilnius, I started my professional career in one of the Kaunas companies that carried out road repair and infrastructure maintenance works. I worked there in a number of positions: technical, then commercial and finally as a company manager. However, like many organisations in Lithuania, this company had to liquidate its activities after suffering the effects of the 2008 economic crisis. At that time, I was offered the opportunity to try my hand at the position of terminal manager. I made my decision in half an hour, and moved from Kaunas to Klaipėda within a day.
- The experience you gained in the road maintenance sector is not the experience you needed to run a cargo terminal in a port. How did you cope with this challenge?
- There are challenges in all sectors and always, but that's the fun of it, how you manage to grow yourself and justify the shareholder's trust you received as an advance on the position you took. I will not say that it has been very easy, because the port, in principle, has a lot of specificities. You have to understand, you have to learn, you have to familiarise yourself, but it is all manageable if you have the will.
- You have been successfully managing our terminal for more than 10 years now, what does being a manager mean to you and what responsibilities do you take with this position?
- Being a manager is first and foremost an opportunity (and therefore a responsibility) to empower and grow the team. I have always considered this as one of my most important tasks and my greatest added value. Equally important are the performance results that have to be achieved together with a united team and a clear direction. We have been doing this for a decade now, which is why we are on an upward curve, and why we are able to offer a specialised portfolio of services to our clients thanks to the consistent development of our infrastructure. All these factors have helped us to become one of the leaders in the Port of Klaipėda. Although once upon a time there was no thought that Panamax ships could come to our terminal.
- What do you wish yourself and your team on MIT birthday?
- First of all, I thank each and every member of the team for their contribution to the work of the CBM, for their dedication and effort, for their daily work and challenges, for their patience and focus, for their willingness to improve and to achieve more. Let us remain a dream team and let us continue our work with full energy and realise our Everest-level ambitions.