Vlad's story: CaME FOR A BOTTLE, stayed for the whole pack

Coca-Cola has great history, which means high safety level, great quality, good processes, constant improvement and growth. I saw the Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company (CCHBC) Management Trainee Programme as an investment in myself and 5 years later I would say it has paid off.

I started at CCHBC in Romania in September 2015 as a Production Trainee. I expected to stay in this role for 2 years, but already after one and a half year I was promoted and became Production Supervisor, running the glass bottling line. That was a big deal for me. I was not only responsible for a production line which is supplying the entire country, but I was also in charge of twenty-eight people. The biggest team in the plant and my first time being a supervisor – what a challenge! 

This kind of fast growth is not unusual at CCHBC largely thanks to the opportunities on offer and the support that is available to high-potential employees. I have always been very much supported by my managers. They helped me push through and focus on the “Why” behind our decisions. Working with and learning from them helped me to accelerate my growth as well as the challenging tasks they trusted me with.

Our plants are complex and are exactly the kind of challenging environment I was looking for. Some days I would work on tasks that require more administrative activities, some days were more technical. Some were physically challenging too, as I worked on the production line working with the machinery. I learned a lot. Not only from my managers, but also from my team.

Almost 4 years in the job I was promoted again and now I am Production Manager of the plant. A personal success for sure, but not a reason to lay back. There is always more to learn.

You cannot succeed on your own, you must collaborate and learn from other departments and people next to you. We are always working toward the same goals. We are a team.

Learning and winning together is a hallmark of our company values. CCHBC is a very good school! As a Management Trainee I gained valuable experience working on projects and being challenged. What encouraged me a lot was to see how older trainees made progress in their career. They had good positions on higher levels, which proved to me that, as a Management Trainee, you get taught the right things in order to be successful in your career.

Besides learning the collective pursuit of excellence is another critical value at CCHBC. It keeps us driving forward. Continuous improvement is a management concept for operations. Taking everything to the next level takes us to another level as well. It motivates us to unlearn and learn to do things differently. 

It’s amazing to think how far I have come to in such a short time. I am at a level I really dreamt for, but never thought I could actually achieve in 5 years. And even now, as a Production Manager, I am again in a process of learning, I carry on my path of continuous development in the areas of team management, budget administration and various process improvement projects.

Learning and winning together is a hallmark of our company values. CCHBC is a very good school! As a Management Trainee I gained valuable experience working on projects and being challenged. What encouraged me a lot was to see how older trainees made progress in their career. They had good positions on higher levels, which proved to me that, as a Management Trainee, you get taught the right things in order to be successful in your career.

Besides learning the collective pursuit of excellence is another critical value at CCHBC. It keeps us driving forward. Continuous improvement is a management concept for operations. Taking everything to the next level takes us to another level as well. It motivates us to unlearn and learn to do things differently. 

It’s amazing to think how far I have come to in such a short time. I am at a level I really dreamt for, but never thought I could actually achieve in 5 years. And even now, as a Production Manager, I am again in a process of learning, I carry on my path of continuous development in the areas of team management, budget administration and various process improvement projects.

Thinking back on it all, I would take this trip again. I would be just as brave and hungry for learning, involved and open minded. There is no clear recipe, but I think that if you want to succeed at CCHBC, some key elements are curiosity, asking questions, do not accept anything as given or fixed. Be adaptable, take it step by step and be involved. Colleagues will appreciate your fresh eyes. Get to know the people around you and work to understand them so you can do great things together.

The new generation of trainees will take us to the next level. They are the change of the future and we (CCHBC) will grow together with them.