Sixteen years ago, Stavros Georgiopoulos joined Alfa Beta as a warehouse picker. He could never have guessed then that he would still be working for the company today, only now in the role of HSC Fulfillment Supervisor. “No two days are the same in my job. Every new day brings new challenges that have to be tackled and new decisions that must be made. Our work has a huge impact on our business and our customers. This makes my role challenging, but also extremely rewarding.”
As Stavros’s father was a sailor, a love for the ocean was ingrained in Stavros from very early on. It’s why he joined the naval academy when he was only 18 years old. As much as he loved being out at sea, he enjoyed being away from home significantly less. “After two years of training at the academy and lots of time spent away from home, I realized that I missed my family too much. That marked the end of my time at the naval academy and my dream to become a sailor like my dad.”
While he was at the naval academy, Stavros had already started working as a picker at Alfa Beta Vassilopoulos’s warehouse in Athens. “I really enjoyed my work and I liked both the company and my colleagues. It felt like the right fit from day one. So it wasn’t that difficult to say goodbye to my sailing career and swap it for a career at Alfa Beta.”
Twelve years later, however, Stavros did find himself having to make a difficult decision. “After all those years spent working for the same company (my first-ever employer), I felt it was time for a change. I knew it was a risk, but it was one I was willing to take. That said, it didn’t take long after I’d left for me to realize what I had actually known all along: Alfa Beta really was the place for me. Not only does the company’s work approach fit me like a glove, but the people feel like family too. When I spoke to my former manager at Alfa Beta about my ‘regrets’, she gave me the opportunity to come back. I was incredibly happy.”
A widespread impact
Working in the fulfillment field is exciting and demanding at the same time. “Everything must move quickly and smoothly, and our service must always be excellent. I am very proud of the ISO certification that we recently received for outstanding delivery. Aside from impacting customers directly, it’s important to realize that our work affects so many different departments and teams within the organization. If we change the way we pick or package in the warehouse, it automatically impacts processes in other areas too – sometimes positively, but also sometimes negatively. It’s my job to constantly weigh up and balance options to make good decisions. Most people don’t realize how much happens between the moment an online order is placed and the moment it arrives on the customer’s doorstep, and how complex these processes are. My eyes are always on the goal: to ensure the best possible customer experience. A commitment to always strive for excellence and maintain the highest levels of quality is deeply ingrained within my team. It’s the most rewarding feeling to see everything come together and all the steps of the fulfillment journey completed perfectly.”
A happy and safe work environment
The Fulfillment Team that Stavros spearheads includes over 200 associates. He likes to see himself as an accessible manager who’s dedicated to problem-solving. “I want my team to know that they can approach me with any question or problem they might be facing, and I will go out of my way to help them find a solution.
I have integrity and I hope people can see that. One of my key priorities is to make sure that everyone feels happy and safe in their work environment. As a manager, I want to give them everything they need to thrive in their work and as people.”
Personally, Stavros thrives in an open and honest workplace where there’s a lot of structure. But at home, structure isn’t always easy to find. “With two young children, life isn’t always as organized as I’d like it to be,” Stavros says with a laugh. “I love spending time with my family, especially on weekends. Having a good work-life balance is important to me. Or at least it has been since my children were born – before that, work often came first. Today, my family is number one. We like spending time outdoors or going to a fun park together. Actually, it doesn’t really matter what we do; as long as we’re together, I’m at my happiest.“
“Although becoming a sailor is off the cards, Stavros still spends a lot of time at the sea. “Fishing is one of my greatest hobbies. On weekends I often get up very early and drive to the ocean to go fishing for a few hours. It’s just me and the sea – nothing else. Sometimes I think about work or my family, but often I think about nothing at all. My son, Dionysis, likes fishing too, so we sometimes go together – but when he comes along, it turns into an afternoon trip. A 4am fishing morning is a little much for a 7-year-old, after all.”
Name: Stavros Georgiopoulos (1985)
Started working at Alfa Beta: September 2007 (with a break from 2020 until September 2021)
Studied: MBA International Business (University of East London, 2020)
Living with: My wife, Vasiliki, and our children, Xanthi and Dionysis
Hobbies: Fishing, soccer and basketball (although right now I don’t have time for all three – only fishing)
Wake me up in the middle of the night for: My children are the only ones who are allowed to wake me up for anything
Favorite holiday destination: Porto Heli in Greece, a beautiful place with the most amazing beaches. We visit every summer
Life-changing event: Getting married, the birth of my children and my father’s passing earlier this year
Biggest source of inspiration: My children
Best advice I’ve ever received: It’s a Greek expression my grandfather shared with me when I was about 10 years old and translates to something like ‘Get as far as you can go’. To me, it means, ‘Always aim for the sky, but also don’t push yourself too far’
