Today we are happy to introduce Sorin Stoica, the General Manager of LANCO Romania and the Chief Operations Officer of LANCO Group GmbH.
How did you start working for LANCO?
I was not looking for a job. I was, though, open for a discussion when I was contacted by the headhunting agency that LANCO hired to fill in this position because in my previous employment I was 140 km away from Sibiu. For 20 years I was away from home during the entire week and only back to Sibiu Friday to Sunday and the prospect of moving closer to home was definitely interesting.
My textile engineering background combined with all my management experience made me quite confident in tackling this new assignment, but this proved to be quite the challenge. And boy do I love a good challenge (laughs).
Speaking of previous experience, what did you do before joining LANCO?
Well, I started my career in sales actually, as I organized a commercial office of a German group of companies in Romania that manufactured components for the textile industry. Then I coordinated the activity of a company that was involved on JIT (just-in-time) supplying full packages of materials and accessories necessary for manufacturing garments. The moment an order was entering manufacturing in one of the customers’ plants, they would receive everything they needed for that particular order. At the time (late 1990s), Romania was mainly a lohn manufacturer and had little infrastructure, talent and know-how for the warehousing, stock management and everything else related to this and there was this specific need that we fulfilled.
Let’s talk about what you (dis)like about your job.
I like to work with people, the fast pace of our activity, the expansion of our manufacturing capabilities and the development in our product ranges. When I think of how things were in 2018 and how they are now I feel proud, and I have a sense of fulfillment.
Another thing that I like about my job is that we have a clear vision and an aligned strategy for the future. This makes me eager to start my day every day and inspires me to look forward to the future.
The less fun parts of my job have to do more with external factors, than with internal ones. We live in a volatile and uncertain world, and we all know how the past years have been in terms of supply chains for instance. So we are under constant pression to navigate the unfamiliar, react quickly to changes and anticipate future threats. We have embraced change as a constant and manage it so that we rise above the waves instead of drowning.
This is probably the biggest challenge we are facing and, in my position, I have to be patient and calm and support my colleagues, empower them to find their own ways to reach objectives and build consensus through debate, dissent and participation.
You speak the most about people…
Yes, because they are the backbone of our organization. All departments have grown in the past 5 years, and we have great colleagues. I have a great team, we collaborate well, and we all have the flexibility to adjust course and keep focus on our common goals.
Our teams are constantly growing, and we are happy to welcome people with diverse backgrounds. We believe that dedicated people with diverse perspectives are paramount because diverse opinions strengthen decision-making.
Are you still looking for new colleagues?
Yes. I hope that this year we manage to fill in all the positions we have open and move to the next level of organizational development fully prepared. And since we are passionate about growing, as individuals, but also as a company, we will always have job openings and we will always strive to improve our processes to make them scalable, robust, agile, and flexible.
And what would you say makes candidates choose LANCO over other employers in the area, in the industry?
Well, first of all we offer a future and a fast-paced activity. We are constantly developing, changing for the better, evolving. We constantly work on improving working conditions for all our colleagues. We are one of the top 30 companies in the Sibiu metropolitan area. We are involved in amazing projects and have ambitious growth plans. Working at LANCO comes with other great benefits, too: personal and professional development, financial bonuses, and last but not least smart, nice and fun colleagues. I wholeheartedly recommend LANCO to anyone who is looking for a job.
So you wouldn’t say your work is stressful?
It is stressful to some extent, yes, because there is always too much to do and too little time, but I don’t think that these days there are any jobs without a certain amount of pressure. There are some days there are tougher than others, but I have always been in management positions and with authority comes great responsibility. So, yes, stress has always been a part of my professional life, but I experience it as a challenge instead of a threat and I would definitely miss it had I not have it. (he laughs)
What’s your favorite place in Romania?
I love the mountains and we have plenty to choose from in our area, so I would say Păltiniș. I go hiking and mountain biking a lot.
And what else do you like to do in you free time? Do you have any hobbies?
I enjoy sports a lot and try to move as much as possible. I cycle, I swim, I do winter sports. We have a company subscription with 7card and I take advantage of this benefit and go swimming as often as I can, especially at wintertime. In the summertime I enjoy going to the seaside because I really love the sea.
I read a lot and I like that we have a Bookster company subscription. I can choose from the online library what I want to read, and I have the books delivered for me at the office. I typically choose light books to clear my head in the evenings. Right now I am reading the Cormoran Strike series, crime fiction novels written by J.K. Rowling, but I also enjoy reading historical novels – the Renaissance and the Middle Ages especially with the adventures, chivalry, fighting the unknown.
What’s your favorite motto?
I think that would be fortes Fortuna adiuvat which translates as Fortune favors the bold or the brave. I think that speaks greatly about how luck is a lot about seeing and seizing opportunities, about taking chances and sometimes even leaps of faith.
