The year began with a wonderful anniversary and will continue with more, but for them later. We are happy to share that we have celebrated 15 years since Preslav Petkov is part of the family of ELBOW! And we will not hide that the word “family” in this case is not just another corporate cliché.
Preslav is an absolutely immutable and infinitely essential part of the path we have been walking for the last 22 years. We are sure that without him we would not be where we are today. We thank him both as colleagues and as friends for the fact that 15 years later there is still something to laugh about, we still dream together and still manage with joint efforts and hard work to change the forwarding business in Bulgaria for the better.
Press, it's a real pleasure for us! We wish for at least 15 more together!
And here is what Preslav himself shared about the first 15 ELBOW:
What is your name and what position are you in at SIKO?
My name is Preslav Petkov and I am Commercial Strategy Manager and Shareholder in ELBOW.
Do you remember your first day at SIKO?
Yes, of course. It was a little over 15 years ago. And absolutely everything was so different! The office, the business, the work environment, the competition, everything! I found myself in a small office where Svetlyo and Kolyo greeted me with the words: “Boy, you have complete freedom to find your own style of working and attracting clients. We are here and ready to share all our experience with you and move forward together!” And from then until today, we've been through a lot, but the only thing that has never changed is their belief that the most important teacher in business is your own mistakes and that your only goal should be to become better than you were yesterday.
What has changed for you from then until today?
Oh, absolutely everything! 15 years is a complete teenager with all his dreams, knowledge, disappointments and new dreams. You can say that I grew up both personally and professionally. I have a wonderful family, a profession that I sincerely like and colleagues whom I can boldly call friends. When I started, I knew so little about this profession, although I thought the opposite, and today I am one of the shareholders in the company. And this path of change is what holds you back and for which you are responsible. I learned to prioritize the things that really matter—both for myself and in my work.
What is one thing you will never forget about these 15 years at SIKO?
The trust that was given to me in the early days and that I continue to feel to this day. The feeling that whatever challenge you face, there is someone to find a solution with and someone to lend a hand to you. The moments of great successes, of great failures are not forgotten, and one must be able to learn from both. Of course, you can not forget all those moments in which we had fun together, because they are a serious part of our daily work.
Do 15 years go by quickly in one job?
And yes, and no. Now, looking back, it seems to me that it was yesterday when I became part of the SIKO team, but I realize how much we managed to change the company, impose European standards of work, increase the team nearly fourfold and cope with the many difficulties that the business environment offers us every day.
What else keeps you in the company?
The confidence that I am in the right place, which comes from people in the first place. And the ones I started with then, and all the others who are or have been part of the SIKO team during those years. I learned to take something from each of them. The other important thing for me is peace of mind. When I go or leave the office, I am calm.
What is the most important lesson you learned in these 15 years?
That there are no impossible things. My family, my career, the development of the company - when a person puts 100% of himself into what he does, even if sometimes it is difficult, even sometimes he is wrong, there is no way in the end he will not arrive at the right path and the right decision.
What are the 3 things that gave you the strength and faith to keep going when it was hardest for you?
My family, my clear conscience and my confidence that there is always a happy ending in the end. 😀
What is the biggest recognition for you professionally?
That they still greet me with a smile? 😆 And if I have to be more serious, maybe the fact that there are still colleagues and partners with whom we work together 15 years later. And we still trust and rely on each other. Of course, and that I am part of the management team of SIKO.
What are the qualities that led you to grow professionally?
I know how to adapt. Communicate with different people. I have my own style of work, which allows me to react quickly, thoughtfully and with a workable solution in stressful situations. I like to experiment and I am not afraid that I can go wrong.
What would you say to those who are now starting their career in freight forwarding?
Keep your senses open! Freight forwarding is a profession in which you do not stop learning. It requires a combination of multiple skills, knowledge and personal qualities that develop over time. I would tell them that it is a profession that can take you to the most wonderful places in the world, meet you with amazing people and bring you what you allow it to bring you. If it's not clear, I'm in love with her. 😀
How do you feel after another 15?
With a pipe, a glass of whiskey and a book in front of the fireplace. 😆 Not that I'm kidding, eh! 😁 I imagine myself the same way — surrounded by the people I love, working with the people I love, and still confident that there is something else that can be done to make things better.
What's the one thing nobody knows about you at the company?
Few people know that even after 15 years in transport, I still can not sleep if I do not check at least once the last courses of the day. They say that my peace is like concrete — impenetrable. The truth is, I am that way by nature. Even as a child, I did not get angry when I lost in a game, but just came up with a new strategy. Maybe that's why at work, whatever happens, I know there's a solution. And if one day you see me angry... it probably means I'm just hungry!
How would you explain to a young child what you're doing?
When someone is at one end of the world and needs to send something to a person who is at the other end of the world, they need help. So that the shipment arrives healthy, arrives on time and arrives at the right place. And for all this to happen, there is a need for a person to choose what to travel with the shipment and where to go so that everyone along the chain is satisfied.
What do you want for 2025?
It should be just as beautiful as the previous one. To have time for my family, for myself and still enjoy my wonderful colleagues! Let's be healthy!
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