The correspondent of The Maritime Telegraph had a great opportunity to meet Georgios E. Poularas C.E.O. of Greek Shipowner, ENESEL LIMITED
MT: As far as we know you are from a maritime family. Tell us please about it.
E. Poularas: First of all the company I represent is a well-known shipping family. Lemos family is in business for 175 years. My family personally is about three generations of seamen and shipping is natural for us.
MT: What country were you born in?
E. Poularas: I was born and grew up in Athens, Greece. The origins of my family are coming from Kassos a small island in the south Aegean Sea.
MT: Also, we know that you used to work in Germany, which country do you like more?
E. Poularas: Between Greece and Germany I like both of them, actually, I’m Greek and Athens is my city but I enjoyed the time in Germany a lot. I spent five years and a half there. It was very productive years and I felt like home there. I cannot really distinguish; I like both countries for different reasons.
MT: Did you have any maritime experience?
E. Poularas: Yes, I did my undergraduate and postgraduate studies in Naval Architecture and Maritime Technology. I started my career by supervising new building vessels in Taiwan and South Korea and then I sailed for one year and a half on board bulkers and tankers. I don’t have a long maritime experience but I can feel how the seamen feel.
MT: Was it your own decision to work in the maritime industry?
E. Poularas: My father was a captain and, of course, we had maritime impressions at home but he had never tried to influence my decision about selecting my profession. I was very determined from the very early what I wanted to do.
MT: Did your mother want you to be a seafarer and follow your father experience?
E. Poularas: My mother actually was sailing with my father so she is very experienced. The whole family is familiar with the seamen’s life and it is very important because it is a difficult job and if people around you can’t understand the peculiarities of the business then it becomes very hard.
I’m happy because the vast majority of my family members and also my social cycle is associated with shipping.
MT: Do you enjoy your job?
E. Poularas: Absolutely, every day. Actually, I like my job because there is no routine, it is never boring, we communicate every day with different personalities and people. Unexpected things sometimes happen but this is a natural process of a job, we have to live with that and we have to accept it. Shipping gives you a lot of excitement.
MT: Did you join your first vessel as a cadet?
E. Poularas: I was a dual cadet, so I was working on the deck and in the engine room as well. What impressed you the most there? I am an engineer by my academic background so I was closer to the engine room but what impressed me most was basically the time when we were approaching a new port, particularly after a long voyage. It is a really fantastic feeling.
MT: Did you face any unusual situation during your sailing that shocked you?
E. Poularas: The time I spent at sea was in very quiet, the weather was generally good and my crew mates were supportive. I can however distinguish one really difficult situation: we were sailing along Australian coast with an Aframax tanker in ballast condition. We had departed from Port Philip with destination the port of New Plymouth in New Zealand. In Tasmanian Sea we were hit by a typhoon and the bad weather continued for five days we obliging us to alter our course.
I never felt fear actually because the master was very confident and he was inspiring the crew. I learned a lot from this experience and I particularly understood how important the leadership was.
MT: We know that you used to be a captain of a basketball team at University. Do you still play basketball?
E. Poularas: Basketball is the most popular sport in Greece. I used to play basketball consistency from my early youth until the time I commenced my studies in UK. During my studies I was honored to be the captain of the University’s Basketball team. Basketball is a team sport and we learnt a lot important things that are very valuable for life: the principles of cooperation, the principles to support the colleagues, the principle to protect the team. We learned these things from a very early age through the sport. Basketball is a part of my life till today but now I play only with friends of my age. Basketball is a very intense activity; it is not the kind of sport you can play till retirement.
MT: Do you have any other hobbies?
E. Poularas: During my free time I prefer to relax at home with my family. Apart from basketball I like to read interesting books and listen to my favorite music. I usually read books relevant to leadership and management.
MT: Tell about your family.
E. Poularas: I have two boys; my elder son is 16 years old and my younger one is 11 years old. I spend time with them, I wish I would have more time for my family, because I work and travel a lot. It is not easy, but I am lucky because I have a very supportive wife.
MT: Do you want your boys to become seafarers?
E. Poularas: I have never tried to influence them or to impose my desire. My duty as a father is to tell them everything I know, assisting them to make their own decisions. If they elect to follow a career at sea I will fully support. If not, I will support whatever they decide.
MT: Is it possible to combine a successful career and a happy family life? How do you manage to do it?
E. Poularas: Realistically it is difficult; basically my wife is the person who drives the whole family.
MT: How do you spend your free time with the family?
E. Poularas: Family trips, theater, cinema and watching basketball games are our favorites. Needless to mention the summer holidays.
MT: What difficulties did you face along your way to the success?
E. Poularas: In every step your face different challenges. When you start, there is a plenty of things you do not know, but you are driven by the appetite to learn. You face difficulties every day and you need to be positive to those changes that kick you outside of your comfort zone but at the same time they make you stronger and more confident to face the next challenge.
MT: Where and whom do you see yourself in 10 year time?
E. Poularas: I align my ambitions with the company’s ambitions. And these are to grow steadily and successfully. For us the most important thing is to continue to be in position offering employment to young generation and see the company grow.
MT: What was your childhood dream?
E. Poularas: I wanted to become a naval architect, to have a nice job and to do interesting things. Fortunately life treated me nicely and all these things became reality.
MT: What would you advice to a person who has no money, no powerful parents but just his mind and his passion?
E. Poularas: You need to have an internal force driving you to do things, to work hard, to listen, and to have your eyes and ears open and being in a position to understand the opportunity that life brings. Remember that luck is the point that capability meets with opportunity.
If you don’t have money means that you have nothing to lose and this fact alone is a kind of asset because you have not emotional blockers to drag you back and you can only strive to the one-way road of success without an option to fail.
MT: What do you appreciate more in people you work with?
E. Poularas: Actually we want people to be in position to understand our philosophy. We need to share the same values, principles and be driven by the same vision. Our colleagues have to be loyal, hard working and patient.
MT: What three wishes would you have if you found a bottle with genie?
E. Poularas: Health, health and health. All the rest is more or less in our hands…
