BUSINESS: 471 PRACTICES
Papastratos, in 2017 turned the page in its long history and, with a significant €300-million investment, transformed its factory in Aspropyrgos into an exclusive heated tobacco sticks production unit for IQOS.
The program’s objectives are the following:
Τhe program’s development from a local YMT into an international program MMT aims additionally to:
The program addresses new employees, without managerial responsibility/ experience (individual contributors) with at least one year of experience in the company.
A prerequisite is to have a consistently excellent performance and acknowledged developmental capabilities.
Each cycle lasts about 1½ year and it has 4 modules with a duration of 3-4 months each.
In the meantime, the members are being involved in critical and important projects.
The academy developing new talents was launched in 2011 as YMT focusing on new Papastratos’ talents and in 2016 it has been developed into MMT including people from Romania and Bulgaria that are part of the EU Balkans’ cluster of PMI.
The need: A creation of the next generation of managers through internal development in order to ensure the continuity and ongoing development of the organization and to provide opportunities to young employees of PAPASTRATOS to show their talents and abilities.
The Idea: A creation of a parallel Management Team with the actual ones’ standards in order to give to young talents the experience by simulating an actual Management Team. At the same time to give them the opportunity to become the next generation of Directors.
General Information: During the first 2 YMT academies (2011 and 2013) 8-10 new Papastratos’ employees have been selected from almost all the departments (Operations, Sales, Finance, HR etc) and they have attended 4 thematic training modules with a total duration of 1,5 year.
This year, we have already developed the 3rd academy, the Millennial’s Management Team, which has been extended into the 3 EU Balkans’ Cluster countries with a total number of participants 20 people – Greece (8), Romania (8) and Bulgaria (4).
Selection Process: The selection is made using a thorough evaluation, including a written report or a short video in English on a subject selected by the management team, interviews with senior management and it ends with an innovative business simulation game. At each stage the candidates that are not being selected receive a feedback from the HR.
Educational Plan and program’s structure: Each program consists of 4 thematic cycles which last for 3-4 months.
At the beginning of each cycle the members are being gathered for approximately a week and they participate in educational activities, they make contacts with the senior management while they gain selected experiences inside and outside of the company.
During the first section (Foundational Week) an emphasis is given to a development of a relationships between the program’s members and at the same time to their specific individual role’s understanding within the group. This stage includes trainings such as the '7 Habits of effective leaders', Mayer Bricks Type Indication'.
During the next 3 (Deep Diving Weeks), the participants come into a contact with different areas of the company in order to gain a holistic understanding of different aspects, so that they can have a better understanding of its issues and strategies.
Typical topics: Product Life Cycle, Marketing and Commercial, Tobacco Taxation and Regulation, Digitalization and Continuous Improvement Culture.
In the mid time, they are assigned with important projects and there is one responsible person from the senior management team to guide them. After the project’s completion, a presentation of results and provision of feedback takes place. Simultaneously, participants’ skills are being strengthen, in order to be able to cope with the demands of the program, through in class and e-learning courses such as Project Management, Problem Solving and Presentation Skills.
In addition to the individual trainings, the participants often meet with the directors of different departments and they are being informed on current running issues of the company both in a local and a European level, so that they have a better knowledge of the strategies and business’s progress. They can share their questions/concerns while simultaneously they can enhance their image in the senior management.
A close collaboration with the Management team, the participation in cross-functional and / or cluster projects and the continuous guidance helps the participants to thoroughly understand the culture and the values of the company. At the same time, they develop important skills, such as presentation ability, entrepreneurial thinking, comfort around senior managers and mainly strategic thinking. Precious elements for their careers’ further development.
Members of the first two YMT academies made significant progress either by taking positions with increased responsibilities in Greece or in other subsidiaries abroad.
The program’s benefits continue after its completion. The company provides funding (total or partial) for a training that each graduate selects.
Until now, five MBA programs have been funded by 50% while programs such as Coaching programs, Digital Marketing, mini MBA and Nefroglossikou Planning by 100%.
Finally, the possibility of having a mentor from the management team is given to those who wish to have one.
1st and 2nd cycle Young Management Team: Athens
3rd cycle Millennials Management: Athens, Sofia, Bucharest
The supra-local development of Millennial's Management Team Program creates a new wider cooperation model between the neighboring HR subsidiaries of Philip Morris in the Balkans.
A number of management team members from different departments from Sales, Marketing, Finance and Production from the three countries worked together closely mainly for ΥΜΤ/MMT program’s content design and at the same time for its implementation.
At the same time, Papastratos’ senior management is actively involved in all stages of the candidates’ communication and selection process.
The first two YMT academies have already brought many benefits to the company, as the participants in the first one made a significant progress, strengthening the organization's succession plans.
Also, the participants’ involvement in Projects, brought significant improvements, innovative ideas and solutions that can be applied directly to Papastratos and PMI, such as proposals for tobacco for roll your own cigarettes that have been presented and adopted by the Director of Europe.
Finally, this initiative has been characterized as a best practice by the HR Group, and for this reason Papastratos has been awarded for its unique way in developing internally its talents.
No Connection with Global Goals found
