Gardening and Sky diving – inspiration for success

Sergiu Iordache is part of a new generation of talented CEO-s that proves Romania can be economically sound, no matter what. He is only in his 40s, and despite the crisis, he managed to lead to success a 300 people company and to double its turnover in less than 5 years. DSV posted, in 2011, RON 120M turnover, has 300 employees, 5 locations in Romania and a total storing space of 57,400 square meters.

Details on Sergiu Iordache, the CEO of DSV Solutions and his guidelines for achievement, in the interview below.

 

Ad Hugger:  With clients covering all industries having stayed faithful to your logistics services for 5, 10 or even 15 years, your company is a remarkable example for client retention. If you found a universal recipe, please share it with us.

S.I.: The secret was to focus on the local new business, without forgetting that current clients’ happiness should be kept alive year after year. We just used the simple, universal rules of great relationships and we applied them in business. Year after year we tried to imagine and offer our clients extended services and opportunities that they hadn’t even asked for in the beginning. We are proactive and empathetic with clients, and their loyalty is a sign that our business instinct is right. We love surprises. Good ones, of course. So we gave them a taste of it. See, it is not a secret, it is only common sense.

 AdH:  You are about to launch a new, large warehouse in Bucharest and your company will become number one in terms of modern storage spaces. What is the clients’ reaction?

S.I.:Surprisingly or not, we have serious applications for the new warehouse even before its official launch, in October.  The rumor of this news did a better job than we could have expected. On the other hand, it is no surprise at all. It is only the consequence of a well-designed plan that we conceived after we listened to our clients and discovered their expectations. I have this simple theory – if you want to win, you need to invest wisely first.

AdH: DSV Solutions works with companies from such diverse fields. Aren’t you afraid of the risk of trying to do too many things at the same time?

S.I.: Yes, our company is working with such a diversity of clients, but this is not by chance, but part of our strategy –we decided not to put emphasis on a field or another, but to cover them all, with the same exigency. In this way we are almost risk free – even if we lose a client, with the experience we have in various fields we can get back on the track fast. So it is not risky, it is precisely the opposite.

Ad Hugger: What are the hobbies that influence you in business life?

S.I.: Gardening and sky diving. Sky diving is about flying, seeing everything from a different, higher perspective, pushing the limits forward and the adrenaline that comes always together with a great project. Gardening is about the joy of growing everything from the seeds, it is about wise patience, quiet time that works in your favor. It is about total implication, getting your hands dirty and preparing a whole territory for a stunning result.