In an exclusive interview with Capt. Dimitrios Mattheou, CEO/ Managing Director at Arcadia Shipmanagement Co Ltd & Chairman of Green Award Foundation, we explore a successful approach towards continuous improvement and excellence.
Focusing on objectives, and running through the Total Quality Management processes and procedures, in order to set, monitor and optimize a corporate identity and a cross functional culture of development and improvement, are few of the tips that Capt. Mathheou shares.
Capt. Mathheou, who has earned worldwide recognition in the maritime industry and has also received the GREEN4SEA Personality Award among others, insists on always investing in self development and ignoring an advice such as ‘be like everyone else’.
SAFETY4SEA: How did it come about that you joined shipping industry and your field of expertise specifically?
Dimitrios Mattheou: I was born in a part of Greece surrounded by sea. I love the sea and I could not imagine myself dealing with something different. My field of expertise is wide enough. Through my career years I was always seeking for superiority and excellence. Very quickly I gained the necessary knowledge and expertise in many fields of the Shipping Industry both at sea as a captain and ashore as an Executive & Senior Manager.
S4S: What about your current job/ role most excites you and why?
D.M.: As an active CEO, Managing Director in Arcadia Shipmanagement Co Ltd and Aegean Bulk Co Inc, I find myself getting deeply involved in the daily operation as well as the strategic planning of both companies. My excitement derives from the fact that while I have been executing my current roles, I have been formulating successful strategies that have helped both companies to achieve and maintain a position as leaders in Shipping. I am always focused on objectives, and running through the Total Quality Management processes and procedures, in order to set, monitor and optimize a corporate identity and a cross functional culture of continues development and improvement. As a Manager I have achieved to lead high performance teams of successfully increasing efficiency and productivity, whilst reducing costs and inefficiencies. As a Leader I have been cultivating business growth, evaluating opportunities and risks and delivering innovative solutions to challenges. All these give me a strong reason to feel excited every day.
S4S: When you think of the word successful who’s the first person who comes to mind and why?
D.M.: I have no particular person in mind. However, I have a 6-word-model that comes to my mind when I think of a ‘successful’ person:
Ambitious, Courageous, Committed, Prepared, Continuous Learner, Responsible
S4S: Who is/was the most influential person/mentor to you & why?
D.M.: I can’t think of no one else, but my father. His mind, his ideas and especially his actions always inspired me. His overall personality was and continues to be a guide in my life
S4S: What is the best and what was the worst piece of advice you’ve ever been given and why?
D.M.: Best: ‘If you want to know what a man’s like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals’
Worst: ‘Go big before you’re ready’
S4S: What is the most worthwhile career investment (in energy, time, money) you’ve ever made?
D.M.: The most worthwhile career investment is personal Intelligence, Know-How and Know-why. Never stop learning. Begin by investing your time to acquire the right intelligence that will accelerate your career advancement.
S4S: If you could give a piece of advice to your 18-year-old-self one thing, what would it be and why? What piece of advice should you ignore?
D.M.: A valuable advice will be: ‘Have the courage to live a life true to yourself, not the life others expect of you’, because it is very important to try and honour your dreams along the way. You must embrace each day as a gift and do all you can to live a life that is true to who you really are.
I would ignore an advice such as: “Be like everyone else”
S4S: In the last five years, what new belief, behavior, or habit has most improved your business life?
D.M.: Forethought and provision are priceless values that have improved my business life . One day that distant future will be now, and the choices you make today will have shaped the choices you are able to make then
S4S: What would you like to change in the current maritime landscape and your area of expertise specifically and why?
D.M.: I would focus more on the Human element. Seafarers or shore based employees are operating and acting within a critical working environment. We should continuously empower and evaluate the people who serve our industry in order to provide ‘working experience’ conditions rather than just work commitments and obligations .Our people should be inspired by their working environment, actively involved and committed to the implementation of the corporate goals.
S4S: What is your personal motto?
D.M.: ‘’Leading through Vision. Inspiring through Actions’’
About Capt. Mattheou Dimitrios, CEO/ Managing Director at Arcadia Shipmanagement Co Ltd & Chairman of Green Award Foundation
Mattheou Dimitrios is an inspiring Leader with an executive talent, committed to his job tasks, innovative in his roles and loyal to the corporate spirit. A result-orientated Managing Director, who combines a keen intellect with strong analytical and synthetic skills. Demanding with himself and exhibiting ambition, consistently backed by effort and time management skills. With an exceptional working performance throughout his career path, he has been demonstrating high level of expertise, healthy self-confidence and excellent leadership skills. He has insight and gifts, a competitive nature and a determination that cannot be beat.
He is a visionary, yet a highly approachable manager. His management style is extremely accessible and he is a very hands-on executive officer with a ‘can do’ attitude that arouses inspiration and motivation in demanding and crucial working environments. Through his actions and hard work he has earned the respect of everyone in the maritime industry and has been awarded three times as a Best Manager and as an Exceptional Personality (Best Manager award / Efkranti Awards May 18, 2016, Personality award / GREEN4SEA Awards April 4, 2017, Personal award / Masters & Mates Union of Greek Merchant Marine).
As an active CEO, Managing Director in Arcadia Shipmanagement Co Ltd. and Aegean Bulk Co Inc, Capt. Mattheou has been formulating successful strategies that have helped both companies to achieve and maintain a leading position. Also, he is highly recognized for his contribution as a Chairman in Green Award Foundation. As an experienced sailor, he has never neglected the new generation of the seafarers; he provides frequent Industry-based tuitions for Post-graduate students, as a guest Lecturer at various Academic Institutions for Maritime studies
