An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Switching to pandemic mode and adjusting to supply chain or economic volatility Pandemics are not new to humanity, it’s about making sure that operations can always be tweaked to ‘pandemic mode’. For example, through our parent company Santa Fe, we regularly provide up-to-date travel regulations and this has helped customers to gain confidence in working with our company.
As a part of our series about the The Future of Travel in The Post-COVID World, I had the pleasure of interviewing Doreen Wang — Head of Strategy and Implementation, Sanelo.
Doreen Wang is the head of strategy and implementation of Sanelo, a global move management company. With the ultimate goal of making its customers moving home happy, she works very closely with Sanelo executive team to transform the relocation service offering. She is also leading the green projects in Sanelo to fight against climate change.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
I started my career in the Logistics and Shipping industry, where I had the wonderful opportunity to work in different sectors. I was placed in various positions to absorb industry knowledge and understand the commercial and operational processes and the technology that supports the business operation.
When I moved on to work closely with Chief Executives, I gained experience looking at businesses from all aspects and learned to focus on business strategy and its implementation. Since then, I have been focused on delivering strategic projects and helping businesses grow and thrive, especially by leveraging the latest technologies.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?
I was in Shanghai when the World Expo 2010 took place. Back then, I worked very closely with the Danish Pavilion’s project management team to ensure that the construction and exhibition project was delivered. It was an exciting experience for me, especially since we shipped the original little mermaid all the way from Copenhagen to Shanghai.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake when you first started? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Once, I helped my line manager move internationally. We went through a lot of work organizing everything for him and his family, including young children. Just when we thought we had managed everything, they were stuck before going to the airport, because all their passports were packed during the move and already in transit to the destination. As a result, they had to stay for an extra month to apply for new passports.
The biggest lesson learned was to seek professional assistance from relocation companies. Usually, they will give advice and guidance to make one’s moving journey stress-free.
Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”? Can you share a story about that?
Screen off time.’
As the leader, be a role model who creates a culture of efficiency.
Organize staff engagement activities.
None of us can achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful for who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
I am a huge fan of the book ‘Good to Great by Jim Collins, and I am grateful that one of my first bosses introduced it to me, together with many other good books. From him, I learned how important people are in the organization and how to lead and inspire the team to help them achieve their potential.
Thank you for that. Let’s jump to the core of our discussion. Can you share with our readers the innovations you are bringing to the travel and hospitality industries?
E-commerce has changed the entire world since it was born, allowing us to reimagine how our business can operate after 130 years in the global relocation industry.
We are amid expanding our service offerings with an online marketplace. By sourcing for different partners globally, across multiple service categories, our marketplace seeks to provide our customers with a ‘one-stop-shop solution.
This means that moving internationally is no longer a journey into the unknown. Our customers could easily book different services in the destination, including travel and hospitality.
Which “pain point” are you trying to address by introducing this innovation? How do you envision that this might disrupt the status quo?
Relocation is one of the most stressful events in life. There are multiple moving parts and too many uncertainties during the journey. Most people have limited experience when it comes to moving too. Whether setting up a bank account in a foreign country, searching for a new home in a new state, or getting your child into an international school, you will not know how to do these things until circumstances determine that you must do so.
Our marketplace exists to provide timely and holistic assistance to our customers. By engaging partners across multiple categories, including guides and checklists, we aim to empower our customers with a better understanding of the necessities of relocation and point them towards a service provider or a Sanelo team member, to resolve their pain points.
You are a “travel insider.” How would you describe your “perfect vacation experience”?
As a relocation expert and strategic project manager, my perfect vacation experience is one where I cover all bases, even before the trip begins. I appreciate ideas, suggestions, and guides of places I can go to and having a one-stop booking platform where I can get things like visa, insurance, hotels, and car rental settled all at once. The cherry on the cake would be having someone I can contact quickly whenever I require additional assistance on the trip, and of course, a beautiful and restful accommodation.
As you know, COVID19 changed the world as we know it. Can you share 5 examples of how travel and hospitality companies will be adjusting over the next five years to the new ways that consumers will prefer to travel?
- Business continuity and flexibility is now a priority for companies.
Switching to pandemic mode and adjusting to supply chain or economic volatility Pandemics are not new to humanity, it’s about making sure that operations can always be tweaked to ‘pandemic mode’. For example, through our parent company Santa Fe, we regularly provide up-to-date travel regulations and this has helped customers to gain confidence in working with our company.
2. Hybrid work models are here to stay.
There will be more remote working and outsourcing happening across various industries, and travel and hospital companies should ensure that their product offerings match the travel trends that emerge from this way of life.
3. In-person contactless technologies to support operations are more crucial than ever.
Not only does automation allow companies to channel resources into other areas but also gives customers flexibility and assurances on their safety. In Sanelo, we’ve actually implemented virtual surveys whereby we use video and AI technology to create an inventory of items for your international move.
4. Creating and streamlining digital touchpoints to enhance customer experience. For Sanelo, this looks like building an integrated marketplace that houses a variety of relocation-related service offerings that our customers can purchase.
5. Both consumers and businesses now view insurance as necessary hedges against unforeseen circumstances.
During the pandemic, many companies offer travel protection. And even for Sanelo, we make sure to give our customers the ability to get shipment and movement protection for their personal belongings and household items during their local and international moves.
6. COVID-19 has changed the way consumers purchase forever.
More people are buying online than ever. But the volatile shipping situation is something that serves as an ever-present challenge for online retailers. With storage facilities, relocation and retail companies can avoid heavy demurrage charges (penalty fees paid to shipping companies for not offloading your cargo on time).
Can you share with our readers how you have used your success to bring goodness to the world?
Families are the basic building blocks of societies worldwide. My success at work has helped many families move happily, safely, and swiftly across the world. A big move puts inevitable stress on anyone, and I am simply happy to be able to alleviate some of that pressure with Team Sanelo’s help. From packing and moving out to unpacking and settling in, we derive immense joy from journeying with our customers from their origin country to their destination. We hope to improve the world by facilitating positive moving experiences for families that engage in our services.
You are a person of significant influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
I am someone who identifies as an environmental advocate, so if it were up to me, I would start movements to save the earth. I am grateful that there are already quite a few campaigns and initiatives, but we have a long way to go green as a world.
As a pledge of Sanelo’s determination and commitment to supporting the cause, we included a ‘Carbon Offset’ project in our 2022 roadmap.
Our organizational mission is to help our customers move home happy. To achieve that, we must contribute to making a positive impact on the environment.
How can our readers follow you on social media?
https://www.linkedin.com/company/sanelo-movehomehappy/
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
The Future of Travel in The Post-COVID World With Doreen Wang Of Sanelo was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
