“Have a lunch with”… Miklos Schmidt – Global Head of Cargotec Business Services and General Manager of Cargotec Bulgaria

Тhis year, for the fifth time in a row, the campaign “Have а lunch with the boss” will bring together many ambitious young people with the leaders of 38 companies in various sectors in our country. More than 400 young people took part in the campaign and applied to meet the leaders they see as their potential mentors.

Today we share with you how the first “Lunch with the boss” went – the meeting of Miklos Schmidt (Global Head of Cargotec Business Services and General Manager of Cargotec Bulgaria) with Parvoleta Radeva (second-year student at UNWE, major Entrepreneurship).

Here’s what he shared with us after his meeting with Parvoleta:

What motivated you to participate in the campaign “Have a lunch with the boss of…”?

This is my second time participating in this great initiative and thank you for the invitation! My main motivation to participate is that I am a firm believer in sharing experiences and learning from each other. Sharing my experience, thoughts on life, best leadership practices and guidance is something I really enjoy doing, if this can potentially help a young person find their path on their professional or life journey.

What determined your choice of a campaign winner? Why did you choose Parvoleta?

All candidates who applied to meet me as a representative of Cargotec were worthy, but of course we had to choose only one candidate. Parvoleta stood out with her background and her motivation for applying to meet me. I was impressed by the fact that she works while studying, that she did her research on the company and was very interested to know more about our Climate Ambition and sustainability efforts. 

Would you, please, let us know how the meeting went?

The meeting went really well and I am very happy to have met Parvoleta. Meeting motivated, smart young people is always so recharging and energizing. I am happy that there are young people like Parvoleta living and developing in Bulgaria as the future leaders of the country.

What are Parvoleta’s strongest qualities according to you?

Parvoleta came very prepared, she was motivated and asked very spot-on questions. She was also very mature in her overall views on life and I believe she will have a great future ahead of her. Her determination of what she wants to achieve in life and that it is not necessarily measured in monetary terms. She is a young leader who, in my opinion, will have a great future with this perspective of life and attitude.

Did you learn something new from your conversation with her? What was it?

What surprised me about Parvoleta was how clear ideas she has about how she wants to live her life and what she wants to achieve in life. It was refreshing to hear that while she would like to achieve financial stability, her main goal in life is not about material things but those things that can make a life fulfilling and content.

Would you participate in the campaign “Have a lunch with the boss of…” again?

Of course, I would love to participate again as many times as I can and as many times as I am invited! If I can help a young person with guidance or advice, the campaign is a great way to do this. I very much benefit from these discussions as I can learn a lot about how the young generation views their future, what challenges they have, and how they adapt to the constant and more rapid changes.

What advice would you give to young people who are yet to participate?

Be brave, be active, be prepared, be curious, spend some time on explaining why you were interested in the company you apply for. As for the lunch itself, ask as many questions as you can and use the meeting as much as possible to learn and connect with the person you are meeting. Remember, there is no such thing as a stupid question regardless of who is standing in front of you!

Parvoleta also shares her impressions from the meeting:

What motivated you to participate in the campaign “Have a lunch with the boss of…”?

As a proactive young person, I seek for new opportunities for personal and professional development. “Have a lunch with the boss” is a campaign that gives the opportunity to meet successful people. 

Why did you choose Miklos Schmidt? 

Whеn I read about Cargotec and Milkos Schmidt, I was amazed by his experience. As him, I wanted to work in different countries, but I wasn’t quite sure how to do that. Leadership was the second reason why I chose him. 

Would you, please, let us know how the meeting went? What is the one thing you will remember from it? 

The meeting was more than amazing! I cannot remember only one thing from this meeting. We discussed so many different topics from education to travel and exploring new places. 

What about Miklos made the strongest impression on you?  

I’ve never thought that Milkos would be so kind and friendly. He was so easy to talk to. Moreover, he was so open-minded that we were able to talk for so many things. At the end of the meeting, Milkos gave me a little bag with different gift from Cargotec. That was unexpected and so generous!

What was the most valuable advice you got from him? 

He gave me lots of advices, however, one advice that I will remember, for sure, is: “If you want to travel and work, hotel industry is a good option.”

Would you participate in the campaign “Have a lunch with the boss” again? 

For sure! The experience was phenomenal and I recommend it to every young person! I would love to meet more and more people like Miklos. 

What advice would you give to young people who are yet to participate?  

Don’t wait or make excuses. Go and get it! It requires only reading and writing skills (and little bit of optimism 🙂 .