Dimitris Sakkaloglou, Local Key Accounts, Dealers & Yachting Manager of Jotun Hellas discusses with Skipper ONDECK his journey in the paints industry, working for one of the market leaders. He also talks about Jotun's innovative products, the company's potential in the marine market, and how this is achieved through Jotun’s core values: Loyalty, Respect, Care and Boldness.
Can you describe your professional journey with Jotun Hellas?
I have been active in the paints industry since 1999, when I completed my studies as Chemical Engineer. The great journey with Jotun began in 2000 from the position of Technical Consultant for Marine Paints, a position I held until 2006. Afterward, to steer my career towards sales, I briefly left Jotun to join another Greek company as Sales Manager for industrial paints and powder coatings. Since 2009, when I returned to Jotun Hellas, until today, I have been actively involved in various managerial positions either in sales or technical support. And the journey continues.
What do you recall as your successful moments along the way?
Throughout my career, I have been asked to serve in various roles in the sectors of marine and yachting paints and industrial (protective) coatings. I have thus had the chance to take up different challenges in every sector and taste the joy of success. If I were to single out moments of success, I would choose two:
The first one was in the industrial (protective) coatings sector, where, after returning to Jotun, I was called upon to develop our position in this market from scratch, since Jotun did not possess a significant presence there, despite its leading position in the marine sector. Today our company holds the position it deserves in the industrial (protective) coatings sector.
Another one worth mentioning was my achievement in the marine sector as New Building Manager. We managed to secure the highest number of shipbuilding contracts with the largest Greek shipping companies, either in terms of number of ships or total dead weight. These ships, which may be purposed for different categories of freight transport, such as dry-cargo transport, containers, liquefied gas, and tankers, have been protected with Jotun paints. We also secured contracts with the largest shipyards in Korea, China, and elsewhere. Thanks to the successful efforts of Jotun Hellas, we have been established as the dominant newbuildings paint supplier for Greek Shipping.
What are your personal goals now as Yachting Sales Manager in Jotun? What could be your "legacy"?
I switched to this specific sector in 2021. Our company's presence in the yachting market had already been established with products such as MegaYacht Imperial and Megafiller, which have enjoyed great recognition for many years, both by yacht owners for their high performance, and by applicators for their excellent application properties. In the antifouling category, MegaYacht Imperial, the flagship of Jotun Yachting, is admittedly the best product on the market, capable of providing antifouling protection for up to 3 years in a wide range of demanding conditions (high speeds, low speeds, idle condition). Apart from the MegaYacht Imperial, though, Jotun also has a full range of products in the topcoat category with the MegaGloss series. Our goal is to bring this series to the position it deserves on the market. We’ve recently launched our MegaGloss Metallic topcoat and so we can now fully meet the needs of a yacht for maintenance, refit, or Newbuilding. Finally, we are currently in the process of strengthening further our dealers' network, suitable for the needs of the market, from small boats to megayachts. All the above goals achieved daily with the continuous efforts of our network is my "legacy" which I would like to leave to the company.
Read the full article in the new Skipper OnDeck issue 70!
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