Anastasios Spanidis is the CEO of Generation-Y. Anastasios is a thought leader, influencer, visionary, and successful entrepreneur. Anastasios provides the leadership and energy that has inspired the creation of Generation-Y. Anastasios Spanidis joins other leading CEOs and Founders taking part in our Leader Roundtable Interview Series. The DotCom Magazine editorial team is delighted to have Anastasios join us for our Leader Roundtable Interview.
Anastasios, thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy day to answer our questions about leadership, and entrepreneurship.
1. Anastasios, please tell us about Generation-Y. What is the elevator pitch?
Generation Y is a digital transformation hub providing growth to its medium, large and multinational clientele through the collaboration of its 9 business units (Market Research, Creative, Software Development, Mobile, Branding, Performance Marketing, Business Consultancy, Data Analysis & Reporting, Insurance).
After 20 years of experience and exporting know-how in 24 countries, I would say that we have reached the point of completing the digital transformation of every business, more fully and successfully in relation to the rest of the market. Focusing on 4 basic pillars, what we actually do is analyze a company and transform it digitally, finally upgrading its whole philosophy. More specifically:
- We develop its profitability and sales
- We reduce its operational costs through several automations
- We input the right KPIS so that everything can be measured
- We map the entire market not only based on demographic but also on behavioral characteristics.
2. What is the one thing that makes Generation-Y great?
The thing that makes Generation Y great is undoubtedly its people. We invest heavily on their expertise but also on their development overall. Having all these highly advanced, fully qualified experts working together, we guarantee a unique collective wisdom, provided to the final product for our clients.
By bringing together the most specialized professionals in our industry and focusing on their expertise, we create a precious business gift, offering fully measurable solutions to our partners. Solutions that are not currently provided by any other business in our industry, as none have the range of our hands-on professionals from various marketplaces.
Generation Y drives developments based on real market needs, which is why it has such an expanding and long-range customer base in many different market segments, such as: heavy industry, FMCG, retail, publications, hospitality, marine, health industry and so on.
3. Generation Y has to showcase a wide portfolio of important projects. Which one would you say was the most challenging and why?
Each project has its own peculiarities. At Generation Y we create everything from a business/ commercial point of view, so we recognize different challenges every time. This means that we can take on something less complex and focus more on how we can digitally promote it, or we can undertake complex technical projects, such as the monitoring of shipboard security instruments, large b2b applications, or sensitive medical patient storage and file management tools, which have to do with really sensitive personal data. And of course, e-commerce is our bread and butter.
4. What is the best advice you can give to a young entrepreneur just starting out with a new venture?
What matters is the journey not the destination. Think big and use all the given knowledge in order to enjoy the journey. This journey won’t be easy. It won’t be painless. But if you seriously put the time there and believe in people, the ‘’life’’ and material results will reward you. And always remember it’s all about the journey. The precious experience gained from the journey is going to be your most invincible companion in your way to entrepreneurial and personal success.
5. What is the one thing that you, as a person, want to be known for?
I would like to be known for the impact I provided to the people and their families, through the growth Generation Y delivered to our partners’ companies, our co-operations and our employees.
6. When building a business, what is the one most important thing to keep in mind at all times?
Every business is a living organism. The only thing we should always keep in mind is the capability of adaptability. I strongly stand for the embracement of changes, of new ideas, of trying new things, but only in the context of calculated risk.
As Darwin wisely said “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change’’.
7. When hiring employees, what is the one most important thing you look for?
They are 4 things that are the most important. Knowledge, experience, productivity and character. All four of them are important, but if you ask me, the most important is productivity. If you are productive, the rest can be easily developed. Productivity is about the core values of a person, who sets a goal, delivers it in time, respects the team and so on.
8. What is your “Why”? Why do you get up in the morning?
I get up for success. Every type of success. I have personal goals, community goals, goals for my proximity circle (family, friends and clients’ needs and goals) and humanity goals. And I want to reach them all.
9. What is the one thing that makes a great company?
Its culture, its philosophy. Each company has a beating heart and its own identity.
If you can make this company look, feel, behave, sound, and do all these in harmony, then you successfully build a strong culture which makes this company special and doomed to reach the highest top.
10. What is the one thing that makes a great leader?
Having the ability to lift their people, glorify them.
The only thing that discloses a great leader is how they actually pave their way in order to see their people be successful. In order for the student to become the teacher and if possible, a better one!
Anastasios Spanidis, thank you so much for participating in the DotCom Magazine Leader Roundtable Interview Series. We appreciate you participating in this important roundtable interview series, and helping our readers learn more about what it takes to build a great company and become a great leader. We wish you, your family, and of course Generation-Y, nothing but the best.
Thanks again!
