Since Plexistab is part of the Stabil Group holding, we are pleased to introduce you to the latest article of their blog – an interview with one of the most valuable assets of Plexistab. The rubric “Success Stories” meets you with people who have been part of Stabil Group’s team for years and have grown professionally over the years.

This time the concept goes even further by presenting you a woman who is not only part of the team but literally grew up in the family. Each year of professional experience for Stabil Group is a year of life experience for her. She has really exciting life. She gains inspiration and ideas from the progress of the foreign countries, where she has lived for a long time. In the end, she chooses to contribute everything she has learned to her family legacy – the manufacturing company Plexistab.

She is incredibly talented. She is an innovator and a visionary. She is Miryana Dzhebyan.

Hello, Miryana, tell us a few words about yourself and what is your role as part of the Plexistab team?

Hello, I am 28 years old and I have been part of the Stabil Group’s family for the same amount of time. Literally, I remember how I played in the warehouses as a child, I remember my first job – at the age of 12, when my most responsible task was to answer the phone. After that, I worked at almost every subsidiary company, at the warehousе, at accounting departments – it was a real adventure to understand how a holding structure functions and especially to learn the work ethic from an early age.

After graduating from high school in Plovdiv, I was determined that I wanted to continue my education abroad, to explore the world and to learn how to be independent. After three years in the Netherlands and another one in Peru, the mission was accomplished and I had no doubt about the next step. I always knew that I would return to Bulgaria, where my roots are, and I will try to achieve something significant here.So, seven years ago, my path brought me back home – to Stabil Group, and in particular – at Plexistab.

What positions did you occupy at the company since you started working? What is your role now?

I made my first steps in the company as a Market Analyst. The firm had recently gained independence from our Greek partners Plexaco and the business was still developing. We needed information about potential markets and how to approach them. At one point, I had to take the position of Customer Communication and Logistics Specialist due to the relocation of our long-time colleague abroad. This turned out to be a wonderful opportunity for me because I was able to use so many of my strengths. Plexistab relies on long-term and close relationships with its customers, and it was a real pleasure for me to develop them. This road brought me to my current position – International Sales Manager.

Being an International Sales Manager is very responsible. Tell us a little more about your job duties and what you do on an ordinary workday?

My focus is mostly on new customers and markets, and part of my main responsibilities are the meetings with clients. My daily routine includes inquiries for future projects, preparation of offers, pricing, etc. As part of our strategy for building new partnerships, I also organizе our participation in international exhibitions. I have started so many different projects, such as the digitalization of our sales process through a HubSpot platform, co-developed with the help of Limacon.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

Something I’m still working on is the ability to prioritize better my tasks in order to be able to finish everything on time. We all know that sometimes 24 hours seems like too little time when we are busy with a lot of responsibilities 🙂

Did you choose your profession, or did it choose you?

I never thought that Sales was going to be my work field. It always seemed to me that I was too far from being a trader. But Plexistab has shown me that there is more than one type of salesperson and that communication skills and empathy (which I define as my “superpowers”) are important qualities in Sales.

Still, I think that my way in Plexistab will take me to others (if not all) departments. This is one of my favorite things about this job – the unlimited possibilities. I am extremely interested in optimization in various work processes, project management and human resources. We’ll see how far this will take me in 5 years!

This year you are working on a big project for the implementation of LEAN methodology in Plexistab’s production. Tell us a little more about it.

The LEAN project struck me as love at first sight 🙂 A year ago I was familiar with the method on theoretical level and I didn’t imagine it at all as suitable for Plexistab. But today I believe that it’s an extremely important part of the future image of the company and I am very excited that this year we managed to start it.

LEAN is a set of tools for optimization and efficient production management. The method was invented by Toyota in Japan, but for the past 50 years it has been part of the strategies of the majority of worldwide manufacturers in various industries.

At Plexistab we started its integration in February 2020, dividing it into 6 separate modules to cover all production functions. We already have 4 of the modules ready, and the other 2 are outlined and planned by the end of the year.

For this short period of time, we already see the first results – the production sites are now tidy, organized and more convenient to work on, the movement of goods in the warehouse has been improved and we work with explicit KPIs.

Of course, these are just the first steps, the most important things. The philosophy of LEAN manufactoring is based on continuous improvement. This means that the implementation never ends. It takes years to have a working LEAN system and still there is always room for new ideas and changes.

What are the things that motivate you the most in your work?

To be a part of something created by my family, to do everything in my power to improve it every day – for me, it is a dream come true. I want everything I do to become significant and even timeless. This is exactly the opportunity I saw in Stabil Group. It is also important for me to engage in different activities, not just sales. Being part of a small company gives you this option and it’s a valuable advantage. Not only develops more skills and qualities in myself, but it also makes me feel useful to the company on many levels.

What else do you want to achieve professionally?

I want to have the opportunity to manage a larger team, as for the distant future – to be engaged in the activities of more than one of the companies in Stabil Group.

Describe your work in three sentences.

Communication with interesting, multicultural partners. Calm and stable work environment. Countless opportunities for development.

Describe your colleagues in three words.

Well-meaning. Loyal. With potential.