25 Students Take Part in Agropolychim’s “Manager for a Day” Initiative
For another consecutive year, Agropolychim participated in JA Bulgaria’s national “Manager for a Day” initiative. For the first time, the programme was extended to two days, October 22–23, covering three key areas: logistics, sales and production. The aim was to offer young people a more comprehensive experience, combining an introduction to the industrial environment, direct interaction with company leadership and hands-on experience.
A total of 25 school and university students took part in the initiative. A special programme was designed to give them insights into two key aspects: how the company operates as a whole and what the daily work and responsibilities of a particular management position involve.
This year’s event was held under the motto “See. Ask. Experience.”
Understanding How the Company Works
The first day was dedicated to exploring Agropolychim’s operations. Following an introduction to the company’s activities, participants visited production and logistics facilities, gaining first-hand insights into the scale of operations, the wide range of professions and the interaction between different departments.
This was one of the key changes introduced to this year’s format. Before shadowing their managers, the young participants were given the opportunity to develop a broader understanding of the working environment and the connections between different activities and teams.
The afternoon continued with a special edition of Future Talks, themed “Dare to Shape the Future.” The event brought participants together with the company’s directors and senior managers.
The Courage to Take Risks
The session was opened by Philippe Rombaut, Chairman of Agropolychim’s Board of Directors, who joined online. He shared his professional journey, his decision to invest in Bulgaria and the challenges he faced during the acquisition and subsequent development of the plant.
Rombaut spoke openly about the willingness to take risks, the importance of perseverance and the essential role of people in a company’s success. He emphasised that building and developing an industrial business had been possible thanks to having the right team and placing trust in experienced professionals.
The young participants actively engaged in the discussion, asking questions ranging from how many hours he worked at the beginning of his career and how he maintains his motivation to the impact of the situation in the Black Sea on the company’s logistics operations.
The conversation also touched on the role of sport, discipline and maintaining good health in professional life.
The Personal Stories Behind Management Positions
Future Talks continued with a discussion featuring Agropolychim’s senior managers, who shared not only their professional experience but also the personal decisions, uncertainties and challenges that had shaped their careers.
The discussion explored topics such as embracing change and seizing new opportunities, the importance of teamwork, motivation, clear goals and continuous learning.
The managers spoke about their early career experiences, the obstacles they had overcome and the lessons they continue to learn from the people around them.
One message stood out in particular: the willingness to work hard, learn and grow is often more important than having all the answers from the very beginning.
From Exploration to Hands-On Experience
By the second day, participants had gained a clearer understanding of the company, its operations and the people responsible for its management. With this foundation, they moved on to the practical part of the initiative: spending a working day alongside managers and their teams.
The students became familiar with ongoing tasks, work organisation and the responsibilities associated with management positions.
They had the opportunity to observe how decisions are made, how different activities are coordinated and how knowledge and skills are applied in a real business environment.
Before the programme concluded, the participants also attended a motivational lecture.
The two-day experience ended with a meeting with Agropolychim’s Executive Director, Krasimir Berbenkov, who personally presented certificates to both the young participants and the managers who had shared their knowledge and experience.
More Than a Day in a Manager’s Role
With this year’s edition, Agropolychim took its participation in “Manager for a Day” a step further, preserving the essence of the initiative while expanding it to give young people a deeper understanding of the company, its production facilities and the people behind management decisions.
The participants actively engaged with the managers, who demonstrated strong enthusiasm and commitment to sharing their experience and expertise.
The young people expressed their wish for next year’s “Manager for a Day” at Agropolychim to last an entire week. They were particularly impressed by the managers’ authenticity and openness.
One of their most memorable observations was that while the company has a clear hierarchy of positions, there is no hierarchy when it comes to the value and respect given to people.
For Agropolychim, the true added value of this format lies in bringing together different perspectives: understanding the business as a whole, learning from individual career journeys and experiencing the everyday responsibilities of a management position.
Initiatives like this help young people develop a more realistic understanding of the professional world, discover new opportunities and make more informed decisions about their future careers.
