Stefan Radivojevic, Head of Customer Service Operations at Transfera – On a Path of Constant Growth and Development

Last year was very important for Transfera – a ten-year anniversary of successful operations was marked and the position of one of the biggest and fastest growing logistics companies in Serbia and the region was strengthened. We are talking to Stefan Radivojevic, Head of Customer Service Operations at Transfera, about the business successes, the problems that the company overcame in 2023, but also the future plans.

eKapija: How do you rate 2023 in the business sense and in what way has Transfera dealt with the challenges during the crisis in the industry and the world?

– In 2023, Transfera marked a decade of successful operations, during which it has developed into one of the regional leaders in the domain of transport, customs clearance, storage and handling operations and distributions and it is truly a great honor to be part of that path. When we faced the global economic crisis in the second half of 2022, which continued in 2023 as well, it was clear that it would be a challenge for many industries worldwide. However, Transfera can boast a wide range of operations – the share of individual industries in our business is lower than 5%, which makes us less vulnerable to the direct impact of the crisis and provides us with stability, which is crucial in changeable economic conditions.

Even with the numerous challenges, we ended the year 2023 with great results: we increased the number of employees – from 381, we arrived to a total of 440, expanded the operations to the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina by opening two new business units – Sarajevo and Nova Gradiska, increased the number of branch offices in Serbia to 26, implemented new solutions, advanced software and technologies, and our main focus was on rail and intermodal transport, whereby we set up the key segments of our development.

eKapija: What is the company doing to keep up with the current green agenda and how active is it in the field of environmental protection? How much do you invest in this business segment?

– In the previous answer, I mentioned the focus on intermodal transport which followed us throughout 2023 as an important part of the strategy of Transfera in the implementation and development of green transport. At the end of November 2023, we launched a new service – the first cargo train from the intermodal terminal in Krusevac, whose final destination is western Germany. This step aims to reduce the harmful emissions of carbon-dioxide during the transport and to reduce the costs in the international transport of goods.

Direct benefits of this service are reflected in the following – one such train alone, with 30 cars, on said route, would results in an annual saving on the quantity of the emissions of carbon dioxide that a truck would produce circling the planet Earth close to 70 times.

Another step toward the goal of a greater sustainability is the fact that, together with the company Green Energy 360, our long-standing partner and a member of Comtrade Group, we have launched the project of the implementation of solar panels on the rooftop of the Transfera Logistics Center (TLC1) in Novi Banovci, by which we have enabled a shift to sustainable energy sources.

eKapija: Transfera has a tradition of cooperation with faculties in Serbia. In what way does it support young students?

– That’s right – our partnership with education institutions in Serbia has lasted for a long number of years and I am free say that we have great, multifaceted cooperation. Last year, with the help of professors from the Faculty of Organizational Sciences, we started analyzing and mapping all the processes at the level of the company, but also each individual sector. Together, we are working on the optimization of the current state and the implementation of new solutions, which will considerably upgrade all the processes in Transfera. In addition to that, within the Transfera Academy, launched in 2019, we organize regular lectures by professors from various faculties where topics from industry are discussed, but also topics concerning leadership and management. Additionally, as a company, we are dedicated to the professional development of young people – our HR sector pays special attention to the recruitment of young talents without previous work experience, providing them with an opportunity to start their career in logistics. In this domain, we also cooperate closely with the Faculty of Transport and Traffic Engineering at the University of Belgrade and, through various programs and practices, we strive to support them in learning and developing new skills. We are proud that we can boast a young staff, which consists of over 70 young engineers, and Transfera and us all are there to guide them and support them on the road toward personal development and progress.

eKapija: Corporate and social responsibility is another characteristic of your company. Tell us something more about the current humanitarian campaigns, sponsorships and other aspects of socially responsible operations.

– I am free to say that, in the past ten years, as a company, we have become recognized for the strong dedication to socially responsible operations as well, especially in the domain of humanitarian campaigns, donations and sponsorships.

Since the beginning of our operations, we have responded to, but also helped at our own initiative, numerous associations such as the Children’s Shelter, the Home for Children and the Youth without Parental Care, the Mother and Child Healthcare Institute, UNICEF, the Food Bank, the Association of the Parents of Children Suffering from Malignant and Other Rare Diseases. Our goal is to support those who need it the most and to, at the same time, provide a positive example and motivate other companies and individuals as well to get involved and to together create a better world for those who deserve it the most.

As so far, in the coming period, we are looking at new humanitarian projects, in which Transfera’s entire team will be involved; I am truly proud to be part of a company which continuously provides help to the most vulnerable groups of society, with special emphasis on care for children.

eKapija: How do you see your personal contribution to the company and what has your road from the beginning of the career to a top-management position been like?

– Since the very beginning, my experience at Transfera has been extremely inspirational and it has shaped my career, but myself personally as well, in various ways. Before I graduated from the Faculty of Transport and Traffic Engineering, in 2014, I joined Transfera in the sector of International Road Transport, where I spent the first two years. After that, my career continued in the Customs sector – I then took the customs agent exam, visited customs outposts and worked directly with them, where I had the opportunity to learn and master all the customs procedures and processes firsthand.

From this point of view, the change of the roles and the rotation through the company’s various sectors has enabled me to master the skills and knowledge necessary for the understanding of the entire process of functioning and for learning how Transfera operates. As I have worked with clients throughout my career, after the CEO and the director of business development of our company formed a strong Customer Service sector, it was logical for me to get involved in that aspect of the business operations. Several years later, through much effort, work, endeavor, new clients, business trips, a new step in my career followed – the position I am in now.

Transfera is one of the rare companies whose initial team, the core of the whole business, has not changed. When you are surrounded by great people who share your mission, want to make a change, improve the operations and bring it to a higher level, there is truly nothing that’s difficult.

eKapija: What are the company’s plans for the upcoming year? Do you expect the operations to expand and in which segments?

– In the upcoming year, we will continue actively working on improvements in all segments, so we are looking at new cooperations, regional expansions, investments in advanced technologies and new software solutions. We will focus on a further development of intermodal transport, the expansion of storage capacities, as well as the implementation of sustainable practices in all aspects of the operations. One thing is certain – we are confidently going down a well-paved path that leads to new business successes!

Transfera Beograd

GREEN ENERGY 360 d.o.o. Beograd

Fakultet organizacionih nauka Beograd

COMTRADE DOO BEOGRAD

Transfera

Transfera Academy

Comtrade Group

TLC1 Novi Banovci

Stefan Radivojević

interview

logistics

forwarding

green transport

customs representation

warehouses