Discover your CICT team

As a transshipment hub, Your CICT Team has experienced many challenges, due to the very nature of transshipment, but an everlasting enthusiasm continues, with teamwork at the center of everything that is done, focused on exceeding the expectation of our valued customers. 

Each individual at CICT has his/her personal background, interests and hobbies, but when entering the workplace, they are transformed into being part of an even bigger family… the CICT family.

Hard work and team spirit are fundamental factors for our team as our founder Dottore Angelo Ravano said: “A company is made of people and its success comes from these people”.

This resonates throughout at CICT and now please join us as we will begin with a whistle stop “Virtual Tour”, by CICT internal minibus as we transfer from department to department in meeting all of the people who are taking care of your business in Cagliari…. Your Team.

During an autumn morning warmed by the beautiful Sardinian sun, we begin our journey. The minibus heads for the Administration building as we start to discover Cagliari International Container Terminal’s extended family ... let the tour begin!

 

First stop: Administration Building

As we enter the reception area, we are greeted by with a smile: Loredana Is one of the founding members of the family, since the early days, 2000.

 

   

 

Loredana has also worked in frontline operational roles, confirmation, if it is needed, that women in our company have equal opportunities despite the general understanding and image of the port and shipping industry- this reminds us of the lifetime achievements of the Group’s President! Loredana has tried various roles and is now performing multi-tasks at the Reception Desk/Human Resources. She leads the way to the various offices and employees working in the building. 

 

 

The Administration Team

Please meet Your Administration team: a group of 9.

 

 

Simone Nenna (top photo), is a passionate sailor in his free time and also a former yard operator. He now manages purchasing responsibilities (in CICT everyone is provided with the opportunity to perform a variety of roles, ensuring an interesting career path – the CICT world can be “your oyster!”). Purchasing responsibilities include dealing with the practical needs and the running of the business itself (mostly involved with supply/demand for spare parts in the Workshop and IT equipment).

In the picture below, from the left: Alessandra, Alessandro, Eleonora, Luisa (standing) Giovanni and Manuela (sitting), have recently come together and have quickly gelled with Luisa (on the right) overall team leader in this department, also one of the longer serving team members having joined in 2002.

 

 

Alessandro and Giovanni, (surrounded by the four ladies in the photo) are responsible for cost control activities and business intelligence projects. For many years this group has lived and worked in Cagliari , although both the “ A’s”, Alessandra and Alessandro are very proud of the fact that they come from the Northern part of Sardinia but are very much at ease, in the Southern part of the island.

Alessandro Casula and Mariano Muscas (bottom photo) complete the Administration team and are responsible for invoices and billing. They have been working together, as group, since 2009 although Mariano started in the company earlier in 2005.

 

 

IT Team

Upstairs we meet Alessandro Barrocu and his team committed to ensure that all software and hardware equipment operates without interruption. Alessandro (sitting in the middle) who has been working with the company since the year 2000 and coordinates Gianluca, Biagio and Ivan, a competent team that manages IT activities and are an essential part of daily work at CICT. Alessandro, the IT Manager, must supervise and organize the department activities which include other responsibilities tied to the Broström Tankers AB such as new wireless technologies. Gianluca and Biagio’s job offers a 24 hour support service and deals with systems management and the Help Desk. Ivan, the software Analyst, is the creator of various applications in use at CICT.

 

 

Secretary Office

No business can manage without well trained assistants ensuring that the managers do what they should be doing!

 

 

CICT is blessed with two wonderfull ladies - in the photo Hetty (left) and Stefania (right) have been with CICT from the start-up of the terminal… employee numbers 2 and 3 in the historical roster. Their personal knowledge of the CICT organization is second to none – impressive as there are now more 200 colleagues. That is a lot of history! One of their primary tasks is to manage their boss’ schedule and day to day routine, whom we now introduce.

Franco Nicola Cupolo, Managing Director exudes his own personal style, having arrived in Cagliari in 2011 continuing a career path that has taken him from his native southern Italy to various positions of responsibility both for global shipping lines and Broström Tankers AB.

 

 

“After years of working throughout Europe and Italy, I am here in Cagliari at the head of this fantastic team of young people (average age 37 years) who, with their enthusiasm and professionalism, demonstrate every day their desire to achieve everything in favor of our valued customers, here in the center of the Mediterranean.

 

Quality Safety & Environment department

Shortly before leaving the administration building, the tour meets Mario, the manager of the QSE department and Emanuele, the Port Facility Security Officer, who are on their way to the Port Harbor offices for one of their frequent meetings concerning CICT Security activities. In never overlooking their role and responsibilities, we are reminded to respect all safety standards, during the rest of the tour that is now venturing outside into the yard and other working locations, involving people and machinery.    

 

  

 

In picture on the left: Andrea Nateri, Giacomo Marras, Mario Cortassa and Eliseo Mullano. In the picture on the right: Emanuele Padula.

A particular mention of both Eliseo and Andrea is warranted, as both perform a role as part of the Porto Lab tutor team that since 2005 organizes visits from the local elementary schools during the spring each year… this year will be the 10th year of this program!! We aren’t sure who needs the most patience… these guys or the secretaries!

 

Second Stop: Technical & Maintenance Facility

So now we head towards the workshop:

The Technical Department and Warehouse Team are an important part of the work done at CICT. In the photo below, from left to right: Stefania, Antonio, Nicola Giorgi, Michele, Nicola Pellerano, Alessandro, Andrea Musiu, Stefano Murroni, Andrea Ferrari, Nicola Ibba, Stefano Paci… in the front row; Andrea Mulas, Marco, Luigi, Giuseppe, Francesco and Andrea Battilani. 

 

 

A, now dated, belief is that a work shop full of machinery, engines, electrical cables, spare parts, dirt and grease is the exclusive domain of “men only”, but CICT dispels this myth, with the presence of Stefania Pinna (first on the left in the photo below) who was originally one of the mechanics, but is now the head of the warehouse store. Just like the secretaries, Stefania commands respect from the men around her, and watch out for any attempts to take any spare parts from the warehouse, without permission!!!

Finding good mechanics and electricians, capable of working on all kinds of equipment in difficult working conditions and, above all, able to maintain quay cranes and yard equipment, is a difficult job, that requires specific attributes – says Andrea Ferrari (Technical Manager) - …”therefore I consider myself lucky in having very capable and professional people on my team, conscious of their responsibility and of the fundamental role of our department in ensuring that the operation of the terminal supports our customers’ needs. We know that they count on the reliability of the CICT equipment, and my team always strives to 110% in order for this to happen."

Andrea Ferrari (in the white shirt) is also one of the "pioneers" joining CICT in 2000. He must help his team organize the coordination and planning of daily maintenance activities. The machines never sleep in CICT! It seems we are in New York…. not the Mediterranean island of Sardinia! 

 

Third Stop: Gate, Yard and Quay

Arriving at the Gate, we begin to see a row of trucks carrying containers that before entering the yard undergo both a physical and document check during receiving and delivery. These procedures are done with the same precision in which they check that our names are registered and comply with all the entry procedures into the operational areas. Safety and security are paramount for everything and everyone entering and leaving the terminal.  

 

    

In the gate picture on the right: Giovanni Fadda and Daniele Agus.

We start our journey at the terminal area itself from the south to the north of the yard viewing, at first hand the sheer scale the work of a terminal operator really is. Quay Cranes, RTG, trucks, and humans interacting together with extreme respect for each other: humans and large machinery require their own set of safety rules and regulation as they deliver their single most important objective: making sure that the ships leave within the shortest time possible. “They” know that cargo must reach its’ destination, because there is someone waiting, on the other side of the world.

 

 

Operations Manager Andrea Cervia conveys how this group works 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, contributing in providing a vital link in the global supply chain. Andrea, a twenty year veteran with Contship Italia, started his career in La Spezia and arrived in Cagliari in 2006, originally assuming the role as head of the finance and administration department. According to Franco Cupolo “…he is an example of how companies can progress with an eclectic mix of people with differing personalities…” Today Andrea demonstrates leadership to a department of 145 people, the single largest group in the terminal, and has numerous other responsibilities, that he performs with a total commitment, for the advance of both his team and company.

 

  

Photo: shift change on the terminal

 

 

Above photo from the left: Nicola Usai, Daniele Sarigu, Gualtiero Spano, Daniele Garau, Claudio Cossu, Alessandro Secci, Germano Mameli, Massimo Peara, Nicola Doro and Giovanni Saba are just some of the “natives” (the clue is in the family names!) on shift in the yard during their 15 minute lunch break as Nicola Usai and Nicola Doro were just finishing their healthy lunch!! 

CICT Operation Team – ONE FLAG, ONE TEAM, and ONE SOUL – dedicated to our valued Customers!

 

 

Fourth Stop: Operations building

The “virtual” tour continues with a visit to the Operations Centre, which is located in a strategic position in the yard and is the core location of the on-going all live action mosaic of a modern container terminal facility. The phones are ringing, it is a constant hive of activity, as information and real time activity flows quickly in a B2B environment. We now begin to understand that there is a world behind the scenes that works non-stop and supports these activities.

 

Operation Coordination Team

Operations has a team that is dynamic and flexible and who every day, every shift, offer up their best to provide the best possible service to our customers: fast, safe and reliable. Their job is to work as quickly as possible, in full compliance with the highest standards of safety and reliability, as amply demonstrated by no delays on ship departures, by achieving top level performance levels in terms of gross crane productive (GCP) both on mother vessels and feeders, as well as an impressive 30% of live connections (directly interchanging containers from one ship to another, whilst at berth). The perhaps mundane handling of containers is made more interesting by the the wide range of special operations (break-bulk, boats, vehicles and various industrial equipment, etc…) that CICT operational staff also handle under controlled safety conditions. Indeed a team of super experienced operators!!

It is worthy to mention that the high level of professionalism of the team, driven by the sharing of values and business objectives, has resulted in an improvement in operating performance by some 25% in the last 18 months, placing CICT at the higher percentile of efficiency of other Mediterranean hubs.

 

Control Room

We now enter the control room and here again the importance of team work is obvious. This team depends on modern technology and IT-TLC systems that support a vast array of processes to ensure that the loading and discharging operations continue without interruption.

Action in the control room… in the photo, from the front to the back: Andrea Cervia (he is everywhere, “virtual”) standing on the right (Operation Manager), Giovanni Maria Cuccu (Supervisor), Andrea Onnis (Dispatcher), Alessio Loi (Dispatcher) and Omar Forresu (Supervisor).

 

 

Our Foremen

There is a total of 12 Foremen at CICT and in the photo below some are having one of their bi-monthly meetings for updates on the overall progress at the Terminal. In the above photo, the Foremen from left to right: Emanuele Zucca, Antonio Lamanna, Daniele Mura and Giuseppe Cois. Sitting at the head of the table are Davide Brugnano on the left (Operations Coordinator) and Andrea Cervia on the right (Again!).  

 

 

Planning team

A monthly meeting is organized for our Shift Managers (a total of 6) for updates and possible changes in work methodology. Our attention turns to the small trio formed by Berth Planning, Yard Planning, Ship Planning offices and the Control Room. “.. They are our front line….” says Andrea Cervia, whom we meet again at the end of our tour, “Davide, Stefano and Massimo”.

 

 

In photo Davide Brugnano on the left, Stefano Dessi and Massimo Simbula, who are normally surrounded by multifunctional screens that help them in daily activities, coordinating various yard operations. Looking through a window, we realize that it is now dusk, as the magical Sardinian sun gives way to a starry sky.

 

 

Customer Service, Documentation and Statistics

We now meet Leandro Ferrari, the Customer Service Manager, who works with the outside world, beyond CICT’s perimeter (customers, local competent authorities and transport operators). Leandro is also one of the original employees at CICT. Leandro previously worked at MCT-Gioia Tauro and approaches his tasks with the same enthusiasm, then as he does today.  

 

 

Leandro’s responsibilities extend to documentation and statistics and he is happy to introduce his team, firstly colleagues in the documentation department where Enrico works as a coordinator.

 

Documentation

Enrico explains that documentation is no longer “paper” alone, but one of the functions where most of the data for the ships is dealt with in a B2B paperless environment. Working with Enrico, there are five other colleagues in this office: Maria, Sanella, Carla, Federico and Paolo. Carefully elaborating data, meticulous skills are required as they are the “source” of information supplied to other departments in CICT. This team is in daily contact with Shipping Lines and Custom agencies. Once in a while, however, between a BAPLIE file and a COPRAR, they squeeze in a short coffee break, when they talk about their family life… Maria, Sanella and Carla all have children at the heart of their family lives.

 

  

 

Statistics

And now we meet the guys who work with numbers: Daniele, Lorenzo and Federico. This team manages statistics and traffic analysis that ultimately supports the issuance of invoices to customers. Just one of the reasons that they inhabit a rather small office, away from the mainstream and far, far away from customers themselves! Who likes to receive the bill?!

But….it is not all bad! The team is also responsible to ensuring that customers have, at their fingertips all information that they need about all activities and services performed in CICT.

Daniele, like a number of his contemporaries has been with CICT since the early days and has contributed to the creation of office procedures after his early experience as a Vessel Planner provided him with a powerful knowledge of details, leading to the statement “…if I do not know something…I know a guy who does!” In the picture, Lorenzo, also part of the statistic’s team, began his adventure in 2003 in the CICT IT department, where he gained a reputation for excellent skills that were noticed by the Statistics Office he has remained in this function since to help Daniele. His previous work experience in the field of graphic design has proved very useful for creating multimedia presentations and other creative tasks further supporting the Contship Marketing requests. Federico makes up the third member of the team, "the kid” noted for his accuracy and attention to detail, characteristics that have led to the responsibility of creating pre-invoices issued to the customer. So if there is any over-charging…Federico is the man!

 

 

Human Resources

And we are off to meet the Human Resource office where the Manager Andrea Scarone (blu t-shirt in the photo below) introduces his team, dedicated to Resource Management, Resource Planning and Training.  

 

 

Andrea introduces us to Raffaella (on the  left), Maura and Fabio, from the Human Resource office. “…Our primary role…” says Raffaella, “…is to take care our team both at work and beyond and most importantly ensure, the correctness of each monthly payroll for everyone! We have also recently activated a new corporate welfare project that is designed to support an improved work/life balance.”

 

Resource Planning 

 

 

Davide and Luca (in photo) are the two guys managing a shift roster of 120 persons: organizing the resources needed for a 24/7 task so as to ensure a service to the ships. Ships that do not have a regular 9 am – 5 pm schedule. Ships that arrive in the middle of the night, or at weekends or indeed on public holidays, but irrespective of the actual time of arrival, need to commence operations as soon as possible in order to continue their own journey in supporting the global supply chain.

 

Training Department

Our next stop is with Lazzaro, who is the Training Manager and works with Emilio in developing and organizing training and personal development. In addition to mandatory training programs required by law, this office deploys other interesting progressive training course, in order to keep all teams up-to-date with all the latest systems and innovations. In 2014, around 4,000 hours of training were completed. Some take their skills with them outside of CICT delivering the benefits to other organizations, locally in Cagliari.

 

 

And now we come to the end of our virtual tour. We hope that it has provided an enjoyable insight into how CICT is dedicated to the needs of our valued customers….but before we finally leave, there is time to witness once again, why the CICT Team is here and what it does as another ship is arriving and whilst this concluded tour has met many people, others are starting their shift and will work during the night, to make sure that when the sun rises the next morning, the ship fully loaded with containers and ready to leave CICT. Looking forward to seeing you next time... a si biri! (See you soon!)