Meet today… Nikola Šukalo

How did your story at Xella start?
My previous company was hired as a consultant for Xella Serbia. Being a long-term employee with proper qualification and experience in implementation of new safety programs, I was assigned as a consultant to the factory in Kolubara. As our cooperation was fruitful, we expanded consultant service to the Adria region and factories in Bosnia and Slovenia where we proceeded with implementation of safety programs.
Over the years of cooperation, I got to know the company and especially the team members very well. Different projects helped to develop a great team chemistry, and in the end that was the deciding factor, when I was offered to switch jersey and join Xella. Besides a great group of colleagues, I was motivated to make a transition in order to help make a difference to our people on the shop floor.

How did your perspective change when taking over as EHS manager?
Relations with Xella team were excellent from day one, being a consultant didn't really make a difference for me, I was committed to our joint cause and my teammates were often confused when they found out I was an external consultant.
What changed when I took over the EHS manager role for Southeast Europe is more on a practical note. Now being on the inside I am able to create long term plans and strategies for our region. The relation from before actually helped a lot, first of all in the decision to join Xella, because I would probably not make this decision without knowing what kind of team I am joining and what are the corporate values. On the other hand, due to prior relations I had a really smooth transition to my new workplace, I knew what is waiting for me and what is corporate approach to EHS topics.

What do you enjoy most about your work?
Since I am a trained coach in the Total Safety Leadership program at Xella and involved in other corporate and local training programs, I get the chance to do regular training sessions with our colleagues all over the region. This is the part of my job that I enjoy the most. Having our colleagues in the classroom or in shopfloor, discussing topics like leadership or technical improvements is what puts a smile on my face. Receiving feedback from them about some small - or big - victories resulting from our trainings is just a cherry on top. The organization of safety days are something that gives us freedom to show our creative side. This is when I try to make a serious topic like health and safety at work fun, and people always buy in on this approach.

And what aspects do you find most challenging?
There are quite a few challenges in our field of work. For me it is important to make sure that training participants understand the importance of leadership. As most of our leaders come from technical background, sometimes they struggle to understand how they can influence the behavior of people. During the training I like to focus on modeling through examples, you can't really expect something from your employees if you are not leading by example, so walk the talk. But the biggest challenge undoubtedly is influencing the deep embedded safety culture. This process is slow and requires consistency on all levels, yet the small victories help prove that we are on the right path and shouldn't give up.

What are the challenges in managing EHS in several countries in Southeast-Europe?
The SEE region is in some ways specific, we have five countries with production facilities and then two of them are not part of EU, which means they have specific local regulations. In order to meet all the specific requirements, you need to invest time into getting familiar with different country regulations and align your approach. This is where local EHS managers play important roles because they have specific knowledge about their country's regulations. Additionally, with a new generation entering our factories lacking previous production environment experience, and older workers retiring, it's crucial to ensure a proper knowledge transfer and train the younger workforce to prioritize safety as a core value.

Where can you mentally switch off from your job?
Before turning my focus to education and work, I was a professional basketball player in the second Serbian league, and it has remained my passion ever since. Not being the tallest or the fastest player in the team I had to develop my leadership skills and understanding of the game. This helped me recognize the importance of proper leadership and how to get everyone involved and give their best in the given situation. I still play a lot of amateur basketball. These are not casual games on your local court, we are part of a 60-teams-league, where every weekend we live our passion on the basketball court. So once every week I travel back to my youth and relive the days when it was all about the hoops.

Does your safety mentality also emerge in other everyday situations?
Absolutely, safety experts don't have an off button, so not only do we take our jobs home, but this is also part of our mindset. Most of the time it is very helpful because it drives us to recognize risks and take actions. It even translates to the basketball court, where I am more of a defensive-oriented player. On the other hand, I had hard time letting my 2-year-old kid learn from his mistakes which are a crucial part of growing up.