In the mid-1970s, Greece was recovering from the change in the political scene and the end of the Greek Economic Miracle of the 1950-1973 period. Unemployment was rife and poverty was still an issue, despite the record economic growth of the previous couple of decades. Fortunately for the Greeks, the Merchant Shipping Industry had always been part and parcel of Greece’s history, society and economy from ancient times.
Hailing from a poor family and living in Piraeus, a young man, that had just finished his obligatory army service in 1974, was looking for work and found refuge in the Shipping Sector. Learning the Sector from scratch and willing to pick up more, he went on to work for a couple of Shipping Companies, but also found himself unemployed three times in the period 1974-1977. However, that only strengthened his purpose and gave him the drive needed to achieve his dream, that being helping people find jobs, knowing full well the reality of not having one.
That man carries the name of Stavros C. Galanakis, the founder and current Chairman of Elvictor Group.
The Realisation Of A Dream
Thus, on the 1st of September 1977, he created a novel type of startup in the Shipping Sector, the first Crew Management Company, Elvictor. He was given two vessels for Ship Management, and saw that number increasing exponentially, while providing other clients with Crew Management and providing Greek Seafarers at the time with a more efficient way of finding jobs in both Greek and Foreign Shipping Companies.
The number of nationalities of Seafarers grew as well, encompassing South Koreans, Filipinos and Ukrainians in the following decades as major national presences in vessel crews and other minor presences through affiliate offices. Our branches exist in the Philippines, Ukraine and Georgia, provided the large influx of Seafarers we have there and a number of affiliates in a dozen other countries, finding work for thousands of Seafarers worldwide at any given time.
Although Elvictor Group has dealt with Ship Management, Ship Agency and other facets of the Shipping Industry, given the crises of the previous decades and the original source of our pride, we focused on exceling in Crew Management and pioneering Technological Innovations, revolutionising our line of work.
The Success Of A Dream
A list of our achievements up to this point:
• 1st Crew Management Company that was ISO:9001 certified in Greece (1996)
• Development of in-house programs (EWAN, Principal’s and Seafarer’s Intranet) (2001)
• 1st Crew Manager Globally recognised as a paperless organization (2002)
• 1st Crew Manager Globally to be ILO MLC accredited (2010)
• Active Member of IMEC, INTERTANKO, INTERCARGO, HELMEPA (2019)
• Loyalty of clientele, with some companies dating back to the founding of Elvictor Group
• Establishment of succession by the next generation in the family company
• Development of digitalised Seafarer’s relations
• Instantaneous information dispatch via mobile phone apps with all necessary information
• Established a full Training Centre in Batumi, Georgia (2019), historically the 2nd – 1st was in Manila, Philippines (2010)
• Digitalised and achieved yearly scheduling programs for our Clients and Seafarers
• Free English Courses provided in our Branch Offices in Odessa, Ukraine, and Batumi, Georgia
• Took the initiative to create the 1st Digital Crew Management Forum Globally (2019)
• Integration with jobs sites led to the facilitation of our online recruitment process
The Future Of A Dream
A list of our future goals and vision:
• Integration of new ISO standards
1. ISO 14001 (Environmental Standards)
2. ISO 20001 (Information Technology Standards – Service Management)
3. ISO 26001 (Social Responsibility Standards)
4. ISO 27001 (Information Technology Standards – Security Management)
5. ISO 45001 (Occupational Health and Safety Standards)
• ISO 50001 (Energy Management Standards)
• Keeping up with continuous new legislation through proper application of specialised on-shore personnel and digitalisation
• In achieving the previous point, aiding the human element of both on-shore and off-shore operations to be fully trained and up to date with legislations, ensuring the maximum output of all parties
• Digitalisation in terms of Cyber Security, building on top of the ISO 27001 Standards, realising the importance of personal and company information, in addition to its susceptibility to foreign malignant parties
• Digitalisation in terms of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning protocols, building on top of the ISO 20001 Standards, saving thousands of workhours through the correct application of new algorithms and programs
• Further Innovations to our services through accumulation of know-how from various other divisions of the Shipping Sector and our Clientele
• Further Transparency of our services with regards to our Clients and Seafarers
Future realisation of Joint-Ventures already in progress
An Ode To The Dreamers
It is only right that we give proper credit where it is due. As such, we would like to thank everyone that has been a part of our dream, from its inception to the present day, but also those that are willing to share it and carry it on to the future. You are the pillars on which our dream and vision stand. You are the Employees, the Seafarers, the Clients, and through your trust, your work and your insight, we hope to propel ourselves, in synergy, to even greater heights. Hence, with the deepest of appreciations for your role in our success, we wish you safe winds and following seas.
With great respect and sincerety,
The Galanakis Family