Alexey Korychev

They say that inventing a perpetuum mobile is impossible. But should we when there are people whose positive energy is able to move mountains and inspire everybody?

One of such people is Alexey Korychev, process control team leader, Operation Pulp.

WORK ENERGY

«What did I get myself into and where is everybody?» Those questions came up to Alexey Korychev when he found himself at the mill for the first time in 1997 during his internship.

— I remember when they took me to level +34.00 to a metal booth with cockroaches (the local control panel room for the chip feeding area) and told me, «Don’t touch anything.» It was my first work day and I was so impressed: a dark and noisy workshop with draughts and an out-of-service elevator.

But first impressions are often deceiving. Alexey, at that time a student of Syktyvkar pulp and paper college, was working and learning skills of a pulp cooking operator of the 4th category for about three months. During that time he got to know a wonderful team and real pros working their fingers to the bone. This energy and passion for work turned to be infectious: after graduation from the college Alexey deliberately wanted to get a job of a cooking operator at Fiberline. However, there were no vacancies available and he was offered the position of a diffuser operator, they asked him to work for a half year and promised that afterwards he would be transferred to the position of a cooking operator.

But that did not happen. In half a year he was already a senior diffuser operator in a shift and there was no talk of any transfer. In parallel with his work Alexey got to study on extramural basis at Syktyvkar forest institute to become a production ace as his tutors and mentors who had impressed him during his internship. He chose a major Process engineer in chemical processing of wood.

— The first six years were the highlight of my work. Firstly, a young team in shifts and we always organized something, participated in sport events, made corporate parties. And of course, that was the work that brought us together and where the most interesting things happened. We were united by dealing with problems, tasks, start-up of new equipment, control system upgrade as just around that time the mill was reconstructing the fiber lines.

PROJECT EXPERIENCE

After graduation from the institute Alexey started his period of probation, had a four-month practice, and was transferred to day work as a senior foreman. At that time Fiberline was implementing a huge amount of projects aimed at increase of production capacity, and Alexey took an active part in all of them: start-up of oxygen delignification at the softwood line, start-up of the refining unit, upgrade of the atmospheric diffuser and many more.

But he got the most considerable experience in the course of STEP modernization project. During its preparation and start-up Alexey was already an area manager.

— Participation in projects gives many working skills. It is easier to understand the technology and to make right decisions, when you learn the process from scratch. I got a lot of experience and knowledge during communication with foreign colleagues during commissioning works.

LEARN

Alexey is the type of person who always learns. It has become his life credo long before the mainstreaming of a lifelong learning concept. He learned from the experienced tutors and keeps learning every day cooperating and communication with his colleagues.

— I believe that one can learn from many people and it does not matter if he outranks them or not. If a person knows his stuff, can properly respond to a particular situation or has certain qualities you would like to develop, you can model your behavior after him and he can be a role model for the others.

Nowadays Alexey is a tutor himself. He is looking for a special sparkle in young inexperienced specialists coming to Technology Department: enthusiasm for work, passion for knowledge and a new experience. He believes that the ability to analyze and to see the process from the inside: to make correlations, to observe and be attentive to changes, are the main work skills, especially for technological personnel. He admits that he gives more opportunities to such amped up recruits, as it will be easier to work with them being on the same page and there is more confidence that all his efforts will not be wasted.

— One of the priorities of any manager is development of employees on the job. It is much easier to work with those who see a bit beyond their limits doing more than expected, who can control the process and do consistent steps in solving various problems. I also highlight such essential qualities as honesty and open-mindedness. All these abilities should and can be developed at the mill and for this purpose there are a lot of training programs in HR Recruitment and Development. I passed many training courses and I can say with confidence that all this helps my work today. For example, a person performs his functions, communicates with colleagues and management, completes certain tasks, plans. It would seem like a normal routine, but actually each process has long been studied, broken down into molecules and rolled out as training programs for various situations. Knowing these basics will help to take the job easier and manage your work time.

BALANCE WHEEL

— It is certainly honorable to work at the prestigious mill offering a full social package, investing in development of its employees and ensuring stability. But happiness is not the right job, but the right balance between the job and the family. If everything is fine at home, everything will be fine at work. It is all connected as we spend half of our lives at work, and the other half — at home with our families.

It appears from Alexey’s hobbies that he has got the right balance: guitar playing, art experiments on a canvas, and making utensils and vintage furniture of solid wood species, sport. Our hero is not able to single out one thing, each activity is a big part of his life which inspires and fills him up.