Nikos Kotakis

I graduated with a Master of Science in Marine Engineering Management with Distinction (Valedictorian) and a Master of Business Administration with Distinction, both programs offered by the University of Greenwich. My final research project for the M.Sc. degree had been the Technical and Financial Analysis of the available SOx abatement techniques for Commercial Ships, while my research project for the M.B.A. degree had been the Evaluation of Islands’ connectivity and shipping lines’ efficiency in the Greek Coastal Passenger Shipping, and the further study of a new islands-connection principle, from bus-based lines design employed today to a hub-and-spoke architecture. Before joining New York College, I had graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering in Naval Architecture with minor in Shipbuilding.

Since the beginning of 2012, I have been working for the French energy major TotalEnergies, and since July 2020, I hold the position of Technical Director at the Marine Lubricants division of the Company (Lubmarine). Prior to this I worked in shipbuilding industry in shipyards and projects in Greece, in Germany and in the US.

I am certain that my studies have contributed towards my being better prepared for the professional challenges that I face and tackle in my job. Each course had its own importance and was happy to realize that the end of my studies found me feeling more confident and knowledgeable. What was proven useful for my job, what that, through the courses I was eventually able not only to possess a certain level of knowledge, but also to be able to easily and timely identify it and recall it whenever necessary.

I believe that the competitive advantage of the programs at New York College is that it is structured in such a way that allows for each student to develop a unique set of skills. Although all students are taught the same course content, the program prompts each of them to reflect individually on how this new knowledge would be meaningful and worthy for them. This way the acquisition of a unique “knowledge blend” by each student is achieved.

There are truly a lot of things that one gets from the college. If I were to choose some of them, I would certainly include that I became meticulous, diligent, and disciplined. I think that the philosophy of the programme was such that encouraged us to develop various skills, like time management, or our ability to work in a detailed and persistent way. It might sound simplistic and basic but believe me my career so far has taught me that skills like attention to detail, performance consistency and persistence are really hard-to-find in the job market.

Although it may sound easy, I find that giving advice is a very difficult and responsible act. What I can do however is to convey to you the principles that I have been following in my personal and professional life.

My 3 suggestions:

Listen first. I have been a huge fan of the receptive side of communication, not because I did not want to expose myself, but because I believed that only if you listen first, you can save time from inaccurate and useless conversations, unintentional misunderstandings, and unnecessary frustrations. Try to truly listen, not only hear, and you will see that every problem has more than one solution.

Work hard. There are people who earned a lot without working hard, but for me they were just the exceptions to the rule. Try to set goals and work hard to reach them since great results are achieved only with persistence. Keep trying, no matter how little the progress you make, and you will eventually succeed.

Do not settle. I have always tried to look for things that would pull me upwards than downwards. This included from which friendships to keep to which job to go after or which studies to pursue… almost everything. If I narrow this down to the student level, for me success is not when the University simply fulfils the expectations of its students but rather when it expands their horizons and stretches them to new heights.

I would like to express my gratitude to the college for the opportunity to learn exciting new things that contributed to the pursuit of my professional aspirations.