This year’s Forus Person of the Year, Pavel Budanov, believes that no challenge is insurmountable when the team works as one and people are ready to support one another. As a shift supervisor at the Forus Control Centre, he values quick decision-making, a calm mindset and the willingness to take responsibility even in the most complex situations. It is precisely his versatility, strong work ethic and solution-oriented mindset that have made Pavel a colleague people can always rely on.
Pavel’s journey at Forus began in 2018, when he was studying to become a marine engineer at the Estonian Maritime Academy of TalTech. Alongside his studies, he was looking for a job and sent his CV to several companies. “I didn’t have a scholarship, so I had to find a way to get by,” he recalls with a laugh. Soon after, he was invited to a job interview at what was then USS Security, and Pavel started working in patrol.
Over the years, Pavel moved on to different roles, gaining experience in both patrol work and control centre operations. Later, he became a control centre operator, then a senior operator, and today he works as a shift supervisor at the control centre.
The Control Centre is much more than responding to alarms
According to Pavel, many people do not realise how varied the work of the Control Centre really is. “It is not just about dealing with alarms,” he says. “At the Control Centre, you have to respond quickly, give instructions when needed, assist others and sometimes even go out to help yourself.”
In his view, teamwork is at the heart of the job. “Most of our work is cooperation that has to lead to a clear result,” says Pavel. This variety is also one of the reasons why he enjoys the job so much. “Every day, you learn something new, share knowledge and, when needed, guide others.”
A calm mind helps find the right solutions
At the Control Centre, decisions often have to be made in situations where time is limited and a great deal may be at stake. According to Pavel, the most difficult situations are emergency incidents. “Sometimes you have to quickly reassess the entire situation and, if necessary, change the whole plan. You have to make a final decision that may determine the outcome.”
Every incident has a beginning, a middle and an end. The main thing is to start solving it.
How does he stay calm in situations like that? “It is probably just my character,” he says. “Every incident has a beginning, a middle and an end. The main thing is to start solving it – the rest will take shape during the process.”
For Pavel, it is important that no significant issue is left unfinished at the end of a shift. “When I can hand over the shift with peace of mind and know that nothing has been left unresolved, I can go home calmly as well.”
The recognition came as a complete surprise
Being named Forus Person of the Year came as a complete surprise to Pavel. “I wasn’t even aware that I had been nominated in this category,” he recalls.
He went to the festive appreciation evening believing he would receive a letter of thanks for good work. “When the video message from the head of the Control Centre started playing on the screen, I already thought: wait a minute… could it really be me?” For him, the recognition is first and foremost a confirmation that he is moving in the right direction in his work. “I sincerely thank the colleagues who nominated me.”
Pavel says that new challenges and the opportunity to find solutions to complex situations are what give him energy in his daily work. “It is like a labyrinth where you have to find the way out,” he describes.
For him, a good working day is created by people. “People who are focused on cooperation, who know how to support one another and lend a helping hand when needed. Good humour and a strong team spirit make even the most difficult working day easier.”
To those who want to succeed in this field, Pavel gives a simple piece of advice: “Always give your best – as much as you know and as much as you can. The rest will come with experience.”
