A last-minute decision proves to be life-changing 

Giorgi Gogichaishvili applied to participate in the Swedish Institute Management Programme just days before the closing date, and he believes it turned out to be the best decision he's ever made, as he now has the knowledge and tools to embed sustainability into every business process.  
A smiling man with a beard wearing a suit.

As Co-founder of Georgia-based indoor climate systems provider Thermorum, Giorgi Gogichaishvili had good reason to enhance his knowledge of sustainability and how to make it a foundation of his company’s supply chain and procurement system.  

 What he discovered after participating in the Swedish Institute’s Management Programme, is that he’s now able to lead his company to become a much more effective standard-bearer for sustainability, by refoming many aspects of how they do business. 

 With new energy efficiency regulations being implemented in Georgia and more customers demanding that the products they buy are energy-efficient, it was apparent to Giorgi how vital it is that Thermorum has a clear vision for becoming more sustainable in their supply chain and procurement processes. 

 Giorgi found out about the Swedish Institute programme just three days before the deadline, applying in a rush to be part of it.   

 -In hindsight, the decision to apply was simply the best decision I have made in years. 

 The programme had a huge influence on how Giorgi now leads the activities of his company.  

 Joining with a number of Georgian start-ups, they are digitising document flows by implementing e-signatures to reduce waste, reducing emissions on deliveries and logistics, and moving their office to an energy independent building that generates more electricity than they need. 

 The company is also reducing waste through better recycling, improving employee commuting to make it more carbon-friendly. 

 They even took a step further to apply sustainability criteria to their supply chain. 

 -Before I completed the programme, when selecting suppliers, we made decisions based simply on cost and quality. Now sustainability is so embedded into my vision that we’ve added sustainability criteria to the list of things we evaluate when selecting providers, and that has an impact from raw materials onwards up the chain.

Thinking back to his experience in participating in the programme, Giorgi remembers the feeling of camaraderie and meeting impressive and inspiring people. Gaining insights from instructors and other participants helped him a lot when polishing his ideas. He said that while the online format was initially a bit difficult, he got used to it quickly. 

 -Insightful, valuable and very Swedish, is how Giorgi summarise the programme.  

 -It is intensive, requires dedication and focus and for participant to be prepared for positive change – and in the end, it can be life-changing experience. 

Find out more about Swedish Institute Management Programme Northern and Eastern Europe.