Name: Vyacheslav Afonushkin
Job title: Deputy Manager, Goods & Raw Materials Warehouse
Location: Balashikha
Country: Russia
Who is Vyacheslav Afonushkin?
I joined AkzoNobel Décor in spring 2004 as a warehouseman. Within 6 years I had been promoted to the post of Deputy Manager, Goods & Raw Materials Warehouse. I’ve been working in this position for three years now.
My job involves the receipt and dispatch of goods, all the documentation this involves as well as all the warehouse processes. I also carry out administrative duties and communicate with all the warehouse employees. I live in Balashikha and like spending my free time with my beloved wife – we sometimes enjoy just spending time together at home or with friends. In the summer we often go on picnics with lots of friends or ‘shashlyki’ (Russian for barbeque) – where we only eat fish. We lead a healthy lifestyle and our family doesn’t eat meat. In winter we love skating. However I can’t say I have a particular hobby. I enjoy doing different things at different times.
What does color mean to you at work?
When I first joined AkzoNobel and saw a tinting machine, the whole range of colors, and countless shades, I realized that this was where I belonged. I like this job. It’s the diversity of colors that I like. That’s why I don’t have one particular favorite color. For example, today is Friday, the last day of the working week, the weekend is ahead and my mood at work today is bright orange, I’m especially joyful.
How do I work with color… first, one of my people is a tinting machine operator! And during the years I worked as a warehouseman I learned all about our products and became a sort of informal ‘free-lance color consultant’. This made it possible for me to advise my colleagues when they came to me for paint. If, for example, one of my colleagues wants to paint a wooden house a particular color, I am only too pleased to advise him or her which paint to use depending on the surface material and the shade they want to achieve.
I like redecorating and changing things around. Moving furniture in the office, for example. When people used to come into our office they only saw my back, as the desks were so arranged that the manager and me sat face to face; that is until I decided to move the desks – a good move all round. After redecoration the walls of our office were pale yellow. After a month we had had enough and decided to change it. Maybe we had an ‘orange mood’ that day, as the paint we chose was bright orange. I managed to paint the whole office in a single day.
I enjoyed the ‘Adding color to people’s lives’ project we held on the 2nd of July this year, when we painted the wall around the plant. I participated in both arranging the event and the painting itself. Not so long ago we travelled to the orphanage we sponsor, gave them paint and played with the children. I like taking part in community projects where our products are used, I enjoy choosing the colors and preparing the painting process.
I think when people at work are surrounded by bright colors the atmosphere becomes a lot more optimistic. Many companies don’t use bright colors to decorate their offices, but we shouldn’t be afraid to do it, we should be braver!
…and outside of work?
My house is not very colorful, but I have thought how best to change it. Take my bedroom for example, I want to make this room bright. I would say there is only one really bright spot in my flat now – part of a wall where I have shelves of books and souvenirs that’s painted bright orange. The living room, despite the fact it’s decorated in light colors and the walls are painted in ivory tones, is also very bright. When I come home in the evening, especially in summer, the room is full of sunlight and almost too bright!
Although I like practically all colors, my wife (who, by the way, also works for AkzoNobel as a Finance Analyst) has two favorite colors: pink and red. Colors she always wears and chooses for accessories.
What is your all-time favorite color and why?
The color I remember from my childhood is the color of sunshine – bright yellow. As a child I used to draw a huge yellow sun with long rays in the top left corner of all my pictures.
If you could choose one color that most closely matches your personality, what would it be and why?
Last year we went to Thailand where I was astonished by the sunsets. I’ve never seen such a riot of color before. The color changes were amazing. I would say the spectrum of colors from yellow to red can be called the color of happiness, although you can hardly describe and bring about a state of happiness through words – you can only experience it through communication. I love life just as it is. I love life through bright colors.