1. What have you found most challenging as a leader?

Balance of personal life and professional life of myself and my teams

2. How did you become a leader? Can you please briefly tell the story?

I was a simple engineer working to a big carmaker and during a development of new suppliers a big quality problem happened in one of my suppliers. The company sent me as representative to solve such problem (possible recall) to such supplier and more than solve the problem, avoid the recall, we were able together to increase the production output and put the supplier out of very costly special transports. Due to the, I got very good contacts with the shareholders of this supplier and after almost 6 months they invite me to join their team as Quality Director of a new plant. I was in this company last 23 years and I help the company to grew from a 2 plant/3Mio€ turnover to 29 Plants/900Mio€ turnover. Beggining of 2021 I left the company to embrace new challenges.

3. How do you structure your work days from waking up to going to sleep?

First thing I do, is to take my shower and during the shower I mentally organize the challenges I have to face during the day. It is a very profitable moment to found creative solutions. After shower, I got my breakfast and during breakfast I pray and meditate. Normally I arrive early morning in the company and my routine is to clean emails at the first hour, walk through shop floor doing quality/safety inspections during the second hour and then start several follow up and working sessions with my team. Never lost lunch time (very important break for me and my team) and no later than 6pm I left the offices to my home, where I have dinner with my family and before sleep I spent sometime reading and writing.

4. What's a recent leadership lesson you've learned for the first time or been reminded of?

Walk the Talk is much more important than Talk the Walk

5. What's one book that has had a profound impact on your leadership so far? Can you please briefly tell the story of how that book impacted your leadership?

For sure the Biography of Lee Iaccocca and how he turnaround a bankrupt Chrisler in a profitable company. Focus, resilience and courage to implement his idea, even under a lot of pressure.

6. If you could only give one piece of advice to a young leader, what would you say to them?

Nothing is forever. Success pass, Fail pass.

7. What is one meaningful story that comes to mind from your time as a leader, so far?

When I transform a simple secretary, without any degree, in an executive, with MBA and very successfull.