Updating Results

Daimler Truck and Bus

4.5
  • 100 - 500 employees

Vince Giacchi

I work in a great team, we are constantly learning new things about the business and have some fun along the way too.

What's your job about?

Daimler is one of the leading vehicle manufacturers in the world; we have a presence around the globe and one of the biggest brand portfolios in the world. If I had to describe Daimler Truck and Bus in 10 words, it would be – “we sell the best Trucks and Buses in the world.”

I’m currently the IT Project Manager for Daimler Truck and Bus Australia Pacific (DTBAuP). My role involves planning, budgeting, documenting and overseeing the total IT project portfolio for Daimler Truck and Bus from its concept phase all the way through to its realisation.

I’m lucky in the fact that I get to work with all parts of the business from sales to aftersales to finance. Before a project is started there is a lot of time spent with the different businesses analysing and understanding requirements or even just identifying opportunities to make our IT systems serve the business better.

Overall, a very interesting job that allows me to work with varying stakeholders across the business.

What's your background?

My parents both migrated over from Europe to Australia; however, I was born and raised in Melbourne. I studied at Victoria University receiving my Bachelor of Business - International Business. During my final year of university, I was given the opportunity to join the team at Mercedes-Benz Australia Pacific on the Industry Based Learning (IBL) program. After two great years, I was lucky enough to get a job working for our head office in Stuttgart, Germany. This was an amazing experience to say the least. I worked in one of the many controlling teams responsible for maintaining the SAP template used in many of our subsidiaries around the world – the type of learning experience that doesn’t come around every day.

After 3 years living in what had become my second home, I decided it was time to come back to Melbourne. I came back as the SAP Project Lead, tasked with moving the complete FUSO brand from its existing IT landscape into our Daimler standard IT landscape – one of the biggest projects in DTB’s history. After what was an extraordinary year, I joined DTBAuP’s newly formed IT department as the IT Project Manager.

Could someone with a different background do your job?

In short – Yes, I believe someone with a different background could do my job. There are many characteristics that are important for any project manager to have. Some of the critical ones include being an effective communicator, organisation, decision making and the ability to manage high-pressure situations. The people at DTBAuP are fantastic and always willing to lend a helping hand, which will always make for an environment that a PM can thrive within.

What's the coolest thing about your job?

While there are many cool things about my job, I have narrowed it down to three. Firstly, projects by nature start from nothing and grow into something that can really help your business succeed. It can be pretty cool watching something evolve from nothing into a key system used every day by all of your colleagues. The second being the diverse range of people I work with, I have the pleasure of working with people around the globe. From consultants in Singapore or India to our HQ’s in Germany, Japan or the US.

Last but not least, THE single coolest thing about my job is the people I get to work with. I work in a great team, we are constantly learning new things about the business and have some fun along the way too.

What are the limitations of your job?

Working on such a vast array of projects can be quite overwhelming at times; especially when you have deadlines you need to meet. It requires a lot of commitment and discipline to be maintained. The challenge this provides isn’t easy, however it will push you to grow professionally and personally which will be very rewarding in the long run.

3 pieces of advice for yourself when you were a student...

  • Never hesitate to learn something new, even if you think it doesn’t relate to what you’re working on or your job directly.
  • Back yourself, self-doubt is the enemy of success. What is the worst thing that could happen? You will learn something new.
  • Patience and persistence - not everything will go your way, what you overcome is just as important as what you achieve.