Maher sells

1. Briefly describe the course of your career (during and after your studies).

Antonio: Before and during my studies at VERN', I worked in the IT industry as a retail sales manager in a company that was the absolute leader in laptop sales in the Republic of Croatia at the time. In that company, I went through all the stages of the business process, from sales to management and business decision-making. In early 2005, I applied for a job at AutoZubak as a post-sales manager in the largest service center in Croatia and, to my great luck, I got the job. I spent almost 3 full years in that job and, in my humble opinion, very successfully. The satisfaction of the AutoZubak Management Board with my previous engagement resulted in the offer that followed in early 2008. Namely, at the invitation of the Vice President of the AutoZubak Management Board, Mr. Trbović, I was offered the management of the first AutoZubak Škoda sales center in Zagreb, which represented a new challenge in my career. Since sales is my "first love", I accepted this new challenge with great pleasure.

2. Briefly introduce your company to us (activity, number of employees, when it was founded, references...).

Antonio: Today, AutoZubak is a leading company in the Croatian market for the sale and maintenance of motor vehicles. Over the course of almost three decades of successful business and continuous growth, AutoZubak now operates in ten sales and service centers throughout Croatia. It specializes in the sale and maintenance of Volkswagen Group cars (Audi, Seat, Škoda and VW). This year, AutoZubak celebrates its 30th anniversary and continuous progress. Our now over 500 employees continuously contribute to the growth and development of the company and to the achievement of our basic mission – to continuously find ways and means to create a sense of delight and pride among customers, employees and partners.

3. What is your function in the company?

Antonio: I currently hold the position of manager of the newly opened Škoda sales center in Zagreb, that is, I am the manager of the Škoda brand, and I am also responsible for all used vehicle sales in business unit number 1 of the AutoZubak company. If you just add up the used and new Škoda vehicles sold for which I am responsible and which will be sold this year, then you come to a figure of over 1100 vehicles in the sectors for which I am directly in charge and responsible.

4. What is your job description and what are your responsibilities? What does your workday look like?

Antonio: The job description and responsibilities in a large system, such as AutoZubak, are equally large and extensive. First and foremost, there is the development of vehicle sales plans and goals, and then, of course, their fulfillment, both piece and financial. The most important tasks are certainly managing, organizing and coordinating all business processes in accordance with internal procedures and ISO standards, and optimizing the overall costs of vehicle sales. Responsibilities are primarily related to results, because no shareholder will keep you in the company for long if the plan you signed at the beginning of the year and the budget deviate from the final amount, which in the income statement is called "profit after tax". In addition to responsibilities for results, there are a large number of other tasks such as planning vehicle stocks, developing and monitoring results and market trends, developing a plan for internal and external training, providing input to the marketing department for promotional activities, and coordinating their operational implementation. The job description also includes cooperation with the company's finance department, preparation of documentation for participation in tenders, management of sales employees, etc. My working day starts at 7:15 am with drinking my first coffee and reading emails. After that, there is a very short, I would say on the fly, agreement with sales employees about the dynamics of vehicle deliveries to large and small customers, their tasks and responsibilities, as well as making offers. Then, there is always at least one meeting with a large customer, who requires additional preparations, and to whom we offer a complete fleet management service. After 2 pm, I usually monitor completed items or sold vehicles and make offers for large customers, monitor the stock of new and used vehicles, answer customer inquiries, plan employee training, settle incoming invoices, agree on future campaigns with colleagues from used vehicle sales, etc. Around 4 pm, the daily pace drops to a "lower level" and then I can make a recap of the sales and events of that day, write letters and, with satisfaction, go home. Usually, much to my daughter Anja's chagrin, this trip home doesn't happen until around 7 pm.

5. How has your education (knowledge and skills acquired during your studies) helped you in your job?

Antonio: A few years before enrolling in VERN', I was a student at the Faculty of Law in Zagreb, and after my second year of study, I realized that this was absolutely not the faculty and way of studying for me, and that I needed dynamics in my life. I dropped out of law school and started working for a company that dealt with the wholesale and retail of IT goods. At that time, my younger brother enrolled in VERN' and told me every day about this "different" way of studying, the quality of the lectures, and the possibility of attending lectures after work. All of this prompted me to enroll in VERN' myself in 2001 and literally go back to school. Of course, enrolling in VERN' was also closely related to the job I was doing, because my university degree and academic knowledge, along with my previous work experience and knowledge acquired in the job, were necessary to open a position in higher positions in the company, and this further motivated me. At the time I started studying at VERN', I was working as a retail manager in a company with about 30 employees, where I literally had to copy/paste the knowledge I gained from lectures directly into the company's operations on a daily basis. I have to be honest, I was very successful in that, because I progressed quickly, and the ideas and knowledge I gained during my studies at VERN' were recognized and, of course, adequately rewarded by the company's owners.

6. What are your plans for the future? What motivates you?

Antonio: There are certainly plans for the future and I would be very unhappy if I said I have no plans. Specifically, a few months ago I started my second cycle of management at AutoZubak, and my main goal is to successfully complete the work I took on and entrusted to me and bring it to a concrete planned result, and then I hope for a new challenge that I will not reveal to you because I would not want anyone to get ahead of me in that. So let it remain my little secret for now. One of my biggest motivations is success. It is a unique feeling of satisfaction with a job well done, most adequately comparable to a victory in sports.

7. Do you have a recipe for success and/or advice for colleagues who are currently studying at VERN?

Antonio: It is pointless to talk about some recipes for success because if such a recipe existed, everyone would be very successful and in demand. There is only an investment in yourself and your career, which consists of life-time education, exceptional personal engagement in work and a quick reaction to the offered business opportunity. My advice to fellow students is to definitely complete the VERN's study program as soon as possible and to absorb the maximum amount of knowledge and experience that the lecturers-entrepreneurs there can provide and present to them, but not to stop there but to learn and invest in yourself and new knowledge and skills every day. Don't wait for an opportunity to "fall from the sky", contribute to creating opportunities yourself, primarily through quality work, no matter what it is at the moment.