Haulotte’s Women in Hire
HAULOTTE’S SARA FAKHRAEI AND REBECCA UNDERWOOD WORK ON DIFFERENT SIDES OF THE WORLD YET SHARE A PASSION FOR THEIR COMPANY AND THE HIRE INDUSTRY.
Virginia Beach may be a long way from Melbourne but for Sara Fakhraei, Haulotte’s Marketing Director for the Americas, moving to the United States provided a great opportunity to think and aim bigger. “Relocating from one continent to another is a big love,” she says. “The culture in the US is very different to Australia but the rule I always apply is to work at what you have and make the most of it all the time.” Sara’s been a marketing professional for 20 years, with experience in the auto, food and flooring industries. She moved to the US to progress her career and hasn’t looked back. “I want a career that fosters and value a same vision I have in life,” she says. “I can clearly see my future path in this industry.” At Haulotte, she looks after the Americas, including
Canada, Central America and Latin America, and it’s an ever-evolving environment. “Every country is different with different customer
needs and market expectations however the opportunities and potential are there to grab.” “The principals of marketing are the same anywhere you go. You need to know your product, your customer and what they need from you. However, my job is not done when the product is sold. To make the customer want to come back and do more business, it’s how you serve the customer after the product is delivered to create a positive experience.”
In Melbourne, Rebecca Underwood is Haulotte Australia’s Marketing Coordinator, who’s been with the company for seven years. While she’s always gravitated towards companies that focus on technology and innovation, she’s been amazed by the Haulotte team’s passion for customer service. “Hearing stories from customers about how Haulotte listens to their feedback and builds that into future products is a great example of how we listen and adapt,” says Rebecca.
While Australia is a key market for Haulotte globally, it was an ‘eye- opening’ experience for Rebecca to catch-up with Sara in Melbourne recently to talk about the synergies and differences between the Australian and US markets. “We are lucky in Australia that our customers respect technology and the value it adds to the user experience,” says Rebecca.
Like Sara, she sees the progress Hire is making towards a more diverse workforce and says the industry now offers something for everyone. “There are many benefits that come from diversity in
the workplace including new ideas and perspectives. I’ve really enjoyed meeting so many different people in the industry and Haulotte offers great variety as we grow and
expand. I see a lot of opportunities in the future!” Sara agrees. “One of the key skills required in the Hire industry is problem solving,” she says. “Whether you’re working in the field, creating and analysing blueprints or crunching numbers, we all have a common goal: make things work. That’s where women can introduce new methods or approaches that may not have previously been explored.”
“Today, the Hire industry is not only open to women – it’s in need of them. Any women interested in this industry should knock on the door because that’s where the real progress begins.”
