Our Meet the Experts series shines a spotlight on the expertise of key members of the Interleasing team. Here we catch up with Valerie Di Giovanni, who has had two stints at Interleasing spanning more than a decade.
Can you tell us about your role and what excites you about it?
I am a Senior Relationship Officer for Interleasing. I work alongside our relationship managers to effectively run our customers’ fleets. We offer personal account management with bespoke offerings to meet our customers' needs and I love that this results in a varied workload and lots of opportunities to learn every week. The role does not get boring!
What are some of the challenges that you help solve for clients?
We provide a range of client solutions, including our Driver Assist app that delivers tap-of-a-button support to drivers on the road. This can be helpful for drivers to access information at their fingertips, especially if they experience an issue such as being involved in an accident - I am able to provide a swift response and assist where I can, especially in distressful situations. For other types of issues that can arise for drivers, getting our drivers help may seem like a small thing but it could make that drivers day a lot less stressful and reduces the inconvenience of the incident. The app also helps drivers, and in turn our clients, stay on top of the overall management of vehicles.
What opportunities do you see for Interleasing?
While we're still navigating through supply chain challenges from the pandemic, it's important to acknowledge the resilience we've shown in adapting. Despite the lengthy lead times for new vehicles and increased maintenance of running ageing fleets while awaiting replacements, it has also provided an opportunity for Interleasing to enhance the fleet maintenance strategies and operational efficiency for our clients.
What future trends do you think clients need to be aware of?
The increasing complexity of technology in today’s new vehicles highlights the need for highly skilled mechanics which presents an exciting opportunity for training and upskilling within our workforce. Embracing these challenges with a positive outlook allows us to innovate and thrive in an ever-evolving industry.
In your opinion, what makes Interleasing different?
Working for Interleasing is a pleasure as our people are our best asset. The team is supportive, hardworking and very experienced. Everyone is willing to lend a hand and assist where required.
What’s your proudest achievement while at Interleasing?
I was working at Interleasing in Sydney when the business joined the MMS family, and I was instrumental in ensuring a smooth and seamless transition to the new systems. It was challenging and something new and every day I was problem-solving. Once complete it was very rewarding to know I had a big hand in the process.
What was your first job?
My first job was Saturday receptionist for my father’s real estate agency while I was in high school. I was manning the office alone as all the salespeople and property managers were at viewings on Saturdays. Those days people paid their rent in person, in cash, so I would have tens of thousands of dollars in the front desk drawer throughout the day.
What’s one interesting fun fact you’d like to share about yourself?
I was born two months’ premature and in the 1970s the survival rate for such an early birth was very low. Doctors told my parents to expect me to not live but my mother sat with me daily holding my hand and leaving me with the radio playing when she couldn’t be there. I was in hospital for three months before I was finally allowed to go home.
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