Case studies: Division service manager: Andy

Andy has a Diploma in Agricultural Engineering from Caythorpe Agricultural College and is a division service manager for John Deere International, Germany.

After I graduated I started working as an agricultural mechanic and machine operator for a large agricultural contractor at North Lincolnshire. After various positions in Australia and Saudi Arabia I returned to Lincolnshire to work as an agricultural mechanic for a John Deere dealer in North Lincolnshire. I was promoted to service manager after one year and held that position for seven years. After a few job moves, I was promoted to my current role.

The company I work for is the largest John Deere sales organisation in the world and the sector I’m in is product support. We provide all aspects of support to distributors and dealers in over 100 countries in and around Europe, Africa and the Middle East. I’m the supervisor for eight area service managers and together we look after countries in Northern Europe, Western Europe and Central and Northern Africa. I’m mainly office based but I travel from time to time to the countries within my area of responsibility. As my role is quite senior, I have to establish clear performance requirements for my team, evaluate their performance, and provide ongoing coaching, feedback and recognition. I actively support personal and career development efforts, assess and develop employee leadership potential and integrate new talent. I’m also involved in training and I coordinate the development and implementation of distributor service schools and training programmes with our service specialists and area service managers, and work closely with management on dealer development programmes in order to improve customer support in traditional markets.

I would never have expected my career to develop as it has and I would like to think that now I have come this far I can make the next step which would be the position above mine – manager product support.

What I enjoy most about my role is the diversity; with so many different countries and cultures there is never a dull moment. I also enjoy the opportunity to visit many countries I otherwise would never see. The most challenging part is managing people. One of the best things about working in the sector is the worldwide opportunities and the relative security of working for the largest agricultural machinery manufacturer in the world.

Working in this sector is very rewarding but you need to be totally dedicated. I remember times as a mechanic when I was lying under machines in cold and wet conditions in the middle of the night making repairs or being inside a dirty, dusty combine harvester when my friends were enjoying a beer in the sunshine. But I also remember times when I was driving across the mountains in the centre of Ethiopia taking in the spectacular views, or eating fresh meat cooked by a farmer on an open fire in the wine region of Greece.

For the right person, it is the best occupation in the world!