INTERVIEW
JULIAN GURNEY, SCANIA
A GOOD LISTENER
Previously Scania Australia’s national sales manager for buses and coaches, and now more than two years into his role as sales director for buses and engines, Julian Gurney was gracious enough to have a quick, exclusive chat with ABC magazine regarding where the brand stands now in this region since the Covid pandemic broke. We asked him about how its products and bus business strategy – like a forthcoming new additional Sydney premises and new product at the 2021 Sydney Bus Show – will further facilitate low to zeroemissions transition for operators on various tailored levels, and just how Scania’s emerging technological advancement is better shaping and ‘benchmark pushing’ the overall local and global bus product portfolio. Plus much, much more… WORDS FABIAN COTTER IMAGES COURTESY SCANIA AUSTRALIA
ABC: Hello, Julian. Firstly, well done for making a success for your current role thus far. Has it gone according to plan? How have you best adjusted to any changed dynamics over the past few years and why?
aftersales – many of whom have three or
we can.
more decades of experience in the bus
For me personally, the addition of the
industry. In fact, there’s well in excess of
engine sales portfolio has meant that I
200 years of local bus industry experience
have had the opportunity to learn about
in this group alone!
a whole new area of the business and,
Even more beneficial, this experience is
disappointingly, still waiting to go on a sea
spread across our nine company-owned
JG: Thanks Fabian, very much appreciate
trial on some of the new Maritimo luxury
branches Australia-wide. We believe in
your kind words. It certainly is great to
pleasure boats that we are fitting our
supporting our customers all the way from
finally catch up with you again as last
Scania engines to – but I am sure I’ll get a
the factory to their door, using Scania
year was a little ‘tricky’ to plan any travel
chance some stage this year!
Australia staff. With our very flat lines of
outside of your home state, so I appreciate the opportunity to update you on what has been happening with the Scania Bus and Coach department these past few years. In terms of going ‘according to plan’, I’d say that’s a resounding ‘yes’. If I look back at the changing dynamics over the
ABC: What is the current Scania Australia executive hierarchy and how does that best meet the needs of the corporation from a global perspective to the benefit of its local bus customers, and why?
past 12 months or so, the team has done
JG: Scania Australia is very lucky to have
a brilliant job of transitioning to the ‘new
Mikael Jansson at the helm. Mikael is
way of working’. As we all know, we have
extremely invested in the bus business and
had to be respectful of the customers’
has attended every BIC conference since
needs for CovidSafe interaction with
his arrival in 2017, further demonstrating
suppliers and therefore virtual meetings
his commitment and that of Scania
have been a good way to say G’day to the
Australia to the local bus industry. He is
bus operators.
extremely passionate about driving our
Of course, nothing beats personal interaction; it’s one of the main reasons we do what we do as all the team enjoys
44
we continue to support them the best
industry towards a greener and more sustainable future. As the sales director, I report in directly
communication, we’re able to deliver exceptional levels of uptime and customer satisfaction. In a few months, we’ll open a second company-owned sales and service location in Sydney at Eastern Creek – further demonstration of our financial commitment to the continued expansion of our service network.
ABC: What have you uniquely brought to this role that seems to be a natural mix for you to achieve any personal objectives and goals that you’d set? How has this role helped you evolve as a person? What have you learned about yourself that you may not have acknowledged or focused on previously?
getting out and about chatting with their
to Mikael, and, under me, I have the
customers to see how the businesses are
benefit of a team of bus industry stalwarts
JG: I am focused on achieving the results
going and what we can do to make sure
across product development, sales and
we set each year as agreed to by the
ABC April 2021 busnews.com.au
ABC_404_044-49_Interview_Julian Gurney Scania FC.indd 44
19/04/2021 4:59:23 PM
