INDUSTRY ICON
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Following in his father’s footsteps FROM AN EARLY AGE STEVEN TEOFILO TOOK AN INTEREST IN TRUCKS AND THE ENGINEERING WORK DONE BY HIS FATHER. UNDERTAKING A CADETSHIP WITH AN AUSTRALIAN TRUCK MANUFACTURER WHILE COMPLETING HIS ENGINEERING DEGREE LED TO A LONG-TERM CAREER WITH THE SAME COMPANY. For as long as he can remember Steven
Steven Teofilo.
Teofilo, Head of Product Engineering & Platform with IVECO Trucks Australia, has admired trucks and transport equipment and been intrigued by the engineering effort that goes into making them operate as efficiently as possible. After achieving the necessary marks in high school, Steven was accepted at Melbourne’s Swinburne University of Technology and subsequently completed an Engineering cadetship with IVECO. “During my engineering degree we were required to stop studying for 12 months while we experienced ‘real’ work in an industry of our choice,” Steven says. “I applied with IVECO and worked there as a cadet engineer for one year. “I then went back to my study but stayed on with IVECO working part-time and
current generation ACCO and early last
“Joe gave me a lot of help in the earlier
after I graduated, commenced working
year moved into his current role as Head of
part of my career – he invested countless
there full-time.” In the early years Steven was heavily
Product Engineering & Platform.
hours and was very patient teaching me,”
Steven says the engineering and design
involved with the development of the
changes needed to meet successive
Steven says. “I always admired his passion for developing
previous generation ACCO range in
emissions reductions standards and safety
the ACCO specifically for our market.
Australia and was subsequently given the
system upgrades have been the greatest
“Joe taught me the vital importance of
opportunity to gain valuable experience
changes he has seen on trucks during his
knowing the customer and how they
working abroad at IVECO Research and
time in the industry, and he expresses pride
were using the vehicle so that the way it is
Development (R&D) facilities in Italy,
in the part he has played in the ACCO’s
designed is really right for them.
Germany, Brazil and China. “This was really fantastic because it
significant development since 2006. Not surprisingly, he sees electrification as
“This fundamental principle has guided my
opened my eyes to the global industry
the big ticket item moving forward and
into the future,” he says.
and how trucks were designed to meet
is looking forward to the challenges and
the demands of other markets around
rewards that will be part and parcel of this
the world,” Steven says, mentioning that
emerging technology into the future.
Industry Icon
from 2012 he spent four years working at
As for who stands out in helping him on
Made possible by Smedley’s Engineers.
IVECO’s R&D centre in China. In 2016 he returned to Australia and began
his journey, Steven mentions Joe Cabone
Industry Icon is a series dedicated to
who was Product Engineer for the ACCO
honouring the unsung heroes of the
working with the engineering team at
when he started with the company and
commercial road transport industry.
Dandenong on the development of the
has since retired.
76
Trailer Magazine MARCH 21
efforts thus far and will continue to do so
