Zur Karriere von Stefano Longo

What were the major landmarks of your career? Subsequent to attending elementary school in the countryside I moved to Treviso where I graduated from high school. Afterwards I started my studies in Economics at Venice University, which at that time was overcrowded. The relationship between the professors and the students was not fulfilling, the students did not receive much support etc. Because of the close distance between Treviso and Venice I was living at my parents’ house and spent a lot of time travelling between my hometown and Venice - time I should have used for studying -, and as a result my grades at university were not good. So I took a personal decision that I presented to my parents. I told them I could not receive a degree if I was staying at home any further. I experienced some resistance, but finally we agreed that I could attend university in another town if I supported myself. This experience was very important for me because I had to take responsibility, I supported myself, and from my negative experiences at Venice University I had learnt about the significance of mutual support. Consequently I moved to Trento where I finished my studies in a relatively short period of time. After receiving my grades I did my military service. The time at Trento was very important for me in numerous points: Firstly I gained personal maturity, secondly I met my future wife Sonja, thirdly I took part in the ERASMUS student exchange program, which brought me to Barcelona, and fourthly I started to play Rugby for a club. Rugby is a very complex team sport which requires discipline and respect for your opponent because otherwise it will be rather a fight than a game. Furthermore, at the end of each match the winning team celebrates the losing team. This respect for your opponent as well as the referee aligns with certain guidelines for life. In Barcelona I took the opportunity to get in contact with some companies for which I started to work after receiving my grades. After fulfilling a six-term-contract I returned to Treviso where it took me one year to find a job. Originally I had thought I would find a job very easily since I was fluent in two languages, had a good education and international experience. But I was not good at targeting the right companies, and many jobs required more than a fresh graduate. This was a tough period for me; however, I learnt a lot from my mistakes and realised that I should probably move on to a different type of career. In 1998 I joined Adecco in Trento as a branch manager. After six months my branch was so successful that it reached the third position in the entire of Italy. I was promoted to become regional manager for Trentino/Südtirol, still based in Trento. I married my wife Sonja and accepted the position of the manager for the center and south of Italy. I was based in Rome, but travelled a lot and experienced the cultural differences within the country. This proved to be a good training for future challenges. At the end of 2002, after four years in this position, I was offered the opportunity to become operational manager of the Balkan countries and the southeast of Europe. At that time this region belonged to Adecco Italy. In February 2006 I took the position as country manager of Austria. We employ excellent people in all the different countries.

Zum Erfolg von Stefano Longo

How do you personally define success? First of all, success is a momentary condition. If you are successful, it means you are successful now; most likely you will not be successful your whole life. Success means to reach one’s goals in accordance with the person or company providing your resources. You will reach your goals if you can rely on other people who support you, grow with you and contribute to your personal success. Would you regard yourself as successful? Company-wise, because I was able to contribute to the company’s success; and personally, because I enjoy what I do. I am learning everyday, and I am very content with my profession.What were the decisive factors of your success? I am very good in my self-diagnosis and learn from my mistakes. Furthermore, I am able to take criticism and thus always work on improving myself. It is a continuous process. And one of the most important factors: I never give up - something I learnt from playing Rugby. When you are attacked and fall down, you have to stand up the next minute and continue playing. One of the key points to success in this organisation was that I was more prepared to relocate than other people. It is a prerequisite for this type of business. Did anybody have a special influence on your career? A vital person for my professional career was Leon Ouziel, now the Iberia regional manager for Akzo Nobel, and back then the general manager of the company I worked for in Spain. He was very target-oriented and a role model in how to take decisions, in how to react to certain situations. My second mentor is Jérôme Caille, who hired me for Adecco. He functioned as the country manager of Adecco Italy for four years and then became the CEO of the group. Meanwhile he has left the company; however, his spirit and energy are still present with me. I also adopted his way of co-operating with fellow employees. How relevant are fellow employees? I am deeply grateful to my collaborators, because without them I would not be able to reach my goals. Which criteria do you expect your employees to meet? Since we are a service company I consider professional qualifications not as important as soft skills. Service approach, leading by example and solution-orientation are crucial factors. Success requires persons with humour, bright eyes and persistence. How do you motivate your fellow employees? I trust them, and I act transparent and fair. My fellow employees know they can share their mistakes with me in order to learn from them. They will not only learn because of me but also because of the environment I create. Which factors characterise the power of your enterprise? In a lot of countries the number of competitors is limited due to the sensitive nature of our sector - we deal with people, and we deal with salaries. In Austria the market is very segmented. Adecco represents the most advanced company in the industry. Our company holds a huge vocation to serve the client. In a relationship with a client we are trying our best to work with him. We distinguish ourselves with our combination of the international spirit and background and the local knowledge. Adecco maintains 7,000 offices in 70 countries worldwide. How do you arrange your career with your private life? My family is still located in Italy, and I am going home every weekend. It would make no difference if my family was also based in Vienna since I am travelling a lot. To me, there is a strong split between the business week and the weekends, which I dedicate to my family. On weekends I switch my mobile phone and my computer off.Do you have an advice for the next generation? The young generation has to obtain a global approach, otherwise possibilities are limited. A young person has to gain knowledge of other cultures and also be aware of the fact that it is vital to work with the right people in the right position. One has to take advantage of all possibilities.What are your goals for the future? I am deeply grateful to this company. I have been working for Adecco for almost ten years - in six different positions so far. It almost felt like changing the company every time, and likewise I set new objectives every time. At the moment my aim is to improve the image of our company in Austria to the same level we enjoy in other countries. This is a wonderful challenge - fascinating, yet tough. Do you have a motto? Prima de parlar, tasi (Before speaking, keep silent). There is a double sense to it which I find very charming. It might say Think about it, but also Just keep silent.