Susanne Di iulio has over 2 decades of experience in the façade business, is internationally minded and values openness and partnership. In other words, Susanne and Staticus have a lot in common.
She is joining us as our new Regional Director for Central Europe, where she sees strong potential for growth because of our track record, client-centric products and services, and leadership in sustainability and innovation. Susanne’s expertise and passion will also be a big factor in our success in these markets, as she puts her own personal stamp on the new team for this region.
Susanne took some time out from her busy onboarding to tell us more about her career, her ambitions for her new role, and what strikes her about Staticus.
What is your new role at Staticus, and how do you plan to make it your own?
So, my role is Regional Director for Central Europe, which is a new position at Staticus. This means I will be developing and steering our sales activities in this new market.
Like every commitment I make in my life, I will put all my heart and soul into it. And I am looking forward to making use of the different skills I have gained in almost 24 years working in the façade industry. I have worked as an internationally-operating façade consultant, a managing partner, a Head of Sales at a German façade contractor, and, most recently, as Director of Pre-Construction Services at an aluminium systems supplier.
I will use the skills and experience I have gained in these positions to fulfil my exciting new role at Staticus.
Why did you choose Staticus?
I have been aware of Staticus for many years – since 2007, in fact. At that time, along with my consultancy work, I also provided training and support for a company specialising in software for building physics and other products. This took me around the world.
In 2007, I was invited to Staticus’ headquarters in Vilnius to provide an FE-software training session for the R&D department. The company made a very good first impression. I was positively surprised by the facilities and staff they had, even at that early stage of their development.
Then later I became aware of Staticus’ reputation regarding sustainability. Because Staticus was strongly focused on the Scandinavian markets, which are the most advanced in Europe in terms of energy saving and sustainability, the team had a lot of insights and interesting projects to share. Later I saw them growing and developing into a tier one façade contractor in the UK.
These achievements on their own are already impressive. But what really convinced me to join the team were the people. Through my work at Schüco, I met many of the team at various conferences and events, including Ellen, Valentino, and Tomas. So, I already know most of my direct colleagues and I feel that we are on the same wavelength, which is very important to me. I can feel a certain spirit in all the people at Staticus that I have met so far – they are kind, open, very professional, and agile – and that has ignited something deep inside of me.
I also want to mention two people who were particularly influential in my decision to join – Aušra and Aulikki. Again, I have met them both at various events, and they have made a very good impression on me.
Aušra, Staticus’ CEO, is an extremely strong and focused manager who adopts a lot of advanced approaches to strategy and leadership. And Aulikki, the CBDO whom I will be reporting to, has a very strong technical background and is one of the most open-minded and straight-forward people I know. I expect to learn a lot from them both and to grow on a professional and personal level.
Overall, I am really excited to be part of this agile team – I feel like I have just jumped onto a speed boat.
What makes Staticus unique within the market?
I think the markets are changing enormously at the moment, especially over the last 2 or 3 years. And at this time, I feel like openness, teamwork and transparency are more important than ever.
So, the fact that I can see how agile and open Staticus are is very important. For example, I watched the video launching the new strategy, and, honestly, I felt really touched. Because at times like this when markets are getting difficult, investors and general contractors need partners who are reliable and transparent.
It takes bravery to have this approach, but I feel like the good people will connect and those who don’t understand how to play in a clear and fair manner simply won’t make it. So I prefer to be part of a team that has a very open and transparent approach.
In fact, this is something very important for me. That is because when you are in Sales, it is your name and reputation that are associated with a particular company or product. You need to be confident in what will happen after your stage of the process is complete – after all, it is you getting “grilled on the barbeque,” so to speak.
Staticus’ openness, and the value the company places on partnership, give me complete confidence and fit perfectly with my values.
What excites you the most about your new role?
Working with people from different cultures is one of my greatest passions. I speak several languages and have had the opportunity to work internationally in various positions since I started my career back in 2000.
After graduating in façade Engineering, I worked at a façade consultancy in Frankfurt. Here, thanks to my language skills, I was assigned international projects and travelled across Europe and Asia. That was followed by a Head of Sales position covering France, Benelux, Switzerland, and the Nordics, before becoming Director of Pre-Construction Services at Schüco International, another highly international role.
So this new position at Staticus allows me to do exactly what I love – work with international partners and a truly international team. For me, the key is to find smart, open people that are willing to work as a team.
At Staticus, I can see that the language or where people are based doesn’t matter (and I appreciate the fact that whether you are male or female is also not a factor). It is about finding people who fit with a common set of values. Then having people all over Europe means we also have different experiences, and this brings richness in terms of culture and experience. The headquarters in Vilnius provides a professional environment and the support which will be necessary for my success. I couldn’t have imagined it better.
What opportunities do you foresee in the market for Staticus?
I see great opportunities for us because we have a number of advantages that are important for the market at the moment.
Firstly, there is the versatility of our product portfolio in terms of materials, systems and sustainability solutions.
Secondly, Staticus has gained experience and recorded decades of growth in some of the most demanding markets. We also have an impeccable track record in terms of quality and client satisfaction.
Thirdly, I think our profound know-how regarding renovation projects is important. This topic is going to become ever more significant within the market.
Then there is Staticus’ leadership position on sustainability and innovation within the industry. I saw Staticus as one of the first contractors in Europe (perhaps the first) that had a clearly defined sustainability position and strategy. And as I mentioned, with so much experience in the Nordics – the most advanced markets for energy efficiency – we will be able to meet the increasingly high sustainability requirements demanded in Central European markets. Innovations like triple glazing, unitised façades with very low U values, or the use of wood to replace aluminium, are all on the rise in markets like Luxembourg, Switzerland and Germany.
What personal aspirations do you have as you take on this role?
My colleagues have in part already prepared the way. I’m going to strengthen the Staticus brand in our new markets in Central Europe, such as Luxemburg, Belgium and the Netherlands. My aim is to provide the same excellent services and results that our clients in our core markets are used to receiving from us. And I am going to do that with my own individual touch.
Ultimately, I know what Aušra expects from me in terms of growing turnover and steering the team. I don’t know yet who will be in the team and how it will go, but I am sure I will make it mine – and I know the leadership team will set up whatever we need for these new markets.
Could you share a bit about your life outside of work?
In terms of my private life, I’m a mother of three. I live in Western Switzerland, which gives me the opportunity to spend my leisure time in beautiful nature. A perfect day for me is spending time with my loved ones on the water or up a mountain. And thanks to my husband, I feel closely connected to Italian culture, the “cucina” and “la dolce vita”.
I’m very grateful to live in peace – which is not a matter of course nowadays, as I see how many regions in our world are going through unimaginably hard times at the moment. Nevertheless, I always like to focus on the positive and on what I can influence.
And as I mentioned earlier, I am a very international person. I was born in Germany and had the opportunity to travel a lot in my 20s. I even studied two semesters of Mandarin as I worked a lot in Asia. I am looking forward to spending more time in Vilnius now – I’m not expecting the Mediterranean, but it is a fun place and I love the city, especially the old town.