Craig Chamberlin is not your average Managing Director. Our esteemed DEUTZ Australia leader loves nothing more than meandering through the far corners of the office and warehouse talking to the troops. Since he took over four years ago, Craig has overseen a huge transformation in the company, with many new faces and a more dynamic environment.
“I love not only the diversity of the role, but also the diversity of the staff,” Craig says. “It is a veritable United Nations.”
Craig thrives on the regular travel his job entails, especially Dealer meetings in Asia. These involve meeting key Dealer principals, catching up with work colleagues at our sister companies and enjoying local delicacies.
Craig also enjoys visiting DEUTZ Head Office in Cologne, Germany, for Budget presentations. The only problem is this invariably coincides with the AFL Grand Final, which is not televised there. However, as a St Kilda supporter there is usually not much risk of Craig missing his team win the premiership.
Like his football team, which won its only premiership in 1966, Craig boasts humble beginnings. He attended what were some of Melbourne’s most disadvantaged schools, including Prahran High School. Its large Greek population enhanced Craig’s knowledge of Greek swear words, which has proved to be an invaluable asset.
A devoted family man, Craig loves nothing better than quality time with his two young daughters. He is a genuine people person, with a wide circle of contacts and friends who will tell you that he is the first person to put his hand up if someone needs help. He also enjoys a few beers with his mates and his regular ‘Goldilocks’-sized Vietnamese Pho soup at his favourite Springvale restaurant.
A keen walker, Craig is proud of his Fitbit statistics and boosts them with regular nine-hole rounds of golf over summer. This often turns into 18, because he doesn’t believe in traveling in a straight line and spends some time interacting with the flora and fauna.
Before joining DEUTZ Australia, Craig worked for Penske Power Systems who have since become a DEUTZ dealer in Australia. This included a stint at their Queensland operations.
This year is shaping up to be another big one for Craig and our business. The DEUTZ Drive program is going from strength to strength and exciting products are in the pipeline, including our new Genset range and other value-added offerings. Keep an eye out for our newsletters for more information.
Craig is extremely excited about 2018 and beyond. “The best thing about the job is that there is a high degree of autonomy with the role,” he says. “It helps that business conditions are currently quite buoyant and there is a great and stable team.”
