They have both been employed at Tricore. One is a bit more curious than the other, but both are invaluable. Stephanos Poulios is an employee from the very beginning and later grew into the role of Service Manager. Now he confidently passes the torch to Gert Geunens to become the very first Account Manager within Tricore, which until now was under the responsibility of the managing directors.
So there are plenty of reasons for a new article. We at Smeltpunt had the brilliant idea to conduct the interview while walking over the water, in full sun at 30 degrees, “for the fancy photos.” Discover the story of Steph and Gert in words and images.
Hello Steph and Gert, congratulations on your promotion! For those who do not know you yet, who are you?
Steph: “I have been working at Tricore for six years now, initially starting as a jack of all trades where I both went on-site to the client and worked on projects and assisted clients at the service desk. As the team grew, I ended up in the role of Service Manager and now, four years later, I am going to make the shift to Account Manager.
What is important to me is that I will not completely leave the technical aspect behind. I have always been involved in the developments within Tricore Pro-Active, our model in which we focus on advanced monitoring & automation. Even in my new role, I will still be part of this, but more in a guiding role where we will act even faster on feedback from our clients."
Gert: “I have been working as a System Engineer at Tricore for four years now. Over the past years, I gradually took on more responsibilities and was also part of the automation team. Starting next month, I will succeed Steph as Service Manager.”
Steph: “Gert has always been the interim Service Manager for the past year and a half when I was on leave, so he has actually grown organically into that role and is consequently the most logical successor.”
“The most important thing is that there will now be more room to proactively think along with our clients about certain solutions.”
Did you see this change coming?
Gert: “No, because I did not expect Steph to get another position.”
Steph: “No, me neither. Up until now, we also had no dedicated Account manager, so that position actually didn't exist within Tricore yet. The request came from management as the customer base grew and the managing directors had too little time to fully take care of it. Account management also includes a bit of sales and since they always said I could sell sand in the desert, they saw a match. (laughs) The most important thing is that there will now be more room to proactively think along with our customers about certain solutions. Additionally, I am also fully aware of what is currently happening with our customers and Gert was more than capable successor for my position.”
Gert, what were the biggest challenges for you as a System Engineer?
Gert: “There are always new things or difficult conversations, you just have to learn to deal with that in the beginning. I notice that I have grown enormously as a person and in communication over the past four years.”
Steph, what are the main tasks of a Service Manager?
Steph: "Logical reasoning, being able to assess priorities and knowing who has the right skills to handle something. You need to give people the space to work independently, but with the necessary follow-up so that the overview of everything that is happening is maintained. In terms of concrete tasks, it involves distributing support cases, planning interventions, and handling escalations. Furthermore, also reporting within our Ops Team so that adjustments can be made where necessary."
Do you also handle tickets yourself as a Service Manager?
Steph: “Not necessarily, but you do have to take your responsibility in important situations and be able to assess when you need to take something on yourself. I may have done that a bit too much, which caused my management tasks to be somewhat neglected. With Gert, that will now be better defined, which will obviously benefit Tricore in the follow-up of the tickets.”
What did you enjoy most about your previous position?
Gert: “There is a huge amount of variation within the IT sector that you encounter as a System Engineer, and that builds a broad knowledge base. At the service desk, you essentially become a bit of a generalist, which lays the foundation for then building your specialization.”
Steph: “As I said, as a Service Manager, you need to be aware of everything. I quite like sticking my nose into everything, so being able to know a lot was enjoyable for me (laughs). Because I also like to be involved in everything, letting go will be a bit difficult for me. I liked the responsibility that came with that role.”
Is it that sense of responsibility that also appeals to you in the role of Account Manager?
Steph: “Correct. Customer engagement, combined with close contact with Gert to stay informed about the technical situation at the client, ensures that I will be able to form a good picture of what is happening both internally and externally.”
Gert, you will be succeeding Steph as Service Manager. Are those big shoes to fill?
Gert: “I am glad that he doesn't have too large a shoe size. (laughs) I am convinced that Steph has set strong outlines that I can now build upon. It will never be exactly the same because we have two different characters, but in the beginning, I will still have a lot to learn. So that close collaboration will definitely come in handy. It is, in any case, a nice task to be able to succeed Steph.”
What do you think will be the biggest difference with your previous role?
Gert: “I will have to push people more and occasionally be the annoying one. That is where I might have to grow the most. Overall, it will definitely be a bit less technical and a bit more people management involved.”
What do you take with you from your role as System Engineer?
Gert: “Knowledge of the current clients and their specific situation.”
Steph: “That technical knowledge is crucial as a service manager; when a ticket comes in, you should actually know immediately what it is about. It is that basic knowledge that makes the difference between a service manager and a dispatcher. If there is someone at the service desk who I am convinced has that knowledge, it is Gert.”
What are your main ambitions in these new roles?
Steph: “Since there was no dedicated account manager, I will have to lay the foundation for future account managers. I want the next account manager to feel right away during their onboarding that everything is arranged down to the last detail.”
Gert: “Taking the service desk to an even higher level and thus further boosting the potential of Tricore.”
What makes Tricore such a unique employer?
Gert: “In my previous job, I often felt like I was just a number, one of many. At Tricore, that is not the case at all. Because of the flat structure we have, you have close contact with everyone and the communication is very open and transparent.”
Steph: “I completely agree. I have been coming to work every day with a lot of enthusiasm for six years. Although working from home is an option, I much prefer being in the office. Four out of five days, I stay late, either to keep working or to chat with colleagues in the break room. You won’t see me leaving Tricore anytime soon, let’s put it that way.”
It would be very intense if you suddenly announced your farewell here.
Steph: “Then you would have a strong scoop.” (everyone laughs)
What is the most important thing you have learned at Tricore over the past few years, both professionally and personally?
Gert: “When I started here, I was still very green, so I have seriously evolved technically. But I also notice a positive change in my communication skills.”
Steph: “For me as well, even though I already had a few years of experience. Stress resistance and being able to put things into perspective are perhaps the most important skills I have been able to develop well here over the past few years.”
“A healthy amount of enthusiasm to go the extra mile. Willpower is everything. A System Engineer at Tricore must want to grow with the story we are writing here.”
Gert, what must the System Engineer who will take your place absolutely possess?
Gert: “A healthy amount of desire to go to the limit. Willpower is everything. A System Engineer at Tricore must want to grow with the story we are writing here.”
Steph, what advice do you give to Gert as the new Service Manager?
Steph: “Try to learn as much as possible from any feedback to become stronger from it. Especially push through on what you think is necessary. In the beginning, that may not always be easy, but eventually, people will respect you for it.”
Gert: “I’m doing my best.” (laughs)
Nice! To conclude, I have a few dilemmas for you.
A day without internet or a day without a phone?
Gert: “No phone.”
Steph: “Same.”
I expected you to say: “Neither, at Tricore we make sure everything always works.” But okay, on to the next.
Learning a new skill that makes your work easier or discovering a new hobby that has nothing to do with work?
Steph: “Skill.”
Gert: “Skill. I already have too many hobbies.”
Control over the thermostat or control over the music system in the office?
Gert: “The music system.”
Steph: “The thermostat, I’m quite sensitive to that.” (laughs)
Are you feeling eager to start working as a System Engineer after reading this interview? Then you’re in luck! Apply via the button below and maybe you will also contribute to the story of Tricore soon.👇