Meet the Team - Giovanni Balestra

Company News

How did your career in the lubricants industry begin?
I studied for my degree in Mechanical Engineering in Parma. As that came to an end, I had the choice of going on to do an MSc in Nuclear Chemistry or taking up a role as a technical sales engineer with Dropsa. I opted to take the job and moved to Milan to work for them. The role was very similar to a project manager in that I got involved with every step of the product lifecycle.

How long have you worked at ROCOL and what attracted you to the company?
I joined ROCOL in October 2011, so this year marks my tenth anniversary with the company. There were a couple of factors that attracted me to ROCOL, all of them contributed to my personal and professional growth.

The opportunity to be part of an international team and having colleagues from across the globe was one, as was having commercial responsibility for Italy, a country that is important to the business in manufacturing terms. The other aspect that attracted me was the chance to manage and develop important customers and a strong network of distributors.

What are your favourite parts of your role?
It’s hard to point to just one part of my role to say it is my favourite, as it is such a dynamic job. I get to meet so many people, from maintenance operators to general managers, and it’s fascinating to see different technical applications across a range of different fields. With my background as an engineer, this is always important to me.

How do you spend your time outside work?
I’m a huge sports fan and love to play football and tennis. I meet regularly with a group of friends to play five a side. It’s a great way to relax, unwind and keep fit. I’m part of a local tennis club, so I try to have regular lessons.

My wife and I have a 16-month-old little boy. He certainly keeps us on our toes by climbing on everything. He started to walk quite early, at 10 months old. Now he runs everywhere.

Share one fact that your colleagues wouldn’t know about you.
Not a lot of people know that I’m part of a sailing team and often take part in regattas during the summer. I’m fascinated by the way sailing works and was lucky enough to be invited to be part of a crew by a family friend.

One of my dreams is to take my boat license and buy a boat of my own so that I can share my passion with all my family. I’d love to one day be part of either the Brindisi-Corfù or the Barcolana of Trieste with my son.

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