Josef Leitner

Josef is the perfect example to show that learning by doing really does work. The Salzburg native with a passion for machinery changed careers to come to EPSILON – in fact, you might say he came straight from the seat of an operator's cabin. After spending three years working as a harvester operator, he jumped in at the deep end with international customer service at PALFINGER EPSILON. It was a courageous decision, but one that Josef has never regretted.

'At the time, my English was just at normal school level', he explains, 'and now, I negotiate with customers all over the world.' This new skill was something that he taught himself with a great deal of diligent study while he worked hard to become deputy department head within a short space of time. 'That was a big challenge', he says, 'but also a great opportunity, and I naturally wanted to seize it.' His years of experience as a crane operator serve him well every day, as he knows exactly what customers need and what is important to them. Few understand their concerns better than Josef. He still likes to sit in a harvester, too – he uses one to work in the forest near his home at the weekends. Once learned, never forgotten!