THE RIGHT DIRECTION
IF EVER TWO managing directors appeared to emerge from different sides of the corporate corridor, they are current Scania Australia chief Mikael Jansson and his retired predecessor, Roger McCarthy, the sharply styled, articulate Englishman with a polished salesman’s flair for the limelight, and, typically, always up for a chat on industry issues and Scania achievements. And a photo, of course.
Jansson, on the other hand, is a mild mannered Swede with a strong Nordic accent and an apparent preference for quiet conversation rather than public appearance. In fact, now approaching four years in the top job at Scania Australia, it’s surprising to learn that this is Jansson’s first one-on-one interview.
Yet, despite their decidedly different personas, they share a couple of critical similarities. Each is a passionately proud and loyal Scania stalwart with a determined competitive streak and, most significant of all, each has achieved far more than any of his many predecessors.
Indeed, Scania Australia is today stronger and more successful than ever before and certainly nothing like the struggling entity that, in the late ‘90s, came close to being withdrawn from the market according to a blunt admission long ago by the brand’s authoritarian and often outspoken former leader, Leif Ostling.
Yet, while Sweden’s commitment to stay in Australia all those years ago had next to no impact on Scania’s position on the sales ladder, it apparently had a big
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