Engineering Managers Expose, Part II. Nicolas Gattario a.k.a “please call me Nico”
Have you heard the classic saying 'People don’t leave jobs, they leave bad managers? We want to make the case that we have awe-inspiring managers and we’re not afraid to say it out loud. In this Engineering Managers Expose interview series, in three parts, you will get to know our managers and decide for yourself. Who knows, perhaps we will spark your interest in HaleyTek as a future employer, if that classic saying is true for you.
For our second part of the series, we sit down with Nicolas Gattario, called Nico, whose leadership style is all about boundless support, creating the right environment and conditions in which we can be truly creative, thus reaching our full potential and continue to grow both professionally and personally.
We’ve already introduced you to Dave - our coach in part I. To conclude our third and final part of this interview series is an upcoming chat with Jorge Jara, our very own MacGyver, focused on unleashing our inner drive, inspiring his teams to go beyond the expected and break the barriers of what is possible.
Three engineering managers, three very different personalities, joined by a common eagerness to be of service to their colleagues and of course their dedication to making HaleyTek top notch.
The leadership style
A good way to get to know a potential manager is to ask them to describe themselves as a leader. An even better way is to ask the employees to describe the manager. Software developer Sanja Colak has been working with Nico for about four years, she says that he is “a manger who has huge respect for his employees in every sense of the word. He is not a boss. He is a true leader who motivates people around himself bringing transparency and positive energy to the teams and the company. For many people he was the reason to cross over from Volvo to HaleyTek because the respect he shows towards employees is not only professional, but also personal. He is the kind of a manger we feel very comfortable to talk to, ask for advice, to complain to, give critics or share anything that might make us feel demotivated at work. Nicolas opens opportunities for each employee individually depending on the goals of each person.”
We also asked newcomer Helena Gyllensvärd, who started at HaleyTek in February, what it’s been like to have Nico as a manager.
- Oh, how difficult, I do not know him very well yet, but he is very funny and mischievous, caring and very present, he is always there to sort things out quickly. He listens to his employees, and he is very good at trying to meet wishes if there is something someone is very interested in. He is good at supporting, you have the freedom to try things yourself, but if you need help you get it, which is great! At the same time he is straightforward, so that you know where you stand. He is the boss who has everything, you could say, I feel very lucky, Helena says.
When we asked Nico to describe himself as a manager he says “More of a leader than a manager. A good listener with a lot of energy and positive attitude. Dare to try new things and ideas. Love challenges and teamwork. Not scared to fail and always like to extend that thought to everyone.”
If you’re not used to having a manager who encourages you to not let fear of failure hold you back, you can rest easy with Nico. To truly reach our full potential and continue to grow both professionally and personally we must be willing to try and fail. Being a team player, ready to take on new challenges and not be scared to fail is at the top of Nico’s list of attributes he looks for in a potential employee.
The personality
To spice thing up we asked Nico “-Tell us the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever done (if you dare and want to share)”, thinking he will probably pass on this question. However, he replied:
- Ohhh… too many, almost a new one every week. The last one was the other week when I had my phone connected to the conference speaker where I was presenting. I had to leave to answer a call from my family and when I came back, I realized the whole group had been listening to my conversation.
This just goes to show that we are talking about a man who walks the walk when it comes to being honest about his own fails. By this we mean that if you ask your employees to not be afraid of failure you should also not be embarrassed to admit your own mistakes. Kudos to you Nico for keeping it real.
Nico at work
One can easily tell that Nico is passionate about his job by his level of enthusiasm (and by the twinkle in his eye) when the conversation turns more work oriented. When asked what made him decide to join HaleyTek, Nico says “I liked the idea, the vision, and the product that HT offers to their customers, the possibility to join a project/idea from scratch, and make it grow into a working company with many employees and products. I also really liked the possibility to work with the latest technologies and tech-companies out there (Google, QC, QNX, etc)”.
Tell us Nico, what inspires you at work?
- I like the speed, energy, and engagement from everyone in the company. I enjoy the empowerment and responsibility, we all have to make quick decisions to help us move forward and achieve all our goals”, he says.
The future awaits
Are you curious about Nico’s aspirations and ambitions for the future? We sure were, when we asked the question, he replies with energy and excitement: “Turning this company into something really big, with many different customers and super-cool products. Of course, this will only be possible by attracting and keeping the best developers out there; and that is why I would like to help create the best working environment for all our employees. People should know who we are, what we do, and how much everyone enjoys working at HaleyTek.” We agree with you Nico so thanks for helping us spread the word!
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