It would have been clearly a most tumultuous period of time during which Volvo Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Managing Director, Anthony O’ Connell lead the company. A Lockdown, political turmoil and unprecedented supply chain issues would mark his time in Malaysia, during which he set out to shape the business for future growth.

O’ Connell joined Volvo Group Australia from the private dealer Truck Centre WA in 2004, in a Mack Aftermarket role based in Darwin. Since then, he has gained over two decades of leadership and strategic expertise at Volvo Group, including senior roles such as Vice President of Aftermarket, then Vice President of Volvo Trucks Sales Australia. Up until September 2024 has served as Managing Director at Volvo Malaysia, leading a successful transformation of the business focused on customer satisfaction. Now, he is returning to Australia to head Mack Trucks.

In this exclusive interview he talks to Asian Trucker about his experience overseas.

AT: You have arrived during a very interesting time, right in the middle of the lockdown. From your perspective, which has been the most significant event here during your tenure?

AOC: That would have to be the launch of our electric truck. And I say that because it was more than a truck launch, it is what the launch stood for. We did this in two sessions, whereby we had one for clients and another for authorities. What we expected to draw a crowd of about a hundred people saw over 400 participants. However, it would be the ripple effect that it caused that was a defining moment for me. Volvo had a lot of support leading up to the event, from the Embassy, the Ministry of Transportation and our first customer for the vehicle, SWIFT Logistics. One could feel the excitement, which was palpable when one saw the transformation of the workshop into an event venue. Looking at events, the virtual launch we did during the lockdown was a memorable occasion, however, I would say that the launch of the electric truck topped it.

AT: What has been the theme of your tenure here?

AOC: Enhancing the team has been my focus and I am now leaving with an amazing group of people in charge of the business. We are now exactly where we want to be, thanks to having attracted some very talented people. Volvo, as a group, is very much bottom-up in its management approach and this is where the right people will strive. Volvo operates with almost no hierarchy, which supports the cross-cultural working environment in Malaysia. At the heart of this is the respect for one another. Networking is surely a key activity which is enhancing the capability of the brand. My goal was to further enhance and build upon the ambitions of the Malaysian team, which is a well-respected and capable group of passionate people. I am confident that I have managed to achieve this.

What we may not have been able to push as much as we would like, then it is the work in the background. I am seeing a lot of advocacy work being done and the various associations are doing an amazing job in pushing their agendas to improve the transport industry. Although we may never finish this, the team will continue to look out for opportunities when working with stakeholders that are on the fringes of the industry.

AT: Typically, leadership will bring new ideas, implement new practices. What has Malaysia taught you in return?

AOC: I have learned so much. If anything: patience. Certainly I needed to learn to step back a bit, detach myself from being purely focused on the end-result in order to see how things would eventually, in their own time, fall into place. One sometimes looses sight of this and can become a bit impatient. Here, in Malaysia, I have learned that everything will eventually click together and that one oftentimes cannot force an outcome by being too pushy.

There are so many challenged we deal with as a company and as a country, one would need to decelerate and sit back at times. A lot is dependent on the relationships we form and have formed and these need to be nurtured and considered. For a team to work, there needs to be an understanding on how everyone is working and that requires patience.

The other thing that I have been really exposed to and learned a lot from is the diversity of the people here. Getting to understand and learn from other people’s culture has been a real eye-opener for me. I am event getting emotional about it as this has been such an important part of my time here. And everything is done here around food. Food is such an important part of Malaysia, this has to be a topic that I will be talking about a lot. It is also the people and the food that I will be missing a lot.

Speaking of food, there is just so much good food here. It is also a journey that I have undergone. When I arrived, the team would order in food and I would get some fast food. Insisting on being treated like an equal, that changed to local foods. Initially, I was made aware of the spice levels of some foods, as my colleagues were cautious of the levels of spice I could take. However, we ended up in a competition now on who can take the spiciest foods. The sharing of the food is one of the most amazing parts of Malaysia. I might end up missing Nasi Lemak in Australia.

AT: What would you say you can take away from Malaysia and implement in your new role in Australia, with Mack Trucks?

AOC: First of all, I have grown so much. Especially when it comes to cultural awareness and dealing with people. With my experience here, I can now say that I have become more global in my thinking. Also, the advocacy we have done here has shown me what we can achieve when we are working with all stakeholders involved in the industry. With a good network of like-minded people, you can push the industry and make change. This may transcend the individual brand, but with a strong industry, we can be stronger brands. In Australia, I am seeing a much less uniform industry and it may be worthwhile to apply the idea of involving more stakeholders in the advocacy for the industry.