In an industry where every second counts, miscommunication can cause delays that customers can’t afford. As a regional customer support manager, it’s Angelica’s job to avoid this and facilitate cross-functional collaboration between our truck factory, sales and service companies and – when required –third-party suppliers when customers need help on site. She helps with anything from one-off requests from one of our sales and service companies’ maintenance departments all the way through to large, long-term projects that involve multiple teams within Liebherr Mining.
‘My role is all about overseeing our trucks once they leave the factory,’ says Angelica. ‘To do this, I work with my colleagues here at the factory and overseas to ensure that our trucks are running well. If the trucks don’t perform as expected for any reason, we work together to find exactly what it is our customers need and figure out the best way to get it to them.’
How Angelica does what she does
Angelica’s approach to collaboration is driven by operational needs and a focus on delivering results within her assigned region of South America. At times, she provides customers and colleagues with the support they need from her office at our Newport News production facility. In other situations, she travels within South America to provide factory support and capture the voice of the customer, ensuring alignment between customer needs and our internal teams.
Angelica’s involvement in the project that delivered the first high-altitude trolley line in South America required her to travel Chile, where the project took place. She worked closely with local teams – including with colleagues at Liebherr Chile, the sales and service company in country – to align stakeholders and streamline communication. She also visited the build pad, where pantograph installations onto the trucks took place, gaining first-hand insight into the challenges facing the teams on the ground and ensuring they were effectively communicated back to the Newport News team.
‘I worked with colleagues from the truck factory, Liebherr Chile and Liebherr Electronics and Drives in Germany to organise and coordinate the activities required for the installation and successful commissioning of the trolley trucks, rather than the construction of the trolley line itself,’ explains Angelica. ‘Being part of initiatives like this – where you can connect teams, solve real challenges and see tangible results – is incredibly rewarding.’
The road to Liebherr
Angelica’s road to becoming a regional customer support manager for Liebherr Mining in 2022 was not a straight line. But the experience she gained along the way made her the perfect person to coordinate teams across borders.
‘I actually began my career as a trainee engineer at an important nickel mine in Venezuela. I still remember my first interview at the mine site. I was immediately struck by the scale of the operation and the power of the machines – an experience that sparked a passion that has shaped my career ever since,’ reminisces Angelica.
After completing her traineeship, she gained experience in roles across maintenance planning, account management engineering and commercial management in both mining and construction. Her work in these positions helped her understand mining from the technical, operational and customer perspectives.
After years of working so closely with customers and service providers, the regional customer support manager position with Liebherr felt like the natural next step for Angelica. She wanted to bring her vast experience into a role where she could directly contribute to customers’ productivity. And being able to work with a company like Liebherr, with a reputation for engineering excellence, innovation and long-term commitment to customers, was icing on the cake.
‘I saw an opportunity to be part of an organisation that not only delivers high-quality products but also values continuous improvement and sustainable solutions,’ she says.
Helping customers now and in the future
Four years into her role, what matters to Angelica most is the tangible difference she can make in customers’ operations – offering solutions that can improve productivity and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. One of Angelica’s next big professional goals is to see Liebherr’s latest innovations in haulage implemented in South America.
‘It would be fantastic to see battery-electric or autonomous trucks on mine sites throughout South America,’ Angelica says. ‘Being part of an organisation that combines these kinds of technological excellence with strong values makes me proud of the work we do every day.’
