This month we introduce 26-year-old Daniel Benea, dynamic and enthusiastic Business Performance Manager at Repairhub in Banyo, Queensland.
Born in Australia of Romanian parents, Daniel grew up in Logan, approximately 50 kms south of Brisbane, and attended Marsden State High School. When he was midway through high school, he took a part time job at the local Subway where, unbeknownst to him, one of his regular customers was Chris Beatty, a director of Smash Repair Solutions (SRS) in Woodridge, who had been watching Daniel closely.
Although Daniel commenced a Bachelor of Business degree, he discontinued it when he was offered the opportunity to manage the Subway business when he was only 17 years old. In 2015, when Daniel was three years into the Subway role, Chris asked him to join SRS as a receptionist “for a change of direction”. Daniel became known as DTR – Daniel the Receptionist – a nickname that has stuck to this day, although his career has developed significantly since then.
Daniel very quickly developed an interest in how the business operated. Under Chris’ guidance, he became involved with parts procurement, ultimately becoming the parts manager. SRS opened a larger facility in Underwood and Daniel went into a production role, assisting with quotes and optimising the process flow through the workshop.
When the Repairhub joint venture was created in 2019, Daniel initially went to the Marrickville operation in Sydney for three months to assist with the transition and implement many of the processes that they had developed at SRS. When the Repairhub Banyo site became operational, Daniel was appointed to his current role, Business Performance Manager, where he works closely with several others to ensure the business is as effective and efficient as possible.
“I just love working with the team at Repairhub and being part of such a great organisation. I can’t speak highly enough of the support and guidance of Chris Beatty and his fellow directors, Amen Eldannaoui and Paul Anthony who, together with operations manager Stuart Hammond, have supported, guided and mentored me throughout my journey,” Daniel said.
When I asked Daniel what he does when he’s not working, he proudly mentioned that he has a three-month old daughter and that he and his wife are both very much involved in the early experiences of parenthood.
Veronica Jory, Head of People Experience at Repairhub, was most complimentary: “Daniel is a shining example of how determination, humility and a willingness to learn can lead to great things. By demonstrating a true passion for people, safety and culture, Daniel is quick to show initiative and is the kind of cool-headed, affable leader who brings his best each and every day.”
Finally, it’s not surprising that Daniel has an ambition to one day become operations manager, although right now it’s all about consolidating his skills in his current position.
Editor: IAG’s ongoing support and sponsorship of these awards is greatly appreciated. Taking the early initiative to carve out his career at Repairhub illustrates why Daniel is indeed a worthy a Future Leader of the Industry.