Get To Know Valeria Locatelli
Welcome to Valeria Locatelli, Branch Manager for Santa Fe Italy
Discover our new mini-series #GetToKnowOurPeople where Santa Fe employees worldwide talk freely about their life in and out of work. Santa Fe Relocation values its people, their fantastic diversity and the vast pool of knowledge they bring. We learn from each other every day, so we’re happy for you to get to know them too.
Watch Valeria’s full video interview below to get to know her!
Tell us about yourself?
My name is Valeria and I am Branch Manager for Santa Fe Italy. I have worked in this company for a long time now, since 2009, and I’ve been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to work in different countries and different teams.
When I was younger, after my studies in languages, I wanted to go for an international experience. So I flew over to London with a 5€ flight ticket and a booking for 1 month accommodation. Little did I know back then that I would have lived in London for over 5 years.
After that time, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to return to my home country with the support of Santa Fe. This is a great experience and I am truly grateful for it.
Tell us about Santa Fe?
Santa Fe has an amazing history and has demonstrated to be capable to changes and adaptable as the world continues to evolve.
The main goal of Santa Fe is to enable people and organization to work, live and thrive anywhere and this can only achieved with the help of our staff working as one team in many different areas of the world.
What do you do at work?
My role is Branch Manager for Santa Fe Italy. I work primarily in the commercial department, supporting our clients and ensuring that everything runs smoothly across all departments.
Why did you choose Santa Fe?
I started working for Santa Fe a long time ago in our head office in London. I did not know much about it then, but I was very attracted by global mobility as I’ve always wanted to work in a multicultural and international environment.
Global Mobility is still very interesting to me because it is incredibly complex and it is always evolving. At Santa Fe I found a lot of great professionals to work with and there is always something new to learn.
Additionally, having the opportunity to guide families and companies through this complex world and making a difference to them is really important to me.
Why did we choose you?
My positive and can-do attitude are really helpful in the day-to-day challenges. Also, teamwork is really important to me and I try to give as much of support as I can towards the team. Over the course of the past year during the pandemic although we were more distant physically, we gained more strength as a team and this is a true asset of this company.
What is your greatest achievement at work?
My greatest achievement at work is being able to make a difference and improving, sometimes only by sharing the most appropriate information at the right time, someone’s life. Relocating to a new place can be very daunting and it is important to have the right support at all times.
What is your greatest achievement in life?
My greatest achievement in life is my family of course. It is really the fundamental grounds everything else is being built on. The support of my family is a real blessing and I am very grateful for it.
What or who inspires you in your life and at work?
I am amazed by the energy and hard work of some of my colleagues. This is not an easy job and there are many aspects that need to be controlled and coordinated in very challenging conditions. At Santa Fe there are so many dedicated professionals to ensure everything runs smoothly for families relocating every day. This dedication really inspires me and motivates me.
What is the best thing about working at Santa Fe?
The best thing about working at Santa Fe is working in an international environment and being of help and support to families and businesses who are going through the relocation processes.
Knowing that with our support we can really make a difference and improve someone’s experience is something that makes me proud to work for Santa Fe. Teamwork is also fantastic, the good results only come through the team effort.
What is the best thing about our horse?
Our horse has a great colour. Red is very high impact. It is very recognizable and it is always looking forward.
What is the best advice you can give to people?
Whenever I am stressed out and I feel exhausted, I try to focus on the little happy things that happen everyday. Little achievements, even a chat with a colleague you haven’t spoken with in a long time, something positive, even if only small. Taking the time to recognise the little achievements in everyday is something that keeps me motivated and gives me strength and I would recommend this to anyone.
What would you do in the event of a zombie apocalypse?
I would hide in a bunker and keep my family close to me.
There are now 25 hours in a day, how would you spend the extra hour?
Sleeping? No, I would love to have some extra time to spend playing with my daughters. I would love to be able to give them more of my time.
If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
I’d definitely go to Maldives, they are the perfect place to relax, swim in the warm waters of the ocean and enjoy some beautiful underwater views with fish and corals.
How did you find this interview?
This interview was quite unexpected, but interesting. Generally speaking I am a reserved person so this was a fairly new experience, but I was happy to answer the questions.
Santa Fe sincerely thanks Valeria for contributing to this initiative and for sharing his story with us!
