Breathtakingly: Whether at the concert of the alternative rock band Smashing Pumpkins or at the game of the Blackhawks against Minnesota Wild in the National Hockey League – the people of the Chicago metropolitan region in the US state of Illinois know how to celebrate big events with incredible enthusiasm. This joie de vivre is omnipresent and is almost always carried by the tremendous confidence that everything can become even better, even more positive, and even more beautiful. This basic feeling can also be felt at Navistar's headquarters in Lisle, about an hour's drive from Chicago.
For example, during my eight weeks stay at the communications department of Navistar, I am currently advising and supporting my colleagues in the public appearances of the US commercial vehicle manufacturer, which has been part of the TRATON family since 2021. The current efforts to strengthen the brand presence nationally and internationally and restructure the brand identity are inspiring. Similarly, we are also working on organisational restructuring and strengthening the communications area. Navistar is currently doing this with a newly created cross-sectional position; tasks such as content production or the organisation of certain event formats are to be centrally controlled.
The 25.5-mile drive from my flat in the Chicago Business District to Navistar's headquarters in Lisle only takes 35 minutes, but it usually takes up to 1 hour due to the rush hour traffic. On average, I drive to the office 2-3 days a week and work from my home office the other days of the week. The building I live in has a communal floor; in addition to complimentary coffee, it has cosy TV corners, a fitness room, and work areas - even private meeting rooms. It's the perfect environment to make your own working-from-home office.
After work, I go to the fitness club during the week or to China Town for dinner. Then, on weekends, I'm regularly drawn to the United Centre - where there are concerts in front of more than 20,000 spectators and the ice hockey games of the Chicago Blackhawks. Moreover, even if coach Luke Richardson's team doesn't win, after the final whistle the fans and the team know that they belong together and can achieve everything again in the next game. And together, they are part of something big ... like us at TRATON.
After two months at Navistar, I am now looking forward to returning home to my family, to German bread and orderly road traffic 😉
Best regards from Lisle/Chicago/USA
Yours Stefan
