Aries Valkin Calonzo
Team Leader, Cirium
Sydney, Australia
Cirium endorses an open-door policy, which gives every employee the right to discuss issues that matter to them directly with their leaders.
I joined Cirium in Singapore in 2016, looking after existing aviation clients within Asia Pacific. Since then we have grown our customer base, as well as our presence within the region. As a result, I relocated to Sydney to spearhead the opening of our fifth office in Asia.
My day-to-day work includes managing all operations within the Australia office. This involves taking responsibility for sales development, territory expansion, quality targets, looking after the team and service delivery. We work closely with our other Asia, UK and USA offices, as one team with a common goal. At Cirium we believe that customer experience doesn’t end with a sale, it’s an ongoing work of partnership in progress.
We work in every aspect of aviation. From aircraft manufacturers, maintenance providers and online booking platform providers to airlines, AI organisations and more. Cirium helps organisations globally to transform themselves into digitally ready companies. We enable customers to fund fleets, build and maintain aircraft, transport passengers and improve traveler experience. Our focus is to drive their targeted, profitable and informed decisions. We do this with the latest technologies, from big data analytics to machine learning capabilities.
RELX and Risk & Business Analytics supported me during my move from Singapore to Sydney. From visa processing and relocation assistance to first-year income tax support, they even hired a local agency based in Sydney to give me a tour and assist in apartment hunting. They made sure that I was well taken care of and that the office was running smoothly.
Giving back to the community is a top priority for Cirium. The business provides multiple options for ways we can contribute, including a local soup kitchen, charity run and others. The company believes the benefits that arise from investing in ‘giving back’ programmes go beyond the obvious priority of 'doing good'.
Our managing director always reiterates that it’s alright to make mistakes, just make sure you learn from them and move forward. Cirium provides enough space for people to learn and grow. We have a quarterly catch up on career progression. Regardless if someone decides to move to another part of Cirium, another business within RELX or even to a new country, the company will support you.
Inclusion & Diversity is a fundamental part of the Cirium business. Two of our four team leaders in Asia are female. Cirium is a forward thinking organisation that believes it’s a new world. The company is not afraid to take a step back and think about how to shift business to be more inclusive. Cirium Asia Pacific alone is comprised of at least 11 different nationalities, most of whom are bilingual.
In my free time you can find me spending the day with my French bulldog, sipping my favourite mocktail (Virgin Mojito) and a puppy milk for her.