Putri Hariyanti-Delil: "A&I is the heart of Pro Sky!"

"I wanted to play at being a travel agent rather than playing house"

Her mother had a travel agency and her father worked for the state carrier of Indonesia. "I practically inherited my job," Putri says with a smile. "While other children wanted to play house, I filled out blank tickets with my friends and pretended we owned a travel agency. I gave everyone detailed advice, but of course the destination was always Indonesia in the end," she tells us with a smile. Travelling fascinates her, even years later her career wish has not changed. "But a travel agency was too monotonous when it came down to it. What excited me was the airport atmosphere." Putri was looking for an apprenticeship as a service clerk in aviation. Then chance made her wish come true. "During an internship, I met someone who was working for Pro Sky. We just bumped into each other by chance. He asked me what my plans for the future were and I told him about the apprenticeship I dreamed of." His answer? "I think they offer that where I work." "My apprenticeship began on 2 August 2004," says Putri. "I remember it very well," she adds when she realises how extraordinary it is that she still remembers the exact date.

Putri with the A&I team in Cologne.

"Sorry, but how great is this job?"

15 years later, Putri is based in the head office in Cologne as one of the company's most experienced experts. "That was a long time ago," she lets slip. It is the mixture of concentrated expertise and childlike joy that makes Putri so special. And the reason she fits in so well at Pro Sky. "Here I can be my true self," she reveals. "Yet sometimes my friends still ask me whether I'm getting bored here." So is it getting boring? "No. Not at all," she says, surprised that the question even needs answering. Her job is an important part of her life. It's not work, it's a passion. "Whether summer festivals or Christmas parties – if there's something that needs organising, I'm the first to put my hand up", Putri grins. She has perfected her talent at Pro Sky. Also because she already bore a lot of responsibility as a young apprentice. "I was really thrown in at the deep end," she remembers and laughs. "Pro Sky wasn't as organised back then as it is today. To begin with, I had to wait two hours before my interview. Then Miri asked me if I wanted to help her count headrest covers before everyone arrived." It was Putri's first contact with the A&I division that immediately made her feel part of the team. Her first thought after an in-depth job interview that covered a lot of Pro Sky's responsibilities and international cooperations: "Sorry, but how great is this job?"

Putri has always been in her element at the airport.

"The big car launches are my babies"

What is it that doesn't give Putri's warm nature away at first? She knows how to assert herself. Although she tries to hide in the last row of team photos, she is right at the forefront when it comes to projects. This is where you see how much grit and determination the sweet-tempered Putri has. "Armin, our CEO, once called me his all-purpose weapon. At the time I didn't know whether he meant it as a positive or a negative," she explains. "But now I understand what he meant. On operational days it is often a matter of simply troubleshooting because something can always go wrong at the airport. My job is to make sure that the customer doesn't notice any of this and that everything is sorted before the group arrives. That's right up my street!" The Service Manager is primarily involved with automotive customers. "The big car launches are my babies. This can involve organising 250 flights to Ibiza from 30 different countries. Most of all, this means a tremendous amount of communication with airlines, customers, airports and other suppliers. Still, when it's super stressful and everyone wants something from me, but I manage to make everyone happy nevertheless – that's an incredible feeling."

Putri supervising a project with her colleagues Renj and Dennis.

"I manage to surprise even experienced customers time and again."

"There is no typical working day at A&I," reports Putri. Sometimes she works at her desk, other days she is out supervising a project. "Being at the airport and seeing for yourself what you've organised for the project confirms that all your efforts have paid off," she says with a confident voice and sits up straight. "My duties are very varied. My customers are mainly Germans, Italians and French, and everyone has different ideas. So first I explain to them what branding options there are, ask whether accreditation at the check-in desk is worth considering, and what is supposed to happen on board. I present all the options to them. Is there supposed to be any product information about the new car model on the plane, is special catering required? The order of events at the destination airport is also important. Are the passengers supposed to pick up their luggage themselves or do we need to arrange for the suitcases to be taken directly from the plane to the hotel? I give my customers so many ideas for enhancing their flights that they almost feel guilty that they can't book everything," smiles Putri. And that's saying a lot. "After all, my clients come to us with very specific ideas right from the start." What does she mean by this? "I give advice to people who know exactly what they want and are not afraid to say it. The major brands as well as the long-standing companies."

Putri in her element: always just one call away from her customers.

"The program we've built is pretty awesome"

What fascinates Putri so much about automotive projects, besides the product presentation, is mainly the extraordinary destination of Swedish Lapland. "I've been involved in our Arvidsjaur flights from day one." Project Manager and Key Account Manager Michael Rölle is well aware of the significance of her passionate commitment. "Putri's work is the prerequisite for the smooth running of our flight program. She has played an essential role in the success of the project. Our high level of customer satisfaction is largely due to her performance," he reveals. This is also down to the fact that Putri always keeps an eye on everything and pays close attention to the details. "Putri has assumed the role of Airport & Inflight Manager since the first season," says Michael Rölle. "With her, you can overcome the most difficult situations. Putri is always ready to help, incredibly enthusiastic and resourceful. You couldn't find a more reliable and better colleague!" Praise that speaks for itself and that he reserves solely for her.

Putri in the wilderness of Swedish Lapland.

"You can tell that this is your passion"

What kind of feedback do you receive? "A customer once said to me: 'Putri, you can tell that this is your passion. What you do really is the icing on the cake."' I was really taken aback in that moment. We are the smallest division, but we still implement the most difficult customisation requests. We are the ones who are constantly available. A&I is the heart of Pro Sky. We fill everything with life," says Putri and for the first time she seems more self-confident than self-conscious. It's your team that gives you strength. "There isn't a minute of her spare time that she doesn't spend networking with colleagues or doing something with them," says Holger Sander, who has been Putri's team leader since 2011. This alone shows the extent to which she is fulfilled by her role. "The working atmosphere, the tasks, my team," Putri lists when asked what makes Pro Sky special. "Just how much freedom I have. That I can contribute ideas," she emphasises. "Putri is actually always on the lookout for improvements," reports Holger Sander. "Both for our customers and for our internal processes." "She completely trained a number of colleagues, or taught them parts of A&I," adds Miriam Mathwich, who hired Putri back in the day. "A few colleagues Putri already knew from her private life and got them enthusiastic about us. She even brought her mother to us, who then worked for us in accounting for 10 years. Our daily work, our interaction with each other – Putri also has a determining influence on how this goes down."

Putri with the A&I team in the Pro Sky Paris office.

"Putri is just unstoppable"

"The more flights Putri can handle, the more she thrives," says Holger Sander. Then Putri is unstoppable. "You can't slow Putri down," reveals the Head of Airport & Inflight Services. "Unless you take away all her phones and her laptop," he adds with an impish smile. "Putri really is a good-hearted soul," says Miriam Mathwich, Director People. "Sometimes too much so, then you have to tell her off. But this warmth and willingness to help is what makes Putri so special. Putri is an organiser, but also someone who cares." That's one of the reasons why it is important to Putri that Pro Sky encourages a healthy work/life balance. "Everyone pays attention to whether we really take time off in lieu to compensate for any overtime. I truly appreciate that." Putri has very clear wishes for the future: "To set up even more exciting projects like Arvidsjaur that combine our charter flights with our scheduled flights." But that's not a personal wish. Isn't there something she dreams of for herself as an employee? Putri thinks briefly. "For our A&I team to continue to grow," is the short answer. That's all.

Team photo with colleagues from the Paris office.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT A CAREER WITH PRO SKY

Would you like to find out more about a career with Pro Sky? Read about why our employees enjoy working for Pro Sky so much, what current vacancies we have and the exciting stories that Putri’s work colleagues have to tell:

Quentin Rouxel | Director Marketing and Product Development | Pro Sky Germany: "I received a job offer I simply couldn't refuse!"

Mégane Salvi | Client Service Manager | Pro Sky France: "I fell in love with the fact, that we can travel all over the world!"

Lilly Nehrig | Apprentice Airline Tickets For Groups | Pro Sky Germany: "In every department, I get to learn something new!"

Jorge Mateus | Head of Operations South America + Head of Engineering | Pro Sky Brazil: "At Pro Sky the development opportunities are endless!"

Dietmar Herre | Client Service Manager Private Jets | Pro Sky Switzerland: "It's exciting who flies with us!"

Alexandre Abou-Jaoude | Client Service Manager Aircraft Charters | Pro Sky France: "I was recruited on a ski lift!"

Susanne Drenks | Client Service Manager for Airline Tickets For Groups | Pro Sky Germany: "I want to turn flying into an event!"