Our people
25 October 2024
Valentin Almetica implements technology infrastructure solutions for Macquarie’s offices that help enable collaboration and innovation. One of his recent projects has been readying our new Americas headquarters at 660 Fifth Avenue in New York for our people.
Valentin enjoys playing a key part in shaping Macquarie’s workspaces in the Americas and the experience of our people within them. Through ensuring our offices are fully tech-enabled, he helps to drive connectivity and collaboration between teams and with our clients.
“It’s been great to see the 660 Fifth Avenue workspace come to life. I’ve been part of the project for many years and I’m excited to feel the energy that will be generated by staff working in this state-of-the-art space.”
As a Senior IT Project Manager, Valentin oversee IT infrastructure projects. His team are actively engaged throughout the project lifecycle, from initiating to scoping the tech requirements, rolling out the technology and constantly looking for improvement opportunities.
“We’re involved from the early stages of a new workplace – reviewing potential spaces from a tech standpoint by looking at floor plans and staff numbers and providing input into lease negotiations,” he explains.
“Once a lease is signed, we work with our in-house architect and design teams to ensure the best IT solutions can be deployed in the space.”
This includes the overall connectivity to a building, as well as meeting rooms, mobile phone coverage, printing, AV and video conferencing, building security and facilities, and more.
The office located at 660 Fifth Avenue boasts an impressive 25,000 square feet of outdoor terraces, equipped with secure Wi-Fi and power sources. These terraces are designed as vibrant spaces that encourage collaboration among staff. To realize this vision of flawless connectivity, both inside and outside, Valentin's team meticulously planned to maintain uninterrupted network business activity. This ensured that as individuals navigate through the building, their connection remains seamless, facilitating a dynamic and productive environment.
“The experience of our people always at the forefront, we built on learnings from prior implementations and from focus groups with our people on pain points and preferred ways of working. From there we made sure that meeting rooms have laptop chargers, audio-visual conferencing services are sophisticated, information is easy to share over 100 digital screens, and that panels throughout the building make finding and booking meeting rooms a breeze. There’s also connectivity across the seven floors of flexible seating and workspaces interlinked by a series of cascading stairs in ‘The Avenue’."
“People expect tech infrastructure to be there and to work,” Valentin says. “It’s my responsibility to make sure the technology is ready from the outset. It’s about avoiding dead zones or insufficient charging stations, while also integrating seamlessly with the space’s design and ambiance.”
In essence, Valentin's role as Senior IT Project Manager transcends merely overseeing IT infrastructure projects; it involves crafting environments where technology and design converge to enhance the workplace experience, ensuring that every aspect of the office's tech ecosystem not only functions flawlessly but also enriches the space's overall aesthetic and functionality.
Good technology infrastructure allows our people to focus on what’s important,” Valentin says.
Valentin credits Macquarie’s early investment in private and public cloud and its focus on enhancing efficiencies as key differentiators that helps the team deliver essential technology.
Valentin had an impressive 20-year career in tech and project management across finance, technology and logistics, when he was referred to Macquarie by a colleague in 2014.
I’m always impressed by Macquarie’s people - and it’s often surprising finding out the interesting career experiences they had before they worked here. We have fun. We have a high degree of respect for each other, and we know we have work to deliver.”
In addition to working with designers and architects on new offices, Valentin also provides full lifecycle project management to other infrastructure projects across the Americas.
“I’ve worked on a range of projects from new data centres for Macquarie’s private cloud to finding a tech solution ensuring we continue to have accurate time stamps for our trades,” Valentin says. “We also had a project syncing atomic clocks with data centres to meet requirements for trading solutions.”
“I’ve also had the opportunity to work on integrating new businesses the Group acquired, which involved learning how it functioned and helping acclimate the team and their technology the Macquarie culture.”
Valentin’s project management skills are in high demand.
“We have very smart, motivated individuals who are empowered to find creative solutions to problems and ultimately deliver on project requirements for their respective workstreams. I partner with them through this process; constantly assuring the overall program deliverables – in terms of time, cost and schedule – are kept firmly on track.”
The projects he manages come with a myriad of interdependencies. Whether working towards a new office location or opening his team’s services to other Macquarie teams, Valentin focuses on taking an innovative approach to technological transformation.
“I’m continually tapped to take on new, different and more challenging projects that take me out of my comfort zone.”
Ten years into his Macquarie journey, Valentin reflects on Macquarie’s growth in the Americas over this period. “To see the Macquarie logo shown at the top of a building on Fifth Avenue is incredible, the organization has grown so much since I joined.”
Valentin has seen Macquarie rapidly grow across the Americas. Through smart acquisitions, the brand has been able to expand across twenty-four office locations.
“People are very empowered at Macquarie. The culture here is underpinned by a strong delivery mindset – it is encouraged and supported. Everyone is open to new ideas, creatively solving problems and doing whatever it takes to get important work done. When collaborating with Macquarie staff across the globe, I am reminded of, and grateful for this.”
Over the past 30 years, each of Macquarie's three businesses operating in the US have grown their understanding of the market and have built up network across it. Macquarie Capital, which advises and invests alongside clients and partners to realise opportunity, has leveraged its international expertise and access to capital to support key social and economic infrastructure projects across the United States.
Over the past 30 years, each of Macquarie's three businesses operating in the US have grown their understanding of the market and have built up network across it. Macquarie Capital, which advises and invests alongside clients and partners to realise opportunity, has leveraged its international expertise and access to capital to support key social and economic infrastructure projects across the United States.
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