Now, it’s time for our BOA 2024 winner, Jack Karssemeyer, to take his place on the global stage to compete against 29 other technicians from around the world at the Best of Belron competition
in Lisbon, Portugal.

The Best of Belron is a biennial global event held across the Belron Group designed to recognise and determine the best Belron technician worldwide. The competition will see technicians from 30 different countries worldwide showcasing their skills and expertise. Over the course of two intense days, they will complete a range of vehicle glass repair, replacement and Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) recalibration tasks, using Belron’s standard repair and replacement processes, known as the Belron Way of Fitting.

We sat down with Jack to learn about his journey, his preparations for the upcoming competition, and his experiences (so far) at O’Brien®.

Jack, you recently won the Best of Australia title. What has that been like since winning?

Jack: Winning the BOA has been a pretty crazy feeling. I have had my eyes set on it since starting at O’Brien® just over four years ago, so achieving it sooner than I expected was incredible. It’s been unusual to have everyone in the company recognise my face and name, but amazing at the same time; it just goes to show we’re all family here at O’Brien®.

I also think it’s made me more excited about my work at O’Brien®. This competition has reinforced to me the importance of the smaller aspects of our job, and I’ve found joy in paying attention to the little details that can really show how much we care about our customers.

You’re heading to the Best of Belron competition in Lisbon soon. Are you excited? How are you feeling about it?

Jack: Absolutely, I’m very excited. This is as big as it gets for our profession. The preparation has been so intense, but I feel ready. It’s a great opportunity to showcase my skills on a global stage.

Can you walk us through your training regimen for this competition?

Jack: Sure. So, I’ve been fortunate to be pulled out of my regular branch at Moorebank to undergo high-intensity training and with less than one week to go, we’re still going strong. It’s been a whirlwind, but incredibly exciting.

My training has been very focused. For the past two months, I’ve been working to perfect the intricate details of the windscreen fitting. With the support of the O’Brien Centre of Excellence Technical Team, we’ve been improving these minute aspects to ensure I can execute it perfectly on the day. It’s all about the small details that make a big difference both in competition and to our customers.

What sort of support have you received from the team at O’Brien®?

Jack: Since March, the support has been incredible from across the business, with everyone behind me to help me succeed at BOB.

Shout out to my branch manager, John Paton, he has been amazing (as have my whole Service Centre team). The entire Technical Trainer team have been there for me, with additional training and mentoring.

My coach in the Technical Trainer team, Phil Cole, who won the Best of Australia in 2022, has been with me in Sydney for the final two weeks of my one-on-one training as well. Overall, the commitment from everyone has been so great, and it reflects the strong team culture we have here at O’Brien®.

Learn more about Phil’s experience at the Best of Belron 2022 here.

What would winning the international competition mean to you and your team?

Jack: Winning would be indescribable, especially as Australia/O’Brien® has never done it before. It would be a huge accomplishment, not just for me, but for the entire team that has supported me. It would be a win for all of us at O’Brien®.

Do you think anyone at O’Brien® could achieve what you have so far? And what would you say to someone considering joining the team at O’Brien®?

Jack: Definitely. With a passion for what you do, perseverance and the right mindset, anyone can achieve what I have. It’s about putting in the effort and staying dedicated to your craft.

That’s why I think everyone should consider a career at O’Brien® – the opportunities are endless and it’s very rewarding. Outside of the competition, helping customers and seeing their relief when everything is fixed is a great feeling.

I’ve also made some of my closest friends here and after four and a half years, I still look forward to going to work every day. The people and the supportive environment make it a great place to be. If you’re thinking about a career here, I’d say go for it. You never know where (in the world) it might take you.

Finally, what are your plans after the competition?

Jack: After the competition, a few of my family members and partner are flying over, and we’re planning to make a trip out of it and explore a bit of Europe together. I’ll be away from work for about five weeks, but it’ll be a well-deserved break. I can’t wait!

The entire O'Brien® team is behind Jack as he represents the team in Lisbon – we’re proud of you!

Next time you need to get your windscreen repaired or replaced, think of the team at O'Brien®. We’re your trained experts in all things windscreen glass – book online or call 1800 059 829.

At O'Brien®, we’re proud to have so many outstanding Vehicle Glass Technicians, as well as many other team members, working for our company right across Australia. If you would like to be part of our technical expertise and service excellence culture at O'Brien® visit obriencareers.com.au for more information today.

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The right road to Barcelona

In the week leading up to the competition, Phil headed first to Belgium to practise working on left-hand drive European spec vehicles – as that would be what he would be working on in Barcelona.

“It was different to what I’m used to working on, but it was great to have time to practice as I know it would help save time when I worked on vehicles like this during the competition,” Phil shares.

So, with over two months of dedicated training, Phil finally flew to Barcelona for the event he had waited for years to be involved in.

Getting to know the world

To start the event off right, the Best of Belron team organised activities so the delegates could get to know each other before competing.

“It was a great way to loosen up before the competition,” Phil says, “I met people from 27 other countries and had lunch with the judges before heading to the competition arena.”

Gary Lubner, Belron^® CEO, also took to the stage to talk to the delegates prior to the competition. “His speech was really moving. He recognised that each of us there were already champions – because we were all here as the best from our countries,” Phil adds, “that was a great reminder and a humbling one too.”

Competing with the best of the best

The first event of the competition was a written test to check the delegates’ understanding of all the tools and the processes they had to deal with and use.

“I took my time with it,” Phil tells us, “and by the end, I was confident with 95% of my answers – so I was off to a great start.”

Then, for the main competition, the 28 delegates were given different auto-glazing scenarios – repairing and replacing a windscreen, door glass, remove and replace rear glass, and recalibrating windscreen cameras. Each competitor was assigned to two judges who monitored their performance throughout the competition.

“The competition was replicating what mobile technicians do in a normal workday,” Phil shares. “We checked and gathered our tools, worked on the schedule and monitored our work. It was quite practical, too. The jobs that typically earned the most revenue also earned higher percentages in the scoring system.”

Of the two judges, one acted like a customer while the other handled the score sheet and monitored the process.

“The scoring was comprehensive – it wasn’t just about ticking all the boxes. We had to interact with the customer, too. So, we were scored based on efficiency, quality of the job, observance of safety protocols and customer service,” Phil recalls.

When asked how he felt during the competition, Phil told us that he was surprisingly calm while working, “I did everything as I would on a regular job, and I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of the experience.”

Finally, the moment everyone’s waiting for

“They announced some of the special awards for each event,” Phil shares, “then I was called as a runner-up – I placed equal 4th out of 28 in the world! I was pretty stoked.”

Phil finished in equal fourth place, coming after the US who claimed first, Portugal in second place and Turkey, third. Our New Zealand colleague also placed equal fourth with Phil.

“It wasn’t an easy journey, but it was an honour and a privilege to have represented the Australian O'Brien^® team at such a huge event,” Phil says.

A great experience with an even greater team

When asked what the most memorable part of the experience was, Phil told us that it was still about working as part of a tight-knit team.

“I remember standing up on stage, waving the Australian flag, and thinking that I couldn’t have done this without my dedicated team and network back home. Sure, I was there as a representative alone – but what went into me was years of training and support from the whole O'Brien^® team.”

“It was such a wonderful experience and a great honour to have been the driver of this journey for O'Brien^® – on behalf of everyone back in Australia.”

And with that, we have come to a satisfying end to this series.

O'Brien^® congratulates and thanks Phil Cole for representing the team in Barcelona and for embodying our DNA – the whole O'Brien^® team is proud of you!

Next time you need to get your windscreen repaired or replaced, think of the team at O'Brien^®. We’re your trained experts in all things windscreen glass – book online or call 1800 059 829.

At O'Brien^®, we’re proud to have so many outstanding Vehicle Glass Technicians working for our company right across Australia. If you would like to be part of our technical expertise and service excellence culture at O'Brien^®. visit obriencareers.com.au for more information today.

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The scoring criteria was extremely thorough and covered health and safety, working methods, car and customer care, as well as final quality and speed of completing the job. Even though our O'Brien® (and Australian) representative Jason Tomlinson didn’t win, he made us all so proud! His hard work and dedication leading up to and during the competition was a true representation of an O'Brien® expert. Congratulations Jason, and we can’t wait for Best of Belron® 2020!

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