Sebastian Grote wins Australian Freight Industry Young Achiever of the Year award

Sebastian Grote, Managing Editor of Prime Creative Media’s Commercial Road Transportation titles, took home the 2015 Young Achiever Award. Born and raised in Germany, Sebastian has been an integral part of the Prime Creative Media team ever since he joined in 2010. He oversees the company’s market-leading media products– including Prime Mover and Diesel Magazine, as well as Trailer and Global Trailer and CRT News.

“While many often criticise the lack of young talent in the industry, Sebastian has fully dedicated his career to the industry and is committed to representing Australian trucking both nationally and abroad,” says John Murphy, Managing Director of Prime Creative Media. “He has become a strong advocate of our local industry and is quick to acknowledge its ingenuity and efficiency, waving the Australian flag at industry events around the world – from the world famous IAA truck show in Germany through to smaller shows in Turkey.”

Sebastian has had a strong influence on the internationalisation of the commercial road transport industry over the past half decade, working hard behind the scenes as a journalist and passionate representative.

“Generosity is a core value of the Prime Creative Media business, and Sebastian is living and breathing it every day,” says John. “I still remember when he walked into my office as a young journalist demanding a job in the trucking industry, offering to work without pay just to get a chance to prove himself. Five years on, he is now managing the most talented team of journalists in the business including industry stalwarts and industry award winners Tim Giles and Peter Armstrong. Most importantly, he is committed to training young talent and forming a team that is motivated, ambitious and genuinely excited about Australian trucking.”

John notes that while the current industry succession debate is often focused around technical personnel and those behind the wheel, the work Sebastian is doing behind the scenes every day to give them national recognition – both in trade and traditional media – often goes unnoticed.

“It is because of young people like him, who go the extra mile where many of us don’t take notice, that the Australian truck and trailer industry has maintained such a high repute globally,” says John. “All too often, we forget those chipping away at the coalface that is news production and feature writing to help us all remain well informed and represented.”

John says that it was an exceptional experience to see Sebastian win such a prestigious award, and it’s even more pleasing to know that it coincided with Sebastian’s fifth anniversary of moving to Australia.

“He has started to become a prolific industry personality – someone who can help us, as an industry, promote our image to the Australian public and attract more young talent for a long time to come,” says John. “In fact, Seb is already working on the next project to increase the involvement of young people in the industry as part of the 2016 International Truck, Trailer & Equipment Show – a dedicated Careers Pavilion – so we can be sure to hear more of him in the year to come!”