Joël Bréa: Revolutionising a critical production process
Joël Bréa, 41, has been a part of ISS for three years. Working as an engineer in Technical Services at a major customer site in Switzerland, he spends his days repairing, improving and creating mechanical solutions. But what sets him apart is his mindset: a drive to keep improving and a passion for making life easier for others.
“Machines and processes have always fascinated me,” he says. “But what really motivates me is helping people – seeing their work become easier because of something I’ve created. When something breaks down, I often have less than one hour to fix it. Time is critical for the customer, which means I need to think fast and find a solution that works. But I enjoy each new challenge, and I love having a working environment where I can continuously grow.”
That motivation recently led to one of his biggest achievements. A customer needed a faster way to switch products on a manufacturing line – a process that used to take 45 minutes. Joël designed a simple yet clever improvement that cut the time down to just five minutes. The change has delivered major efficiency gains. Today, his solution is used worldwide.
Driven by people, not just machines
For Joël, this success is not just about machines but about people.
“I was raised with the mindset that you should give a little extra every day. My greatest reward is seeing others benefit from my work.”
Joël’s passion and motivation extend beyond the workshop. At home, he enjoys building remote controlled aeroplanes which he flies on weekends with his wife and dog. “We’ve been together for 23 years, married for 14; our life together is full and happy.” Just like at work, Joël finds joy in creating, improving and sharing those results with the people around him.
Known by colleagues for his positivity and problem-solving energy, Joël shows how service excellence is built: through daily dedication, creativity and a genuine commitment to others.
“Conversations with customers are the key to success. That’s when you can create solutions that make a real impact. At the end of the day, what drives me is knowing I’ve made someone else’s work easier.”
