Meet the Team: Rafael Ordonhes, DALIM Professional Service Manager

Behind every smooth rollout and resolved support ticket at DALIM is a team of people who show up for our clients every single day. In this edition of our Meet the Team series, we sat down with Rafael Ordonhes, Professional Service Manager, who has been part of the DALIM team since 2015. Based in Italy, Rafael works closely with clients across Brazil, Europe, and especially North America, helping them build new workflows, resolve issues, and get the most out of our platform.

We asked Rafael about his path from the prepress floor to professional services, what a typical week looks like, and what keeps him motivated after more than a decade with DALIM. Here is what he had to say.

Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your role at DALIM?

I am a restless man searching for a meaningful life every day. My role is Professional Service Manager, and I have daily contact with DALIM's clients. My goal is to serve them with commitment and dedication, always willing to help with their tasks within our platform. I also dedicate attention to my team and try to help them with their tasks, even though they are quite independent. I always strive to maintain excellent relationships with my colleagues, even though I am working remotely most of the time.

What does a typical day or week look like for you?

My typical week involves assisting clients with their needs, especially new projects where we develop workflows and controls for processes that are often not mapped out. I also work directly with the help desk, where we seek to resolve issues on our platform. Analyzing and reproducing the issues on DALIM's internal systems is what enables the R&D team to correct and improve the system.

What are some of the key responsibilities or projects you're currently working on?

I work very closely with BDMs in Brazil, Europe, and especially North America, and perform all pre-sales demos aiming to gain new clients. Facing clients every day, I have to manage client expectations on new features and reported issues, and also help develop the system through good analysis. I help define new features, always with the client's needs in mind.

What first inspired you to pursue your profession?

I started working in a prepress department at fifteen years old. Later, I came back to the prepress area and became a graphic engineer.

Can you walk us through your career path and what led you to DALIM?

As a graphic engineer, I was always searching for new systems to automate the many prepress tasks. I had contact with DALIM software around the year 2001, becoming a reseller and, after that, a customer, and finally joining the DALIM service team in 2015.

Looking back, is there a particular experience or opportunity that had a major impact on your career?

I started my own company with a few friends to serve the prepress market in Brazil. This gave me the opportunity to travel and improve my technical skills and my English, which gave me the opportunity to know DALIM SOFTWARE.

What attracted you to DALIM when you first joined?

I always liked DALIM SOFTWARE, especially the people working at DALIM. In 2015, I was searching for new opportunities and reached out to DALIM SOFTWARE, who agreed to hire me as an external consultant working from Brazil. Now I live in Italy with my family, and I hope to be working for DALIM for a long time.

Was there anything about DALIM's culture, people, or way of working that surprised you?

Always a warm and friendly relationship with everyone at DALIM.

DALIM is a highly international company. How does that global environment influence your work? What do you enjoy most about this experience?

Being able to know different people and different places.

How would you describe the team you work with?

The service team is excellent, always trying to help each other, even with little spare time. The whole team is overloaded.

Are there any achievements or moments at DALIM that you're especially proud of?

Every time we close a deal and create a long-lasting relationship with our customers.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

Being with my family and friends, and if possible, going to nice places, new cities, the theater, music performances, and nice lakes to paddle.

Do you have any hobbies, interests, or passions you'd like to share?

Paddling, SUP, and kayaking, being in nature, and cycling.

What's something you've learned during your career that has stayed with you?

Be nice and grateful, always be the best version of yourself, always speak the truth. Always admit your mistakes and apologize. Ask for help, give help. Assumptions are often the root of most mistakes. The intelligent side always yields.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone starting their career, what would it be?

Do something meaningful for yourself, and have faith in yourself and in the people around you.

What advice would you give to someone considering joining DALIM?

Being at DALIM is a great experience, far from boring. It is worth it.

Rafael's journey, from a prepress floor in Brazil at fifteen to Professional Service Manager for clients across three continents, is a reminder that some of the best careers are built one relationship at a time. His advice to stay grateful, admit mistakes, and always ask for and offer help says a lot about the way he shows up for DALIM's clients every day.

Want to meet more of the people behind DALIM? Stay tuned for the next installment of our Meet the Team series, where we will introduce you to another face from our global team!