CAREER-VIEW MIRROR - biographies of colleagues in the automotive and mobility industries.

Get set for a roller-coaster ride through the captivating career of Gary Brotman, CEO of Secondmind. Prepare to be hooked as we journey from the dancefloor to the driver's seat, mapping how this former professional DJ and PR whizz now uses his skills to help automotive engineers make cars smarter and faster. It’s a story of art and architecture, of music, tech and machines, and ultimately, of...

In this episode I want to go deeper into some of the complexities of embracing discomfort to realise our dreams but, as talking about realising our dreams might be seen as a bit too "New Age woo woo" for the corporate environment, I'll also talk about actualising our desired outcomes.  I’ll also go into more detail about: how to keep going when you’re finding it hard Carol Dweck’s w...

Are you feeling stuck in your comfort zone and looking for encouragement to take steps towards growth? Join me as I share my journey of embracing discomfort on multiple occasions during my transition from the UK to New Zealand via Singapore and from BMW to forming my own venture, Aquilae, via Tesla. I will let you in on how stepping into the outer ring of discomfort has been a game-changer in my c...

Imagine having the chance to make television at a young age and being on a trajectory for a media career, only to experience a pivotal event that leads you to public service. That's the story of Nick Gicinto, a seasoned professional whose career spans from media to the CIA, and eventually to the private sector. Join us for a fascinating conversation with Nick as he shares his journey and the...

What if I told you that a simple, affordable, and efficient washing machine could transform the lives of thousands of people? Join me, as I sit down with Navjot Sawhney, the brilliant founder of the Washing Machine Project, and explore his life journey and the incredible impact of his invention on over 30,000 lives across 8 countries. Learn how Navjot's upbringing in London with an Indian her...

Have you ever considered the immense influence that paradigms have on our thoughts, actions, and results? By understanding and working with the power of paradigms, we can make meaningful and lasting changes in our lives. In this captivating Side Mirror episode, we explore the ins and outs of paradigms, drawing inspiration from Stephen Covey's "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,...

Ever wondered how a company can revolutionise transportation and achieve a 95% market share? Join us as we sit down with Alastair Sussock, co-founder of Safe Boda, the ride-sharing company that has taken Uganda by storm. We'll uncover Alastair's incredible journey from his childhood in Glasgow, Scotland, to his career in economics and development across countries like India, Rwanda, Ethi...

When we take more ownership of our life and career journey we give interviews a level of significance that is more measured and proportional. My mission is to enable Fulfilling Performance. I talk about that in episodes 60, 61 and 62. I'm passionate about helping people to take ownership of their life and career journeys. Yes I want you to go out there and smash your next interview. I also wa...

Elisa is a People and Culture Expert and Organisational Psychologist with more than 15 years of Talent Management experience at companies like early days Uber, Tesla, and the leading executive search firms Korn Ferry and Spencer Stuart. She helps Executives with career strategy, promotion preparation, transitions from corporate to entrepreneurial roles, relocation, and adapting to a new industry,...

Florian is a Principal at Boston Consulting Group in Munich, Germany. He's a core member of the Automotive, Industrial Goods, and Marketing & Sales practice areas. Prior to joining BCG, Florian was a Principal at Roland Berger in Munich, a member of the automotive management team and lead for sales and marketing for the EMEA region. His automotive career began with a twenty year tenure in...

Kevin spent five years in the aeronautical and defence industry at the nexus of machine learning, image processing and analysis and ceramics engineering before realising that his mission in life was to create delightful consumer experiences. In the mid 1990s, Kevin joined Gillette as an ‘Innovative Scientist’ and found great reward by applying his love of science to challenges associated with cutt...

Mike is Head of UK Sales at McLaren Automotive.  He is navigating a fascinating career journey that’s seen him progress  from selling Fiats for DC Cook in Manchester through multiple countries, automotive brands and levels of seniority to arrive at his current position.    In our conversation Mike shares the personal stories behind many of the job moves he’s made. Like most of us he’s had some goo...

Kit is the Chief Operating Officer of Tusker, the UK's largest salary sacrifice scheme provider and part of the Lloyds Banking Group. Kit has been with Tusker for almost five years and prior to joining he held a number of mobility and operational roles during a seven year tenure at Alphabet.   He began his automotive career with three years at Enterprise Rent-A-Car in a variety of roles that...

Ed is the Vice President Strategic Automotive Initiatives at Siemens Digital Industries Software. His responsibilities include strategic planning and business development for mobility and motorsports.    He leads mobility thought leadership and hosts the Future Car Podcast .    He was the founder of VISTAGY, acquired by Siemens, that developed composite engineering software for the automotive and...

Karen is the owner of Easton RNA in Melbourne, Australia. Easton RNA is a recruitment business that she founded some years ago and to which she has recently returned full time. Karen was a member of our first Aquilae Academy peer mentoring team back in 2020 and I've been looking forward very much to having the opportunity to introduce her to you and share her story.   I'm sure that you&a...

Rachel has spent 20 years in various Automotive OEM roles across Australia and New Zealand.   Her career to date has included roles with Volvo, Holden, Jeep, Ford and MG. She has often been the first and only female in her department.  Most recently, Rachel was New Zealand Country Manager at MG. She was literally stopped in her tracks when she shattered her ankle and lower leg. This injury has led...

Rhys is the currently the Director of Strategy and Sales Operations at Brilliance-BEA Auto Finance Company in China, based in Shanghai where he was previously Sales Director for the Jaguar Land Rover brand within BBEA.  Rhys has over 25 years’ experience in Asset Finance across markets in China, Europe, and South Africa. His expertise extends to OEM and Dealer Relationship Management, as well as t...

Dave is the owner of Perfect Getaways Travel Agents.  Perfect Getaways operates a chain of independent travel agents in the North West of England in the UK with stores in Little Sutton, Neston, Birkenhead, Liverpool and St Helens.   At a time when many businesses have migrated away from the high street and onto the internet, Perfect Getaways takes a different approach.  As Dave puts it, "We b...

Preston moved to Lloyds Banking Group in 2022 to lead their OEM Captive Finance Partnership, Jaguar and Land Rover Financial Services.  The vast majority of Preston’s career has been in Sales & Marketing roles in the OEM Financial Services space where he’s tried to get as close to the promotion and sales process as possible.  His career has been roughly split between South Africa and the UK, w...

On 1 March 2023 CAREER-VIEW MIRROR turned 2 years old.    During our second year of podcasting we have had yet more wonderful rising stars and senior leaders from the world of automotive joining us to share their stories. Thanks to the generosity of all our guests, we are creating an incredible resource library of valuable content.    Each guest brings their own unique experiences and every episod...

David is Director of Behaviour Change and Sustainability at SKIM, a global decision-behaviour consultancy. He has over a decade of experience in customer-centric research and data analytics, and has also worked on sustainability as a campaigner, in policy, communications and as a startup founder.  David is currently focused on accelerating EV adoption by better understanding the issue from a human...

Iain is currently the CEO at The Upper Room a charity working with the socially disadvantaged based in West London.  At the age of 17, he left school and home  and moved to London, confident that his ability to get up in the morning would allow him to earn a living.   He enjoyed working hard at a variety of manual labour jobs. He drove 7.5 tonne trucks, worked in warehouses and timber-yards, was a...

Olly Bridge is a Health and Wellbeing expert who originally trained at the English Institute of Sport (EIS) and proceeded to work with elite athletes like Jenson Button and Mark Webber at Benetton/Renault Formula One and the British Olympic Gymnastics Team.   Having served as an Executive Director of the Workplace Health Association of Australia (WHAA), Head of Health and Wellbeing at Australia’s...

Oxana is an engineer by education and a change maker by vocation. She has spent the past 22 years bringing positive change to automotive businesses through identifying new business and profit opportunities; creating and implementing strategies and futureproofing against risks and uncertainties.  She left her home country at the age of 23 and joined Fiat Group in Italy. Since then she's lived...

In this episode Mary blends sharing some of her own successful international career journey with multiple golden nuggets of advice and resources to help you master your self and own your future.  I hope you found some helpful points to reflect on and more importantly act on. As Mary says, quoting Susan Jeffers, "Feel the fear and do it anyway!"  Contact Mary:  LinkedIn: https://www.linke...