Interview with Rui Carneiro, senior manager turbocharger division

When did you start your career at MTEE?

I started my career at MTEE in November 2007, 11 years ago. I was working as a customer quality engineer on a project at MTEE through the consultancy company Altran. After six months on this project, MTEE offered me the possibility to join the company as project leader, which I accepted. Two and a half years later, I became account manager for the French and Italian markets, and in 2014 I became manager of the turbocharger projects department. Until that time, project management had been part of the responsibilities of the sales department. I designed and implemented a new department structure dedicated to this activity.

Why was it necessary to separate the two departments?

At a certain moment in time, we realized it had become necessary to standardize methods in project management. Doing so, improved the management and development of resources and the rotation of people between different projects. Furthermore, as it became easier to oversee all projects in one system, it gave us better control of our activities. Our project management system and methodology has been developing since 2008. We have able to develop it even further and have increased the standardization of methods across the whole project portfolio. We are currently developing the fifth generation of the system, and are continuously optimizing it through lessons learned and data analysis.

What is your professional background?

I am originally from Portugal, and like many people from MTEE, I have a degree in mechanical engineering. Before coming to MTEE, I worked as a mechanical engineer in an environmental projects company; then as a process manager in the plastics industry. That was followed by a position as maintenance manager at a chemical plant in the paint industry and, finally, as a consultant. I recently finished an MBA at Amsterdam Business School, so now I have both engineering and business knowledge.

Why did you decide to educate yourself in both fields?

The combination of mechanical engineering and business gives me the tools to understand the operational, technical and business sides of our activities. Doing an MBA has increased my knowledge about strategy creation, human resource management, financial management and more. It has also opened up my world to an array of new business concepts and technologies, giving me the opportunity to see how “new age” industries do things compared the “more traditional” automobile industry. It was very inspiring to think about how the way they do things could be applied to our company. And working here while I was doing the MBA also allowed me to relate to daily situations we face and think about how improvements could be applied in our context. It also created the opportunity to transfer part of this knowledge to the people around me.

You were promoted to senior manager of the turbocharger division earlier this year. What does your current role entail?

In my new role, I work together with our general manager, Martin Rischke, in managing the turbocharger business division. I directly oversee both the turbo projects and quality departments while supporting Martin with the many other tasks that are necessary to running the business. This new position allows me to search for synergies between project-related departments and effective ways of working in a project environment, where alignment between departments is fundamental. The main objective is to expand the business and make the current activities more effective, particularly in respect to, customer and employee satisfaction, and business profitability.

How have you experienced turbo projects changing over the years?

Turbocharger projects have become much more complex over the years, on all sides: the product itself, the supply chain, the production means, etc. This demands a much more detailed approach in what we do. In the past, our customers would be more involved in the development of the product, deploying a team of their own specialists to closely co-develop the turbocharger with us. Nowadays, most of our customers see us as a system supplier and we are expected to lead the development and provide the latest knowledge. This is aligned with the phase of the product life cycle we are in, and is common to the industry. Furthermore, the timing for development has been reduced, in most cases by a whole year when compared to six or seven years ago. This outs more pressure on the things we do and more activities must be done in parallel. This means more emphasis must be placed on precision, knowledge and team-work. Things need to be done right the first time.

What fascinates you about working in the automobile industry?

I like the fact that it is so challenging. It’s a fast-paced industry with high stakes and top notch players. Everything is interconnected, which makes close co-operation fundamental for obtaining results. I also like that the knowledge level and professionalism of the companies and people I work with is very high. I like that to achieve success it is fundamental to have excellent teamwork across all departments and with customers and suppliers. Besides, it is always very motivating to see your work driving through the streets every day.

What do you see as the main challenges and opportunities in the coming years?

The automotive industry is experiencing very interesting times. The upcoming mass electrification of powertrains and autonomous driving technology will change the industry as we know it. We believe the turbocharger still has a fundamental role in the development of our industry in the coming decades. However, using the knowledge we have about this industry, powertrains and mass production, we will diversify into other products when it becomes necessary. The future looks bright and we are taking the right steps to be ready for the challenges ahead.