During this second in a two-part episode, The Auto Ethnographer’s host John Stech speaks with Benny Oeyen, a Belgian who is passionate about building bridges between cultures. With automotive experience on four continents and with four distinctly different automakers, he is well-prepared to speak on cultural impacts in the industry. Benny is in the unique position of having worked for automakers in or from three major Asian countries, Mazda, Kia, and GM China. He is energetic and tells his story in a candid, compelling way weaving together the cultural aspects to the product strategy.

This week Benny tells of his challenges working with Kia Motors Europe as Vice President of Marketing & Product Planning. In 2009 he was one of the first non-Koreans to attain this level within the company and it was a critical time. Kia was on the cusp of transitioning from a maker of cheap, relatively unstylish cars to the Kia we know today, the purveyor of highly-styled, fully-equipped quality vehicles. Benny would play a crucial role in helping Kia achieve that transition with European consumers.

One critical point he discussed was trust in the Kia brand. Benny was a proponent of expanding Kia’s vehicle warranty from 2 years (the European minimum) to 7 years. He recounts in detail how that happened and mentioned a television advertisement he developed to help sell the concept to consumers. The advertisement can be found here at “7 is better than 2”: https://youtu.be/HEdMmP7jbBQ?si=gGhlI2RhO3CwnH2j

Following his five year stint with Kia, Benny joined in the rush for China. He explained that the largest automotive market on the planet was a must-have checkmark on the CV for any C-suite executive. General Motors China afforded him the opportunity as Vice President Product Planning & Strategy in the Chinese market. He spent three years in Shanghai learning the intricacies of the Chinese market and fickle consumer. He also observed trends on the rise of the Chinese auto industry a decade ago, long before the alarm bells began to ring for traditional automakers.

Benny rounds out the episode with some sound advice for people considering moving out of their home country and into a new culture. Listen in on the conversation to learn more about his insights.

Benny is now leveraging his experience in the global automotive industry as the European Managing Partner of Automobility Ltd, a consultancy focused on global mobility initiatives. You can learn more about Automobility Ltd at their website: https://automobility.io/

For more information on The Auto Ethnographer, please visit the homepage at https://www.auto-ethnographer.com [https://www.auto-ethnographer.com/]

EP 15: Benny Oeyen Part 2: Tuning challenger brand Kia for Europe and GM to China

During this two-part episode, The Auto Ethnographer’s host John Stech speaks with Benny Oeyen, a Belgian who is passionate about building bridges between cultures. With automotive experience on four continents and with four distinctly different automakers, he is well-prepared to speak on cultural impacts in the industry. Benny is in the unique position of having worked for automakers in or from three major Asian countries, Mazda, Kia, and GM China. He is energetic and tells his story in a candid, compelling way weaving together the cultural aspects to the product strategy.

In Episode 14 the conversation focuses on Benny being Mazda Europe’s first non-Japanese employee, a Product Manager. It was a learning process from both sides with Benny learning his employer’s culture and Mazda learning about European customer requirements.

Long enamored with American culture and cars, Benny shifts over to Chrysler Europe in its upstart European office in Brussels. Here he helps define customer needs for American engineers that know exclusively how to engineer large-engined vehicles for American tastes. Indeed, the opening seconds of the podcast highlights Benny’s challenge of asking engineers for Europe-specific content and specifications on Chrysler, Jeep, and Dodge vehicles. He would go on to working for Chrysler Corp (later DaimlerChrysler) in the World Headquarters in Michigan as well as in Switzerland in senior roles.

Episode 15 next week continues Benny's story at Kia Motors Europe and General Motors China in Shanghai. 

For more information about The Auto Ethnographer please visit the homepage at https://www.auto-ethnographer.com

EP 14: Benny Oeyen Part 1: A global citizen with a Belgian passport boosts Mazda and Chrysler-Jeep in Europe

This week Dr. Edwin Pang, a noted automobile tire expert, joins The Auto Ethnographer to discuss his journey from student in Malaysia and England to tire development engineer in Germany.

Born and raised in Malaysia, Edwin opted to study with the University of Nottingham both on their Southeast Asian as well as UK campuses. It was his first time living outside of Malaysia and a big step in gaining personal independence in his life and career.

On graduating with a Ph.D. in Engineering he took a role in Malaysia with Bosch, the world’s largest automotive supplier. Here he had first close exposure to the German culture through experiences with German upper management as well as interns coming in from Germany. He recounts some of his observations, including the impact of German expats eating spicy Malaysian dishes! He even recalls the emotional challenge of sundowning an acquired factory in the United States and migrating the product’s production to Malaysia.

Although the product he supported in a manufacturing environment was not automotive-related, the experience led him to the next step in his career, and something that would become a passion, automotive tires.

Edwin’s career truly gained traction at Continental Tire. He worked 8 years for Conti with 2.5 years spent in Malaysia and 5.5 years worked in Hannover at Conti’s engineering headquarters. During these years he mastered both the manufacturing, design, and testing of automotive tires.

After deciding to return to Malaysia as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, Edwin opted to turn passion into entrepreneurial career. He started TopTireReview.com [https://www.toptirereview.com], a tire testing and review service targeted at Malaysian customers that did not have a good understanding of the importance of tires on their vehicles. He performs annual tests on the newest tires then rates and compares them for consumers. In addition, he works with dealers and wholesalers to educate consumers in on-site workshops and seminars.

From student to professional to entrepreneur. From Malaysia to the UK to Germany and back to Malaysia. Join in to hear Edwin tell his story and the observations he made along the way. Ultimately, he recommends others to do the same, to see the world and experience new cultures when provided the opportunity.

For more information on The Auto Ethnographer, please visit the homepage at https://www.auto-ethnographer.com [https://www.auto-ethnographer.com/]

Please rate the podcast and leave comments on the homepage, on YouTube, Facebook, or Instagram.

EP 13: Dr. Edwin Pang: From Malaysia to Germany on Continental Tires

In today’s Auto Ethnographer episode, the second of two parts, host John Stech dives deeper into his experience at DaimlerChrysler, covering his stay at the Chrysler side of the family.

John’s assignment at Chrysler International, a division of the company responsible for 120 non-NAFTA markets, was to revamp the volume planning system in time for a major new product offensive. In doing so he had to gain trust with an experienced Chrysler team and get their support in building a modernized approach to sales and production planning. This effort ended up impacting not only the International markets, but also caused the American, Canadian, and Mexican markets to change their approach to forecasting and vehicle ordering.

In the closing days of the merger, John had moved to Egypt (the topic of Episode 11) where he first strove to harmonize the frayed working relationship between Mercedes-Benz and Chrysler. This effort stopped short once DaimlerChrysler’s CEO, Dr. Dieter Zetsche announced the sale of Chrysler to Cerberus Capital Management. Later John would have to begin the sales company wind-down process to separate the company into two new subsidiaries, Mercedes-Benz Egypt and Chrysler Egypt.

This is the second half of John’s personal story through nine years of experiences at DaimlerChrysler, as seen from the front row on both sides of the merged entity. He understands that his experience was different than that of others. While some viewed the merger positively, many derided one or the other merged partner.

Please share your thoughts or opinions with The Auto Ethnographer by visiting the website at https://www.auto-ethnographer.com [https://www.auto-ethnographer.com/] or by leaving comments on the social media sites at LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube.

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-auto-ethnographer

EP 12 Part 2:  John Stech: Did DaimlerChrysler perish from irreconcilable intercultural conflict?

In today’s Auto Ethnographer episode, host John Stech dives deep into his experience at DaimlerChrysler. He worked within both halves of the merged companies for the duration of the company’s nine year existence. Did its end stem from irreconcilable intercultural differences? The Auto Ethnographer dives in to answer the question and the conclusion may surprise you.

On the day of the merger announcement in May 1998, John Stech was driving to work at Mercedes-Benz USA. He was so shocked by the news announcement that he pulled over on the side of the road to hear the report.

As head of Product Management for SUVs, John was responsible for the M-Class SUV and was involved in a Mercedes-Benz minivan project. It turns out that these two vehicles would be the only overlaps between the merging partners. Would the status quo remain or would the vehicles be cancelled as competing duplicates? John traces the story of the M-Class and Jeep Grand Cherokee overlap and the meetings that occurred to decide their fate.

After leaving Product Management at Mercedes-Benz and shifting into Strategic Volume Planning, little did he know that this move would prepare him for a transition to the Chrysler side of DaimlerChrysler at its headquarters in Auburn Hills, a suburb of Detroit, in 2002.

John’s assignment at Chrysler International, a division of the company responsible for 120 non-NAFTA markets, was to revamp the volume planning system in time for a major new product offensive. In doing so he had to gain trust with an experienced Chrysler team and get their support in building a modernized approach to sales and production planning. This effort ended up impacting not only the International markets, but also caused the American, Canadian, and Mexican markets to change their approach to forecasting and vehicle ordering.

In the closing days of the merger, John had moved to Egypt (the topic of Episode 11) where he first strove to harmonize the frayed working relationship between Mercedes-Benz and Chrysler. Later he would have to begin the sales company wind-down process to separate the companies.

This is John’s personal story through nine years of experiences at DaimlerChrysler, as seen from the front row on both sides of the merged entity. He understands that his experience was different than that of others. While some viewed the merger positively, many derided one or the other merger partner.

Please share your thoughts or opinions with The Auto Ethnographer by visiting the website at https://www.auto-ethnographer.com [https://www.auto-ethnographer.com/] or by leaving comments on the social media sites at LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube.

EP 12 Part 1:  John Stech: Did DaimlerChrysler perish from irreconcilable intercultural conflict? 

On this week’s Auto Ethnographer episode, host John Stech tells his own story. He had spent his life preparing for a dream of working and living abroad. Suddenly the opportunity sprung up and he had only three months to prepare for a transfer with family to Egypt. Here he would be Managing Director of DaimlerChrysler Egypt (now separated into Mercedes-Benz Egypt and Stellantis Egypt).

John Stech was born Jörn Stech in Germany. His family emigrated to the United States in the 1970s but he spent many summers living with his grandparents in Germany, thereby retaining his connection to his birth country.

Since an early age he perceived the cultural differences between himself and his American friends. This led to a lifelong curiosity about international cultures as well as a deep desire to see the world, both on visits and through an international career.

He had spent thirteen years in his automotive career, most of those working with international markets but from a base in North America. Then, in 2006 his first international assignment would appear on the horizon. He accepted the offer to become the Managing Director of DaimlerChrysler Egypt in Cairo.

This opportunity threw many challenges at John. Although he had some familiarity with the Middle East – his parents had lived in Saudi Arabia – he knew that Egypt was very specific. He felt compelled to understand the market and the culture even before leaving DaimlerChrysler’s US headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan outside of Detroit.

The Managing Director role was also a large step in terms of responsibility. John had been leading a 35-person department in charge of volume planning, inventory management, and order intake for Chrysler's 120 non-NAFTA markets. Now he would have nearly 100 Egyptian employees and be responsible for all aspects of the local business for Mercedes-Benz and Jeep, Chrysler, and Dodge brands. This included sales, marketing, dealer networks, customer service and even two CKD assembly plants, one for Mercedes-Benz and one for Jeep respectively.

Now he tells the story how he shaped his life, his education and career in the direction of an international career. He identifies the steps he took to move to a new country and a new job, taking along a family with young children.

For those of you considering moving abroad, this episode shares insights on how to prepare, both before departing the home country and after arrival in the host country.

To learn more about The Auto Ethnographer please visit the homepage at https://www.auto-ethnographer.com [https://www.auto-ethnographer.com/]

EP 11: John Stech: How he prepared for his first overseas job with Mercedes-Benz and Jeep in Egypt

On this week’s episode of The Auto Ethnographer, host John Stech is joined by Dr. Susanne Lehmann, Managing Director of Volkswagen Group Malaysia. During the conversation they “visit” Malaysia, Mexico, China, and the United States and discuss how each location’s culture required different work styles.

Dr. Lehmann studied economic sciences and later earned her PhD in global automotive supply chains. Alongside she studied the impact of culture on the workplace, a topic that would serve her well on her journey.

Her first stop on her career was Volkswagen de México in a logistics role. After adapting to a culture vastly different from her own German upbringing, she would later have a second stint in Mexico as the Senior Director of Production for the Volkswagen brand in North America.

She later moved halfway around the planet to participate in the early days of expanding automotive manufacturing in China. She recounts stories from these days in the early 2000s and then juxtaposes them to a second stint she did in China in 2021-2023 as Senior Director of Logistics for a 1.6 million vehicle operation. The lightning speed of China’s auto sector development is a key part of the conversation.

Susanne also spent time in North America, as a member of the ramp-up team in Volkswagen’s new Chattanooga, Tennessee production facility. Here, employee individualism required significantly different management tools than in the collectivist cultures of China and Mexico.

Her current assignment as Managing Director of Volkswagen Group’s Malaysian operation added an addition dimension beyond culture. For the first time she was also responsible for the more qualitative topics of Sales & Marketing, Customer Service, and the dealer network. She discusses how she has worked to master this area during a career previously focused on logistics and manufacturing.

During the conversation, Susanne shares fascinating insights on how she navigated cultures and the challenges they presented in each assignment.

For more information on The Auto Ethnographer please visit the homepage at https://www.auto-ethnographer.com [https://www.auto-ethnographer.com/]

EP 10: Dr. Susanne Lehmann: How a Volkswagen leader navigated through cultures on three continents

In this week's episode of The Auto Ethnographer podcast, host John Stech speaks with Andreas Schlegel on working in Germany, the United States, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and Sweden. Andreas recounts his journey through a number of premium and performance brands including Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Aston Martin, Lotus Motorcars, and Volvo. He even did a stint with F1 team Williams Racing.

Growing up in the Stuttgart, Germany area, Andreas started his career with Mercedes-Benz in their Nachwuchsgruppe management trainee program. This took him to the US and South Africa for early intercultural work experience.

Andreas then found an opportunity with Porsche where he focused on dealer network management as well as directly supporting the company's Head of Sales & Marketing during an exciting growth period for the brand - the first-generation Cayenne was in the pipeline at the time.

His time at Porsche was then parlayed into several roles at Aston Martin including APAC Region Sales as well as leading the companies Dealer Network efforts. He would leave but later return to Aston Martin in the role of Global Marketing Director.

As Lotus Motorcars set about to reinvent itself with a slew of new products, Andreas joined the team as Director of Marketing. He would be the one to organize the introduction of five new Lotus concepts at the Paris Motorshow in 2010.

Shortly afterwards, Volvo cars would also set out on a path of reinvention. Andreas moved to Sweden to help guide the company's global dealer network strategy, a sweeping effort to modernize hundreds of dealers around the globe.

Perhaps most exciting, he joined the team at Williams Racing to build a heritage business, retrofitting and refurbishing old Williams F1 cars for well-heeled customers. This brought him to the heart of one of the most storied F1 teams on the circuit.

You can find links to all major podcast apps at The Auto Ethnographer homepage by clicking on https://www.auto-ethnographer.com

EP 9: Andreas Schlegel: Speeding through cultures with Porsche, Aston Martin, Lotus, and Williams Racing

The Auto Ethnographer, John Stech, has a conversation with Jorge Mussi, the General Manager of Aftersales and the Customer Services Division at Toyota do Brasil about his journey from his native Brazil to Sweden and the United States and back to Brazil. He tells his story that begins with Volvo and is currently evolving at Toyota. 

Jorge’s automotive journey started with Volvo Truck & Bus in the early 1990s. For his love of cars, he moved over to Volvo’s passenger car division where he experienced several historical shifts of Brazilian trade policy regarding car imports. He recounts how this impacted the company and how Brazilian and Swedish management styles worked together in these challenging periods.

Taking an opportunity to live and work in Sweden at Volvo’s headquarters, he relocated to Gothenburg, eventually becoming a Swedish citizen. Jorge discusses how he had to adapt to local culture, even learning proficient Swedish after only four months. He discusses the Swedish decision-making process and how it actually takes place.

Jorge returned to Brazil as Volvo Car Brazil’s Director of Aftersales and Head of Government Affairs. He realized his advantages in running these operations having learned the inner workings of the headquarters in Sweden.

Another opportunity lay around the corner as Jorge joined Volvo Car Americas team in the United States as Director of Aftersales and Customer Services overseeing over 20 markets in Latin America, plus Canada. Here he was faced with the many nuanced differences across Latin American countries. They have one common language (or do they?) but many different cultural attributes.

Upon his return to Brazil, Jorge joined Toyota do Brasil during a restructuring and realignment of the company’s strategy. However, it was his first time working within a Japanese management philosophy. He discusses how he learned and adapted to this new style of business.

https://www.toyota.com.br/

For more information on The Auto Ethnographer please visit the homepage at https://www.auto-ethnographer.com [https://www.auto-ethnographer.com/]

EP 8: Jorge Mussi: Navigating Brazil, Sweden, and USA with Toyota and Volvo

The Auto Ethnographer is joined by Greg Clark who expounds on his experiences working with Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar Land Rover, American Honda, and INEOS Automotive. Four distinctly different brands, each with its own culture.  During the conversation we "visit" the UK, Germany, Japan, and United States and the unique working cultures of each. 

Greg, a native of the United Kingdom, moved to the United States for his studies. He parlayed that stay into the beginnings of an automotive career with Mercedes-Benz and Honda in the US. He worked in product management at both companies but each functioned much differently on the same topic.

After expanding the Mercedes-AMG centers in the US, he took over the overall AMG brand in the United States. Following successful growth of the brand and its sales, he transferred to Mercedes-AMG headquarters in Affalterbach, Germany. It took some time to sort out how to work with the German culture but Greg persevered.

He then transitioned to Jaguar Land Rover to lead an engineering department. This was a major shift in culture, company, and corporate function. He then slid over into JLR Brand Management and steered marketing over markets in the Overseas Region.

These experiences culminated in a preparedness a new challenge. He launched the INEOS Grenadier in the Americas as he took over as head of the region. This vehicle was born of English roots, German engineering, and French-based manufacturing. His task was to successfully introduce it to the United States and other markets in the Americas.

Greg introspectively discusses the challenges at each company and with each national culture that he encountered. He highlights some of the pitfalls that leaders can avoid due to cultural differences in the workplace.

To learn more about The Auto Ethnographer please visit the homepage at https://www.auto-ethnographer.com

EP 7: Greg Clark – Experience at Mercedes-Benz, Honda and Jaguar Land Rover prepared him for launching the INEOS Grenadier in the Americas

John Stech, The Auto Ethnographer, draws on his thirty years in the global automotive industry to bring the world to your doorstep in both an informative and entertaining way using a style rooted in autoethnography. 

What is "autoethnography"? Derived from Tony E. Adams’ definition, "autoethnography" is a research method leaning on the experiences of individuals to analyze assumptions, culture, communication, local norms, traditions, emotional impact, and how they mesh with greater culture and society where they operate. Normally, "auto" relates to the self – as in "autobiography". But we put wheels on it, separated the words, and focus on vehicles and the cultural experiences related to the auto industry.

The Auto Ethnographer and his guests tell the human stories behind the famous automotive and vehicle brands, spanning continents, countries, and cultures across the globe. Together, they unlock the mysteries of local culture, values, and approaches to success in the vehicle industry. Of course, every cultural interaction faces the risk of faux pas, and those will surely be covered as well. 

The Auto Ethnographer's guests made the vehicle industry happen in their country markets. Now they tell their stories. Each guest will relay their experiences while addressing cultural challenges they faced. Guests range from current and past industry leaders to newcomers and rising talents. They are either expats in a foreign land or local employees working with a foreign brand in their home country. 

The target audience are Individuals fascinated by the auto industry and how to navigate cultures for successful outcomes. The audience are either seasoned professionals or newcomers seeking to learn how to build their careers with global insights. But don't think this is limited to the auto industry. These international business principles are valid across industries.

John Stech engaged in his 30-year career with Mercedes-Benz, Chrysler Corp (now part of Stellantis), Volvo Car Group, and VinFast Automotive of Vietnam. He has lived and worked on five continents, interacting with thousands of people from dozens of different cultures. Now he brings that experience to you. 



The Auto Ethnographer with John Stech

John Stech, The Auto Ethnographer, shares his insights and experience on how international culture impacts the global automotive industry.

John Stech

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