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Flextronics International
Retained Executive Search
Chief Technical Officer
Automotive Business Segment

Position Specification

 
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The Market Opportunity: $314.4B Global Automotive Electronics Market

[May 16, 2013] According to a MarketResearch.com report, the global market for Automotive Electronics, estimated at $191.3B in 2013 and forecast to be $204.6B in 2014, is further projected to reach $314.4B by 2020, thereby maintaining a CAGR of 7.3% between 2012 and 2020.

The major trends driving demand for increased penetration of electronics in automobiles include regulatory mandates for improving fuel economy and stringent emission standards as well as requirements for advanced safety systems, consumer demand for safety & security and comfort & convenience features, and growth of hybrid and electric vehicles. 

 [May 23, 2013] "The massive growth of automotive electronics in the space of a decade reflects the field's rising importance to the car industry at large, especially as original equipment manufacturers ratify in-vehicle electronics to be an essential selling feature for an automobile," said, Ben Scott, automotive analyst for IHS.

Also serving as an engine of market growth is the effort among automakers to add advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). Such mechanisms can enhance car safety, a key selling point. Illustrative of its promise and potential, the ADAS electronics market is estimated to almost triple from 2010 through 2020.

"ADAS features are finding their way into more and more vehicles," Scott said. "The integration of ADAS into the instrument cluster and head up display (HUD) is expected to be commonplace in the future."

Our Client: Flextronics International (http://www.flextronics.com/)

Flextronics International Ltd. (NASDAQ: FLEX) is a leading end-to-end supply chain solutions company that delivers design, engineering, manufacturing and logistics services to a range of industries and end-markets, including data networking, telecom, enterprise computing and storage, industrial, capital equipment, appliances, automation, medical, automotive, aerospace and defense, energy, mobile, computing and other electronic product categories. Flextronics is an industry leader with $24B in sales, generated from helping its customers design, build, ship, and service their products through an unparalleled network of facilities in more than 30 countries and across four continents. Flextronics' service offerings and vertically integrated component technologies optimize customer supply chains by lowering costs, increasing flexibility, and reducing time-to-market.

Business Groups

  • High Reliability Solutions -- in supporting commercial aerospace, defense and homeland security markets, covers avionics, flight and engine controls, ruggedized communications, wire-harness for ground and air vehicles, night vision systems, security systems and surveillance. For automotive customers, Flextronics supports powertrain, connectivity, power electronics, lighting and electronics manufacturing services businesses. In the energy area, Flextronics supports the entire market infrastructure from generation, to transmission and distribution to smart use. In the medical markets, Flextronics supports their customers in consumer health and drug delivery, disposable devices, life science diagnostics, and imaging and monitoring.
  • High Velocity Solutions -- which includes products such as mobile phones, smart phones, wireless modules and products, home entertainment equipment, game consoles, printers, copiers, all-in-one PC desktops, notebook and netbook computers, PC and media tablets.
  • Integrated Network Solutions -- which includes networking, communications, server and storage, enterprise and home connectivity (including base stations, core routers and switches, optical and optical network terminal equipment, set-top boxes, DSL/cable modems, enterprise storage device and servers).
  • Industrial and Emerging Industries -- which includes Appliances & Lifestyle Solutions, Emerging Industries, Equipment and Special Business Solutions.

Automotive Business Segment

The circa $1.7B Flextronics Automotive Business Segment consists of a global team of 8,000 employees; 6 design centers located in Toronto, Coopersville, MI, Detroit, MI, Stuttgart, Cebu, and Shanghai; and 15 global manufacturing operations.

Utilizing their strengths in electronics manufacturing, engineering, and design, Flextronics Automotive offers a wide selection of customer-centric solutions for the automotive industry. They are also focused on providing dedicated end-to-end solutions to the global automotive market. Flextronics' international presence allows customers to utilize operations in the Americas, Asia and Europe, including services from low-cost regions for cost-effective alternatives and competitive pricing.

Flextronics has a complete portfolio of products and service solutions that includes a high degree of customization. Their vertically integrated offerings include design, tooling, plastics molding, metal fabrication, rigid and flex printed circuit boards, electronics assembly, test and validation, repair and refurbishment and logistics.

Flextronics is continuously growing and broadening their world-class expertise in the automotive market for interior and exterior lighting, power electronics, connectivity, and clean tech products.  Flextronics has over 15 years of experience in TS 16949 compliant manufacturing. Flextronics provides a fast time-to-market approach by taking advantage of the synergies between the highly efficient consumer and industrial environment and robust automotive processes. Flextronics is focused on providing a truly dedicated end-to-end solutions approach to the global automotive market. Since quality fulfillment is just as important as fast and flexible organization, Flextronics has established a professional team that covers everything from global account and program management, through materials, sourcing and procurement, global quality organization, testing and validation to dedicated automotive design and manufacturing locations. With one face to their customers, the company can cover all of your requirements throughout your entire product life cycle.

Integrated Network Solutions Manufacturing

Global Leader in Automotive Design and Manufacturing

Flextronics offers a wide range of solutions, from highly customized original design and manufacturing to high quality build-to-print assemblies. The Automotive product portfolio is captured in 3 distinct groups:

Smart Electronics

Active Safety

Rear View Cameras
Blind Spot Detection Cameras

Connectivity/Infotainment
Sound & Connect Modules
Media Device Interface
Vehicle System Interface Modules
Rear Seat Entertainment Modules
Telematics/GPS
Head Units
Audio Systems

Power Controls
Motion Control Modules
Remote Start Antennas
Keyfob & Keyless Entry Systems
Instrument Clusters/Gauges
Capacitive Sensors

Clean Tech

Electric Flow Control Components

High Precision Solenoids (Engine & Trans.)
Quasi-Diodes
Electric Relays

Energy Converters
DC/DC Converters
Start-Stop Voltage Stabilizers
Cold Start Modules
Recuperation Modules

Electronic Control Units (ECUs)
Cooling Fans
Power Steering
Fuel Pump Controllers

Electronic Interconnects
High Power Battery Cables
Specialized Wire Harnesses (incl. FPC)
Aluminum Harnesses

Electric Motorcycle
Brammo Motor Bike

Lighting Technologies

Center High Mounted Stop Lights (CHMSL)
Overhead Consoles
Dome Lights
LED/RGB Ambient Lighting
Flexible Printed Circuits (FPC): Q-Prime™
Exterior Lighting Manufacturing/Service Solutions

Flextronics Executive Leadership Team:

  • Mike McNamara – Chief Executive Officer
  • Christopher Collier – Chief Financial Officer & Chief Accounting Officer
  • Paul Humphries – President High Reliability Solutions (HRS)
  • Chris Obey – President Automotive Business Segment

The Opportunity – Chief Technical Officer, Automotive Business Segment

Flextronics is looking for a Chief Technical Officer, Automotive Business Segment to be a key member of the Flextronics Team, and who will work out of Flextronics' office locations located near Detroit, Michigan.

The Chief Technical Officer, Automotive Business Segment role will report directly to Chris Obey, President, Automotive Business Segment.  Responsible for all global engineering/technical operations leadership and management aspects of the circa $1.7B Automotive business segment, the CTO is responsible for leading a global team of +300 employees, in addition to being responsible for 6 design centers located in Toronto, Coopersville, MI, Detroit, MI, Stuttgart, Cebu, and Shanghai.  Coming in, this executive will have the opportunity to optimize their direct reporting structure and organizational design.  In addition to interacting and working closely with Automotive Business Segment customers, this executive will collaborate closely with Automotive Business Segment organizational peers such as the Vice President of Business Development, Vice President of Quality, as well as Region specific Vice Presidents, and Senior Director of Business Initiatives.  In addition, this role is also supported by resources in centralized human resources and finance support teams.

Flextronics' culture poses an ideal career opportunity for the right candidate.  First, Flextronics is a down to earth "roll-up-the sleeves" entrepreneurial culture.  Our client passionately pursues high quality and high customer satisfaction, which creates a fertile climate for leadership personnel who are willing to take intelligent risks and contribute to a free-market of ideas toward quality improvement and solutions for customer issues.  Second, honesty and integrity is at the heart of Flextronics' culture; the right candidate will be affirmed for ethical practice in relationships with customers, employees and trading partners.  A third characteristic of Flextronics' culture is the continuous measurement and rewarding of high performance; all employees are encouraged to innovate, collaborate and work in teams to optimize results, and then to capture and distribute what is learned from their experiences.

The ideal candidate must be very comfortable with a hands-on, multi-dimensional, high growth global general management engineering/technical leadership role. Flextronics brings strong leadership capability into a competitive marketplace.  This type of challenge is a selling point for the right individual, who can appreciate the magnitude of the breakout opportunity presented to them.  Flextronics is looking for a passionate yet humble, unselfish, thick-skinned, extremely creative well-balanced leader who will thrive in this fast-paced, team-oriented environment.  The dynamic nature of Flextronics' business demands this person have the flexibility to both drive and adapt to change, push their own personal and professional limits, and possess the character to stand in the face of uncertainty, and the judgment and experience to know which course to pursue.

Position Profile

The synergy of Flextronics' portfolio of capability has created a huge opportunity in multiple growing Global markets.  Flextronics is uniquely positioned to drive from their market leadership position and continue to achieve dramatic growth in the Automotive market segment.    

The challenge facing Flextronics is to quickly capitalize on its unique client centric solutions competencies, capabilities, success and market position, and establish itself as the market dominant provider of electronic solutions to the Automotive market segment.  The nature of Flextronics' capability combined with their strategy-driven practical approach gives Flextronics a tremendous competitive advantage over would be competitive solutions in multiple markets.  Upon arriving at Flextronics, the Chief Technical Officer, Automotive Business Segment will be expected to draw on personal experience to quickly assess ongoing activities, as well as contribute/support planning and implementing a customer centric profit driven executable growth strategy. This executive will inherit an established team and is expected to quickly build an embedded presence establishing themselves as a trusted cross-functional leader with their team.

The Chief Technical Officer, Automotive Business Segment is a multi-dimensional leader and change agent able to profitably manage the engineering/technical aspects of the business effectively into a world-class market dominant leadership position.  This executive is responsible for working with Senior Management, Manufacturing Operations Management, Product Managers and other functional leaders, to lead several Design & Engineering teams involved in the design, validation and implementation of innovative and cost effective product solutions of varying scope in order to meet customer requirements from development of conceptual prototypes and architecture through development into full-scale production.

The essential duties and responsibilities for the role include:

  • Develop a technology roadmap for automotive products that is in line with the current Automotive strategy and Corp CTO objectives.
  • Rationalize and develop a “core” products portfolio (i.e., engine solenoids, ADAS, connectivity, software or other emerging technologies)
  • Ensure developing technologies reach serial production on main stream vehicles.
  • Establish an approved technology roadmap for Automotive products for the next 10 years.
  • Establish Flextronics as the OEM “go to” supplier for advanced automotive electronics as measured through a 40% improvement in top 10 customer feedback.
  • Establish a technology, recognized and approved by the Flextronics CTO as a “Center of Excellence” for product(s) that can be proliferated across Flextronics (i.e., sensors, connectivity, optics, LED lighting, etc.)
  • Complete engineering/technical responsibility for the combined circa $1.7B Automotive business.
  • Develop engineering/technical strategy, associated KPI dashboard, and continuously improve methods, systems and processes in a complex and rapidly changing environment to improve customer satisfaction and ensure continuous processes improvement in support of profitable execution of high growth businesses.
  • Develop and execute an engineering/technical Automotive business plan to support achieving quarterly and annual Company investment, cash flow, and P&L objectives ensuring budget, schedules and performance indicators meet corporate guidelines.
  • Define, set and lead the execution of the engineering/technical strategies to support growth of the combined Automotive business into a profitable circa $6B P&L over the next 5 years.
  • Partner with other leaders to establish objectives and action plans interfacing productively and collaboratively across the Automotive organization, as well as, across the overall company, including directly developing trusted advisor relationships with customers. 
  • Partner with Operations leaders to ensure Engineering & Design activities are well integrated with manufacturing operations including the use of Design for Manufacturability principles.
  • Develop and gain stakeholder buy-in, and effectively evangelize and enroll the Automotive organization around a forward looking engineering/technical vision.
  • Support growth of the Tier-1 and OEM customer base globally.
  • Develop an understanding of how to leverage Company wide key differentiators to include technology, manufacturing, and other value added competencies capability versus simply attempting to differentiate based on being a low cost supplier.
  • Identify and build engineering/technical business cases for investment opportunities in new markets, geographies, new customers, as well as expand the profitable relationships with existing customers.
  • Leverage personal engineering/technical experience to support the full product life-cycle and new product introduction in a complex product culture.
  • Provide technical and strategic guidance to subordinate directors to ensure achievement of goals and objectives.
  • Ensure the Automotive organization has the right engineering/technical people, processes, and systems in place to ensure the organization's ability to profitably deliver on its customer commitments and quality expectations.
  • Continue to improve measure and strive for world-class quality via engineering/technical processes, methodologies and rigorous quality control system requirements.
  • Challenges their organization by asking the "tough questions": What engineering/technical capability do we need to support expanding/pursuing business/market opportunity in specific business areas/geographies? How does our engineering/technical capabilities need to evolve to support high margin generating products? What's the next technology/systems need we should be focusing on developing capability for in this industry segment? How are we supporting technology and systems convergence needs within our target client base? What engineering capability and/or technology do we need to acquire to create profitable synergy in our platform base?

Our client's growth is expected to dramatically outpace the industry. As this individual’s experience with our client grows over time, so will their role and responsibility. The Chief Technical Officer, Automotive Business Segment works cross-functionally with Company executives, peers, and subordinates daily as a Business Segment team member to ideate, support, implement and guide overall company evolution and growth.

Successful candidates must possess the following skills and experience:

  • Must have significant and broad experience across automotive industry emerging technologies and platforms (e.g., power train, connectivity, electrical distribution, LED lighting solutions, power electronics, etc.).
  • Currently in a Tier 1 or OEM automotive electronics supplier Global Engineering/Technical Executive General Management role responsible for managing the engineering/technical resources associated with a +$500M P&L with a track record of above industry average revenue and margin growth, the ideal candidate possesses +15 years of automotive electronics industry experience which includes +10 years of engineering/technical general management executive experience in progressively more challenging roles.  
  • Must have significant experience building, leading, managing and growing global engineering/technical teams, and contributing in a direct roll-up-the sleeves hands-on way.
  • The candidate possesses an engineering/technical background with extensive international leadership experience in Tier 1 and/or OEM automotive electronics or related Industry experience. Experience working on more than one continent is a distinct advantage.
  • This individual possesses high integrity, having demonstrated the ability to walk their talk, speaking with authenticity and authority, especially in the context of succeeding or failing as a team.
  • As a disciplined leader, this individual leads by example, and has demonstrated that they live by the principles of Teamwork and responsibility (everyone is a leader). Treats people with respect; keeps commitments; inspires the trust of others; works with integrity and ethically; upholds organizational values.
  • An effective positive Change Agent possessing experience developing leadership ranks within an organization.
  • Possesses a winning spirit and profitability orientation, and has demonstrated the courage to take calculated risks.
  • Possessing a consistent track record of developing very clear vision, strategies and tactics from scratch, and able to align the company in a way that inspires and motivates and focuses energy on achieving business goals.
  • Possessing the ability to think and plan strategically, this individual also has the ability to execute tactically, manage multiple, complex priorities within demanding timeframes, ensure accountability for results that maximize contribution to business objectives.
  • Experience in EEO policy; shows respect and sensitivity for cultural differences; educates others on the value of diversity; promotes a harassment-free environment; builds a diverse workforce.
  • Having demonstrated a strong ability to develop and maintain relationships with client executives up to the Boardroom level and is able to build and position customer specific compelling value propositions.
  • BS in Engineering or related field.  MS or MBA preferred
  • Must be willing to relocate to work out of our client's Automotive Business Segment headquarters located near Detroit, MI.
 


For more information please contact:

Ron E. Bates, Managing Principal
Best & Quickest Method for Establishing Contact    [email protected]
Slowest Method    408-451-8414

Executive Advantage Group, Inc.
Offices in Silicon Valley and the Pacific Northwest    www.executive-advantage.com


 
 
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