THIRTY UNDER THIRTY PROFILES
Kristin Cermak Age: 30
General Motors Detroit, MI
UNDER THIRTY W
hen someone like Kurt M. Wiese, GM’s vice president of Global Manufactur- ing Engineering, nominates a person for 30 Under 30, it is a virtual certainty
that person is above average. When Wiese wrote that his nominee has “attributes required to be an Out- standing Future GM leader,” we suspected that she also has the accomplishments as well as the attributes to be an exceptional manufacturing practitioner. Cermak is currently the body manufacturing integra- tion lead for the 2016 Chevrolet Volt. “I am working on the launch of the all-new 2016 Chevrolet Volt,” she said, “where I lead a team of manufacturing engineers who are responsible for the entire body structure of the vehicle.” Cermak was hired by GM in 2008, the same year she received her master's of science in global automotive and manufacturing engineer- ing from the University of Michigan. Cermak earned her BSE in mechanical engi- neering (with a minor in German) the year before. While she excelled in the classroom she also gained practical experience through those years by completing both domestic and international internships.
In her spare time Cermak has been working on an
“She also served as president of the GM Jumpstart Program, where she led a cross-functional team to engage, develop and connect GM’s newest talent through professional and personal development.”
MBA from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Busi- ness. Cermak credits her grandfather, a millwright in the auto industry, for sparking her interest in knowing how things are made and how to fix them when they break. “He taught me a lot,” she said, “most importantly to make the most of every challenge–every situation–every day.” When it came time to decide on a college and a field of study, Cermak initially wasn’t sure if she wanted to make cars or restore people to health. “Not knowing definitively if I wanted to go into engineering or the medical field,” she said, “I applied to the University of Michigan College of Engineer- ing. After a few engineer- ing courses I knew that I wanted to be an engineer. “Manufacturing provides so many opportunities to be innovative, to drive change, and to see things come to life. I’ve been fortunate
Once full-time at GM, she undertook a series of de- velopmental rotations in the automaker’s Body in White Organization that, according to Wiese, “provided her learning opportunities ranging from supervising hourly employees in a vehicle manufacturing facility, to man- aging the launch of an advanced electric propulsion vehicle for both Cadillac and Chevrolet [ELR and Volt], to developing a new and lean manufacturing process for outer sheet metal stampings and assemblies with a strategic supplier.”
enough to participate at various outreach events where General Motors hosts Ride and Drives for current and potential customers to drive new vehicles in a low-key, no pressure atmosphere. It’s rewarding to sit in the pas- senger seat of a vehicle that you have helped launch, to be able to explain key features and capabilities of the vehicle, and to hear feedback from the driver first-hand.” Cermak is involved with the people aspect of auto- making in other ways, too. “Kristin is a [GM] corporate recruiter for students and new talent from the Univer- sity of Michigan College of Engineering,” wrote Wiese. “She also served as president of the GM Jumpstart Program, where she led a cross-functional team to engage, develop and connect GM’s newest talent through professional and personal development.”
July 2015 |
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