I’m Ron Arnesen, Executive Chief Engineer for Chevrolet, and This Is How I Work
Designing a car from the ground up, from road to rooftop, is a huge collaboration that requires someone at the wheel to lead the development of the car. At Chevrolet, one such executive is Ron Arnesen, who is responsible for the design and development of the Chevy Malibu.
Mr. Arnesen and his team oversee hundreds of engineers and manufacturers around the world working on large and medium-sized vehicles. Sounds like a pretty daunting task, but Ron is enthusiastic about his endless work. We met with him to find out a little about how he copes with his duties.
Location: My home base is at the General Motors Tech Center in Warren, Michigan, but I also spend a lot of time in our other global engineering centers in China, Germany, Korea, and Brazil.
Current place of work: I am Chief Engineer for Chevrolet. Despite the fact that my title says “Engineer”, my responsibilities are much broader than those of engineering. My team and I are responsible for the overall program management of all large and medium vehicles, including the Chevy Malibu and Chevy Cruze . This includes the management of the products we have on the market as well as the development of future models.
One word that best describes the way I work: full throttle. Does it count in one word? The automotive industry is global and highly competitive. As a result, a business environment is created that works 24 hours a day and develops rapidly!
Current mobile device: My greatest treasure is my iPhone 6. I didn’t realize how completely dependent I was on my mobile phone until I recently had to give it up for just a few hours to replace it. No calendar, no email access when I’m not a computer, no text messages when paused in meetings. Do you want to see me out of my mind? Just separate me from the phone.
Current Computer: I’m a huge fan of everything Apple has to offer and admire the company a lot. However, I have an HP EliteBook 840 to work with, and it’s a great machine. I have an iMac at home that I use for web browsing, news, and photography (which I rarely get to).
What software or tools can’t you live without?
I am passionate about text apps that help me stay connected with colleagues, friends and family, such as iMessage and WhatsApp. While in the car, I cannot live without Apple CarPlay . I can seamlessly move from office to home or drive while still having safe and easy access to my iPhone’s most used functions — all displayed on my car screen using familiar Apple designs. Very cool!
How is your workplace arranged?
Despite what Albert Einstein quoted as saying, “If a cluttered table is a sign of a cluttered mind, then what does an empty table mean?” I have a fairly clean desk and my office is pretty empty. No piles of paper, rows of pictures, or knickknacks.
I spend a lot of time away from my traditional office, so my workplace is often a conference room, hotel room, or my seat on an airplane. It is very rare that I am separated from the briefcase that contains my laptop and everything else I need to run my business, wherever I am.
What’s your best time-saver or life hack?
It has always been difficult for me to maintain any kind of work-life balance. I recently decided to try a different approach and actually brought my work and personal time a little closer together. I try so hard to stop struggling with the separation of work and personal life if you want to be a little more flexible in the personal and professional aspects of my life. I’ve found this can work if you really enjoy what you do and if you have a flexible work environment and a supportive friend. I’m lucky to have all of these elements.
The most important “life hack” in this regard is mental discipline, which allows, as they say, “to remain completely in the present moment.” If I’m going to call Asia from home at lunchtime, then I’m 100 percent focused on that call. But once the call is over, I try to focus completely on my personal life and not waste the next hour mentally rephrasing the phone call. Sometimes it is not easy to shift gears quickly and completely, but with practice it can be done.
What’s your favorite to-do list manager?
My primary to-do manager is an Outlook calendar that syncs between my laptop and mobile phone. I take notes on my daily calendar for tasks that need to be completed in the next few days. I also use a reminder app on my iPhone. There is always more on my daily to-do list than I can get through, but I feel great every time I “kill” a big one.
What device, besides a phone and a computer, can you not live without and why?
My iPad. Best investment I’ve ever made. I haven’t bought a paper book since I got my iPad.
What gadget, tool, or software do you need for your particular car design job?
We conduct daily project reviews and conference calls with business partners in other regions. We rely on WebEx to provide access to visuals and documents on the Internet during these reviews.
What is your dream car? Let’s say you won the lottery or something else that will sit in your garage?
This is now the new 2016 Chevrolet Malibu, one of the vehicles we are working tirelessly to launch in a couple of months. It’s amazing to see cutting-edge technology now available for midsize vehicles like the Chevrolet Malibu, from in-car Wi-Fi hotspot and Apple CarPlay or Android Auto features to semi-autonomous safety features like Lane Keep Assist and Automatic Parking Assist. … When I win the lottery, I have a Cadillac CT6 in my garage.
Fair! You’ve probably spent so much time working on this that it’s literally a dream. What are some of your best everyday activities?
I can sleep anywhere, anytime, including on an airplane. I can fly all night and wake up ready to travel to whatever region I have just landed in. Not sure if there is any secret or lesson here. I think I was just lucky.
What do you listen to while you work?
In this area, I am definitely sticking to the “old school”. I don’t listen to music at work. If I did, I would listen to any new music that my adult children love. They have different tastes, they listen to pop, rap and country. We have a shared iTunes account, and as a result, all of their music is synced to my devices. At home I listen to Spotify and Apple Radio. I especially like the top 50 Spotify lists by country.
What are you reading now?
Unfortunately, there are too many emails. A huge part of my job is communicating and coordinating the work of different teams on a project. And given the different regions and time zones in which we operate, email is a natural channel for information exchange and communication.
How do you replenish?
I relax and recuperate by exercising and spending time with loved ones. I try to do 4-5 cardio or circuit workouts a week and started cycling this summer. In winter I try to keep up with my son on a snowboard. He’s really good and very fast. According to him, I am “a normal old man.”
What is your sleep routine?
I try like crazy to sleep at least six hours a night, but often this does not happen. As I mentioned, I am very fortunate that I can sleep a lot on command and I have no problem changing time zones while traveling. This is a huge advantage for me, as my position requires me to work in multiple time zones and I often had to participate in calls outside of regular hours. When I’m at home, I get up from 4 to 5 o’clock on weekdays. The first hour or so of work, when it’s still quiet, is when I prepare for my day and mentally prepare for whatever I have on my agenda. I’m definitely a morning person.
I would really like ______ to answer these same questions:
Jamie Dimon of JP Morgan and Richard Branson of Virgin.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
It goes without saying that as a leader, you must clearly define the expectations and priorities for your team. But this is often not enough for the team to achieve results in the most important areas of the business. One of my previous leaders did indeed promote the old adage, “You get what you test, not what you expect.” I’ve used this simple tip over the years to keep myself and my teams focused on what really matters. We arrange regular reviews and reviews of key projects or business indicators. What we “check” on a regular basis naturally attracts the attention needed to ensure positive results.
What else would you like to add that might be of interest to readers and fans?
A few tips for young people early in their careers: If you work in a global industry and have the opportunity to work abroad, go for it. And if you have moved further up the career ladder, you have children and you will be offered to take your family on a business trip abroad, even better! Gaining a global experience can bring real benefits to your career and can be a positive, life-changing experience for your entire family, especially your children.