Mª Pilar Carruesco (AutoForm): ‘The need for rapid adaptation to new trends represents new opportunities for AutoForm’

At the beginning of this year, Mª Pilar Carruesco was given the opportunity to take on a challenging professional defiant at the head of AutoForm in the Iberian Peninsula. A milestone in an outstanding career that continues to contribute to the company's success.

AutoRevista - Your career has led you to assume the top responsibility for AutoForm in the Iberian Peninsula since January 2024, what are your main objectives to consolidate and strengthen the company's presence in Spain and Portugal?

Mª Pilar Carruesco.-  I see my appointment as a big challenge, but I like challenges very much. I accepted it with great enthusiasm and now, in my first year, I think we are facing a fifth Industrial Revolution focused on people. We are living in liquid times with changes in the labour and social spheres... The companies that survive this situation will be those that know how to adapt quickly to these changes. In the case of our sector, we are talking about electrification, sustainability, digitalisation, concepts that were not talked about a few years ago and that we must implement.

We are living in liquid times with changes in the labour and social spheres... The companies that survive this situation will be those that are able to adapt quickly to these changes

As far as AutoForm is concerned, in addition to maintaining the leadership in our specialty, I am focusing on expanding our market share, supporting our industrial customers in adapting to the new trends of digitalisation, electrification and sustainability, contributing to their competitiveness.

AR.- How does AutoForm cooperate with OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers?

M.P.C.- Practically everything we develop is done after having listened to the needs of vehicle manufacturers and Tier 1 suppliers. We rely on a fully collaborative approach, starting to work from very early stages to detect the challenges from the beginning. We incorporate members of our R&D and Product teams, working together to develop and implement the solution as quickly as possible. Of the approximately 600 AutoForm employees worldwide, more than a half are part of the development team. We focus on the niche such as the deformation and assembly of metal parts. Our strategy is focused on launching an updated version of our products every year, introducing new products in response to our customers’ day-to-day challenges.

AR.- In an industry where digitalisation is a fundamental key to competitivity, what could be the next steps in AutoForm's technological evolution?

M.P.C.- The simulation of processes in sheet metal parts is something completely taken for granted, although in assembly processes there is not so much progress, a field in which there is a lot of room for improvement. Assembly processes are susceptible to greater incidences and, therefore, to cost overruns and longer development times. We have long emphasized this area, as well as pre-production, to ensure a robust process at an early stage of engineering, where there are aspects that are difficult to control. 

We are working hard with the quality departments of our customers to make them aware that there are tools that can predict the robustness and reliability of processes at a very early stage

Here is where we are working hard with customers' quality departments to make them aware that there are tools that can actually predict the robustness, considering production parameters. Looking to the future, we are deepening our collaboration with companies specialising in artificial intelligence towards more predictive and automated solutions.

AR.- Another aspect you are very knowledgeable about is sustainability, with mention to energy efficiency, how does it contribute and how can a supplier like AutoForm continue to contribute in this field?

M.P.C.- This is a very important aspect also for AutoForm, which works to reduce its own carbon footprint. For the customer, our tools will help to reduce material waste, noise and process instability with fewer defective parts. It also helps to reduce energy consumption and reduce the carbon footprint thanks to the accuracy of results on new materials such as high strength steels or new types of aluminium. We also increase computational speed to avoid high use of energy-intensive supercomputers.

AR.- There is also an important dynamic in the evolution towards new materials, especially steels and aluminium with new properties, what challenges do these trends pose for AutoForm?

M.P.C.- Working with new materials is a challenge, but also an opportunity. AutoForm is characterized by precision and speed of calculation of results and the challenge is to reach this same precision level for the new materials. We also believe it is an opportunity because the customer using our solutions will be able to be much more competitive thanks to the effectiveness and the consequent reduction of costs and production times.

AR.- How can we describe the specific weight of AutoForm's Iberian subsidiary in the organisation chart of the multinational? What is the influence of being geographically located in the territory of the second European vehicle manufacturer?

M.P.C.- The subsidiary has an important weight within the group, considering that other subsidiaries in Asia and the United States have grown considerably. It is true that it is relevant to be located in the second European vehicle producing country, but it should kept in mind that most of the development centres are located outside our borders. In our direct field of action, we have very close contact with SEAT, CUPRA and Volkswagen Autoeuropa. We support them a lot in implementing our solutions, contributing to their productivity and technological progress within the Volkswagen Group.

On the other hand, Spain has a long tradition in the field of tooling, with a significant number of die-stamping plants with which we work, although this activity has been significantly reduced in recent years due to the crisis, the COVID pandemic and the relocation to countries such as China and Turkey. Also very significant is the numerous presences of large automotive suppliers, among which we work very directly with Gestamp, which gives us a lot of visibility within the group. 

AR.- What is your perspective on the role of a simulation software supplier at a time of unprecedented transformation in the automotive industry (electrification, increased competition from Asia, higher levels of sustainability, etc.)? Do you think it influences value chain profiles like yours in a certain way?

M.P.C.- The need for rapid adaptation to these trends represents new opportunities for AutoForm. This transformation demands new parts, new assemblies, new designs, new materials. New levels of weight reduction, new levels of strength and impact behaviour, new levels of safety are required. Without simulation solutions, it is not possible to be competitive with other geographical areas. At AutoForm we have the challenge to deeply learn the behaviour of new materials, giving the best and swift answer to our customers.

At AutoForm we are challenged to learn in depth the behavior of new materials, giving the best response to our customers

AR.- How would you describe the key moments in your career at AutoForm assuming strategic and business development responsibilities in combination with the technology side of AutoForm products?

M.P.C.- I started at AutoForm in 2007 as Support Engineer, providing technical support to customers for about five years. It was a position that helped me a lot to understand how the industry worked, the day-to-day challenges of customers and to get to know each of the solutions we had available. In 2012, I joined the sales team, where the background I gained was essential. Subsequently, I became Gestamp's worldwide Global Account Manager, which gave me a very important global vision to get the most out of the use of all of our solutions. 

Over the years, I have gained an overview of both technical and business aspects. This has allowed me to support the development of new technologies and to generate tangible value for our customers. A lot of training, experience and also my character have allowed me to combine the technical and commercial fields. In this respect, active listening and an interest in learning are essential.

AR.- How would you define your management style and managerial skills? How do you work with the teams you lead?

M.P.C.- I base my style on emotional and somatic leadership with three fundamental axes: empathy, active listening and empowerment of my collaborators. Within the team there must be a sense of calm, trust, respect, where everyone can contribute their ideas, without fear of mistakes. I think mental health is essential, because if people are well, it will be noted, and if they are not well, it will also be noticed. The company must support both moments. I combine both emotional and somatic leadership based on calm, balance, being close to my colleagues to give them the opportunity to grow, which is what they have given me. My goal is to form a high-performance team, in which each person works very independently and in which they can count on me in a reliable way.

I rely heavily on emotional and somatic leadership with three fundamental axes: empathy, active listening and empowerment of my employees

Working at AutoForm, a gift

‘Ever since I was a child, I have always loved cars, a passion I shared with my father. I remember that we used to play in the street to guess the car models. On the other hand, I was always assembling and disassembling things. My dream was to design a car and I also liked trains. That dream led me to choose a career in engineering, specialising in mechanics. My family was not very happy because engineering was traditionally male, but I was very persevering and when I finished my degree I started sending CVs to automotive companies. ‘When AutoForm called me, I thought it was a gift and it still is. With a lot of hard work, dedication and effort, I like what I do and where I am and, in a way, I have fulfilled my dream. I can see future designs, I support customers with new challenges with all that that entails, and I am very grateful.

Searching for the best me

Mª Pilar Carruesco confesses that ‘what I enjoy most is spending time with my family, my husband and my five year old daughter, with work-life balance as a key factor. I am very grateful to AutoForm for the flexibility it allows in this respect. On the other hand, I am a nature lover, a feeling that comes from my father, who comes from a small village in the Pyrenees in Huesca. I go hiking a lot in the mountains, where I like to ‘get lost’. This way I reduce stress, I look for mental balance... I need the contact with nature. I also lower my heart rate through sport. Another hobby is reading books on personal development in search of a better me, both personally and professionally’.

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Interview published in AutoRevista 2.396