Next Generation Awards - Blog

Jake Larson - 2013 Next Generation Awards winner

Jaguar Land Rover: 7th July - 1st August

For the fifth and final instalment of Jake Larsson's Autocar/Courland Next Generation work experience prize, Jaguar Land Rover was the host.

We caught up with Jake in the Virtual Innovation Centre at JLR's Gaydon HQ. Here, in the early stages of a new car's development, human beings trussed up in body sensors  control avatars to test out everyday ownership practicalities. Jake is virtually loading a virtual box into a virtual car. It's a big change from the very real project he's been working on at JLR.

“I've been in the company's global marketing Features and Attributes Planning team, looking at propositions for new markets for the JLR brand to extend into. My mentor here, Sam Allen, the Future Features Marketing Manager, has helped me to put together a project presentation on it for an invited audience of JLR people.”

The presentation is highly technical, but it's engagingly and accessibly presented by Larsson, and well received by the audience. Sam Allen has been impressed by our Next Gen winner. “From the 26,000 job applicants we get every year, the business employs around 280,” he says. “From those 280, 20 come and work for our team. I'd say Jake is in the top 10-15% of the 20 that we take.”

The respect is mutual. “The first thing I noticed when I came to Jaguar Land Rover was the atmosphere of real excitement and growth,” says Larsson. “Everyone's really engaged and excited by the expansion that's going on here.

“Outside the project, I've been able to try out some of Land Rover's new upcoming features at the offroad track and test new CAD models in the VIC ergonomics lab. I've also been out in an F-Type. I couldn't resist mentioning that the previous month I'd been flat out in the passenger seat of a McLaren P1.” Such is the wonder of the Next Generation winner's experience, where fantasy can (and often does) become reality.

Now that Jake's finished the whole Next Generation process, what are his thoughts?

“It's been absolutely amazing, totally beyond my expectations. Every company has tried to give me the best experience possible. And it's not been making the tea type stuff, I've had real responsibilities. I've seen some amazing technologies and innovations, and I've been able to get stuck into some actual products that will be on the road one day.

“Although I wasn't a diehard petrolhead when I started, I was always interested in innovation, and this experience has really fuelled that.

“The biggest surprise for me has been to find that this industry is all about people. Whether you're a retailer selling a car, or you're in PR and talking to journalists, it's all about how you interact with people.

“Making a product as complicated as a car is not down to individuals, it's down to thousands of people all contributing. One of the most important things in the automotive industry is how you share knowledge and how you organise people.”

People are a big part of the scene at Jaguar Land Rover right now. The company is growing and recruiting heavily, says Jo Lopes, Head of Technical Excellence..“In the last four and a half years we have taken on nearly 15,000 people, which has nearly doubled the size of the business.

“The Autocar/Courland Next Generation scheme is important for us because it highlights the young talent that's out there. When the winners come here for their work experience they can give us a 'fresh eyes' approach to all our processes. Jake's provided us with some very good insights.”

McLaren: 2nd June – 27th June

Jake's fourth work experience was at McLaren Automotive in Woking, under the tutelage of head engineer Geoff Grose, the man responsible for the development of the current 12C and the upcoming entry-level McLaren P13.

Grose's own career started at Rolls-Royce, where he was an undergraduate apprentice. After 12 years with Lotus he joined McLaren in 2006, working first on the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren and then the 12C. He knows the value of a good start in any career, and is  therefore determined that Next Gen winners should get real work experience while they're at McLaren, not just the odd spot of tea-making.

Last year's Next Gen winner Roberto Pace offered to design a part to help with the assembly of the P1 supercar. The part was adopted by McLaren and used in the production process. That's the kind of real work experience we're talking about.  

In Jake's case, commercial confidentiality prevents him from telling us too much about his time at Woking, other than that it was “a really great experience” involving writing software and algorithms for the Vehicle Controls department, a key stage in the fine-tuning of how owners feel about their cars. “I had no direct experience in software, but my Maths degree was helpful,” says Larsson. “Richard Felton, the head of Vehicle Controls, very kindly mentored me through it. I got to meet and talk with a lot of people across the whole company.”

What kind of people? “It's a demanding environment here,” chips in Grose. “So our people are quite driven. They want to know that the other people they're working with are at the top of their game.

“One thing that we're looking for, and that Jake has, is an ability to get your head down and do the work. Personal commitment and passion for what you're doing are really important too.”

Jake tapped into that feeling from day one. “A lot of people have the idea that McLaren is a slightly clinical company. I was one of them. But you soon realise that this place is made up of really passionate people.

“McLaren's cars aren't just a manifestation of engineering, they reflect individual peoples' passions. Everyone's 'on it'. Even the window cleaner is the best window cleaner I've ever seen.”

Grose confirms that the work Jake's been doing is 'real', and will play a part in McLaren vehicle development. It's a win-win for both parties, says the McLaren man. “Coupled with everything else he's been doing for the other companies, and how he pieces it all together, I think the Next Generation Award is a fantastic prize.”

One highlight of Larsson's time with McLaren wasn't actually in Woking, but at the Dunsfold test track where he took part in a 45-minute evaluation session in the passenger seat of the 900hp P1 hypercar. It ended somewhat ingloriously with Jake's lunch ending up on the track surface. “I would challenge anyone to be in a P1 for 45 minutes and not throw up,” he laughs. “It was incredible.”

Just before we leave, we bump into Roberto Pace. That wasn't a complete surprise because, shortly after his Next Gen work experience at McLaren, he was given a full-time job there as a design engineer. Things do seem to happen pretty quickly for Next Generation Award winners…

Toyota: 28th April – 23rd May

Jake Larsson talks about his third one-month work experience placement

“My arrival at Toyota's HQ near Epsom coincided with the company's launch of its 'Love Hybrid' campaign. Toyota's Marketing head Jason Stanley gave me a key research project to do, examining the public response to hybrid and the consumer journey for Toyota and its hybrid competitors.

“I was given full access to both the Toyota marketing team and their agencies, including Saatchi and Saatchi. My prior work experiences at Skoda and Peugeot were really beneficial because they gave me the confidence to interact with professionals at a high level. I was able to go around Toyota asking challenging questions. The outcome was an addition in Toyota’s understanding of their current approach to hybrid. 

“The archetypal hybrid customer is likely to be an older person with disposable cash who is looking to buy something environmentally responsible and fuel-efficient. Under-35s have traditionally been a less common sight in Toyota showrooms.

“But my research indicates that things might be about to change. I found that the motivation for buying a hybrid is very different to the motivation for coming back and buying another one. Owners are always learning new things about their hybrids – like the fact that they deliver a different driving experience. It's not just about economy.

“There's still a perception of hybrids being environmentally friendly and slow, but we're seeing them increasingly in motorsport and the perception is changing. Customers are more informed now. My personal view on hybrids is that we've gone through a plateau period and people are now really curious about hybrid technology, what it means and the benefits it offers.

“When I went to dealerships and talked to customers, most of them were loyal customers on their fourth or fifth hybrids, people who actively enjoyed the hybrid experience. In my opinion, these experiential and emotional angles are the way forward for marketing and communications in the automotive industry.

“On paper, the layouts of the three companies I've been with so far – Toyota, Peugeot and Skoda – are very similar, but the cultures are very different. None of the three brands are really competing against one another. It's more about each company thinking 'how do we find space within the market to deliver the best product to our customers?'. Toyota is finding its own space in the middle of the market, with Yaris and Auris hybrids as a lever for its own unique position. 

“My visit to Toyota's manufacturing facility at Burnaston in Derbyshire absolutely blew my mind, but the thing that I was most impressed by was their commitment to corporate social responsibility. The fact that none of the waste output goes to landfill astounded me.

“Before I went there, I must admit I thought Toyota's environmental record was just a marketing ploy, but their commitment to CSR really is amazing. Japanese philosophies are really strong and permeate the whole company.

“There's a real future for students in automotive. The idea that robots are taking over the auto industry a bit of a fallacy. If new entrants want to go into mechatronics or robotics, that's a good move, but there are so many more opportunities in areas such as, for example, metrology, which is the science of measurement. With the introduction of more materials into the body of a car, tolerance is crucial. If there's an issue, you have to be able to trace it back. As panels get more complex, being able to measure them accurately using freeform measurement techniques is really important.

“At the very end of the line though it comes down to a team checking cars by hand to make sure they feel right. That's one of the things I love about the auto industry.

“Now I'm more than halfway through the work experience programme, I find I'm looking at cars totally differently. Before, I could appreciate them as aesthetic engineering achievements, but now that I know more about the components, processes and people that make up the industry, it's convinced me that I really want to be part of the front end of it, on the design and engineering side.”

Peugeot: 17th March – 11the April

For the second of his five internships, Autocar-Courland Next Generation Award winner Jake Larsson headed up to Peugeot UK in Coventry – but his first cup of tea had barely cooled before he was off to Velizy, just outside Paris, where the R&D department of Peugeot's parent company PSA turns science fiction into science fact.

A holographic design suite straight out of Star Trek: The Next Generation (appropriately) is just one tool in Peugeot's StelLab 'open innovation' initiative that actively fosters dialogue between PSA and outside scientists and academics. The aim is to ensure that future products are not only well designed, but also right for the time that they'll be released. Given that there can be up to fifteen years between a planner's first thoughts and commercial launch, and given the speed of change in legislation, markets and society in general, that's quite a task.

For Jake, access to the Velizy facilities was the equivalent of a Lottery win. He was just as blown away by the experience as last year's Next Gen winner Roberto Pace, who described his visit there as 'like taking a trip in a time machine'. “The StelLab open innovation policy is about opening the company up to changes in the market, and reducing the amount of effort required to respond to those changes,” said Jake. "The innovation at Velizy is mindblowing. The engineers are living five to ten years into the future.”

While at Velizy, Jake was able to present his Award-winning 'Sensory Integration System' idea to a lecture theatre packed with professionals. "It was quite nerve-wracking because I knew the audience had a really sound technical understanding,” he said. “I had to know my product inside-out.

“But I was really excited to put across the philosophy of focusing on the driver and how they interface with the car, and it turned out that this is the direction Peugeot is heading in anyway.

“I had lots of questions afterwards about whether I'd tested the prototype, how much data I had, and so on. I'm just a one-man band so I couldn't quite give them the answers they were looking for, but I think the overall message of well-being was well received."

Jake's next task was to work the British Peugeot PR team in Le Touquet on the European press launch of the 308 SW. "It was a great experience to see how that side of it works," he said. "I learnt that the cultural differences between France and the UK are surprisingly wide! I also learnt the reason for a launch event. It's important to always ask 'why', what's the reason for anything. In this case it was 'what's the message you're sending to journalists so that they can write a good story?'."

Back in the UK, Jake worked on Peugeot's Media website, on the iCell retailer app that retailers can use to make the selling experience more fluid, and on the pricing of a new car. "That was really insightful," said Larsson. "Many of the Product team members have been part of Peugeot for years, but they still have a continuing excitement about the products. From what I've seen, Peugeot employees are encouraged to bring creativity and fresh ideas to every part of the process, to innovate in their own ways."

That encouragement starts from day one of a new entrant's arrival, says Peugeot UK PR head and Next Generation judge Andrew Didlick. "Our HR Advisor Sophie Egan and her team always go to a lot of trouble to make sure every graduate or undergraduate who comes here gets a thorough grounding in their first year. Some of our highest-placed executives started off in this graduate scheme.

“We're keen that the four weeks Next Gen winners get here really work. Jake's mentioned on his Twitter feed how well Peugeot looks after youngsters. We really do invest in people here and make them feel welcome. We promote mobility within the company.

“There's plenty of variation, and huge worldwide opportunity."

Skoda: 17th February – 14th March

2013 Autocar-Courland Next Generation Award Winner Jake Larsson starts his five-month paid internship prize with a month in Skoda UK's PR department.

Jake's time at Skoda was spent working with Cathie Sleigh, Skoda UK's Head of Press and PR, on a lot of PR and marketing activities from concept creation through to fruition. "I've been in brainstorming sessions for PR opportunities in connection with Skoda's support of the Tour De France, analysing and advising on a PR campaign creation for both Fleet and Services & Parts Operation, writing press releases and a proposal for an Autocar feature on the new Octavia Scout, and helping to coordinate a 'Yeti in an icecube' stunt in Covent Garden. 

"That one was a lot of fun – and a very long night. The Yeti arrived at 11.30pm and we didn't finish until 6 in the morning. It was great to see how PR team people don't just keep journalists happy, they have to deal with the whole event management side. 

"Putting Skoda brand values across to the general public through events like the Yeti in the ice cube and NextGen is a very interesting process. 

"It's all been really eye-opening, actually. If you'd asked me about PR before NextGen I would have said I was more interested in the front end of things, the design, engineering and manufacturing.

"But I now realise PR and marketing is hugely important, not just in selling cars but in maintaining those sales. How you measure and manage intangibles like human emotions is really challenging and totally necessary."