Guenther Steiner’s session at Smart Manufacturing Week was packed. All the seats in the Technology Showcase Arena were taken, others were happy to stand on each side, and passers-by had to be content with standing on tiptoes to catch a glimpse.
It was a triumph. People were hanging on his every word, hands went up everywhere to ask questions, and faces beamed back as those questions were answered. In Guenther Steiner, we had our showstopper; a former Formula 1 boss and Netflix star.
Known for his no nonsense approach to management, as shown throughout his most notable tenure with Haas F1 Team. “There’s no point having a big ego; if you do then you need to go because there is no space for it,” he said, bluntly.
I’d be lying if I said this perceived prickly nature wasn’t at the back of my mind during our chat. I’m by no means an F1 fan. “Will he be able to sniff out my lack of knowledge? Will he criticise my potentially awkward terminology?” I thought, anxiously.
Actually, his nature seems to be dependent on his surroundings. He can bring any side of himself to a situation. In this instance, he was honest, insightful, friendly – happy even, to be at Smart Manufacturing amongst an audience clearly captivated by him.
The title of his session, ‘From Formula 1 to the factory floor,’ certainly focussed more on F1. He is of course the president of a US manufacturing business, Fibreworks Composites + Composites Factory, which isn’t mentioned in this piece, and wasn’t touched on too much during his talk.
Read the full interview on The Manufacturer
