North American Executive Issue 101 2024 | Page 94

Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team __________________________________________________
As Rob mentions , one of the ways in which the business is continuing to invest in its team and re-energize its innovation is through the renovation of the Brackley site ; a program that has been ongoing for the last four years . “ Our goal is to set a new standard . What we ’ ve found as we ’ ve grown is that everything was just a bit too small , which was starting to frustrate some of our people . We ’ re investing in a new car park , a new wellbeing building , a new gym , restaurant , and breakout areas . The motivation centers around encouraging creativity . We want to create somewhere where people want to come to work , where they can actually interact and generate new ideas .”
This level of investment could be beneficial for the company , especially at a time when recruitment is a widespread challenge across the manufacturing industry . At Mercedes- AMG , there is ample opportunity to take on an apprenticeship and grow through the ranks . “ It ’ s so rewarding to bring in younger talent , and work closely with them so that they go on to do great things here ,” Gordon shares .
It ’ s clear that one overarching theme stands out for all four leaders : having the right company culture is what has continued to keep Mercedes-AMG in the race . “ We base our principals on PRIDE ,” says Rob .
The acronym stands for Passion , Respect , Innovation , Determination and Excellence . “ We have removed any barriers to communication , and we work hard to ensure that anybody can talk to anybody else , with the utmost respect . This makes for an energizing environment to be in . It may seem flippant to say but we ’ re trying to be the best in the world at what we do . To achieve that , everybody in every part of the company must do their bit and really contribute .”
Darren agrees : “ I ’ m very fortunate to work with the people I work with . To potential apprentices out there , send us your application ! This is a fantastic place to work . I ’ ve been here for 22 years , and there ’ s a reason why so many of us have stayed for so long . I think our sector of manufacturing is in quite a unique position in that we get to see our work perform on international television , which is a hugely satisfying part of the role for me .
“ Yes , we ’ ve had some bad races , and yes , at the moment , we ’ re on the back foot behind Red Bull . But we ’ ve also had some good races , and we ’ ve been successful . Those fluctuations and challenges are just part of the job . But it doesn ’ t really take away from the pride we feel when we see the car we turn out . I love what we deliver , and the way in which we deliver it . We work well together . We work as a
We have removed any barriers to communication , and we work hard to ensure that anybody can talk to anybody else
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