CEO MONTHLY / 2021 CEO OF THE YEAR 33 20 CEO MONTHLY / ISSUE 11 2021 , Aug21211 Engineering Excellence At Every Level As the world enters a brave new era, the role technology will play is vital. The teamat Williams Advanced Engineering, led by CraigWilson, are a key part of bringing something new to the table. Now recognised as one of CEOMonthly’s CEO of the Year, 2021 - the United Kingdom, we thought it appropriate to catch up with exactly what Craig and his teamhave been up to. Williams Advanced Engineering can trace its origins back to 2010, when Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited began diversifying its operations. The embryonic business has grown over the last decade into a 350-person strong organisation, delivering world-leading and innovative technology and engineering services to a global customer base. The team combines cutting edge technology with the industry’s best engineers to achieve success. Throughout his career, Craig Wilson has been involved in engineering environments. His first job was as a technical engineering apprentice with Toyota in Australia before joining TWR Group in the UK where he held many senior operational and program positions, including Managing Director. Here he oversaw important projects such as the Aston Martin DB7 and the Volvo C70 as well as being responsible for the concept designs for the Bugatti Veyron, Aston Martin Vanquish, and the Audi RS4. It placed him in the ideal position to join Williams Advanced Engineering in 2013 as MD, before working his way up to the position of CEO. Perhaps one of the keys behind Craig’s success is his ability to create an environment where open communication is possible. Any issues or problems that occur, at any level, are quickly discovered, discussed and solved. There are many places where this is not possible, and it always catches up with people. Williams Advanced Engineering stands apart because its team are comfortable addressing the challenges they find themselves in. Craig’s leadership of the firm has seen many changes to how it operates. The two biggest challenges facing the world currently are the aftermath to the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change. The latter has seen the Williams Advanced Engineering team adapt quickly to demand for a whole raft of engineering requirements. Around 80% of what the team do revolves around electrification, and the pandemic has only accelerated this progress. Companies and countries around the world are moving towards reducing their carbon footprint, and depend on the expertise of the Williams Advanced Engineering team to do so. In many ways, Craig has opened the door to a whole new world for the business. The team are constantly opening the doors to new opportunities. In the last three years, for instance, Williams Advanced Engineering began working with the world’s largest mining companies to help them achieve their goals of zero emissions. The possibility of this hadn’t even occurred to the team back then. Naturally, the sustainability sector is one that is relatively young and there are many discoveries still to be made. Craig has ensured that his cutting-edge team are always exploring and researching new technologies that might become the next ecological breakthrough. As the journey to decarbonisation begins to accelerate even further, the challenge will be finding better solutions that embrace every possibility. The world is constantly changing, and this has been perhaps the most disruptive period for the engineering industry in decades. That said, under Craig’s stalwart leadership, the team have been able to thrive, achieving the remarkable on behalf of their customers. He has ensured that his company is in the ideal position to play an important role on an international level in the future. Company: Williams Advanced Engineering Name: Craig Wilson Email: [email protected] Web Address: www.wae.com
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