Alexandra French, Account Manager, Emission Control Technologies, Europe
'I joined Johnson Matthey in 1997 as a graduate chemist. I was keen to find a job in which I would use my degree but also work for a company that offered lots of different opportunities. I certainly haven’t been disappointed and in my 11 years with Johnson Matthey so far, I have had a number of different roles within our Emission Control Technologies (ECT) business, all of which have been exciting, challenging and rewarding.
After a couple of years as a Product Development chemist developing new catalyst technologies for gasoline vehicles, I moved in to a small scale production management role within our Prototype Samples group. This role enabled me to gain people management experience very early on in my career. I then decided to move into a commercial role and joined the ECT Sales and Marketing team. I have managed the Land Rover, Jaguar and now currently the Ford Accounts.
Being in the Sales team for very technical products has meant that I still draw on my technical background and this is one of the aspects I particularly enjoy about my current job as Ford Account Manager for Europe. I also enjoy the variety that the job offers. As the first point of contact for all aspects relating to the Ford account, I can find myself involved with commercial, technical, project management, finance, logistics, quality or any other issues. It is very satisfying to work on a programme for a number of years and then finally see that vehicle launched to the public. Whilst my responsibility is for Ford Europe, I also support programmes anywhere in the world that also use European emissions legislation. This has given me the opportunity to work with Ford and Johnson Matthey colleagues in China, India, Malaysia, South America and Australia.
However, what has been particularly rewarding for me on a personal level is the trust that Johnson Matthey has placed in me right from when I first joined the company and the responsibility I have been given to make important decisions affecting our business. I also value the ability to move roles both within a division and also between divisions so that I can continue to develop new skills and remain in a challenging role.'
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