With her array of skills encompassing budget management, strategic planning, financial management, product lifecycle management, leader identification and grooming, change management, and operational excellence, Preetha Arun is currently serving as the R&D Director for Powertrain Electrification Systems at Valeo India.
Preetha has previously held the position of Deputy General Manager for Powertrain and ADAS division at RenaultNissan Technology Business Centre India. She has also worked as a Program Manager for Renault Powertrain Division through KPIT Cummins Infosystems.
Her career journey includes valuable experiences at TomTom International B.V and NXP Semiconductors in the Netherlands and roles at the Engineering Mechanical Research Centre in Bangalore and the Aeronautical Development Agency in Bangalore.
Notable achievements at Valeo include establishing a centre of excellence for software and electronics in India, achieving full project delegation, a 65% headcount ramp-up within a year, and ongoing competency enhancement. She played a key role in obtaining ASPICE L2 for India's full delegation projects in Systems and Software.
The first step determines the career journey where one is heading, she says, adding that she was driven towards the role given at the Aeronautical Development Agency as she was passionate about the technology. Her Masters in Business and Engineering in Shanghai helped her learn how different functions including marketing, sales, and finance, in an organisation collaborate. As it was an international crowd, she could network with people from different cultures, apart from the automotive industry.
According to her, establishing a Centre of Excellence for software and electronics in India for Valeo was challenging in multiple aspects. However, candidates selected from Tier-1 and Tier-2 cities were able to deliver results; they proved to be good in all aspects.
“There is unconscious bias in people’s minds on the capabilities of women. Many women are doubtful whether they could balance family and their careers,” she says, adding that disruptive technologies, especially in the automotive industry, are not gender driven.
