100 Leading Women In The North American Auto Industry
Rosalinda Torres, 48
Plant Operations Manager, Componentes Mecanicos de Matamoros Operations, Delphi
Education: B.S., chemical engineering, Technical Institute of Matamoros, Matamoros, Mexico; Bachelor's, manufacturing strategy, Technical Institute of Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico; M.B.A., University of Nuevo Leon
First automotive job: Paint process engineer at General Motors' RIMIR plant in Matamoros, Mexico, in 1980
Career highlights (all in Matamoros, Mexico)
- 2003-04 Plant manager, Componentes Mecanicos de Matamoros Operations, Delphi Safety & Interior, Delphi Corp.
- 2000-03 Plant manager, occupant protection systems, RIMIR plant, Delphi Safety & Interior
- 1996-2000 Production manager, then operations manager, RIMIR plant, Delphi Safety & Interior
- 1995-96 General supervisor, manufacturing, airbag assembly, RIMIR plant, General Motors
Most fun automotive job: "In 1995 we started a brand new product (airbags) in our plant. Everything was new: equipment, buildings, people, product."
Biggest mistake and what you learned: "The biggest mistake - and it is a recent one, a year or two ago - was to accept a bad budget transfer. What that means is I didn't have a good budget to run the plant. I didn't have enough money to run my operation. What I learned is that you start a good year's performance by having a good budget preparation."
Current challenge: "To make my current product (steering wheels) more competitive."
What about the auto industry surprised you: "How much the end customer is willing to pay for fancy and expensive accessories in the car. I expected a car is a car and something that moves you."
What women need to know for success in the auto industry: "Find a way to be very assertive without being dominating."
What you do to relax: "I jog. I try to jog five kilometers."