Rising Stars: Automakers & Suppliers

Big break: Moving from process engineering to manufacturing

Matthew Overbay is helping to steer Nissan Motor Co. toward an electric future.

The 41-year-old is charged with helping to upgrade the Japanese automaker's North American factories to build a new generation of quality electric vehicles on time and cost-effectively.

As director of Nissan North America's Manufacturing Strategy & Planning Office, Overbay leads the implementation of advanced manufacturing technologies, capital investment and work force development.

That requires bringing together teams across engineering, manufacturing, finance and HR.

Overbay describes his role as that of a conductor, "making sure that each piece of the orchestra is there and playing on the same sheet of music."

Nissan's EV manufacturing transformation will begin in Canton, Miss., where the automaker builds a sedan and two pickups. In 2026, the 4.7-million-square-foot operation will start cranking out the first two of four electric models for the Nissan and Infiniti brands.

But Overbay has much to do before the first one glides off the assembly line. At the top of his to-do list is finding new talent to build EVs and retraining the 2,000 production employees on Canton's Line 2 affected by electrification.

Manufacturing is moving "away from as much manual labor — putting the vehicle together — to more machine-tendering and quality confirmation," Overbay said. "It's not just going in and pushing a button, [but] understanding how to program ... and troubleshoot the machine."

Overbay's experience in manufacturing, advanced technology and leadership have prepared him for the moment. But a key move early in his Nissan career set the stage. In late 2014, Overbay pivoted from process engineering to manufacturing.

"I stepped out of my comfort zone," the mechanical engineer said. "It opened me up to what I couldn't see within just engineering."

Having a macro view of the business created new opportunities, took Overbay to Japan and put his career on the fast track.

But his path into the automotive business began with a struggle. As a plant engineer at UPS overseeing the development of pharmaceutical distribution centers, Overbay found himself on the road "90 percent of the time."

With a young child at home, that wasn't ideal.

"From a family aspect, I needed to figure out a move" for better work-life balance, he said. The carmaking business appealed to him.

"I am fascinated with how things go together, and I'm fascinated at how to do it at speed," Overbay said. "The auto industry provides me with both."

— Urvaksh Karkaria