Meet the British MD of Jaguar Land Rover, who speaks Korean
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Come across the British MD of Jaguar Country Rover, who speaks Korean
In the first of a new series, The Backseat Interview, we accept a ride with Alistair Scott, managing director of Jaguar Land Rover APAC, in the back of a Range Rover, and chat well-nigh his getting lost in the Gobi desert, the future of electric vehicles and his Korean connectedness.
In 2020, Alistair Scott assumed the role of acting managing director for Jaguar Land Rover APAC and was formally appointed in May this year. (Photograph: Kelvin Chia)
17 Sep 2022 06:35AM (Updated: 17 Sep 2022 06:35AM)
In life, y'all just have to take a spring of faith sometimes. That'due south how Alistair Scott's journey to Asia beginning began some 30 years ago.
The year was 1992 and Scott was at university in Newcastle, the U.k., when a prompt from one of his professors inspired him to switch degrees from a politics major to East Asian studies where he would then learn the Korean language and embark on an commutation programme to South Korea.
"I said 'yes' without even thinking most it and it was probably the best career move I ever made without realising it at the time, because I never would have travelled and studied or worked overseas otherwise," he said, recollecting one of the nearly pivotal moments of his life.
And travel extensively he has.
Intriguingly, Scott spent function of his childhood growing up in Nigeria as his male parent worked in the African country in the belatedly 1970s to early 1980s.
"That was an interesting time to be living out at that place as a young male child. To be at that historic period, around 10 or 11, in that part of the world, was quite an unusual upbringing," he recalled.
During university, Scott would fly dorsum and along between Newcastle and Hong Kong where his father was based for a proficient decade in the 1990s.
Upon graduating, he moved to Vietnam, trailing his Dad in his relocation and armed with a programme to use the former French colony as a base from which to explore the region.
"But I shortly ran out of money so I had to start working in Vietnam, for leasing agency Chesterton Piddling, letting apartments out to diplomats and foreign nationals," shared Scott.
Meanwhile, his former professor, who withal kept stiff government ties back abode, concluded up being invited dorsum to Republic of korea to take on the part of press secretary to erstwhile South Korean President Kim Dae-jung.
Eventually, the Brit did put his Korean studies to proficient utilise during his four-twelvemonth stint working in S Korea, which served to deepen his love for the Asia-Pacific.
And he still hopes to i twenty-four hours visit North Korea.
"Two of my friends take been in that location through a charity organisation in Beijing only I never made it when I had the hazard. Because my degree was on Korea and I studied international relations – specifically N Korean and South Korean politics – and what happened in the war and postal service-state of war, I'thou very intrigued with Democratic people's republic of korea every bit a nation and I'd similar to go visit. Information technology's a shame that a wonderful country such every bit Korea simply split and there's no sign of it ever being reunified," he shared.
Of all his travels in the world, Scott'south most memorable experience was his trip through the Gobi desert every bit function of an ambitious months-long overland journey from Hanoi to Helsinki in an former UAZ Russian van almost two decades ago.
"Those 6 weeks were actually wonderful and exciting taking in the beautiful landscape and terrain. I got lost in the Gobi. And I had a driver, a Mongolian gentleman chosen Goonga, who turned upwardly with his wife and son without telling us and nosotros concluded upwards travelling together as sort of a family," he reminisced.
Scott was 31 at the fourth dimension and now in his 50s looking dorsum on the biggest life lesson travelling has taught him that parlays well into concern and leadership, information technology's "patience, patience, patience," he said.
"Because you go put in circumstances that can exist very difficult and challenging, and regardless of your emotions or how you experience at the time, you just take to suck it up, behave with it and accept it onboard," he added.
His advice for other travellers – when we can globetrot again freely – is to have an appreciation for others' environs.
"What might be the norm in your domicile land is not necessarily the norm when you lot're travelling, and that teaches you to be more tolerant," he offered.
THE FUTURE OF ELECTRIFICATION: WIRELESS CAR CHARGING
A true global citizen will, invariably, end upward in Singapore at some bespeak in their career or lifetime and Scott arrived 4 years agone with his wife and 2 teenaged daughters.
He had joined Jaguar Land Rover in 2022 equally a regional concern director in the UK responsible for the Brazil, Latin America & Caribbean, Australia and Asian markets and so moved upward to sales director for the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.
In 2020, he assumed the role of interim managing director for APAC and was formally appointed in May this year.
While it'due south been a cyclone 12 months steering the company through these transformative headwinds, it'due south likewise been very exciting for the business organization leader.
"The manufacture is going through many changes right now but having the next level of direction control and the ability to decide the long-term path of the business and where we want to lead the region is very heady for me," he said.
To be sure, the automotive industry is at an inflection bespeak in history, and Scott has witnessed the industry transform tremendously in his 25 years working in the auto earth; eight of which with Jaguar Land Rover.
The greatest challenge for most carmakers right now is the inescapable push towards electrification, with Jaguar Country Rover leading the charge.
The Indian-owned, Britain-headquartered British make was one of the first in the automotive industry to make such a bold announcement of producing purely electrified vehicles under the Jaguar make past 2025, as part of its "Reimagine" global strategy.
Country Rover, meanwhile, will drive along the same track, only with a slightly longer timeline, with its first all-electric model to make it in 2024 and all new models produced offer MHEV and PHEV hybrid variants by 2030.
"There'southward an expectation that by around 2030, 60 per cent of all sales volition be pure electric and won't be running on the internal combustion engines as we know it today," said Scott.
The automaker also aims to accomplish internet zero carbon emissions across its supply concatenation, products and operations by 2039.
That said, these strategies will need to be advisedly calibrated against marketplace readiness beyond the different countries to ensure the necessary infrastructure and policies are in identify to support the shift.
"Many markets accept shifting policies in emissions and back up, and different incentives. So long as that exists, there will be a need for different forms of electrified vehicles including standard hybrids," Scott reasoned.
Manufacturing of vehicles with diesel engines volition as well exist phased out by 2026.
"The industry is quickly irresolute and we know that diesel is no longer popular here in Singapore as a event of the Vehicles Emissions Scheme," he observed.
Singapore, Scott believes, is the market in which the electrical conversion ought to come across with success.
"If whatsoever country tin influence modify in any industry, Singapore is probably in the strongest position to do so because of the very nature of the government. They have very stiff infrastructure within the country, they're nimble, they're able to make quick decisions and information technology's a nation-state where economies of calibration are easy to manage," he noted.
"Unquestionably, there will be challenges but if any land plans ahead, at that place is no country – every bit far as I can see – in this part of the globe that tin plan ahead as quickly and with such ability to deliver on their commitments [as Singapore]," he added.
To this end, Jaguar Country Rover is in talks with the Land Transport Authority to explore a wireless charging program in Singapore similar to its initiative with the city of Oslo in Kingdom of norway.
Through this airplane pilot program, Oslo became the first city in the world to install wireless, induction-based loftier-powered charging bays for electric taxis.
The organisation uses no cables and works via resonant magnetic induction betwixt a transmitter pad embedded under the route surface and a receiver pad attached to the base of operations of the vehicle. It therefore requires no physical connection between charger and vehicle, dissimilar current charging stations available today.
"So as soon as the vehicle drives over it, inside a split second, it automatically starts charging and you lot don't fifty-fifty demand to get out of the machine," Scott explained.
"It's really exciting because many people complain that they don't have a charging station in their house and it'southward of course easier to install one in landed properties than in HDB areas," he elaborated.
The company is also working with the government of New Zealand to implement such a programme in the city of Wellington, and Scott hopes to bring that engineering science to Singapore to help facilitate more widespread adoption of electric vehicles here.
A CARPE DIEM KINDA GUY
Eclectic groundwork aside, Scott strikes yous as a carpe diem kind of guy with a penchant for extreme travel and sports.
He'due south into biking and cycles a lot – two to iii times a week, roofing most 200km in total each week – and as well enjoys cooking: Italian, more often than not, just Latin cuisine on weekends.
"It's a really adept way to air current down and de-stress," he shared.
Staying stuck in one country this long has been tough for the adventurous spirit but reflecting back on his academy days and the Korean connection that led him to Asia, Scott mused: "Sometimes it'due south instinct; sometimes you meet an opportunity, yous just take it. I'thou fortunate enough to accept done that and here I am today. And I did a politics caste; there's no reason why I should stop upwards in the automotive manufacture."
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Source: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/people/jaguar-land-rover-singapore-managing-director-280416
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