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John Stephenson '08, Alumni, Executive MBA - Europe, Graduate Degrees

John Stephenson '08, Germany
On any given week, John Stephenson can be found traveling from his home base in Düsseldorf to any number of factories in Belgium, the Czech Republic, Spain, Italy, South Africa, India or Thailand.


John Stephenson '08

If you want a job that is truly international, John has a recommendation. “The automotive industry is one of the largest in the world,” he explains. “Vehicles and their components are manufactured in virtually every country on the globe.”

He should know. Stephenson has spent 15 years in the industry, starting at the French automotive company, Valeo, with 140 facilities around the world. “I spent a lot of time in France, Germany and Spain, thoroughly enjoying the international business environment,” says the British native.

He then catapulted to a job as director of operations for Textron, running seven plants in Germany and the United Kingdom. Today, as vice president of operations for U.S. wheel manufacturer Hayes Lemmerz, it’s not uncommon for Stephenson to be joined by colleagues from a dozen different nationalities at business unit meetings.

On any given week, he can be found traveling from his home base in Düsseldorf to any number of factories in Belgium, the Czech Republic, Spain, Italy, South Africa, India or Thailand. He has also spent time investigating future partnerships in Russia and further expansion into India.

Although he holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in the engineering field, Stephenson says he gained a great deal of hands-on management experience over the years. That's what brought him to Thunderbird - and the school's Executive MBA program. “I thought it was the right time to refresh my toolbox and go through some learning that balanced with my current general management role,” says Stephenson, who graduated from the 16-month program in 2008.

Stephenson is responsible for business performance in Europe, Asia and Africa, which includes financial performance, customer satisfaction in terms of quality and delivery, and also the health and safety of employees. “Success in these areas is only possible if one has a good team of strong leaders,” says Stephenson. “I spend a lot of my time assessing whether we have the right people on board.” He is also involved in making technology and purchasing decisions, and plays a role in product development and expansion activities.

After nine years living in Germany with his wife and children, Stephenson says he wouldn’t change a thing. “I find the cultural environment that I work in today absolutely stimulating."