Engineering services provider Ricardo has appointed Adrian Schaffer as its new President of Automotive and Industrial for North America.

Schaffer’s long career as a transport industry executive spans numerous fields, including manufacturing, electrification, telematics and connectivity, across North America and the globe.

As Director of Marketing at Motorola, he worked with GM on the then-new OnStar system, and was involved in developing other emerging connectivity technologies such as Bluetooth. “I’ve been lucky to witness the beginnings and drive the advancement of new technology—from traditional propulsion to electric vehicles, software and electronics,” says Schaffer.

Schaffer went on to become VP of Sales for the Industrial Group at Canadian auto parts manufacturer Linamar, then moved to UQM Technologies, which was later acquired by Danfoss. “By the time I left UQM-Danfoss after nearly 10 years, we had signed three long-term agreements in the electric vehicle market, and worked with numerous OEMs to incorporate EV drivetrains into their new vehicle lineups.”

Schaffer’s three decades of experience have given him broad and deep technical knowledge that’s invaluable for helping customers implement cutting-edge technologies. “To manage technology businesses effectively, I need to understand the technology to a certain degree,” he says. “Even more importantly, I need to understand the industry challenges and pain points, and the value and support that Ricardo can deliver to our customers. I spend a lot of time with engineering to understand how products are designed, built, and integrated so I can most effectively communicate their value.”

“I’ve worked for 30 years with engineers, so I have enough insights to be dangerous, but I also recognize that there are experts behind me who can support what I do,” says Schaffer. “Coming to Ricardo feels like the culmination of everything I have done throughout my career. My background and context fit right in with what we’re doing today and where the industry needs to go.”

Source: Ricardo