Winners 2021

Leonie was rewarded for her hard work managing the electrical content of the DBX, Aston Martin’s first SUV, with a promotion in April to the role of electrical integration manager, responsible for coordinating the delivery of software integration – an increasingly important role as the brand adds more digital features to its cars. In her previous role, which she started in 2018, she oversaw the work of more than 20 engineers and managed the full electrical bill of materials for the DBX, some 1700 parts. The result was the successful global delivery of the SUV. Michael Wanzeck, head of electrical engineering, described Leonie as a “linchpin” of the department thanks to her strong technical grounding and excellent interpersonal skills setting her up as a key member of the team. “As Aston Martin progresses into expanding future technologies, Leonie will be fundamental in the set-up of the process and content,” he wrote in her nomination. She entered the automotive industry in 2012 as a graduate engineer at Nissan towards the end of her PhD research into neuro electrode fabrication and electrophysiology. She progressed to new model vehicle quality electrical engineer, before moving to Aston Martin in 2017.