The Automotive industry is facing major challenges. The market is driven by increasingly stringent requirements for fuels, demand for even greater efficiency, and compliance with emission limits. Jackie Liu, the head of Automotive Segment of the Oil Additives Business Line in the Resource Efficiency Segment, offers robust, innovative and efficient solutions to keep her customers competitive in this environment. One example is the DRIVON™ technology, which enables lubricant marketers to formulate modern and fuel-efficient engine and transmission oils.

“Our vision is to become a leading provider of lubricant technologies for fuel efficiency,” says Liu. To this end, the manager looks around carefully at SAE, the automotive tradeshow of the Society of Automotive Engineers in Detroit and discusses her insights with her customers and customers’ customers - the so called Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). “We are in close communication with them to understand their requirements as early as possible. As a leading provider, we always have to be one step ahead of everyone else.”

Customer requirements vary widely, Liu explains: “There are great differences in regional demand. For our work, it is important to know right at the start of a project whether we are developing a global or a regional solution – for example just for the Indian or Chinese market.”

“Industry Collaboration is also one of the key successful elements of our business, it becomes more important than the past,” Liu points out. A network that helps generate cooperation is therefore very helpful, says Liu. In addition to external contacts, she particularly values her team: “We all are very passionate about increasing the efficiency of our products and are incredibly proud of our work."