“Rebel with a cause” is the term often associated with the president of Seat and Cupra. A quick glance at his LinkedIn reveals that Wayne Griffiths is not your usual business leader. He’s a vehement fan of David Bowie, despises suits and ties and is almost always seen sporting jeans and a leather jacket.
In 2016, Luca de Meo, who was recently named the most influential and successful person within the global automotive industry by Autocar UK, brought Griffiths over to Seat as Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “I remember the first management meeting I attended,” Griffiths recalls, “I said ‘I know you guys think I’m just one of these German guys who will be here for a few years and go back to Audi or VW, but that is not the case.’ I knew I was here to stay, and I knew that it was my destiny.”
“This shift from combustion cars to electric cars is allowing a lot of new brands to enter the market,” he says. “When you’re going through disruption, you need to disrupt yourself or you're going to disappear.” He attributes a lot of this change to the attitudes of the next generation: “I think this generation is looking for something different. They want to drive something different than what their parents or grandparents did, something that stands for their values. The old values of prestige, tradition, status, and luxury; are all taboo. They’re looking to define themselves with contemporary values, sustainability, and emotion.”
We spoke to Wayne about transforming Audi into a global brand, launching Cupra, and much more.
Here's what we discussed:
Thanks to Aleyna from the Jill Dando News for bringing us The Good News Postcard this week. Get your dose of positive news by visiting The Good News Post, a website collated by hundreds of young people aged 8 to 18 in the UK. They've written real-life “news that’s good for you”, covering people, animals, stories to cheer people up, and tips to make lives better.
Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Chris Donnelly: Workplace culture learnings with 'Britain's best boss'
Steve Oliver: The Empire launched in a Stockport garage
Michelle Moore: Cultivating self-belief for success
Joel Gujral: Transforming the corporate mental health approach
David Pattison: Funding fundamentals and mixing art & science in business
Oz Alashe MBE: Geopolitics, cyber attacks and the human errors behind them
Liz Jackson MBE: The power of positivity and mastering resilience
Earthling Ed: Controlling conversations and perfecting persuasion
Chris Paton: Using military wargaming to improve your business
George Rawlings and Matt McNeill Love: Founders of Thursday
Sarah Webb: How to be a strong female leader in finance
Roy Ledgister: The Millionaire Mentor who didn't get the memo
Jamie Dixon: Master storytelling to become a great leader
Bassim Haidar: Learning from the billionaire mindset
Professor Steve Peters: Chimps, Champs and taming imposter syndrome
Neil Jurd OBE: How to cut out toxic leadership qualities
Emma Sayle: Sex parties, funding and building a business bigger than its stigma
Mark Wilson: Preparing businesses for their future state
Kike Oniwinde: Empowering black professionals through community
Tom Moore: Using military experience to empower customers and build a unicorn
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The emPOWERed Half Hour
NABOR® TALKS
U.S Property Podcast
Aligned Money Show
The Ramsey Show
Planet Money