Fiona Meyer-Teruel, Visteon’s Electrification Technology Director and a former collegiate rugby player, navigated her way into engineering largely through trial and error. Despite her mother’s doctorate in Aerospace Engineering, Fiona was initially unfamiliar with engineering as a career. Dinner conversations at home typically centered on biology, a field her parents were professors in, leaving Fiona with limited exposure to engineering until she reached university.
At Stanford University, Fiona’s passion for mathematics led her to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering. She later earned a master’s degree in Computer Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Leadership Insights from “Life as a Leader”
During Visteon’s “Life as a Leader,” a virtual meeting where our colleagues worldwide can learn more about what has led company leaders to their current role, Fiona shared her unique background. Her adaptability is evident, as she attended a German language-based school with only three people in her graduating class. This adaptability is a key reason for her success at Visteon.
Embracing a Start-Up Mentality in Electrification
Fiona explained that the Electrification product line at Visteon operates with a “start-up business” mentality, requiring the ability to manage transformational change. Direction changes quickly, necessitating a team with strong initiative, creativity, and accountability to rapidly adapt products to meet customer needs.
Personal Transformational Experiences
Fiona’s personal life also reflects her ability to embrace change—and parallels between work and life are everywhere, waiting to be discovered. Moving from California to Michigan, she adapted to the cold weather and continued to challenge herself by joining an American football league, despite not knowing the rules. Her background in college rugby provided transferable skills, and she saw this as an opportunity to make new friends. These experiences highlight her belief that fear can hinder growth and that a growth mindset enables overcoming both incremental and transformational change. And also that there are work-life parallels everywhere you look.
Advice for Embracing Change
For those dealing with significant change in their roles or lives, or for those who fear change, Fiona recommends several strategies:
- Accepting feedback on the topic
- Trusting your team and peers for support
- Reflecting on others’ learnings
Join the Visteon Team
At Visteon, one of our global team’s strengths is using our passion for innovation—whether transformational or incremental—to keep customers ahead of the curve. If you’re interested in joining a team of futuremakers, click here to view our open positions.
