Spotlight on Adrienne Billiau: Young woman changing the auto industry
Purse? Check. Lipstick? Check. Job at GM? Yup. Say hello to Adrienne Billiau, a young woman changing the auto industry forever. Fresh out of college, she is working in the Battery Systems Lab as a VOLTec Test Engineer at General Motors. That’s right: General Motors, one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, responsible for producing famous cars such as the Chevy Suburban and Buick LaCrosse. At only 23-years-old, Adrienne is working with GM’s avant-garde technology for the industry-changing Chevy Volt, testing it out to make sure it lives up to potential. The Volt is a revolutionary, soon-to-be-released electric vehicle. Five years ago, Adrienne became a co-op employee for the company through her university. After graduation, she joined the Voltec team. ChickSpeak got a chance to sit down with this inspiring young woman and discuss her fresh perspective on work in a unique industry: ChickSpeak: What inspired you to work at GM? Why did you decide to choose that field? Adrienne Billiau: I was inspired to work for GM because they make vehicles I can see myself driving. There are many opportunities available for me in my career. Many of my family members work in the auto industry and it just felt like the right thing for me. I believe in working for a company who makes products you can stand behind, and I am 100% behind GM and its vehicles. I chose electrical engineering because I have always enjoyed math and the electrical field is a big thing right now and in the future. I am very fortunate to be working in the battery lab as a test engineer for the Chevy Volt battery system. Hybrids and electric vehicles are a hot topic for the auto industry and I couldn’t be in a better position for the start of my career. CS: Describe the Chevy Volt. What exact work do you do on it? AB: The Chevy Volt is an extended range electric vehicle. The car runs on electricity for the first 40 miles driven, which is powered by the battery system in the vehicle. After the battery runs out of charge, the range extender kicks in. This is where the gasoline engine creates electricity to continue operating the vehicle. Consumers get the perks of an electric car, while also having the back-up option of gasoline if needed. I work on the battery system that propels the vehicles. I am a test engineer in the GM Global Battery Systems Lab in Warren, MI. There are many validation and development tests being run on these batteries to verify performance characteristics, to test for the life of warranty, and to observe effects of extreme temperature conditions. I am one of the test engineers working on these tests. In order to complete these tests, I get to write software to simulate environmental and driving conditions of the vehicle. I also work on the setup, teardown, and data analysis to follow the tests that I run. We have such a variety of tests running at one time and that is what makes the job fun. Nothing is repetitious. CS: What kinds of challenges do you face working in a predominantly male-dominated field? AB: I don’t see the male-dominated field as a challenge. I really like the group I work with and feel like gender isn’t an issue. While there are typically more males in the industry, I think the job is what you make of it. A lot has changed since women first started engineering and getting into the auto industry. I can’t imagine what it was like then, but I really feel as though everyone is treated the same and everyone is heard. CS: What do you foresee for the future for women in the auto industry? AB: Women are already playing a role in the design of vehicles and what consumers want. I think the need for new and fresh perspectives is going to continue growing in the auto industry. Women sometimes underestimate their ability, but it is important to put yourself out there and take on challenges that lie ahead in your career. CS: If you could give one piece of advice to young women regarding cars, what would it be? AB: My advice would be to get in the cars and drive them! It’s hard to know what is out there if you don’t do the research and explore all your options. The best way to learn more about cars and what suits your needs is to see them up close and get a feel for it. CS: What was the last book your read? AB: The last book I read was Marley and Me. I saw the movie and had to read the book! CS: And the last thing you downloaded off of iTunes? AB: The last thing I downloaded off of iTunes was the TV series Top Chef: Las Vegas. I like to watch cooking competition shows. Maxine Frendel is a writer from New Jersey who loves cars and was really inspired by Adrienne’s story. Her philosophy is similar to Adrienne’s: if you can dream it, you can do it!
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