Supporting a quintessentially British OEM to prepare for a shift towards clean propulsion systems

Morgan Motor Company is the quintessentially British OEM. 

Morgan Motor Company, the quintessentially British OEM, is renowned for hand-building cars at their HQ in Malvern. 

What was the brief?

Morgan was aware of the need to begin preparing the company for a shift towards clean propulsion systems and connected technology. This was both an opportunity and a challenge. 
 
This was unknown territory for Morgan’s senior team, so they created the role of Chief Technical Officer to make sure they were prepared for this shift. They needed an experienced technical engineering leader, someone who had knowledge across batteries, electric motors, future fuels, and the current and future technology roadmap. This person needed to understand the supply chain, be a strong leader and have experience taking a business on a journey of change. In an ideal world they'd have also applied this experience to a vehicle development programme too. Easy, right…*

So what did FMC do?

The first step was helping Morgan’s recruitment team to understand the talent that was out there. 
 
They were keen to understand the potential solutions that existed in other OEMs that were transitioning to EV, as well as the experts in the supply chain itself who were developing clean propulsion tech. This included the established players (think JLR, Ford, Bentley, JCB) but also the now-not-so-new kids on the block like Rivian, Polestar and Fisker. We also looked at leaders in powertrain, transmission, and battery technologies ranging from Ricardo to Northvolt. 
 
This talent mapping exercise meant that we could give Morgan an exhaustive understanding of the technical leadership that existed in the space, from Engineering Directors, to Technical Directors, to CTOs. 
 
The next step was getting in touch with the people we'd mapped. Not only did they want a 'unicorn' of a candidate, but whoever they decided on also needed tempting to Malvern, Worcestershire. To help Morgan access the person they needed, as well as helping them to make the most informed decision on who was right for the role, we set about engaging with as many of the target list as possible. The team at Morgan needed to know who they could have (as well as who they couldn't) and the extent of their EV knowledge and experience.  So off we went to find out…

What was the outcome?

FMC engaged with 92% of the target list, giving Morgan’s recruitment team the best chance of making the right hire for them.
 
Ultimately, the chosen candidate was the Engineering Director of a globally renowned engineering consultancy. It just so happened that this person was passionate about Morgan and loved what they stood for (they even owned memorabilia!) and had previously lived nearby to Malvern. They were the perfect fit. 
 

Not only that, but they brought with them a huge amount of knowledge about electrification and the technologies involved, as well as having wider knowledge of industries where the zero-emissions agenda was just as critical (space, on/off highway, defence, the list goes on).
 
This person has now been with Morgan for almost 3 years, playing a pivotal role in the creation and introduction of new products, including the company’s wider transition to EV. 
 

*In case it wasn't clear, this wasn't going to be easy.