- Posted on Wednesday, May 24th, 2006 at 1:56 pm
A Launch Manager’s Busy Life
By Sonya Moore
I am a GM launch manager currently working on 2007 GMT 800 “classic” pickup trucks. My next launch will be GM’s new 901/902 hybrid pickup.
Being a full-size truck launch manager is extremely challenging because our pickups and SUVs are not produced in one plant, but in seven plants spanning the globe. The role of a launch manager is to plan, manage and execute a flawless launch. We work with all the key players in manufacturing, like General Assembly, Paint and Polymers, Body Shop, Quality, Product Engineering, Powertrain and, most importantly, our plants.
There are very few female launch managers at GM — seven in total — and we’re all doing the workplace-balancing act. But we are putting our own spin on it and doing it with a smile. We work long hours, do homework with our kids over the phone, sing our kids to sleep while in the plant, and then, after working a double shift, still get up early to call home to ensure everyone is up and moving in the morning, or even just to hear a voice say, “Good morning, Mom.” It is only after we make sure everyone is up that we realize that we just had five hours of sleep and we need to dial into a conference call to discuss last night’s build.
Many people look at us and think we are crazy. They question why we would want to be on the road so much and away from our families, or how we are able to juggle the day-to-day demands of work and home. We live our lives in fifth gear, going 120 mph, with the top down, seven days a week. I have raised a daughter who is always running in third gear and she is only 14.
And I bet if you got all of us together, you would find that we all have families that run in third to fifth gear — but each gear is well oiled, with a support group that is second to none. Like I told someone recently, to work as a female launch manager, you must be an “adrenaline junkie.”
Some ask, “Why do you love this job? There is not a lot of glamour in doing what you do.” For me, it’s like watching something grow up, to see a concept grow into a J.D Power award-winning vehicle, or to hear the media talk about “GM hitting another home run.” Most importantly, I can’t wait to say that I helped contribute to GM’s turnaround and overall success.
7 Comments
Chris
Thanks for the information. It really shed some light on the complexity of GM’s global operations and the issues involved in synchronizing the various components - within the context of family life.
Quick question: does the phrase “working on 2007 GMT 800 ‘classic’ pickup trucks” imply that these will continue to be produced along side the newer GMT900s ? I am thinking in terms of Malibu/Malibu Classic.
Thank you,
Chris
Jeff Crew
Great write up! I have been through a launch with a different company and you nailed the factory launch lifestyle. There is no time to rest as the lines keep rolling and different suppliers are tinkering with each part across the entire plant to make sure everything goes smooth. Tie in the personal life and you have a pressure cooker of a job that few can understand. I am surprised you had time to write this blog! Good luck with the launch of the 901/902’s.
Gil
What on Earth is a 901/902? English, please!
Michael Wiley
Gil,
She is referring to the new GM pickups that will launch in the near future.
Michael
Jason Zebersky
You, and other mothers like you are AWSOME role models!
Gil
Michael, thanks for the response. However, I totally understood that the “901/902″ is a “hybrid pickup.”
I guess I was looking for a little more description than that. Or, is this a “top secret” thing, and “901/902″ is code to keep the name under wraps?
Sorry, not that familiar with “the launch industry,” and hoping to help remove some mystery from the automotive business…
ChevyRox
I can relate to some of what you said as I am watch the launch of GMT900 from plant level. It is hectic and at the same time involves long stretch of waiting around. I wish you best of luck on your endevour and am looking forward for the turn around.
Ps. we need to keep plant and launch teams on the same page as much as possible to succeed!
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