The Founder and CEO of StratInEx, Leigh Smith, talks with Marian Fabian, of CE Interim, about managing high-stakes vehicle programmes across global markets.

Marian Fabian: What makes automotive launches uniquely complex compared to other industries?

Leigh Smith: Automotive launches are among the most high-stakes initiatives in manufacturing. A single internal combustion engine car comprises approximately 30,000 parts (around 10,000 for EVs), each requiring precision engineering, global sourcing, and seamless integration. Add to this the pressure of billion-dollar investments, evolving technologies like autonomous driving, and the need to balance brand differentiation with regulatory compliance across diverse markets. The sheer scale—coordinating suppliers, plants, and customer demands while delivering 100,000+ units annually to exacting standards—creates a perfect storm of complexity.

Marian Fabian: What are the critical challenges when launching vehicles in regions like Europe?

Leigh Smith: Europe’s fragmented markets introduce three key hurdles:

1. Regulatory Diversity: Emissions and safety standards vary, extending testing timelines and costs.
2. Customer Preferences: A “one-size-fits-all” approach fails when affordability, competition, and local tastes differ sharply. Misreading these risks can lead to costly product complexity.
3. Geopolitics: Tariffs and protectionist policies can upend business cases overnight. Additionally, late-stage compliance changes might force a reshuffle of launch sequences.

Marian Fabian: How do you mitigate risks like supply chain disruptions or shifting customer demands?

Leigh Smith: Proactive strategies are non-negotiable:

• Supplier Diversification: Multi-sourcing options can reduce bottlenecks but require rigorous quality control to manage integration challenges.
• Contingency Planning: We align launch timelines with supply and demand cycles using the “triple constraints” model (time/quality/cost). For instance, during the semiconductor crisis in 2021-2022, we split some launches into phased Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) to keep production running. This meant the essential product content for the MHEV variant came first in that Model Year update, with the critical elements for the PHEV variant launching second., then a third and final change to introduce the desired, but not critical, content to complete the original scope.
• Customer-Centric Flexibility: While manufacturing typically resists late changes, we must understand these risks and balance it against the reward of satisfying changing external customer needs – adjusting our systems and processes to absorb revisions without derailing timelines.

Marian Fabian: What best practices drive successful programmes?

Leigh Smith: Three pillars stand out:

1. Cross-Functional Integration: Involve R&D, marketing, and supply chain teams from day one. This builds alignment and surfaces risks early.
2. Cultivating the right mindset: I believe you should run the front-end of a project (strategy phase) as if it is the back end of the project (launch phase) – this creates the right focused mindset in the team.
3. Balanced Innovation: Codify repeatable processes but empower teams to break them strategically. An effective nice way to achieve this is to blend veteran automotive experts with “alternative thinkers” from other industries – creating positive tension that challenges the team to drive better outcomes.

Marian Fabian: How will electrification and digital transformation reshape future launches?

Leigh Smith: The industry’s “three waves” (ICE decline, BEV scaling, ACES disruption) demand agility:

• Simpler hardware, complex software: EVs reduce mechanical parts but require more advanced software and robust Over-The-Air (OTA) updates.
• AI & Automation: Tools must prioritize insight over data overload. Even today, many teams still rely on spreadsheets for their flexibility in volatile environments. This will remain the case until enterprise-level systems / AI tools can provide the same level of flexibility and useability at speed.
• Sustainable Practices: Future programmes will further embrace circular-economy principles, from sourcing to end-of-life recycling.

Marian Fabian: Your top advice for executives leading European launches?

Leigh Smith: Hire curious problem-solvers who respect processes but know when to adapt them to achieve business goals. Reward those who balance global frameworks with local pragmatism—like the expatriate who bridges HQ and regional teams during important collaborations.

Explore our Interim Leadership services to navigate your next programme.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Additional content can be found at: Leigh Smith on The Future of Automotive Launches: EVs, AI & Strategy