Mystery Monday – Honda's Jason Smith

I’m often asked why I have stayed with the same company for so long, but for me it has been an ever-changing landscape and, having worked across different areas of the business, my roles have constantly evolved. If you think how drastically the world has changed over the last 22 years, and all the highs and lows the car industry has been through, you’ll understand why I have never felt bored. Within Honda, it is not unusual to work your way up. Some of our most senior management started their careers on the production line, being promoted through the years to where they are today. Honda is a great company for encouraging personal development and recognising where people’s talents lie.

Ultimately, what has kept me at Honda is the people. Honda picked Swindon for its engineering heritage but, over the last three decades, the associates at our factory have developed a real sense of camaraderie. That’s why there are whole families working here, with younger generations following in the footsteps of their parents to come and work at Honda. We recently started mass production of the 10^th generation Civic. Given all the pressures that come when you start to build a new model, the 3,600 people who work at the factory have remained calm and committed, demonstrating their value on a daily basis. That team work comes from building strong working relationships over time.

Our site is quite unusual as we have an engine production line as well. On a daily basis, I am responsible for overseeing 950 engines and 790 cars being built. Logistically, this involves parts from around the world being delivered to our factory at precisely the right moment in order to for production to continue smoothly. Much of the media debates whether or not our cars are Japanese or British. For me, we very much build British cars that reflect the needs of British people and beyond.