LAUNCHING a new vehicle in to nearly 200 markets for a global carmaker is riddled with complexities, challenges and downright hard work. Supreme engineering talent is not enough; being a great people person alone won’t do the job. It’s a unique skillset that sees T6 global program manager Pritika Maharaj ensuring Ford’s Ranger and Everest are built to the demanded quality standard, with the right powertrains, capability and features – to a strict schedule. Watching the T6 line-up roll out around the world is her moment of truth.
“It’s tricky, but I wouldn’t call it the hardest time,” Maharaj tells 4X4 Australia. “I quite enjoy launch; I like it when it’s all about delivery and executing right. I wouldn’t say it’s harder, but certainly it’s more immediate and there’s a lot more immediate pressure because you’ve got to turn things around quickly, you’ve got to think quickly, get the right people engaged. A lot of what I do is trying to make sure that those people are engaged and that they understand the urgency, move fast and resolve what we need to.”
ON THE BIKE
PRITIKA’S early years with her Yamaha YZ80 weren’t short-lived: they were merely the beginning. “When I finished engineering, I started racing a 125 GP bike, and we had to play with the suspension to get it set up, especially for my weight and my size cause I’m not super tall and
