Full charge ahead
She barely left her career starting gate and has already worked for two of the most innovative automotive companies on the planet. Sybille Rizzolli from the cozy village of Montan works in the Marketing Department of Tesla Motors Inc., probably the hottest car company of the decade. In the following interview she told us why she loves cars and California.
Sybille and the Tesla Model S
1. Sybille, you moved to California two years ago. A dream come true or just coincidence?
Not necessarily. My Dream was always to go and study in the US, improve my English skills and then come back home. I remember telling my family four years ago that i will be home in 4 months… I even had a job offer back in South Tyrol but things turned out differently. I got an offer from BMW in CA and thought, before I go home I should definitely try to live in the state everybody talks about. After living in CA for a few weeks I knew that this was a special place and I could see myself living here for a while. And this is what I did.
2. The Free University of Bozen, the University of Salzburg and then Monsmouth College, Illinios, USA. What did you enjoy most? Why?
Yes, I have been jumping around a lot. I was never satisfied with what I was doing until I came to Monmouth, IL. Until then, I believed that Montan in South Tyrol was a small place but compared to Monmouth, Montan was like the New York City of Italy. I don’t think it gets any more “Midwestern” than Monmouth. I remember after arriving at the airport we drove for hours along seemingly endless corn fields, every ten miles I could see a sign of civilization in the form of a farming house. I told myself this must be the suburbs and I would arrive in real civilization soon... Unfortunately, that never happened. But something even better came up. The village I arrived in was definitely not how I had ever imagined it to be but it was special. The College seemed like a castle in the middle of nowhere. It was very well kept, there where beautiful parks and the people were so nice. It definitely took me some time to get used to the Midwestern style of living but at the end i was even taking corn farming classes! I believe, Monmouth was so special to me because it really prepared me for the real American work life. Classes were focused on exposing students to praxis rather than focusing on theory only. Classes were also made up of no more than ten students so professors could focus on the individual. Furthermore, the fact that is snows about 6 month out of the year, made me spend a lot of time in our library... All in all, Monmouth had it all for me, a great curriculum a small community and the most amazing people I have ever met in my life.
3. What do you love about cars?
I have always had a great passion for cars. At the age of 8 I would already tell my dad what model and make his next car should be. Cars have become so important - especially in the US, I couldn't imagine to be without my car. The fact is public transportation is not as well established in the states as it is in Europe. The downside cars have is that they represent toxin for the environment. If you ever sit in traffic in LA during rush hour and you make the mistake of opening your window you will start coughing from the exhaust you are inhaling. I am not trying to say that all cars are bad and we should stop driving. Fact is, we cannot stop driving as driving has become so crucial to our daily life; but we need to start thinking of new ways to do so. This is the reason I’m so passionate about Tesla. At Tesla we strive to be 100% green. We foresee a future where we can harness electricity with renewable energy only. What we are doing at Tesla is in my opinion the right step forward to a cleaner environment by building 100% electric cars.
4. Silicon Valley - home to many technology start-ups and fast growing internet companies. Do you feel the progressive energy?
Silicon Valley is a very special place. I did not understand that until I moved here. It is such a fast paced and innovative environment where big deals are closed over coffee or lunch. Even though it may seem to the outside that all these companies are competing against each other the truth is a great deal of collaboration is happening at the same time. Especially in my work, it is very important to constantly find new and exciting ways to market our cars to a broader audience. I have a lot of friends working at Google and when we get together we always bounce new ideas off each other. Moreover, I learn a lot from other people working at companies such as Apple, Intel or LinkedIn. I am also heavily involved in thought leadership groups in the Bay Area that invite VP’s and CEOs from different companies for panel discussions around current or future topics. These meetings provide me with a state of the art understanding of what is happening in the tech industry around the world.
5. You worked for BMW and now you work for Tesla. Both companies are very innovative and at the forefront of E-Mobility. When will E-Mobility take off for real?
There are several factors that have to happen before we see this change come to life. First, a mass market car that is affordable. Second, technology that enables electric cars to go further than 150 km and third, infrastructure that enables long distance driving. At Tesla our focus is to work on all 3 of these factors. We have already achieved building the first electric car that can go over 500 km on one charge. Tesla’s goal from the beginning is to build a luxury car that has amazing handling, unique technology, whose performance can compete with an M5 or a Porsche Panamera and is by the way, fully electric. We are also currently expanding our supercharger network all over the US and Europe that will enable long distance driving to any Model S owner. The next step is to focus on a car that is affordable to a broader audience. Model S is a luxury car and not necessarily a vehicle that everyone can afford. But in order to get to the next step this is the strategy we take. On the other hand, BMW is currently working on their electric car models, starting with the i3 which starts at around 35K followed by their more expensive luxury version the i8. I don’t see BMW as a direct competitor to Tesla, similarly do I not see the Nissan Leaf or GM’s Volt as a competitor. In order to have a broader audience accept electric cars we simply just need more of them, which will then result in the necessary infrastructure and change in our mindset.
6. Which kind of corporate culture does Tesla have? Internet or Automotive?
Tesla is definitely much more than a car company. Our CEO Elon Musk, sees Tesla as Tech company that builds the best and safest car in the world. Everything Tesla has achieved so far was considered completely impossible. Just think of the last time when a start-up car company was profitable? Part of our success, is that we have one of the brightest people of the 21st century leading the company and a pool of talent that truly believes in the company. At Tesla we are doing everything differently than any other car company. This starts with the way we are selling our cars. We don’t have regular dealerships but stores that are located in malls or along the main shopping streets of major cities. Our teams in the stores do not work on commission and their main focus is to educate people about our cars. I can guarantee that when you enter a Tesla Store you will not see the typical sales person trying desperately sell you a car. What’s also different compared to other cars is the fact that Model S gets better after you own it. Every few months you will receive a software update, similar to your phone, that will improve the cars firmware, the UI or add new options to your 17” touchscreen. As you can tell, our cars are in so many ways completely different and forward thinking than any other car out there.
The Tesla Factory
7. What is the biggest challenge in your job?
Every day brings a new challenge at Tesla. At BMW a lot of my time was dedicated to long term strategies and on how to implement the same processes over and over again. At Tesla on the other hand, there is barely any time to focus on long term. Everything happens in the now and every day is like a race. A race against the giants of the car industry, the non-believers and most importantly a race against media. At Tesla I experience first hand every day how media can be your best friend and your worst enemy. But because we are still such a small and agile company we can make changes happen in a short amount of time. If you have a new idea at Tesla or a suggestion for process improvement you just go and do it - there is no time for training, you have to be very good at what you do or you will not be able to survive in this environment.
There is also another challenge which is not directly related to Tesla but to the environment here in Silicon Valley. Because I am surrounded by the greatest talent and the best of the best on a daily basis it is sometimes very difficult to find my self-satisfaction. There is always someone on your team or your circle of friends that is smarter or more experienced than you are. There is also always a job opportunity out there that offers you more money than you could ever imagine. I think my biggest challenge so far was to acknowledge that this problem exists and to really reflect upon myself by being appreciative of what I have and of what I have accomplished.
8. What recommendations can you give to a european student who wants to get a job in California?
It will definitely not be easy to find a job in CA since you are competing against the best of the best. On top of that, you will also need a VISA which will make this process even more difficult. However, the fact that we grow up trilingual in South Tyrol has always provided me with a competitive advantage against other candidates. Barely any American speaks more than 2 languages. Most importantly though, even if it sounds so repetitive and simple but it is true: be different. When you apply for a job don’t just submit your resume - go a step beyond and try to reach someone in HR or a VP directly or invite them for coffee. Only then the company will know that you are truly interested. I think a good starting point would be to find an internship first and then make the company want you so much that they will apply for your VISA. And of course, last but not least, make sure you contact anyone in your network that you know - the most effective way to get your resume in front of the decision makers is through someone that already works for the company.
9. What is Südtirol for you?
The best place on earth! I never appreciated Südtirol for what it is until I moved far away for a long time. I definitely think that California is my home now, but every time when I return to Südtirol I know this is my real “drhoam.” All my family lives in Südtirol and I miss them everyday. I also miss our food, the mountains and most importantly our culture.
10. You are new to the Südstern community. Are you already in contact with some "Südsterne" of the Planet Silicon Valley in California?
Yes, indeed. I was surprised that there is actually a Silicon Valley Südstern Group! Busy as we are in Silicon Valley, our first meet up is scheduled for February 2014 :) so I look forward to meet my fellow South Tyrolean friends in the near future.