
Kavit Antani
Assembly Plant Manager
BMW
Greer, SC USA
“It’s a setback only if you call it a setback. I call a setback opportunity.”
BMW
Greer, SC USA
“It’s a setback only if you call it a setback. I call a setback opportunity.”
Assembly Plant Manager
I lead the assembly of the X3 and X4 sports activity vehicles.
I start my day by walking through the shop floor for the X3 and X4 vehicles to get a feel for how production was on the night shift and how we expect production to go on the day shift. Then I have production meetings for any updates or issues. After that, I do a coaching round where I interact with section leaders to help with problem-solving. Then I have meetings until lunch. I spend the rest of the day planning for future projects. Finally, I do one more plant walk before I leave for the day.
Here's the first step for high school students
To work in operational leadership in automotive manufacturing, I recommend either earning a degree in engineering or business administration. With an engineering degree, you'll have a strong technical background and can learn the business side on the job—and vice versa with a business degree. You can also pursue a two-year degree from a vocational school and enter into the industry as a tech scholar. I also recommend finding relevant internships to gain more hands-on insight into the industry.
"I didn't do that right. I should've done that differently."