In the Navy and at Ford, Martin’s work has required acute technical proficiency and the ability to learn quickly. Now, the ever-changing variety of challenges he solves at Ford makes every day rewarding.
“If you can drive a nuclear submarine and run a nuclear reactor, you can build a car. The leadership lessons and the technical lessons I experienced on the submarine force - I use them on a daily basis. Ford’s working on a lot of really good, cutting edge technologies, so the technical aptitude required is pretty similar.”
Some people say that being in a nuclear submarine is like driving around in a 40-foot sewer tube with a reactor in the middle. Martin disagrees - he thinks it’s more like driving down a freeway at a classified speed with your windows painted black, listening to the radio to try to figure out which way to go. Martin remembers his days working in a sub without sunlight, living with recirculated air and water. And he remembers the unique feeling of camaraderie he shared with his shipmates, which made him very reluctant to leave the Navy behind.
When it came time to look for a job after the Navy, he made strong company culture a priority. As he learned more about Ford, he realized that the company shared many attributes of the strong culture he found in the submarine force. The skills required were similar too, since both of his roles have required strongtechnical capabilities. At Ford, Martin might work with transmission coolers one day and engine oil and axle oil coolers the next, and he loves the constant change.
But Martin believes that what veterans really want out of a job is the opportunity to excel in the workplace without being treaded differently. From day one, his boss treated him like anyone else with ten years of technical management experience, and Martin found it was great to feel like a member of the team right away.
As a team member at Ford and in the military, Martin understands that he and his colleagues represent iconic organizations that are larger than any individual. He’s noticed that in both organizations, people succeed when they possess attention to detail, self-motivation, and a deep sense of pride in their work.
Martin began a new role as Connected Vehicle Business Development Supervisor in November 2016. This new role gives Martin the opportunity to develop and implement new emerging business strategies through connected vehicles.