Today, Markus Braendle joins Derek Harp as his guest for today’s show. He is Head of Information and Automotive Security at the Volkswagen company, CARIAD. 

Markus has been in the industry for a long time! He is a high-energy and result-driven professional offering extensive leadership and business experience. He has a proven track record of building, strengthening, and leading international teams, evolving organizations to meet future needs, as well as creating a customer-focused culture. He is confident and engaging with refined communication skills. He brings deep technical know-how to areas of information technology, cyber security, or industrial automation.

Markus was born in Iran and grew up in a small town near Zurich, Switzerland. In addition to being a technologist and an all-around geek, he is also a husband, father, hobby carpenter, mountain biker, and formally-trained software engineer. In this episode, he tells his story, discusses his education and career trajectory, and gets into what they are doing at CARIAD.

Stay tuned for more!

Show highlights:

• His dad was into technology, and it became clear early on that Markus would also go into technology.
• He studied for four years to get his Master’s in Computer Science and then did a P.h.D. in Theoretical Computer Science.
• Markus talks about the value of the year he spent in the US as an exchange student.
• He explains why he ended up in a corporate research lab after completing his studies.
• Markus discusses his first intersections with control systems and cybersecurity.
• How Markus learned to always ask about the most important thing a product does before trying to link security to it.
• Markus discusses his approach to building a network to advance your career.
• The qualities Markus looks for in candidates when interviewing them.
• What diversity means to him, and why he feels it is essential when building teams.
• How Markus discovered the benefits of working with people with autism.
• Why he left ABB to join Airbus, and why he joined Cariad eight months ago.
• Markus shares some advice for what people starting in their careers should study.