Auto Ethnographer with John Stech

John Stech draws on his experience working with Germans, Swedes, Thais, Americans, and Vietnamese to examine the summer holiday sun culture of each.

Every culture has a different attitude towards taking vacation. Stay connected or completely disconnect? One week or six? Sit in the sun or stay in the shade? John will take a humorous approach to the Thai, German, American, Vietnamese, and Swedish attitudes to taking it easy.

In a fun twist, John hosts a “parade”, an examination of summertime stereotypes just to find humor in how each spend their summertime in the sun (or out of it). With stereotypes having a kernel of truth to them, this is a lighthearted look at the summer vacationer.

Whether you listen to this on a beach, in the sun, under an umbrella, or in the cool sanctuary of an air-conditioned shopping mall, The Auto Ethnographer wishes you a wonderful summer and restful days.

To learn more about The Auto Ethnographer podcast, please visit the homepage at https://www.auto-ethnographer.com

This week on The Auto Ethnographer podcast, host John Stech ruminates on the homecoming phase for expats. You may think the hardest part of a foreign assignment is moving overseas and getting to learn a new culture and new language. John argues that the most challenging part is coming back to your home country.

John lived overseas with his family for eight years, starting when his children were quite young. By the time they returned home, the children barely remembered having lived in the United States. John relives some of his adventures in Egypt and Russia, setting the stage for examining the difficulties of settling back into his home culture.

While living overseas with family you are immersed in learning, in challenge, in adaptation. You have to learn about a new culture which is all around you in your host country if you want to have a well-rounded overseas experience. Every day brings learnings, challenges, and adventures.

In the meantime, back in your home country, in your hometown, life goes on like normal. People have adapted to you being gone. And they continue their lives with focus on their everyday activities.

Once the overseas assignment or living concludes and you pack your belongings and head home, you may be surprised at the indifference that people display towards the wonderful adventures you’ve just had. You’ve also adjusted to living in a different culture that may then require readjustment to living back home.

This episode examines those feelings and emotions. John also shares how his family coped with the return to the United States and what they did to remain connected in some way with their international experience.

If you find the conversation riveting, and perhaps even a bit reminiscent of what you have gone through, please leave your comments on the homepage at www.auto-ethnographer.com

If you give permission to The Auto Ethnographer to talk about your feedback, using only First Name and Country, on a future podcast, your feedback will be included in a future conversation.

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This episode tackles ageism a growing issue across the globe. Along with two distinguished human resources experts, Auto Ethnographer host John Stech takes on the topic of age discrimination in the context of the American and Vietnamese cultures.

Discussing that today are Tamica Sears, The Corporate Fixer and Founder of Sears Coaching, a human resources consulting agency. She has built her vast experience working with Fortune 500 companies including Raytheon and Gannett, among others. Tamica is also the author of management book, How to tell if you’re an A**hole Boss. Learn more about the book here: https://a.co/d/93hOqnU

Joining Tamica is Kelvin Nguyen, an experienced corporate recruiter, member of VinGroup’s (Vietnam’s largest private company) talent team, and Co-Founder of Pharaon, a premier lifestyle management service that helps high-performing individuals and executives reclaim their time and enhance their day-to-day lives.

We start the conversation by defining what ageism means within each nation’s culture. Thanks to Hollywood, the fashion industry, and social media, American culture has an obsession with youth. Stereotypes lead to considering grey-haired people as dinosaurs and of less value in the workplace. Meanwhile, in Vietnam, a combination of Buddhist and Confucian influences combine to place veneration on age and experience.

But mindsets are changing rapidly as technology evolves. In America the situation is rapidly becoming more ominous for workers of age. Meanwhile, in Vietnam, long-held cultural values are under pressure from fast-evolving technology.

Tamica, Kelvin, and John explore these mindsets, the current situation in each nation, and future expectations in a 45-minute conversation.

You can learn more about Tamica Sears and Sears Consulting at http://www.thecorporatefixers.com/

You can learn more about Kelvin Nguyen’s Pharaon at https://pharaon.vn

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This China-focused episode was born when pulling on the red thread connecting four prior episodes with elements of that nation’s automotive rise. This time, host John Stech stitches together the story of China’s rise in the automotive industry from the humble beginning to the current achievement of largest automotive market and biggest net exporter of cars using the words of experts that have worked there. .

Drawing on insights previously shared by Dr. Susanne Lehmann (Volkswagen Malaysia), Dr. Helmut Grösser (Mercedes-Benz), Benny Oeyen (Automobility, previously GM Shanghai), and Gianfranco Pizzuto, CEO Automobili Estrema, the individual elements of their stories were woven together into a flowing tale.

It begins with an auto industry that was in an infant stage, starved for manufacturing, logistics, and technology knowledge. It follows through to explore how traditional automakers were forced to adapt their products for Chinese consumers. The tale takes a twist when the alarm was sounded a decade ago that the Chinese automakers would eventually rise up as a threat.

The episode also examines the culture in China and what makes it so able to learn and move quickly in adaptation. Finally, there is a word of advice shared by one of the experts, Gianfranco Pizzuto, one which may surprise some.

There is no question about the rise of China in the automotive industry. This podcast episode just scratches the surface on the many issues and factors that led to this point. However, it is a great starting point to continue learning about the greatest competitor the automotive industry has faced to date.

To learn more about The Auto Ethnographer please visit the website at https://www.auto-ethnographer.com

Dr. Susanne Lehmann. Volkswagen Malaysia  https://www.volkswagen.com.my/

Dr. Helmut Grösser. Mercedes Benz AG   https://www.mercedes-benz.com/en/

Benny Oeyen. Automobility Ltd.  https://automobility.io/

Gianfranco Pizzuto. Automobili Estrema  https://fulminea.com/

This week’s guest on The Auto Ethnographer Podcast is Adi Bathla, CEO and Co-Founder of Revv, a company that merges car repair with artificial intelligence. Together with host John Stech they trace Adi’s origin story from humble beginnings in India to the current success of an entrepreneur recognized on the Forbes 30 under 30 list.

Born and raised in Northern India Adi excelled in school and harbored an intense curiosity that led him to learn at a speed outpacing other students his age. He eventually participated in an American NASA space tech competition, which he and his team ended up winning.

The NASA competition victory connected Adi to Brown University which offered him a spot in its student body. Young, straight off the plane from India with a one-way ticket, Adi plugged into the university community and beyond. He created and built software solutions for various organizations while simultaneously studying for his degree.

On graduating, Adi worked in a series of high-growth start-ups putting him in close proximity to visionary CEOs and other leaders. We one foot rooted in his humble origins and the other planted in raw ambition, Adi soaked in all the learnings he could, both from successes and failures.

But it was only when he visited his extended family’s automotive workshop business that inspiration truly struck. What he found was a business built on paper and workflows that contained a lot of walking around with that paper. The lightbulb ignited and Adi had a vision for digitizing an old-school business, bringing it up to the most modern standard. He visited many other workshops to understand the pain points and problems then set off developing the basis of what would become Revv.

Revv offers an AI product which allows independent workshops, those that often fix many different brands, to repair even the most complex new vehicles, bristling with sensors and cameras, in an effective and safe way. Revv developed a system that served up repair information, calibration settings, and manufacturer instructions for hundreds of car models. What used to take days, weeks, or even months, or was simply overlooked, was now at the fingertips of small workshops. Even the smallest shop could now repair and recalibrate the Automated Driver Assistance System (ADAS) sensors that are found on 94% of vehicles on American roads.

Throughout this journey, Adi kept his cultural heritage derived from his parental upbringing “on the passenger seat”. He never let go of the cultural guidance instilled in him and leverages the wise words his parents said to him while working with the diverse Revv team.

This episode traces that story and uncovers the culture that made Adi Bathla, how he leveraged it while pursuing his passions, and where it will continue to take him.

If you are interested in learning more about Revv and its AI products, please visit https://www.revvhq.com

To learn more about The Auto Ethnographer Podcast, please visit the homepage at https://www.auto-ethnographer.com

Last week the Auto Ethnographer, John Jörn Stech, attended the 10th International Electric Vehicle Technology Conference & Exhibition combined with MobilityTech Asia 2025. The conference happened to be aligned in the same week that the American Houses of Congress passed legislation that effectively killed public funding and support for electric vehicles and renewable energy initiatives. The stark contrast between Thailand’s push on the accelerator and America’s stomp on the brake pedal are in focus today.

But the lens through which the topic will be dressed is not so much political as it is society and culture. The Thai and American cultures are extremely different. While Thailand is rooted deeply in Buddhism, and to a lesser degree Confucianism, which promotes a communal approach to addressing societal problems, American culture is individualistic, “everyone out for themselves”.

The Auto Ethnographer takes a look into Buddhism’s teachings and how they apply to renewable energy, electric vehicles, and the daunting task of combatting climate change. How do Thais employ those teachings to live a more harmonious communal life in Thai society?

Meanwhile, in the United States, individualism rules the day on electric vehicle adoption, the shift towards renewable energy, and on climate change, a topic that stirs debate on its very existence to this day.

John also discusses how past victories against pollution in the USA have rendered relatively clean air and water in the current day. This is in stark comparison to the 1960s and 1970s when environmental regulation was just getting started. With the air “looking” clean and carbon dioxide, a major contributor to global warming being invisible, it is easy to fall into the trap that there is no problem. Can’t see it? No problem then.

Contrast that to Thailand which continues to struggle with urban air and water quality. The problem is literally visible. So while Thais unite to conquer the pollution particulates, the PM 2.5 matter, they can simultaneously fight carbon dioxide through use of cleaner vehicles and energy production.

The iEVTech 2025 conference & exhibition was the impetus for this comparison. It was a show highlighted by two dozen speakers and dozens of international companies highlighting their EV, solar, energy storage, and related products. China, South Korea, UK, Germany, Switzerland, Finland, and other nations were represented in technology clusters. The United States was absent, a point not missed by the Auto Ethnographer and the cause for much contemplation of this topic for today’s podcast.

To learn more about The Auto Ethnographer, please visit the homepage at https://www.auto-ethnographer.com

In this episode, host John Stech discusses his observations on the Thai and American car cultures. Having lived in Thailand for nearly two years, he compares what he has observed on the streets, at motorshows, and at car meets. While some like to people-watch, John always has his eyes on the cars he encounters everywhere.

Says John, “Cars move us—but in wildly different ways. In America, a chrome grill might gleam with ambition and showy opulence. In Thailand, a dusty pickup truck or sprightly hatchback says: this is life—difficult, communal, and moving forward towards a bright future.”

John compares the two on their cultural bases, with independence being a main theme in American car culture, while interdependence plays a greater role in Thailand.

He briefly explores the impact of popular culture, manufacturing presence, cultural traits that reach back years, as well as changes that are pushing in on both sides of the Pacific Ocean.

Buckle your seatbelt, relax, and enjoy the insights and shared experiences from John’s automotive life.

For more information on The Auto Ethnographer you can visit the homepage at https://www.auto-ethnographer.com

This week John Stech, host of The Auto Ethnographer, was traveling in Taiwan. He was there to see his wife’s nephew graduate from high school. The five days on the ground were very busy, a packed schedule planned in advance. While there he was inspired to think about the pride that nations and their people feel about locally developed and produced automotive brands.

The visit started and ended in Taipei but much of the time was spent further south in the towns of Nantou, Puli, and Taichung, as well as at the stunningly beautiful Sun Moon Lake area in the Taiwanese mountains.

Urban and intercity transportation was primarily on rail, either the underground MRT or the incredibly fast HSR system (high speed rail). But the Nantou County was more spread out and required rented cars for the extended family. One of those cars was a LUXGEN n7 EV, a vehicle locally developed and produced by Yulon Motors with development cooperation by Foxtron (a part of FoxConn, known for producing Apple iPhones).

It became clear that the family member renting the LUXGEN was proud of the local brand. Well built, stylish, reliable, and packed with technology and a great battery range, the vehicle was certainly worthy of admiration.

John Stech speaks about LUXGEN, the perceived pride in the local automotive player, and the comparative experiences he had with local brands in Vietnam and Russia.

Join in for a short but thoughtful episode on the impact of national pride on a nation’s auto industry.

For more information about LUXGEN, visit the company’s site here (Mandarin Chinese): https://www.luxgen-motor.com.tw/

Learn more about Sun Moon Lake at their homepage: https://www.sunmoonlake.gov.tw/en/

To learn more about The Auto Ethnographer, visit the homepage at https://www.auto-ethnographer.com

Dr. Deb Mukherji joins The Auto Ethnographer from Gurugram, India, a city near New Delhi. In today’s episode he helps to unravel the success factors for entering the Indian market as a foreign company, automotive or otherwise.

There are success stories and failures on the Indian market. These are woven into the conversation as we explore the main drivers for success: navigating regulations, technology adapted to local consumers, economics, and the human aspect including culture.

Dr. Mukherji has over 35 years of experience in the Indian automotive industry having worked for several vehicle manufacturers and their suppliers. Well-known brands he served directly or indirectly include Hyundai, Maruti (India’s market leader), Honda, Hindustan, and Omega Seiki Mobility.

His most recent challenge had been the development and launch of Omega Seiki Mobility as the company’s Managing Director between 2018 and 2023. OSM is a startup company focused on electrifying transportation in India primarily in the 3-wheeler and 2-wheeler sectors. In this role he set up several manufacturing sites as well as a 200 dealer distribution network across India.

Between 2010 and 2018 Dr. Mukherji founded and let ADM Technologies, a company that provided business and technical consulting services to both domestic and foreign companies in India. During this time he advised and participated in the building of several manufacturing facilities and businesses.

Prior to 2010 he worked in a variety of manufacturing and supply chain positions within the automotive industry. These included but are not limited to Bestex Marujun India P Ltd. (Honda group company), Caparo Engineering India P Ltd. (an engineering company that set up major projects for clients), and Hongo India Pvt. Ltd. (a JV with Honda Cars India and Honga Japan), and Hindustan Motors. In all cases he focused heavily on setting up manufacturing operations.

Currently, Dr. Mukherji is the Founder and Managing Director of ADM Prime Consulting Pvt. Ltd. a consulting company with focus on clean energy, electric mobility and connectivity businesses, developing strategies, alliances and JVs. ADM Prime have offices in Japan and South Korea offering services to enter the Indian market successfully.

To learn more about ADM Prime Consulting or to contact them please visit the homepage at https://www.admprime.co.in/

The Auto Ethnographer releases weekly podcasts with focus on international cultures and how they impact the automotive industry, although the lessons learned can universally be applied to international business. John Stech, the host of The Auto Ethnographer podcast, has 30 years of experience in the automotive industry with work and living experiences in North America, Latin America, Europe, Egypt, Russia, and Southeast Asia. He loves to explore cultural differences and what makes people who they are around the world.

To learn more about The Auto Ethnographer visit the home page at https://www.auto-ethnographer.com

During this second in a two-part episode, The Auto Ethnographer’s host John Stech speaks with Benny Oeyen, a Belgian who is passionate about building bridges between cultures. With automotive experience on four continents and with four distinctly different automakers, he is well-prepared to speak on cultural impacts in the industry. Benny is in the unique position of having worked for automakers in or from three major Asian countries, Mazda, Kia, and GM China. He is energetic and tells his story in a candid, compelling way weaving together the cultural aspects to the product strategy.

This week Benny tells of his challenges working with Kia Motors Europe as Vice President of Marketing & Product Planning. In 2009 he was one of the first non-Koreans to attain this level within the company and it was a critical time. Kia was on the cusp of transitioning from a maker of cheap, relatively unstylish cars to the Kia we know today, the purveyor of highly-styled, fully-equipped quality vehicles. Benny would play a crucial role in helping Kia achieve that transition with European consumers.

One critical point he discussed was trust in the Kia brand. Benny was a proponent of expanding Kia’s vehicle warranty from 2 years (the European minimum) to 7 years. He recounts in detail how that happened and mentioned a television advertisement he developed to help sell the concept to consumers. The advertisement can be found here at “7 is better than 2”: https://youtu.be/HEdMmP7jbBQ?si=gGhlI2RhO3CwnH2j

Following his five year stint with Kia, Benny joined in the rush for China. He explained that the largest automotive market on the planet was a must-have checkmark on the CV for any C-suite executive. General Motors China afforded him the opportunity as Vice President Product Planning & Strategy in the Chinese market. He spent three years in Shanghai learning the intricacies of the Chinese market and fickle consumer. He also observed trends on the rise of the Chinese auto industry a decade ago, long before the alarm bells began to ring for traditional automakers.

Benny rounds out the episode with some sound advice for people considering moving out of their home country and into a new culture. Listen in on the conversation to learn more about his insights.

Benny is now leveraging his experience in the global automotive industry as the European Managing Partner of Automobility Ltd, a consultancy focused on global mobility initiatives. You can learn more about Automobility Ltd at their website: https://automobility.io/

For more information on The Auto Ethnographer, please visit the homepage at https://www.auto-ethnographer.com