Audi 2007 Annual Report Download - page 72

70 TECHNOLOGY& RESEARCH
The ability to com-
promise: Engineer
Petra Kim-Reschke
needs to work in a
team to find viable
solutions.
German, English and Korean. In something resembling the
ingenious spirit of Q, her team is working on a brand-new
transmission system for series production.
Kim-Reschke does a lot of her work in the workshop, on
the test bench and in the car, she explains. But being an en-
gineer involves far more than inventing and tinkering. It is
mainly about working as a team to find viable solutions,
and coordinating different testing schedules. “A willingness
to compromise usually helps more than a differential equa-
tion,” says the 37-year-old.
Compromise? Would Batman, another highly talented tech-
nological wizard, settle for compromises? Does MacGyver
care about cooperation? The fact is, mavericks like Gyro
Gearloose would have no chance in today’s professional
life. These days, the decision-makers among engineers are
initiators versed in technology. They work as team players,
and see themselves as executives or process facilitators.
But hero inventors from the small or large screen will
always provide a source of inspiration. For example, Tony
Stark (alias Iron Man) acquired superhuman strength
thanks to the hi-tech metal armor he designed. In the
Hollywood movie starring Robert Downey Jr., scheduled
for cinema release this year, the superhero appropriately
drives a mid-engined Audi R8 sportscar.
In reality, the life of an engineer is not quite as spectacular,
although Petra Kim-Reschke does travel a lot. “Personal
contact is an important part of my job,” she says.
“Young people shouldn’t go into engi-
neering just because of career pros-
pects, but mostly because they are
curious and enjoy meticulous work.”
Petra Kim-Reschke, Head of Mechanical Testing of
Dual-clutch Transmissions, AUDI AG