Full of energy
Leslie, Head of IT Regions Americas in San Luis Potosí, Mexico, has been working at DRÄXLMAIER since 2019
In electrical power engineering, high-voltage refers to a voltage above 1,000 volts. This may give you an idea of how much an American critic in the 1950s was electrified by the performance and stage presence of French chansonnier Gilbert Bécaud when he gave him the trademark “Monsieur 100,000 Volt.” Energy that always sparks and inspires others is a special gift, but also a challenge. Leslie can tell you a thing or two about that. The industrial engineer and IT expert from San Luis Potosí in central Mexico is always energized. “I was just born with a lot of energy,” she says with a smile. “It’s always there—with or without coffee.”
That’s why Leslie is always in motion: swimming, biking, running—“when my pulse rises, I feel good,” says the amateur athlete. But that doesn’t mean she can’t take it easy. She also counts reading or watching television among her favorite pastimes. When watching TV, her place is not on the sofa, but rather in a café, a bar, or on a restaurant terrace: “I like to look at the people strolling by and think about what might be keeping them busy at the moment. I could do that for hours over a glass of good red wine without getting bored,” she confesses.
Everything according to plan
In this case, “for hours” is meant more in a figurative sense. Leslie doesn’t usually take that much time for meditative moments. Her schedule is tight, and her calendar is peppered every day with colorful entries on all her professional and personal tasks and to-dos. There is also a separate section with briefly noted ideas and inspirations that are by no means meant to get lost in the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
“I can easily get excited about so many things,” she says. “Sometimes I wish the day had more than 24 hours. That makes it all the more important for me to actually do the things I set out to do. And I do them with joy and enthusiasm.” In this regard, she says, it is very convenient that she has always been able to get by on little sleep. “My day starts at 5 a.m. in the morning and usually ends around midnight.”
To the office with a smile
“Work is my hobby,” Leslie confesses. “I like my job and come into the office with a smile every morning. I consider that a privilege and great luck.” Yet her tasks are definitely demanding. As Head of IT Americas at DRÄXLMAIER in Mexico, Leslie takes care of implementing state-of-the-art IT solutions and infrastructure services to drive efficiency and effectiveness in production and development for and with customers in the premium automotive segment.
Part of a big family
She sees IT as a tool to support people in their work and to keep making things a little better. She and her 150-strong team work on this with dedication and passion. “We’re one big family here,” Leslie says. “That’s why my responsibility doesn’t stop with the 150 IT people in the department. For me, it always includes their own families as well. We do well when everyone is doing well. The balance between work and family simply has to be right.”
Communicating this and also comparing it with experiences from other industries is an academic concern for Leslie. On the side, she is involved as a lecturer at the Catedrática Universitaria in the Centro Universitario de Negocios y Estudios Profesionales. Her “students” are usually higher-level students who have already gained professional experience in business or teaching and are now pursuing their master’s or doctorate degrees. “For me, these are encounters with interesting personalities who approach the material with high motivation and bring many exciting ideas. I always take a lot away from that myself.”
Leslie considers it a real stroke of luck that after several years of corporate experience in Germany, she came to DRÄXLMAIER on the recommendation of a friend and was thus able to return to her native Mexico. “I am simply a family person and like to be close to my now grown-up children. That’s why I can also really appreciate the family atmosphere at DRÄXLMAIER; this is where I’ve found my second home.” And quite obviously a high-grade source of energy. In any case, “Señora 100,000 Volt” still has a lot of plans. With DRÄXLMAIER and her life. The fact that the high-voltage spark is easily transmitted to others is entirely in keeping with the spirit of this uniquely positively charged power woman.