Navigating Leadership and Startups

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In this episode of The Automotive Leaders Podcast, Jan Griffiths teams up with co-host Alisyn Malek and guest André Weimerskirch to explore the dynamic world of startups and legacy auto. Together, they break down startup myths, explore the challenges of transitioning between the corporate and startup worlds, and highlight the immense potential of combining expertise from both worlds.

André, who has experience in both startups and major companies like Bosch and Lear, shares his career journey. Starting with his cybersecurity startup, ESCRYPT, André reveals how he transitioned to corporate life, learned to scale systems, and returned to the fast-paced startup world with a fresh perspective. Along the way, he reflects on the value of structure from corporates and the creativity of startups, highlighting how combining these approaches can lead to innovation.

Together, they uncover common fears holding people back from leaving the corporate world, such as financial stability and healthcare. Alisyn then introduces the “Changing Lanes” program. She shares how this initiative supports professionals in the auto industry by connecting them to resources that help turn ideas into scalable businesses. For anyone who’s ever thought, “Somebody should fix this,” Changing Lanes offers the tools and guidance to help you realize, “Why not me?”

When asked which authentic leadership traits matter most for the auto industry’s future, André didn’t hesitate to choose honesty and integrity, and cognitive diversity. For André, these traits are not just leadership principles but the foundation for collaboration and progress in an evolving industry.

This episode is a must-listen for those seeking to change lanes, challenge the status quo, and explore what’s possible when startup and corporate worlds collide.

Themes discussed in this episode:

• Breaking stereotypes about startup culture and founders
• Challenges of transitioning from corporate to startup life
• The mindset shift needed to bridge the corporate and startup worlds
• Advice for professionals curious about exploring the startup world
• The Changing Lanes program and how it helps career transitions
• Why cognitive diversity makes teams stronger and more innovative
• Leadership traits essential for navigating change in the auto industry

Co-host: Alisyn Malek

What she does: Alisyn Malek is an experienced automotive and startup professional who is currently leading the Changing Lanes project on behalf of the state of Michigan. With Changing Lanes, she aims to connect the state's automotive and startup professional ecosystems by bridging through storytelling, events, and programming.

Featured guest: André Weimerskirch

What he does: Dr. André Weimerskirch is the COO of Block Harbor Cybersecurity, where he leads efforts to develop innovative cybersecurity solutions for the automotive industry. With a rich background in both startup and corporate leadership, André has built and managed teams responsible for product security, functional safety, and advanced software systems. He co-founded ESCRYPT, a pioneering embedded systems security company, and played a key role in its growth before its acquisition by Bosch. André has also contributed extensively to transportation cybersecurity through research, advisory roles, and developing key systems like the American vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) SCMS security framework.

On Leadership: “All this idea that, hey, I'm this VP and I can just tell people what to do. That didn't fly. I learned fairly quickly that people don't care that I'm a VP if they don't report to me; they report to someone else. They need to meet deadlines. They need to get the product out. So, I learned to get people on the same page and do the right thing. To make sure that these products are safe and secure, I need to be honest, I need to be very clear, and have the people to trust me. My experience has been that what I achieve with honesty and integrity is to have people follow me. Since then, that's what I took with me, and that's really important to me.”

Mentioned in this episode:

• Click here for more information about The Changing Lanes program
• Register for Upcoming Events: Changing Lanes Fireside Chat with Founders: Building and Scaling Startups in Detroit and the Changing Lanes Fireside Chat with Founders: Building and Scaling Startups in Detroit in Auburn Hills
• Other Programs Mentioned by Alisyn: Ann Arbor SPARK and The Centrepolis Accelerator

Episode Highlights:

[03:35] From Startup to Corporate—and Back: André takes us through his career journey—from solving cybersecurity problems during his PhD in Germany to founding ESCRYPT, selling it to Bosch, and diving into corporate life at Lear. Now, he’s back in the startup world with Block Harbor, blending innovation with everything he’s learned along the way.

[05:56] Startup Speed vs. Corporate Safety: For André, moving from a startup to a corporation was a mix of freedom and frustration. While access to endless resources was exciting, corporate processes slowed things down. It’s a trade-off between control and comfort, speed and security.

[08:04] Lessons from Both Worlds: André shares how his corporate experience shaped his return to the startup world. From learning execution and leadership in a structured environment to applying those skills at Block Harbor, he’s blending corporate expertise with startup agility to move fast and innovate smarter.

[15:30] Taking the Leap: Jan reflects on the fear and risks of leaving corporate for startup life, from healthcare worries to financial instability. For her, the trade-off was worth it—freedom and creativity over security. André agrees, highlighting how startup life requires conviction, drive, and a willingness to embrace uncertainty.

[19:40] Ready to Change Lanes? Feeling stuck in the corporate world but itching to solve a real problem? The Changing Lanes program helps professionals explore startup opportunities without quitting their jobs. With resources like SmartZones and Vision Workshops, it’s all about going from “Somebody should fix this” to “I could do it.”

[25:00] Traits That Truly Lead: Honesty, integrity, and cognitive diversity—André’s top leadership traits. He explains how building trust through honesty allowed him to lead effectively, even without direct authority, and how embracing different perspectives drives innovation. For André, the key isn’t avoiding challenges but growing through them.

[25:00] Testing the Startup Waters: Joining a startup isn’t like corporate life—it’s a deeper commitment where you need to align with the team’s mindset and values. André shares how starting as an advisor at Block Harbor helped him transition smoothly, a strategy he recommends for others curious about startups. 

Top Quotes:

[06:10] André: “It is both rough and beautiful. You get handed all these resources suddenly. We wanted to open an office in any location; Bosch had an office there, no problem. It took us a week, and we had an office in Korea, Japan, and many other locations. But it's also rough because suddenly, you know, like you're used to moving very fast, you're used to making decisions yourself, and suddenly you need to follow all these processes, procedures, how to do business. So, it's not easy, to be fair.”

[07:32] André: “That’s the beauty of the startup world; you have full control over what you do. You can check out things; you can do it much faster. You don't have the safety net that you have in a large corporation. You need to be very careful because everything you do if you fail, has a significant impact. It can be commercially or financially quite a problem for the company, but as I said, it has the beauty of being able to move so fast.”

[08:49] André: “Large corporations have extremely experienced people. They know how to execute; they know how to get things done. They have 30 years of experience, they know all the tools, they received so much training, they're great mentors. So, I learned huge amounts of how to get stuff done, how to lead people, how to make sure that everyone is happy, and how to get everyone on the same page. And basically, that's why I find it so fascinating now to return to the startup world. I try to basically bring in all this expertise from eight years in a corporation into the startup world to move both really fast and be innovative, but do it in a clever way, like what I learned in a corporation.”

[10:06] André: “The startup companies are not as organized as large corporations, and they shouldn't be; they can't be, right? I think the ability to move fast collides with having extremely solid structures and processes. But the startup world probably has a little bit too few structures and mechanisms. And I think experienced people, if they understand both worlds, can bring in the structure to the startup worlds to be eventually efficient. I'm thinking back about my own time and my first startup, I worked crazy hours as many people in the startup world now. You work long days, you work weekends, and I learned working for a corporation that's not the way to be successful. I truly believe that now the way to be successful is to think through problems, prioritize, and then do the things that really matter.”

[18:36] André: “I do truly believe a startup isn't for everyone. You need to have that conviction that you really want this. You need to have the drive to be in control, to be innovative.”

[19:10] André: “When I look back at my time in corporate, I think you climb the career ladder in corporate because you're great at executing. But corporate also pushes out people who are innovative and they need to change that mindset. They need to fully embrace it so that the people who don't want to take that step to move to the startup world can still be really successful in corporate and push innovation into corporations.”