This week we are chatting to Assistant Chief Designer Luke Tzourou, who joined Xtrac 11 years ago as a Graduate Design Engineer.
What do you do at Xtrac?
My role is to manage and lead Design Group 3 within the engineering department. There are many elements to this that include supporting new project opportunities and leads, establishing the technical requirements in collaboration with the customer and other Xtrac departments. I am also involved in concept design at the early stages of a project before handing it over to one of the design teams in my group where I will then provide technical support and advice to help the team deliver the project. I am also part of the engineering management community where I play a part in planning work through the department as well as supporting opportunities for engineering development.
What qualifications do you have?
MEng in Automotive Engineering from the University of Bath
What inspired you to pursue the career you have today?
From a young age I have been fascinated with understanding how things work and a passion for motorsport has led me through my degree and into the industry. I enjoy the creativity and challenges of being a designer and get great satisfaction from ideas, however big or small, going from a blank sheet to a working product.
What do you like most about your job?
The people and the variety it brings. Being a business with a foothold in multiple market sectors and racing formulae there is always something new and exciting down the road. I get to take these opportunities and form them into a workable concept for a project team to take on. Seeing the project teams then turn these into a successful product worthy of the Xtrac name gives me a great sense of satisfaction and pride in both the team and the product. Xtrac has always been about the people and since I joined it has been a joy to work with such enthusiastic and supportive colleagues and I have formed some great friendships over the years.
Which of your career achievements are you most proud of?
Becoming Assistant Chief Designer after joining Xtrac as a graduate in 2011. Those 11 years have passed incredibly quickly and for all the challenges that the motorsport industry can throw at you, this is evidence that time does fly when you are having fun!
Anything else to add?
I have been surrounded by some great people and excellent engineers at Xtrac. This has shaped me into the engineer I am, and I couldn’t have made it to where I am today without their support and mentorship. There has rarely been a dull moment as I have worked on some fantastic projects in Formula 1, Sportscar, Rally, Automotive and Formula E to name a few and I look forward to what the future brings.
