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Meet #GenerationGarrett

Wayne Kim

Senior Software Engineering Supervisor, Garrett Connected Vehicle Software Team

When Wayne Kim joined Garrett’s Connected Vehicle Software Team in Korea, he was realizing an ambition to make a difference on a global scale.

As a highly skilled software engineer, his previous role in an electronics business had left him feeling disconnected from the company’s growth plans. All that changed when he became a Senior Software Engineering Supervisor at Garrett, working on automotive cyber security systems.

“Today, I am helping create the software solutions that keep vehicles secure around the world. Vehicles are getting smarter by connecting to other vehicles, infrastructures, and the internet. Smart vehicles are sharing information not just about vehicle health, but also personal data linked to payments, location history and interests. This rising connectivity brings also various new security challenges to solve so being part of the team protecting vehicles and users from cyber-attacks creates lots of opportunities. I find it really fulfilling.”

A career in perfect alignment

Wayne works on Garrett’s intrusion detection system (IDS) and vehicle security operation center (V-SOC) solutions. He joined the company in 2017, ambitious to work for a business with a global reach.

“Even though I had no direct experience of the auto industry, I felt an alignment between this new career opportunity and Garrett’s leadership in connected vehicle software,” says Wayne.

He feels that software engineers can sometimes lack identity in global organizations, but that’s not the case at Garrett. He quickly became part of a community developing core product for the worldwide auto industry. “I feel fully connected because not only am I part of a great team open to new ideas and eager to share knowledge, I am also helping our customers understand the power and value of vehicle security solutions.”

Defining the future in an evolving space

Connected vehicle software is the auto industry’s newest area of engineering expertise. It is critical to the safety of millions of vehicles around the world, while the threats posed by cyber-attack make it a constantly evolving space.

“It is an incredibly exciting time to be involved in this field,” says Wayne. “There are lots of opportunities professionally to influence product development and personally to advance my career. For me, Garrett is definitely the place to be. The company has impressive depth of engineering knowledge along with a collaborative culture that provides the right support at the right time.”

Wayne likes the fast-moving nature of the connected vehicle environment. “We need to be flexible, especially when it comes to defining future risks. Agility is key to delivering the best, always-on security solutions for our customers, so we are encouraged to think laterally.”

“I also like that this is a transparent organization, open to the voice of every single employee. I understand the direction of the business and how I contribute to its success.”

How can you succeed in automotive software as a young professional?

“When I think ‘Garrett’, I think ‘#Together, #Trustworthy, #Self-motivated, #Target-oriented’.”

Wayne’s advice to software professionals starting out is to look for opportunities that embrace these values and attributes – and to focus on writing a program with good readability. This is particularly important in the automotive industry, which is driven by regulation.

“In our industry, embedded software engineers need to understand how a program is being processed in a lifecycle and how it interacts with multiple devices in a vehicle setting.

“You also need endurance and a pioneering spirit, because most times our work is the very first step in its field. There are no easy reference points or internet results to search. However, as you make progress, you leave a footprint for collaboration with your colleagues.”

Visit Garrett’s Careers page to see how you can join the growing global team and to discover our career opportunities.