Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Accomplishments
Timeline
Generic

Sanju Thomas

Detroit

Summary

Accomplished global engineering leader with 27+ years of experience driving innovation, operational excellence, and high-performing cross-functional teams across the automotive and product development sectors. Recognized for leading large-scale global programs, optimizing complex systems, and delivering multimillion-dollar value across EV, propulsion, and interior systems. A strategic, people-focused leader with deep international experience across India, the UK, China, Germany, and the USA. Brings a global perspective, strong P&L oversight, and a proven track record of leading transformative initiatives across geographies and business functions.

Overview

27
27
years of professional experience

Work History

Engineering Design Group Manager – Electrical

General Motors NA
01.2019 - Current
  • Lead a team of 25 Design Engineers and Technical Leads for all electrical components integration and wiring harness design execution supporting EV programs.
  • Provided technical leadership and program oversight to ensure successful execution of complex vehicle development initiatives.
  • Led the strategic planning and rapid deployment of the NACS charge inlet across all GM EV/PHEV platforms, accelerating time-to-market and ensuring cross-platform alignment.
  • Developed and implemented innovative products, processes, and operational standards aligned with enterprise strategies, driving efficiency gains and organizational buy-in.
  • Spearheaded innovation task forces that led to a 12% reduction in program development costs and accelerated go-to-market timelines by 3 months across EV platforms.

X-Architecture Propulsion System & Mega-Study Lead

General Motors NA
01.2019 - 10.2022
  • Lead cross-architectural mega-studies and global task forces to drive strategic corporate initiatives and make portfolio recommendations to win in the global market.
  • Led engineering teams to develop innovative solutions for a balanced systems architecture.
  • Develop business cases for top management decision making for new product/technology investment approvals and portfolio optimization to maintain profitability and market share.
  • Developed and institutionalized the Mega-Study process, cutting cross-architectural study time by 40% and enhancing decision quality for multi-billion-dollar investments.

Program Execution Leader – Propulsion Systems

General Motors India Technical Centre
01.2017 - 12.2018
  • Led a high-performing team of 32 engineers in the development and execution of vehicle-integrated propulsion systems for India and key Asian export markets.
  • Provided technical leadership and program oversight, managing budgets, risks, and timelines to ensure timely, high-quality execution.
  • Collaborated cross-functionally to resolve critical program issues and communicated progress effectively to senior leadership.
  • Led the end-to-end execution of India’s inaugural joint venture vehicle platform, expanding GM’s presence and brand impact in a high-growth region.

Business Operations Manager

General Motors India Technical Centre
03.2014 - 12.2016
  • Oversaw operations for a 700-member Global Propulsion Systems engineering organization in India, managing an annual budget of approximately $25M.
  • Provided strategic leadership for internal control functions, ensuring robust business continuity, compliance, and risk mitigation.
  • Spearheaded cross-departmental initiatives and aligned progress metrics, achieving a 15% improvement in operational efficiency and enhancing overall organizational effectiveness.

Regional PT VSE/Engineering Program Manager

General Motors India Technical Centre
11.2008 - 02.2014
  • Led propulsion system initiatives across multiple programs, overseeing development, change management, and issue resolution while collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure seamless execution.
  • Managed program budgets and schedules, ensuring alignment with project milestones and consistently achieving on-time, on-budget delivery of critical objectives.

Manager – Business Planning & Strategy (India)

Visteon India & Germany
03.2007 - 10.2008
  • Developed and executed growth strategies for the business unit, with a strong focus on capability enhancement, performance enhancement, and organizational development.
  • Prepared strategic business cases for new initiatives, supporting executive engagement, leadership visits, and stakeholder relationship management.

Design/Project Manager (Germany/India)

Visteon India & Germany
04.2003 - 02.2007
  • Led cross-regional design teams in Germany and India for the successful development and delivery of interior commodities, ensuring seamless project execution.
  • Managed an offshore team of 30 Design Engineers, driving operational excellence and achieving a 100% increase in engineering capabilities.

Sr. Lead Designer

Lear Corporation
07.2001 - 03.2003
  • Led seating system design projects for the Ford program in China, ensuring precise and on-time delivery of engineering solutions in alignment with program specifications and quality standards.

Sr. Design Engineer

Dilip Chhabria Automotive Design Studio
01.2000 - 06.2001
  • Developed A-class surface models for automotive projects, combining creative design with manufacturability and rigorous quality standards to deliver exceptional outcomes.

Project Fellow Engineer

Regional Research Laboratory
08.1998 - 12.1999
  • Investigated weld crack failures in fuel tanks for Light Compact Aircraft using finite element modeling (FEM) to perform detailed stress analysis and identify root causes.

Education

Post Graduate Diploma - Business Management

Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (SIBM)
Pune
01.2008

Bachelor of Technology (B. Tech) - Mechanical Engineering

College of Engineering, Trivandrum, Kerala University
01.1998

Skills

  • Problem-solving abilities
  • Organizational skills
  • Effective communication
  • Decision-making
  • Team building
  • Professional and courteous
  • Managing operations and efficiency
  • Interpersonal skills
  • Conflict resolution
  • Team development
  • Complex Problem-solving

Accomplishments

  • Achieved $126M in global cost savings by driving cross-functional systems optimization and aligning engineering objectives with business profitability targets.
  • Restructured global engineering teams to support strategic pivots, enhancing organizational agility and increasing project throughput by 30%.
  • Managed annual budgets exceeding $25M, optimizing ROI on engineering center investments through stringent cost control and productivity monitoring.

Timeline

Engineering Design Group Manager – Electrical

General Motors NA
01.2019 - Current

X-Architecture Propulsion System & Mega-Study Lead

General Motors NA
01.2019 - 10.2022

Program Execution Leader – Propulsion Systems

General Motors India Technical Centre
01.2017 - 12.2018

Business Operations Manager

General Motors India Technical Centre
03.2014 - 12.2016

Regional PT VSE/Engineering Program Manager

General Motors India Technical Centre
11.2008 - 02.2014

Manager – Business Planning & Strategy (India)

Visteon India & Germany
03.2007 - 10.2008

Design/Project Manager (Germany/India)

Visteon India & Germany
04.2003 - 02.2007

Sr. Lead Designer

Lear Corporation
07.2001 - 03.2003

Sr. Design Engineer

Dilip Chhabria Automotive Design Studio
01.2000 - 06.2001

Project Fellow Engineer

Regional Research Laboratory
08.1998 - 12.1999

Post Graduate Diploma - Business Management

Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (SIBM)

Bachelor of Technology (B. Tech) - Mechanical Engineering

College of Engineering, Trivandrum, Kerala University

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