Kia's Leading Latina
Knowing that the future present is female is uplifting. And when you have a strong female, like Angeles Van Ryzin, lead in a predominately male industry like the automotive putting the pedal to the metal, it makes a story worth telling.
What has been one of the most rewarding moments/experiences throughout your career?
There has been many but I think the most rewarding moments was very recent in working on the Telluride. The Kia Telluride received and outstanding road test score from Consumer Reports, 97. This is the highest score of any Kia models in history. When I saw the score and read the article it was so rewarding to see that the media and customers are reviewing this vehicle very well and that all that hard work I did on the Telluride is paying off.
What is the best INVESTMENT you have ever made for your career/job?
Aside from going to school which I consider the best investment I would say going overseas to Korea for 5 weeks was the best investment I have made for my job. I was in Korea for 5 weeks for training. I decided to stay in Seoul and take the bus every day to work, to experience what engineers do on a daily basis. I was really nervous as I had never traveled that long alone and in a country where the language is so different and such a large time difference. During my trip I not only learned so much about the culture and gained technical skills, but I made long lasting relationships that helped tremendously in building trust. Since my long trip to Korea I have gotten better at communication and building credibility with the engineers from Korea.
During your pregnancy month while working on the Telluride, what were your thoughts? Were you wishing to rest or were you excited to work?
During my pregnancy while working on the Telluride my thoughts were that I had two important jobs, being healthy and safe for my baby and meeting all the deadlines and milestones on the Telluride. I don’t think I ever really wished I stayed home because of my pregnancy. Gratefully I had a very smooth pregnancy, so I never really thought I needed to stay home. I did however find rest in other ways like go to bed earlier and go on walks often to get my mind off of work and distress a bit. Again, I knew the Telluride was going to be Kia’s flagship and being a part of something that important gave me the energy to continue. I was also very open to my manager. The days that were physically difficult for me I let my manager know and my team members always supported me and helped with anything they could. For example, I had to take a 3-week trip when I was 8 months pregnant, but two of my colleagues offered to take one week each so it would be more manageable for me.
What can Latinas/women bring to the table?
We bring so much to the table and in so many fields! Be it economy, societal issues, entrepreneurship, leadership, politics, etc., we bring different and fresh ideas to the table. We seem to better leverage our unique backgrounds, while tapping into the sense of dedication we have to our jobs, to bring a new perspective to problem solving and critical thinking.
BORN IN ZACATECAS, México, Ángeles Elena Van Ryzin has conquered a coveted spot amongst the top, as one of KIA Motors engineer. She studied at Cal Poly Pomona University, and in 2009 graduated as a mechanical engineer. During that time, she was part of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) and the Society of Women Engineers (SWE). Her senior year she joined the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) where she built a racecar and competed in an international competition in Germany. In 2011 he joined the HATCI family (Hyundai-Kia Technical Center) in the powertrain department. Since then, she has focused on Kia’s new and acclaimed Telluride model, where she led the powertrain drivability design, transmission scheduling and torque calibration for the Telluride; in other words, she helped achieve the driving ease and fuel efficiency of the vehicle. Being a woman is not a limitation to do any job. Van Ryzin kicked off working on the Kia Telluride with a trip to Korea while 5 months pregnant and in Death Valley enduring insane dessert temperatures while hovered over the hood of a Telluride while 8 months pregnant. There is no limit to what women can do in any industry, even vehicle engineering.