In the Driving Seat: Amer Mushtaq, Finance Controller at GETRAG FORD Transmissions
Driving a Toyota Land Cruiser along the Karakoram Highway in North West Pakistan (the world’s highest main road) to the border of China should have been a good grounding in the importance of durable transmissions for Amer Mushtaq, Finance Controller at GETRAG FORD Transmissions and NAA Advisory Board Member.
Name
Amer Mushtaq
Company
GETRAG FORD Transmissions GmbH
Position
Finance Controller
Apart from that
Chartered Accountant – ACA (ICAEW), Certified Internal Auditor – CIA (IIA)
Association with NAA
Worked with the NAA since rotating into my current role at GETRAG FORD Transmission Halewood plant in March 2008; attending workshops, seminars and wider networking. Joined the board of the NAA in September 2011 after Bob Taylor (previous plant manager and Board Director of NAA) relocated to Bari, Italy. Actively supporting NAA through participation of the Business Excellence Programme as well as regular attendance at NAA board meetings. The role of the NAA is close to my own interests, as a keen automotive professional from the North West, I fully support the championing and collective support provided to the region by the NAA.
Personal
Aged 36, married in Feb 2012 to my beautiful wife Asiya who is a senior lecturer in psychology and statistics. Just returned from a lovely honeymoon in sunny Maldives and Dubai. Cricket is my first love, playing badly for Ashley Cricket Club – loosely a specialist batsman with the occasional wicket keeping and even bowling guest appearance. Also love driving along scenic routes, as well as football, badminton and shopping! Born and brought up in Manchester with stints in London, Sweden and the Midlands.
Favourite football team
Liverpool FC – a Mancunian Liverpool fan since the age of 5 so a glory hunter from the late seventies!
Musical performer
Wide range of eclectic tastes from Jay-Z and U2 to Buena Vista Social Club.
Movie
Leon – by Luc Besson starring Jean Reno and a young Natalie Portman.
Books
Barbarians at the Gate / Killing Pablo – both books managing to narrate real life events in the style of the best fictional novels. Barbarians at the Gate related to the leveraged buyout of RJR Nabisco; and Killing Pablo related to the ultimate capture and death of Pablo Escobar in Columbia.
Best motoring moment
Driving a Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40 (2-door soft top from late 1970’s) along the Karakoram Highway in North West Pakistan to the border of China in 1998 – it’s the world’s highest main highway through the Karakoram mountains (containing K2, the second highest peak in the world).
Best business advice you’ve ever received?
Second week into my career at PriceWaterhouseCoopers visiting the Jacob’s Biscuits factory in Liverpool, the CFO of the then owners, Group Danone, explained the “career ladder” approach to succeeding in the work environment – never leave a job more than once within 12 months and never stay longer than 5 years if you haven’t been promoted at least twice in that period.
