2021 Eurostars

TITLE: President Magna Steyr
COMPANY: Magna International
BASED: Graz, Austria
AGE: 49
NATIONALITY: German

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Frank Klein, who holds a master’s degree in electrical engineering/automation technology, worked at Daimler for 27 years before joining Magna in 2019. His positions at Daimler included CEO of Mercedes-Benz's vehicle assembly plant in Hungary, where he and his team from 2010-14 set up a compact car factory. He was then named a member of the executive committee at Mercedes vans, responsible for a production network of 13 locations. He joined Magna Steyr as head of engineering and manufacturing in April 2019 and was named president of the business unit in June 2020. 

REASON FOR WINNING

Magna Steyr occupies an unusual role within the megasupplier Magna International. The Graz, Austria,-based division provides engineering services, but is best known as a contract manufacturer that produces specialized models for an array of brands such as Jaguar and BMW, and has built more than 3.7 million vehicles over its 100-plus-year history.

Since Klein took over Magna Steyr in 2020, the division has been on a hot streak. Among its recent and current models are the Jaguar E-Pace and I-Pace, the iconic Mercedes G-Class, the Toyota Supra and sibling BMW Z4, and the BMW 5 Series. Next, Magna Steyr will turn its attention to the EV maker Fisker to build the Ocean SUV, starting next year. It is also helping the consumer electronics giant Sony to get into the automaking business. "We have to focus on premium quality every day, which is what we do for every traditional automotive customer," Klein says. "That has helped us gain a really good reputation with the new entrants."