Cosworth

Tim Routsis

Tim Routsis's heroes are people who have an idea and then commit to making it happen. And Routsis is a man who has done exactly that. His entrepreneurial attitude has been a driving force for his life. He jokes about being the least qualified person at Cosworth but says he couldn't bear the idea of not being able to make money while studying.

 "I took a gap year to earn some money, one thing led to another and university never quite happened for me," he said.

"What is described politely as 'experience' usually means someone who has managed to survive making a hideous amount of mistakes but learned and applied valuable lessons along the way.  On that basis I regard myself as someone who is very experienced."

When Routsis joined Cosworth Group in 2003, he admits it was with some trepidation as he could see work was needed to return the business to profit.  When Ford announced their decision to sell Cosworth in 2005, Routsis was given the option of joining the automotive giant but his commitment to Cosworth and its workforce was rock steady.

"The company still had so much potential so it was easy for me to reach the conclusion that I had to commit myself wholeheartedly to Cosworth, help find a buyer and turn the company around."

Routsis drove the company towards diversification once the new ownership was in place, inspired to exploit the high performance technologies developed for Formula One, across a range of global industries including aerospace, defence, automotive and sport.

The company has grown from strength to strength, securing contracts with the UK Ministry of Defence, Aston Martin, Rolls-Royce and the US Department of Defence.  Cosworth Group is now profitable and reported 50% growth in 2010.  With headquarters in Northampton,UK, the company currently employs 350 staff across the Europe, US and India.

Routsis is keen to share the praise for the company's success with his management team and extended workforce of engineering and electronic specialists.  "What I'm most proud of is that the workforce got its shoulder behind the wheel to make an organisation which, bluntly, the world had written off for dead once Ford sold it.  We've turned it into a very vibrant and growing engineering business that is having a very real positive impact across sectors. I get a huge sense of pride from that."

Dedicated to supporting the next generation of engineers and technologists, Routsis has introduced an apprenticeship programme at the company.  Cosworth technology is also a key part of the BLOODHOUND SSC project to develop the fastest car in the world. Routsis said BLOODHOUND SSC is generating a buzz around engineering in younger generations, a great way for Cosworth to contribute to the future of the industry.

"Britain has produced some of the world's best engineers and we believe educating children about the industry is the best way to ensure this continues into the future."