'There is always room for improvement': New Northern Ireland CEO introduces himself to all 2,000 workers and outlines his vision
Wrightbus new CEO thanks workers for their hard work throughout 2025 at a mass gathering..’I’m proud to be leading you all at such a pivotal time’
The new CEO of zero-emission public transport leader Wrightbus arranged a meeting for all 2,000 members of staff as he outlined his vision for the business.
Axel J. Maschka, who moved from Hyundai Mobis to lead the Northern Ireland firm at the start of December, thanked workers for their hard work throughout 2025 at a mass gathering on Wednesday but said “what got us here won’t get us there”.
Outlining his approach for 2026, Mr Maschka said focusing on making quality products, investing in the manufacturing process and creating more skilled jobs were the top priorities.
“You’ve all helped create more jobs and opportunities as a result of the hard work and dedication you have given,” he told them. “I’m proud to be leading you all at such a pivotal time.
“The reason I’ve assembled you all here today is because I wanted to show you how important it is for us to work as a team. To be together. To collaborate. To drive each other forward. Today is a vision of how I want us to operate from now on, with a culture of openness and togetherness.
“I have already spent a lot of time getting up to speed with how the business performs. I have seen the incredible work you do on a daily basis, and the levels of commitment you all put in. I see the passion on display and the camaraderie around the building.
“But there is always room for improvement and we must never lose sight of the most important aspect – quality, quality, quality.”
Mr Maschka is a highly respected transport industry expert who has held senior positions around the world with Hyundai Mobis, Valeo, Volvo, Continental, Leclanché, Bosch and Mercedes-Benz.
“This business has undergone an incredible transformation since Jo Bamford bought it out of administration,” he added. “Now we need to be laser-focused on building a world-beating team of workers, partners and suppliers to help us go even further than we have before.”
At the end of the meeting, Mr Maschka served spiced tea and cakes to the staff, donning a Ballymena United shirt as he wished them a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.