Will Austin
Will received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois in 1990. He then worked for Cooper Industries and held various positions within Quality Assurance, Manufacturing Engineering, Shop Floor Supervision, and Engineering Supervision.
At Ohio State, he studied the Vietnamese and Mexican auto industries as semester projects in graduate school. Prior to graduating with a Masters in Business Administration, Will worked for Ford Motor Company as an MBA intern.
After graduate school, Will studied Chinese at the Northern Transportation University in Beijing, China, and then began working for General Motor’s Delco Electronics division in Singapore. He held several financial positions in Indiana, and then took an 18-month assignment in Sao Paulo, Brazil at Delphi Automotive System’s South American headquarters.
It was in South America that Will began to develop the dream of a simple car that could bring transportation to the developing world. In 2000 he began working on designs for the vehicle and founded the Institute for Affordable Transportation soon after.
Will resides in the Indianapolis area with his wife and three children. He is a member of Venture Christian Church.
