Christopher Dillon
Electrical Wiring Component Application Partnership Manager
USCAR – U.S. Council for Automotive Research

I have been working in the automotive electrical connector industry for almost three decades. In 1996 I started my career as an intern at a connector supplier while attending university.  In 1998 I received my bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan in Mechanical Engineering and continued to work as a supplier until 2016.  During this period, I learned the predictive engineering tools used to develop electrical connection systems, the manufacturing processes needed to provide repeatable quality components and assemblies, and the validation requirements and test methods used to verify that connection systems were robust and could handle the harsh automotive environments.  In 2016 I switched to the OEM side and took a position at General Motors as a Connector Release Engineer.  I was later promoted to be the Connector Technical Expert.  During my time at General Motors, I learned how connectors were integrated into devices, wire harness assemblies, and vehicle general assembly.  I helped trouble shoot many issues that occurred during vehicle development as well as found in the field.  I helped identify where technical requirements did not align with real life situations and then worked to update the technical specifications based on the lessons learned.  

Last November I accepted my current position at USCAR as the Electrical Wiring Components Application Partnership (EWCAP) manager.  In this role, I have used my experience, expertise, and vision to support the USCAR Member companies (Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis) to drive improvements and advancements to common technical requirements released at USCAR for North America.  I have also recently taken on the role as the USTAG within ISO for automotive electrical systems including electrical connectors.  As part of this team, I am working to align with the international requirements for automotive connectors.  

During my career I have participated in many activities that helped improved our commodity, I have received multiple patents and one trade secret, and I am currently drafting technical white papers that will be released through USCAR to educate our community and help address common issues found in automotive electrical systems.  I appreciate this opportunity to present to this community and look forward to continuing to support change as our industry evolves to meet its future needs.