Automotive News' annual Rising Stars program honors entrepreneurial automotive industry executives in the U.S. who have achieved great success in their careers and are fast becoming prominent industry figures. This year, two HARMAN leaders earned spots on this prestigious list: Vishnu Sundaram, Vice President of Telematics, and Brianna Leonard, Vice President of Program Management and Quality.

Rising Stars come from all disciplines on the manufacturing/supply side of the auto industry: designers, engineers, finance professionals, purchasing managers, product planners and more. What they have in common is extraordinary drive, an exceptional record of success and exciting potential for continued growth and influence.

Vishnu.RS

Automotive News recognized Vishnu for his achievements in moving the telematics industry forward and his work as a board member of the 5G Automotive Alliance (5GAA), an organization focused on 5G implementation in transportation. With an eye for connecting the telecom industry with vehicle manufacturers to develop end-to-end solutions for future mobility and transportation services, Vishnu has led HARMAN into the future of telematics.

Brianna.RS

In her global role overseeing the value engineering, test engineering and sound quality programs for our high-volume automotive amplifiers and speakers, Brianna has been recognized by Automotive News for her contributions to HARMAN’s Lifestyle Automotive business. Under her leadership, the division has produced significant, sustainable long term-improvements to HARMAN’s design and manufacturing process, as well as post-launch product competitiveness and superior quality. Her ongoing commitment to team diversity and STEM programs was also commended.  With many years of hands-on automotive, electrical, mechanical, acoustic and industrial problem-solving experience, Brianna has played an invaluable role in ensuring the products we bring to market are high quality and technologically innovative.

Congratulations to Vishnu and Brianna for their amazing work and contributions! We are extremely proud of these industry recognitions and of all of our team members who continually make strides to keep HARMAN a leader and innovator.