Inside Plus: Luisa Wohlers, Associate Project Manager

Luisa Wohlers’ connection to the autonomous truck industry started long before she began working at Plus, as her father spent much of his career as a truck driver. Growing up with that perspective gave her a real appreciation for the people behind the wheel and the critical role trucking plays in everyday life.

When she joined Plus as an intern at our Santa Clara headquarters in early 2023, she saw an opportunity to contribute to the future of the trucking industry in a meaningful way. Now a full-time Associate Project Manager based in our Munich office, Luisa plays a key role in supporting internal operations critical to the development and deployment of our self-driving truck technology. She always brings a thoughtful, hands-on approach to the work behind the scenes.

1. Tell us about your role at Plus. 

In my role as an Associate Project Manager at Plus, I primarily focus on internal projects as well as any supply chain or operations related tasks for our European programs. I really enjoy the broad range of responsibilities in my role. It keeps my work dynamic and engaging, and there’s always something new to learn.

2. What inspired you to pursue a career in autonomous driving technology? What attracted you to join Plus?

I’ve always been drawn to new technologies and how they can improve lives. I am very passionate about sustainability. Autonomous driving technology, to me, is the perfect crossover of exciting technological improvement with real and meaningful impacts, whether that’s improving sustainability or safety in trucking.

On a personal note, my dad spent much of his career as a truck driver. So working in an industry he was part of feels especially meaningful because I’m contributing to something that connects both to the future of logistics and to my own story.

While I was doing my MBA, I was looking for an internship and came across Plus. I did a lot of research on the company and particularly liked the interviews and panel discussions of our leadership team that I either read or watched.

One that I still remember clearly was the Logistic Disruptors interview that CEO David Liu did with McKinsey. He talked about the technology breakthrough and more importantly, solving urgent problems facing the trucking industry. He showed a deep understanding of the industry’s challenges. It was also reassuring to learn how Plus was taking a practical approach to build something customers would actually use and be willing to pay for. What stood out to me was the recognition that to truly make a difference, this technology has to be commercialized at scale, and that’s exactly what Plus is aiming for.

So, I applied and joined Plus in February 2023 for a six-month internship in Supply Chain and then started in November 2023 full-time in our Munich office. Just a few months later, Plus announced not one but two major partnerships with global truck makers: Scania/MAN/International of the TRATON Group, and Hyundai Motor, adding to the existing collaboration with IVECO. At that point, I thought to myself: good pick, Luisa.

3. Can you share a project you worked on that you are particularly proud of?

I’m particularly proud of implementing our Quality Management System as part of our pursuit of ISO 9001 certification. The autonomous driving software we’re developing is such a safety-critical technology, so it’s important that we can demonstrate the maturity and consistency of our processes. ISO 9001 helps us do exactly that by emphasizing reliability, traceability, and continuous improvement. It also helps build credibility and trust with our OEM and fleet partners by showing that we can scale our operations with the level of rigor and discipline their standards require.

This project has also been a personal highlight for me because it pushed me outside of my usual Supply Chain-focused work. It allowed me to leverage my strengths in translating abstract concepts into actionable steps and thinking through the big picture across teams and functions. I really appreciate that the team at Plus trusted me to take this on.

4. What have you enjoyed most about working in different parts of the world?

Working across different countries gives me the chance to experience how work cultures can vary. Being aware of those differences has helped me become a better collaborator, especially when working with people from diverse backgrounds.

The experience of working across both the Santa Clara and Munich offices for Plus has also shown me how global the automotive industry is. It’s exciting to be a part of a company that’s working on something that is making a global impact.

5. What skills do you find most essential in your role, and how have you developed these skills over time?

There are some essential skills like working with databases, being proficient in Excel and Google Sheets that I rely on daily. But I’ve found that soft skills make the biggest difference in my role:

• Organizational skills: I often handle tasks with different contexts, so staying organized and keeping a clear overview is essential to managing everything effectively.

• Creativity: A big part of my work involves designing new processes and improving existing ones, which means thinking outside the box and coming up with different but practical and well-suited solutions.

• Holistic thinking: No team exists in a vacuum. What we do impacts the work of other teams, and understanding that helps me make better decisions.

I developed most of these skills gradually during my MBA and earlier jobs. I’m very happy that I get to use and strengthen them now in my role at Plus.

6. What would your perfect weekend look like?

My perfect weekend would definitely include a road trip, a good hike, and some good coffee. Recently, I really got into specialty coffee and set up my own espresso station at home. It’s been one of my favorite weekend rituals.