In this CWIEME Talks conversation with Alexandra da Fonte Martins, Senior Content Manager at CWIEME Berlin, the industry strategist reflects on a career shaped by global cultures, hands-on manufacturing, and a passion for developing people.

Watch the sessions below:

Learning the industry the right way: from laminations to leadership

Wayne’s start was anything but conventional: a management-trainee role inside a small UK lamination business that rotated him through almost every department while he studied economics, accounting and management at night. That grounding—driving a one-tonne truck for a critical delivery one day, reviewing macroeconomic data the next—set a theme that has defined his approach ever since: understand the work before you try to lead it.

He went on to senior roles inside a fast-growing private lamination group expanding in the UK, Germany, the USA and Central Europe, and later helped build out North American market presence for a European manufacturer—acquiring capacity, opening new facilities and turning a small foothold into a recognised player.
The lesson: investment plus proximity to customers beats scale alone—and the bold marketing moments (like getting a brand in lights above a major venue) matter when you’re signalling intent to a new market.

What really moves the needle: people, not just projects

Ask Wayne for his proudest achievement, and he doesn’t cite a product launch. He talks about people—bringing young talent into commercial and technical teams, pairing them with experienced colleagues, and opening space for new ideas. Mixed teams, he argues, de-risk groupthink and speed up practical innovation. That philosophy mirrors CWIEME’s own community programmes—from Future Engineers to Women in Engineering—where access and opportunity turn curiosity into capability.

Challenges you can’t ignore—and how to respond

Wayne calls out a set of realities every motor manufacturer and subcomponent producer is living with:

• Policy volatility vs. investment horizons. Plants, presses and automation aren’t four-year bets. Companies need confidence to commit to long-cycle capex even as policies around EV adoption or incentives shift.

• Materials and manufacturability. The gains aren’t only in the datasheet—they’re in the toolroom. Moving from 0.50–0.65 mm electrical steel to 0.20–0.30 mm demands better tooling, feeders and automation to handle thin-gauge stock at volume.

• Beyond standard grades. High-performance alloys (including cobalt- and nickel-based steels) have long existed in aerospace and specialty applications, but cost and batch limitations restrict broader adoption. If mid-ground options emerge, EV traction and high-duty motors could see step-changes in efficiency and power density.

• True design collaboration. To reach the optimal machine—cost, weight, envelope and power—OEMs, stampers, steel producers, winding wire suppliers and automation partners must engage earlier and more openly, even with reasonable confidentiality boundaries.

Why shows like CWIEME still matter

Wayne’s first industry exhibition was in a van at Alexandra Palace. The point wasn’t glamour; it was density: seeing more relevant people in three days than in a year on the road. Today, that principle scales across borders: engineers, procurement leaders, R&D heads and suppliers under one roof. Send the shop-floor team as well as purchasing, he urges—they know the real constraints and will return with better questions and practical ideas.

Looking ahead: motors get thinner, smarter and more efficient

Expect continued momentum toward thinner laminations, smarter manufacturing cells and higher system-level efficiency across EVs, appliances, pumps, generators and more. With motors everywhere—from homes to vehicles to plants—the efficiency gains we unlock together compound across the grid.

Introducing in 2026: Electric Motor Forum

CWIEME will launch the Electric Motor Forum in 2026—a dedicated content hub and integrated platform for the global motor community. It’s built to elevate technical voices, connect projects with partners, and keep the conversation moving all year—from materials and die design to automation, control and testing.

Wayne’s message to future engineers

Engineering isn’t “behind the scenes”—our industry sustains life by providing power, water, heat and light. If you’re curious and ready to learn, this industry needs you. Bring your language skills, your data mindset, your ideas. Pair up with veterans who know why yesterday’s workarounds exist, then help redesign them for tomorrow.

Be part of the conversation that shapes the next generation of motors.

Join the global meeting place for transformer, motor and e-mobility innovators at CWIEME Berlin 2026 | Messe Berlin.

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