• New Astra ‘made in Germany’: Plant manager Seeber is proud of new model and the teams at Opel’s headquarters
• Dual role: Bilyana Stern leads Kaiserslautern site and press shop in Rüsselsheim
• Cooperative leadership style: Setting the framework, delegating responsibility, motivating teams to find solutions
• International Women’s Day on March 8: Diversity and equality have a long tradition at Opel

March 8 is International Women’s Day. However, equality, diversity and inclusion are not only a top priority at Opel and Stellantis on this annual day of celebration. Instead, these principles are a fundamental part of the corporate culture and a prerequisite for the brands’ and companies’ success. This applies at all levels, from top management to the Women’s Perspective Panels in development to production. This stated, Maike Seeber and Bilyana Stern hold key roles in the company.

Seeber has been plant manager in Rüsselsheim since last year and is therefore responsible for the production of the new Opel Astra, which celebrated its world premiere at the beginning of 2026 and has been available to order for a few weeks now. Elsewhere, Stern has a dual role: she manages the press shop in Rüsselsheim and, for the past year, has also been in charge of the Kaiserslautern site, Stellantis‘ largest component plant for numerous Stellantis brands and sites worldwide. The top priority for both plant managers is to ensure quality and competitiveness ‘made in Germany’. To achieve this, they focus on cooperation, empowerment and each employee’s own personal responsibility.

Precision: The interaction of people, processes and technology must work

For Maike Seeber, the Rüsselsheim plant and the new Opel Astra stand for what fascinates her about the automotive industry: the interaction of people, processes and technology – and a high-quality-vehicle that drives off the assembly line as the result. That is why she spends as much time as possible in the production halls. “To experience first-hand how design, technological innovations, industrial feasibility and the spirit of the Rüsselsheim team come together is something very special. This is precision work to the point,” she emphasises.

What is visible on the line also shapes the plant manager’s everyday work. Her schedule is tight, the topics diverse. The focus is on the ramp-up of the new Astra, with classic production topics determining everyday life: requirements for the supply chain, material availability and a wide range of variants – including the drivetrains. Like all Opel models, the Astra is produced as an all-electric car, hybrid and combustion engine vehicle on a single production line. This also means flexibility and specialist training for employees. “Logistics, which used to be much more stable, is particularly challenging,” says Seeber. “Today it is one of the most volatile areas.” Global supply chains, geopolitical risks and unforeseeable events have fundamentally changed the requirements. Logistics has long since ceased to be a pure planning issue, but a continuous coordination task – with a high level of responsibility for all parties involved.

‘Made in Germany’: Ensuring the quality and competitiveness of the sites

Thus, it is all the more reassuring when cooperation between the individual company locations and divisions runs smoothly. Bilyana Stern plays a key role in this, since she is very familiar with the specific requirements of both sites as head of the press shop in Rüsselsheim and plant manager in Kaiserslautern. “From Kaiserslautern, we supply more than 20 Stellantis sites worldwide. Components from here are used in over 30 models from seven Stellantis brands, giving the site a central role within the company. Our priority is to ensure exemplary quality and thus competitiveness – despite high wages and energy costs in Germany. Because ‘made in Germany’ is important to us. A major goal is to create synergies – for example, through centralised functions for the German plants."

Seeber agrees: For her, the sites are perfect examples of what ‘made in Germany’ must stand for today: high-quality, competitive, efficient and technologically leading production under demanding conditions. Thus, the Rüsselsheim plant is flexibly positioned. At the same time, Opel is increasingly focusing on vertical integration. Work that would previously have been carried out by external service providers now takes place directly in the factory. One example of this is the battery shop, where the final assembly of the high-voltage batteries for all-electric vehicles takes place.

“I came to Rüsselsheim to take the opportunity to actively shape the future of production,” the 42-year-old adds. To successfully put this claim into practice, Seeber can rely on more than two decades of leadership and industry experience gained both nationally and internationally, mainly on the supplier side. “I know the supplier side and what is possible and what is not,” she says. “That helps me to make clear decisions even under demanding conditions.”

Leading cooperatively: Setting the framework, strengthening personal responsibility

The same applies to Bilyana Stern. The 36-year-old can also look back on a diverse international career that took her up to Kuala Lumpur and prepared her through various positions at different companies for the challenges at the multinational component plant in Kaiserslautern. “I have learned how important it is to make quick decisions. 70 per cent planning is enough, then it’s time to implement. That still shapes my leadership style today: it’s better to try things out and learn quickly than to wait for the perfect setup.”

Agility, efficiency and personal responsibility are important to Stern: “For me, it’s about putting people first. I work very closely with my teams, on an equal footing. I demand a lot, but I also encourage a lot. I am present, address issues directly and, at the same time, want to motivate people to take bold decisions on their own responsibility that will move the company forward. For me, leadership means letting others grow, inspiring them and taking them with me on the journey.”

This kind of leadership – not simply making decisions over the heads of their employees but acting cooperatively – characterises both Stern and Seeber. The Rüsselsheim plant manager also focuses on empowerment instead of micromanagement, describing it as follows: “I want the teams to develop solutions themselves. My job is to set the framework and not to take every decision myself.” Especially in a complex environment, it is crucial to transfer responsibility and create learning spaces.

Focus on young talents: Diverse, having equal rights, driven by enthusiasm

„The team shines with a lot of commitment, heart and soul and it lives change,” says Seeber, reporting on her daily experiences. With a view to the future, the plant manager emphasises the importance of the next generation being actively trained at all German sites. Young employees contribute new skills – for example in the areas of artificial intelligence, 3D printing or process automation. Today, for example, the 3D printer is used in the plant to produce tools that would have been outsourced in the past. „This makes it all the more important to give young people confidence at an early age and to give them creative freedom,” says Seeber. And Bilyana Stern adds with regard to women: “Many women often have the feeling that ‘I have to be perfect before I apply.’ But that is nonsense. We just need to show more courage!”