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Dr. John Heinlein, Chief Marketing Officer at Sonatus, a global leader in vehicle software powering the shift toward software defined vehicles (SDVs) and AI-driven automotive innovation.
John brings a unique blend of deep engineering expertise — with degrees from Carnegie Mellon University and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Stanford — and more than two decades of senior leadership across marketing, automotive technology, business development, and system architecture.
We dig into:
• How SDVs work and why vehicles are becoming more like data centers
• The transition from 150+ hardware ECUs to flexible, upgradeable software platforms
• How automakers harness vehicle data, intelligence, and AI to improve performance
• The infrastructure needed to support next generation automotive experiences
• The explosive role of AI in vehicle optimization, diagnostics, and personalization
• Why the automotive industry is attracting top engineering talent again
• Sonatus’ rapidly growing footprint in more than 5 million production vehicles (soon to be 6 million)
• The behind-the-scenes look at building a modern automotive software stack
John also hosts The Garage by Sonatus, where he interviews top minds in vehicle software and mobility innovation.
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Guest Links
Website: https://www.sonatus.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnheinlein/
The Garage Podcast (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL02SS1Fp5GCjBUmXe4eTnEVdDLDViQXR2
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⚠️ Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed on the “What Are You Working Towards?” podcast are those of the hosts, guests, and participants and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities they represent…