Adelaide Café Quality Wednesday 17th May 2017
Claudine Burgess “My time with Honda”
Adelaide Café Quality networking get together. Claudine Burgess second from right.
On Wed 17th May, at Halifax Café, Adelaide, we were honoured with a presentation by Belgian
Claudine Burgess on "My time with Honda". Claudine talked about the way she “fell” into the Honda
family, initially standing in for a friend at a Honda Media Event in Misano ( Italy ), thinking it may be
fun, only to find herself thrown in the deep end with a journey that would last 5 years in her role as
the Public Relationship Executive Officer for the Honda – Rothmans team (1988-1993 ). At this time
she also met and married the chief mechanic, Jeremy Burgess.
Her duties at Honda included:- translation (she speaks 5 languages), and the liaison Public Relation
Officer between the International Media , riders and sponsors . Claudine worked during that time
with eight world champions among them Australian World champion Wayne Gardner and five times
world champion Michael Doohan.
Claudine gave us a unique inside glimpse of life in the Honda family and charmed us with anecdotes
and reminiscences of real life people and how they dealt with situations that cropped up.
She didn't deliver her talk about quality processes and corrective actions, data analysis etc, but what
she talked about was quality in the raw.
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Adelaide Café Quality Wednesday 17th May 2017
Mr Honda himself looked for, not necessarily what staff were experienced or trained in, but what
potential and capability they had.
She also stressed that for things to work in the Honda camp, teamwork and a focus on the goal was
paramount, as was treating each other with respect.
Claudine suggested her ability to survive and blossom in her role as PR executive with Honda, was in
part due to the experiences she had as a child - looking after her disabled sister, whilst her mother
worked, and suffering from and recovering from a childhood bone infection.
It was refreshing and a pleasure to listen to Claudine's presentation and see how the "human" factor
at Honda had a positive impact on quality.
There was some lively group discussion on quality:- who needs to network, the importance of the
teaching of quality in schools and it was lovely to welcome in new member, Ian Bray.
The food was Great! All in all 2 hours well spent!!!!!
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Jan lee
Adelaide Café Quality Wednesday 17th May 2017
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