• Milena Kita-Villarruel delivers customer-focused quality through communication, collaboration, and global standards.
• LG Energy Solution advances quality through structured systems and a people-driven culture of continuous improvement.

As the battery industry evolves across the mobility and energy storage sectors, quality now defines long-term competitiveness. At LG Energy Solution, driving quality remains a top priority, grounded in over thirty years of battery development and manufacturing. By combining this vast experience with a commitment to learning from past challenges, the company ensures the highest levels of compliance, reliability, and customer trust across its global operations.

At the core of these efforts is how quality is delivered in practice, through the people responsible for translating standards into real-world outcomes. The role of the quality professional is evolving, requiring not only technical expertise but also strong communication, collaboration, and a deep understanding of customer needs.

Milena Kita-Villarruel’s journey at LG Energy Solution reflects a continuous path of growth. After joining the company as a production engineer, she deepened her expertise in automotive standards by becoming an internal process and system auditor in the Quality Systems Department. Building on this experience, she now works in the Customer Management Quality (CMQ) team and continues to support internal training on quality-related topics.

Driven by a passion for solving complex challenges and continuously developing her skills, Kita-Villarruel finds the greatest fulfillment in collaborative problem-solving. “It’s highly rewarding when we come together to solve complex problems,” Kita-Villarruel said. “Solving difficult problems is not only fulfilling, it also builds up our confidence and performance.”

For Kita-Villarruel, meeting customer requirements is a fundamental responsibility, with strong adherence to IATF 16949:2016 essential to establishing a common framework across OEMs. “When requirements differ, we follow Customer Specific Requirements (CSRs) to identify and address those differences,” she said. Each requirement is implemented based on individual customer needs, while also being evaluated for broader applicability across LG Energy Solution Wroclaw operations. “We also assess whether certain requirements can bring value to all projects,” Kita-Villarruel added.

In customer-facing roles, trust is built on clarity, consistency, and responsiveness. “When interacting with customers, mutual trust is crucial,” Kita-Villarruel emphasized. She makes it her goal to adapt to each customer’s needs and focus on delivering clear, detailed information at each stage of a case.

She identifies their priorities and ensures communication aligns with their expectations through regular client meetings. When additional data or alternative formats are required, she works closely with internal teams to deliver comprehensive, professional responses. This level of transparency and reliability is what really helps reinforce trust with customers.

“Our goal as Customer Service is to actively influence people’s point of view and deliver professional responses that present LG Energy Solution as a reliable business partner committed to finding permanent solutions,” she explained.

Exceptional outcomes often require the combined expertise of teams across LG Energy Solution Wroclaw and HQ. “The best quality-focused conclusions can be gained by combining knowledge and skills,” Kita-Villarruel noted.

At the same time, collaboration is not without challenges, particularly differences in task prioritization and communication styles across teams and cultures. Kita-Villarruel emphasized that effective collaboration ultimately depends on how these challenges are addressed.

“Communication and a solution-oriented attitude are key to everything,” she said. Rather than focusing on individual convenience, teams are encouraged to work with a shared sense of ownership for customer satisfaction. “In multicultural organizations, respect and inclusion enhance performance and willingness to work,” she added.

As technology evolves rapidly, quality professionals are expanding beyond technical expertise. Taking on more responsibilities means ongoing skill development is essential, and technical competence must be complemented by a strong commitment to self-development and continuous improvement. “Our skills are only our foundation for further development,” Kita-Villarruel explained. She emphasized how curiosity and openness to different perspectives are two vital attributes “to discover more, look further, and dig deeper.”

In this context, quality also extends beyond technical performance to encompass the overall customer experience. While quality has traditionally been understood as meeting customer expectations, a broader definition that considers the customer more is required. “Quality used to be seen simply as a value that satisfies customer expectations,” she said. “We need to start seeing quality through the eyes of the customer — what they are willing to pay for and the quality standard they expect from us.”

Kita-Villarruel’s journey highlights the power of individual commitment, continuous learning, and cross-functional collaboration in driving personal growth and strengthening customer relationships. At LG Energy Solution, quality is more than simply meeting requirements — it is a shared value rooted in trust, learning, and long-term partnership.

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