Podcast appearances and mentions of Lear Corporation

Send us a textWhat if you could lead your manufacturing team to new heights by harnessing the power of AI and data-driven innovation? Join us as we unpack this transformative potential with Jason Penny, Senior Account Manager at Tharsis. Jason shares his extensive knowledge on how technological advancements are reshaping product development, providing companies the agility needed in today's ever-changing market. He also sheds light on the importance of strong leadership to inspire and drive teams toward growth, particularly amidst the dynamic shifts within the UK manufacturing sector.We also take a closer look at career development and employee retention strategies that can make or break modern industries. Through insightful examples from Tharsis and Lear Corporation, we explore how businesses can cultivate well-rounded leaders by offering diverse skill-building opportunities and clear career pathways. We dive into the motivations driving employees to seek leadership roles across companies, emphasizing the importance of understanding company culture and the strategic diversification of product ranges to weather economic challenges.In our exploration of product development challenges, we delve into crafting robust technical and commercial strategies and how business size impacts sustainability efforts. Discover the nuanced interactions between larger corporations and nimble startups, and how these dynamics can foster innovative solutions like green battery systems for construction. Beyond technical prowess, we reflect on the evolution of leadership values, highlighting the growing emphasis on emotional intelligence, transparency, and mental health support. With Jason's insights, learn how these values are shaping a more empathetic and effective leadership in today's manufacturing landscape.Please subscribe to the channel for more content! Theo James are a Manufacturing & Engineering Recruiter based in the North East, helping Manufacturing and Engineering firms grow across the UK. Please call us on 0191 5111 298

ABOUT OUR GUEST:  Cheryl Merchant has 40 years of leadership and management experience in manufacturing. She has held leadership positions with industry giants like GM, Mazda, Ford, and Lear Corporation and led teams in the U.S., Mexico, Canada and throughout Europe and Asia. Cheryl spent 19 years as the President and CEO of Hope Global, a manufacturing company with over 2,000 employees and operations in the U.S., Mexico, Czech Republic, China, and Brazil. During that period, Hope Global grew five times in revenue and became a Tier II leader in the Automotive Industry.  In 2019, Cheryl joined Taco as President of Taco Family of Companies, North America. In March of 2020, Cheryl was promoted to CEO of Taco Family of Companies Global operations. Since taking the helm, Taco has doubled in revenue, expanded the workforce by 350 team members, acquired a new business unit in England and currently have global operational facility expansions of over 243,000 sq, ft. underway.  CONNECT WITH CHERYL  LinkedIn   CONNECT WITH TACO COMFORT SOLUTIONS - WEBSITESMain Website  HydroFlo Pump Solutions  Taco Italia Taconova CONNECT WITH TACO COMFORT SOLUTIONS – SOCIAL MEDIAFacebook  X (Twitter)  Instagram LinkedIn YouTube EPISODE AND EMPOWERING WOMEN IN INDUSTRY LINKSEmpowering Women in Industry Conference RegistrationEmpowering Women in Industry MembershipEmpowering Women in Industry MagazineEmpowering Women in Industry WebsiteEmpowering Women in Industry Virtual Events (Including Book Club and Membership Circles) QUOTES AND KEY TAKEAWAYS“Whatever you think you're going through, you are not alone.”“Constitution said we the people for the people; it didn't say we the men for the men.”“That is what it is about.  Just trying to make people the best they can be.”“Women are needed everywhere.  They are needed are boards and needed in management because they bring a whole new perspective. ““People are different and that is special. We need to push that; not look down on it.”“Ownership is everyone's responsibility.  Putting your name on your job.”“I believe that every single person is important. We cannot get it done by ourselves.”“Mentality is the hardest thing in the world to change. It's in everything you hear.  The mental barriers are so ingrained.”“I make a point of having at least 5 mentees at all times if I can.”“Think about how you want to be remembered.  Now go live your life. Go be how you want to be remembered.”“Strive to be the leader you always wanted.”“To the women who blazed the trail before us, you are going to forever have our gratitude.  To the women who are currently on the trail, let us all stay focused and keep up the great work. For the women to follow, reach out your hand.” 

In this latest episode, Carla Sarti, former VP GBS - Lear Corporation, joins Mustansir Saifuddin to share what she's learned in her decades of experience, with both business and technology, about how businesses and teams can be successful in any IT implementation. From teamwork to fundamental project management, to supplier relations, Carla dives in to highlight quick takeaways that you can implement to make an even bigger impact with your IT implementation. Carla Sarti was most recently the Vice President of Global Business Services at Lear Corporation – a position she held since April 2018.  Prior to this position she was Vice President of Non Production Purchasing and Director of Shared Services.   Prior to Lear, she served as Account Executive at ACS, a Xerox company (now Conduent) where she acted as chief strategy officer and Director of Sales for many large accounts in the Finance and Accounting Outsourcing area.  She spent five years at Delphi Corporation in numerous roles of increasing responsibility including managing the SAP environment after implementation and working as a Lean expert for the Cockpits business.  She also worked as a plant and divisional financial analyst at TRW and an operational auditor at the Budd Company. Connect with us: LinkedIn Carla Sarti Mustansir Saifuddin Innovative Solution Partners  Twitter:  @Mmsaifuddin YouTube or learn more about our sponsor Innovative Solution Partners to schedule a free consultation.    Episode Transcript: [00:00:00] Mustansir Saifuddin: Welcome to Tech Driven Business brought to you by Innovative Solution Partners. Carla Sarti, a seasoned executive, shares her insights that any team can use for leading successful IT projects. From understanding business processes to the importance of transparency, teamwork, and supplier relations, Carla reveals the key ingredients for project success. [00:00:30] Welcome to Tech-Driven Business Carla. How are you? [00:00:33] Carla Sarti: I'm great. Thanks for having me. Great to see you. [00:00:38] Mustansir Saifuddin: It's great to have you on our show. And I'm glad that , you took the time out to share some of your thoughts and leadership with us today, [00:00:46] Carla Sarti: Absolutely. [00:00:48] Mustansir Saifuddin: so our topic is going to be Secrets to successful IT projects. How does it sound to you? [00:00:55] Carla Sarti: Amazing. It's 1 of my passions. [00:00:58] Mustansir Saifuddin: I know, I know. And I think that's going to be something that it will be very helpful to our listeners, especially in this day and age where technology is changing so fast. There are so many different options available. And I. T. Is in the middle of all of this. Let me start with this. You know, I want to set the stage. [00:01:15] So let's begin with this. Can you share some background on how you How did you find yourself leading I. T. Projects you started your career in a totally different arena? [00:01:29] Carla Sarti: Absolutely. So, yes, I have a business degree of my MBA. I started in audit and very specific businesses, purchasing finance, et cetera. But technology was always something that I was very curious and passionate about. When I was a co op at TRW, the vice president of finance came to me one day and I'm going to date myself a little bit here, but we were on Lotus 1, 2, 3, and he had a disc in his hand and he said, Carla or little kid or whatever he called me. [00:02:00] Here's a disk of Excel. I would like all of our reports moved from Lotus 1, 2, 3, put on Excel and let's review them next week. And I said, okay, let's go. And so I taught myself Excel and I really started to understand the power of technology. And that's just such a basic example. Right. So while I was still a co op, I got involved in an SAP implementation and That really opened my eyes to what technology can bring, and I've been into it ever since. [00:02:32] So different functional groups I've been in, I've always brought best in class processes along with the technology side, because I think it is, it goes hand in hand, but I've done everything from SAP, Coupa, SharePoint, RPA, and now dabbling in AI. [00:02:50] Mustansir Saifuddin: Absolutely. You know, it doesn't matter matter where you start? You know, even having a business degree, like you mentioned technology is always with you and it's around you. So you got to either embrace it and you got to go with the flow or you're going to fight it, right? So I, I like the approach that you mentioned that, you know, your first inital foray into this whole technology area was just, you know, just of the iceberg, right? [00:03:14] You got into this thing and now Years later, you are much ingrained in this whole technology stack. So, let's talk about your experience. You have decades of experience. What do you see as some key factors that contribute to the success of IT projects, which is so important? [00:03:33] Carla Sarti: So I'm going to start with the assumption that before you implement any sort of technology, You've really understood your business, right? And where are your business processes? What needs to be cleaned up? You're not just bringing in technology to bring in technology because I don't think that's ever usually successful, but so you've done that and then you've really understood again, the current processes. [00:04:01] The gaps that you have and what is your success criteria? I think a lot of people, a lot of companies don't look at what success looks like at the very beginning. And they say, Oh, okay. Yeah. We're just going to implement this. We heard it's the best solution and they don't think through, what are we trying to achieve? [00:04:19] That, that really starts dictating what a successful project looks like. Then you through the whole. Project. You obviously have to have the right team members on the project, having an executive sponsor that can break down roadblocks. I've seen projects that the best ones typically have a business person leading them. [00:04:44] Because they understand what's trying to be accomplished. Not that IT can't lead projects and they are definitely very integral to the process. But typically, when a business person runs them, they're implemented quicker. The understanding is there. The right process mapping has been done, et cetera. So you've got the right people. [00:05:07] Probably have suppliers in the mix, because what company has all that skill set on hand? So you have to have the right suppliers. And then through the course of it, you have to have the right governance. So the communication process, the transparency of where the project truly is, because as you know, IT projects are not a hundred percent foolproof, right? [00:05:33] Something always happens in any kind of project, whether you're building a house, you're, you're baking a cake or whatever it is, something goes wrong and you've got to have the right transparency and communication. To understand what to do next, then obviously you could have the best tool in the world. [00:05:51] The best project. It's going great. You have to have change management methodology and processes embedded in the project because if people aren't going to use it. What does it matter? Right? And I mentioned Excel when I was a co op, a lot of people still use Excel and you could put in the best shiny new toy technology. [00:06:13] People are comfortable with Excel. So you've got to explain to people how their jobs going to change and give them the appropriate training to make it a true success. In the end. [00:06:25] Mustansir Saifuddin: For sure. And I think you touched upon a lot of it. Some very key points. You know, starting with a champion, you know, has to be a business. How do they currently do the job? How can they do it better? You know, governance, such a key piece. You need to have that in place, change management, you know, I've been in technology field for so many years. [00:06:44] That's one thing that we know. If there is no good change management in place, It doesn't matter what technology, what kind of resources or what kind of supplier you're using, it doesn't go well. The end user needs to be on board. They need to really be part of the whole implementation process in order for them to adapt and then be the voice of the new tool because they are the ones who will be actually living with it, doing it on a daily basis. [00:07:15] So great point. [00:07:15] Carla Sarti: And people get scared. I mean, they get really nervous when a new project's coming, right? And especially in the age of AI, people think they're going to lose their jobs and companies need to do a really good job explaining. No, no, no. So you do this today, but tomorrow we need you to do that. And actually you'll probably be more fulfilled doing. [00:07:36] The new, but it's just that, that way of explaining and coaching them through it and not just dumping something on their lap. [00:07:45] Mustansir Saifuddin: Absolutely. And that's the key, right? How is it helping the real users of the system that this implementation or this piece of software doesn't matter? You're doing an E. R. P. implementation. You do some kind of data analytics project or any other systems that you're putting in place. It is there to help the business move to the next level. [00:08:08] How can we be more profitable? How can we make it easier for our customers to deal with us? different scenarios, right? And this and all of these are bundled together to give you the next level of the best, right? How can you do your job a better way than what you're currently doing? So totally agree with you. Now you touched upon one key fact, right? The idea of finding the right supplier. So how do you find the right supplier to support your initiatives? Can you share examples of successful IT projects? Where your supplier collaboration was very effective. [00:08:44] Carla Sarti: Finding the right supplier is key to the equation. I've always looked for a valued, trusted business partner. And. You know, there's, there's a lot of ways to get there. And I think a lot of it is being up front in the initial RFP process. [00:09:03] And you've got to have as much information for the supplier as possible to bid on because what you don't want is. Death by change order later because they didn't understand the project. You didn't understand the project as the business. That breaks down a relationship really, really fast. So again, more of that transparency, the collaboration. Some of the best projects I've had and I can't go into a lot of detail on them, but we implemented a tool in 18 months at one of my companies and really the success of the project was a lot. [00:09:39] on the supplier side. We brought somebody in with a great skill set in the tool that we were building. They had a road map. They had this amazing design methodology and the right questions were asked. The right people were brought by us as the company and, you know, we got off to a great start when things did go wrong. [00:10:02] They were very, very transparent. They said, okay, we need to get together. Let's pull everyone together. Let's get these questions answered. And they didn't hide things. We didn't hide things. It was probably the best project I've ever implemented. And that's what it takes. Again, that collaboration, transparency, and that win win from both sides. [00:10:25] Mustansir Saifuddin: Absolutely. I think you touched upon all the things that a successful project should look like, especially from a practices point of view, the strategy point of view and the relationships standpoint. Right? All of these work together and. You know, I, I just use the example of many different projects that I've done. [00:10:44] And, you know, especially when you're working with clients, transparency up front really helps. It sets the stage and make sure that both the client and the supplier are on the same page. And when you start off with that approach, things, like I said, things can go wrong, but you have a plan in place how to mitigate those issues, how do we get on the same page and make sure that whatever things that are an obstacle to the project are taken care of working collaboratively versus, you know, us versus them. [00:11:18] Carla Sarti: Right. Exactly. That's the last thing you want to get into in a project. It's already complex enough, [00:11:24] Mustansir Saifuddin: Yeah. And, like you mentioned earlier, right, that always something that comes up. You, you have the best of the intentions, but it can be a business challenge. There can be a technology challenge. There can be integration challenges. All different factors play a role into things can go in a different direction very quickly. [00:11:46] Carla Sarti: right? Oh, we didn't know this site had this approval process in here. And oh, this one has a different one. You find things as you get the project going and you have to be agile. You have to be flexible. You can't have. You know, the last thing you want is a supplier that's like, Oh no, you know, this, this is what we were brought in for. [00:12:06] I mean, we can talk about commercials, but you know, let's just all collaborate and get it done. That's where you need that trusted relationship because you don't want the supplier thinking, Oh, okay. They're going to ask me to do this for free. And you don't want the customer to be like, okay, they're not going to be able to do it. [00:12:23] So you've got to have that open dialogue going. [00:12:26] Mustansir Saifuddin: For sure. So, on a personal note, how do you stay on top of this fast changing pace of technology? What's, what's your secret sauce? [00:12:36] Carla Sarti: I've always been a constant learner always right? I mean, and I think being a co op at 18 years old, really drove that in me. It was the time, I kind of want to date myself it was the time when computers were kind of just starting to be used and I saw people just fumbling with the mouse. I mean, think of that in today's day and age, right? [00:13:01] I mean, back then people were fumbling with mice. I was like, oh my goodness, I never want to be in a position where, I'm not kind of at the forefront of technology. And I'm just a learner anyway. So, you know, whether it be books podcasts really from a technology standpoint, I think is what keeps me up to date. [00:13:21] I love the podcast. It's called All in One it's for billionaires that. Actually have very different views on things, whether it be politics or technology or science, and they talk about everything under the sun. Nvidia actually has an AI podcast. It's called the AI podcast, and then there's AI today. [00:13:44] And then being in GBS and shared services, a lot of my career, I stay on top of those things with SSO next. And they talk about technology, tons of technology within that realm as well. I read tons of articles on LinkedIn, the Wall Street Journal, and then definitely leadership books. I know that's not necessarily technology, but. [00:14:05] When you're talking about leading people again through change, and, you know, the best way to be collaborative, I find that to be extremely helpful. Patrick Lencioni is one of my favorite authors The 5 Dysfunctions of Team, one of my favorite authors. Favorite books. And he writes very much like fiction. [00:14:23] So it's really easy to get through. I don't know if you've ever listened to or read Jocko Wilnick's books, but he has extreme ownership and a couple others, phenomenal books, right? I mean, just kind of look at yourself in the mirror and it, it goes to project management, so extreme ownership. Am I doing everything I possibly can to be successful? [00:14:44] Have my team be successful. So really good one for project management. Mustansir. [00:14:50] Mustansir Saifuddin: Nice, I think you've got a whole slew of resources available at your fingertips that's good. I think like one thing that I really liked about your approach, I mean, you've seen it all, you've played different roles, It's refreshing to see someone like you in your space that you still find yourself as a student, you know, still keep on learning and be able to keep yourself ahead of the curve. [00:15:12] And I think that's the key, right? The different roles we play depending on what you're doing your daily job, but at the same time, looking around and seeing what else is going around you. We live in the space of, and the times of Gen AI. AI being disruptive and how it will change our lives. It's already is changing, you know how do you stay ahead or at least keep up with the technology? [00:15:39] I think is the key to your success. So that's what it seems like you you've been very much in tune with it. [00:15:46] Carla Sarti: Absolutely. One of the coolest things I ever did was reverse mentoring. So I had someone younger in the organization mentoring me, right? And then it helps you get into their shoes and understand what drives the next generation. What tools and technology are they using? It's really fascinating. And of course I, I use my kids too. [00:16:08] You know, I have a 19 year old and a 17 year old and just understanding: How they think, what they're looking at, what they're using, chat, what's GPT 4 all about. You know, you got to stay on top of things. [00:16:21] Mustansir Saifuddin: Yeah, they are the best teachers. I mean you think about technology I mean this younger generation is amazing and how they are adapting and all that. Let's get into the conversation about you know, we talked about successful supplier collaborations very key, right, important but what are some of the common challenges companies face? [00:16:41] With IT suppliers during a project. Can you share some ideas on thoughts on that? [00:16:49] Carla Sarti: I think one of the ones I've seen is where someone's oversold their capabilities, right? You've got a supplier, maybe they did a really good job on one project and they're asked to bid on another. And as a company, and again, trying to find that trusted supplier, it's very easy to fall into, well, let's just use these guys that were successful before. [00:17:13] You've really got to evaluate, are they going to be successful for this project? And of course they want business. Everyone wants business, but you've really got to look and say, okay, can I deliver on this project? Because if I can't. I'm actually going to ruin my reputation within the company. So just being honest and making sure again, from the company's standpoint, you're choosing the right supplier and that the suppliers. [00:17:42] Again, understanding the project that you're trying to implement and maybe they don't understand at first and they think they can deliver on the project. So, as a supplier, I would say, make sure you ask the questions. Be curious. Why are you doing this project? What exactly are you looking for? Oh, okay. [00:18:02] It's in this space. Okay. We don't have people in that space. Well, I can maybe bring people in to do that. You know, really understanding, that side to me, can really change the dynamic there. And then again, I'm not gonna, I'm going to keep talking about the transparency. If the supplier cannot be transparent when there is an issue, it's not going to be good.. I've always told people whether they work for me or a supplier, Bad news doesn't get better with time. You've got to bring these things forward. We've got to come up with solutions together. I don't care whose fault it is. [00:18:38] Mustansir Saifuddin: Yeah, [00:18:39] Carla Sarti: Like, ultimately, I want this project to be successful. So let's work together to get that done. [00:18:45] Mustansir Saifuddin: absolutely Absolutely. I think and and that's where I my question to you is how do you mitigate those issues? Everybody wants a smooth and successful implementation. It's just Everybody thinks that's how it should go, but we all know there are challenges. [00:18:59] Carla Sarti: Mm hmm. [00:19:00] Mustansir Saifuddin: you maybe share some ideas, thoughts on how do you mitigate those issues or something that you may have seen in the past? [00:19:08] Carla Sarti: So we, a lot of times, use just basic project management. Fundamentals, right? You've got your project plan. Are you on plan or not? Then you look at what can go wrong. Okay, you list out all the things that you think could go wrong and you start putting mitigating plans together on that, right? And having meetings around those things. [00:19:31] Okay, guys, how are we doing? Are we getting the data? That's going to be a big thing here. Did we get it? Did we not? What do we need to do? And again, having the right people on the project. So do you have somebody who can go in, break down those roadblocks if things aren't getting done, building the right relationships, again, you got to have the right people who can build relationships. [00:19:53] Project management, as you know, It's almost more about being a psychologist than anything else. I mean, you've got to bring people together that maybe don't normally work together. They have very different personalities. You've got people on the IT side that have different personalities than the project side. [00:20:11] So you've got to make sure that you understand those factors and use project management methodology. It's there for a reason. I mean, I've seen people, they're like, Oh, we don't need a project plan. Yeah. Like what? What are you talking? How do you do a successful project without a project plan? You don't even know what's coming next. [00:20:31] You don't even know where you are in the cycle. Are you on track? Are you not? So I think those things, honestly, like don't overlook the fundamentals. [00:20:41] Mustansir Saifuddin: No, I think that's a great advice. I one thing I, I, I like about your approach or your thinking is a project manager being a psychologist. You know, how many times you go through these, these iterations of projects after projects, you know, being a.supplier ourselves. I mean, I, I really appreciate your thought process on that because there's so many different stakeholders in any given time and project where you may have one stakeholder on board, but you may have someone else either business, I. [00:21:11] T. Whatever else you're working with. They may be either lost. They don't agree with your approach or there's something else that in this space. And you needs someone who can actually mitigate all those different pieces of the, [00:21:25] Carla Sarti: Mm [00:21:26] Mustansir Saifuddin: puzzle and bring it all, all of them together in a way they see the value. [00:21:30] It's all about value proposition and making sure that the end product is what the customer is asking for. Can we deliver? If we can deliver, what is the game plan? How do we go about making sure that we are all on the same page? Because at the end of the day, Once it is delivered correctly, It's a win win, you know. so [00:21:48] Carla Sarti: Hmm. [00:21:49] Mustansir Saifuddin: Do appreciate that insight into it and I know we talked about a lot of different things. I like to ask this one parting question. [00:21:58] What is that one key takeaway? You want to leave with our listeners today. [00:22:05] Carla Sarti: IT projects are very complex. So again, I would say the fundamentals are key. Understand what you're trying to accomplish. That is number one, understand the processes, get the right team involved, the right supplier, and set yourself up for success. So fundamentals. Use project management. Methodology for sure. [00:22:33] I mean, it's there for a reason and have the right, the right people on the project is key. I know I'm doing like five different key takeaways here in Mustansir, but really again, it's just so complex and the fundamentals, the right people and, and the right methodology, key, [00:22:51] Mustansir Saifuddin: No, thank you. Great advice and great takeaways. And I think once we have all these different pieces of the puzzle together, it's a recipe for success. So with that I'd like to conclude our session and I'd like to thank you for coming on on our show It was a pleasure having you. [00:23:08] Carla Sarti: likewise. Thank you for having me. [00:23:10] Mustansir Saifuddin: Thanks for listening to Tech Driven Business brought to you by Innovative Solution Partners. Carla shared valuable insights that can be used immediately by your IT team her main takeaway, focus on the fundamentals that include understanding your objectives, involving the right team of staff and suppliers, and stick to solid project management methodologies. [00:23:33] We would love to hear from you. Continue the conversation by connecting with me on LinkedIn or Twitter. Learn more about Innovative Solution Partners and schedule a free consultation by visiting isolutionpartners. com. Never miss a podcast by subscribing to our YouTube channel. Information is in the show notes.

Have you ever wondered what it takes to get into the information security field? Have you thought how hard could it be? What about all of the big money I hear people make in this space? Well in this episode I talk with Mattalynn Darden and Esther Muchai about how hard it really is to break in.If you are wondering how these two talented young women know, here is a little background on what they are currently doing and why it is relevant to the this episode's topic.Mattalynn is an Information Security Intern at Lear Corporation and Esther is pursuing your Master's Degree in Cybersecurity at Grand Valley State University. Both of them share some of the struggles that they are currently having and I give some advice on how to possibly overcome them.So, if you are thinking of entering the crazy, foggy world that is Information Security, then this episode is for you!Talking Points:What made you want to get into the cybersecurity field?What are some of the main challenges that you are facing right now?Did either of you go the 'paid' learning route (e.g. college or training classes)?What are some free training/tools you have found useful?

EPISODE 59: THIS WEEK'S GUEST - SARAH GREIFENBERGERIn this episode, Sarah talks about: The various reasons that a business owner considers a business valuation The difference between fair market value, and valuing a business for sale Becoming an Exitwise Ambassador and referring Fathead.com for sale in October, 2023 GUEST BIO:Sarah has been a Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA) for over 10 years and is also a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA).Prior to becoming a CVA, Sarah was Director of Financial Planning at United Technologies Corporation. She performed many valuations in that role to support the corporation's mergers and acquisitions activity as well as for purposes of international tax planning.Sarah also prepared financial information for the divestiture of UT Automotive to Lear Corporation for $2.3B. She received an MBA with distinction from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan and is a magna cum laude engineering graduate of Duke University.  In addition to her expertise in finance, Sarah has held positions in product development, manufacturing and strategic planning. She currently serves on the education committee of the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts. In addition to her involvement with NACVA, she is a member of Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) Detroit, the Michigan Business Brokers Association and the Exit Planning Institute's Southeast Michigan chapter.Sarah is committed to helping clients across many industries with their valuation needs. She is also interested in working with family enterprises on succession planning and exit strategies.WHERE TO FIND SARAH GREIFENBERGER:LinkedInEPISODE REFERENCE AND READING MATERIALS:Arbor Valuation & ConsultingQ5 Experience4 Ways to Calculate the Value of Your Company (Blog)How Much Is My Business Worth? (Blog)Exitwise Valuation Calculator

Introducing The ASSEMBLY Show 2023 keynote speaker Roger Koenigsknecht, Vice President of North American Connection Systems, Lear Corp. During this conversation, Roger tells us about his background, work, and expert approach. Listen in for a preview of Roger's keynote at the ASSEMBLY Show, where he will examine how drilling down to collect and share unbiased data can position manufacturing companies and their workers for future success.

The DEC hosted Robert Riney, President & CEO of Henry Ford Health, Ray Scott, President & CEO of Lear Corporation, and Dr. Tarek Sobh, President & CEO of Lawrence Technological University, on Thursday, May 11, at Ford Field. In a fireside chat with the DEC's Steve Grigorian, the panel discussed "Technology Impacts on Industry and How to Prepare Future Workers Now" and answered questions from the audience. This meeting also included the culmination of the DEC Career Readiness Academy (CRA) program. High school students utilized the skills they learned during the 6-month career exploration program by networking with attendees.  This Future of Work Series meeting was presented in partnership with Detroit Public TV.

This week Charli has Empowering Women alum Cheryl Merchant, CEO at Taco, on to talk about her journey in the pump industry.Cheryl has 40 years of leadership and management experience in manufacturing. She has held leadership positions with industry giants like GM, Mazda, Ford, and Lear Corporation and led teams in the U.S., Mexico, Canada and throughout Europe and Asia. Cheryl spent 19 years as the President and CEO of Hope Global, a manufacturing company with over 2,000 employees and operations in the U.S., Mexico, Czech Republic, China, and Brazil. During that period, Hope Global grew five times in revenue and became a Tier II leader in the Automotive Industry. In 2019, Cheryl joined Taco as President of Taco Family of Companies, North America. In March of 2020, Cheryl was promoted to CEO of Taco Family of Companies Global operations. Since taking the helm, Taco has doubled in revenue, expanded the workforce by 350 team members, acquired a new business unit in England and have planned global operational facility expansions of over 243,000 sq, ft. in the next 3 years.  Cheryl has received awards over her career that include Providence Business News Rhode Island Business Women's Career Achievement Award (2022) and Leadership Award (2001, 2014), New England Business Woman of the Year (2014), Mentor of the Year PBN RI (2016), Crain's Women in Manufacturing of the Year (2018), Trailblazer in Business / Cheryl Watkins Snead Award (2018). She holds two Honorary Doctorates from New England Institute of Technology for Humane Letters and Bryant University for Business. Her community work includes being a member of the Board of Governors for the Rhode Island Commodores, Advisory Board Member for the University of Rhode Island, member of the Rhode Island Manufacturers Association Advisory Board, and a Board member of the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce. Cheryl has also served in the past as a Trustee (Secretary and Chair of Student Affairs) for Bryant University, Board of Governors, and a Trustee of the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council. She has also served on the boards of Rhode Island Economic Development, Governor's Workforce Board, the Rhode Island Hospital Foundation, and the Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce.  Read up at EmpweringPumps.com and stay tuned for more news about EPIC in Atlanta this November!Find us @EmpoweringPumps on Facebook, LinkedIn,  Instagram and Twitter and using the hashtag #EmpoweringIndustryPodcast or via email podcast@empoweringpumps.com 

Reto-Urs Sahli, former Chief Digital & Information Officer at Asahi Group, takes part in a candid conversation with Ulla De Hondt, Head of Global Business Services at BAT, along with our host Sashi Narahari, Founder & CEO at HighRadius. Join them as they discuss how to build a collaborative GBS-IT strategy instead of leveraging skills independently and many more.

Welcome back to 3 More Questions, an episode series where we continue the conversation that we started last week with our featured guest. On this episode, we're talking about our interview with Ray Scott, President & CEO of the Lear Corporation, to learn even more about why you should never lose sight of what's next. ... BONUS RESOURCE: To gain confidence as a leader, you need a plan for tackling common leadership challenges. My new online course "Taking People With You" will give you practical ways you can resolve issues and keep your team moving forward toward your biggest goals. Get free access here — https://howleaderslead.com/courses/

Today's guest is Ray Scott, President & CEO of the Lear Corporation. If you're thinking of jets, think again. This Lear Corporation works in the automotive industry, providing seating and electronic systems to major companies like GM, Ford, BMW and Mercedes. They were also just named one of Fortune's most admired companies. Since he took over in 2018, Ray has led through COVID, supply chain issues, inflation, and rising fuel prices. It's really been one challenge after another – maybe you can relate! But Ray hasn't let those short-term pressures keep him from focusing on long-term strategy. He knows how critical is it to keep innovating and planning so they can be successful when they *do* get out of those tough short-term situations. He's got some really practical advice for you, too, so hit play on this episode and see the kind of successful culture you can build when you never lose sight of what's next. You'll also learn: • The kind of opportunities to look for if you're ready to grow as a leader • A practical way to structure teams so you balance short-term and long-term thinking • The kind of answer you need to watch out for (and confront) in your next meeting • Why you need to STOP hiring people who think like you • The jaw-dropping innovations coming soon to the seats in your car

In this episode, Sashi Narahari is joined by Carla Sarti, VP of Global Business Services at Lear Corporation. They discuss the future of BPOs, what GBS will be involved in over the next 10 years and why India will remain a great location to find talented workers.

Nadine Bourezg Project Director - Transport for NSW, Nadine started her professional carrier after an Engineering  Specialised Master's Degree from Ecole Central Paris. Nadine has over 20 years of experience working in the automotive and rail industries across France, the UK and Australia - involved in design, planning, delivery, operations, maintenance phases- including portfolio, program, and project management. She worked for major companies such as Peugeot Citroen, Lear Corporation, and London Underground.  Currently Nadine is contributing her vast skills and experience obtained throughout her carrier for the benefit of Transport for NSW and the Transport industry.

Last time Paul Taaffe came on the podcast, we heard how this former CFO has enjoyed extraordinary success running a boutique search firm. He revealed how he managed to bill €4,000,000 in revenue with a small team.  Nearly two years later, Paul is back for his second appearance on the show. You'll hear fascinating insights on how to gain an advantage over the competition and outperform even the biggest search firms in the world.   Paul's philosophy is about providing “return on energy invested.” He and his team provide an efficient service without compromising quality by leveraging their relationships and market knowledge. You'll learn how he achieves market mastery by carefully cultivating his network so he can deliver a shortlist in 30 days or less.  On multiple occassions, Paul has made a €100,000 placement fee in 7 days! Paul is the founder and CEO of FINANCE People Solutions (FPS) based in Frankfurt, Germany.  Prior to starting his business in 2014, he was either a CFO or CRO for US global corporations as well as high profile private equity funds and their portfolios where he mastered various change management challenges, from turnaround and restructuring to the implementation of new growth strategies. Episode Outline and Highlights [1:43] Paul shares the latest developments at his firm, Finance People Solutions. [6:15] FPS' focus market, revenue stream, and marketing strategy. [10:35] How to choose the right client to work with - and when to walk away. [15:30] Coaching your clients on their recruitment process [16:53] Paul's top tips on how to market a candidate. [20:36] FPS' new Benchmarking Products as a differentiator [23:30] Why Paul launched his own podcast. [27:26] Why ‘head-hunting' is an outdated term and Paul prefers ‘resource matching.' [33:58] How to build your brand on LinkedIn. [43:01] Paul reveals what he learned from working for Phil Knight, Nike's co-founder. [51:00] Why Paul likes to hire students when building his team Choosing the Right Clients Paul is a fan of positive energy which means he is selective of the clients he works with. He only works with committed clients, no contingency, only retained or exclusive. In our interview, Paul shared his criteria in client selection and when to ‘fire' or let go of a client. “If we do not enjoy working together, if the process is not good, in this day and age if you get your hands on top three candidates or two or even one for this matter, we never say we are going to produce a shortlist, we will produce at least one … and the customer is not coming back, not setting up appointments, not picking it up, that is no good we are wasting people's time,” is how Paul described it. He shared concrete examples based on experience how in some cases it did not work with some clients. Also, given the current situation in the market where recruitment needs to adapt, how do you coach your compatible clients on improving their recruitment process? Paul shares his best practices. Marketing and Brand Building Best Practices Although Paul's background is in finance, he is actually excellent at marketing. In this interview, you will hear some of his marketing strategies including: FPS Benchmarking Product Podcast Partnership with FINANCE Magazin LinkedIn content Paul believes US companies are the best at marketing and says his experience at Nike helped him to become a great marketer.  Why Head-Hunting is a Term of the Past Another interesting topic we talked about is the term “headhunting” which Paul believes is outdated.  As Paul said, “The difference for us is we have relationships with these people… That is why I don't like this term head-hunting… I call it resource matching. We match resources. We don't headhunt people, we have them already in our network. So it is about what is the best position for these people. So it is an evolution from the old headhunting.” Paul doesn't need to “hunt” because he's already mapped his market and curated a strong network. Since he already knows and has relationships with the vast majority of the candidates in his space, he is able to move fast without compromising quality. Our Sponsors This podcast is proudly sponsored by i-intro and Recruitment Entrepreneur. i-intro® is an end-to-end retained recruitment platform. Our technology and methodology allow recruiters to differentiate themselves from the competition, win more retained business, bigger fees and increase their billings. Be sure to mention Mark Whitby or The Resilient Recruiter for a 25% discount. Book your free, no-obligation consultation here: www.recruitmentcoach.com/retained We're excited to announce that Recruitment Entrepreneur will be sponsoring the podcast! If you've dreamed of starting up or scaling up and exiting your recruitment business, this is your chance. James Caan and his team at Recruitment Entrepreneur are actively seeking ambitious recruiters who they can invest in. Start a conversation here: https://www.recruitmentcoach.com/vc Paul Taaffe Bio and Contact Info Paul is the founder and CEO of FINANCE People Solutions (PFS) in 2014. He has been in the recruitment business since 2014, and prior to that, he was either a CFO or CRO for US global blue-chip companies such as Pepsi Cola, Nike, Lear Corporation, and Dell as well as having worked in Private Equity. He founded the PE Finance Organisation Benchmarking company, Taaffe and Partners in 2011. Paul on LinkedIn FINANCE People Solutions website link People and Resources Mentioned Joel Slenning on LinkedIn Shoe Dog, by Phil Knight Finance Magazin website link Connect with Mark Whitby Get your FREE 30-minute strategy call Mark on LinkedIn Mark on Twitter: @MarkWhitby Mark on Facebook Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach Related Podcast You Might Enjoy TRR#21 The Former CFO Turned Finance Recruiter Who Billed €4M Last Year, with Paul Taaffe TRR#53 How to Scale Your Staffing & Recruiting Firm to $16,000,000, With Joel Slenning   Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter

Is your childhood the start of your failures, or the source of your fuel? Where do you find the greatest compound return on investment in personal development? How can you be part of the solution to gender bias in engineering?    In this episode, we touch challenging topics and I know you will benefit from every word. Get ready to meet Tammy Bohen, the Chief Human Resources Officer at SVP Worldwide. Her heart for people, combined with her incredible results, have changed her family tree forever.   If you want to leave a legacy as an engineer, tune in now.   In her career, Tammy has helped shape best-in-class employee experiences, engagement and business performance in global leadership positions for several world-class organizations including KitchenAid, Whirlpool Corporation, Johnson & Johnson, Lear Corporation, and now SVP Worldwide.   But at the end of the day, she simply loves to travel and learn, changing lives along the way!   So press play and let's chat… it's time to make a positive change in the OACO family tree.   Rate, Review, and Follow   “I love Zach and The Happy Engineer Podcast.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more engineers -- just like you -- take the next step toward the career and life that they desire. On Apple Podcasts, click our show, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!   Remember, we only spread our message when you share this knowledge with others that need it. So if you enjoy this episode, please SHARE it on your social media and tag @OASISOFCOURAGE so I can say hi and thank you.    Also, if you haven't done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I'll be releasing a lot of new content including bonus episodes to the feed and, if you're not subscribed, there's a good chance you'll miss out. Subscribe now!   For more information on Zach White and The Happy Engineer go to:   https://www.oasisofcourage.com

John Absmeier, Chief Technology Officer, Lear Corporation joined Grayson Brulte on The Road To Autonomy Podcast to discuss Seating as a Service and how Xevo will enable in-vehicle experiences and commerce.The conversation begins with John discussing his time in the United States Marine Corps and what he learned as a Sergeant E5 motor transport mechanic. John learned leadership skills that have translated into an extremely successful career as an innovator and business leader.As a young engineer, John worked on the inductive charge panel connection system for the GM EV1.I got highly interested in electrification 25 years ago. – John AbsmeierIt was this project that sparked John's interest in electrification. In 2012, John set up Delphi Labs and led the lab's development of its autonomous vehicle platform. In 2015 a Delphi Labs autonomous vehicle completed a coast-to-coast trip from San Francisco to New York City. During this time, John put his leadership skills to work as he worked with the team to solve the complex problem of autonomous driving.With a background in solving complex problems, Grayson asks John what attracted him to join Lear. John goes onto discuss his time at Samsung and when Mr. Ray Scott, CEO of Lear Corporation approached him about becoming CTO.We need to start to focus on innovation and technology as a priority in our mission. We need someone who has experience and wants to drive that. – Mr. Ray Scott, President & CEO, Lear Corporation as told by John AbsmeierWhen John joined Lear, he became the company's first CTO. As CTO of Lear, John became CTO of a publicly-traded company with a market cap at that time of $13 billion (June 2018). As CTO of a publicly-traded company, Grayson asks John how he is keeping Lear 2 to 3 steps ahead of the competition in autonomous vehicles.Autonomous vehicles for Lear are a bit of a different thing. We are not directly competing in the full-stack development. But, all of our products are affected by the changes that happen. – John AbsmeierAs mobility changes and new shared services are introduced, there is one common denominator – passengers will continue to ride in seats. New business models will emerge such as ‘Seats as Service” where customers can opt to take a ride in a vehicle that offers an in-vehicle seat massage.With the growth of the gaming world, Grayson asks John if Lear is taking inspiration from the gaming world as it relates to in-vehicle seat design.The user experience is now the main differentiator in cars. – John AbsmeierExpanding the conversation of experiences, Grayson asks John about Lear's acquisition of Xevo in 2019. Why did Lear acquire Xevo? Xevo will allow Lear to expand its “seating as a service” compliment it with in-vehicle experiences and commerce.Looking to the future, Grayson asks John when he expects to see AR (augmented reality) experiences in vehicles. Taking a step back, John talks about CES 2014, when Samsung showcased an AR experience in a Tesla Model S. Staying on the CES theme, Grayson talks about the Warner Bros. / Intel immersive entertainment experience which they demonstrated in 2019.As companies look to develop in-vehicle experiences, Grayson shares his thoughts on why Disney will introduce a Star Wars in-vehicle experience at Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL. Comparing and contrasting Disney with Lear, Grayson asks John about the footprint of the Xevo platform.Xevo is currently running in over 50 million vehicles globally. The Xevo commerce platform has over 400,000 retail outlets which are available to customers today. All of the data generated through driver interactions is owned by Xevo's OEM customers.To enable in-vehicle commerce a payment method is needed. Grayson asks John how Xevo approaches payments and integrates the ability to pay for goods and services into the platform. Xevo does not store credit card data, instead, they aggerate payments through a secure wallet. When the vehicle becomes autonomous, the wallet can reside in the mobility provider's app.Wrapping up the conversation, Grayson and John discuss the current state of M&A in the autonomous vehicle industry.There [are] very few companies in the world that have the balance sheet to create an entire autonomy stack. I estimate that it is somewhere in the $50 billion to the $100 billion range to create a full autonomous stack solution. – John AbsmeierConsolidation is coming across the board as companies start to turn their attention to the economics of autonomy.Mobility is only going to get a lot better. – John AbsmeierSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jon talks with Danielle Kovachevich, Founder and Lead Coach at Detroit Academy of Etiquette about everything etiquette and what proper means today! Certified Etiquette Instructor, Danielle Kovachevich, specializes in helping professionals navigate the modern business world with social graces that bring dignity to daily work. Her expertise includes: international business protocol, digital decorum, corporate consulting, and fine dining etiquette. As Chief Etiquette Instructor for Bluestone Executive Communications, Danielle’s client list includes some of Detroit’s top executives from Magna, Delphi, Lear Corporation, Grupo Antolin, Special D Events, The Townsend Hotel, Aptiv, Martinrea International, Hitachi, Autoliv, and Youth Entrepreneurs to name a few. She has also delivered educational programs to Loyola High School in Detroit and Holy Name School in Birmingham.  She earned her Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Education from Michigan State University and is certified in Etiquette Instruction by the Etiquette Institute of St. Louis.  Danielle started Detroit’s Academy of Etiquette after seeing how targeted programming impacted her clients and helped them achieve a new level of success, not only in their professional lives but their personal lives as well. “When given the right tools, participants feel a new confidence that helps them conquer any new venture; whether it be a new client, a new job, a new position, a sophisticated social soiree, or a first date. We’ve got you covered!” says Danielle.  Danielle is also the co-founder and President of Project 2, a non-profit organization supporting women who have fallen on hard times and are interested in reentering the workforce.   Connect with Jon Dwoskin: Twitter: @jdwoskin Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jonathan.dwoskin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejondwoskinexperience/ Website: https://jondwoskin.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jondwoskin/ Email: jon@jondwoskin.com Get Jon’s Book: The Think Big Movement: Grow your business big. Very Big!   Connect with Danielle Kovachevich: Website: https://detroitacademyofetiquette.com  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/detroitacademyofetiquette/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-kovachevich-0b0b15131/ 

Nuri Golan is a serial entrepreneur and Angel investor. Nuri was the CEO and Co-Founder of the GPS technology startup EXO Technologies which he sold to Lear Corporation, a Fortune 150 company. At Lear, Nuri became the Managing Director of Lear Innovation Ventures, the corporate venture arm of Lear. Currently, Nuri is the CEO of Sosivio, a next-gen observability platform for Cloud Native environments. Prior to becoming an entrepreneur, Nuri served 6 years in the Israeli Navy Seals as a combat officer and also managed the unit's advanced R&D team. Nuri has a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering and an MBA from the Technion in Israel.

Jon and Danielle discuss everything etiquette and what proper means today! Danielle Kovachevich, Founder and Lead Coach at Detroit Academy of Etiquette Certified Etiquette Instructor, Danielle Kovachevich, specializes in helping professionals navigate the modern business world with social graces that bring dignity to daily work. Her expertise includes international business protocol, digital decorum, corporate consulting, and fine dining etiquette. As Chief Etiquette Instructor for Bluestone Executive Communications, Danielle’s client list includes some of Detroit’s top executives from Magna, Delphi, Lear Corporation, Grupo Antolin, Special D Events, The Townsend Hotel, Aptiv, Martinrea International, Hitachi, Autoliv, and Youth Entrepreneurs to name a few. She has also delivered educational programs to Loyola High School in Detroit and Holy Name School in Birmingham. She earned her Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Education from Michigan State University and is certified in Etiquette Instruction by the Etiquette Institute of St. Louis. Danielle started Detroit’s Academy of Etiquette after seeing how targeted programming impacted her clients and helped them achieve a new level of success, not only in their professional lives but their personal lives as well. “When given the right tools, participants feel a new confidence that helps them conquer any new venture; whether it be a new client, a new job, a new position, a sophisticated social soiree, or a first date. We’ve got you covered!” says Danielle. Danielle is also the co-founder and President of Project 2, a non-profit organization supporting women who have fallen on hard times and are interested in reentering the workforce. Connect with Jon Dwoskin: Twitter: @jdwoskin Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jonathan.dwoskin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejondwoskinexperience/ Website: https://jondwoskin.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jondwoskin/ Email: jon@jondwoskin.com Get Jon’s Book: The Think Big Movement: Grow your business big. Very Big!   Connect with Danielle Kovachevich: Website: https://detroitacademyofetiquette.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/detroitacademyofetiquette/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-kovachevich-0b0b15131/

coming sooOn today's episode of Supply Chain Now, Scott and Greg welcome Rachel Cyranski with the Ford Motor Company to the podcast. Rachel Cyranski is in her second FCG Rotation at Ford Motor Company where she is working in Program Control on Electric Vehicles. Prior to her second rotation, she worked as a buyer in Chassis Purchasing. Rachel obtained her bachelor's degree from Wayne State University and is presently working towards her MBA there. During her Undergrad Rachel interned at Lear Corporation, AIAG, and Ford Motor Company. She also held many leadership positions such as President of WSU's Supply Chain Club and was one of the Mike IlItch School of Business 25 Under 25 Recipients. Since starting her career at Ford, Rachel has been named one of Ford's 30 Under 30 participants and holds leadership positions on the FCG E&C Board, Ford NextGen, WSU Recruiting Team, and assists in representing Ford at the WSU Supply Chain academic board meetings. One of Rachel's proudest moments on the NextGen leadership board was developing and executing the Virtual Professional Development Week for all Ford Employees . Since being on the WSU recruiting team Rachel has led multiple recruiting events and has assisted in writing many in-class case studies for WSU purchasing classes. Upcoming Events & Resources Mentioned in this Episode: Subscribe to Supply Chain Now and ALL Supply Chain Now Programming Here: https://supplychainnowradio.com/subscribe Leave a review for Supply Chain Now: https://ratethispodcast.com/supplychainnow Connect with Scott on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/scottwindonluton/ Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/gswhite/ Connect with Rachel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rcyranski/ Supply Chain Now Ranked #3 Supply Chain YouTube Channel: https://tinyurl.com/yazfegov Download the Q3 2020 U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index: freight.usbank.com/?es=a229&a=20 WEBINAR: The Connected IoT Supply Chain: https://tinyurl.com/yym2fvcl Check Out News From Our Sponsors: U.S. Bank: www.usbpayment.com/transportation-solutions Capgemini: www.capgemini.com/us-en/ Vector Global Logistics: vectorgl.com/ Verusen: www.verusen.com/ This episode was hosted by Scott Luton and Greg White. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/episode-504.m

On this episode, the first of the Lone Soldier Podcast, I sat down with Nuri Golan, a former commando and officer in Shayetet 13, the Israeli Navy Seals. Nuri moved to Israel after getting his degree in Aeronautical Engineering from George Washington University, and served for 6 years in the Seal teams. Nuri and I spoke about the move from the United States to Israel and the cultural adjustment that came with it. We went on to discuss the good, bad, ugly, and funny parts of training and military service, as well as lessons learned from special forces training. We touched on how those lessons served Nuri in the business world, and even managed to sneak a little politics in at the end. After finishing his military service, Nuri founded and ultimately sold EXO technologies to Lear Corporation before beginning his latest adventure as the CEO and cofounder of Sosivio. I hope you enjoy! 0:00 - Welcome to the Podcast2:00 - What inspired Nuri to join the IDF4:32 - Joining the IDF as an adult surrounded by 18 year olds7:07 - Funny story highlighting the challenge of company commanders being the same age as their soldiers8:21 - Pre-Army Life9:15 - The tryout process for the Navy Seals11:45- What motivated Nuri to push through the tryouts14:18 - What the evaluators are looking for in cadets during the tryouts16:01 - Basic/Advanced Training18:40 - Funny stories from Basic21:18 - Life off base22:22 - Swimming out the booze23:22 - The Lone Soldier community26:28 - The challenges of being a Lone Soldier 28:25 - The pace of life in the military31:10 - The IDF looking after it's Lone Soldiers34:30 - Becoming an Officer36:14 - Interactions with American Soldiers39:15 - Adversity builds character41:00 - The psychology of pushing through adversity45:30 - Readjusting to civilian life. 50:00 - The bonds between soldiers endure after service51:40 - The Masters program that ultimately led Nuri to become the CEO of EXO Technologies55:38 - The move to America57:53- Getting bought59:29 - Nuri's new role as the CEO/Co-founder of Sosivio1:02:00 - Lessons from the Special Forces and their application to business1:03:50 - Teamwork1:04:15 - Admitting your mistakes1:05:57 - Politics1:11:10 - Closing thoughts- advice for future IDF soldiers/entrepreneurs

Today: On this "Reporters' Roundtable," we talk to "Times" chief political reporter Dan Carden and to business reporter Joseph Pete about the stories they put out in print and online. Dan Carden's stories include updates on financial assistance to arts and tourism groups hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic and the state schools superintendent's support for vote-by-mail in November because of the pandemic. Joseph Pete's stories focus on assistance from the CARES Act to NIRPC, the pandemic's impact on BP and on Lear Corporation that have important local repercussions, and a very quiet act of kindness by a television chef toward a Region teenager who is battling a very rare form of cancer. Also on the program today -- Politicking App co-founder and Gary native Jordan Wilson talks about a virtual civic mixer this weekend in collaboration with two local organizations.

Episode 10 (Season 2) of the Empowering Women Podcast GUEST: Cheryl Merchant, CEO of TACO Comfort Solutions BIO: On January 1, 2019, Cheryl Merchant joined TACO as President of North American and was promoted to CEO in March of 2020. Prior to this, she held the position of President and CEO of Hope Global for nearly 20 years.   Before Cheryl became the President and CEO of Hope Global in 1999, Cheryl built her career from the shop floor to top management in leading operations around the world with the automotive industry giants of General Motors, Mazda, Ford Motor Co. and Lear Corporation. Under her leadership, Hope Global's sales more than tripled and operations grew beyond world-wide headquarters and manufacturing facility in Rhode Island to include manufacturing facilities in Mexico, China, and the Czech Republic. There, she built a team of experts, united and driven to take the company to unprecedented levels of growth.   A recognized industry and community leader, Cheryl has been honored with two honorary Doctorate degrees, and was named 2014 New England Business Woman of the Year.   Her specialities include: Mergers and acquisitions (most recently: purchased with extensive due diligence and merged 2 companies in last 2 years), general operations (lean manufacturing, supply chain management, production consolidation (closed operations in France and Ireland to consolidated into Czech Republic), develop management in all levels, and Financial oversight of P&Ls, balance sheet and Cash Flow.   Notable Podcast Episode Quotes:   “The company has to succeed or none of us succeed”   “I learned that there's so much more to a total company business. There's the banking, there's understanding the entire picture of your value - your name… ”   “I believe the entire C-suite is responsible for every piece. I don't care if your marketing or production - we're responsible for the whole picture. ”   “It doesn't do any good to sit from your end of the boat and point to another executive and say, ‘uh - you have a hole - your end of the boat is leaking...' we're in one boat. And it's the same thing when you're all in the same pool -- you don't want anybody using it as a bathroom.”   “You're not in the room as a token.”   Books Discussed: No Ceilings, No Wall by Susan Colantuono   The Coffee Bean  Speed of Trust by Steven Covey 

Imagine starting a recruitment business at the age of 54, having never worked in the recruiting industry before, and becoming a “big biller” within 5 years.  In this episode of the Resilient Recruiter, you'll meet Irishman Paul Taaffe, founder and CEO of FINANCE People Solutions based in Frankfurt, Germany.  Prior to starting his business in 2014, he was either a CFO or CRO for US global blue-chip companies such as Pepsi Cola, Nike, Lear Corporation, and Dell. I asked Paul to come on the show and discuss his extraordinary success running a boutique search firm.  Paul has doubled the business, on average, every year and last year managed to bill €4,000,000 in revenue!  That's over $4.5M USD.   Sure, that figure is the gross sales and includes both permanent placement and interim revenue, so the Net Fee Income will be somewhat less.  Still very impressive considering Paul is the sole fee earner, supported by a small team.  In fact, Paul has built so much momentum that he closed five deals this April despite the coronavirus pandemic. Episode Outline and Highlights [4:22] History of Finance People Solutions (FPS) [6:37] What is Paul's recipe for success? [9:00] Three aspects that help Paul to leverage relationship in recruitment. [14:30] How to level up from having a professional relationship to a professional friendship.  [19:25] Coronavirus experience: Three keys to keeping things moving forward. [26:16] FPS's structure and how efficiency is integrated into each role. [31:18] Successful basis for acquiring new customers [32:00] Paul shares his advertising strategy with FINANCE Magazin. Hear his interesting narrative on how he came about with this idea. [41:00] How Paul engineered his five placements in April - during the coronavirus. [45:30] Explanation of the interim-to-perm business model. Being an “unkompliziert” person When it comes to building sustainable candidate relationships, Paul believes that it all comes down to personality. He is an uncomplicated (unkompliziert in German) person, and because of that, he is able to easily connect with candidates that he treats as friends.  Paul said, “Mark, I have become friends with so many of these candidates. They are not just candidates, that sounds very cold. They are friends or business friends of mine.” Explaining his interim-to-perm business model Paul was able to describe how his interim-to-perm business model has successfully provided solutions to a lot of his clients. This solution de-risks the hiring process for his customer. As Paul puts it, “Over the last few years, we are doing more and more interim business because it is the instant solution kind of thing.” For him, “It is like delivering quality results in a very short period of time.” Paul Taffe Bio and Contact Info Paul is the founder and CEO of FINANCE People Solutions (PFS) in 2014. He has been in the recruitment business since 2014, and prior to that, he was either a CFO or CRO for US global blue-chip companies such as Pepsi Cola, Nike, Lear Corporation, and Dell as well as having worked in Private Equity. He founded the PE Finance Organisation Benchmarking company, Taaffe, and Partners in 2011. Paul on LinkedIn Paul's email: ptaaffe@finance-ps.com FINANCE People Solutions website link People and Resources Mentioned FINANCE Magazin website link Connect with Mark Whitby Get your FREE 30-minute strategy call: www.RecruitmentCoach.com/Breakthrough Mark on LinkedIn Mark on Twitter: @MarkWhitby Mark on Facebook Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter

COVID-19 has taken a deadly toll on factory workers in Mexico, as several employees at a Lear Corporation manufacturing plant in Ciudad Juárez have died. One family shares their story, from the beginning stages of the COVID-19 diagnosis to his eventual passing.

COVID-19 has taken a deadly toll on factory workers in Mexico, as several employees at a Lear Corporation manufacturing plant in Ciudad Juárez have died. One family shares their story, from the beginning stages of the COVID-19 diagnosis to his eventual passing. The traditional process for corn tortillas dates back centuries and is still widely practiced in Mexico to this day. Now, nixtamalization has made its way across the Atlantic Ocean to one country that, up until a few years ago, was mostly a taco-free zone: the Netherlands.

Jim is taking us on a great journey through the commercial world of motorsports from his humble beginnings in UK motorsports to his career in Formula 1 to Formula E now. He is one of the most creative and talented commercial guys in Motorsports I know. His thinking and approach for how to create stories and sponsorship programs works for any sports. As a “commercial guy”, I love this talk.  Anyone can sell a hot property, like the FIFA World Cup, the Team or athlete that just won a big Championship. In that space, it's less about creativity but about managing the demand and getting top value for the client/property.  When you sell a back/mid-table team or a new franchise, you have to be a whole lot more creative and come up with new angles. Jim is a master of that.  Enjoy the lessons and give us your feedback.   Key Highlights His passion for motorsports from his teens and how he got into it step by step His knack for the commercial side of the business His Williams F1 racing days under Sir Frank Williams, incredible learning BMW and Williams F1 team deal, the learning and stories around it Hundreds of Millions of Dollars of deals but even the little deals count Learning how people treat other people Power of B2B part in sponsorship Switch to Formula E, difficult start but as usual staying focused on the end goal always works Difference in budgets between F1 and Formula E How to sell Formula E, the story book, do your home work on the client Andretti Autosport, going beyond traditional motorsports revenue The difference between selling commercial rights for a Winning team vs others (Mahindra Formula E story) How to sell sponsorships in the new world after Covid-19 Current plans to get Formula E back on the track     About A marketing professional with a proven and quantifiable track record for sponsorship sales, particularly in motorsport, Jim Wright is a sports fan with a finely honed talent for creating mutually beneficial opportunities and making partnerships happen using strategic vision techniques.   Having started his career upon completion of a Business Studies degree, Wright moved from team management and logistics in to the commercial side of motor sport working for the fledgling ATS F1 team in 1980/81 before accepting an offer from Eddie Jordan to help grow his eponymous team.   Through the acquisition of team sponsorship and trade partnerships, Jordan was able to hire race winning drivers and move his team to the forefront of international racing below Formula 1. Wright was the driving force behind this strategy and he also worked with the ebullient Irishman on driver management, starting the Eddie Jordan Management business.   After five years with Eddie Jordan, Jim was recruited by Cellnet, then Britain's fastest growing mobile phone network to set up and manage a strategic motor sport division of their marketing department aimed at creating awareness and commercial opportunity for Cellnet as the mobile phone market emerged in the UK. Alongside this commitment, Wright developed his own agency to service other motor sport clients including drivers, championship promoters and car constructors. This business was a great success, particularly in Japan where Wright delivered the single biggest sponsorship of the booming Japanese F3000 championship with the Promise financial services company and Reynard Racing Cars.   Wright's exploits were noticed by Frank Williams and in 1994 Jim Wright was offered an opportunity to head up sponsorship sales for the Rothmans Williams Renault F1 team, an opportunity that he could not turn down. Having landed his first deal within 10 days of joining Frank's team, Wright quickly emerged as a real force and within 14 months of joining Williams he was asked by Frank Williams to be the Head of Marketing & Sponsorship, a position that Wright held for the next 11 years. During this term, Williams created the Senior Management Group – a core of five key executives who reported to the shareholders, Frank Williams and Patrick Head through monthly Board meetings and Wright represented the company's commercial interests at these meetings.   Before he left Williams in 2006, Wright was directly responsible for introducing and/or negotiating more than 200 million dollars of commercial income to the team and he built a commercial reputation for the Williams F1 team based upon principles laid down by Frank Williams of fairness, transparency honesty and integrity. Those principles endure today, both at Williams and through the Anglo Svenska operation.   Having worked with Gerhard Berger through the BMW partnership with Williams, Wright was recruited by Berger upon his completion of the purchase of a shareholding in the Toro Rosso F1 team and Wright moved his family to Monte Carlo to begin work on this project. When Berger sold his shareholding back to Red Bull at the end of the 2008 season, Jim was asked to work on a CSR programme with Keke and Nico Rosberg which was concluded when Virgin made Wright their first commercial hire for their start up F1 team which was awarded an F1 entry in June 2009.   Starting work in July 2009, Wright created a marketing team from scratch and delivered against an ambitious target of sponsorship, mostly from companies new to the sport to ensure that the team formed up on the grid in March 2010. In addition to securing the vital third party investment, Wright was responsible for directing the creation of the look & feel of the team and working with Sir Richard Branson's Virgin brand and other stakeholders such as Lloyds Development Capital in developing a commercial and marketing communications strategy and served on the Board of Virgin Racing / Marussia Virgin Racing between September 2009 and December 2011. Wright was responsible for the introduction of more than 35 million USD of sponsorship for the fledgling Formula 1 team over two seasons, a remarkable achievement for a new team with limited on-track performance. Increasingly disillusioned with the rising costs of F1 and lack of commercial direction from the Commercial Rights Holder ( Bernie Ecclestone's Formula One Management ), Wright devoted time to pursuing other activities, transferring his skills to the non-profit sector by setting up a commercial structure for Jeremy Gilley's Peace One Day organisation and mentoring others to achieve commercial goals for Peace One Day.   The creation of the FIA Formula E series for electric powertrain racing cars in 2013 proved to be of great interest to Wright who accepted an invitation from the Monaco entrepreneur Gildo Pallanca Pastor to lead the commercial aspects of his fledgling Venturi Formula E team. Wright was instrumental in convincing F1 veteran Nick Heidfeld to switch to the new racing series and Wright was able to introduce a number of technical partners to the team in ZF, Rohm Semiconductor and Farasis batteries as well as other companies such as Delta Auto. As the Formula E series began to grow, the Teams formed a representative group ( Formula E Teams Association - FETA ) and from 2014, the Teams elected Jim Wright to serve as Secretariat working with an elected Chairman in rotation, a position that he holds to date. As the series expanded and more OEMs came on board and the business model changed from the start of the second generation car and battery, the role was increased to represent the Teams and the Manufacturers ( FETAMA ) and Wright remains in that elected position today. Nowadays, FETAMA is a well-respected stakeholder group working alongside the governing body ( FIA ) and the Promoter ( FEO ) to grow the FIA Formula E World Championship.   The Mahindra Formula E Team recruited Wright from Venturi in 2016 as their Chief Commercial Officer, a position that he held through to the beginning of 2019 during which time he personally introduced and / or negotiated a portfolio of sponsorship partners to offset the Mahindra & Mahindra budget spend as well as supporting Team Principal Dilbagh Gill in all commercial matters. Shell, Renesas, Avis, Umicore, Lear Corporation were major corporations which were brought on board during Wright's tenure as they adjusted their business models for the e-mobility era.   In 2019, Wright accepted an offer from Michael Andretti to fill a new role, Group Commercial Director, with a brief to widen the commercial appeal of the Andretti Autosport business and to create new business opportunities for the iconic American racing team. Wright reports directly to Andretti Autosport President J.F.Thormann and he works across the Group's motorsport platforms.

Nem todas as empresas automotivas abriram os olhos para o impacto de investir em diversidade e inclusão. A Lear Corporation, no entanto, é uma das organizações que decidiram apostar alto

Our feature interview today is with Amy Latawiec. She's the founder of a new body positive indoor cycling (or spin) studio on the east side of the city called Rebel Cycle Studio. More: https://www.facebook.com/RebelCycleStudioDetroit/ Our stories: - Officers in the Detroit Police Department are getting raises as part of a new union contract. - The old Joe Louis Arena seats are being sold starting at $50 for the next two weeks. - Auto supplier Lear Corporation has sold a seven-story building in the recently renamed Paradise Valley and Cultural District, which is targeted for a multimillion-dollar redevelopment. - If you catch a Lyft anywhere in Metro Detroit, you’ll have the option of rounding up your fare and donating it to the Detroit Public Schools Foundation.  - Sven and Jer talk about Greektown, their memories and what maybe should go there upon the news that New Parthenon has been bought by the people who own Pegasus Taverna - In downtown Ferndale, there’s word that Bobcat Bonnies will open this weekend. If you haven't already, be sure to subscribe to the Daily Detroit Podcast wherever you download your favorite shows. Link here. Thanks to Milo Digital for their support. We're welcoming a new sponsor to the show next week!  Recorded on October 18, 2018.

Harry Kemp, VP and Divisional Counsel at Lear Corporation, uses his experience with a Protestant on campus to illustrate how his faith blossomed and explains the importance of work from a biblical standpoint. He offers three challenges before Q&A: pray, find faithful friends, and marry a saint! ONE-PAGE SYNOPSIS: https://www.ycpdetroit.org/harry-kemp-speech-synopsis VIDEO RECORDING: https://www.facebook.com/ycpdetroit/videos/230472714181554 ALL RECORDINGS: https://www.ycpdetroit.org/recordings

Dr. Karen Keller, clinical psychologist and Master Certified Coach, is founder and CEO of Karen Keller International, Inc., a web-based company designed to provide consulting, training and coaching to executives and corporations. She is the creator of The Keller Influence Indicator ® (KII®) and is an internationally recognized expert on influence. Dr. Keller has recently published her #1 Best Selling book Influence: What’s the Missing Piece?With over 20 years of experience, Dr. Keller’s well-rounded and diverse background also consists of developing and leading integrated change and strategies for large corporations such as, American Express, Pizza Hut, PepsiCo, Guilford Mills, Lear Corporation, and Indiana Purdue University.Known for thoughtful consultation and asking tough questions, Dr. Keller is a modern-day teacher of influence as a way of inner thinking, being (then ultimately doing) for executives, leaders, small business owners, entrepreneurs, and anyone who desires to have more of what they really want.Dr. Keller believes that every person has the innate capacity and potential to create a more influential presence in any environment they enter. She is passionate about empowering people to experience new heights in their careers, business and personal life.Learn More: www.karen-keller.com Influential Influencers with Mike Saundershttp://businessinnovatorsradio.com/influential-entrepreneurs-with-mike-saunders/

Dr. Karen Keller, clinical psychologist and Master Certified Coach, is founder and CEO of Karen Keller International, Inc., a web-based company designed to provide consulting, training and coaching to executives and corporations. She is the creator of The Keller Influence Indicator ® (KII®) and is an internationally recognized expert on influence. Dr. Keller has recently published her #1 Best Selling book Influence: What’s the Missing Piece?With over 20 years of experience, Dr. Keller’s well-rounded and diverse background also consists of developing and leading integrated change and strategies for large corporations such as, American Express, Pizza Hut, PepsiCo, Guilford Mills, Lear Corporation, and Indiana Purdue University.Known for thoughtful consultation and asking tough questions, Dr. Keller is a modern-day teacher of influence as a way of inner thinking, being (then ultimately doing) for executives, leaders, small business owners, entrepreneurs, and anyone who desires to have more of what they really want.Dr. Keller believes that every person has the innate capacity and potential to create a more influential presence in any environment they enter. She is passionate about empowering people to experience new heights in their careers, business and personal life.Learn More: www.karen-keller.com Influential Influencers with Mike Saundershttp://businessinnovatorsradio.com/influential-entrepreneurs-with-mike-saunders/

Diva Tech Talk interviewed Loretta Yakima, currently a senior project manager under contract at ZF TRW (www.zf.com ). Loretta credits her parents for all facets of her success. “They grounded me so much,” she said. Her love for technology dated from her Michigan public high school’s career preparation center where she enrolled in a data processing class. “It was new and exciting.”  She learned how to code in both RPG and Cobol, “two of the toughest languages” to master. With her programming proficiency, Loretta applied advanced credits to her college degree, and was offered a scholarship to a nearby business school.  She matriculated to Oakland University, in Rochester, MI,  with a major in Economics and a minor in Information Systems.  She also worked full time first for a small consulting company, implementing “Y2K” code changes; and then in information technology for Tier One automotive supplier, Lear Corporation (www.lear.com). Later, Loretta would go on to get her MBA from Walsh College in 2009.  After graduating Loretta became a programmer/business analyst at Pulte Corporation (www.pulte.com), a U.S.-based home-building company, where she grew as the company did.  She worked with ERP software, and then developed a wide variety of Web-based applications, supporting every operation inside the company.  Loretta then evolved into a project management role, where “we didn’t just focus on IT, but were engrained in the process side of things.” At Pulte, as the recession hit, she also worked on “how to change our business processes to become more efficient.”   She moved from information technology, a few years later, and “hopped the fence” to Pulte’s finance department where she then managed the national purchasing shared services group, a total of 65 people, who managed the administration for all labor and materials contracts for the company. A key lesson that Loretta learned from her 15 years at Pulte was the importance of strong partnership between the information technology group and the rest of the business. She benefited from strong leadership training, particularly based on Franklin Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (http://www.franklincovey.com/leadership/7-habits.php/). When Pulte moved to Atlanta, Georgia, Loretta chose to remain in Michigan. She moved to a part-time role as a solutions architect, building customer applications for Detroit-based Digerati and then moved over to Chrysalis Global Consulting (http://www.chrysalisglobal.com), a company that specializes in change management and project management. Under the Chrysalis aegis, she landed her contract role at ZF TRW, a global automotive supplier. “My role is with the financial systems group.   We are figuring out how to merge all the finance systems between ZF and TRW. It’s huge, and it’s exciting and it’s fun.” Loretta would catalogue her personal strengths as being a good listener/diagnostician, a hard worker, empathetic and a skilled multitasker. (“I love being busy.  I love having a lot of things going on.”) To accomplish everything well in life, Loretta said: “You must stay positive, and learn to smile,” no matter what the situation.  Loretta’s three main leadership lessons for other women and girls are: Don’t be afraid. Try technology out. Know yourself and what is uniquely important to you, personally. Learn how to network. Loretta would like to be involved with a company or an educational institution that “has enough financial backing to get started with students early on. I think back to the high school technology program in which I was involved.  I would love to build more programs like that, because I think it’s so important --- especially for girls.” Loretta said. For the full blog write up, make sure to check us out on online at www.divatechtalk.com, on Twitter @divatechtalks, and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/divatechtalk. Follow our show and tell us what you like with an online review.

My guest for Episode #272 is Steve Thompson, Director of Patient Driven Supply Network initiatives for Cardinal Health, a global, integrated healthcare services and products company. He is also a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, dating back to his time spent working in the automotive industry. In today's episode, we talk about his lessons learned from General Motors and Lear Corporation and how he's helping healthcare leaders apply these lessons to improve their supply chain operations. In the past year, I've had a marketing partnership with Cardinal Health, which has led to content like this webinar and article, but after meeting Scott last year and having a great chat, I'm doing this podcast outside of that formal partnership. I'm pleased to have him on the podcast.

As one of the largest suppliers of automotive seating, Lear Corporation actually makes seats for every manufacturer in the world. On this edition of Autoline THIS WEEK its CEO and Director, Matt Simoncini, discusses the company’s global reach and how he sees things changing in the auto industry in the next few years.

As one of the largest suppliers of automotive seating, Lear Corporation actually makes seats for every manufacturer in the world. On this edition of Autoline THIS WEEK its CEO and Director, Matt Simoncini, discusses the company’s global reach and how he sees things changing in the auto industry in the next few years.

Yvonne Pokropek is the HR Director for 13 countries within the DB Schenker group. She has a background in the union, the HR team in Port of Gothenburg, at LEAR Corporation and now more than a decade within the forwarding company DB Schenker.  Yvonne has the experience from many different management styles and has her view clear on what motivates people; good leadership. We have an interesting discussion what good leadership contains and how to develop people reporting to you. We have a long conversation about how to get more women to the top management positions and from there into the Board rooms, where Yvonne now has reached a point where she thinks quotation is the only "quick fix" available. In the beginning of this episode a swear word (?) is used, apologies for that if you feel uncomfortable. Personally, I didn't know it was a swearword, that might say something about me.. Don't forget to share your love for the Shipping Podcast! More people are entitled to learn more about shipping!

Ellen Lee: Impassioned Environmentalist Believes Sustainability Equals Sensibility in Both Vehicles and Life Who: Ellen Lee, technical expert, plastics research Role: Researcher working to replace traditional, petroleum-based plastics with alternative composites that are better for the environment and the customer Did you know? Lee enjoys reading cookbooks like most people read novels Visit Ellen Lee at her home in Ann Arbor, Mich., and chances are better than average she’ll be outside, working in the garden. “We grow...a little bit of everything,” she says, laughing. “I love fresh vegetables. We have 10 raised beds, and that’s not enough. Every year, I say, ‘I need more room!’’’ Lee’s green thumb shouldn’t surprise anyone. At Ford, Lee is part of a unique team that works to make products more sustainable through science and technology innovation. The team researches traditional, petroleum-based plastics and looks to Mother Nature to create alternate composites that are durable, lightweight and better for the environment. These all-new composite recipes include more natural ingredients, such as soy oil, wheat straw fiber, cellulose and the sugars in corn, sugarbeets and sugarcane. “One of our biggest success stories so far is soy foam,” Lee says. All Ford North American-built vehicles use bio-based foam in seat cushions and backs. Ford’s use of bio-based foam has helped the company reduce its petroleum oil use by more than 3 million pounds annually and carbon dioxide emissions by more than 15 million pounds. Even more recently, Ford and Lear Corporation introduced a new head restraint foam with 25 percent of the polyol replaced with soy. 

It’s tough to get to the top of the auto industry, but it’s especially hard for female executives. That’s why even today the culture continues to be male-dominated. So with more and more women involved in the industry how do the experts see them breaking through the Sunroof Ceiling and eventually running a car company or some of the top suppliers. Joining John McElroy on Autoline This Week to discuss the topic are three executives with personal knowledge of the struggle. Jeneanne Hanley is vice president of Lear Corporation while Colleen Haley is the Executive VP of Yazaki and Terry Barclay is the president and CEO of Inforum, a professional women’s alliance.

It’s tough to get to the top of the auto industry, but it’s especially hard for female executives. That’s why even today the culture continues to be male-dominated. So with more and more women involved in the industry how do the experts see them breaking through the Sunroof Ceiling and eventually running a car company or some of the top suppliers. Joining John McElroy on Autoline This Week to discuss the topic are three executives with personal knowledge of the struggle. Jeneanne Hanley is vice president of Lear Corporation while Colleen Haley is the Executive VP of Yazaki and Terry Barclay is the president and CEO of Inforum, a professional women’s alliance.

It’s tough to get to the top of the auto industry, but it’s especially hard for female executives. That’s why even today the culture continues to be male-dominated. So with more and more women involved in the industry how do the experts see them breaking through the Sunroof Ceiling and eventually running a car company or some of the top suppliers. Joining John McElroy on Autoline This Week to discuss the topic are three executives with personal knowledge of the struggle. Jeneanne Hanley is vice president of Lear Corporation while Colleen Haley is the Executive VP of Yazaki and Terry Barclay is the president and CEO of Inforum, a professional women’s alliance.

My guest for Episode #102 is Ron Wince, the President/CEO of Guidon Performance Solutions. We talk here about his views on lean healthcare and the impact of healthcare reform on the healthcare landscape. Prior to founding Guidon, Ron held senior leadership positions within world-class organizations, including J.P. Morgan Chase, Freudenberg-NOK, and Lear Corporation. You may have seen Ron as a guest commentator on Fox Business Network. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Ron holds a degree in engineering and is a veteran of Operation Desert Storm.  He currently resides in the Phoenix area with his wife and two children. To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/102. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

As sales begin to improve in the U.S., the demand for designers is actually on the increase. The Lear Corporation, in a move that shows just how much it has changed, has secured a key contract for the Chevy Volt. Zero Race aims to prove that electric vehicles can be practical. All that and more, plus we get an inside-look at Kia marketing.