Watch the Full Video on YouTube - click here If you want to understand the cultural shift the automotive industry is going through right now, you need to look back to the year 1905. “Get ready,” warns John McElroy , the influential journalist, and commentator who created “Autoline Daily,” the auto industry’s first news and analysis webcast. “This industry is going to see more change in the next seven years — taking us to the end of this decade — than we've seen in the last 100 years.” How fittin...
Jul 27, 2023•55 min•Season 4Ep. 100
Learn more about creating your own internal company podcast Sign up for The Automotive Leaders Letter Watch the full video on YouTube - click here In this episode, we meet Duncan McIntyre, the CEO of Highland Electric Fleets, Inc. , the electric school bus company. He saw an opportunity to provide a managed solution for large fleets lacking the expertise to adopt this new technology. He envisioned electric buses as a way to improve air quality, reduce pediatric asthma, integrate renewable energy...
Jul 13, 2023•42 min•Season 4Ep. 99
Sign up for The Automotive Leaders Letter Watch the full YouTube video - click here Automotive buyer-supplier relationships are no longer linear. In the transition from ICE to BEV, vehicles are increasingly software-defined, and it’s nearly impossible for OEMs to source every electronic component on their own. Enter the supplier ecosystem. Following up on her interview with Amazon’s Wendy Bauer , Jan seeks to learn more about the partnership between tech companies and traditional automotive. Chr...
Jun 29, 2023•27 min•Season 4Ep. 98
Sign up for The Automotive Leaders Letter When was the last time you stepped awayfrom your job for more than two weeks? Not a working trip when you’re available by phone and email, but a true, unplugged vacation? Jan recently did just that — a four-week trip to her native Wales to reorder her priorities and recharge her soul. For most leaders in the automotive industry, a four-week vacation sounds like a fantasy. Or if it’s possible, it sounds irresponsible. Who would lead the company? How would...
Jun 15, 2023•26 min•Season 4Ep. 97
Watch the full video on YouTube - click here For Andrew Savvas, the auto industry isn’t about selling cars. As the Chief Sales and Marketing Officer of Volkswagen North America, Andrew is at the forefront of innovative design and advertising efforts to increase the German automaker’s U.S. market share, but he sees his most important task as developing a leadership pipeline . German OEMs have a reputation for “command and control” in their company cultures. While many leaders have started moving ...
Jun 01, 2023•50 min•Season 4Ep. 96
Watch the full video on YouTube - click here Following her dynamic and inspiring conversation with HEVO Founder & CEO Jeremy McCool , Jan invites automotive sales and marketing expert Carolyn Sauer to unpack the interview and mine the most important advice for industry leaders. Many e-mobility suppliers agree that one of their biggest challenges is reaching the right decision-makers at OEMs. As the industry shifts to EV, both purchasing and selling teams need new mindsets and a consultative ...
May 18, 2023•30 min•Season 4Ep. 95
Sign up for The Automotive Leaders Letter Learn more about creating your own internal company podcast Watch the full video on YouTube - click here Jose Flores is the 34-year-old CEO of a traditional Tier 1 automotive supplier — but there’s nothing traditional about the way he runs the company. While many leaders claim to disrupt the status quo, Jose actually lives it. From his innovation hub to his embrace of failure, Jose shares the techniques that help him empower a multigenerational workforce...
May 04, 2023•48 min•Season 4Ep. 94
Sign up for The Automotive Leaders Letter Learn more about creating your own internal company podcast After her fascinating interview with HEVO founder Jeremy McCool , Jan reflects on the idea of declaring oneself a leader. Instead of fitting a mold, many successful young leaders are making their own statements of purpose, and the results are transforming the auto industry. Drawing on lessons from Jeremy and other past show guests — including Michael Chime (Gen Z Ceo) and Doug Conant (former CEO...
Apr 20, 2023•21 min•Season 4Ep. 93
This episode is sponsored by Lockton, click here to learn more Watch the full video on YouTube - click here What happens when you have an idea for a start-up that’s ten years ahead of its time? Well, it helps to have conviction. Jeremy McCool, HEVO Founder & CEO, knew auto companies would eventually want wireless charging, but it was at a time when they weren’t even really embracing electric vehicles. “I saw it as an opportunity that was different than anything else that anybody else was put...
Apr 06, 2023•54 min•Season 4Ep. 92
Watch the full video on YouTube - click here Everyone wants to know about Amazon. Its ultra-fast, customer-centric culture couldn’t be more different from traditional automotive, but in the age of software-defined vehicles, leveraging cloud technology is vital for OEMs. Wendy Bauer has a strong background in traditional automotive and currently serves as the general manager of Amazon Web Services (AWS) for automotive and manufacturing. AWS helps companies operate more efficiently and better unde...
Mar 23, 2023•47 min•Season 4Ep. 91
Full video on YouTube - Click here Would you work for Mary Buchzeiger? Following her electrifying interview with the CEO of Lucerne International , Jan invites two automotive leaders of different generations to deconstruct Mary’s inspiring — and unconventional — company culture of trust and accountability. Seeking both Gen Z and Millennial perspectives on the future of automotive leadership, Jan speaks to two rising stars in the auto industry. Mary Mason is a Senior HR Business Partner at AirBos...
Mar 09, 2023•34 min•Season 4Ep. 90
Learn more about creating your own internal company podcast Sign up for The Automotive Leaders Letter Watch the full video on YouTube - click here Following her eye-opening interview with Mary Buchzeiger , CEO of Lucerne International, Jan wanted to know about how companies can achieve their long-term visions with business operating systems. To understand the concept, Jan speaks with Preston True, the coach who helped Mary establish a goals-driven culture at Lucerne. Preston says that, fundament...
Feb 23, 2023•32 min•Season 4Ep. 89
Watch the full video on YouTube - Click here Where most people see a roadblock, Mary Buchzeiger sees an opportunity. Her infectious optimism and willingness to step into uncertain situations have propelled her career in automotive leadership. Jan welcomes the longtime CEO of Lucerne International for a frank and intimate discussion about navigating the turbulent auto industry. From Lucerne’s recent decision to onshore manufacturing to the inner workings of its entrepreneurial operating system, M...
Feb 09, 2023•47 min•Season 4Ep. 88
Watch the full episode on YouTube - click here What do the life and career of Janet Yellen have to do with automotive leaders? Jan invites the acclaimed Wall Street Journal writer Jon Hilsenrath — author of the new book, “ Yellen: The Trailblazing Economist Who Navigated an Era of Upheaval ” — to the show to discuss Yellen’s role at the center of the largest American economic crises of the past 30 years. “When she became treasury secretary,” says Jon, “she had done something that no person in Am...
Jan 26, 2023•55 min•Season 4Ep. 87
Watch the full video on YouTube 👈 Katelyn Davis knows how to create a personal brand. She’s a marketing expert with diverse experiences in mobility, making her the perfect person to help Jan deconstruct her recent interview with Assembly Ventures’s co-founder Jessica Robinson. New mobility — especially for EVs and autonomous vehicles — is a fast-moving, rapidly changing industry driven by startups. Katelyn says the internal company dynamics are different from what she's experienced in tradition...
Jan 12, 2023•38 min•Season 4Ep. 86
Learn more about creating your own internal company podcast Sign up for The Automotive Leaders Letter Watch the full episode on YouTube - Click here It’s the end of 2022, and you know what that means — it’s goal-setting season. Many of us automotive leaders find our minds wandering this time of year, envisioning all the success that will come our way in 2023 and setting goals to get us there. But the truth is, an estimated 91 percent of people fail to achieve their New Year's resolutions. The bi...
Dec 29, 2022•21 min•Season 4Ep. 85
This episode is sponsored by Lockton, click here to learn more Watch the full video on YouTube, click here Jessica Robinson is not your average venture capitalist. She started her career, not in finance or investing, but as a professional tea taster. In fact, Jessica’s entire career path can be characterized by unconventional pivots. After that tea-tasting gig, she fell in love with the mobility industry and spent time working for tech startups like Zipcar and Techstars before moving on to one o...
Dec 15, 2022•57 min•Season 4Ep. 84
Watch the full video on YouTube - click here As a managing partner at MRA Global Sourcing and a thought leader in supply chain staff sourcing, Naseem Malik has his finger on the pulse of the automotive supply chain industry — and lots of other industries. With all the other major challenges facing supply chains in the pandemic era, none has caused as big of a culture shift as the move to remote work. According to Naseem, top pre-pandemic questions from talent shifted from What’s the comp? Who wi...
Dec 01, 2022•45 min•Season 4Ep. 83
Relax, recharge, and don't check e-mail Happy Thanksgiving 2022 from the team at Gravitas Detroit and the Automotive Leaders podcast. Learn more about your host, Jan Griffiths in this short video Learn more about creating your own internal company podcast Sign up for The Automotive Leaders Letter...
Nov 24, 2022•2 min•Season 4Ep. 82
Bonus episode. Jan Griffiths and Jason Stein sit down behind the mic. and share their perspectives on the OESA supplier conference 2022. Auto Supply Chain Prophets Flat Six Media Cars & Culture OESA Insiders podcast Learn more about creating your own internal company podcast Sign up for The Automotive Leaders Letter...
Nov 11, 2022•14 min•Season 4Ep. 81
Watch the full video on YouTube - click here Earlier this year, an announcement by Mitsubishi North America (MMNA)caught the attention of the entire automotive industry. The company would be shifting to work from home — forever. At the time, MMNA’’s CEO called it “a critical moment to embrace, change, motivate and retain our talented employee base.” The decision represented a major culture shift for Mitsubishi but also presented some big challenges for company leaders. So what exactly does “work...
Nov 10, 2022•58 min•Season 4Ep. 80
This episode is sponsored by Lockton, click here to learn more Watch the full video on YouTube - click here The reality of practicing leadership is different from talking about it. No one knows that better than Dr. Andy Palmer , who Automotive Leaders interviewed recently . And there’s no more important space for the right kind of leadership than the automotive industry. Anne Partington , a mobility leader in the transportation industry and commercialization director for advanced transportation,...
Oct 27, 2022•35 min•Season 4Ep. 79
This episode is sponsored by Lockton, click here to learn more Watch the full video on YouTube - click here The automotive industry is changing fast — and we’re not just talking about the pandemic. The electric vehicle revolution is going to be a shift as monumental as when cars first began selling on the market. There’s no one who knows this better than Andy Palmer, also known as the “Godfather of the EV.” As the former COO of Nissan, Andy led the Nissan Leaf project, which became the world’s f...
Oct 13, 2022•56 min•Season 4Ep. 78
We're back! The Automotive Leaders Podcast is officially launched. Here's the story behind the rebrand and what you can expect in future episodes. Download the 21 traits of authentic leadership e book Learn more about creating your own internal company podcast Sign up for The Automotive Leaders Letter Easily navigate our back catalogue of episodes Learn more about your host, Jan Griffiths in this short video...
Sep 29, 2022•14 min•Season 4Ep. 77
Here's a short status update on the why behind the rebranding. This is a time for me to fall on the sword and admit something that's been haunting me for a while.
Sep 08, 2022•7 min•Season 3Ep. 76
You’ve just finished your annual strategic planning meeting, which hopefully if you listened to episode 73 of our podcast, went a little better than usual. Now you’re sitting at your desk with binders full of big ideas and lofty goals for where to take your company next. And as a leader, it’s your responsibility to seize that heightened energy from your team and run with it. So how are you going to do that? One word: ACCOUNTABILITY At first glance, ‘accountability’ might conjure up some negative...
Aug 11, 2022•25 min•Season 3Ep. 75
Episode Summary Accountability isn’t exactly a fun word. It has quite a negative connotation — probably because we’ve been acculturated to think that if we don’t hold ourselves accountable, we’ll suffer negative consequences (or, to use an even more fear-inducing word, punishment ). But accountability expert Brian Moran offers a different perspective. As a professional with 30 years of expertise as a CEO, corporate executive, entrepreneur, consultant, and coach, he argues that reframing accounta...
Jul 28, 2022•37 min•Season 3Ep. 74
Episode Description Strategic planning is traditionally a dreaded affair. Days of meaningless corporate speak and internal competition usually fail to result in something inspiring or exciting that a team can get behind. But it doesn’t have to be this way. In this episode of Finding Gravitas, Jan shares her top five tips on how to break the bygone corporate mold so you’re prepared to authentically lead your next strategic planning meeting. Episode Summary When we think of strategic planning, our...
Jul 14, 2022•23 min•Season 3Ep. 73
It's time to launch your supplier podcast - click here for more details The 2022 Plante Moran WRI® (Working Relations Index®) Study of North American auto supplier-Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) relationships is a bedrock survey in the industry. But does it really impact the bottom line? And what can OEMs do with the information? Dave Andrea, principal at Plante Moran and guardian of the WRI, relies on insight gathered across the industry to help answer these questions. And as someone who...
Jun 30, 2022•49 min•Season 3Ep. 72
It’s rare to be able to benefit from authentic leadership insight from both a manager and one of her team members. But approaching the leadership model of the future in action from both sides of the discussion is the key to real change and growth — and this applies just as much to automotive as management in any other industry. In a truly unique take on gravitas and the power of management, leadership coach Cathy Mott returns for a discussion with her ex-“ssob” (boss spelled backwards) and now l...
Jun 16, 2022•48 min•Season 3Ep. 71
