This week, David Wright is joined by Dr. Soma Venkat, SVP & Chief Information Technology Officer of Cooper Standard, to discuss the transformative power of higher ideals in leadership, the importance of adaptability and the future of digital innovation in the automotive industry.

Key Takeaways:

(03:42) A mantra for career growth: having higher ideals and goals, focusing on service rather than power or money.

(07:53) Soma’s journey from India to becoming a global CIO.

(12:54) The value of lifelong learning and a student mindset.

(17:15) Soma talks about overcoming challenges using the analogy of a river.

(23:00) Soma shares a pivotal experience with Sarbanes-Oxley compliance and the importance of ethics.

(29:38) Cooper Standard’s digital transformation journey, including cloud and ERP consolidation.

(32:59) Soma explains "adopt now, optimize later" and AI's role in streamlining operations.

(39:59) Insights into the future of manufacturing, digital twins and blockchain in supply chains.

Resources Mentioned:

Dr. Soma Venkat -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/somavenkat/

Cooper Standard -

https://www.linkedin.com/company/cooper-standard-automotive/

Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely -

https://www.amazon.com/Predictably-Irrational-Revised-Expanded-Decisions/dp/0061353248

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