Communicating Through Volatility: IAC’s CHRO on AI, Safety, and Frontline Culture

Summary

When production volumes swing and electrification reshapes the auto industry, how do you keep frontline teams informed, confident, and aligned?

Paula Slater, Chief Human Resources Officer at International Automotive Components (IAC Group), a Tier 1 interiors supplier with 12,000 employees across North America and Europe, shares a practical playbook for leading through uncertainty.

She explains why supervisors—not slide decks—are the true carriers of culture, and how IAC is building manager communication muscles with high-touch development, clear behavioral expectations, and accountability that cascades from the C-suite to the plant floor.

Paula details how onsite leadership reinforces a safety-first foundation and recognition habits that stick. She also breaks down AI in manufacturing—back-office vs. in-process applications, why clean data and parameters matter, the ROI in quality and scrap reduction, and the realities of funding and cybersecurity.

The conversation closes on trust, reskilling, and why HR’s human skills—empathy, listening, and emotional intelligence—are the differentiator in the AI era, plus a reminder to put on your own oxygen mask first.

Timestamps

[00:45] – IAC overview: Tier 1 interiors supplier, global footprint, and workforce makeup

[02:25] – Electrification and unstable volumes: why over-communication is essential

[06:30] – Reaching non-desk workers: supervisors as primary communicators and culture carriers

[08:50] – Building manager capability: high-touch supervisor development and cascading accountability

[10:43] – Onsite presence that matters: safety as culture bedrock and recognition on the floor

[12:59] – AI in manufacturing: back-office vs. in-process, data quality, and ROI in quality outcomes

[15:58] – Speed vs. security: funding constraints, university partnerships, and cybersecurity guardrails

[18:12] – Trust, reskilling, and HR’s evolving role: leading with empathy amid constant change

[22:44] – Parting advice: self-care for HR leaders—the oxygen mask principle

Takeaways

- Over-communicate context and repeat messages through supervisors—the most trusted channel for frontline teams.

- Cascade culture via modeled behaviors and clear accountability from executives to plant leaders.

- Build supervisor capability with high-touch development: standard core content, local facilitation, and real feedback loops.

- Make safety the non-negotiable foundation and recognize visible wins during onsite visits.

- Pilot AI where data is strongest; define parameters, measure quality ROI, and balance speed with cybersecurity.

- Lead reskilling with transparency and empathy; strengthen emotional intelligence—and protect your own capacity first.

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