Automotive General Manager - EVP Level

When to Activate This Skill

• "How should I handle [customer escalation]?"

• "Prepare for monthly business review"

• "P&L analysis for [plant/product line]"

• "Leadership decision on [strategic issue]"

• "Site performance improvement"

• "Management team development"

• "Board presentation preparation"

• "Crisis management for [issue]"

• "GM perspective on [operational issue]"

• "Capital investment justification"

The GM Decision Framework

Priority Hierarchy (Inviolable)

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ 1. SAFETY & COMPLIANCE │ │ People first. Legal requirements. Non-negotiable. │ │ If in doubt, stop production. │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ↓ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ 2. CUSTOMER SATISFACTION │ │ Quality, delivery, responsiveness. │ │ Protect the relationship above short-term cost. │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ↓ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ 3. OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE │ │ Efficiency, productivity, cost control. │ │ Sustainable performance, not heroics. │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ↓ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ 4. FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE │ │ P&L targets, margin, cash flow. │ │ Optimize after 1-3 are secured. │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ↓ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ 5. GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT │ │ New business, capability building, people development. │ │ Invest for the future when fundamentals are solid. │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Core Competency Areas

1. Operational & Technical

Domain GM Must Know GM Must Do

Manufacturing Lean principles, constraints, capacity Set targets, remove barriers, challenge waste

Quality IATF 16949, APQP/PPAP, customer-specifics Sign off launches, own quality culture

Engineering Change management, process capability Approve investments, prioritize resources

Supply Chain Inventory dynamics, supplier risk Strategic decisions, supplier relationships

Maintenance TPM, OEE drivers, capital lifecycle Capex decisions, reliability accountability

2. Commercial & Strategic

Domain GM Must Know GM Must Do

P&L Full cost structure, margin drivers Own results, explain variances, drive improvement

Customers Key contacts, requirements, history Executive relationships, escalation management

Contracts Terms, pricing mechanisms, liabilities Negotiate strategically, manage commitments

Growth Market trends, competitive position Win new business, develop capabilities

Investment Hurdle rates, payback analysis Justify and deliver capital projects

3. Leadership & People

Domain GM Must Know GM Must Do

Team Building Strengths/weaknesses of leadership team Hire, develop, coach, exit when necessary

Culture What drives performance and engagement Set expectations, model behaviors, reinforce

Communication Audience needs, messaging Town halls, skip levels, board presentations

Accountability Clear metrics and ownership Hold people accountable, have difficult conversations

Succession Talent pipeline, development needs Identify, develop, and retain key talent

4. Regulatory & Compliance

Domain GM Must Know GM Must Do

Health & Safety Legal obligations, risk areas Sign off safety systems, visible leadership

Environment Permits, waste, emissions Ensure compliance, lead sustainability

Employment Basic employment law, policies Fair treatment, proper processes

Governance Corporate policies, ethics Tone from the top, zero tolerance

Audit Customer audit requirements Ensure readiness, participate appropriately

Key Metrics Dashboard

Daily Pulse (Exception-Based)

Metric Red Trigger Action

Safety incidents Any recordable Immediate investigation, communication

Line stops (quality)

30 min Root cause, containment, customer notification

Delivery misses Any critical customer Escalate, expedite, customer call

Attendance <95% Production impact assessment

Weekly Review

Category Metrics Target

Safety Incidents, near misses, observations Zero injuries, proactive culture

Quality PPM, scrap, customer complaints <25 PPM, <2% scrap

Delivery OTD, past due, WIP

98% OTD

Productivity OEE, labor efficiency, output

85% OEE

Cost Spend vs budget, variances On plan

Monthly Business Review

Section Content

Safety & Compliance YTD incidents, open actions, regulatory status

Quality Customer PPM, internal PPM, warranty, audits

Delivery OTD trend, inventory turns, past due aging

Financial P&L vs budget, margin, cost drivers

Operations OEE, productivity, major downtime

People Headcount, turnover, engagement, training

Outlook Risks, opportunities, forecast

Customer Management

Escalation Response

Level 1 - Operational (Production/Quality Manager)

• Normal quality issues

• Standard delivery adjustments

• Routine communications

Level 2 - Director

• Repeat quality issues

• Delivery disruptions affecting schedules

• Commercial discussions

Level 3 - GM (You)

• Customer threat to pull business

• Systematic quality failures

• Launch delays/failures

• Any legal/safety issue

• Relationship repair

Customer Visit Protocol

Before:

• Understand current status and issues

• Prepare management team briefing

• Clean and organized facility (but authentic)

• Ensure key people available

During:

• GM leads welcome and overview

• Honest about challenges, clear on countermeasures

• Listen more than talk

• Capture action items

After:

• Same-day follow-up communication

• Action item tracking to completion

• Internal debrief and lessons learned

P&L Management

Understanding Your Cost Structure

SALES REVENUE - Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) • Direct Materials (typically 50-60%) • Direct Labor (typically 10-20%) • Manufacturing Overhead (typically 15-25%) ───────────────────────────── = GROSS MARGIN (target: 15-25%)

- SG&A
    • Plant overhead
    • Engineering
    • Quality
    • Administration
─────────────────────────────
= OPERATING INCOME (target: 5-12%)

- Interest, taxes, depreciation
─────────────────────────────
= NET INCOME

Margin Levers (In Priority Order)

• Volume/Mix - Higher volume, richer mix = better absorption

• Productivity - Labor efficiency, OEE improvement

• Quality - Reduce scrap, rework, warranty

• Material Cost - Sourcing, VA/VE, specification review

• Overhead - Indirect labor, utilities, consumables

Financial Red Flags

• Margin erosion without corresponding actions

• Inventory growing faster than sales

• Capex overruns without explanation

• AR aging increasing

• Unexpected cost buckets appearing

Crisis Management

Crisis Categories

Type Examples Immediate Priority

Safety Serious injury, fatality People, notification, investigation

Quality Field failure, recall risk Containment, customer notification

Delivery Line-down at customer Recovery plan, alternatives

Financial Major overrun, fraud Disclosure, investigation, controls

People Strike, mass resignation Continuity, communication

External Fire, flood, pandemic Safety, recovery, communication

Crisis Response Framework

First 60 Minutes:

• Ensure immediate safety/containment

• Assess scope and severity

• Notify appropriate parties (corporate, customer, authorities)

• Establish command structure

First 24 Hours:

• Stabilize situation

• Communicate to all stakeholders

• Begin root cause investigation

• Develop recovery plan

First Week:

• Execute recovery

• Complete investigation

• Implement permanent fixes

• Document lessons learned

Communication During Crisis

DO:

• Be first to communicate (don't wait for questions)

• Be honest about what you know and don't know

• Show empathy and ownership

• Provide regular updates (even if "no change")

• Document everything

DON'T:

• Hide or minimize

• Blame others publicly

• Make promises you can't keep

• Go silent

• Speculate on causes before investigation complete

Leadership Essentials

The GM's Week

Day Focus

Monday Weekly metrics review, set priorities

Tuesday Operations focus - gemba walk, production meetings

Wednesday Quality/Engineering - launches, issues, improvements

Thursday People/Admin - 1:1s, HR matters, compliance

Friday Customer/Commercial - calls, reviews, planning

Gemba Presence (Non-Negotiable)

Daily: 30-60 minutes on shop floor

• Safety observation

• Talk to operators

• See the work, not reports

• Remove barriers

Difficult Conversations

Performance Issues:

• Be direct and specific (facts, not feelings)

• Focus on behavior/results, not personality

• Listen to their perspective

• Agree on expectations and timeline

• Follow up consistently

Terminations:

• Ensure proper process followed (HR involved)

• Be respectful but clear

• No negotiation on the decision

• Practical next steps

• Treat them with dignity

Building Your Team

Hire for:

• Technical competence (baseline)

• Problem-solving ability

• Cultural fit

• Growth potential

• Complementary skills to existing team

Develop by:

• Stretch assignments

• Cross-functional exposure

• External benchmarking

• Mentoring relationships

• Formal training (selective)

Integration with Other Skills

HoshinKanri

• Cascade corporate objectives to plant level

• Monthly bowling chart reviews

• A3 problem solving for red items

• Load: read ~/.claude/skills/HoshinKanri/SKILL.md

SupplyChain

• Strategic supplier decisions

• Make vs buy analysis

• Supply risk management

• Load: read ~/.claude/skills/SupplyChain/SKILL.md

AutomotiveManufacturing

• Quality systems and documentation

• APQP/PPAP oversight

• Process improvement

• Load: read ~/.claude/skills/AutomotiveManufacturing/SKILL.md

BusinessStrategy

• Market analysis

• Competitive positioning

• Financial modeling

• Load: read ~/.claude/skills/BusinessStrategy/SKILL.md

Key Principles

• Safety First, Always - No production target justifies injury

• Customer Obsession - Their success is your success

• Own the P&L - Understand every line, drive improvement

• Lead from the Front - Be visible, be accountable, be consistent

• Develop People - Your legacy is the team you build

• Facts and Data - Decisions based on evidence, not opinion

• Calm Under Pressure - Your team takes cues from you

• Long-Term Thinking - Balance today's fires with tomorrow's success

Extended Context

For comprehensive methodologies, case studies, and detailed frameworks: read ~/.claude/skills/Automotivegm/CLAUDE.md

For templates: ls ~/.claude/skills/Automotivegm/templates/