DENSO has announced it will be a sponsor of this year’s Center for Automotive Research (CAR) Management Briefing Seminars (MBS), taking place Aug. 5-8. The company will join other suppliers, automakers, tech startups, government officials and academics who are committed to advancing the auto industry during a time of unprecedented disruption.
Adapting to Industry Changes to Attract and Retain Talent
As the automotive industry continues to evolve, the need for talented workers in STEM-related fields will continue to increase. Kara Grasso, vice president of strategic operations at DENSO, is part of a panel discussion on Aug. 7, titled “Talent/Organizational Culture: Best Practices from the Automotive and Technology Industries.”
In the panel discussion, Grasso will cover:
- How DENSO embraced its second founding – the most dramatic strategy shift in its 70-year history – to expand into software-based solutions in addition to its hardware expertise;
- How automotive and mobility companies can attract and retain great technical talent; and
- How a diverse workforce enables greater innovative thinking, brings different perspectives to the decision-making process and accelerates the pace of R&D.
“We want top talent in engineering, research, skilled trades, marketing and everywhere else that can help us discover smarter ways to be more efficient in creating safer and more sustainable mobility,” said Grasso. “We offer so many great benefits and opportunities for our employees to develop skillsets and grow careers while they in turn help us push mobility forward by protecting lives and preserving the planet for future generations.”
Connecting Women in Mobility and Technology
To connect talented women in automotive, mobility and technology-focused sectors who are poised to lead in a new era of transportation, DENSO is hosting the “MBS Meetup: Women in Auto” event. From 4-5 p.m. on Aug. 5, attendees can network with fellow women attendees at a fun and informal gathering before heading into one of the industry’s biggest events. To register, click here.
DENSO is committed to advancing diversity and inclusion within technical fields. The company says having a diverse workforce enables innovative thinking, brings different perspectives to the table and accelerates R&D. As such, DENSO is co-hosting a similar event at the Consumer Electronics Show in 2020 with Inforum, a nonprofit dedicated to accelerating the careers of women and building talent initiatives at companies.
In addition, Grasso will participate in coffee chats at MBS, sponsored by the Society of Automotive Engineers International (SAE), on Aug. 6-7 to discuss the SAE-published book, “The Road to the Top is Not on the Map: Conversations with the Top Women in the Automotive Industry,” to which Grasso contributed a chapter.
Supporting Young Talent to Change the Future of Mobility
DENSO is also sponsoring the MBS Student Program, which provides undergraduate students interested in pursuing a career in the automotive industry the opportunity to participate in the CAR MBS. Students will have the opportunity to engage with leaders and executives in the space to learn about present-day issues and experience firsthand the advanced technologies that will be introduced in the future.
Through its sponsorship of the program, and the many other monetary and in-kind donations it provides, DENSO is helping develop the next generation of the automotive workforce and identify top talent who can advance its mission to reshape advanced mobility.
“At DENSO, we’re looking for talented, diverse, curious and motivated individuals who can support our efforts to innovate and reshape transportation,” said Grasso. “This will allow us to expand into new business domains, find new customers and deliver new services as transportation continues to rapidly evolve.”
