Welcome to the team, Jami Carpenter! Jami recently joined DENSO’s North American team as a Production Control Specialist and is ready to put her strong work ethic into practice.
“I’m driven to want to do a good job,” said Jami. “I always want to learn and expand my capabilities into new areas, and I feel that DENSO creates great opportunities for me to do so.”
Jami became a DENSO associate just as businesses across North America started adapting to combat the effects of COVID-19. While this created new challenges, Jami said that the most important thing to her was that she felt safe working at her facility.
“I think DENSO is doing a great job at following all of the proper guidelines under the current circumstances. The temperature checks and mask requirements make me feel like it’s safe to walk into work every day.”
Even though it took some extra time to get onboarded remotely, Jami saw DENSO working hard to make her feel connected throughout the experience. Programs like Microsoft Teams and Web Ex have made her team meetings seamless. The DENSO Mobile app has also helped her stay informed on what is happening within her own facility, as well as within the entire company.
Welcome (back) to Louis Remynse! Louis began his internship with DENSO in May, returning for a second consecutive year for more opportunities to learn and grow.
Louis was excited to get back to work at DENSO, which he called “a world class manufacturing company,” because his job provided a feeling of normalcy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Every morning, he joined a meeting with his department to share lighthearted conversation about current events and his colleagues’ interests, before discussing the projects for the day. Louis said this not only brought him closer to his co-workers but gave him a sense of purpose going into the rest of his work day.
During his internship, DENSO’s associate safety measures especially impressed Louis, and according to him, there was not a single moment at work when he did not feel completely safe. Louis said DENSO’s precautions, including temperature checks, plexiglass between desks and strict mask enforcement, demonstrated the company’s commitment to keeping their associates safe and helped keep his morale up, even in the midst of the pandemic.
Interested in joining our team? Review our open positions here: https://densocareers.com/
The first female CEO of a major global automaker was appointed just five years ago. In Silicon Valley, 95% of the tech workforce is white males. Fifty-four percent of employees believe their employers could do more to promote gender equality.
Diversity and inclusion are issues that permeate all industries, not just automotive. At DENSO, we are taking active steps to change that narrative.
That’s why today, we are thrilled to announce we have named Denise Carlson, vice president, North American Production Innovation Center and Safety, Health and Environment, as Executive Lead of North American Diversity and Inclusion (D&I). Carlson, who was one of the first female engineers hired at DENSO, has been a part of DENSO for nearly 25 years.
We spoke to Denise on her new role and how D&I will help us reach long-term goals and shape the future of mobility.
Why is diversity and inclusion important?
First and foremost, accepting and respecting people of all races, ages, genders, ethnicities, backgrounds and cultures is the right thing to do.
Second, embracing D&I is one of the best ways to spark innovation. When we bring together diverse groups of people, it opens our eyes to the fact that there is always more than one way to achieve the same goal. Diverse groups offer unique perspectives to difficult challenges, break the cycle of inside-the-box thinking and bring great new ideas and opportunities to the table, which is critical for a company wanting to innovate.
This is particularly important for DENSO. We’re undergoing tremendous change – from a shift in business strategy to a focus on software-based solutions. Constant innovation is crucial if we want to remain competitive and best serve our customers.
What are you most excited about in your new role?
To start, I want to say that creating this position is a significant and symbolic moment at DENSO and I’m honored to be a part of it. Yes, we have D&I efforts already in place, but this shows the world we have a stake in the ground to truly progress in this area.
I am looking forward to working closely with our manufacturing facilities across North America to align on what D&I is, our goals and why it needs to be an integral part of daily functions. My hope to eventually create a work environment where diversity and inclusion is no longer a topic of discussion – because it’s engrained in the way we do business.
What does DENSO currently do for its D&I efforts?
In 2016, DENSO established the North American D&I Council to develop a three-year strategy to create and implement a culture of inclusion that promotes the diversity of all associates. We currently have D&I training for leaders at every level to strengthen understanding of D&I. At DENSO, our leaders are the champions behind this effort. They are committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse environment.
Other action items include:
Finally, it’s important to point out that diversity and inclusion are two separate things. Diversity is the collection of our similarities and differences based on characteristics that we are born with, experiences we have had and choices we have made. Inclusion occurs when people are welcomed, valued, respected and heard.
There’s more to do to be sure, and I look forward to working with associates around the country to lead that charge.
To read the press release announcing Denise’s new role at DENSO, click here.