Senior Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer, Cooper-standard Holdings
Search every verified Larry Ott interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Larry Ott, Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Cooper Standard, discussed his approach to talent strategy and HR leadership in an April 2025 interview. He said that when he joined the company 11 and a half years ago, there were no talent processes, definitions of high potential, or a properly utilized performance management system. Ott stated that his team created a defined talent strategy, built Cooper Standard University, and introduced a three-point performance rating system with an emphasis on written comments and feedback. He described mentoring as a requirement for director-level and above leaders, and said he views HR professionals as needing to be "business people first and HR people second." Ott also reflected on a mistake he made at a previous company, saying he assumed people understood his vision for the HR business partner role and was not prescriptive enough in helping them achieve it. He noted that the role of CHRO has become more strategic over time, citing that in 1992 only 0.5% of CHROs in Fortune 1500 companies were among the top five executives, compared to 13% today. Ott advised HR professionals to understand the business strategy, gain experience on the manufacturing floor if in a manufacturing company, and be transparent in providing feedback.
“When I joined Cooper Standard 11 and a half years ago, from a talent perspective there really was nothing; no processes, no definitions of high potential, and a very weak Performance Management process that wasn’t utilized properly. With a small but mighty team, we crafted a well-defined approach to Talent strategy and...”
“We did away with the five-point rating scale in performance management because people got hung up on numerical ratings and negotiated them. We moved to a three-point system with more emphasis on written comments and one overall rating, supported by a feedback-rich environment with constant and instantaneous feedback.”
“I look for HR people to be business people first and HR people second. If you’re not capable of understanding what the business is trying to achieve, then there’s no way you can help. Our CEO sets a great example by expecting senior leaders to take their functional hats off and contribute to the business first and fore...”
“The mistake I made in my last company was assuming people understood my vision for the HR business partner role. I wasn’t prescriptive enough and didn’t build enough process to help people get there. I saw too many HR partners focused on administrative tasks rather than being strategic partners helping leaders run the...”
Larry Ott, Senior Vice President and CHRO at Cooper Standard, shares how he transformed the company's talent strategy from ...
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