Jeffrey Edwards on digital transformation
From How Do You Build a Future-Ready Company? Jeff Edwards on Culture & Leadership · · Jan Griffiths - Champion for Culture Change
“We've spent literally hundreds of millions of dollars within our infrastructure — IT infrastructure, financial infrastructure — to really provide our employees with information that's available real time and much faster.”
On , Jeffrey Edwards, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer at COOPER-STANDARD HOLDINGS INC, spoke about digital transformation during How Do You Build a Future-Ready Company? Jeff Edwards on Culture & Leadership on Jan Griffiths - Champion for Culture Change.
About Jeffrey Edwards
Jeffrey Edwards, Chairman and CEO of Cooper-Standard Holdings, has discussed the company’s restructuring into three business units—sealing, fluid handling, and industrial/specialty—each led by a president acting as a “mini CEO.” He stated that this model has contributed to margin expansion and a return to double-digit EBITDA. Edwards also highlighted a new dynamic sealing system that reduces weight by 40% and is more recyclable, noting that it has already been sourced for a major electric vehicle program. He projected that within ten years, 50% of the automotive market will consist of internal combustion engines and 50% will be hybrid or electric. Edwards has commented on the potential impact of tariffs, saying that a 25% tariff on products manufactured in Mexico and shipped to the U.S. would be “very, very destructive” and would ultimately be passed to consumers. He emphasized the company’s focus on fixed-cost reduction and capital discipline, targeting net leverage of about two times by the end of 2027. Outside of financial and operational matters, Edwards has been recognized as a 2024 Humanitarian Honoree by OneJax for his community involvement in Jacksonville, Florida, and has described his leadership philosophy as centered on the people within the company rather than the brand itself.