"People will be open to share their ideas when they know you are listening to them, you want their input, and you value what they say. I think another thing you can do is you can make sure that you let them know that you want their feedback on your ideas. Because, let's face it, the boss doesn't always have the best ideas and sometimes you want them to let you know if it's not a good idea. So by you letting them know that, they will be much more free to give you their input and ideas." -- Diana Tremblay
How do you make people less afraid to share ideas?
Diana Tremblay is currently the Global Chief Manufacturing Officer at General Motors. In
this role, she has responsibility for 65 facilities in North America and more than 60,000
employees world-wide. Tremblay also serves as the global process guardian for GM’s global
manufacturing system.
She was named vice president, Manufacturing and Labor Relations in December 2009.
Previously, she served as GM North America vice president of labor relations beginning in
January 2006, where GM negotiated a historic labor agreement, including the adoption of a
VEBA trust to cover retiree health care. Prior to that, she was executive director, labor relations
since September 1, 2004.
Tremblay began work at GM as a college co-op student at Central Foundry in Defiance, Ohio, i
July 1977. She held manufacturing and engineering positions with GM's Powertrain division at
Defiance and Toledo, Ohio, and Pontiac and Saginaw, Michigan, from 1983 to 1996. She was
appointed to executive-manufacturing in the Automotive Components Group in 1990. In 1996,
she was appointed director of labor relations for the corporate labor relations staff in Detroit. In
December 2000, Tremblay served as manufacturing director, Luton, at Vauxhall Motors Limited
in the United Kingdom. In 2002, she was appointed plant manager, Opel Belgium, in Antwerp.
Tremblay holds a bachelor's degree in industrial administration from Kettering University and, a
a Sloan Fellow, received a master's degree in business management from the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology. She also attended the GM Senior Executive Program in 2002.
In 2010, Tremblay was named one of the “100 leading women in the North American auto
industry” by Automotive News as well as one of the Top 10 most influential women in Detroit
by D Business Magazine. In 2007, she was named one of the Most Influential Women in metro
Detroit by Crain's Detroit Business magazine. Tremblay is on the Board of Directors for Focus
HOPE and serves on an advisory board for Kettering University. She also serves as the
executive champion for GM’s African Ancestry Network Affinity Group.
