In this interview Shawn Otto, Beam Suntory’s Regional Human Resources and Labor Relations Director, answers questions related to his recent presentation at the North American Manufacturing Excellence Summit:
Working With Organized Labor to Build Better Businesses Together
- Offering an overview of the realities of manufacturing with a unionized workforce
- Understanding what corporate leadership, shopfloor management, union leadership, and the frontline workers all want and need from one another in a healthy working environment
- Discussing common stumbling blocks and points of conflict between parties in search of common goals: How do you find win-win scenarios out of what at first seemed to be zero-sum games?
- Demonstrating that coordination, communication, and cooperation can build competitive advantage through improved productivity and performance
- What can we do today that we could not do yesterday, and what are we going to be able to do tomorrow that we cannot do today?
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Shawn Otto is responsible for Labor Relations and Human Resources for all of Beam Suntory’s Kentucky manufacturing facilities including Clermont, Boston, Frankfort, and Loretto sites. Prior to joining Beam Suntory, Shawn worked for the Ford Motor Company for twenty years in roles of increasing responsibility in and out of the United States in both Labor Relations and Human Resources. Shawn completed a Masters of Science in Education from the University of Louisville, during which time he held a full-time position at General Electric for three years.
