Transforming Webasto: Why Legacy Automotive Companies Must Rethink Leadership & Culture to Stay Competitive

This episode is sponsored by Lockton, click here to learn more Watch the full video on YouTube - click hereWebasto is a legacy company with roots going back to 1901, but staying competitive in today’s automotive industry requires more than history. It also means challenging long-standing norms without discarding the company’s strengths. To understand how a company like that evolves, we sat down with Brad Ring, President and CEO of Webasto Americas. Brad Ring describes his leadership style as grounded in authenticity, humility, and care for people. At the core of his approach is a belief that when leaders genuinely care about people, people care about the work.Brad shares how his leadership approach evolved, not from leadership training, but from watching the people around him. One of his earliest influences was Jim Hall, who showed him early on that real leadership starts with connection. It isn’t about hierarchy or image, it’s about showing up as a real person.Webasto is proud of its German heritage, known for its engineering discipline, and carries a cultural weight that doesn’t shift easily. But Brad didn’t try to fight that. He kept what worked: the care for people, the pride in product quality, and the strong family feel. Then, he started adding what was missing: a performance-driven mindset and a culture that encourages collaboration.One of the most practical changes was in language. Words like “accountable” and “responsible” had become unclear. So Brad introduced “promise.” Promises, he says, create emotional accountability and human connection in a way that traditional “responsibility” never could.Even during restructuring, Brad stays focused on values. Some decisions are hard, he says, but how you carry them out, humanely and with accountability, matters just as much as the decisions themselves. That’s what keeps the culture intact even during tough transitions.Brad sees trust as the core of his leadership, both in business and personal relationships. It’s not just a value; it’s how things get done.He believes trust is built through consistent, everyday actions. Once it’s there, it speeds up decisions, reduces wasted effort, and creates a safe space for risk and learning.Outside the office, Brad’s passion for cycling and wake surfing offers a glimpse into how he finds balance. His morning routine might not follow what you think, but it works for him. And that’s part of his larger point: leadership doesn’t come from mimicking others. It comes from knowing who you are and staying grounded, even when the world tells you to act otherwise.Themes discussed in this episode:The challenge of transforming a 120-year-old automotive company for today’s marketWhy command-and-control leadership fails in modern manufacturing environmentsBuilding organizational trust to accelerate decision-making and performanceWhy legacy culture must evolve to stay competitive with fast-moving OEMsAdvancing gender diversity and inclusion in automotive leadership rolesThe importance of creating a culture where mistakes lead to growthWhy leadership works best when you're true to yourselfFeatured guest: Brad RingWhat he does: Brad Ring is the President and CEO of Webasto Region Americas, overseeing operations across the United States and Mexico. He joined Webasto in May 2023, bringing over 30 years of global automotive experience.Throughout his career, Ring has held leadership roles in the United Kingdom, Mexico, and China, with a strong track record in driving business growth, leading operational turnarounds, building high-performance teams, and strengthening customer relationships. Before joining Webasto, he served as President of Faurecia Clean Mobility North America, a division of Forvia.Ring holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Kettering University and an MBA from the University of Toledo. He also serves on the MEMA Original Equipment Board of Directors and is a member of the Board of Trustees for the National MS Society.On Leadership: “The way that leadership comes for me is to be myself, trying to be present, comfortable in my own skin, approaching people in an authentic way. For me, that manifests itself as someone who drives for results in a meaningful way, but in a balanced share. Caring about people and caring about their lives and how they interact. And I think sometimes this can be perceived as weak, to be caring, in some companies. So, I want to also enforce like there's no weakness. We still demand good results. We're still critical of our performance. We still have high standards. However, we do that and I do that, by also being, I would say, humble, by introducing a personal vulnerability.”Mentioned in this episode:Hadi Awada's Journey to Transforming Workplace CultureAutomotive Suppliers and the Revenue Acquisition Process – Then and Now: 2025 UpdateEpisode Highlights:[02:39] Messy on Purpose: Brad redefines leadership at Webasto by ...