GT Automotive was a worldwide leader in the production of heating, ventilation and air conditioning products, brake and fuel line systems, as well as fuel tanks, fuel delivery systems and fuel tank fill pipes, for original equipment manufacturers and the automotive aftermarket. Tim Kuppler was general manager of the HVAC unit of GT’s North American business at their headquarters in Michigan. When he took the job in 2003, he found the work unit was unclear about its mission and was resistant to change. Over the course of a year, however, the leadership team was able to help turn around the existing corporate culture. The success of the North American group initiative resulted in Kuppler’s promotion to a new position in charge of global HVAC operations. Corporate culture would undoubtedly be an issue at the global level as well. The scattering of the workforce around a wide geographic area and the influence of diverging national cultures would make Kuppler’s efforts to improve the effectiveness and cohesion of HVAC’s global operations more critical and more challenging.
