Automotive News Canada - August 2020 - 14

* AUGUST 2020

Environmental engineer pivots to employee safety
By JIL McINTOSH

OSHAWA CORRESPONDENT

NATALIE GADSDEN

WINDSOR NATIVE HAS THE
AUTO INDUSTRY IN HER BLOOD

AS GOVERNMENTS
gradually lift restrictions
amid COVID-19, people are
returning to their workplaces.
Making sure they do so safely
at General Motors Canada is
part of Natalie Gadsden's job
as a sustainable workplaces
manager.
"We prepare them in
advance, so they know what
they need to do before they
arrive. It might not be the
workspace they're used to.
"Most of my day right now
is spent focused on helping
people return safely and adjust
to new norms."
Gadsden, 37, earned degrees
in chemistry and then engineering, with a focus on
environmental. A native of
Windsor, Ont., she comes from
a "long line" of auto workers.
"I had a summer job working on the [GM assembly] line,
and when I graduated from
university, I landed a contract
position at the Oshawa [Ont.]
assembly plant as an environmental engineer. In 2010, I was
hired directly as a salaried
employee."
Gadsden's teams provide
direction for GM's headquarters and three of its technical

centres in Ontario along with
three of its engine and parts
facilities in New
York, where she has
a leadership role
with environmental
engineers.
"The teams lead
the day-to-day compliance activities.
We have procedures
issued by the [government] and our
sustainability initiatives. We operate
and maintain the
buildings to drive toward our
zero emissions."
In a typical year she focus-

es on site improvements, "but
right now we're responsible
for entry protocols,
setting up physical
distancing cues, providing masks and
temperature scanning, and anticipating needs. There are
fewer people on site,
but we still have
engineers doing
critical lab work
that can't be done
remotely.
"It has been
inspiring the way people have
come together and are willing
to take on new things. I love
the job because of the people,
and the sustainability. The
industry is changing, and I
believe we are making a difference."

MIKE McWHINNEY

OUTDOOR ADVENTURER CLICKS
WITH OUTDOORSY CUSTOMERS

Natalie Gadsden earned
degrees in chemistry and
engineering and has a
leadership role among
environmental engineers
working at General Motors.
PHOTO: GENERAL MOTORS

HOW PEOPLE SHOP FOR
vehicles in the digital age has
been among the industry's biggest transformations. Even
before dealers had to cope
with pandemic restrictions,
Mike McWhinney was incorporating and adjusting to new
methods as the assistant sales
manager of Hilltop Subaru in
Vernon, B.C.
"On a daily basis, I answer
phones and answer emails. I
do the RAPID chat, where if a
customer logs onto Subaru's

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Mike McWhinney said that
his background in bicycles
and boats comes in handy
when talking with Subaru
customers who view their
vehicles as part of their
outdoor lifestyles.
PHOTO: DEAN KOSMINO

webpage and requests information, it connects them to
their closest dealer. Then
there's the usual daily stuff,
and receiving inventory and
putting it into the computer.
There's lots going on all the
time."
McWhinney, 49, managed
a mountain bike store for 12
years and then switched over
to selling boats.
"That was also my first
taste of automotive, because
they've got big engines and
you've got to tow them with
trucks. It was interesting
because the emphasis was on
fun and I learned to associate
selling with the fun part of it."
He also coached cross-country ski racing.
He was offered a position at
Hilltop in 2009 by a friend who
is part of the Kosmino family
that owns it.
"The hardest part of switching from bikes and boats to
cars is that there's a lot more
to know. There's a ton of product knowledge required and
you have to figure out the
right questions to ask [buyers]
to figure out what will be the
right product. The nice part
is that people view a Subaru
as a lifestyle component, and
whether it's skiing or mountain bikes, there's something
to talk about.
"My biggest pet peeve is the
phrase, 'It's not my job.' I'll
torque wheels or enter inventory or pair someone's phone
for the 25th time. I'll always do
what's required, and it has to
be that way."

national sector leader for automotive.
"For automotive, any news
... is funneled through me, or
we create it from a Canadian
perspective. We advise clients
on buying, selling or merging
with other companies, help
them refinance their companies, or provide advice on valuation for dealers, suppliers
or anyone associated with the
auto industry."
Hatges started at KPMG
performing junior tasks on
audits, "in the worst recession ever," he said. He became
a chartered accountant and
joined a new group working
on restructuring and insolvency solutions for clients.
"I had never done it before,
and it was fascinating.
"Magna had some financial
challenges in the late 1980s
and right away I put my hand
up to be on that assignment. I
always had a love of cars and
this was right up my alley
because I knew all the platforms, the brands, all the different components they were
making."
The project taught him a lot
and while he worked in other
areas and "over time I did
more transactions in the automotive space. I was the president of corporate finance within KPMG and they said they
needed someone who can lead
an automotive industry group,
and they picked me."
Hatges has about 200 people
to draw on in KMPG's automotive sector when he needs to
gather information for a client
or for publications.
"When you're giving
advice, knowledge about that
industry is crucial. I have to
have my finger on the pulse
for trends and information."
- ANC

PETER HATGES

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He is now a partner and the

Among his many tasks,
Peter Hatges of KPMG
provides "advice on valuation
for dealers, suppliers or
anyone associated with the
auto industry." P H O T O : K P M G

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Automotive News Canada - August 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Automotive News Canada - August 2020