Director, global supplier relations and risk management
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
Auburn Hills, MI
A former bankruptcy and corporate lawyer, Sigmund Huber’s previous role as in-house counsel for FCA US often saw him supporting the purchasing group on risk management issues and general corporate contracts. That experience helped pave the way to his career today in supplier risk management. First joining FCA US in 2008, Huber was appointed in 2015 to his current role as director of global supplier relations and risk management, where he is responsible for improving supplier and industry relations, supplier risk management and much more. Working in such a dynamic industry allows Huber to manage unique risks and challenges related to the supply chain.
“In the auto industry, we are a little unique from other industries in that we have a very high dependence on our supply base,” he says. “If a supplier is having operations issues and can’t supply, in other industries, you can change suppliers relatively quickly. For us, that is not possible due to the complexity of the parts and the requirements to comply with safety and other regulations.”
To combat the risks associated with the depth of the auto supply chain, Huber and others are working to map the best route for lower-tier suppliers. “Currently we have visibility with the companies that we have purchase orders with,” he says. “But when you get below that, our visibility gets murky. That’s one of the key trends right now in the automotive industry – to gain greater visibility in order to better manage risks in the lower tiers of the supply chain.”
