To get up to speed as General Motors’ new manufacturing executive, J.P. Clausen didn’t just take cursory tours of the automaker’s assembly plants; he spent time working on the heavy-duty pickup truck line in Flint, Michigan.
Clausen has worked in the auto industry before, opening electric vehicle maker Tesla’s first gigafactory in Nevada, but he said his experience wasn’t in final assembly. So working alongside GM’s hourly workers in Flint, he said, helped him understand their jobs.
“I definitely enjoy hands-on experiences, and getting into the workforce is important to me to understand what they’re dealing with every day,” he told Automotive News. “I’ve definitely learned a lot about how it’s viewed from our workforce’s perspective.”
Clausen joined GM in April as executive vice president of global manufacturing and sustainability, succeeding Gerald Johnson, who is retiring at the end of the year. Clausen brings a diverse career background to the role — in addition to Tesla, he spent about 14 years at toy company Lego and worked for tech giant Google’s data centers.
He said he was attracted to GM in part because of its commitment to an all-electric vehicle future and the opportunity to join an industry undergoing rapid transition.
Its blend of manufacturing and technology expertise comes at a critical time for GM. The company continues to invest in its internal combustion portfolio while ramping up production of EVs on its Ultium battery platform. At the same time, GM is building a software team to advance its efforts around in-vehicle services and connectivity.
“I really enjoyed the automotive industry. I enjoyed the pace,” Clausen said. “I enjoyed being part of a physical product, but I also enjoyed the fact that the entire industry is changing right now, and being part of that transformation is important to me.”
Automakers have taken different approaches to electrification, though slower-than-expected EV growth in the U.S. has prompted GM and many competitors to scale back or delay some investments. While GM plans to bring plug-in hybrids to market by 2027, it has emphasized a flexible manufacturing strategy that allows it to produce gasoline-powered or electric vehicles as demand dictates.
Johnson, who has been with GM for more than 40 years, told Automotive News in July that the transition of manufacturing leadership to Clausen was “well planned and timed” to ensure the change doesn’t cause a loss of momentum.
Johnson said bringing in leaders from outside GM broadens the scope of ideas and experience at his disposal. CEO Mary Barra, in a statement announcing Clausen’s hiring, said his “unique experience in global manufacturing innovation, engineering and operations will accelerate our ability to deliver on our vision for GM with the highest-quality vehicles for our customers.”
Clausen said each point in his career has taught him something that will be relevant to GM’s manufacturing strategy — at Lego, the importance of quality and precision; at Tesla, electric propulsion systems; and at Google, software and technology.
“The combination of quality, automotive and technology really helped me a lot getting started here at GM,” Clausen said, adding that he also learned from Johnson and his factory visits.
One of Clausen’s goals is to expand the use of technology in manufacturing, including to help improve the work experience for employees. Automation could be used to improve ergonomics, such as picking and assembling heavy parts in a vehicle to reduce worker strain, he said, while an image recognition tool could check paint quality.
“We want to create a safe environment for everyone, both the driver and the employees,” he said. “So I spent a lot of time understanding our safety procedures and processes.”
Clausen said he foresees expanded use of digital twins, which can be used to simulate factory layouts and help find ways technology can improve workers’ work.
“I really believe that humans and machines should work together,” he said, “and we should really use technology to help make our lives better.”