Mexico’s New Reality: How Structural Shifts Reveal Hidden Gaps Between Strategy and Execution – and what to do now

GlobalAutoIndustry.com’s latest Audio Interview "Mexico's New Reality: How Structural Shifts Reveal Hidden Gaps Between Strategy and Execution – and what to do now" features Sven Reiss. Mr. Reiss is an interim executive and transformation leader with 17 years of C-level and hands-on experience guiding global automotive and manufacturing companies through complex turnarounds and performance transformations. A former CEO, CFO and CRO, he combines financial discipline, operational execution and strategic leadership to stabilize organizations and restore or increase profitability. Reiss has led holistic restructurings, plant turnarounds and cross-border performance initiatives across Europe and the Americas. German-born and family-anchored in Mexico, he bridges cultural and operational gaps between Mexico, the U.S. and Europe. He currently serves as an interim executive and advisor focused on high-stakes transformations and sustainable value creation.

In the 18-minute Audio Interview, Mr. Reiss discusses these questions:

• You've been having conversations with leaders across Mexico – from country and plant directors to VPs and transformation leaders. What patterns are you seeing that North America leadership should be paying attention to?
• Let's start with some of Mexico's current structural cost challenges. Inflation, wage increases and workweek reductions are well known. But you've found that the real challenge for operations leaders is something else - something that has bigger implications for P&L than many realize. What is it that really concerns Operations leaders?
• You describe a "five-lever" approach that companies need to execute simultaneously to manage these structural shifts. What are those levers, and what is the biggest challenge?
• Nearshoring is a strategic priority across the automotive industry. Based on your conversations, what are the execution realities that operations teams are running into – and what should North America leadership be asking about or doing?
• I've seen you said that (quote) "Mexico's reality can easily shatter HQ systems." That “Local Execution Gaps are rarely technical. They are rather "soft". With "hard" P&L impact.” What do you mean by that? And: is that a root cause for the execution gaps you previously mentioned?
• Based on your conversations with operations and P&L leaders at all levels, what should companies be doing differently right now? What's actually working?