TI Fluid Systems is doubling down on its diversity, equity and inclusion programs, even as other companies scale back their efforts — and as the British parts supplier prepares for an acquisition by Canadian parts maker ABC Technologies this year.
TI Fluid Systems in recent years launched a host of programs aimed at boosting DE&I at the company, including training programs for executives and leaders, and the establishment of women’s empowerment networks and diversity councils in each region.
The maker of fluid delivery and storage systems has around 25,000 employees worldwide. The company says DE&I efforts help it find and retain as many talented workers as possible amid the transition to electric vehicle production.
“For us, it’s just good business to make sure that we’re casting the net as widely as possible and we’re tapping into the entire talent market,” said Renee McLeod, chief human resources officer for TI Fluid Systems.
The supplier’s array of DE&I initiatives includes a program for its top 300 leaders and executives. Over the course of a year, each leader has received feedback on ways to reduce biases. The program has been well-received and an “eye-opening” experience for many executives, McLeod said.
“We do a lot of work to try to help people understand bias and try to mitigate some of that, because it’s a natural human tendency,” she said.
Below the leadership level, TI Fluid Systems has created regional DE&I councils, each with subcommittees focused on topics including training, talent retention and communication, according to its most recent sustainability report. The councils, which cater to different needs and goals in each region, meet every four weeks to report on progress and share ideas and resources, the company said.
The supplier also works to make the job applicant résumés it receives anonymous wherever possible in order to avoid drawing from the same pool of candidates repeatedly.
“We try to keep things pretty fair and consistent, which requires some discipline in the way that you vet candidates,” McLeod said.
TI Fluid Systems also established women’s empowerment networks, which are voluntary employee-initiated groups of people “who gather socially and share ideas and similar interests outside normal work groups,” the company said. They’re an example of DE&I initiatives led by employees, as opposed to those mandated by executive leadership. Employee-led groups tend to be more successful, McLeod said.
“Sometimes the top-down approach gets pretty watered down as it trickles through the organization,” she added.
As a publicly traded company listed on the London Stock Exchange, TI Fluid Systems is subject to various diversity and inclusion reporting requirements under U.K. regulations. But its commitment to DE&I goes deeper than simply meeting those requirements, McLeod said.
“Rather than having DE&I as a stand-alone element sort of sitting on top of the business, we really work to weave it into all of our people and talent practices,” she said.
TI Fluid Systems’ commitment to DE&I initiatives comes as some companies, particularly in the U.S., pull back on theirs. Ford and Toyota are among auto companies who said last year they would make modifications to their DE&I programs amid broader political and cultural backlash.
“We believe that inclusion is the appropriate path to ensuring we have the best talent in the organization,” McLeod said.
TI Fluid Systems ranks No. 65 on the Automotive News list of the top 100 global suppliers with worldwide sales to automakers of $3.84 billion in 2023. An acquisition of the company by interior parts maker ABC Technologies is expected to close in the first half of 2025.