HR & EHS Director · León, México

Ricardo
Ponce de León

HR & EHS Director | 15+ Years in Automotive Manufacturing

Transforming organizations through people strategy, union negotiation, and cultural change in world-class manufacturing environments.

Let's Connect View Experience
15+
Years of Experience
25%
Turnover Reduction
95%
Key Talent Retention
3×
GPTW Certified
About Me

I'm an HR & EHS Director with over 15 years leading people strategies in one of the most demanding environments in the world: automotive manufacturing.

Throughout my career at Nissan, Marelli, Calsonic Kansei and Kasai, I've led everything from union negotiations to post-merger integrations across Mexico and North America.

My approach: align people strategy with business goals, build cultures where talent chooses to stay, and turn HR into a measurable competitive advantage.

Union NegotiationOrg Transformation Talent StrategyEHS / Safety Post-Merger HRLabor Relations Executive AdvisoryChange Management
Location
León, Guanajuato · México
Industry Focus
Automotive · Manufacturing · Electronics
Languages
Spanish (Native) · English (Professional)
Education
Org. Development · Universidad Panamericana
Key Results

Numbers that speak

📉
25%
Turnover reduction through union negotiations and employee engagement initiatives
Kasai Mexicana · 2023–2025
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80%
Employee satisfaction score — up from 60% — driving productivity and retention
Kasai Mexicana · 2023–2025
🏆
95%
Key talent retention achieved during organizational transformation and restructuring
Calsonic Kansei · 2016–2019
📊
6.5%
Salaried turnover reduced from 15% — and hourly turnover from 20% to 6%
Calsonic Kansei · 2016–2019
🛡️
–60%
Workplace accidents reduced from 10 to 4 per year through safety protocol overhaul
Kasai Mexicana · 2023–2025
⭐
3×
Great Place to Work Certification — plus Global CEO Awards for CSR & People Motivation
Calsonic Kansei · 2017–2019
Career

Professional Journey

Jun 2023 – Jan 2026
HR / EHS Director
Kasai Mexicana · León, México
  • Spearheaded HR, EHS & Security strategy across the organization
  • Negotiated with unions reducing turnover 25% and boosting satisfaction from 60% to 80%
  • Revamped safety protocols cutting workplace accidents from 10 to 4 per year
Feb 2019 – May 2023
North America HRBP · Mexico HR Country Manager
Marelli Mexicana · Aguascalientes, México
  • Championed post-merger HR integration and workforce alignment across Mexico
  • Formulated HR, labor & compliance strategy for manufacturing and electronics sectors
  • Served as Legal Representative ensuring operational continuity during transformation
Feb 2016 – Mar 2019
Director of HR, Compliance & Public Relations
Calsonic Kansei · Aguascalientes, México
  • Decreased salaried turnover from 15% to 6.5% and hourly from 20% to 6%
  • Improved engagement survey by 13% and retained 95% of key talent
  • Achieved Great Place to Work Certification (2017–2019) and Global CEO Awards
Jan 2014 – Feb 2016
Deputy Director of HR & Public Relations
Nissan Mexicana · Aguascalientes, México
  • Developed HR & labor strategy for the Aguascalientes manufacturing plant
  • Reduced occupational accidents by 20%
  • Led union negotiations and government relations initiatives
Apr 2000 – Jan 2014
Senior Manager — HR, Talent, Safety & Labor Relations
Nissan Mexicana · Aguascalientes & Toluca, México
  • Facilitated workforce expansions of 1,000+ employees within accelerated timelines
  • Implemented SuccessFactors performance & talent management systems
  • Certified OHSAS 18001 safety systems; engineered university-government talent pipelines
Services

How I can help

01
HR Strategic Direction
Design and execution of HR strategies aligned with business goals — from talent acquisition to succession planning and organizational design.
02
Union & Labor Relations
Expert negotiation with unions in complex manufacturing environments. Conflict resolution, collective agreements, and labor compliance.
03
Organizational Transformation
Leading post-merger integrations, restructuring, and change management processes while preserving culture and key talent.
04
EHS & Safety Culture
Implementation of EHS programs, OHSAS 18001 certification, and building safety cultures that reduce incidents and protect people.
05
Executive HR Advisory
Direct advisory to CEOs and Boards on people strategy, organizational health, executive compensation, and talent risk management.
06
Culture & Engagement
Building high-performance cultures through engagement programs, Great Place to Work methodology, and leadership development.
Contact

Let's build something together

Whether you're looking for an HR Director, an advisor for a transformation process, or just want to exchange perspectives — I'd love to hear from you.

📧
📱
Phone
+52 449 352 2977
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📍
Location
León, Guanajuato · México