Jessica Wasmuth
Leadership-in-Action Award NomineeNominated for: Championing Technology Innovation - Leadership-in-Action
Title: Senior Safety Specialist & HSE Systems Administrator
Company: Cooper Standard
Years in Profession: 20
Nominator: Sara Busche, Senior PMM; HSI - Customer
Title: Senior Safety Specialist & HSE Systems Administrator
Company: Cooper Standard
Years in Profession: 20
Nominator: Sara Busche, Senior PMM; HSI - Customer
Please describe the professional experience of the Nominee, including current and previous EHS or Sustainability management positions, time in the EHS&S work area, and a summary of key accomplishments for EHS&S. (500 word max.)*
Jessica has dedicated nearly 20 years to advancing occupational health and safety, building a career defined by continuous improvement, operational excellence, and a passion for creating safer workplaces. Since beginning her EHS career in 2007 after earning an Associate's Degree in Occupational Health and Safety, she has steadily progressed through roles of increasing responsibility, including Site Safety Specialist, Regional Health & Safety Manager, Workers' Compensation Manager, and her current position as Health & Safety Specialist at Cooper Standard. She is also a Certified Workers' Compensation Professional (CWCP), demonstrating her commitment to integrating workplace safety with effective injury management and return-to-work practices.
Today, Jessica plays a critical leadership role in shaping Cooper Standard's safety strategy across the company's 24 manufacturing facilities in the United States while supporting a global EHS program that spans more than 20 countries and approximately 22,000 employees. In this role, she is responsible for driving standardized EHS processes, strengthening incident and corrective action management, improving reporting and analytics, increasing employee engagement, and fostering a proactive safety culture across a complex manufacturing environment.
Jessica's career has been distinguished by her ability to connect enterprise strategy with frontline operations. Having worked extensively at the plant level before moving into corporate leadership, she understands firsthand the challenges safety professionals and employees face every day. This practical experience enables her to design and implement solutions that are not only strategically aligned but also intuitive, efficient, and embraced by the people responsible for executing them. Her credibility with both frontline teams and executive leadership has made her an effective advocate for change and a trusted leader throughout the organization.
One of Jessica's most significant accomplishments has been leading Cooper Standard's transition from a legacy internally developed EHS system to a modern, globally standardized platform. Recognizing that technology alone would not improve performance, she focused on creating consistent processes, improving data quality, increasing visibility into safety performance, and encouraging greater employee participation. Her leadership helped transform fragmented reporting into a unified system that provides actionable insights, supports informed decision-making, and enables leadership to proactively identify and address emerging risks across multiple regions.
Beyond implementing systems and processes, Jessica has consistently focused on building a culture where safety is viewed as a shared responsibility. Through collaboration, relationship building, and active engagement with employees at every level, she has helped shift the organization's approach from reactive incident management to proactive risk prevention. Her work has empowered employees to actively identify hazards, participate in safety initiatives, and contribute to continuous improvement efforts.
Jessica is widely recognized for her hands-on leadership style, strategic vision, and unwavering commitment to protecting people. Her ability to combine technical expertise, operational experience, and collaborative leadership has resulted in stronger safety performance, greater organizational alignment, and a sustainable foundation for continuous improvement across Cooper Standard's global operations. Her career reflects not only professional excellence, but a lasting commitment to advancing the EHS profession and creating meaningful, measurable impact.
Today, Jessica plays a critical leadership role in shaping Cooper Standard's safety strategy across the company's 24 manufacturing facilities in the United States while supporting a global EHS program that spans more than 20 countries and approximately 22,000 employees. In this role, she is responsible for driving standardized EHS processes, strengthening incident and corrective action management, improving reporting and analytics, increasing employee engagement, and fostering a proactive safety culture across a complex manufacturing environment.
Jessica's career has been distinguished by her ability to connect enterprise strategy with frontline operations. Having worked extensively at the plant level before moving into corporate leadership, she understands firsthand the challenges safety professionals and employees face every day. This practical experience enables her to design and implement solutions that are not only strategically aligned but also intuitive, efficient, and embraced by the people responsible for executing them. Her credibility with both frontline teams and executive leadership has made her an effective advocate for change and a trusted leader throughout the organization.
One of Jessica's most significant accomplishments has been leading Cooper Standard's transition from a legacy internally developed EHS system to a modern, globally standardized platform. Recognizing that technology alone would not improve performance, she focused on creating consistent processes, improving data quality, increasing visibility into safety performance, and encouraging greater employee participation. Her leadership helped transform fragmented reporting into a unified system that provides actionable insights, supports informed decision-making, and enables leadership to proactively identify and address emerging risks across multiple regions.
Beyond implementing systems and processes, Jessica has consistently focused on building a culture where safety is viewed as a shared responsibility. Through collaboration, relationship building, and active engagement with employees at every level, she has helped shift the organization's approach from reactive incident management to proactive risk prevention. Her work has empowered employees to actively identify hazards, participate in safety initiatives, and contribute to continuous improvement efforts.
Jessica is widely recognized for her hands-on leadership style, strategic vision, and unwavering commitment to protecting people. Her ability to combine technical expertise, operational experience, and collaborative leadership has resulted in stronger safety performance, greater organizational alignment, and a sustainable foundation for continuous improvement across Cooper Standard's global operations. Her career reflects not only professional excellence, but a lasting commitment to advancing the EHS profession and creating meaningful, measurable impact.
Describe the challenge and business objectives of the EHS&S initiative for which the Nominee is being considered. Include the importance, relevance, scope, and scale of the effort. (500 word max.)*
Cooper Standard is a global automotive supplier with approximately 22,000 employees operating across 20 countries, with manufacturing facilities throughout North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Mexico, and South America. Managing EHS across such a diverse organization presented a significant challenge. Each manufacturing facility varied in size, processes, and operational risks, from extrusion and molding operations to fluid handling, with employee populations ranging from approximately 75 to more than 500 people. Ensuring a consistent approach to safety across this global footprint required more than technology; it required a transformation in how safety was managed, measured, and embraced across the organization.
When Jessica Wasmuth joined Cooper Standard's Global Health & Safety team, the company relied on internally developed EHS systems that were no longer supported by IT and lacked the flexibility needed to support a modern global safety program. Reporting was inconsistent across facilities, the system was difficult for employees to use, and leadership lacked the visibility needed to identify enterprise-wide trends and proactively manage risk. Safety data existed, but it was fragmented, limiting the organization's ability to make informed decisions and drive continuous improvement.
Drawing on her experience as a former plant-level EHS leader, Jessica understood that replacing technology alone would not solve these challenges. The initiative centered on building a stronger, more proactive safety culture while creating a standardized foundation that every facility could adopt.
The primary business objectives were to: Standardize EHS processes globally to ensure consistent reporting, incident management, and corrective action workflows across all facilities.
Increase visibility into safety performance through centralized dashboards, enterprise reporting, and standardized KPIs that enabled leadership to identify trends and emerging risks.
Improve data quality and reporting accuracy by consolidating safety information into one global system with multilingual capabilities.
Shift from reactive to proactive safety management by enabling leaders to identify patterns, target preventative initiatives, and address risks before incidents occurred.
Increase employee engagement by implementing a more intuitive, mobile-enabled experience that made it easier for employees to report hazards, complete inspections, and participate in safety initiatives.
Build a scalable foundation for continuous improvement that could evolve with Cooper Standard's global operations and future business needs.
The scope of the initiative extended across approximately 22,000 employees and manufacturing operations in 20 countries, making it one of the company's most significant EHS transformation efforts. Jessica's vision extended well beyond implementing a new EHS platform. She focused on creating a sustainable framework that connected people, processes, and technology to improve decision-making, strengthen accountability, and embed proactive safety practices throughout the organization. The result was a unified global approach to EHS that positioned Cooper Standard to continually improve safety performance while strengthening its safety culture worldwide.
When Jessica Wasmuth joined Cooper Standard's Global Health & Safety team, the company relied on internally developed EHS systems that were no longer supported by IT and lacked the flexibility needed to support a modern global safety program. Reporting was inconsistent across facilities, the system was difficult for employees to use, and leadership lacked the visibility needed to identify enterprise-wide trends and proactively manage risk. Safety data existed, but it was fragmented, limiting the organization's ability to make informed decisions and drive continuous improvement.
Drawing on her experience as a former plant-level EHS leader, Jessica understood that replacing technology alone would not solve these challenges. The initiative centered on building a stronger, more proactive safety culture while creating a standardized foundation that every facility could adopt.
The primary business objectives were to: Standardize EHS processes globally to ensure consistent reporting, incident management, and corrective action workflows across all facilities.
Increase visibility into safety performance through centralized dashboards, enterprise reporting, and standardized KPIs that enabled leadership to identify trends and emerging risks.
Improve data quality and reporting accuracy by consolidating safety information into one global system with multilingual capabilities.
Shift from reactive to proactive safety management by enabling leaders to identify patterns, target preventative initiatives, and address risks before incidents occurred.
Increase employee engagement by implementing a more intuitive, mobile-enabled experience that made it easier for employees to report hazards, complete inspections, and participate in safety initiatives.
Build a scalable foundation for continuous improvement that could evolve with Cooper Standard's global operations and future business needs.
The scope of the initiative extended across approximately 22,000 employees and manufacturing operations in 20 countries, making it one of the company's most significant EHS transformation efforts. Jessica's vision extended well beyond implementing a new EHS platform. She focused on creating a sustainable framework that connected people, processes, and technology to improve decision-making, strengthen accountability, and embed proactive safety practices throughout the organization. The result was a unified global approach to EHS that positioned Cooper Standard to continually improve safety performance while strengthening its safety culture worldwide.
Define the outcome of the initiative and what metrics or key performance indicators were used to define success. Provide the metrics / KPIs for before and after the initiative was completed. (500 word max.)*
Jessica's initiative delivered measurable improvements in safety performance, employee engagement, and operational visibility while establishing a standardized global EHS program that supports continuous improvement across Cooper Standard. Rather than measuring success solely by system implementation, Jessica defined success through business outcomes that demonstrated improvements in both leading and lagging safety indicators.
The implementation went live in September 2024, making 2025 the first full year of operation. Success was measured using key performance indicators that reflected safety performance, employee participation, and operational effectiveness.
Safety Performance
One of the most significant outcomes was the continued improvement in Cooper Standard's Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR).
Jessica also helped improve workers' compensation performance through standardized incident management, investigations, and corrective action processes. As a result, compensation claims have declined, claims are being managed more effectively, and overall claim severity has decreased.
Employee Engagement
Recognizing that a strong safety culture depends on active employee participation, Jessica integrated Cooper Standard's safety engagement program into the organization's checklist module, replacing a separate engagement process with a more streamlined and mobile-friendly experience.
The results have been significant:
Operational Visibility
Jessica also transformed how safety performance is monitored and managed across Cooper Standard. Standardized dashboards now provide leadership with real-time visibility into incidents, corrective actions, inspections, employee engagement, and safety trends across global operations. By integrating work hours and standardizing reporting, leaders can monitor performance consistently, identify emerging risks sooner, and make more informed, data-driven decisions.
While the measurable improvements in TRIR, workers' compensation, and employee engagement demonstrate the success of the initiative, Jessica considers the most meaningful outcome to be the cultural shift it enabled. Employees are more engaged in identifying hazards and preventing incidents, leaders have greater confidence in their safety data, and Cooper Standard has established a proactive, standardized EHS program capable of supporting continuous improvement across its global operations.
The implementation went live in September 2024, making 2025 the first full year of operation. Success was measured using key performance indicators that reflected safety performance, employee participation, and operational effectiveness.
Safety Performance
One of the most significant outcomes was the continued improvement in Cooper Standard's Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR).
- 2023 (Pre-implementation): 0.32
- 2024 (Implementation year): 0.30
- 2025 (First full year): 0.24
Jessica also helped improve workers' compensation performance through standardized incident management, investigations, and corrective action processes. As a result, compensation claims have declined, claims are being managed more effectively, and overall claim severity has decreased.
Employee Engagement
Recognizing that a strong safety culture depends on active employee participation, Jessica integrated Cooper Standard's safety engagement program into the organization's checklist module, replacing a separate engagement process with a more streamlined and mobile-friendly experience.
The results have been significant:
- 79.5% increase in employee safety engagement during 2025
- More than 7,000 digital safety checklists completed in 2026
- Projected to exceed 13,000 completed checklists by the end of 2026
Operational Visibility
Jessica also transformed how safety performance is monitored and managed across Cooper Standard. Standardized dashboards now provide leadership with real-time visibility into incidents, corrective actions, inspections, employee engagement, and safety trends across global operations. By integrating work hours and standardizing reporting, leaders can monitor performance consistently, identify emerging risks sooner, and make more informed, data-driven decisions.
While the measurable improvements in TRIR, workers' compensation, and employee engagement demonstrate the success of the initiative, Jessica considers the most meaningful outcome to be the cultural shift it enabled. Employees are more engaged in identifying hazards and preventing incidents, leaders have greater confidence in their safety data, and Cooper Standard has established a proactive, standardized EHS program capable of supporting continuous improvement across its global operations.
Define the Nominee’s role for the completion of the initiative and detail their management best practices, innovations, or activities that supported the successful implementation of the initiative. (500 word max.)*
Jessica Wasmuth served as one of the key leaders responsible for driving Cooper Standard's global EHS transformation from planning and business justification through implementation and continuous improvement. Her role extended far beyond deploying a new system. She helped establish a standardized global approach to EHS that aligned technology, processes, and people to strengthen safety performance across the organization.
Jessica played a critical role in securing leadership support for the initiative by building a compelling business case for change. She helped demonstrate why the organization's existing EHS systems could no longer support Cooper Standard's long-term objectives and clearly communicated how a modern, configurable platform would improve reporting, increase visibility, and create opportunities for proactive risk management. Gaining executive buy-in was a critical milestone that enabled the initiative to move forward.
One of Jessica's greatest contributions was her unique perspective as a former plant-level EHS leader. Having used the previous system daily, she understood exactly where employees experienced challenges and where existing processes created unnecessary complexity. She used this firsthand knowledge to ensure the new solution addressed real operational needs rather than simply replacing existing technology.
Jessica's leadership focused on several key best practices:
Employee-centered design
Jessica ensured the system reflected how employees actually worked by creating configurable incident investigations, checklists, and reporting processes that captured the information Cooper Standard needed while remaining intuitive for end users.
Standardization with flexibility
She helped establish standardized global EHS processes while maintaining enough flexibility to support the unique operational requirements of manufacturing facilities across multiple regions and business units.
Data-driven decision making
Jessica championed dashboards, standardized reporting, and meaningful KPIs that gave leaders better visibility into trends, corrective actions, and emerging risks. This enabled sites to identify opportunities for prevention rather than reacting after incidents occurred.
Continuous improvement
Rather than viewing implementation as the end of the project, Jessica established a culture of ongoing optimization. She continues to work with internal stakeholders to refine workflows, improve reporting capabilities, and expand business intelligence integrations that will further strengthen Cooper Standard's safety program.
Jessica also recognized that successful implementation depended on employee adoption. She worked closely with site teams to build trust, gather feedback, and demonstrate how standardized processes would simplify work rather than create additional administrative burden. Her collaborative approach helped build confidence in the new system while increasing engagement across the organization.
By combining operational experience, strategic thinking, and effective change management, Jessica successfully led an initiative that standardized EHS processes across a global organization, improved safety visibility, strengthened employee engagement, and established a scalable foundation for continuous improvement. Her leadership ensured the initiative delivered lasting business value while advancing Cooper Standard's vision of a proactive, data-driven safety culture.
Jessica played a critical role in securing leadership support for the initiative by building a compelling business case for change. She helped demonstrate why the organization's existing EHS systems could no longer support Cooper Standard's long-term objectives and clearly communicated how a modern, configurable platform would improve reporting, increase visibility, and create opportunities for proactive risk management. Gaining executive buy-in was a critical milestone that enabled the initiative to move forward.
One of Jessica's greatest contributions was her unique perspective as a former plant-level EHS leader. Having used the previous system daily, she understood exactly where employees experienced challenges and where existing processes created unnecessary complexity. She used this firsthand knowledge to ensure the new solution addressed real operational needs rather than simply replacing existing technology.
Jessica's leadership focused on several key best practices:
Employee-centered design
Jessica ensured the system reflected how employees actually worked by creating configurable incident investigations, checklists, and reporting processes that captured the information Cooper Standard needed while remaining intuitive for end users.
Standardization with flexibility
She helped establish standardized global EHS processes while maintaining enough flexibility to support the unique operational requirements of manufacturing facilities across multiple regions and business units.
Data-driven decision making
Jessica championed dashboards, standardized reporting, and meaningful KPIs that gave leaders better visibility into trends, corrective actions, and emerging risks. This enabled sites to identify opportunities for prevention rather than reacting after incidents occurred.
Continuous improvement
Rather than viewing implementation as the end of the project, Jessica established a culture of ongoing optimization. She continues to work with internal stakeholders to refine workflows, improve reporting capabilities, and expand business intelligence integrations that will further strengthen Cooper Standard's safety program.
Jessica also recognized that successful implementation depended on employee adoption. She worked closely with site teams to build trust, gather feedback, and demonstrate how standardized processes would simplify work rather than create additional administrative burden. Her collaborative approach helped build confidence in the new system while increasing engagement across the organization.
By combining operational experience, strategic thinking, and effective change management, Jessica successfully led an initiative that standardized EHS processes across a global organization, improved safety visibility, strengthened employee engagement, and established a scalable foundation for continuous improvement. Her leadership ensured the initiative delivered lasting business value while advancing Cooper Standard's vision of a proactive, data-driven safety culture.
Describe the Nominee’s leadership style and provide examples of their commitment to the team. (500 word max.)*
Jessica Wasmuth leads with a people-first philosophy built on trust, collaboration, and visibility. She believes that strong safety cultures are not created through policies alone, but through relationships with employees and a genuine commitment to helping people succeed. Her leadership style is hands-on, approachable, and grounded in the belief that safety professionals must be visible, engaged, and willing to work alongside the teams they support.
Rather than leading from behind a desk, Jessica spends time on the manufacturing floor, listening to employees, understanding operational challenges, and working directly with teams to resolve issues. She believes employees are more likely to participate in safety initiatives when they know their concerns are heard and acted upon. This visibility has helped her build credibility across the organization and create an environment where employees feel comfortable identifying hazards, reporting concerns, and contributing ideas for improvement.
Jessica also recognizes that leadership is about developing others. While she is willing to step in and solve problems when needed, she intentionally delegates responsibility to help build confident, capable safety leaders throughout the organization. By empowering others to take ownership of safety initiatives, she has strengthened accountability and reinforced the idea that workplace safety is everyone's responsibility, not just the responsibility of the EHS team.
Her commitment to continuous improvement is reflected in the safety engagement program she helped implement. Rather than relying solely on incident reporting, Jessica expanded employee participation by introducing behavior observations, hazard identification checklists, inspections, and corrective action tracking. Employees can report both safe and unsafe observations, assign corrective actions immediately, and monitor progress through dashboards that provide visibility into completion and accountability. This approach shifted the organization's focus from simply measuring incidents to actively identifying and reducing risk before injuries occur.
Jessica also uses data as a coaching tool rather than a compliance tool. By monitoring leading indicators such as observations, near misses, inspections, and corrective actions alongside traditional lagging indicators, she helps sites identify trends, prioritize improvement opportunities, and make informed decisions. This balanced approach has encouraged greater employee engagement while giving leaders a more complete understanding of workplace conditions and safety performance.
What distinguishes Jessica's leadership is her ability to combine operational expertise with genuine care for people. She builds trust by being present, listening first, and following through on commitments. Employees know their concerns will be addressed, leaders rely on her practical guidance, and teams are empowered to take ownership of safety every day. Through her authentic leadership, Jessica has helped foster a proactive safety culture where continuous improvement, accountability, and employee engagement are embedded throughout Cooper Standard's operations.
Rather than leading from behind a desk, Jessica spends time on the manufacturing floor, listening to employees, understanding operational challenges, and working directly with teams to resolve issues. She believes employees are more likely to participate in safety initiatives when they know their concerns are heard and acted upon. This visibility has helped her build credibility across the organization and create an environment where employees feel comfortable identifying hazards, reporting concerns, and contributing ideas for improvement.
Jessica also recognizes that leadership is about developing others. While she is willing to step in and solve problems when needed, she intentionally delegates responsibility to help build confident, capable safety leaders throughout the organization. By empowering others to take ownership of safety initiatives, she has strengthened accountability and reinforced the idea that workplace safety is everyone's responsibility, not just the responsibility of the EHS team.
Her commitment to continuous improvement is reflected in the safety engagement program she helped implement. Rather than relying solely on incident reporting, Jessica expanded employee participation by introducing behavior observations, hazard identification checklists, inspections, and corrective action tracking. Employees can report both safe and unsafe observations, assign corrective actions immediately, and monitor progress through dashboards that provide visibility into completion and accountability. This approach shifted the organization's focus from simply measuring incidents to actively identifying and reducing risk before injuries occur.
Jessica also uses data as a coaching tool rather than a compliance tool. By monitoring leading indicators such as observations, near misses, inspections, and corrective actions alongside traditional lagging indicators, she helps sites identify trends, prioritize improvement opportunities, and make informed decisions. This balanced approach has encouraged greater employee engagement while giving leaders a more complete understanding of workplace conditions and safety performance.
What distinguishes Jessica's leadership is her ability to combine operational expertise with genuine care for people. She builds trust by being present, listening first, and following through on commitments. Employees know their concerns will be addressed, leaders rely on her practical guidance, and teams are empowered to take ownership of safety every day. Through her authentic leadership, Jessica has helped foster a proactive safety culture where continuous improvement, accountability, and employee engagement are embedded throughout Cooper Standard's operations.
third-party letter of recommendation
Biography
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