Automotive Supply Industry at the Heart of Transformation: “No matter how advanced technology becomes, transformation cannot be complete without understanding people.”

Hosted by the Automotive Suppliers Association of Turkey (TAYSAD), the 8th Talent Management Conference was held this year under the theme “Staying Truly Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.”
The conference addressed a wide range of critical topics — from the evolution of leadership to the age of artificial intelligence, from the cornerstones of organizational resilience to the new forms of belonging in institutions.
In her opening remarks, TAYSAD Board Member Nihan Sekirden Baraş stated:
“We have not yet fully let go of our old ways of doing business, nor have we completely integrated new business models into our lives. In short, we are right in the middle of transformation. The global automotive industry stands at the center of this change. Electrification, autonomous driving, connected vehicles, AI-assisted production, and decision-making mechanisms are reshaping the way we work from top to bottom. This transformation is not only technological but also marks a period where being human, leadership, and corporate culture are being redefined. In the age of AI, talent management is no longer limited to efficiency or technical skills. A sense of belonging, ethical awareness, empathy, meaning, and psychological resilience have become the new strategic priorities of the business world. More than 30% of employees in Europe’s automotive supply chain will need to be redeployed or reskilled by 2030. All these indicators show us that no matter how much technology evolves, transformation cannot be complete without understanding people.”
 
“We Haven’t Let Go of the Old, Yet We Haven’t Fully Embraced the New”
Commenting on this year’s theme, Nihan Sekirden Baraş noted that it reflects the current state of the times vividly:
“Our main theme this year is ‘Staying Truly Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: It’s Not Over, It Hasn’t Yet Begun, We’re Right in the Middle.’ We haven’t fully left behind the old ways, nor have we fully integrated the new ones. We are in between — in the midst of transformation.”
She emphasized that the global automotive industry is at the core of this shift:
“Electrification, autonomous driving, connected vehicles, and AI-driven production and decision systems are reshaping every aspect of work. This transformation is not merely technological but also represents a redefinition of humanity, leadership, and corporate culture. In the age of AI, talent management is no longer about efficiency or technical ability alone. Belonging, ethical awareness, empathy, meaning, and psychological resilience are the new strategic imperatives of business. Coming together today is not just about sharing knowledge — it’s about building a shared vision for a human-centered transformation.”
Supporting her remarks with sectoral data, Baraş added:
“According to TÜİK data, the labor force participation rate of women in Türkiye is 30.3%, compared to 67.2% for men. Among young people aged 15–34, 27% are neither in education nor employment — 2.5 times the EU average. In vocational education, only 30% of graduates in Türkiye work in their field of study, compared to 76% in the EU. By 2030, more than 30% of employees in Europe’s automotive supply chain will need to be redeployed or reskilled. All these figures show that no matter how advanced technology becomes, transformation cannot be complete without understanding people.
Perhaps we cannot reverse these statistics today. But if each of us takes even one insight from today’s discussions and turns it into action, we can collectively wake up to a stronger future tomorrow.
Because in this new era, being human is not just an emotional matter — it is a strategic necessity.
Our goal is not to compete with AI, but to elevate humanity alongside it — to manage the transformation in the mobility sector effectively, and to make our industry more competitive and sustainable.”
 
Industry Leaders Shared Insights on Key Topics
The conference, which attracted great interest from TAYSAD members and industry representatives, continued with Idil Türkmenoğlu, Lecturer, Independent Board Member, and Author, delivering a presentation titled “New Forms of Belonging: Meaning, Sincerity, and Digital Interfaces.”
This was followed by Nursel Ateş Ölmez, Group President of People, Communication, and Sustainability at Borusan Holding, who spoke on “Leadership in Transition – How Do We Evolve from the Old to the New?”
Next, Melike Aydın, Co-founder of Upschool, delivered her talk “The AI Revolution, The Evolution of Talent.”
Bahar Taşkın Öztürk, Founder of INAN Association and CGO of Twiser, followed with “Why Culture Will Matter More Than Ever in the Future of Work.”
The morning session concluded with Selim Tosun, Human Resources Manager at GKN Automotive, who presented a best practice case from the industry.
The second half of the conference opened with Emre Başkan, Founder of Azor Brand & People Solutions, and his presentation “Icnometric Intelligence: White-Collar Psychological Safety, Hope Levels, and Approaches to Artificial Intelligence.”
The event continued with Attorney Özlem Kurt, Managing Partner at Kurt Gürler Partners, who addressed “The Legal Responsibility of Automated Decisions.”
Following her, Prof. Dr. Altan Çakır, Co-President of AITR, presented “Bias in Codes: Are Ethical Algorithms Possible?”
The conference concluded with a panel discussion titled “Staying Human, Staying a Leader: What Lies at the Heart of Organizational Resilience?” featuring Alperen Adikti, Co-Founder & CEO of Heltia, and Cenk Akıncılar, Deputy General Manager of Human Resources at QNB Türkiye.