Adient’s Suzanne Yesta: ‘AIAG Volunteering Has Made Me a Better Resource for My Company’
Suzanne Yesta is a licensed customs broker with over 25 years of experience in customs and international trade compliance roles — and an active member of AIAG. She has held positions with freight companies and customs consulting firms as well as operational and managerial roles with global automotive companies, including Yazaki North America and Freudenberg North America.
In 2015, she joined Adient US LLC, a global leader in automotive seating. As a customs manager in Adient’s Global Customs & Trade Compliance, Yesta leads the company’s global export controls team, which supports cross-border operations and trade compliance for the organization. In this role, she works closely with her regional and local colleagues to establish process and procedures for trade sanctions and export control activities. Her hands-on experience spans all vital trade areas: tariff classification, valuation, origin, trade programs, supply chain security programs, antidumping/countervailing duties, customs broker management, export controls, sanctions and embargoes.
Yesta is the current co-chair of the Automotive Industry Action Group Export Compliance Advisory Group and serves as an elected board member. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree, with a concentration in international relations, from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
AIAG: How did you get involved with AIAG’s supply chain team?
Yesta: Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to work for companies that have been AIAG members. I attend the AIAG Customs Town Hall every year and have been involved in AIAG’s Customs (now Supply Chain Security) and Export Compliance Advisory groups.
AIAG: What have been some of your favorite AIAG activities and initiatives over the years?
Yesta: The annual AIAG Customs Town Hall (CTH) coming up on November 4th is a must-attend event for those wanting to learn about current import/export issues. I like that it covers relevant trade topics with speakers from government, automotive, legal, and the broader trade community. Also, for me, the CTH has always been like a customs family reunion where I catch up with former colleagues and friends in the industry year after year.
Being the current co-chair for the Export Compliance Advisory Committee has been a highlight of my involvement with AIAG. It’s been rewarding to work alongside such professional and supportive individuals. It’s a pleasure to bring valuable topics and speakers to our meetings.
AIAG: How has volunteering for AIAG impacted you personally and professionally? How has it impacted your company?
Yesta: AIAG’s Export Compliance Advisory Committee has been a fabulous resource for me to keep up to date on ever-changing laws in the export controls and sanctions space. This committee provides a common message to better understand export compliance regulations while allowing the member organizations to share best practices in a collaborative environment.
Volunteering has helped me understand more about the automotive industry and hurdles we all face in the export compliance space, along with different ways to tackle those topics. This involvement translates in making me a better resource to my company.
AIAG: What advice do you have for someone who is considering getting more involved at AIAG?
Yesta: It is an outstanding group of welcoming professionals, which includes the members and the knowledgeable AAIG staff members. None of the groups that I have worked with have been intimidating.
Whether you are just starting out in your career or are a seasoned expert in your responsible area, participating in an AIAG work group will only provide value. The members really shape the work group agendas and outputs. It’s a great place to network and bounce ideas off one another.
I would recommend that members check out the various work groups and join one in your area of interest. You will enjoy participating while enriching your work products through collaboration with others in the work group.
Find out more about how to get involved in AIAG.
