Monica Anderton, CHRO at DS Smith

Episode notes

Solving the Manufacturing Talent Gap: DS Smith’s CHRO on Engagement, Integration, and AI that Pays Summary Struggling to recruit and retain frontline talent while driving transformation? Monica Anderton, CHRO at DS Smith North America—and a recognized top CHRO voice in manufacturing—shares how her team stabilized a complex post-acquisition landscape and built a “sticky” culture in a tough labor market. Monica walks through DS Smith’s North America journey—from consolidating plants and launching a highly automated greenfield site in Lebanon, Indiana, to importing the company’s sustainability DNA (“redefining packaging for a changing world”). She breaks down Project Engage, a data-driven turnaround that moved poor survey scores by treating engagement like any other operations initiative: executive sponsorship, site-level ownership, transparent communications, targeted training for frontline leaders, and rigorous measurement.