Maintaining a safe environment for employees is a priority for Navistar’s general counsel
His early career as a private practice corporate securities lawyer handling complex corporate transactions and cross-border M&A work enabled Robert Soccio to make a smooth transition to an in-house role in 2007. He worked in-house at ArcelorMittal and SNC Lavalin Power Group before landing at Navistar Inc. in 2013 – a manufacturer of commercial trucks, busses, defence vehicles and proprietary engines.
As general counsel, corporate secretary, compliance officer, director of HR, and privacy officer for the Canadian operations, Soccio draws on his private practice experience to help him navigate the many different aspects of the business in which he is involved. Soccio is also a member of the Navistar Canada executive management team, and the point of contact for the parent company of the global corporation.
“Although it was exciting to work for international firms with big clients in a corporate setting, my personality and disposition were better suited to working for one company instead of many different companies,” says Soccio. “I really manage a lot of different people, not only in legal, but on the finance side, accounting, compliance, HR, and on the business side, so it takes experience to be effective in that sort of environment,” he says.
As the sole in-house lawyer at Navistar, Soccio is adept at collaborating and finding solutions to problems for colleagues in all areas of the business. Crisis management surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic has been a top priority for Soccio since March, so he has carefully monitored guidance and directives from various public health authorities and from the government. He was also responsible for drafting a COVID-19 policy and accompanying health and safety protocols for the company. Navistar operates across North America so monitoring and adhering to varying provincial safety directives as well as federal guidance and U.S. guidance was another challenge for Soccio.
“We do a lot of cross-border activity, importing and exporting parts, so keeping up with all the information guidelines in a very fluid situation is challenging,” he says.
As a manufacturer of commercial trucks, Navistar plays an important role in supply chain transportation, and as such, the company was considered an essential service throughout the pandemic, so many employees were unable to work remotely. Creating a safe environment to reduce the risk of an outbreak was a key responsibility for Soccio.
“We’re really essential for distribution and keeping the supply lines open so we adopted screening measures and created physical paths for safe traffic which included things like floor markings for directing traffic, and, of course, maintaining physical distancing,” says Soccio. Stringent cleaning procedures were also implemented, and the sharing of equipment and tools was limited as much as possible.
The pandemic crisis has given Soccio an opportunity to reflect on Navistar’s office policy, as corporate employees have been working from home since March, and communicating through online platforms. Having weighed up the advantages and challenges of remote work and office-based work, Soccio believes that the optimal model lies in a flexible combination of the two. He continues to monitor safety guidelines to determine when to introduce a gradual reopening of offices which will incorporate a staggered schedule for employees and a continuing option to work from home where possible.
Soccio’s goal for the months ahead is to continue his priority of maintaining safety in the working environment at Navistar.
“Nobody at Navistar contracted COVID-19 despite operating throughout the pandemic, so that’s a testament to all the employees and to good management, so our goal is to continue that success,” he says.
