Why AI Should Support Leaders, Not Replace Them

How should leaders use AI without losing trust, judgment, and human connection? In this short bonus episode of the Leadership in Manufacturing Podcast, host Sannah Vinding speaks with Kaitlyn Tredaway, COO at CalcuQuote, about where artificial intelligence truly adds value and where human leadership must remain in charge.

This focused conversation explores why AI is best used for efficiency, scale, and repetitive work, while people remain essential for decision making, negotiations, crisis management, and customer relationships. Sannah and Kaitlyn discuss the real risks of over automating leadership and why trust cannot be outsourced to technology.

This episode is for leaders in electronics, manufacturing, and supply chain who want to adopt AI thoughtfully, protect relationships, and lead with clarity in an increasingly automated world.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why AI should support leaders instead of replacing them
• Where human judgment still matters most in leadership
• How automation can improve efficiency without damaging trust
• Why customer relationships require real human connection
• How people first leadership works in an AI driven workplace

About the guest:

Kaitlyn Tredaway is the COO of CalcuQuote, where she leads operations, strategy, and customer success for software serving the electronics manufacturing industry. Since joining in 2016, she has helped scale the company from a small startup to a global organization. Kaitlyn is known for transparent communication, strong customer focus, and practical use of AI that supports teams without sacrificing culture.

Hosted by:

Sannah Vinding is an engineer, B2B marketing strategist, leadership educator, and host of the Leadership in Manufacturing Podcast. She helps leaders across the electronics industry build people first cultures, communicate clearly, and lead with confidence as technology continues to evolve.

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