Jim Comer
Jim Comer has over three decades in key leadership roles with several Fortune 500 companies. He is the founder and sole owner of Comer Holdings, LLC, headquartered in Southfield, Michigan. He recently divested his majority ownership of two joint venture companies with Lear Corporation, Integrated Manufacturing and Assembly, LLC, and Greenfield Holdings, LLC.
Prior to establishing Comer Holdings, Jim was President of North American Joint Ventures and Diversity at Lear Corporation. In this position, he was responsible for supporting the growth and development of Lear’s minority joint ventures and supplier diversity activities in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. In addition, he also oversaw the company’s diversity- and inclusion-related initiatives for employees, as well as Lear’s support to the community.
Jim joined Lear Corporation as Director of Quality in 1987. In 2001, he assumed the position of VP of Global Quality. During his career at Lear, he held several key management positions including VP of the Components Division and VP of Manufacturing where he used his extensive experience with Lear in production launches and quality management. He gained solid international experience on extended assignments in various European and South American countries in these positions.
Before joining Lear Corporation, Jim worked as Quality Manager at the Mazda Corporation. He rose from the hourly ranks to hold several quality and manufacturing positions including Superintendent of Quality/Inspection for General Motors.
He has held membership on various local, state, and community boards, such as Sinai-Grace Hospital, Bing Youth Institute, Arts League of Michigan, and Michigan Minority Supplier Development Council, and was chairman of the board for VIP Mentoring. In addition, he’s worked with various other charitable organizations including the Autism Alliance of Michigan, the Virgil H. Carr Society for leadership giving, and the Alexis de Tocqueville Society for United Way.
In 2003, Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm, appointed Jim to the position of Commissioner on the Michigan Community Services Commission. He was honored in 2005 by President George W. Bush with the President’s Volunteer Service Award during the President’s visit to Detroit. At the 2017 National Minority Supplier Diversity Council annual conference in Detroit, he received the organization’s first “Unsung Hero Award,” given to individuals who go above and beyond to give back, support their communities and mentor others to become their own success stories. The National Business League (formerly the Michigan Black Chamber of Commerce, Inc.), and its Board of Directors honored him with the 2018 Sankofa Lifetime Achievement Award.
Jim holds a bachelor’s degree from Wayne State University and is a United States Air Force veteran.