The automotive industry is becoming increasingly inclusive as the years progress. This is incredible to see and we feel honoured to have worked alongside some truly inspirational female leaders – and what better time to celebrate these women then on international women’s day?
Though it is impossible to highlight every strong female leader within automotive (as fortunately there are so many) read on below for some of our honourable mentions.
A rising star and incredibly talented individual is Madeline Cheah of Horiba Mira, who was the winner of the Drivers of Change Digital Award in 2020. An innovative thinker and digital expert, Madeline proved herself a worthy winner in last year’s competition and it is truly inspiring to see her success in the male dominated world of engineering. This year’s competition seeks to attract the same diverse and brilliant minds in the drive to increase talent and inclusivity within automotive.
Another incredible woman who deserves a special mention on International Women’s Day is UK Volkswagen’s UK HR Director, Penny Weatherup. Penny is a true champion of diversity and inclusion within automotive, through her forward thinking strategies and support of initiatives such as Drivers of Change competition. Penny also leads internal change within VW UK through strong, progressive leadership and wellbeing awareness.
Clare Wright, HR Director of Jardine Motors Group is also a champion of D&I through her inclusive HR strategy and continuous empowerment of women. Clare has been recognised for her HR prowess and forward thinking attitute within many prestigious industy awards over the years, such as being shortlisted for Retail Week’s Be Inspired Diversity Champion Award. We are proud to work with Clare and are delighted to have JMG on board as a Drivers of Change sponsor for a second year.
McLaren Automotive’s HR Director Mandeep Dhatt is an advocate of D&I within automotive. Not only a sponsor of the Drivers of Change competition, Mandeep also led an inclusive HR strategy during the COVID-19 crisis and continually strives for an inclusive workplace culture. As she said herself, “you can’t ask someone to inspire people if they are not inspired themselves”.
It is wonderful to see so many inspirational women within automotive, there are truly too many to mention and it is incredibly motivating to see company cultures and recruitment adapt to accommodate for a diverse workforce.
However, despite this progress, according to a 2020 Deloitte study, 40 per cent of women working in automotive would choose a different industry if they were starting their career again and 90 per cent of participants felt that women are under-represented in leadership positions.
The industry therefore needs to drive greater representation by flattening the hierarchy and creating policies that engage all levels of the organisation. Through initiatives like Drivers of Change, Ennis & Co strives to be a key part of this necessary transformation, by increasing diversity within automotive, for women, as well as other aspects of diversity.
