ABM_1 - Flipbook - Page 63
FEATURE
WOMEN IN AUTOMOTIVE
leadership may not necessarily bring
buyers might leave the shop without a
with it a change in management style,
sale, purely due to a lack of adequate
particularly in industries where survival
representation, or a sense of exclusive
may have called for adaptation.
culture, that represents a loss that most
The Deloitte spokesperson says: “There
cannot afford to swallow.
are a few female leaders who try to
The spokesperson at Deloitte shares
adopt a more male style of management
their experience: “Moving to the UK
as a role model.”
to work in the automotive industry
A paper by Thomas Chamorrowas a big improvement in terms of
Premuzic at the Harvard Business Review
representation; however, there was still
says: “If our solution is to train women
a bias. The industry is more male than
to emulate the behaviour of men, by
female, but through our network, I have
asking them to promote themselves
met some very cool female engineers
more, take credit
and designers who are
for other people’s
passionate about the
Among those
achievements,
industry.”
blame others for
who have sought Women and EVs
their own mistakes,
and focus on their
Although they have a lot of
help from male
own personal career
purchasing power, there
retail staff, 44%
interests, as opposed
is a distinct disconnect
to the welfare of
between many women and
reported feeling
their teams or
the car buying process,
organisation, we may
marking a key barrier to
patronised"
end up increasing
the UK's overall progress in
the representation of
terms of EV adoption.
women in leadership without increasing
Renault found that just 46% of women
the quality of our leaders.”
compared to 63% of men described
Adams says: “There are things women
themselves as very likely to make the
leaders can also do to help get women
switch to electric in the next two years.
in the industry. There should be a goal
Autotrader published a report sharing
to make a team have a less 'male feel’,
insights into why women were slower
which has dominated the automotive
at adopting EVs, a key element being
industry previously, but also constantly
the knowledge gap. Women were threeworking hard to create an environment
times less likely to be aware of the 2030
where people can be the best they can.
deadline for the ban on selling new petrol
"Showing any young candidate that
and diesel engines, for example. This
they can succeed and find their own
education piece could be improved if the
creativity in the industry is essential.”
industry made itself more welcoming and
This culture is not simply about
easy to engage with for those that do not
providing space for female employees to
fit the stereotypical mould.
thrive. By fostering a less male-focused
Women are the majority consumers
approach, there will be an effect on the
in the UK, with more purchasing power
end customer.
than ever. This has not been directed
The Citroen study, which surveyed
towards cars to the extent it should, and
7,547 UK drivers, found that only 25%
specifically not towards the adoption of
of female respondents said they felt
EVs, according to Autotrader insights. It
comfortable asking for help from
also found that only one in five women
a member of staff in a showroom
considered getting an EV in comparison
environment. From a sales perspective,
to a third of men. With reservations like
this issue should worry those in the
‘will I run out of charge on the motorway
industry. Four-times as many women as
with my children in the back?’, this clearly
men would prefer to deal with a female
speaks to a wider social difference in
member of staff when purchasing a car.
priorities that must be addressed.
Among those who have sought help from
In a panel discussion at the 2025
male retail staff, 44% reported feeling
EV Summit, Mas Morton, chief of staff
patronised. If there is a chance that a
at The Charge Scheme, said: “Safety
member of the growing cohort of female
is the number one point. If anyone is →
Q4 2025 AUTOMOTIVE BUSINESS
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