Boosting diversity in industry
From pledge to progress – how leading Kiwi businesses are delivering for women – by Natasha Callister, co-founder, Women In Automotive.
In May 2024, the Women In Automotive Accord was established by the team at Women In Automotive New Zealand to spark an industry-wide movement, turning good intentions into co-ordinated, visible action.
Designed to help organisations move from the intent stage and into practical change, the accord provides a shared roadmap for attracting and developing top female talent and building more inclusive workplaces.
One year in, here’s a snapshot of those companies setting the pace for progress.
Inchcape NZ – driving equity
Inchcape New Zealand has embedded diversity, equity, and inclusion as a commercial imperative. It’s led by general manager Kym Mellow who could never be defined as a leader that plays lip service but rather one who walks the talk, driving real change through his actions.
Under his leadership, the business has made impressive strides. These include investing in leadership development for women, conducting listening sessions to better understand the experiences of female employees, and implementing training programmes focused on inclusive hiring and leadership.
Additionally, Mellow is a 2024 graduate of the Women Rising – Male Allies Programme, further strengthening his commitment to championing gender diversity across the company.
“Inchcape is dedicated to empowering and developing our female colleagues, recognising that attracting top talent and fostering an inclusive, diverse environment enables everyone to thrive for today, for tomorrow and for the better,” says Mellow.
“Joining Women In Automotive’s accord has strengthened our commitment and accelerated meaningful action to increase female representation in leadership across our business and the industry.”
Sime Motors – shaping future
Since signing the accord, Sime Motors has taken a data-driven approach to diversity, equity and inclusion. By conducting an internal survey, it has gained a clear understanding of where the company stands and what needs to be improved.
Sime is at an earlier stage in its journey and, rather than making assumptions, it has actively sought employee feedback to inform its strategy and ensure its efforts have meaningful impact. As a result, the company has prioritised initiatives focused on pay equity and enhancing parental leave policies.
To further strengthen its approach, it has engaged with Go Crayon founder Stephanie Pow to leverage best practices to help craft inclusive workplace policies. Sime Motors remains committed to ongoing evaluation and continuous improvement to drive progress.
Giltrap – focus on inclusion
The Giltrap Group has made strong progress in fostering female leadership and enhancing workplace inclusivity since joining the accord.
Recognising the importance of clear leadership pipelines, the company has developed tailored leadership programmes to support and elevate women in the business. In parallel, it has invested in refining its recruitment strategy to ensure better representation and visibility of females across all levels.
A key focus has also been on equipping leaders with the skills to build an inclusive workplace, including comprehensive unconscious-bias training across the organisation. These initiatives are designed not only to support women already in the company, but to attract a more diverse talent pool in the future.
“We're pleased with the progress we've made since joining the Women in Automotive Accord,” says John Frear, group capability and performance manager at the Giltrap Group.
“While our initiatives are still a work in progress, the accord has helped us to focus and prioritise our efforts. It's great to see more women taking on leadership roles across the business. We’re confident this trend will continue.”
The road ahead
The Women In Automotive Accord was established to create real and lasting change in New Zealand’s automotive industry.
Inchcape, Sime Motors and the Giltrap Group are just three examples of organisations participating in the accord that are taking deliberate action to increase female participation and leadership in the sector.
When Women In Automotive was founded, there were no females holding the top job of a major automotive brand in New Zealand. There are now five.
Organisations that cultivate a strong, inclusive workplace culture by investing in their people, embracing diversity and adapting to the evolving needs of their customer base are best positioned to attract top talent.
In doing so, they not only strengthen their teams but also enhance commercial performance through lower employee turnover, deeper customer connections and a more innovative workforce.
For more information and to find out how businesses can get involved, visit www.womeninautomotive.nz.
