‘Inspiration’ for women in industry
Scores of women were eager to gain tips and insights from experts on how to progress their careers in the automotive industry during a special event held in Auckland.
Women in Automotive, which was set up this year to boost the number of females working in the sector, ran the career development and networking event that attracted more than 80 people.
Speakers included Chanelle McDonald, general manager of Volkswagen passenger vehicles in New Zealand, career coach Liz Barry and Melissa Marshall, human resources manager at Giltrap Group.
Stephanie Pow, founder and chief executive officer of Crayon, and Kim Milne, chief people officer at the ELF Group, also addressed the audience.
The event, designed for early to mid-career women in the industry, was sponsored by Giltrap Group and held at the company’s showrooms in Grey Lynn.
Tash Callister, co-founder and chair of Women in Automotive, was delighted at the turnout of women from across the sector wanting to learn more about career development.
“There were some practical tips shared such as the difference between a mentor, a coach and a sponsor and how developing relationships in those areas can be valuable for career progression,” she tells Autofile Online.
“There was also plenty of inspiration bundled in. Chanelle McDonald spoke about how she had navigated her career to get where she is now. She worked in automotive marketing before getting vehicle sales experience ensuring she had a breadth of skills to go for the top job.”
The October 19 function also tackled how women could chart their career path, take charge of their professional development and balance family with a successful career.
Callister notes Barry spoke about the importance of “developing a vision for where you want to get to” and articulating that to line managers or human resources teams so they can help map out a pathway. “This might cover the skills and experience needed, and the roles to take and the training needed to get there”
She adds such events are not possible without industry support and Women in Automotive was grateful to Giltrap Group for hosting the session.
“We’re also looking to have a South Island-based event early next year so we can engage with people across all parts of the country and are currently seeking sponsors,” says Callister.
Women in Automotive was officially launched in May this year and aims to provide tools and resources to help businesses recruit women.
It also offers guidance and support for women wanting to get into automotive roles and has been met with “overwhelming support” from companies across the sector.
Callister adds that the collective is not solely a female initiative but a whole-of-industry effort with three key fundamentals driving it.
“The first is we know that diverse teams deliver better financial outcomes, so it makes smart business sense.
“Secondly, a strong leadership team should look like its customer base and currently whilst women make up roughly half of the consumers of the product, they are underrepresented in deciding what product comes into the country, how that product is marketed and what the sales or after-sales experience is like.
“Lastly, there is a nationwide talent shortage in New Zealand, and for the automotive industry to thrive we want our organisations to have access to a wide pool of talent, so we need to help them in attracting women to apply for roles.”
This year the group has continued to expand the Women in Automotive website and added new role profiles online to showcase stories of women thriving in the sector.
Callister says it also plans to build out its membership framework in 2024, with details on how organisations can sign up and targets for uptake due to be announced in the new year.
